Aeres Academy - Chapter 19 preview

By the time I arrived at the dining hall, the meal was in full swing. Even if I had rushed my wash, the other thirty or so attendees had descended on the buffet counters like a pack of locusts – or, in this world, a group of ravaging goblins. The entire hall was rather large, with long wooden tables and benches set all down the room in a pair of aisles and the buffet table on one end.

Unlike any good buffet on Earth, though, there was a distinct lack of a dessert table. In fact, the general status of desserts in this world was rather dismal. While cookies and cakes were common, vast volumes of icing, sugary confectionaries and heart-stopping sweets were just not present. I’d heard rumors of other cities and continents having more diverse cuisine types, but such discussions were always in passing. 

It was, I admit, one of my greater goals in this world to find chocolate – or the local equivalent – once again. Eventually, I’m sure, I’d find it in the city of Haeros. While the city itself might not have been the largest on this continent, it was one of the top thirteen. Thirteen, of course, due to the size and ranking of the dungeon that resulted in the growth of the cities around them. Well, all but Ohrab, which had not one, but two different dungeons in their vicinity. Though each of the pair were smaller than Haeros’ own, together they were more than sufficient to drive the city to massive proportions.

By the time I had packed my plate full of food – hurrying servers returning with replacements for those roast meats, vegetables and other dishes that had been emptied – I had resolved, once again, to finding a proper dessert store the next time I had a rest day.

Surely in a city with hundreds of thousands of individuals, there had to be one. I refused to believe that I was the only person with a sweet tooth. Even if sugars were significantly more expensive than on Earth, there had to be something…

“You look deeply troubled.” A voice, female, polished and genteel caused me to look up from my plate where I had been shifting its contents from side to side. 

I had taken a seat at the far edge, away from others since breaking into a conversation was, well… awkward. Older or not, that initial moment of introduction had always been my biggest hurdle in meeting others.

Never mind the fact that as I had come in the stares that had greeted me had been a mixture of consideration, envy and outright hostility. 

“Oh, uhh…” I pause, my spork – and it amused me that another world had chosen to make paired sporks the dining utensils of choice – half-raised in defense of everything but dignity. “Just thinking.”

The redhead took a seat, her plate thumping onto the scarred and battered wooden table. Her plates contained smaller proportions than mine, with a heavy emphasis on greens – or this world’s equivalent at least. At least vegetables, for the most part, were familiar, though taste profiles were occasionally entirely surprising. 

“I’m Kira.” 

“I know.”

She smiled, unamused. “To answer your concerns, I had an enchantment that helped me locate multiple creatures on the third floor. Hurrying down allowed me to reach them before anyone else found them. I even cleared the way for you through that warren of knockers by going in the front door.” No glare involved, just a statement of fact. So it seemed she was not holding a grudge for killing the creatures. 

She speared one of her vegetables, frowned and held it out sideways, waiting as one of the wisps came down and charred the outside before she popped it into her mouth with a smile.

“I wasn’t actually thinking about the competition.” At the doubtful look she gave me, I sighed. “I was thinking of dessert.”

“Oooh, the eeres cake?” Another person added themselves to the table without asking and I almost growled. Surprisingly, for all his arrogance, Rayzan’s voice was a little higher pitched than what you would expect. Not unmanly, but certainly on the upper ranges of normal masculine. It was a touch jarring, but I had to remind myself no one chose their voices. Or skills.

As I turned to regard him, I noted how we had drawn the attention of everyone – even the teachers at their own table who had ignored the byplay of the students till now. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing if it’s as good as my gran’s.”

“Not exactly.” I dropped the spork, crossed my arms and glared at the pair. “Exactly what made you two choose to come and sit here?”

“You looked lonely,” Rayzan said. “I’m Rayzan. Interesting that you have two names. I did not think the Quan had taken up the practice of double-naming. It is only just beginning to catch on.”

“Just my family,” I said after a too long beat. It took me a moment to remember that the Quan were the group who I looked closest to, a group of nomads now after their islands had been swamped. A lot of them were still seaborn on giant ships, reinforced with dungeon material and skills. 

As a group, they were considered a little crazy and eccentric, like any coastal dwellers.

“I was not lonely, just hungry.”

