After Aeryn cooked herself a nice salad that she made with the vegetables she was raising at her balcony, she began to pack her bag for the academy. 'Erdaes told me Alyssa was meeting up with Orphon, so I'l just go by myself to the tree arch,' Aeryn thought as she locked the door to her dorm behind her. She began to walk down the steps of the tower where her dorm was located.
The air of late summer evening was quite fresh for Aeryn. The breeze provided a setting where if not for school, Aeryn can sleep peacefully. Determined to walk to the tree arch, Aeryn went up a set of stairs to go to the academic section of Paredhel. Tree arch was a place that students call the garden of the academy. There was a tunnel made up of trees at the garden for students who want to relax, and at the entrance was the tree arch. On the right side of the tree arch, there were some banches, while on the other, there was the notice board. The notice board was one of the notice sections students check most, since it was located near the entrance of the academy.
'Why don't I check it on my way to the tree arch?' thought Aeryn as she neared the entrance to the academy. But something was strange, she noticed. Instead of the usual stream of students heading everywhere once inside the school grounds, everyone was rushing towards one direction. 'I wonder what it is,' thought Aeryn as she neared the academy. Just then, Leighla, one of Aeryn's classmates, ran by.
"Leighla, do you know what this is about? Is there something new?" Aeryn asked. "Well, yes. There's something," said Leighla. "Where can I start... Oh, it'll be easier if you see it for yourself. Come on, let's go to the tree arch!"
When Aeryn reached the tree arch, there were so many people there that she could not even take a glimpse of the notice board. It looked as if every student attending the academy were there. "Excuse us, please, we gotta check something," Legihla said to the crowd as she slowly lead Aeryn to the notice board. And there it was. A contest poster.
'But I can't remember any contests due this season,' thought Aeryn as Leighla said, "I'll leave you here to check it out." Erdaes, who was nearby, came over and said, "So, have you read the notice board, Aeryn?" "Yeah," said Aeryn as she scanned the poster quickly.
The poster informed the students of a contest and how they should apply for it. The contest was to be held in teams, and each team must consist of four meembers, no or less. There were several sessions when mentors can see how well the students are doing. While reading it, Aeryn noticed something strange. The seal that confirmed the contest was the Diescuss seal.
"Erdaes, the Diescuss seal..," Aeryn started to speak, but Erdaes cut her off with his answer.
"Yeah, it looks like the military is holding it. Some tough contest it's going to be, isn't it? Alyssa and Orphon already know of this."
The contest did had some sessions where the mentors will be grading teams with dangerous challenges, but Aeryn was not very worried of herself, only to the students who will be entering it. 'They must be really good to survive one of these,' thought Aeryn as she glanced at Session 5: Escape Game. Without a word, Erdaes and Aeryn left the tree arch to go inside when the bell rang. The crowd had begaun to clear when they left. Though Aeryn knew that she had no friends who can enter the contest with her as a team, her eyes still darted to the contest poster as Erdaes pulled her inside.
All day long, Ecthelir acted as if she did not know about what was going on inside the school. She kept her usual stern look, taught military skills without even raising an eyebrow, and still acted harshly to those who did not practice seriously. Her actions reflected her personality and usual self so well today that Aeryn could not tell if she was acting, being herself, or nervous. 'Oh, she can't be nervous. She's quite confident,' revised Aeryn as she slashed one more time at Leighla, her sword partner for the day.
Unlike Ecthelir, the students were bustling with the news. Some were just excited that something exciting is going to happen in the academy, others because they wanted to enter it. It was the time of life when one thinks one is capable of everything, and Ecthelir had wanted that dare to encourage students, Aeryn guessed.
It was almost five when Ecthelir finally announced to the ehausted classmates that class is over. Aeryn wiped herself roughly with a piece of towel she brought and sat down on a rock nearby. She had no schedule for the evening, but she secretly wanted someone to ask her out, to invite her to a dinner, or just go ride a boat. It was not the first time Aeryn was free for the evening, but many of her classmates were so busy on Saturday afternoons, mostly to enjoy themselves since they are almost fully grown. She glanced at her mentor, who was cleaning the practice ground with magic. The thought of Alyssa suddenly came to Aeryn's mind. Her schedules were always filled a week before. Though Aeryn did not approve of her sister's lifestyle, Aeryn wanted some company.
"You should have disappeared from here exactly fifteen minutes and thirty-three seconds ago," came Commander Ecthelir's cold voice. Aeryn looked up to see Ecthelir looking down at her. There was something peculiar about how Ecthelir saw people, as if see through you, your past, wish, hope and the present. "I was going to go," said Aeryn in her normal voice. "Why, did you want to finish cleaning this space quickly?"
"If you won't bother me, you can stay, but if you have plans to do so, than you may as well as leave," said Ecthelir as she turned from Aeryn to finish cleaning up the last bits of trash remaining. An uncomfortable silence settled down on the clearing again. It bothered Aeryn, a little if not too much, but Ecthelir just went on with her work. "I'll go now," said Aeryn as she ran from the clearing, pretending that she is busy. As she ran to her dorm, she tried to hide her feelings, something mixed with loneliness and frustration. Aeryn closed the door to her dorm and began cooking herself dinner. It was her usual salad that she had been eating for a three days.
At the clearing, Erdaes Eryn ran back into the c,earing with a paper in his hand. He looked around as if to search for someone, but there was only Ecthelir dinking water from her pouch. "Have you seen Aeryn, my lord?" Erdaes asked to his mentor. "Aeryn? She went to her dorm a few minutes ago," replied Ecthelir. "Oh, okay," said Erdaes. As he left the clearing, Erdaes muttered in a barely audible voice, "I was going to ask her if she wanted to eat dinner with me."