The old stone and snowy dirt roads of the wild North had long since passed by, replaced with the open fields and farmlands of the crossroads between the four provinces. To the north, the frozen lands and mountains bathed in legends of warriors and primordial beasts that Alistair called home, to the South, the golden capital of Valetoria, the arid lands to the East was home to the revered masons and smiths who'd forged Humanity's tools and to the West laid his destination, the fabled Archive behind a sea of ancient, lush green forests and crystalline rivers. The envoy had been on the road for weeks, stopping at feudal towns and charming shires along the way. The spring rainstorms had turned the dirt roads to mud and trapped Alistair and his teacher inside for almost the entirety of the trip.
"Wow, it's really pouring out there..." Alistair stated the obvious, staring out the red tinted windows into the fields of farmland and marveling at the thunderstorm in surprise. Ludex similarly watched, only with disquiet, before turning to his possible pupil.
"Yes, we've been experiencing a surge in storms in the west as spring approached...Is weather like this common in the North?" The sage asked curiously, writing some reports and entries in his tarnished journal.
"Not really, but it usually snows most days or hails on bad ones; we don't see the sun much either." Alistair informed, bitter about the times where he and Aurora would be snowed in and stuck indoors all day.
"Interesting..." Ludex mused, recording yet another account of strange, constant weather throughout Valetoria; as he finished his account, he figured it was time for another lesson.
"Well Alistair, perhaps we should wait out the storm with another lesson for the day." Ludex announced as he rose from his chair, stretching his tired limbs, as he removed the purple tome they'd been reading from for the past several days. Alistair merrily nodded and lounged on a cushion on the floor opposite Ludex who rested back into his auburn chair and opened the leather bound book.
"Where were we...Ah, here we are...'The Dragons from beyond the Pale Sea shared with Mankind divine knowledge and their immortal fire, from which we drew the power of enchantment. With dragon fire to smelt our new weapons and enchantment to strengthen our armour and flesh, we struck down the Griffin invaders.'" Ludex rattled off with a clear and strong inflection, enthralling Alistair with the history lesson.
"Ludex, why did the Griffins come in the first place?" The child asked with a raised hand, drawing the teacher's attention.
"The accounts vary. Northerners claim it was to enslave us, the Southerners to exterminate and the Griffins say it was to take our resources as with their constant infighting it became hard to constantly hold and operate a mine or farm without thick walls and weapons; why wage miniature wars when there's a mineral rich land simply to the west?" Ludex told him, not quite sure himself. "Regardless, it sparked what we call 'The Age of Iron' or as the Griffins and Ponies call it 'The Age of Blood.' 'With our newfound defiance and will, Humanity rapidly expanded. The Eastern lands were razed and rebuilt, the Griffin clans that had lived within the valleys were forced to retreat back into their native lands or were put to the sword. The Northerners swarmed back into their old lands, ruining all who would stop them regardless if they were Griffin, Pony or Human. The South grew in size and power, far removed from the frontiers, and became the home of our first Lords. The West, however, was were the Dragons of yore flocked to nest within the cavernous mountains where their Human scholars and followers migrated in a mass exodus.'" Ludex finished, explaining how the basic foundation of the Valetorian Empire and her provinces flourished.
"Are the Dragons still there?" The young prince inquired, marveling at the thought of meeting an old, legendary Dragon.
"Yes and no. Many of them died long ago defending the Western lands from all manor of villainy, or simply haven't woken from their slumbers. Many more have returned back to their homeland across the Pale Sea; some still remain, their constant vigil a warning to the Archive's foes. So long as those mountains stand, so to will the Golden Dragons and the Archive." Ludex informed, respect evident in his voice, causing the child to deflate. "Perhaps, if you pass the Trials and become a student, you can see them someday." He continued, causing the child to smile at the thought. The day continued like this, with either Ludex informing him of humanity's history or the basics of Alchemy, Enchantment and Magic; despite the dry, sometimes boring, sometimes droll lectures, Alistair was amazed and curious regardless.