“So eat.” Then, Kira frowned at my plate. “Oh, it’s not hot anymore, is it? Here, let me…” Before I could protest, two of her wisps were over my plate, hovering and sending waves of heat down. I shifted away reflexively, but their control was quite good, such that only a slight warmth emanated from them. On the other hand, my plate started steaming, the meat and vegetables crisping up.

“Don’t dry out my food!” I protested, holding back at swatting the wisps only from good sense.

“Oh, it’s fine. Let her show off,” Rayzan said. “You both did well, really. Coming in second and third.”

“Only because you cheated.” Kira’s wisps pulled back, leaving me with a steaming plate that I had to negotiate carefully with my spork.

“I won my cores honestly.”

“By breaking the rules!’

“Unwritten rules.”

I chewed on my meal which – I hated to admit – tasted much better warm, while the pair bickered like old friends. There was no true rancor behind the argument, which was rather surprising. Mind you, I had no problem with these two not feeling the need to be at each other’s throats, even if Rayzan had garnered the top spot and the nicest prize. Straight out free tuition was quite the prize. Still…

“How’d he cheat?” I asked around a mouthful of food.

“I delved down to the fifth floor. And no, I didn’t break any rules.” Rayzan held a hand up before I could say anything. “I received special permission before the event to do so.” 

“Legacy students and their connections.” Kira sniffed.

“As though you would even dare take the floor. You did not even have the guts to take the three he did.” A spork dripping red juices was leveled at me.

“That’s right. I wanted to ask about that. Weren’t you worried about those three?” She gestured at her floating friends. “I knew I couldn’t kill them in time, not with my friends or flame. Not yet. So how’d you do it and not get injured?” Wisps dancing in the air, she gestured with one hand at Rayzan as she continued. “He, I get. He’s a legacy with good equipment, training and probably a decent skill or two. You…”

“Don’t even have a weapon,” Rayzan added. “Unless you rented some?” I shook my head, since there was no point hiding it. “So you’re fighting with a single knife.”

“Must be quite the skill,” Kira said, but her voice was doubtful. “A healing one? It must be, or you’re very good.” 

Rayzan had a little smile on his lips, and when she saw it, he replied with glee. “I asked around. Seems like he really must have, since he didn’t get healed.” A finger pointed at my lack of wounds, which even these two sported – in the minor sense. Scratches and nicks, slight hesitations in movement from pulled muscles. The kind of thing you got playing hard. “Which is fascinating, because he’s no legacy.”

“How do you know?” I said. “Might be, my family had training outside of this academy.”

“Your gear. Or lack of it,” Rayzan answered immediately. “Your armor choice. Your boots. No legacy would ever let their trainee in looking like you.”

I snorted, chose not to play his game further. “If you know all that, why bother me?”

“Because you’re the most fascinating here.”

“Hey!” Kira protested.

“Please, you’re easy,” Rayzan said with a roll of his eyes. “Overachieving merchant with a powerful skill – or set of skills” – he eyed the wisps floating around the trio – “looking to become a delver. Or maybe just an adventurer?” He shrugged. “The academy gets a few every year. Most don’t do as well, but occasionally, one of you is actually suited to it.”

Unable to contradict the basic facts, Kira sniffed.

“You, Lin, you’re a mystery. Third most cores and the last three from the fourth-floor sub-floor bosses. Quite the feat. And it wasn’t even with overwhelming strength but skill. A healing skill is good, but it’s limited.”

“They weren’t that bad…” I muttered in reply. In my mind’s eye, I recalled flashing teeth, spittle and blood and shuddered. “And I can hit hard, when I need to.”

“Which is all the stranger…” Rayzan eyes narrowed. “Since almost no one fights unarmed. So what kind of skill is it? Something that lets you pierce armor? A spatial skill that only works on contact? Something stranger?”

Rather than answer, I parted some more meat with my sporks. The cruz was the closest thing to good beef that they had with more gaminess than I was used to with a good steak. An even meatier bison, but quite tasty especially with the local equivalent of gravy. I took my time chewing, deciding I had answered the boy enough. 

“Oh, you’re a tough one. That’s okay.” Rayzan grinned. “I still beat you.”

No answer, just more chewing. I kind of wished they’d go away, let me enjoy the food in peace. I was almost all the way into a food coma.

“Don’t you want to graduate at the top?” Kira asked, curiously.

