“Did you find something?” Ren asked, waking Stephanie up from her thoughts.
“What?” Stephanie blinked and looked up at her.
“Your face. You look like you found something?” Ren said, her big green eyes staring at Stephanie.
Stephanie shook her head. “Oh nothing. Just something about Espers. You know anything about them?”
“No. Nothing,” Ren responding. She didn’t look happy for some reason. Is she just lonely? Stephanie wondered.
“Hm, me neither. I’ll have to ask my friend about them. Maybe he knows.” Rem handed her a pen and paper. She took her notes and ripped the sheet off, stuffing it in her pocket. Stephanie stood up and got ready to go.
“Have you heard the rumors about the war?” Rem asked her.
Stephanie turned back to her. Rem looked at her with frightened eyes. That was when Stephanie realized it. The hair, her eyes, and her accent. The girl was Moan.
Stephanie sat back down. “Yeah, hard not to. It’s pretty much what everyone is talking about.”
Rem looked side to side before continuing. “Do you think Moah will actually go to war again?”
“I’m not sure. Anything could happen I suppose.” Stephanie immediately regretted her choice of words. Rem was clearly terrified. “Are your parents still in Moah?”
Rem nodded. “I don’t even know if they’re trying to leave or not. I’ve tried sending letters, but they never get answered. I’m just afraid they’ll be on the wrong side of this thing.” She shuffled some of the books around, trying to compose herself. “I don’t know what will happen if there is a war. Will people like me be safe?” Rem looked up at Stephanie. Her eyes were full of tears
Stephanie walked over to her side and put a hand on her shoulder. “Nothing will happen to you. The people here are good; we’re all on the same side. No one will hurt you just because you’re Moan, even if there is a war.” She squeezed Rem’s shoulder, hoping to comfort her.
“I guess you’re right.” Rem said in between sniffs.
Stephanie pulled her close and hugged her. “Plus, if anyone tries to mess with you, I’ll take care of them for you.”
Rem smiled. “Really?”
Stephanie smiled back. “Of course. Come on, let’s go get some food. A full stomach takes care of everything.”
***
Back in the Great Hall, Stephanie brought Rem over to the section that she usually sat at with Cole and Sheru. They noticed her guest and smiled.
“Hey guys,” Stephanie waved. “This is Rem. She’s from the air class.”
Rem gave them a small smile and waved. “Hello.”
Stephanie noticed their faces when Rem spoke. Clearly they had noticed her accent. Despite that, they welcomed her with open arms. They asked her about her classes, how she’s enjoying the Academy so far, and what she enjoys doing most in her free time. Rem was all smiles. It seemed like she’d completely forgotten the conversation she and Stephanie had earlier.
“So how did lunch go before?” Sheru asked with a twinkle in her eye.
Stephanie glared at her and then at Cole, who turned bright red. “It was fine, except I think this one has a big crush on James.”
Cole's eyes lit up. “That is not true!” He yelled. He looked around, embarrassed when he saw a few students staring at him.
“Are you sure?” Stephanie responded. “That was all you talked about? James this, James that. I think you need to have a talk with yourself.”
Cole’s face only got brighter. “I just think he’s a little suspicious.”
“Who’s James?” Rem asked.
“He’s a new student in the fire class.” Stephanie told her. “He’s a transfer student, even though he’s a tad old to be one.”
Rem tapped her lip. “I feel like I know that name for some reason. Do you know his last name?”
Stephanie shook her head. “I don’t think he ever told us.” She looked at Sheru and Cole. They shook their heads too.
“Oh well.” Rem said, diving back into her pudding.
As they ate, the doors burst open. Silence filled the room, and all heads turned towards the giant doors. A man stood in the center, dressed in an Academy staff uniform. He was sweating bullets and heaving. He briefly rested against the door’s side before continuing into the room. As he jogged, Stephanie saw a scroll in his hands.
