Uplifted roots were littered all along the cemented courtyards, spiralling the entire premise. Macey trudged along the thickness of it all, making her way towards her next lecture, located in the large hollow tree she couldn't ever miss. Her nose caught the smell of burning sandalwood and metals, small tear ducts forming on the top of her lashes, irritated by the smoke that lodged out of the chute that jutted from the giant oak tree. She stood at the vine-covered door, pushing it wide open.
"Wow," she gasped, bewildered at the sight her eyes bestowed themselves upon. 'I feel like I'm a dream.'
Her hand glided on the gold stream of magic that was seeped into the bark. Moving cogs surrounded her, clinking and clanking, the sounds echoing all around her. She examined the room, taking notice of all the weapons on the walls such as spears and swords, and took a huge interest in the glass cabinets that held inside a plethora of adornments.
Macey pouted. "Where are you," she murmured to herself, examining every chair and table in the room.
She continued to search, furrowing her brows at everyone who wasn't the person she was looking for. She spotted a blonde hair man with a thick Brextion accent, who wore a itchy looking maroon sweater and long black skinny jeans. Seated next to him was a petite lady, whose laugh drowned out the sounds of the room.
"Damnit," said Macey, as she pursed her lips, standing in the centre of the room with a pout.
"Psst..."
One female hissed at her, with the ringlets in her hair bouncing against her ebony face. She grinned at Macey, wiping a small smudge of make up away from her cheek. "I saved you a seat," she whispered loudly, pulling up a chair from underneath the table.
The female gestured her hand towards her, with her adornments along her arms and neck jingling against her body. Without hesitation, Macey made her way towards the vacant seat, relived to have found her best friend.
"I wanted to sit in the back," said the female. "So we can gossip in class. Just like the good ole days of academy huh Mace."
She shook her head and laughed. "Thanks Shaz," she replied. "And I give you mad props for this spot. You get a great view of our enemies ... I mean, classmates."
"Aw don't mention it," replied Shaz, situating herself more into her seat, while at the same time, readjusting the baby blue floral dress she wore, tightening the ribbon that was wrapped around her waist. Her cleavage hung down onto the table, as she then began to do up her curly hair into a bun. "I'm only here to make our life easier."
She felt herself grinning from ear to ear, blessed to be in the presence of not only her best friend, but also to be in the same building as some of the great summoners and alchemist that roamed the same halls she does. "I can't believe we're at Grendilton," she squealed.
"And we're roomies," added Shaz, raising her hand to give her best friend a high five. "It just keeps getting better and better."
It wasn't an easy feat. She remembered when she arrived at the dorms, situated six blocks away from Shaz. Such a decision angered the metal mage, who stormed towards the dean in frustration.
'We're both scholarship students,' said Shaz, who almost made hinges of the doors pop off.
However, all the dean did was scowl and cross his arms. 'Miss Shannon, I'm afraid that's not how it works around here.'
Macey bursted into laugher. "I can't believe we guilt tripped the dean." She then stopped laughing and frowned, crossing her arms in severity. "Just remember 'miss Shannon,' no crazy parties."
"Oi," gawked Shaz, who frowned and pointed her finger at the cackling moon mage. "Don't be using my real name here, alright!"
She pouted but Macey couldn't get over the fact that her Autisian accent became incredibly thick, sounding like the pair of them were back in their hometown of Resneroth.
"But," sighed Shaz. "I am on bad terms with dad. So I gotta be a good girl." A cunning glare shot right at Macey, who then creased her face. "But, I'm still gonna party like I'm eighteen again. I need to somehow draw in a man who will please me for when I get lonely and old. I don't suit being a crazy lady with many cats. I want a guy with a large heart and an equally impressive di—"
"Okay Shaz," yelled Macey, frowning at Shaz who looked as if she were holding an imaginary package. "Let's stay away from the gutter for now. How was your elemental test?"
"Good," she replied, twirling at a loose curl on her head. "The professor said I handled the situation with ease and is more lenient towards strategy and intelligence, which wasn't a surprise. How was the water test? The metal test was insanely freaky, my goodness. I mean ... it was easy ... but so scary."
She shrugged. "It was okay," Macey awkwardly said. "I did well."
Shaz tolled her eyes. "Of course," she said. "You are the benevolent moon mage after all."
She narrowed her eyes down at her best friend, pressing her lips hard in a straight line. The very words 'moon mage' always made her grimace. She couldn't stand to hear those two words in the same sentence and it was worse coming from her best friend, who giggled silently under her breath.
