House of Amarin

The summer seemed to fly by very quickly for the group while staying at the home of the Amarins. Koa was taking care of her own subordinates, and to her surprise, her grandfather remained silent about it. He even let her have some… fun. Her seal was not removed, but neither her father nor her grandfather said anything when she played around with the local boys and girls. She even suspected someone switched them out for impostors, but she was not about to ask questions. She was finally able to enjoy herself and the looks on their faces as she pleased them in many ways. Sometimes doing them all at once.

Lorin was also having the time of his life. He was touring the country with Kawu, getting introduced to the many subordinate families under the 2nd and 3rd branches as he was forming a complete picture of how he would establish his business. These connections, in his eyes, were already the sturdiest possible bridges to a bright future. Even if that meant tying his family to the Amarins' chariot. He was willing to do it, so his family could become one of the top names in Meriath.

Aurora was gone for the most part, rejoining the 4th branch and doing some exercises with Solren to solidify her advancement. She only returned in the last two weeks, finally relaxing and accompanying Lia and the rest, having some fun. They explored the main castle, which seemed to have endless secrets and enchanted rooms, and toured the small villages and big cities where people were proud of being part of the House of Amarin, even if not by blood. When the time came to head back to the Academy, it was Parthorn who, once again, carried them back to school.

"Eh… it went so quickly!" Koa moaned, leaning at the Pearl's railings, not far away from her grandfather.

"I am excited!" Lia chimed in while Keily was munching on a freshly baked muffin, the parting gift of Reyra.

"I am fired up!" He said, after gulping down his current bite, wiping his mouth with his sleeves, "Lady Reyra has given me some neat tips! I want to meditate on them and test them on the training fields!"

"I'll help you!" Lia answered immediately. "Fufufu, I knew all my mom's tricks!"

"I doubt that." Aurora signed with her hands, drawing out a silly giggle from Lia.

"No, she is right." Koa chimed in, "She does. Remember when you asked for grandpa's scepter, I-"

"And you all stop right there!" Parthorn's voice interrupted them. "That is what landed you two here in the first place!"

"Wait!" Sion suddenly raised his voice, watching the head of the 3rd branch. "They came to the Academy as a… punishment?"

"Yes." He nodded, making Sion facepalm so loudly that it sounded like he slapped himself.

"Bloody Undeads under my bed! Never. Ever. EVER say that in school! Or anywhere else, for that matter! Others would skin you alive hearing that for the Amarins, attending the most desired, most prestigious school for magic is a FUCKING PUNISHMENT!" He groaned, looking at them from between his fingers.

…
….
……

Returning to school, they were prompted to live officially in their own tower instead of going to the dorms.

"Are you sure… that this is fine?" Keily asked, putting his bag down on one of the beds in Lia's room.

"Sure! I'll train you! I need to gain more inspiration myself to catch up with Aurora and Koa! This will help! And you can also catch up with us! It is a win-win! Mom taught me a lot of things; I can help you understand it!" She grinned, showing a V-sign.

"Okay!" Keily nodded as he didn't need much to be persuaded. "I missed this…." He added, fixing his bracelet on his wrist, happy to wear it again. "When casting spells without it, I felt that they were much weaker!"

"Then you didn't focus well enough!" Lia reprimanded him suddenly. "My mom always told me that you can rely on a tool. But never depend on it! We may need to start training you without it!"

"But…" He wanted to say something, but he couldn't as Ceiline came in, interrupting them.

"We are going to the main building to register for your next year ahead of time. It is the best opportunity to take up some extra curriculum before the year starts!"

"Hell no! I won't take up extra classes!" Echoed Koa's voice from behind her, coming from the staircase.

"It is mandatory to do so." Ceiline replied, looking over her shoulder, watching Koa, who almost stumbled off the stairs, "Every student must take two extra curricula in their second year. Three on their third and four on their fourth. It is fully logical!"

"..." Lia and Keily looked at each other and asked at the same time.

"Can't we take more than two?" They asked, sounding disappointed.

…
….
……

Visiting the main hall, it was more crowded than they expected it to be. Many students were already back, registering, looking around the available extra classes and courses, looking for one that suited them the best. When they entered, Dayen was already there. Seeing them, she smiled, nodding, and their bracelets pinged, signaling they had been registered for the second term.

"If you need any tips or help," her voice traveled to their ears, "Come see me, and we can discuss what is ideal for your future studies!"

"Thank you!" Replied the group, cupping their hands before heading to a giant wall with all the available extra classes for all the years. Hundreds were posted on it, and a more detailed description popped up when the course and its teachers' names were typed into their bracelets.

"Oh, Lala has more than ten options being put up?" Lia asked, looking on with amusement in her eyes.

"And half of them aimed at girls only." Koa added, twitching her mouth, "I may take up one…."

"You don't even have light as your element!" Aurora wrote with a slanted look.

"I may take it up as my second!" She retorted, pouting.

"You already got bored of your boys?" She fired back quickly.

"Hmph!"

"Easy there!" Ceiline stepped in before they started arguing. "Let's focus on the classes first!"

"Yo! Guys! Gals!" Arrived a roar-like voice, and when turning, it was Raufon, laughing, coming in with hurried steps and with a big grin on his face, hugging them one by one. "I just got back, and the tower was empty! Ahahaha, awesome seeing you again! I missed you all!"

"Teehee~ Now we are whole again!" Lia grinned, hugging back, and nobody could tell the two started out with a duel on their first day.

