The Skyhome Academy

The mess hall on the ground floor of the Skyhome Spire deserved a more grandiose name in Rose’s opinion. This round, expansive room could seat six hundred at its many tables. It was well lit by lamps in the ceiling. Paintings adorned the wall, each placed between defensive alcoves. The alcoves contained magically shielded windows for targeting enemies outside. There was also a large, steel gate out to the courtyard—its double doors slid out of the way via a telekinetic sensor and motion system when not barred.

The tables were covered by fancy cloth, with silverware and decorative candles, though Rose guessed that these features were only for special occasions. As was the magnificent feast set before all those in attendance.

Presently, the mess hall was filled almost to capacity—all the noble cadets were present, as well as the children of foreign dignitaries and citizens. The last were by far the smallest group. Everyone was eating or quietly chatting.

Of the nobles, all the boys wore their dress uniforms, with most girls wearing expensive gowns. But not Rose—she had changed before coming down to the banquet. Her girl’s dress uniform was similar to those worn by the boys, but the pants were replaced by a below-knee skirt. She had switched outfits partially out of spite toward Margas. Though as it turned out, he was seated with the royal cadets some distance away and did not seem to notice the slight.

Not too far from Rose was the head table, where the professors and most important academy staff sat. Some were civilians in expensive attire, while others wore dress uniforms. Her father was with them—she was relieved that he was unhurt after chasing down the traitor earlier.

There were no serfs present, save the gray-clad castle servants who were bringing out food and drink. They arrived with new platters and pitchers, and took away the empty ones, at the elevator in the middle of the mess hall.

The spire’s elevator was not of the ordinary “box pulled up by cables” variety. Rather, it relied on the same levitation magic that floated the castle. There were two large holes in the floor and two in the ceiling—one set each for upward and downward travel. On every floor but the basement beneath the mess hall, one stepped out onto a seemingly dangerous void in the floor—but instead of falling, drifted in the appropriate direction for that elevator shaft.

As Rose watched, the servants effortlessly floated into and out of the mess hall at the elevator. But then there was a different arrival—Simon, who looked a bit uncertain as he drifted down into the room. He stepped out slightly early, taking an awkward half foot step down to solid ground. I guess those things do take some getting used to.

After moving out of the way of the servants, he looked around uncertainly. Rose had an empty chair next to her, so she caught his gaze with a wave. He walked over and sat down beside her.

“Thanks, My Lady.” He poured some juice into his goblet, and then began taking food onto his plate. They both ate sporadically as they conversed.

“Good to see you again,” Rose said. “What do you think of the castle so far?”

“It’s pretty amazing. I can’t believe we’re half a mile up! And I’ve never ridden an elevator like that before. But all the decorations seem strange for a military academy.”

“A third of the cadets are nobility or foreign dignitaries, so there’s an expectation of luxury. But this place is a little too laid back if you ask me—female cadets aren’t even expected to pass physical fitness tests unless we want to serve in a combat role.”

“Are you planning on fighting?”

Rose nodded. “There’s two generations of mages in my family, and I’m continuing the tradition.”

“I think it’s great that you’d want to defend the kingdom—even with all the unfair pressure on women not to get involved.”

“Finally, someone with some sense. Too many people are living in the past.”

“I’m all for women in uniform, too. You look good.” He then suddenly turned nervous. “Um, good like really sharp. My Lady.”

Rose was not sure if he was flirting with her—it felt arrogant to assume that he was. But he was a cute guy, and she appreciated the compliment regardless of how it was intended. “Thanks… So, do you have any military plans?”

“No, my father paid extra to get me out of the service obligation.”

“He can afford that?”

“Yeah, he owns Exeter Alchemical Supplies. And he wants to retire in a few years and have me take over, so I couldn’t serve even if I wanted to. I just plan to learn alchemy, and self-defense in case I need it.”

“I see.” Rose hoped that her disappointment was not too evident. But she would have been much more taken with Simon if he had shared her dream of protecting the kingdom. “Learning magical self-defense is a good idea. The last thing you want is a telepath poking through your head and stealing company secrets.”

He nodded in agreement. “It’ll also be good for me to get used to being around nobility, and all your magical technology. …⁠Speaking of that, are those nexus crystals?” He pointed toward one nearby, and Rose nodded. “I’ve never seen one before today—peasants aren’t allowed to own them.”

There were many of the white crystals evident in the mess hall, placed in a number of alcoves. There were also a couple on the wall between the two elevator shafts. All the magical devices were secured to the walls by metal plates to prevent their removal.

“Crystals are pretty amazing,” Rose said. “You can use them to transmit verbal or telepathic messages. Either to another crystal elsewhere in the castle, or to all of them in a certain range. That’s how you raise an alarm. Also, they can transfer mana from someone nearby to the castle’s supply.”

“Isn’t draining mana dangerous?”

“There’s safeties in place to make sure no one is enervated. And it’s beneficial in one way. Spellcasters generate extra mana, and that can cause insomnia. So all the beds have crystals next to them—they drain off the excess to help you sleep better. And that extra energy can move the castle faster, or let the Phoenix Maw fire more often.”

“That’s something. They’ve really spared no expense. …⁠Except the peasant barracks. You should see them—they’re just giant rooms full of bunk beds, with lockers for our belongings.”

“That’s too bad, but the spire only has so much space. Even lower nobles are four to a room.”

“Oh, isn’t that Emma?” Simon asked.