The messenger made his way past the student tables and up towards the faculty section. He approached the Headmaster, who seemed very alarmed. The messenger quickly handed off the scroll and bowed before setting off again towards the exit.
Stephanie watched carefully as the Headmaster read the scroll. As he did his face transformed. What began as an expression of interest slowly descended into horror. Stephanie felt a pit open in her stomach as the Headmaster rose from his seat.
“Everyone, please return to your dormitories at once. Do not leave until your instructor says otherwise. Please do this an orderly fashion.” The Headmaster ordered.
Stephanie and her friends rose from their chairs and began to move towards the exit. Rem said her goodbyes and quickly made her way to her group. Stephanie hoped she would be okay.
***
The dormitory was buzzing with gossip. People were talking about Moah and the fact that this meant the war had begun. Some were already planning on how they would get back to their families if the war reached them. Others were discussing how and where they could sign up to fight.
Stephanie, Sheru, and Cole were silent, sitting at one of the tables far off from the group. None of them wanted to add to the already tense situation in the common room. Sheru nervously curled her hair around her finger while Cole rapped his fingers on the table. Stephanie kept shifting positions every few minutes.
Finally, after what seemed like ages, the door opened, and Clayton walked in. The entire room went silent. People spread apart as he made his way to the center of the room.
“I’m sure you all have a lot of questions.” He began. He looked frustrated like he had been arguing just before coming here. “Thank you all for being patient and not attacking me on sight. I appreciate that especially.”
A smirk came across his face, and Stephanie wondered if everything was alright after all. “The letter was a message from Aechor. The farmers still use falcons sometimes in emergencies to send messages. This one was from a farmer who claims he was attacked by the Moahs.”
The room began buzzing again. Worried faces, whispers of disaster, it started all over again. Clayton raised his hands, quieting the room. “Now before you all go writing home to mommy and daddy there’s a few things you need to hear.” All faces turned to Clayton once again. “This farmer claims he was attacked by the Moahs. There’s no way to know for sure right now what actually happened there. All communications to the government haven’t been returned yet. In lieu of that, the Academy has decided to send a team to investigate what’s going on there. I’m to lead the team, and I’ll be taking three students with me. It’s about time you all get some field experience anyways. Finally, even if something has happened there, we’re far from Aechor. So don’t go worrying yourselves just yet.”
Stephanie couldn’t tell if Clayton’s little speech actually calmed anyone or if it just terrified them even more. She looked over at Sheru and Cole. They seemed only slightly better than before. Stephanie herself didn’t feel any better about things. If Aechor was actually attacked, who could be next? What kind of weapons did the Moahs have? Were the rumors about their machines of death true?
“Stephanie,” she heard Clayton say. She snapped back to reality. “You and Cole are with me. We’ll be joining somebody from the fire class at the airship in a few hours. Pack your things.”
Stephanie felt the color drain from her. Her, go on a field mission? Anxiety filled her, like everything she’d learned had flown out her head.
“We’ll be there, sir.” She heard Cole say. Clayton seemed satisfied and left. Slowly the student body began t
o converge on them. Stephanie eventually could hear herself think. She pushed past them and ran upstairs to her room.
Here there was silence. Stephanie took a deep breath and held herself up against the bedpost. She steadied her breathing and slowly began feeling normal again.
“Are you alright?”
Stephanie turned around. Sheru was standing at her door. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just a bit overwhelmed.” Stephanie said.
“Are you okay with this? I’m sure Clayton would understand if you weren’t up for it.” Sheru said, stepping next Stephanie.
Stephanie looked at her. “I’ll be fine. I need to go. See for myself what happened there. Plus field experience will be good for me.” She wasn’t sure she believed the words that were coming out of her mouth. She hoped they’d come true eventually.
“Okay.” Sheru said. Stephanie was thankful she decided not to push the issue. “Be safe, alright? I’ll be waiting for you.”
Stephanie smiled and brought Sheru in for a hug. “Thank you. I’ll be careful. I promise.”
