Ch 13–
The campus was massive. Bayloft was carved into the side of a high mountain pass. Great stone bridges criss-crossed the peaks, forming a glowing network. The school was once a mountain fortress, protecting the pass from northern neighbors. Now, it had been reworked into one of the most prestigious Wayfinding schools in the world, complete with its own, permanent Dungeon entrance.
But the bones of war remained.
From the sprawling green that had been flattened out at the bottom of the pass, the tall, scarred walls were an intimidating sight.
A rectangle of stone burst up from the ground, lifting the ancient woman, Brawly, and Grace Valant a dozen feet in the air.
Holy moly!
“Congratulations to our new first years.” The boulder looking woman said. “I am Principal Maule.”
We gathered around the raised earth, like a stage.
“All students have now exited the warrens.” She checked an ornate timepiece. “Congratulations on passing your first test. Some rules. Attendance is not required. Homework is not mandatory. All tests and projects are noncompulsory.”
There was some shocked, and excited murmuring from the students who weren’t legacy, and hadn’t known this was the case.
I narrowed my eyes. This woman did not seem like the have-fun-go-party kind of educator.
Her cool eyes disappeared under a million tiny wrinkles. “There will be only one compulsory test, at the end of the year. Passing it will require only one thing. Strength.”
Brawly piped up, grinning out at us like she was on stage at a rock concert, “Your family, your connections, your money, where you come from– none of that matters here.”
She flipped a large bronze coin, shimmering, into the air. She held it out. “This is a Bayloft token! We call them LOFTYS!”
Principle Maule cleared her throat, severely.
“We call them Bayloft tokens!” Brawly tried again. “They are our own local currency. Your outside money is no good here. You want gear? Loftys. You want nice rooms? Loftys. Your basic needs and your classes are covered by tuition. Everything else, you earn. And HOW do you earn these ever precious Loftys?! Err… Bayloft tokens!”
“How do we earn Bayloft tokens?” We chanted, well-trained.
“BY WAYFINDING!” Brawly cheered. “Dive the Dungeon, sell your loot for Loftys. I mean Bayloft tokens. Attend classes, earn a Lofty. Do good on an assignment. Loftys. But mostly: dive the Dungeon. It’s the best way. By a long shot.”
“Students of the same year may challenge each other to duels, in any hallway.” Professor Valant announced. My eyes popped. We all started eyeing one another warily. “Duels will be for tokens, stakes will be set by the challenged. Victory by yield. Students may not duel each other more than once a year.”
“Oh!” Jennie squeaked beside me. “That’s new!”
“They’re basically setting us at each others’ throats?!” I hissed.
“Report to your student mentors. Dismissed.” Principle Maule decreed, stamping her cane, and dropping the stage back into the ground with a huge thud.
We followed Emily’s swinging ponytail to another big lift, through several of the great bridges, to the first year dorms.
“So yeah, it’s not really worth it to duel anyone until after the first week. No one has enough Loftys to make it worth it.” Emily explained, swinging open the thick double doors to the dorm.
My eyes went wide. “Bunk beds??” I asked.
It was a long stone room, with dim yellow lights, and two long rows of bunk beds, each as dull grey as the last, each with a long wooden chest at each end. The dorm was… spartan.
As promised, our stuff had been delivered. I fished my suitcase out of a pile of waiting luggage, by the door. Jennie found her glittery pink case with relative ease.
“Bathrooms on the far end.” Said Emily, hands on her hips. “Pick any bunk that doesn’t have stuff or a person on it.”
There were maybe a little over a hundred beds total, and a dozen or so girls already situating themselves and laying their claims.
Emily leaned in conspiratorially.
“Want a tip?” She asked.
“Please.” I nodded.
“Middle is best.” She whispered. “It’s too cold by the doors, and too busy and loud by the bathrooms. The middle gets a little more warmth, and a little more privacy.”
It made sense to me. I trotted down the row and hoisted my suitcase onto a top bunk. Jennie dropped hers on the one below it. I raised a brow in surprise.
“What?!” She asked, blushing but looking fierce. “You seriously want to share with some random you don’t know?”
“Nope.” I shook my head, grinning.
Jennie huffed.
“It’s really hard to get any… intimate moments… in the starter hall.” Said Emily, waggling her eyebrows meaningfully. “But that’s just extra motivation to get your butts in the dungeon and start earning Loftys!”
Emily pulled a shiny bronze coin from her pocket and tossed it to me.
We let Emily lead us across campus via the network of beautiful covered bridges. Luckily, they were enclosed, for the winter winds battered the windows and stones harshly every time we were out on them. But inside, a light jacket was plenty.
As we went Emily pointed out various buildings and their functions.
“Forge hall.” Glowing windows on the side of the mountain.
“Sit-down classrooms and library.” A cathedral hanging directly above the campus green, far below.
“Active classrooms and gym.” A dark castle built halfway into the cliff face.
“Active classrooms?” Asked Jennie.
“For practical classes.” Emily waved a hand vaguely.