"I'm messing with you," said Shaz. "So, what did you get?"
Macey opened her mouth to tell Shaz that she had achieved the almost impossible. However, she was slowly interrupted. The sound of heavily armoured boots resonated before her. When she looked over her shoulder, Macey gasped.
A tall slender woman walked down the aisles. She had striking gold eyes like the cogs around her, making Macey feel inferior to even strike a glance in the depths of them. The way she sauntered made her silver long hair sway sideways, with a long coil that held each strand shimmering in the crystal light that streaked along the marble floor.
I can't believe it," gasped Shaz. "That's Lena — head alchemist at the Citadel of Magics, lead mechanic in the Tech division and professor in adornments and grimoire studies."
Macey looked over at her best friend, who was now in complete awe of the beautifully stunning professor. She couldn't help but shake her head, reminded how much Shaz admired the many alchemist that surrounded her, being inspire by a multitude of women.
"Second best alchemist," muttered Shaz. "She's nothing compared to Raine Gilsidian — youngest student to not only attend Grendilton but youngest head technician of the Alchemist guild."
Macey raised her brow. "Isn't that Michael Heslingtons fiancée?"
There were many rumours about this Raine. Not only was she a descendent of the founder of light, Reijo Gilsidian, but she was the only one who attended Grendilton at the age of sixteen. Macey, along with many others whose parents work at the Citadel heard of the proposal and thought it was only a unity between two families. But many believed — it was love.
A Heslington falling in love? Macey remembered her father bellowing, almost choking on his coffee. I didn't know they could love.
"Good morning," hummed Lena, standing in front of the room with a stern look across her entire face. "My name is Lena. You can call me professor if you feel the need to, but I'm not exactly a mentor per say. I was sent here to teach you all about adornments, grimoires and their purpose in this world."
Shaz let off a silent scream, rapidly clapping her hands in excitement.
It made Macey laugh. "I know for a fact that my best friend is going to dominate adornments."
"Of course," Shaz said with a large grin on her face, holding up her arm to showcase all her hard work that she's done over the years.
From bracelets that eliminates acne to earrings that lets the wearers make up not smudge, Shaz was a mastermind when it came to enchanted adornments.
Macey admired that about the artisian, smiling at how gifted this one person was and how loving she could be at time. Her fingers then ran along the jewellery across her arm, pausing at the bracelet that shone like silver and glittered like a diamond in the rough.
'This should do it,' Shaz told Macey just before they arrived at the institute, placing the silver bracelet on her arm. Macey couldn't help but pout, feeling anxious over the adornment that felt as if it were fixing all her problems. She didn't like it one bit, but didn't tell Shaz.
"Now then."
Lena then lifted her arm. Bracelets encased in gold and prolific gems glistened in the light. She twisted them around and shook them then said, "adornments are very powerful magical accessories that are enchanted with a special spell. They're there to help a sage or mage unlock their full potential and to also aid us in battle."
Macey loomed her sights at a few. One had a furious crimson colour radiating through the stones.
"A fire whip," muttered Macey, remembering correctly that her mother has one exactly the same.
"Correct," said Lena. "Use by summoner mostly. I obtained this one so that I can keep a hold of my familiar Oatsies."
"Professor," Shaz said sternly. "Does birth magic have any role in which adornments you obtain? Me being a metal mage, some tend to react oddly to my skin."
Lena raised her brow. "Ah yes," she said. "Whatever magic you are born with does play a major role in what enchantments you shall receive. It wouldn't be wise to have a Terra charmed adornment when you are a recipient of wind now."
Macey crooned. Although her birth magic was lunar energy, she knew deep down that there weren't any alchemist who specialised in making adornments for the likes of her. 'Then I'll make some for you,' she remembered Shaz telling her with a huge grin on her face. 'I mean, I kinda already made one.'
"Uh, professor," Shaz said again. "Do we have permission to make our own adornments? And I'm not saying small dinky ones, I'm meaning ... magically enchanted ones."
Lena narrowed her eyes. The gold in her irises swirled about like pools of water with doubt and uncertainty mixed in her corneas. "For others?" she asked, crossing her arms along her chest. "Not when you're a first year."
Shaz pouted. "But Raine got to..."
"Raine was different," snapped Lena, making Macey suddenly flinch in shock. "Unlike you miss Shannon, she was gifted the opportunity to make adornments and grimoires under the supervision of the Paladin leader — her ex-fiancé Michael."
