Chapter 55: Road Trip!

  The carriage did not announce itself with trumpets.

  The commotion came from the gate guards yelling down, interrupting the final gift giving ceremony the parents were having with their kids.

  Announcing to their Lord, my father, the Carriage that would take me away from home for three years was close.

  Only three of us are leaving, Slade, Aoife and myself. The rest of the children within the village are either going to other places within the Dukedom of Sir Noxs capital that they can afford, or spending their remaining youth in the North until they can venture out on their own.

  Four massive horses drew it, their barding etched with stabilizing sigils that pulsed in time with their strides. Frost steamed from their nostrils, breath steady, disciplined. These were not animals bred for speed or spectacle. They were bred to endure.

  Six guards on horses flanked the carriage as it slowed before the eastern gate.

  Tier 3.

  There was no mistaking it. Their armor was not ornate, but it was deliberate. Layered plate over reinforced leathers, sigils of cohesion etched into shared points along their gear. Each step their armor soaks in the ambient mana in the air. Each gaze alerts without being aggressive. Mana rested within them like a coiled spring, quiet but ready.

  The gatekeepers reacted instantly.

  Gate Captain Harlon raised a gauntleted fist, signaling the men at the winches to hold. The eastern gate loomed behind him, twin slabs of rune-bound stone and ironwood sunk deep into the bedrock. It had withstood sieges and horrors alike. It did not open for strangers.

  “Hold,” Harlon called, voice carrying cleanly across the road. “State your authority and purpose.”

  The carriage rolled forward one final pace before stopping, wheels locking with a faint hum of magic.

  One of the guards stepped forward, helm marked by a single silver stripe across the brow.

  “Envoy of Duke Nox,” he said evenly. “By ducal writ and royal accord, we arrive to escort designated candidates to the Academy.”

  The gates began to lift after my father waved his hand, indicating passage for the carriage was okay. Their slow rattling of chains pulling up the hard Dark Iron gate made the morning calm seem eerie.

  Iron-shod wheels struck stone in a slow, deliberate rhythm that carried through the northern road and into the bones of Knighthelm itself. The sound rolled ahead of the vehicle, well trained horses making their way through the outer gates.

  From the slight bend beyond the outer ward, it emerged.

  The carriage was lacquered in deep midnight blue, its surface polished to a muted sheen rather than ostentation. Bands of spellsteel traced its frame, catching the morning light in thin silver lines. The sigil of House Nox was carved directly into the panels, not painted, not gilded. An owl beneath a crescent blade. Restrained. Intentional. Runes shimmered faintly along the axles and undercarriage, warding woven so seamlessly into the structure that they seemed part of the wood itself.

  The carriage halted inside the courtyard with precise control. The guards fanned out, forming a perimeter that did not need to look defensive to be effective.

  The door opened.

  A man stepped down, robes layered in dark gray and silver, his bearing unmistakably administrative. His mana was present but restrained, folded inward with practiced care.

  “Lord Loren,” he said, bowing slightly. “Magistrate Ellowen. I am charged with the safe conveyance of your wards.”

  “Students,” Lars corrected mildly.

  Ellowen smiled. “Of course.”

  His gaze shifted to Lance, Aoife, and Slade. Not judgment. Assessment.

  “These are the young ones?”

  “They are,” Lars said.

  Slade whispered over to Lance, “dude.. Look at his beard I think he's got like green ants in it”

  Lance started to speak in response but Ellowen cut them off, “Ahh quite perspective, although these are not ants young one, these are just curious sprits looking at you babies that will be accompanying our ride, that is all.”

  Aoife just jabbed slade at the failed attempt of gossip.

  Ellowen gave a slight smile, “Then we should depart promptly little children. The Academy prefers arrivals within the appointed window, especially for such esteemed guest!”

  He looked at lance during the last part of that sentence.

  Lars just clapped the back of the three children, “Go now. The longer you wait, the longer those three years will be.”

  The three climbed into the carriage, and to their surprise.. A guard? Was sitting inside smoking a pipe.

  Dressed in what looked like tattered adventures gear, he sat plainly on the cushioned carriage seats, slowly letting the smoke drift out of his mouth. His feet not even touching the ground.

  Lances nose tingled, it reminded him of a cigarette from his past life.

  Aoife was the last to enter, and the first to speak.

  “Holy shit! A Gnome!”

  Lance just groaned, that couldn't possibly have been a smart thing to say, especially considering between him and Ellowen, he felt absolutely nothing from their presence. Meaning these were much stronger than father, or normal unascended, and his money was on their strength.

  “Please refrain from such loud noises, we have a two week carriage ride ahead of us last thing I need is a headache. “Also,” he paused while just staring at us, taking a long toke from his pipe. “yes I am gnome, my goodness.. always northerners.”