The storm kept hounding the carriages and casters, yet they persevered and neared the archaic, arcane woods of the West.
"It's time to wake up Alistair, I've already finished cooking breakfast and you don't want to look like a disheveled mess in front of the whole Archive on your first day do you?" Ludex chastised the lethargic child, who growled at him from his bed in the cramped side room reserved for him and his things, from the other side of the door. As Alistair grumbled about the unnaturally early riser of a Mage, he was convinced to get moving at the scent of cooked eggs and meat. As he stepped out of his dark, squished cabin dressed in his finest blue and black tunic and trousers, wishing to make a good impress in front of his possible peers, he began drooling at the sight of their small, wooden table topped with sausages, soft boiled eggs, bacon and pancakes.
"Woah! Where'd you keep all this?! You could've told me we had bacon lying around when we had to eat that slop last night." The child whined, remembering the foul porridge they had previously.
"And make our last breakfast together on the road less memorable? Perish the thought. Now, sit down and eat before your food goes cold or you won't have time to fix your appearance before we both get out." His tutor retorted with a grin and chuckle before noticing the sleep in the boy's eyes, bed head and generally sour look. Although he hated the early mornings, he loved waking up to Ludex's cooking.
"Thanks again, your cooking is so amazing!" Alistair thanked politely after taking a bite out of the juicy, perfectly cooked bacon before washing it down with a mug of moliberry juice; the blue juice burst with flavour and sweetness.
"Just some of the perks of growing up with Pyromancy and a cook for a father; again, you don't need to keep thanking me for cooking." Ludex reminded with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"Dad said to always thank a good cook, so I will." He countered with a stern look, determined to be polite.
"He also used to punch lousy ones..." The scholar remarked, grinning at the old friend's antics, before he went back to eating his meal silently. The two ate ravenously, the rationing of supplies making the sizzling meal all the more delectable, before Alistair fixed his scruffy appearance and made himself look like the regal heir he was. With little else to do, the slowly waking Prince sat down on the black cushioned sofa next to the large windows to the right of the carriage. As he stared out the window, he noticed the expansive, towering dark trees of the woods and thick foliage had slowly began to retreat and give way to open fields. In time, he noticed small patrols of armoured, robe covered Humans, Ponies, Griffins and all kinds of creatures along the roads armed with a plethora of weapons.
"Hey, how come there are Griffins with weapons next to Humans?" Alistair asked innocently, surprised at the indifference the obscured soldiers had for each other.
"They're members of the Archive Guard, a small yet skilled battalion, they take on anyone who shows potential much like the Archive itself. why do you ask?" Ludex clarified, looking up from the glowing scroll he read from to stare out the window at the sliver plated and yellow robe covered knights.
"Well, Dad always said a Griffin was nothing more than a bloodthirsty bird...Seems weird to give them weapons, or leave them unchained, if that's the case." The child responded calmly, stunning Ludex.
"I see...Your Father...Well...Long ago, we...Something happened long ago that made Peter think that way, out of respect for him I won't elaborate, but please understand that his views of Griffins is ultimately backwards and bigoted...Please don't repeat what you just said to other students or scholars, they might have very...Alarmed reactions." He continued with a dejected sigh, unwilling to shatter his view of his Father at such a young age.
"Okay..." Alistair simply said, unsure of what he wanted to say but understood the point regardless. The remaining half hour to the third and second largest gate of the Western province past in awkward silence, the sound of turning wheels, marching soldiers and defenders relaying orders echoed across the scarred landscape. As they finally reached the towering, moonstone walls of the outer city, old trenches, weaponry, fortifications and tattered banners giving way to small walls of stone, ramparts and armoured guards.
"Open the gates!" Cried out a giant Minotaur, who stood high above his subordinates, which caused the colossal, army halting steel gates to slowly open inward. On the outside and the inside, lines of guards, Paladians and Spellswords saluted their leader and watched his vanguard clear the threshold of the Archive's city.
