“Sorry,” she responded, panic rising in her throat. Sconcelight illuminated his bearded face. He appeared her age, just much larger, with a bag slung over his shoulder, just like her. Another student then, she concluded. “Is that not where all the new cohorts are meeting?” Kamine pointed in the direction of the chatter.
The man scrunched his brows, inspecting her too closely for comfort. His eyes snagged at her fisted hands that trembled,then trailed upwards to meet her own gaze. His jaw tensed, likely noticing her purple eyes even in the dim light.
“Yes,” he said, before heading off in the opposite direction of where everyone else was meeting.
Kamine shook off the strange interaction. She needed to focus. She couldn’t worry about some guy not being able to follow basic directions.
She continued on until she reached a large room with a high ceiling. At the very top of the dome was a small hole that allowed sunlight to beam through. At least they weren't completely cut off from the world then.
Finding a spot in the back, Kamine rested against the rough stone wall, dropping her heavy bag at her feet. She had been so tense for days—weeks—leading up to this moment. Most nights, instead of sleeping, she wandered the forest not far from her home. She always felt connected to the ground, there, and what was buried beneath it. Without its comfort, she feared losing her sanity.
Someone stepped up beside her. “That outfit isn’t going to do you any favors here.” Kamine inspected what she wore—a simple ivory linen dress that reached her midcalf. “You stick out.”
The woman speaking to her wore all black, with her pants and shirt clinging tight to her body, while her leather jacket hung loosely against her muscular frame. It was the conventional clothes of someone who would be training, something that protective gear could easily slip over with no fuss. Exactly why Kamine didn’t want to wear it.
“The glasses are not a smart choice either.”
Kamine huffed, tired of listening to this stranger’s opinions. “I can’t see otherwise.”
“That honestly sounds like a blessing. This place is an eyesore.”
“That’s an understatement,” she snorted. It was more than just an eyesore—it was a prison camouflaged as a school. “It’s like I’m stuck inside a Weather God’s asshole.”
The woman’s mouth dropped open, but she recovered with a big smile. Kamine tried not to cringe at the woman’s sharpened teeth. She extended her hand, “I’m Janina.”
“Kamine.”
“I think we’ll have some great fun together.”
Kamine wasn’t expecting that, but she’d take it. Anything to make her time here less miserable.
A woman at the front of the room clapped to draw the students’ attention, her simple gray dress blending with the surroundings. She stood atop a platform, the sun shining directly on her like a spotlight. Everyone stopped their conversations to listen.
“I am Dritoria, the Headmaster of Skola. All of you have been chosen by your respective villages to represent them this year during the Undertaking. Your people have put immense trust in you. Now, it’s time to prove yourself worthy. You have four months to sharpen your magic and skills, so when the time comes for it, you will be able to save your village with as few casualties as possible.”
Kamine gulped, loathing this with every bit of her being. She fidgeted at the delicate golden bracelet at her wrist—a gift from her father to her mother after she had won the Undertaking. There should never be a single casualty in Kamine’s opinion, but she wasn’t one to talk. She had a lot of work ahead of her to make that as much of a reality as possible.
Headmaster Dritoria continued. “Of course, there is the Heart that one of you will find first, bringing your village the greatest honor. Once it is found, the Undertaking ends with our Goddess of Thunder giving mercy to the entire court. But it is said that all five Weather Gods will bestow great luck and prosperity on theindividual who is the first to find the Heart. Last year’s winner saw a surplus of potato growth in their village.”
Each of the five Weather Courts were overseen by their own individual God, one that represented its power, but legend had it that all of them worked together to create the joint continent. Therefore, each court had an Undertaking that was unique to its governing God's will.
“However, heed my warning—if you try cheating your way through this, the Gods will punish you. Curse you.” Headmaster Dritoria stared them all down with intense eyes that spoke of past experience of such occasions. “Winning the Heart is a privilege earned only by those who achieve it honorably.”
The cohorts whispered amongst themselves. A voice that echoed across the room mentioned that two participants once fought each other for the Heart, pulling each other away from touching it. One of them was almost killed as a result. This was news to Kamine—she never kept up with the gossip surrounding the Undertakings.
“I’m bringing that shit home,” Janina said, matter-of-factly, with no hesitation or doubt to be discerned in her voice.
Kamine gave her an encouraging nod. The last thing Kamine cared about was getting the Heart. She just wanted the people of her court to remain safe. That was her primary goal, and if her powers refused to present themselves, then she would need to find another way—no matter the cost.
Two
The Headmaster dismissed them to their rooms. She had announced that training would begin tomorrow morning, so the rest of their day could be used to get settled, and to explore the school halls. They were informed that training would occur daily, with no breaks. They only had a limited time, so the schedule would be intense and brutal, it seemed.
The curriculum was basic: cardio, muscle building, combat, and lastly, magic. She was not impressed by the curriculum and its lack of focus on the art of magic. Where were the history lessons, the strategy?
“I’m in Blue Hall, how about you?” Janina said.
Kamine flipped through her welcome packet and mumbled under her breath. “Purple Hall.”