  The gnome said the last part with a heavy sigh, not even bothering to introduce himself.

  As the three kids got seated within the lavish carriage, they noticed there much more space on the inside than what the carriage should have allowed, before lance could even ask the gnome spoke again,

  “Yes spatial magic, courtesy of my own personal design.. Enjoy the luxury, the only reason me and Sir Ellowen are even here is because of you boy,” pointing a small pointy finger at Lance, “and clearly you have never even left or been educated of anything outside of the north.. So yes, this is caused by Spatial magic.”

  The floor was wood, dark and shiny, and it felt warm through his boots, like it had been sitting in the sun even though it definitely hadn’t. There were weird silver lines running along the edges, looping and crossing in patterns that made his eyes slide off if he stared too long. He decided they were probably magic. Everything important or something he couldn't rationalize with logic from his old world seemed to have magic.

  At the back were two big seats facing each other, way nicer than anything he’d ever sat on before. The leather was green and soft and didn’t squeak when Slade dropped onto it, which felt impressive by itself. When Lance sat down, the seat sort of… gave in the right places, like it knew where he wanted to sit. He shifted once, then stopped, afraid if he moved too much it might notice.

  There was a table between the seats, bolted down so it wouldn’t go flying, and it wasn’t wood. It was stone. Smooth stone. Who puts a stone table in a carriage? There were faint blue lines running through it that glowed just a little, like they were breathing. Lance tried not to touch them. He failed, very briefly, then pulled his hand back.

  The walls weren’t cloth like normal carriages. They were solid. Real walls. Light-colored wood with metal strips running up and down, and little glowing glass orbs set into them instead of lanterns. The light didn’t flicker or smoke or hurt his eyes, like a lava lamp or something. Which somehow made it better and worse at the same time.

  Off to one side was a small cupboard built into the wall. When he peeked inside, there was food already there. Actual food. Bread that didn’t look crushed, jars tied down so they wouldn’t fall over, and bottles with symbols on them he couldn’t read. One of them felt cold just being near it, which felt like cheating.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Then he noticed the beds.

  There were two of them, stacked on top of each other like bunks, built right into the carriage. Real beds. Thick blankets, clean sheets, even a little ladder that folded out from the wall. Lance stared at them longer than he probably should have. Sleeping in a moving carriage that didn’t feel like a moving carriage felt illegal somehow.

  Lance spoke for the first time since sitting down, “This is amazing Mr.Gnome!”

  Before the gnome could give a quick quip about how uneducated they are, Ellowen opened the carriage door and sat down next to the gnome, signalling to the carriage driver they are ready to leave, the spot hoofs of the horses indicating movement.

  “You must forgive my friend Perrin, he has never been good with kids.. Or humans for that matter.”

  “Oh hush you damn ancient tree! You let little tree fuckers run around your beard all day how is that not any worse than me?”

  Ellowen just waved his hand, “Always so jealous of my friends, also, language there are children.”

  perrin just began looking out the window smoking his pipe again, opting to stay quiet this time.

  “You must forgive my friend, he was pulled away in the middle of his projects, you know how gnomes are with their crafts.”

  Ellowen was talking while also rummaging around the cupboard, he pulled out a pitcher of some liquid that smelled of tea and began to pour four cups. After handing us a nice drink, he sat back down and began speaking of the academy.

  “So, as you know already, we are an envoy sent by the academy to retrieve you… Well, Me and Perrin are from the academy, the guards are from Duke Nox. Either way, Upon recommendation from Duke Nox all three of you are already expected and registered within the list of applicants.

  “Well! Lets see what makes you all so special, they never tell me anything after all always just pushing around orders,” He clasps his hands together and gave a slight smile

  We all felt a waft of mana rush through our heads, a sign someone was identifying us.

  Ellowen read our information aloud:

  ─── SYSTEM STATUS ───

  Name: Aoife Aldrige

  Family: Andrei and Alice Aldrige

  Tier: 1

  Level: 7 Experience: (360/700)

  Class: Dawnveil Reaper (Epic)

  Core: Dual Darkness/Wind core

  AFFINITIES: Darkness, Wind

  BOND: N/A

  BLESSINGS: N/A

  Achievements: [Predator Beneath the Tier], [Survivor]

  SKILLS:

  Wind Sense

  Hand-to-hand

  Duel wield

  Bow

  Class Skills

  Shadowdraw Release

  Walking Shadow

  ─── SYSTEM STATUS ───

  “Excellent class, from what I can see you are a mix combatant, potential for Close and ranged combat, two achievements, although I am not privy to what they do or how you got them. I wont pry don't worry, people from the North are always a bit eccentric.”

