The speaker was refined in her tone, enunciatingcarefully, with just enough emotion to keep listeners from nodding off. Probably wore one of those elven silk ceremonial robes. Not that I could see her, the last row comprised elves and a scattering of nekojin, the feline folk, all standing considerably taller than I. Shorter humans like me would be in the row in front of them, and any even shorter gnomes in front of that.
“…Before you disperse into your separate academic specializations, please note that while this institution encourages a certain competitive spirit, you will encounter each other in many different classes, just as in outside life. Regardless of any controversies you may have heard, all specializations are fully supported by this institution. We wish you success in the coming three years.”
Controversies?
As the several hundred students disbursed, swirling and reforming into smaller groups like so many schools of fish, I felt distinctly un-fishlike weighed down with luggage. Or more specifically, like a solitary, clumsy fish destined to be picked off by predators. Was there a reception area where I could drop my luggage for the rest of the orientation?
I slunk out the way I came in. As I turned to push double doors open with my back, I faced a trio of stern-looking elves glaring down at me.
While elves were by default stern-looking, and, standing on average a head taller than a human, tended to look down on us, this was no great surprise.Yet these three seem to have a particular disdain for me.
“The academy bends over backwards to ensure its uniform is multi-species adaptable. Yet you could not be troubled to wear one on the first day.”
Technically, it’s day zero.
Who are you, the uniform police?
Sorry, no time to change. I was delayed rescuing an elf from a supposedly unsinkable elven ship that was sinking.
No. No more old me, that backward human from a backwater town who thought he was funny. This was the big city. I knew how elves were supposed to interact. They may not overtly look down on humans, but you had to prove yourself their equal.
“My regrets. A travel mishap delayed me.” I nodded. “Good day to you.”
I spun back around as I entered the elongated lobby with various doors in and out, spying a stack of luggage to one side behind a pair of marble urns with flowering palms.
They may not have matched, but I was proud of my pair of secondhand suitcases. Walnut tanned leather with scuffs almost fully buffed out. Brass bell rivets, brass latches… which even worked, mostly, leather corner reinforcements… and I’d even gotten that odd smell out of the pinstriped linen liner.
They were solid, functional, mostly watertight, and so outclassed by the stack of fully matched tan, bridle leathersuitcases that mine may as well have been paperboard boxes tied with twine.
“Geeze, is everyone who attends the academy required to have the same luggage?” I glanced to see if anyone heard my outburst and stacked my bags between the stacks of suitcases and a pair of elegant wooden sea chests.
The Raloren Academy was an elite school, though unlike most other elite—or even decidedly non-elite schools—it charged only a token fee to attend. Once a student was accepted. Which wasn’t exactly easy. I darted along the perimeter, pushing through doors with handles and push plates just high enough to be awkward. The academy accepted humans but was designed for elves. The last students filtered into lecture halls for their class specialization orientation.
I won’t be late a second time in one day!
I yanked open a birchwood door with milk glass panes along the top and lunged inside, nearly running into—
“You?” chided a severe voice. “What are you doing here?”
I backpedaled half a step and glanced up. “This is an interesting coincidence, prin… I mean, Baroness.”
“Simply Lady Arazniros will do.” She had short amber hair, nearly blonde at the tips, piercing green eyes, full lips, and…wow… those were some long, sleek legs. I hadn’t noticed on our prior encounter, what with the dress, but she filled out the school uniform easily aselegantly as she had that long dress. She clenched one hand as she shot me a hard glare. “Do not tell meyouare a starting student.”
“I’m sure as hell not the bellhop, lady.” I didnotjust say that. That was literally the most un-elven response I could have given.
She narrowed her eyes.
I cringed, thinking through responses that might rescue the situation.
She responded as I hit number seven. “It is a… rathercuriouscoincidence.”
Her mood, in our brief but admittedly eventful association, had varied between defensive, cagey, and mistrustful, with a dash of random hostility thrown in for good measure. And this to someone who saved her life. Was there something else below that icy surface? She seemed as shocked by that corpse in the hold as I was.
Yup. Someone on a ship bound for Halamar, might have business in Halamar. No. We are tryingnotto make things worse, Theo! “I do not know what I have done to warrant such suspicion, prin… Lady Aaz… Azer…. Arazniros.” Not a horrible response except my mispronouncing her name.
“Seph…” Her lips quivered as if fighting with her words as much as I, finally letting out a whispered, “Suspicion…”
“Students, I believe we are complete, let us sit down.” A wispy elven man addressed the room, cuttingoff my digging myself further into a hole. “My name is Master Arel, faculty adviser for our institution’s newly established mage specialization.”