Shaz frowned and cross her arms in anger. "That's so unfair," she muttered.
"And so was her punishment," Lena replied.
Silence fell between Shaz and Macey with the odd mutters of the other students filling the air.
"Were they aloud to date?" asked another student. "She was sixteen when she was here and he was twenty five. Not to mention, he had completed his masteries."
Lena rolled her eyes and sighed. "Raine was nineteen when they were an item," she replied to the student. "Yes the age gap is substantial — however, age is just a number to a few."
A student in front of Macey laughed. "Is she still the leader of the alchemist?" he asked.
Again, Lena sighed. "Yes. This is her last year here at Grendilton."
Although Macey didn't know much about Raine like Shaz, she did remember one crucial event that happened. It was one that made her fathers skin crawl and created a waterfall of tears to cascade down her mothers face.
"Professor," Macey said softly, watching Lena drag her hand down in exhaustion. "Was she attacked by a chimera?"
The room fell to silence. It was an awkward silence, one that made Macey sink into her seat as she looked at Lena who became downcast.
"Yes," said Lena. "The summoners guild had been losing members and their families were wondering where they had gone. When sent on her first mission, Raine got caught by a beast."
It was broadcasted all across Amberguarde. A young girl, brutally ripped apart by a wild chimera who was sent to her doom by her fiancé Michael. Darkness fell upon both the Citadel and her hometown Resnoroth. No one could trust the Heslingtons and their destructive ways of leading, because the young Overseer to be showed no emotions to her attack.
Your going? Macey remembered herself yelling at her parents when the news broke out, hearing the outpour of hate toward the summoners that were criticised as failures. After everything the Heslingtons have done, you're still abiding to them!
"If the summoners done their jobs right, it wouldn't have happened."
A man sat to the side of Macey. He couldn't help but smirk maniacally at her, brushing his fingers though his brown greasy hair.
"I don't know why that masteries is still around," he laughed. "It's nothing but a disgrace occupation."
Lena sneered. "Summoners are still important to the masteries. They attend the well being of the creatures and beasts of Amberguarde. Not to mention..."
But the man wasn't listening, snickering at every word the professor said, which infuriated Macey to her core. She clenched her fists. Her teeth felt like they were about to shatter under the immense pressure she was giving them.
"Mace," Shaz muttered, placing her hand upon Macey's shoulder.
"Ain't you a breath of fresh air,"taunted Macey, glaring at the man who then became irritated at her comeback.
Her eyes narrowed down at his pristine white button shirt that showed off his chest and the nice dress pants that were a little too tight around his legs. She laughed. "Wannabe Paladin. I bet all my life savings that you can't give any girl the slumber of a lifetime."
He rose from his seat, pushing it backwards in anger. Macey knew that a guy like him wouldn't like a girl like her — a female who was dressed in a tie dye singlet and ripped jeans — talking down on the 'paladin's cry.'
He balled his fist, conjuring a hex upon his knuckles. Lightning twisted along his fingers, his movements at Macey becoming fast and nimble.
If it wasn't for Lena, this guy would have been ripped apart.
"Enough," Lena yelled, freezing the man with ice magic. "We will have no quarrels. Not today anyway, as this lesson has come to an end."
Students from every lecture was sprawled along the courtyards. It was evident to Macey who were first years and who weren't.
Dragoons hung near the blossoming cherry trees, with some of them actually dangling from a branch. They had small knives in their hands and would throw them in the air, using wind magic to toss them between one another.
Many of the White Enhancers sat at the large water fountain. With the majority of them being female, Macey could see that they were into the way they looked, using the reflection of the water to fix their make up.
"Wonder where summoners are?" asked Macey.
Shaz shrugged. "Where are all the paladins I keep hearing about? I don't see any of them."
Macey couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I swear to god if I run into another Paladin I'm gonna..."
Suddenly, her right arm hit another student behind her. A book landed on the ground and the student sneered in both misery and frustration.
"I'm sorry, I was trying to..."
But her apology was received with a sneer, making Macey crease her face in discomfort at the well dressed man she came in contact with.
"So," he said, narrowing his eyes down at her neck. "You must be the moon mage. You don't look that impressive. I fail to see how you are compared to Michael."
Macey scoffed. "Wow, were you born with that stick up your ass or did you forget to take it out this morning?"
A sheen streaked across her eyes. Her mouth slanted open and she stifled the urge to yell every curse word she learnt since she was ten.
She glared at him with pure anger and hate. "You're a Heslington," she bitterly said. "So you were born with it."