"Welcome to Drachen-Tor." Ludex announced with pride and comfort radiating from his soft voice as Alistair marveled at the bustling, colossal city adorned with buildings old and new and people from seemingly all corners of the known world. The streets and alleyways seemed to shift in design and culture, ranging from the utilitarian and simplistic designs of Eastern Humans to the non-euclidean and often cheese covered mimicries of homes and shops the Draconequus littered the streets with. The walls stood tall above everything else sans the archive, casting shadows upon the city within and should the walls ever fail to instill a sense of security in the people, the guards wandering about certainly would.
"Wow...I didn't know they made cities this big..." Alistair exclaimed in wonder as he analyzed every new and alien thing he could spot.
"At first we didn't need a city or even a village at all, the Archive was big enough and could house all of us at once, but as the Archive grew so did it's notoriety and fame. Soon, people from all over were making pilgrimages to try and join the Archivists or add some old spell or piece of lore to our ever growing collection. Some never made it into our ranks for one reason or another, but we would be fools to turn away a decent worker or craftsman; soon a small community was growing within and around us of mundane and magical craftsman and thus Drachon-Tor became a hub of sorts for peculiar wares, tools and everything else a mage or magical creature could desire. It started small, but overtime it expanded as every new resident added their own little slice of home into the mix." Ludex explained with joy, clearly proud to elaborate on the origins of the odd city. "Of course the other provinces were irked at the rapid explosion of foreign and magical beings calling Valetoria home, but so long as the guards are around no one is going to be challenging us again." He continued with a look of resolve as Alistair looked back at him with a smile before continuing to admire the passing attractions.
For every misshapen street of cobblestone they passed Alistair saw a million things to occupy his time, from the beautiful ponies made of crystal, to the elks he'd only heard of in fables and even a store selling different breeds of Orthros and various other pets run by some kind of bug things. Freaks and abnormalities walked about minding their own businesses like it was normal to everyone else, but the prince could barely believe anything he saw.
As the convoy moved through the winding, rising streets towards the second gate house on the opposite side of the town Alistair would yell out or point at something that baffled him and Ludex would answer his questions or concerns as they passed crowds of onlookers. As they approached the second layer of security, the surrounding neighborhoods began showing signs of age and weathering, showing the evolution of the arcane city.
Once more they passed through a heavily fortified checkpoint into the Archive grounds, stunning Alistair for the countless time. The Archive at a distance was a tall, imposing collection of spires, platforms and ramparts that seemed as impressive as it was imposing, yet staring up at it from the lush, vibrant and multicoloured castle gardens instilled a sense of peace, wisdom and wonder. The stones and metal exterior glowed like the building itself had a life of its own, the windows of numerous colours and sizes were wide open, the students and teachers alike welcoming the arrival of not only their leader but the last eligible child to be his apprentice. The spires breached the clouds above and stood proudly amongst the stars; whatever knowledge locked away above no doubt as secret and well kept as the ones deep below. The garden grounds surrounding the convoy were full of docile animals, shrubberies, beds of flowers and workers toiling tirelessly despite the constant flow of life giving magic radiating from the grounds itself. As the convoy approached the main entrance to the grand hall, its old, colossal wooden gate stood ajar in anticipation for the new arrivals, Alistair couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation and dread.
"It's...Massive...How could someone build something like this?" He asked, marveling at the ancient, gleaming library.
"A lot of dragons, magic, stone and a little help from the Gods. It was much, much smaller and less grandiose in its first century or two but as more covens and schools were assimilated across Val it grew accordingly." Ludex said, summarizing the history of its formation. The archway into the school bared carvings of crests both new and old of the covens and orders that had over the years joined the Archivists.
"Once we exit the cart, I'll rejoin the Archivist headmasters and you'll be expected to join the rest of the children who're eligible for apprenticeship, this may be the last time we're able to talk face to face for awhile and I won't be able to teach you anything new in preparation, are you ready?" Ludex inquired as he adjusted his robes and buttoned it up with a smile towards the excited prince who looked like he was about to throw up from over stimulation.