~~~~~~~~~
The dining hall was at the top of campus. It featured rows of tables, amid enough plants to give it a little bit of a greenhouse feel. A domed glass ceiling gave a stunning view of the triple snowy peaks that enclosed all of campus.
Various food stations were situated around the perimeter. There must’ve been twenty options, ranging from basics to downright gourmet dining. Tables likewise ranged from spartan to luxurious.
“Anything on this half.” Emily indicated a side. “I’ve got you for this one. But I’m not springing for the fancy side for you. I don’t like you like THAT.”
I indicated a line of grumpy looking students, many of whom I recognized from the train station.
“What’s up with the sadness brigade?” I asked.
Emily turned and then giggled. “Free station. Tuition covers room and board. That’s the bunk hall and the soup line. Everything else you have to earn.”
I examined the soup line. There were a couple of rather elderly people ladling out some thick reddish soup into bowls for some disgruntled looking students.
“Looks good.” I said, heading off to get in line. “This one is covered by tuition, you said?”
Emily nodded, a curious expression on her face.
“You don’t want something nicer than the soup line?” She asked as I plodded away.
I shook my head.
“I appreciate the offer. But I don’t want to take anything you had to earn in the dungeon. If that’s how things are supposed to be done here, then I’m in.”
Jennie snorted.
“I’ll take sushi, if you’re still offering.” She said.
Emily beamed, and looped an arm in Jennie’s. The two pranced away in search of more luxurious fare.
I joined the back of the line for some free soup. A dozen or so students were in line ahead of me. Mostly my year, and a couple of very sour looking second years, who wouldn’t look at anyone around them.
Casting my eye around the food court, I sensed that a lot of social signaling was happening around food choice. And the soup line was at the very bottom of the ladder. I suppressed a snort. I’d mistakenly thought that such pointless posturing and status seeking would be left behind. But no such luck.
I gratefully accepted a big bowl of a hearty red soup, and a wooden spoon.
It smelled heavenly. Lots of veggies, some simple spices, and a few chunks of meat to bring the whole thing together. A broad smile crossed my face, and I thanked the old man who’d given it to me, and went to find Jennie and Emily.
We sat at a table near a window and settled in to yap.
My soup was a taste of home.
“You ok?” Jennie asked, softly.
I wasn’t accustomed to the gentle tone.
“Hmm?” I grunted, a little taken aback.
Emily was looking tactfully away and Jennie was leaning in looking a little concerned.
“What?” I asked, nonplussed.
“You’re kinda crying into your soup there, buddy.” She murmured, patting my arm awkwardly.
I tapped my cheeks and was surprised to find them damp. I wiped the moisture away with a sleeve.
“All good.” I assured her. “Just spicier than I realized. It’s good, though!”
Jennie nodded slowly. “Yeah. Yeah for sure.” She looked relieved.
The rest of the meal, Emily yapped to us about various ways to earn Loftys. I listened eagerly.
My number one goal, now that we were in, was to get my own room. And for that, apparently, I needed tokens.
Honestly, I was excited there were ways to earn amenities. If it had been a question of money, I would’ve probably been screwed, not wanting to take advantage of my sponsors. Or feel like I was letting them spoil me. Earning everything myself? Hard work was exactly what I wanted here.
“You’ll get a Lofty for each class you attend.” Explained Emily, with a mouth full of fluffy rice cakes. “Five gets you into the Dungeon. Any loot you find, you can use yourself, or it can be traded in for Loftys. The deeper you go, the more you find, the more you’ll have. You see the picture?”
I nodded. “The school wants us diving the Dungeon.”
“Hard.” Agreed Emily. “Budget smart. Invest in gear to let you delve deeper before you start treating yourself to luxuries and you’ll be Bayloft-rich in no time.” She laughed.
We passed a pleasant lunch, and parted, with Emily giving us her suite number.
“I’m your student mentor, so any questions you have, just drop by any time!” She said, giving us both a squeeze. “Gotta go meet my party! Good luck!”
“One more thing!” I called. “Is there anywhere private I can get to practice some new skills?”
She pointed at a lift. “Rent a practice room at the gym! Just ask at the desk. They’ll waive the fee your first week.”
She dashed off.
Jennie turned to me.
“When’s your first class?” She asked.
“Eleven o’clock.” I checked my schedule. “Combatives one with Valant.”
“Same.” She nodded. “Library until then?”
I was surprised. Jennie didn’t strike me as the bookish type, exactly. But then, I hadn’t known her for long.
“I have a summoning to do. I’ve got a whole new Familiar to meet, and I suspect we will want to be as strong as possible, very soon.”
She nodded. “Catch you later then.” She paused awkwardly then turned and bolted.
Huh. I was going to have to have a talk with that girl soon. I wasn’t sure what was between us. A budding romance? A Wayfinding partnership? Bunkmates? Plus, she seemed very, very into Lucy.
It all just needed to be gotten into the open.
But that would have to be later. For now, I had one of the most important meetings of my life.
~~~~~~~~~~