VALOR - Chapter 1 - Highmark Academy

JOIN NOW! ARISIA NEEDS YOU

She stood proud as she read that poster depicting soldiers saluting the flag of Arisia, as proud as any aspiring Arisian would, her name is Isenna Sarensen and she was on her way to Highmark Academy in order to become an esteemed Agerlass or Fire Lady.

Passing by students of the school, she saw the magnificent sight of Federick Highmark on Horseback: a statue of the titular hero on a horse, leading the charge against Arisia's enemies.

"Oh my…" Isenna was in awe, using her hand to cover her mouth.

"Welcome to Highmark Academy!" a playful male voice reached her ears, "Are you new here?"

She looked towards the speaker and saw a grinning blond boy, roughly the same age as her. He looked at her with curious, excited eyes. Examining his appearance, his brown uniform was the same as hers except it was much neater as if it was ironed before worn, a luxury only the middle or high-class citizen of Arisia can afford.

"O-oh, um, yes!" she rubbed her hands on her uniform and timidly reached out her hand for a handshake "My name is Isenna. Isenna Sarensen."

"Nice to meet you!" the boy shook her hand with energy and vigor, "I'm Toren! Toren Havenach! I'm also new here! Well… new as in I'm also a first year but I know this school inside and out!"

If it weren't for him being human, he would have grown a large, pointy nose. However, Isenna Sarensen felt like she had found a new friend in the Academy and as such, did not notice how he gloated about his self-confidence.

"Woah, that's great! So where are the others?"

"They're in the Great Hall. Come on, let's go!" Toren grabbed her wrist and dragged her towards the Academy.

Leading her through the large doors, they were met with numerous students standing in the middle of the Great Hall, their uniforms were the same as the both of them. Although struggling because of her slightly less than average height, Isenna can see the end of the Great Hall: a grand staircase leading up to the second floor of the school with a balcony fit for one person above it and as such, there is a stern looking man standing upon it, bearing a dark bluish uniform that matches his hair. On his left breast were medals of different kinds and it seems that he had just started to talk.

"Welcome, cadets." His commanding voice was, despite the size and capacity of the Great Hall, can be heard clearly from all the way back to the vicinity of Isenna. "I am your Headmaster, Hernen Rosenberg and welcome to Highmark Academy where your efforts, under our guidance, shall pierce the sky and towards the stars. Some of you have been selected because of your background, some because of your parents' wealth and some…"

He scanned the room and Isenna felt that his gaze stopped at her for a second, which gave her chills.

"Some of you are just plain lucky. But don't fret. Whether you are actually worthy of graduating Highmark Academy or not… Is all up to you." The Headmaster rubbed his thumb against the edge of his sleeve in a swift manner, "Kuum!"

The students heard a loud boom and saw a torrent of lightning flowing in and between his hands. After seeing the amazed expressions that the new students were exhibiting across their faces, Headmaster Rosenberg released the lightning on the entrance doors and it glowed white, brimming with electrifying magic that faded almost immediately.

"Your classes start in ten minutes. Don't be late." said the Headmaster as he turned around and walked, leaving the new students to their own devices, under the supervision of the school faculty.

"Did you see that?" Toren bounced along beside Isenna, "The Headmaster is a Kuumun! A step above Kuumlad! Isn't that great?"

"I guess?" Isenna shrugged, "I'm more concerned with getting to class which is where exactly?"

"Class? That's easy!" the boy patted her head and dragged her to the west wall of the Great Hall, nudging people out of the way and saying their sorries until they reached the bulletin board.

"Let's see… I'm in Class 1, yes!" Toren did a fist pump and proceeded to help Isenna look for hers. "Okay, you're in… Class 4? I guess that's fine."

"Why are you less enthusiastic about that?"