Now that was a question worth answering, what with the graduation test having even more prizes. Including a free item from the armory. 

“No.”

She stared at me, goggle-eyed. My simple answer was enough to cause steam to issue from her head – figuratively – as she tried to comprehend a viewpoint that did not include striving to be the best. It amused me, but I had learnt a long time ago that standing out too much was always a danger.

Never mind the fact that the competitive part of me had faded a long time ago. The need to be the best, the biggest, the strongest – that went away, the older you got. The more that you achieved and you realized that some things, well, they were not worth it. Sometimes, the only goals that mattered were the ones you achieved within.

“I think I like you, Lin.” Rayzan’s big hand slapped my back, shoved me forward a little. “It’s good to find someone who knows his place. You can be my partner, anytime.”

“No.” I rotated my shoulder where he hit, purposely flicked a bit of gravy in his direction – it never reached – and scooped up more of the meal. 

This time round, it was a pea-like vegetable, made from a flower type plant that grew their seeds on the inside of their petals. You grabbed the flowers by the base of the head and shook the entire thing hard while holding a bowl to collect the seeds. The seeds were good roasted or fried, and had a chewy texture that reminded me of tapioca but tasted like fine bread if cooked well. Best of all? They soaked up the gravy or other stewing juices incredibly well. The first time I made curry with them? Amazing. Okay, I lied. It was like the eight time – getting the recipe for curry right was a pain and a half and it still lacked something. Probably the local equivalent of star anise.

The snorting laughter from Kira drew me back, as she held one hand over her mouth, desperately trying to hold back her mirth and failing miserably. Rayzan had frozen, a look of pure amazement on his face that flickered over to anger and then smoothed out moments later. 

Idly, I made note of that shift, the control and the smile that appeared afterwards. A part of me debated if I had just made an enemy, the other part continued the rather important task of sorting known ingredients for my curry mix. After all, this world had the local equivalent of soya sauce. Surely, someone knew the local equivalent of star anise, though most curries here were closer to Jamaican and Japanese than proper curries.

“Care to explain?” Rayzan said.

“I don’t think I’ll be partnering with you, much.” I waggled my spork. “You’re too good. If you’re down on the fifth floor already, I’m better off with someone else.”

That made him relax a little, though the thunderclouds still lurked in his eyes. “I see. I could carry you down, but you seem the kind who likes to work for his living.” Again, I let him talk without interrupting. “Would you partner with her?” 

I looked at Kira. “Maybe? Depends on the mission. Her fire’s a bit… hot.”

That seemed to make Kira happy, which I noted. 

“So. We know what you get, Rayzan,” Kira said, turning the conversation to a new topic. “Tuition for the year.” She sighed. “My family is going to be so annoyed. The rental for the equipment was quite expensive and I promised them I’d get first spot.”

“Should never bet against Rayzan.”

She snorted. 

“They’re gifting me either a discount on tuition and board or a smaller item from their armory. I’m not sure which to pick…” She looked at me, raised an eyebrow.

“Vethan told me the prize for third place is either room and board paid for only.” A decent discount but not close to hers. “Or I could upgrade one of my pieces of equipment at their expense in the non-enchanted armory.”

“So…?”

“I’ll probably just take the discount.” Having to make enough for just the tuition cost would be hard, but not impossible. Especially since… “We’ll all also be allowed into the dungeon itself without further verification.”

“To the equivalent level, yes.” Rayzan frowned. “Are you thinking of that?”

I shrugged. 

“Do not rush in foolishly. The dungeon is much more dangerous than the fault.”

“Not the first floor.”

He gestured dismissively. “Only within the protected areas. The actual dungeon is always dangerous and any trip is a risk.”

“Uh huh,” Kira said, unconvinced. 

“You probably visited with your family, didn’t you? Went on one of those tours?” he sneered and Kira flushed at the point he scored. “My family says those are terrible. Creates a false expectation of the actual dangers. Makes dwellers think what we do is safe and so they try to pay us less.”

“We know about the dangers!” Kira said, hotly. 

“I’m sure.”

I groaned, wanting to bury my head in my hands as the two continued to bicker. Here I was, trying to come up with a proper curry recipe and plans for a trip to find an actual dessert shop, and these two were arguing about dungeon politics.

Sometimes, I hated teenagers. They had no sense of priorities.