Class Sorting

"Line up, line up, all of you!" a portly mage that I have seen once with the tattooed woman announced in his oddly nervous and squeaky voice. "Hurry, hurry now! We haven't got all day!"

The first years and I were shuffling around the familiar, wide hall, the long tables and chairs now gone. Without the furniture, the hall looked even larger than before. Coupled with the fact that there was only a score or so number of new students around, the hall seemed quite enormous.

Joren kept jumping on the balls of his feet. I stepped on his foot in annoyance, "If you keep bouncing around, I'll have to do more than just step on you!"

"Ugh!" he murmured and then rubbed at his toe. "I-I's just nervous, Therion. And- oh! You smell kinda nice today!"

I smiled at his compliment before frowning. "What do you mean, today? Don't I always smell nice?"

He laughed. In his anxiety, his volume came out a bit too loud. Fortunately, the rest of the students were also a jumbled mess of nerves to mind us too much. Joren muttered, "You just smell like Therion."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I replied angrily, feeling a blush come up my cheeks. I wondered if I smelled. I was so sure I didn't have a bad odor, but I might have just been used to it... Did I really smell bad?

"Oh, I believe he doesn't mean anything bad by that, Eleftherion," Albert said from my other side, keeping a straight posture as he made sure he was lined up perfectly from all sides. "He just means, you know... your natural scent."

That only proved to make me even more confused. "As I've asked before... What does that even mean?!"

"Hush, now!" the portly professor shouted at us collectively, although I did have an inkling that he was specifically referring to us. "You all know about this school, the Lunar Academy for Special Mages, and you have all passed with exemplary results. You have earned your respective tokens, battled through the Forests of Elara's numerous dangers, and most of all... survived the welcoming party we have prepared last night!"

Some of the students laughed at that, although most were still quite nervous to even understand the joke.

The man continued on without missing a beat, "Now, we will be sorting you into your classes, based on your respective aptitudes. Many of you are already aware of the way classes are done in the Academy, but for the benefit of the few who don't, I will explain.

"The Lunar Academy believes that education shouldn't be limited to the years the child has lived. The Academy has always considered individual prowess and intellect as bases for the level of education granted to him. Frankly, although you are grouped in the year you have enrolled in the Academy, your classmates might not even be of the same years. You, for all purposes involved, will be named as the students of Batch Pi, Sinus Fidei of the first cycle. Not many have advanced into the inner mares by their second cycle, but I believe that this batch holds promise."

For a while, he looked at the far corner, where the Sinus Fidei Maximus stood rigidly in line, and then to me. I trembled at his twinkling gaze. Then, the man continued on, "There are 24 of you in your batch, quite a larger number than the average. I expect that some of you will still meet in many of your classes, so I hope you earn more companions as you go."

Then, he announced loudly, his voice echoing through the wide, otherwise empty hall, "Oobra-thama, Kiipayapa, Dakalaman."

Only a few said it with him, myself not included. It was wordy in my tongue, and I still haven't gotten the use to speaking it aloud. Fortunately, the portly man didn't seem to mind the mild response, and clapped his short fingers together. "Let the sorting begin!"

After his short clap, chairs materialized from out of nowhere, just a few inches behind each student. I was surprised by that feat of magic, but expected nothing less of the professors of the esteemed Academy.

"Now, sit down, all of you. On your seat's attached desk are a pile of papers and a quill and some ink." I quickly followed his instruction and sat down on the peculiar seat. It functioned both a seat and a desk... How curious.

On the seat's little desk were indeed the materials the man had mentioned. I scanned through the pages to know that they were all blank. The man then said after he saw that all of us had sat down and settled, "This test isn't one that uses much time, but it is also one that needs much thinking. In all truths, some of you might be done in a few minutes, while others might need a bit more time than that. That is to say, take your own time, and answer each question as honestly as you could."

His instructions confused me, because I distinctly noticed that all of our papers were blank...

"Now! To start, pick up your pens and write down your name on your paper," the man said, and as though he was done with all instructions, he sat back down on his own seat-desk. My hand picked up my quill and it hovered just above the small bottle of ink.

'If this is magic... Should I lie about my name?'

"Ah, and yes!" the man shouted belatedly into the confused atmosphere. "You don't have to worry about your answers. Just answer as truthfully as you can. You'll only ever burn those pages later on. No human being other than yourself will know the truth. I swear that upon my intellect as mage."

I flinched at his promise, knowing how heavily the truth weighed on his tone, but also knew that he might just easily break it either way. Then, the man procured out a huge jar from thin air, and snapped his pudgy fingers, causing a bright red fire to erupt inside the earthen jar. The students gasped in awe at the spectacle. I, however, simply sighed, knowing that I won't be answering the complete truth in my test, no matter what promises are given me.