  Slade stammered, “Wait wait how did you just display her entire status?”

  The gnome spoke for the first time since travelling, “Oh my days did your parents teach you guys nothing? I mean really!”

  Ellowen just gave a small chuckle, “Pay him no mind, although he does hold a fair point. In the academy you will find no small amount of people just trying to glean information off of you, or anyone really. Academy students attract a lot of attention in the capital city. We will have to get you a few artifacts at the next city or something.. Anyway, lets continue.”

  Slade got hit a waft next,

  “Quite the front liner you might be there boyo, a rare affinity mix that perfectly suits your class. Almost like the system designed it for you!” Ellowen gave a hearty chuckle while examining the rest of the information on his status sheet.

  Little does he know how accurate he was.

  Last to come up was Lances,

  ─── SYSTEM STATUS ───

  Name: Lance Loren

  Family: House Loren, Knighthelm Frostwall

  Tier: 1

  Level: 9 Experience: (380/900)

  Class: Tempest Knight (Legendary)

  Core: Dual Lightning/Frost Core

  AFFINITIES: Lightning, Frost

  BOND: StormSoul (Variant)

  BLESSINGS: [REDACTED] (Ancient, Bloodline)

  -Effects: Cold-mana resilience, passive protection, Good Fortune, Increased Natural Healing when surrounded with Nature Mana

  SKILLS

  Lightning Lense

  Hand-to-hand

  Duel wield

  Staff

  Sword

  Class Skills

  Arclight Guard

  Knights Bearing

  Static Discharge

  ─── SYSTEM STATUS ───

  “Well, definitely fitting of a legendary class I will say, A system bounded bond, a Variant as well.. Could you bring them out for me? I am sure my sprites will love to play around.”

  Lance gave a wry smile, “My bond has only ever come out.. Under less than normal circumstances. Since he appeared he has been sleeping within my core ever since. From what I feel between our bond though, the little guy will be back to normal soon.. I think”

  I sat uncomfortably as I was being thoroughly inspected with my entire status laid out, even the old gnome was taking a glance.

  “Lance, what's your blessing?” Aoife asked with interest, tilting her head.

  Ellowen looked at me too, clearly interested in the meaning behind the [REDACTED] in big letters on my status.

  I gave them an honest answer, “I have no idea. I can see the effects, as you all can too but in terms of what the actual blessing is.. It's been that way since I could see my status screen.”

  “Curious, we must investigate this further when you have free time at the academy! Hard for an old man like me to stumble upon mysteries these days.” he gave a sarcastic sigh.

  We talked for a little longer on the capabilities and extent of our classes at least to what we have testing. Diving into details of how we trained with Darvish and Ronan.

  All of us have already talked previously with the others about how to keep the incident with the Corrupted Dungeon under wraps no matter what. Thankfully, nothing that would have put us in an awkward position came up at least for the first few hours.

  As the carriage made its way out of the immediate vicinity of Knighthelm and the three surrounding smaller villages, the conversation became casual. Talking about life in the North and what we usually did with our day outside of Training. Of course, conversation relating to the academy was brought up as well.

  “So kids, we have about three to four weeks in this small carriage here traveling through the Dukedoms and around the Continent of Lascara. Part of the welcoming ceremony with getting accepted into the Academy, worry free wandering and exploring, plus a good sizeable amount of coin lest we stop in a few cities on our way.”

  Slade made a sarcastic comment, “Worry free? What can an old sprite infested man and a tiny Gnome do?”

  Perrin roared a mighty laughter.

  _________________________________

  Back at Knighthelm, shortly after the carriage departed through the gates and headed south towards the academy, Lafiel was holding Lars tight, worry and anxiety spread across her face.

  “Will they really be okay with love? I am sure many people opposing the Academy and others will do anything to take out a legendary class in their early stages.”

  Aoife and Slade's parents had the same worry etched across their faces, but lars next words switched their emotions instantly.

  “They are probably safer in that carriage than knighthelm.” He had a wry smile across his face.

  Sir Darvish helped finish the sentence, “Ellowen, Or what many in the Army know him as the Sprite-Jailer, and the Gnome who didn't even bother to come out, is also known as the Coffinmaker. When me and Sir Loren met them, there were still Tier Sixes, but now, they are well within the realm of seventh tier.”

  Lars decided to throw a cherry on top. “They earned those nicknames through being a Duo known for closing leaking dungeons with just themselves. Any assassinations attempts on them have failed, Plus, for good measure, they are both at least three hundred years old.” he looked over at his two friends giving a small smirk.

  Andrei and Scars jaws almost hit the floor.