Zenith's Academy

Chapter 3 | Academy

At the start of September, Remigius dropped his packed bags on the carousel conveyer belt at the airship station. It wasn't too much, only a suitcase and bag carrying his clothes and a couple of books that'll last until winter break. When he finished packing, his room appeared the same as bones stripped from the inside—unnoticeable unless you take a closer look within the skin. It was a definite contrast to Yun's bare room deprived of everything including most of his art supplies. 

His mother and Caius took the carriage to the station with him early around 6 in the morning. The original plan was to ride with the Claritys, but his mother insisted they send him off on his first day at the academy to show the family pride. If his father hadn't been too drunk to get out of bed, the sentiment would have been sweet.

Despite that, Remigius smiled to himself—to anyone else he was expressionlessly staring into the abyss—when Caius gaped at the airship floating in the sky. Pointed, white sails embroidered with gold patterns swayed in the wind as ramps extended from the ship's deck. Students his age climbed up the ramps after hugging their loved ones goodbye. The older students rushed up, greeting their friends who got on the airship a few stations back. Engines powered by Zeniths with air Ivions kept the giant ship afloat, the mechanics would impress anyone. 

Remigius ignored the pointed looks his mother got from the scars on her face. 

"Look!" Caius tugged on Remigius's school uniform, washed and ironed to perfection, to grab his attention. "It's the aviators."

Zeniths with leather-brown uniforms walked along the quarter deck, watching students enter the lower deck of the ship. Caius told him that if he had an air Ivion, he would become an aviator or an airship engineer. In their younger years, Remigius lifted Caius on his shadow Ivion and hovered him around their yard to let him play pretend. He stopped once Caius's aspiriosis turned from mild to unstable. His brother's dreams were impossible the moment his Ivion was earth, but the severe coughing seemed to obliterate all his hopes to Hell.

"Caius," his mother said as she reined him in before he could go sprinting up the ramps to the ship. "It's time to send Remigius off now."

"Oh..."

It was no secret that Remigius knew his brother was upset. When his acceptance letter was announced, celebration and excitement clouded any other emotions from sprouting. A couple of weeks later, Caius sulked and dragged his feet around the house. Remigius mistook his grumpy attitude as the side effects of his medicine, but once they reached the airship station and Caius clung to his arm, he realized it was sadness. 

Being alone in that house was insufferable and it was better to have someone with you to bear the silence.

"I'll write," Remigius told them though he tried to direct it more to Caius. "Don't expect a letter this week." He suppressed a wince from the way he phrased it. The mailing between the Suburb District and Zenith's Academy was slow; he didn't mean it the other way.

"Study diligently." His mother smiled and petted his head. Although she was smiling, the words set a heavy burden on his shoulders. Her way of saying goodbye.

He nodded and then turned to Caius who was still pouting. 

"Don't sulk," Remigius whispered to him. He bent down so he could be eye-level with Caius and he hated to admit that he didn't have to do that much bending. His brother was hitting his growth spurt, something Remigius hadn't quite hit when he was Caius's age. 

"I'm not sulking."

"You are." He wanted to laugh. Too many people around. "Behave there, alright?"

"Sure, whatever." Caius feigned indifference. It was obvious from his slight frown and Remigius knew Caius could tell that he knew. So he relented. "I'll... miss you."