I dipped the quill onto the ink, and started to write.

'Eleftherion.'

The paper shimmered for a bit and then lines appeared right under my writing. 'Your name speaks both falsities and truth. Where do you come from?'

I shivered at the words, wondering what kind of magic this all was. I wrote down, 'I come from the Kingdom of Saule, and yet the Isle of Malaya calls out to me like home.'

'These words speak truly, but your heart is never set in stone.' I flinched, and it continued, 'What is your station in life?'

'Commoner,' I immediately wrote. It replied, 'And yet your heart commands the wills of others like a king upon his throne.'

I took a deep breath, knowing a question will appear in the next moment. It did. 'Do you seek power?'

I knew I shouldn't go easily answering its questions, but my hand was swift. 'Yes.'

'What do you desire to do with it?'

'Peace,' I wrote down, but then wanted to erase it. I knew peace could never be achieved by a singular power, no matter how great the power is. I wrote down beside it, '... or whatever is closest to it. I seek the peace for women-kind, if that makes sense.'

'And what of the battles that shed blood and turn warm bodies cold? Do you not seek to end these?'

'Are they really any different?'

'You are right,' it wrote. 'Many times a war is inflicted without a drop of blood to fall. Your maturity known no bound, child.'

I hesitated, but then wrote down, 'Thank you.'

The paper shimmered shakily but wrote nothing, making me think that it was laughing at my words. Then, it shimmered again to reveal its next set of questions, 'What if I told you that you already held the power that you seek?'

"..." I stared at the paper, my heart beating faster as I read and reread the line. Then, I sighed. 'Then I will do what I can to make the world better with it. But I doubt-'

My ink trailed into nothing, and I had to dip the quill into the ink again. When I turned back to the papers, a new line had already appeared below my incomplete one.

'You are kind, Eleftheria.'

I breathed in sharply, my grip on my quill growing stronger. I had to stop myself before I would break it into smithereens. Whoever was writing on this piece of paper already knows who I am. A heat of anger and fear grew inside my heart, and I knew I had to get rid of this problem. I would have to track the person down, starting from the professor in front of us. Should I also ask help from Zepherin? But, I could also just put her in danger as well... I should just kill-

The paper shimmered again, much brighter than before. Resisting the urge to look at it, but failing in the end, I read through it slowly, 'Calm down, princess. I am merely words in a piece of paper.'

It is simply toying with me now.

'I am not toying with you, princess of Saule, younger sister of Ara and Clement, and older sister of Breandan, your little Bran.'

My heart simply stopped for a moment. No one knew of Breandan, not even his own parents. He isn't supposed to exist... yet. It won't be years until he would be born. No one should know...

Is there really a person behind these words? Or are they manifestations of my very mind? If it was, then I had no plan to continue this test... this cruel dissection...

'Calm down, woman,' it wrote. 'You are kind and wise, but your willfulness often makes you act rashly.'

I tried to breathe normally, but this unnerved me in ways I haven't experienced. Only my brother ever knew of my true identity, about how I truly had a soul of an adult, but I hardly think he even believes it, given his protectiveness over me. But now, catching me completely off guard, was a piece of paper that seems to know me better than myself. I could hardly keep myself rooted on my seat and not run away.

Glancing around me, I saw some students also looking pale with fright, like Joren. On the other hand, I also saw how others looked at ease, answering through the pages like it was a normal test. Albert, in particular, looked very calm with a small smile on his face.

Looking at my brother, far into the corner, with his golden hair shining through the morning light, I found my strength to continue. 'What are you?' I decided to ask the questions instead.

After a short while, it answered. 'A being created of human hands, but have long transcended with my own conscience.'

'How were you created?'

'As most beings were made: Out of love.'

I huffed at its answer, but continued my queries nonetheless. 'How did you know so many things about me?'

'I know many things, and also know none.'

I stared at it in confusion, hardly appreciating the deep philosophies the paper had decided to answer me with. Sighing, I wrote, 'Who are you? What is your name?'

'As you are called by a name you refer to yourself, I too am called the same.'

'... You are Eleftherion?'

'Eleftheria.'

I wanted to crumple the paper up in frustration, but knowing I'll be setting it on fire later on, I decided to be patient. I wrote, 'Can others see what I've written?'

'Yes,' it wrote. 'But only you can see my replies.'

Sneakily, I turned my gaze on Joren's paper, to read a line that asked, 'Can I be super strong like my Ma?'

Underneath that, however, I couldn't see the paper's reply. I could only see the lines etched in ink, and not in magic. I looked back to find the paper shimmering again. 'Don't you think it's wrong to glance at another person's paper?'