"I don't know...I mean, what am I expected to do? What'll the Trials be about? How can I compare to these other kids? And what if I mess up in front of everyone?! I don't-"
"Calm down Alistair, you'll be fine." Ludex assured with a soothing voice as he placed his hands on the shoulders of the jittering kid. "The Trials are far from an elaborate show of force or prowess, more so an aptitude test and a few simple exercises and activities; I've already taught you the normal amount of magical and historical information you'd need for the more nuanced tests. Even the greatest mages start as benign as the rest and asking children to perform a cantrip would be dangerous to say the least. Relax, do your best and you'll be fine." He finished with a reassuring smile as he stood up straight, fixed his collar, opened the carriage door and stepped out into cool Spring air of the western forest with Alistair in tow.
Spellswords and paladins knelled before their commander with reverence as he strode towards his awaiting headmasters as Alistair did his best to avoid the critical and questioning gazes of the strangers surrounding him. Before the two stood a small collection of casters of various races, origins and specialization who all bent their knee to Ludex before standing up and addressing him.
"welcome back Lord Hierophant, is this the last potential apprentice?" A robed Human asked with a deep, gravely and accented voice unlike anything Alistair had heard. His body was covered by a dark blue robe decorated with elaborate patterns of rivers and snow sown into the fabric. Although he could barely see the man, he could see his skin was dark brown and his body was painted with faded white lines.
"Yes, this is Prince Alastair of House Leonas. Wert, could you escort him to the apprentice quarters? He'll need some robes, a wand, some textbooks and a warm bed." Ludex ordered to the strange man, who bowed before him.
"Of course, right away." He said as he turned away and gestured for the young boy to follow, but before he could Ludex stopped him.
"Remember, stay calm and think your options through; you're being evaluated on more than your intellect and strength, you need a solid composure and clear mind and I know that if you focus on your strengths and intuition you'll go far. Good luck and goodbye for now." The powerful sage reminded with a reassuring grin before sending him on his way.
The Archive was labyrinthine and overwhelming in scale, with a constant ebb and flow of motion through the sparkling clean and intricately decorated hallways, stairwells and passages. Behind each door they passed down the long halls was a new mystery beginning to be discovered; from the radiating sense of power seeping out from underneath the golden, hallowed doors, the songs carried on freezing winds from deep within the Archive to the libraries and schools far above and deep below.
"Ever seen the Archive before?" The mage asked Alistair, who was distracted observing everything around him.
"No, never..." He responded in a hushed, awed tone, too distracted chronicling everything he could see in his mind.
"Well then I hope you enjoy your brief tour around the main Archive and grounds; there's nothing like this in all of Val." Wert said with adoration as he too smiled as he looked around at the all too common sights of the Archive. The few mages they passed were so bizarre to Alistair, their strange garb or armour only outmatched by their bodies; some were simply another race altogether or their bodies were some kind of magical substitute for flesh and blood like stone and fire or grass and roots yet no one gave them a second glance sans the uninitiated. The crowded passages and chambers full of acolytes or servants slowly dissipated until they were in the Western wing of the Archive, the newest section of the Archive built to house more students; the walls were decorated with ornate paintings and metal light fixtures while the windows parallel to them gave an unobfuscated view of the walled off gardens below. After several twist and turns the two of them stood before a set of doors leading into Alistair's temporary room, one of many lining the hallway for all the possible apprentice's rooms.
"Your room may be a bit cramped, but when you become a student you'll get a more spacious room, more so if you succeed in the Trials and become Lord Hierophant Ludex's successor." Wart said as he unlocked the doors, letting Alistair into the tiny, but cozy bedroom. The soft, grey bed was neatly made with a metal tray lined topped with fruits, the small blackwood bookshelf was full of novels and educational material and the blue rug beneath him felt warm and inviting.