Rose looked over and saw her handmaiden coming down the elevator with a couple pitchers of water. She had changed into a castle servant’s dress. “She must have finished unpacking my things and gotten drafted for kitchen duty.”

“It doesn’t seem fair for her to have so much work before classes even start.”

“That’s just the way things are. But I think serfs are allowed to have the leftovers after the banquet ends.”

“Not exactly a grand welcome.”

They ate quietly for a time, until someone stood at the head table. He was an older but still vital man, with a bald head and a short white beard. His dress uniform was adorned with numerous medals, and other jewelry that Rose doubted was technically part of the dress code. She realized who he was when she saw that his uniform insignia represented him as a baron and an archmage.

On his belt was a personal nexus crystal, which gave a soft glow as he mentally activated it to spread his voice to many other such devices in the room. Unfortunately, only academy staff were trusted to carry their own crystal—though high noble cadets could afford their own.

“Your attention, please,” the archmage said in a friendly tone. “I’m Baron Nicholas Tessel, the academy mage-captain and intendent. And I’d like to welcome all of you to the Skyhome.

“I should address up front the unpleasantness earlier today. The traitor who littered the plaza was apprehended—thankfully with no casualties. If anyone finds any Peasant Army pamphlets, please turn them over to a professor or guard.

“I’m sure that many of you are concerned by this incident, but there’s no cause for alarm. The traitors enjoy their theatrics, but I can assure you that the kingdom and this academy will always stand resolute against the enemy.

“…⁠With that out of the way, I have two new staff members to welcome. The first is Mage William Spellshield, our commander of the castle guard. Please stand and say a few words, Mage William.”

Rose’s father stood, and his crystal amplified his voice. “It’s a great honor to accept this posting. My soldiers and I will safeguard this academy with our lives. …⁠Feel free to see me if you have any security concerns.” The light in his crystal dimmed, and he sat once more.

“Thank you,” Baron Tessel told him with a nod. “I’d also like to welcome Mage Isabel Ramos, our new Assistant Professor of Telekinetics—and wife to our longtime Professor of Healing Magic, Lord Walter Ramos. Mage Isabel?” The intendent looked around, but there was no immediate answer.

Another man at the head table spoke. “…⁠I apologize, Baron. But she’s not yet arrived.”

Rose then noticed someone coming down the elevator. What most immediately drew her attention was that the new arrival’s legs were absent—there was simply nothing below the skirt of her white dress uniform. Beyond this unusual quality, she was a fit, middle-aged woman with a beige skin tone. Her black hair fell just above her shoulders and had a streak of white in it.

“Mage Isabel, it’s good of you to finally join us,” Tessel said wryly.

The mage drifted out of the elevator…but then continued to float a couple feet above the floor. There were a few gasps of surprise from the cadets as she made her way slowly toward the head table. “Sorry, Sir,” she answered in an exasperated tone.

Rose then heard Alice, who was seated nearby. “Is she a ghost?” Avice put her hand to her face in embarrassment, and there were a few laughs from other nearby cadets.

“Levitation magic?” Simon whispered to Rose.

“Telekinetics. She’s pushing off the floor.” Unfortunately, humans were terrible at levitation when compared to magical machines and beasts.

Mage Isabel, perhaps due to her slow speed, decided to go over rather than around the head table to get to her seat. Her magic knocked over an empty goblet, drawing subdued amusement from the cadets. She then turned around and settled into her chair with a thud and an exhausted sigh. The man who had apologized for her tardiness earlier—the other Professor Ramos, judging by their identical heraldry—touched her arm. She shrugged off his concern in obvious embarrassment.

“Would you like to say a few words, Mage Isabel?” Baron Tessel asked her.

She used her crystal to address the room. “During the recent battle at King’s Grove, a member of the Peasant Army decided that my legs deserved a vacation from the rest of my body. Since that limited my career options, I’ve accepted Baron Tessel’s generous offer to teach at this academy.

“But don’t think that I took this job so I could pass the time to retirement,” she added harshly. “I intend to hold all my students to exacting standards. Those of you I fail in the coming year should be grateful—I’ll likely have saved you from becoming battlefield casualties.”

There were murmurs from the cadets. “She’s a bit intense,” Simon whispered to Rose. “Just my luck that I have her class.”

“Me too. But it’s not all bad—she’s obviously an expert at what she teaches.” Even Rose’s father could not hover off the ground for more than a minute—Mage Isabel actually moving via telekinetics was amazing. And the young noble could not help but admire another woman who had reached magehood as she hoped to.

Baron Tessel gave a gentle chuckle. “Let’s not scare the cadets too much. It’s true that we’ll hold all of you to high academic standards—but rest assured that the teaching staff are here to support you, and we hope for your success. If any of you ever feel overwhelmed and need a sympathetic ear, feel free to schedule an appointment during my office hours.

“I have a few reminders. Cadets who want day passes, or who wish to sign up for the Skyhome Tournament, should visit the administrative building.

“Also please note that starting this year, noble cadets may invite peasants to the Winter and Summer Formals.” Rose noticed a few disapproving reactions, including from Margas. Romance between nobles and peasants had become more common in recent years, but it was not considered entirely respectable.

“Oh and finally, since it always comes up—having your servants do your classwork for you is still very much against academy rules.

“And with the announcements out of the way…” Baron Tessel amplified his voice further. “Let’s bring out dessert!”

At this signal, servants poured down the elevator from the kitchen level with a wide variety of confections. The privileged cadets looked on excitedly as they waited to be served.