'It's not an actual test,' I wrote down angrily, although I still felt bad about reading through Joren's answers. Then, I wrote on, 'What is this test even about?'

'Sorting you all into your classes.'

'How can you do that when you asked me nothing of my abilities or talents?'

'Do you want me to ask you about that?'

I sighed. Then wrote down, 'If you already know so much about me, I doubt you would have no information about the abilities I truly have.'

'Well, you appear intelligent at least by the way you reply to me.'

I laughed a little, surprising a nervous Joren from beside me. I uttered out a little, "Sorry," before looking back down at the paper. I decided to be serious. If this was some kind of transient being, then perhaps I could get some answers of the questions that have been nagging at me for far too long.

'Did I make the right choice when I left my position as the princess?'

It took a long time for it to reply. 'A choice can branch out to so many futures, but many can never be deemed as 'right' or 'wrong'.'

I huffed in disappointment, and then wrote hesitantly, 'Is my nanny, Miss Hestia, alive?'

For a few heart-wrenching moments, I was left in a state of the purest apprehension, but then... 'Yes.'

I gasped, trying desperately to reign in my tears. However, I couldn't stop the intense feeling of relief that passed through my entire being, nor the stray sniffle or two. Deciding to hide my face by lying down on the desk, I wrote down shakily, 'Is she safe?'

Sadly, no matter how long I waited for an answer, it didn't come. Looking up around me, I realized that Albert was already done with his test and he had long left the hall. In fact, only a few handful of us were still answering the test. I, however, wanted to stay here forever.

I wrote down, 'How are my friends up in Malaya?'

'Safe and warm, although I can't say much.'

'Why?'

"... I can only say they are busy with things.'

I wanted to ask more about these "things", but knew that if Farseer, Regina, or Eva didn't want to tell me about these, then I should simply let them keep me in the dark. For now, I had no desire to jump into the world of politics and dreary responsibilities. I have only just gained my freedom, and I won't spend it tying myself down to more duties. I went here to learn, and that's all I should be worried about for now...

I wrote, 'Do you know of a goddess that appears as music itself?'

'Alas, I have no friends such as the deity.'

I snickered at its response, but continued to ask, not daring to write down any concrete names, 'What of the emblem of the organization I once belonged to?'

'The emblem of the Order exists as old as the group itself,' it wrote. 'Alas, I only know as much.'

Sighing, I stopped my hand from asking anything more. After all, the morning had already turned into noon, and my stomach complained incessantly. I was about to stand up and burn it down, when a selfish question popped into mind. In fact, it was a rather silly one, but I just had to ask...

'Have I already met the crown prince of Mond Empire?' I asked it, my lips pursed at the foolishness of the question.

For a while, the paper shimmered yet again in mock laughter, and then, it wrote, 'Fate is funny, is it not?'

I groaned at the being's teasing answer, but dared not think about it any further. It may mean anything, so I thought of it as nothing. Hastily writing down, 'Goodbye,' I stood up stiffly from my seat and approached the portly mage. He looked at me with interest.

I smiled at him once before crumpling up my papers right in front of him, and dropped it unceremoniously down the jar of fire. The man only looked at the smoldering pieces of paper with upraised brows, and then, picking the blackened pieces with a long tong, he placed the now completely black paper on his desk. With a puff of air from his wide mouth, ashes floated in the air around us, prompting me to cough. Then, glancing back at the table, I saw a single piece of golden paper. On it was my class schedule.

The professor picked it up gently, and wiped off a few stray ashes from the slip. He peered down at it though his round glasses. His cheeks were a bright red when viewed up close like this. He then laughed merrily. "It seems like I'll be having you as a student of mine this cycle, Eleftherion boy! You will be taking my Advanced Apparition classes!"

I blinked in surprise. "That- Are you sure you've read that correctly, Professor... umm?"

"Professor Duncan. Call me Professor Duncan, boy, and yes! Although I might not be as young and spritely as I once was, I read this quite correctly!" he replied jovially. "Advanced Apparition... Intermediate Poisons and Potions... Yes, yes... It seems most of your subjects are quite advanced, but worry not! You also have beginners classes for Arts and Music, and ah, of course! Defensive Spells 101! Every one has to take that from scratch. And there you have it. You can read through your list of classes for the rest of the day, and if you have questions, then just ask around! Now, off you go, there's a long line behind you, you see?."

I looked behind me to see that indeed, in my confusion, I had caused a few students to stand impatiently behind me. I stammered an apology and then went right out of the hall, waiting outside the door for Joren. It took quite a bit of a long time for him to finish, but when he did, he greeted me with a tired face. But, there was more to it... He looked almost scared.

When I followed him wordlessly through the hallways and back to our dorms, he finally whispered when we were alone, "Therion, do you know of the Mare Desiderii?"