***
As Stephanie entered the hanger bay, the roof was beginning to separate down the middle. The stars shined brightly, just peeking through as the top doors continued opening. Stephanie had never been in the hanger bay before, let alone in an airship. The giant machines looked like a great beast with hot air balloons protruding from every open area.
Stephanie shivered. She had on a coat over her jumpsuit, but the cold creeping through the roof was a bit much.
“Never been on one before?” Cole asked behind her. He stared at the airships in wonder.
“Never.” Stephanie answered. “Even when I came to the Academy I took a train. I’ve never flown.”
“Well then this should be interesting,” said a familiar voice. Stephanie looked at the entrance. James walked in; his bag slung over his shoulder.
“The best thing you can do is never look over the edge.” He said as he came up beside her.
“You’re our fourth team member?” Cole asked. He was clearly disappointed.
If James noticed that, he didn’t show it. “That’s right.” He smiled and headed towards the ship. “Come on! Let’s get going!”
Stephanie saw Clayton standing by the ramp. He greeted James and let him on board. His eyes turned to Stephanie and Cole next. “Do you think you are ready guys?”
“You didn’t ask James if he was ready.” Cole sneered. Stephanie rolled her eyes.
“It’s not my place to question someone else’s student. If Mira thinks he’s ready to go, then who am I to say anything? He asked for this assignment, and Mira would never let him go if she didn’t think he was ready. Now get on board. We’ll be leaving in a moment.”
Stephanie sighed and shook her head. The deck looked nearly like a boat’s deck. It was wide and open, with bars around the ledges to prevent people from falling off. There were seats spread out and tables that looked bolted to the ground.
Stephanie heard Clayton come up behind them. “If you guys want to get some rest before we land, there are rooms downstairs. We have about three hours before we reach Aechor. When we land, we won’t be stopping to rest. We need to get in and get out as soon as possible.”
“Understood.” Stephanie replied and laid her bag down on one of the chairs.
James was leaning against the ledge, looking out at the stars. The sky was beautiful; she had to admit.
The deck rumbled as the ship’s engines started up. Stephanie felt her stomach buckle at the initial movement but as the airship steadied, so did she. Black smoke bellowed out from the back of the airship. It cleared out the longer the engines ran.
“It’s weird, right?” Cole asked, sliding up next to her. He had another smirk on his face and a suspicious look in his eye. He had forsaken his bandana and simply let his hair do whatever it wanted.
Stephanie sighed again. There was no escaping this one she guessed. “What’s weird?” She did nothing to hide her exhausted tone.
“James signing up for this mission? Who does that?” Cole took one of the seats and let his bag drop to the floor.
Stephanie shrugged. She honestly didn’t care right now. “I don’t know. Maybe he just wants to get out of the Academy for a little while. Maybe he enjoys flying… for whatever reason.”
Cole seemed to consider this. “Maybe. Still, it’s all a little weird.”
Stephanie sighed. “He told me earlier that he was looking into the Magician’s Heart. Ever heard of it?”
Cole shrugged. “Nope. What is it? Some kind of weapon?”
Stephanie grabbed her bag and took out the notes she’d taken from the library. “It’s some kind of orb. The books I read said it’s what controls our abilities. James said he was only curious about ‘mythical artifacts’, but the more I looked at it, the weirder I felt out about it.”
“Hm. Does it even exist?” Cole asked, stroking his chin.
“I don’t have the slightest clue. But why would someone want to control our powers?” Stephanie asked. When said aloud she sounded like a crazy person. But she couldn’t shake that nagging feeling she felt. James seemed overly curious about it.
“Someone looking to win a war?” Cole suggested.
Stephanie looked over at James again. “You really think he could be working for the Moahs?”
“I’m willing to believe anything at this point.” Cole replied. “Though I have to admit it’s the least likely answer. The screening process is pretty thorough. They’d never allow him in here if he had any connections to the higher ups in Moah.”
