Avryn found himself hung over on the side of his bed. A pool of drool had accumulated on the sheet and pillow. His muscles ached all over. He tugged onto the bed sheed and got himself up. Regret came to his mind as he stretched the fatigue away. He looked at the clock, it was six in the morning. He went to the dining table and found his squad mates already there. They were all enjoying the tea Rinna prepared. He greeted them as he took his seat.

  Fatigue took over him for a moment, he yawned.

  “Had a good exercise, last night?” Tvira spoke up.

  “I did, my body didn’t,” He drank from his teacup.

  He grabbed his pamphlet to review the academy’s map. They continued their morning chit chat. Valoche came into the room carrying a package. Each one of them tagged with their names. Avryn unravelled his package and beheld his own academy uniform. He smiled from ear to ear as he examined it.

  He took to his quarters and dressed up. He examined himself in the mirror. Black and pink did looked good on him. He took a closer look on the flower that was embroidered on it. Years of looking at wild weeds and grass, things like the flower were a sight for sore eyes.

  The freshmen were summoned to the courtyard. Seniors provided a full, proper tour of the academy. The various facilities, and classrooms. All of them possessed state of the art technology. The library was the central building on the ground floor. They were also given orientation of the various events they held, like the weekly retreat where students were given early leave for that day.

  Rinna noticed Avryn furiously taking notes during the whole tour. He was jotting down everything despite his fatigue. The entire tour lasted an hour. The Academy let the students off for the day.

  Avryn was surprised at this, as did Tvira and Valoche. Rinna explained to them this was part of the tradition. This gave non-Ordellian students time to explore and familiarize with the land. Avryn liked that idea and suggested they do the same, with Rinna as their guide.

  She asked if they had money in store. Avryn pulled out his purse, he had leftover tags from his last job back home. Tvira and Valoche had coin fragments from their homeland. She took them to the money exchange conveniently located in the school.

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  “I’ll take you to the local armories and food shops, that should be a good start,” She assured them.

  Rinna led them throughout the crafting district of the capital city, first. There were plenty of shops that catered to the military. Several banners had distinguish them as official partners of the Academy. Sights and the sound of metal forging metal, those were welcome to Avryn’s eyes and ears.

  Tvira eyed the local fletching shops. Magic crystal arrows caught her attention. She had never seen its like back home. She opted to buy a dozen of these arrows, all with different elemental magic. It all hummed with magical energy waiting to be unleashed.

  Avryn checked out the gunsmithing shops. He felt like a kid in a candy shop looking at the many guns available. Many he’s never seen before. Magic-infused rifle and pistols, designer guns that resembled antiques piqued his interests. He held off on spending his money. His current gun lineup was enough for now.

  Rinna led them to the general shopping district. Clothing stores, food stalls, general goods, and pharmacies were lined up in a big shopping complex. Big convenience was its strong point. They all spent that afternoon shopping for new clothing to feel more at home in Ordellia.

  Night had come by the time they returned to the Academy. The weekly retreat had begun. Fellow students were relaxing and chatting with each other. Cool winds made the grass danced under the early evening sky. The nearby shore added a calming rhythm to soothe anyone who were near.

  Avryn noticed a unique looking tree. Its leaves were pink, and was decorated with flowers of that same shade. It was white in the center. He looked back to the embroidered flower on his uniform.

  “Daellium. It’s the national flower of Ordellia,” Rinna told him.

  “Blooms right after the winter, signifying new beginnings,” Tvira recalled.

  The tree was at its most vibrant in this time of year. They found a quiet spot, formed a circle and shared what they bought. Avryn presented his spoils: brown fingerless gloves and several belts. The latter got a few eyebrow raises from the others. He had a project in mind for it. Tvira and Valoche had new clothes to fit in better.

  Avryn kicked up and crossed his legs. An idea had come to him. He suggested to get to know each other better by sharing one aspect of their past. Tvira and Valoche shared they went to study here to learn a bit more about the world before returning home to help lead their tribe. Their father was its high chief.

  Rinna shared she wanted to join the expeditions to follow in her parents’ footsteps. She also revealed she was the daughter of the nation’s grand judge. Avryn sat back,

  “Wow, so you’ve all come from such high backgrounds,” He was amazed.

  “What about you, Avryn?” Rinna turned the question to him.

  He looked down for a second and looked back to face them. He had a somber expression, but quickly composed himself.

  “I don’t know who my real parents are, and frankly I’m beyond the point of caring,” He shared.

  The revelation shocked them for a minute. Avryn assured them,

  “I got this keepsake here, though. It was on me since I was a wee babe,” He produced something from inside his shirt.

  He pulled out a necklace. It possessed a small piece of sapphire in the shape of a diamond engraved on a silver base plate. It even twinkled beneath the night sky.

  “And don’t worry, I’ve had plenty of time to move on,” He reassured. “I left Kuldrin so I could take control of my life.”

  He emphasized the importance of Sir Iver giving him that push to come here. He confessed he mostly wanted to wander the lands, but if a greater purpose was to be found, he would take it. They wrapped up their chat and returned to their dorms.

  Avryn asked to talk to Rinna, and they had a private chat by the dining table. He asked for her assistance in running the day-to-day for the group, citing her prior knowledge. They set up those plans that night.