"Well…" the boy scratched his head, "The thing is that the higher your number, the less… gifted you are… Class 1 is usually the best of the best, the ones with the most talent and 4 is…" he tapped the tips of his fingers as his shoulders drooped, "Below average…"

"WHAT?!" Isenna's brown ponytail stood as she was shocked by the news. "T-this-this must be a mistake-they said I had-"

"Lots of potential and they would love to invite you to Highmark Academy in order to nurture your talents and unleash your potential for the good of Arisia?"

"...You said what they said word for word." Isenna stood there wide-eyed in shock and disbelief, processing the high possibility that she had basically been conned by her interviewers." BUT WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT?!"

Toren gasped as he watched the girl he only just met squat down with her face in her hands. Her sudden scream drew the attention of the other students who were panicking about where to go and what to do.

"Isenna, I-"

"Look! It's the Student List!" one of them shouted out and they flocked to the wall like insects to a light source.

The sulking Isenna, oblivious to the crowd, was shoved by the legs of her fellow students. Unable to move much, she became trapped and her face kept getting kneed or shoved. "Ouch!" "Ow!" "Please!" she kept repeating those three words as she struggled to stand up and escape the crowd and yet her words fell on deaf ears. They did not notice her as they focused only on their own business and she could only cry and ask herself how her day could only get worse.

"...Senna!"

'Toren?' she heard his voice beyond the crowd and suddenly, there he was: shoving away all the other students to get to her. She reached her hand out to him and he pulled her away from the forest of stomping legs.

"Um.. Thanks…" said Isenna as she stared at the ground.

"Hey it's fine." he patted her on the back and she stiffened up by the force he put into his hand.

"That hurts…" Muttering to herself whilst trying to reach the part on her back that hurt, "Did you see the room where I'm supposed to be in?"

"Yeah, you're just beside our classroom!" He took her hand again and dragged her to the west hall where some other students were already walking by and going to their respective rooms. They finally stopped at West 112 and 113 with Toren giddily dancing in place out of excitement for his first day in the Academy. "Aren't you excited too?"

He turned his head to where Isenna stood and found no one there. Instead, he heard a door open and found a still-dejected Isenna entering her classroom.

"Hey…" he stood by the door and saw the mess that is West 113. "What's with this place? It's all…"

Messed up is what he wanted to say; The wooden chairs were charred and riddled with holes, the blackboard looked like someone had punched a hole in the middle of it in a fit of rage. The walls were covered in spiderwebs and housed an actual spider as large as a fat rat. It was definitely a room that had seen better days.

"If you want…" Torin tried to cheer her up, "I could squeeze you in the room. I'm sure they'll-"

"No, no it's fine. I'm just… Super excited too, you know?"

It was obvious that she tried to be optimistic despite knowing her class, the status of the room, which, even after wiping the chair with the least holes, sitting on it and screaming after finding out there was an unidentified mold under her desk. Even after her chair started to bend after her flinching from said mold- she was still, as she said, "Super excited".

"...Okay. I'll be in the other room." Toren walked across the room and gave her what looked like a small button. "If you need anything, just press this button and I'll come running to you, okay?"

"Why are you so nice to me?"

"Because we're friends!" Toren pumped his chest proudly then made a thumbs up sign with a smug face.

"Pfft-" Isenna bursted into laughter. Everything up to this point felt so unfair and surreal to her, she was having a hysterical moment.

Toren didn't know this and thus, he felt like he was being made fun of. "What did I do?"

"Nothing, nothing." Isenna waved her hand. "It's just that… thanks. For being my friend."

Isenna gave Toren the most genuine of smiles. Just a harmless smile, devoid of anything but gratefulness. But to Toren, it was as if a dark-haired, brown-eyed angel descended from the heavens to reward him with the purest treasure he could ever imagine: a memory of paradise.

He coughed hoarsely as his ears turned red, "I'll be going to class now. You take care, okay?"

"Okay!" she waved at him as he went to the adjacent room.

As soon as he left, the bell rang and students with dire expressions came flooding in the rooms.