Verdantia Chronicles: Shadows of the Past

Chapter 11: Classes and dilemma

As the early morning light began to filter through the windows of the lounge, I sat with my class timetables spread out before me. Elemental basics, beastiary studies, martial arts, history, arcane magic studies, magic strategy, and private lessons with Corum—it was a schedule that felt well-rounded and satisfying. Content with my classes, I decided to go for a stroll before the day truly began, Shadlock trotting faithfully at my side.

Outside, I found a bench overlooking the tranquil lake just outside Nexus Castle. To my surprise, Shadow, Sephtis's panther, and Professor Keern's cat were already there, their attention turned upwards. Following their gaze, I spotted Sephtis in his magpie form, struggling a bit with his flight. A large Falcon flew gracefully beside him, offering occasional support whenever Sephtis faltered.

After a few moments, both birds landed gracefully, and Sephtis transformed back into his human form, the Falcon morphing into Professor Keern. They exchanged a few words before Professor Keern headed back towards the academy, leaving Sephtis alone.

Spotting me, Sephtis made his way over, and I couldn't help but notice a small white streak appearing in his usually pitch-black hair. I raised an eyebrow in curiosity as he approached.

"Morning, Veil," Sephtis greeted me with a warm smile, taking a seat beside me on the bench.

"Morning, Sephtis," I replied, gesturing to the streak in his hair. "Is that... new?"

Sephtis chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Ah, yes. Feral users can sometimes exhibit traits of their animal form. Seems like the magpie is making an appearance," he explained, a hint of amusement in his voice.

I nodded, finding it fascinating. "Interesting. It suits you," I remarked, giving him a small smile.

Sephtis gives an awkward smile back, looking out over the lake. "Thanks. So, how are you feeling about your classes this year?"

As we continued to chat, Sephtis and I discovered that we shared all the basic classes together, as most first years did. Elemental basics and Alchemy with the house Sentinel students, Arcane Magic Studies and Bestiary Studies with the house Empyrean students, and History and Magic Strategy with the House Hethen students. It seemed our schedules were perfectly aligned for the year ahead.

"And then we have our personalized classes," I added, glancing down at my timetable. "For me, it's Martial Arts class."

Sephtis raised an eyebrow in interest. "Martial Arts, huh? That should be interesting."

I nodded, feeling a mix of anticipation and excitement. "What about you?"

"Beast Transformation class," Sephtis replied suddenly looking at something behind my head. I turn to see Mallory walking in our direction.

We soon delved into discussing our mentors for the year.

"I paired with a woman named Estelle," Sephtis explained, a thoughtful expression on his face. "She specializes in illusion magic, so I'm hoping to tap further into the shadow side of my abilities."

Mallory nodded in understanding. "I've been paired with Raylee, she has an affinity for water," she shared, her eyes glinting with curiosity.

I listened to their descriptions of their mentors, then turned to my own thoughts about Corum Verdimar. I vaguely recognized his last name as being associated with the royal family, which left me feeling skeptical about being mentored by someone so closely linked to royalty.

"My mentors name is Corum Verdimar... isn't that the royal family's last name?" I voiced my uncertainty, looking between Sephtis and Mallory.

Mallory pondered for a moment before suggesting, "Maybe your mentor is a cousin of the queen or something? She doesn't have anymore direct family members that are still alive."