"Tomorrow the first trial begins at six in the morning, in the interim, feel free to decompress and relax, read a few books or explore the Archive if you wish. If you need anything, merely ring that bell and a servant will come by within a few minutes." He offered before pointing towards a seemingly normal looking brass bell. "Do you require anything else?" He finalized as he rested his hands at his side.
"No, I should be fine, thank you." The prince stated softly, too engrossed by the his surroundings as he sat on the fluffy bed. Without a word the senior mage bowed with respect before leaving wordlessly, gently closing the door behind him.
Collapsing onto the bed and staring up at the chandelier Alistair sighed with a massive, stupid grin that would've looked ludicrous to anyone else; despite the looming terror of the trials, he was exuberant and honoured to be considered good enough to join the Archive; The Archive wasn't just revered, it was legendary, and Ludex himself had picked him and journeyed with him to the grand library. Finally able to let his scruffy hair down and rest for a moment, he was able to laugh gleefully. Reaching for a crisp, red apple and looking around for a useful book to read, he spent the rest of the day eating and researching in the afterglow of his arrival until twilight overcame the fortress of magic and fatigue took hold of him.
The week of Trials were more than Alistair had bargained for yet less than he'd feared, he'd been expected to perform basic tests of passive magic like animals being naturally drawn to him and not mauling him immediately, an ability to sense a strong presence of magic, basic potion making, staff and wand wielding, a resistance to raw magic and an affinity towards a certain magic. For most it was something simple like fire or water, for a few it was bizarre like light or illusion yet for Alistair it was something more esoteric; few can say they too held power over weight manipulation.
"Wait...What is weight manipulation?" Alistair asked, fidgeting in his silver and blue robe that was one size too big, it's elegant and rune etched sleeves brushing past his pale knuckles. As he and Ludex walked down the gilded halls of the Upper Halls between two gold plated, crimson robed guards Alistair couldn't stop adjusting his stylish robe.
"Well, it's one of the more unknown fields of magic, few have been gifted with a natural prowess in such an understudied school." Ludex tried to clarify with a beaming smile as Alistair looked at his hands. "It's rather inconsequential at the moment however, before we go over such an advanced school we have a lot of basics to cover!" He declared with vigor as they rounded a corner towards the Hierophant's Hall, the right stain glass windows depicting the several Hierophants before him and the Coven leaders before them.
"Congratulations on passing the Trials, few even truly find out if they can even join a school of magic so it's quite prosperous that we found you up North." Ludex said with cheer, looking away from him while he decided to hold up the bottom of his robe so he'd stop treading on it. "Oh, I'll tell the tailors they'll need to shorten your robes, my apologies." He continued, frowning slightly at the embarrassing display.
"It's okay, I've had worse." The young apprentice assured, remembering when his dad tried to give him a set of armour. "So, now what?" Alistair asked, curious as to the demands his new title came with but also incredibly anxious to begin.
"Well, normally there's a few days of celebration and preparation, we'll introduce you to the rest of the Archive, give you some better robes and your first wand, assign you some more servants, gather any existing written knowledge on weight manipulation as well as general comforts. For now, simply relax and celebrate your victory. The time for training will come later." Ludex informed as they approached a set of whitewood and silver doors with silver spellswords flanking either side.
"That sounds alright, honestly I could use some time to-wait, more servants?" Alistair inquired, befuddled that he even has a servant here.
"Of course, you're my apprentice and it's only natural to give you at least a servant; you're inevitably going to need someone to manage the smaller things in your life." Ludex stated, his tone indicating it was something clear to all except Alistair. "This is your quarters from now on, it may be a bit sparse at first but overtime you'll find the room may become cramped so try not to make too much of a mess." He instructed as he gently pushed them open and stepped into the colossal chamber.