"How was your summer?" Raufon asked, looking at them.

"So cool!" Keily replied with enthusiasm, and Sion also nodded with a smile, agreeing with him. "Yours? I have a lot to tell!"

"Mine too!" Raufon said, cracking his knuckles, "I went home and took over the tribe immediately! Bwahahaha! I beat my siblings in combat, and now I already have four wives!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

The silence that followed was not simply from the Misfits but anyone who heard him speak. Multiple heads turned toward him; some beast folk were impressed, some humans were confused, and others were disgusted.

"Well…" Sion scratched his throat, "Our summer was not THAT eventful… you won."

"Congratulations?" Ceiline said, a bit unsure. Even if she was a beast folk, their family only chose one partner, and they did so for life.

"Ahahaha! Thanks! They are already pregnant! After this year, I'll be a father!" He answered with a bellowing laugh, looking extremely happy.

"..."

"What…?" Raufon asked when seeing that the silence became even more noticeable.

"Nothing." Sion clapped his shoulders. "Good job, good job! And all that! Now… we are here to choose extra subjects for ourselves! Come, let us see what we have for this year!"

"Ah, yeah, yeah, sure!" Raufon nodded rapidly, refocusing his mind while the others were trying to return to reality.

It took some solid minutes for everyone to regain their clarity and not try to ask questions, especially seeing how fired up Raufon was. His eyes told that he was proud and excited, wanting to make his future children proud.

"I already know what I am going to take," Sion said, picking four subjects through his bracelet. "Undead Studies, First Aid, Dueling and Dark Age studies."

"That was fast!" Ceiline said with a smile. "But nothing for a second element?"

"I won't take up one." Sion answered calmly, "It is not mandatory. Plus, last year, I noticed our weakness! We don't have a designated healer! I'll start learning first aid at least, then instruct my men to start recruiting proper support-oriented guys and girls this year! Instead of picking a second element, I will simultaneously focus on attacking and supporting."

"You thought about this." Ceiline nodded, her eyes shining, admiring his thoughts.

"Fufufu, I chose my main party members well!" Lia grinned proudly as if she had instructed Sion what to do.

"Next year, I won't be here." Sion added, quickly turning Lia's smile into a frown, "I am graduating this year. So I want to set up my part of the group in a way that you all can lean on them!"

"Can't you… repeat a year or something?" Lia asked, pouting at the thought.

"Ahahaha! Sorry but no!" Sion laughed, rubbing her head, "Now! I'm done! Let's choose yours and let's go have a pizza or something! I'm paying!"

The answer was a loud rumble, but not from Lia's tummy but from Keily's, who just looked down, turning red as a tomato, busying himself with reading the multiple subjects, ignoring the laughs.

"Done!" Aurora wrote, choosing the Dueling class and one named The Studies of Magical Beasts.

"Me too! If it is a must…." Koa moaned, picking up First Aid with History of Meriath.

"History?" Aurora asked, raising one eyebrow at her.

"Grandpa was always going on about it… It shouldn't be that hard as I was made to study it as a little girl. Plus… Sion is right! We need healers, and the few we have is not enough!"

"I'll focus on defense!" Raufon added, choosing his to be the Element of Metal and Artifact Crafting.

"Artifact Crafting?" Sion asked, whistling. "That is a course people usually take in their 3rd-year! I also had it for last year."

"And where is your artifact?" Lia asked, curious, looking at him, moving her eyes up and down, trying to spot it.

"Planning to craft it this year!" He answered with a smile. "I already know what I need for it, and it will be accepted as being one of the tests for my graduation!" He added happily, "I'll craft a ring; it is unassuming, and, many times, they are easily mistaken for a device for holding stuff!"

"I want a giant hammer!" Raufon said after finalizing his choices. "I already have the plans!" He showed them a blueprint detailing a humongous war hammer, precisely mapped to its last details.

"What the…" Sion blinked his eyes, "This is way too detailed!"

"Of course! Master Opparu drew it for me in the summer after I told him what I wanted! I am going to study under him this year!"

"..."

It was silence once again, and now Raufon looked at them annoyedly.

"I'm not stupid. Okay? Stop with the gazes already!"

"He is right." Ceiline nodded heavily, "When tutoring him before the exam, he quickly picked up on logical connections. He will do fine with artifact creation! Then you can start helping me out with my own experiments! I need some new stuff crafted anyway! You can practice it with me!" She said, clapping with a smile, happy to have help with her own research.

"Well… that leaves only us!" Lia said, shaking her head and turning back towards the wall in sync with Keily.

"Um… Boss, I already finished choosing!" He said, glancing at her twitching mouth as he picked Undead Studies and Dueling.

"Ugh…" Lia moaned, and she was stumped. She wanted to take almost all of the classes. They all looked so interesting that she was hesitating about which to pick.

"Throw a die!" Koa said, getting a bit impatient. "Or pick at random!"

"Let her choose! This is extremely important!" Aurora scolded her, but Lia did not hear any of that. She closed her eyes mulling over the many options before taking a deep breath and choosing.

"Done!" She said, showing it to them.

"That… Are you sure?" Ceiline asked, her voice questioning. The Element of Water was quite normal, but the other was marked with an asterisk; "Prior talent check is mandatory. Further instructions will be given out within 24 hours after your application."

"I am!" She said, acknowledging that she read the warning and submitted her name to the Studies of No-Space. "It sounds interesting! And it is going to be taught by the Headmaster!"