He made a good point, Stephanie thought. There was very little he could do from within the Academy anyways. They didn’t even know if the Heart actually existed in the first place. She felt a little comforted by that.
Stephanie walked over to James. He was still watching the stars as they sailed by at a snail’s pace. James heard her approach and turned. He smiled and moved aside so she could join him. The breeze was cool, and the moon lit the deck in a pale glow.
“How are you feeling?” He asked.
Stephanie shook her head. “I’m okay, I suppose.”
“First flight’s always the worst.” James said, still smiling at her. “You get used to it after a while.”
“Did you fly often?” Stephanie questioned.
“I used to. In the Eastern Quadrant, we were sent out quite a bit. We’d help villages in need, those ravaged by storms or fires. We’d get their farms up and running again.” James stared off into the distance.
“I heard you signed up for this mission.” She said, hoping he would be honest with her.
James nodded. “That’s right.”
“How come?” She asked, kicking herself for doubting him.
He shrugged. “Felt a little stuffy I suppose. The Academy is nice and all, but I’m used to hopping from place to place. Plus I’m from the area, so it’ll be nice to see my home.”
Stephanie blinked in surprise. “You’re from Aechor?”
James nodded. “The surrounding area at least. We moved around a lot, my brother and I, but Aechor was where we stayed the longest.”
“What about your parents. What did they do that made you move around so often?” Stephanie asked.
James turned away from her, looking back at the stars. “They weren’t around very often.” He left it at that and Stephanie thought she should as well. Without saying anything she left him and decided to get some rest before they landed.
***
Stephanie awoke to a knock on her door. “Stephanie?” It was Clayton. “We’re about ten minutes out. Get ready to go.”
“I’ll be there!” She managed to call out.
“Make sure you leave your combat robes on the ship. They’re not supposed to know we’re Academy.” Clayton didn’t wait for a response. She heard the stomping of his heavy boots fade as he walked away.
Stephanie stared up at the door. The sleep she was in felt a little too good. Her body did not w
ant to wake up. Nevertheless, she forced herself to get up and get ready. She checked herself in the mirror. She supposed it didn’t matter what she looked like, but she still didn’t need to look like a vampire had just risen from its coffin. She brushed her hair for a minute and washed her face. It was the best she’d be able to do in such a short time, and it would have to do.
On the deck, she saw the other three all ready to go. Like her they were dressed in civilian clothes. Clayton had on his trademark farmer’s clothes with his straw-like hair tucked under a brown leather hat. Cole had his bandanna back, but traded in his robes for cargo pants and a cut-off shirt. James wore a leather jacket and a pair of jeans. There was no way anyone was going to mistake them for Academy members.
The deck bucked, throwing off Stephanie’s balance. She reached for the bars and held on for dear life.
“We’re be landing a moment,” Clayton yelled, trying to get his voice over the wind. “Remember, if anyone asks, we’re here searching for family members. No using your abilities unless absolutely necessary!” Everyone gave a nod in understanding. Clayton reached into his pack withdrew three small leather bound booklets. He passed off one to each of them. “Here are your passports. They’ve all been fitted with fake names. Do yourselves a favor and memorize them.”
Stephanie felt the airship tilt and her feet slowly sliding on the floor. She looked up at the others, and only Cole seemed to be as worried as she was. Before she could say anything though the ship righted itself and came to a slow and peaceful landing on the ground.
The gates opened, and they began to disembark. While everyone started off, she felt herself still clinging to the bars. “Come on,” Said James, offering her his hand. “You’ll feel better once you’re on solid ground.”
Stephanie wasn’t confident she’d make it off this airship without vomiting. With a deep breath, she reached out for James’s hand and clamped on to it. He led her off the deck and into the polish hanger bay.
The area looked practically deserted. She saw a few people that looked like they were working there. Otherwise, the large area was barren and eerily quiet. Every step they took on the concrete seemed to echo for miles.
“Must only be a skeleton crew.” Said James, as if he’d read her mind.
Valiant Hearts, Book One: The Academy Page 3