"Woah..." Alistair marveled as he surveyed the incredible mini library held within a bedroom. In the back left corner rested a giant, bed and in the center sat a large, ornately carved mahogany table with a wooden, padded chair and the walls were lined with empty bookshelves. Above the ground floor was a second set of bookshelves accessible by several ladders built on rails; a cool breeze blew in from the balcony opposite Alastair which gave a clear few to the mountains behind the Archive and the training grounds bathed in moonlight as well. As he oohed and aahed at the colourful gold and silver painted walls and the impressive scale he noticed the pony standing idle by on the balcony.
"Speaking of servants, I want you to meet Dawnstar." Ludex insisted as said pony turned around with bored eyes and a lack of engagement. She slowly walked over to the two before bowing regally before Alistair.
"Greetings Apprentice Alistair, I'm your humble servant Dawnstar." She greeted with a seemingly rehearsed greeting. Despite her enthusiasm she clearly knew how to act proper. She was dressed in a simple red and white robe with very little embellishments that paired well with her well groomed silver fur and ruby mane. Her red eyes were dull with disinterest and fatigue. Despite her young, healthy lithe body and well made clothes, it was all offset by the faded markings of a chain around her neck.
"It's nice to meet you...I promise I won't ask too much of you." He responded awkwardly, not sure how to react to such a bland, disinterested person.
"Wonderful..." She responded, her terse attitude unnerving him.
"Dawnstar, Alistair requires his robes to be shortened and if need be replaced, could you inform the tailors please?" His new mentor ordered, to which she bowed and began towards the doors.
"Of course." She said, a clear change in her inflection towards respect instead of faint contempt. When she was finally out of ear Alistair turned to Ludex.
"She's pretty verbose, where'd she come from? I didn't think the Archive had slaves." He jested sarcastically before taking on a serious tone.
"Don't mistake her answers or responses for hatred or malcontent, she's simply slow to warming up to others...She's had a horrid childhood and she's only slightly older than yourself." Ludex answered, crestfallen as he looked at the empty doorway before facing his new student with a small smile. "Ah, but now's not the time for such things. What do you think of your new room?" He asked with curiosity as he himself looked around once more.
"It's truly marvelous, thank you so much!...But it's a bit excessive don't you think?" He responded, grateful but overwhelmed.
"It may seem big now, but give it a few years and you'll be stepping over books, scrolls and gifts to get to the door." He said knowingly, a nostalgic look in his glowing eyes. "Oh, and to commemorate your new home I got you a gift! It's customary for Hierophant's to give their acolyte something simple but nice on their first day, I hope you like it." He said confidently as he removed a small, square parcel from his robe and handed it to Alistair who in turn feverishly tore the paper away to reveal a blank stack of paper.
"What is it? connected paper?" He asked, confused and unsure as he looked it over.
"Somewhat. It's an enchanted notebook, no matter what you put in its pages you'll never run out of blank paper nor lose anything you draw! It's marvelous yet simplistic." He explained matter of factly as he demonstrated its powers by flipping through its pages, amazing Alistair when halfway through it stopped yet more pages were being flipped through yet it never seemed to grow bigger in size.
"Wow, that's so cool!" The young boy remarked as he had the mystical book handed back to him. "What can I do with it?"
"Anything you can imagine Alistair, a blank canvas is a plethora of possibility for a creative and logical mind, my former master told me that." He answered with a reminiscent smile. "Now then, I have matters to attend to and it is getting rather late. If you require anything my room is just down the hall and these guards are yours; if you need something and neither myself nor Dawnstar are around merely ask them." He informed as he gestured to the two silver covered Human guards who stood taller when called upon. "Get some sleep, and in the morning I plan to introduce you to the castle at large and my advisers. Good night Alistair, you've a bright future ahead of you." He parted with a soft smile as he and the guards left him in the magically lit room alone.
As he looked around the expansive room, from its empty shelves to the spacious balcony and grandiose bed, he thought back to his shared room with Aurora with mirth before wondering about his future. He knew then and there in his heart of hearts that he was going to revel in his opportunity and excel whatever notions people may have of him tenfold. He would be a loyal and inquisitive apprentice, and one day a wise and powerful Hierophant worthy of leading the Archive...