The Witcher: Elder Blood

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***

Good morning... I wish I could say it was, but it definitely wasn't. The fatigue from the long drive, the alcohol and partying until midnight had taken its toll on my body, making it hard to wake up early. I just wanted to lie down longer, to sleep an extra hour or even two, but I couldn't. Getting up and tidying up was what I had to do. That's what my new acquaintance Detmold had to do.

- Get up. You said yourself: 'It is better to apply for admission early, so as not to waste another day'. - I tried to mimic his voice as the same sleep-deprived boy rubbed his eyes on the bed.

- Not with the first roosters to go there.

- The hell with the first rooster. When I woke up, the innkeeper was awake and the sky was already bright outside. I'm ready to go, so I'm waiting for you. I'll be at the inn's exit,' I nodded sleepily at Detmold's nod and headed for the stairs leading to the ground floor. I went downstairs and went straight to the exit, saying goodbye to the innkeeper.

At the exit of the inn, or rather a little away from the entrance, there was a small yard for horses. There was my former horse, given to me by Vesemir. Yes, I had already sold it. It would be no use if I had to stay in Ban Arda, or rather the academy itself, for a few visits to the city. It wasn't a good horse, I'd say mediocre, but I got some money.

- It was like seeing my brother again, he was in a hurry to get everywhere,' Detmold came down and distracted me from my contemplation of the feeding horses.

- So you have a brother? - We went to the building where we could find the mage in charge of the academy's enrolment.

- We don't see him much. His name is Drithelm, older than me by a couple of years. He's studying at the academy right now.

The town hall was in the centre of town, and the mage we needed was in it. At times like this, I'm glad that local cities are not comparable to modern ones, otherwise it would take us much longer to get from the outskirts to the centre. As it was, after a couple of dozen minutes we were already there.

I had assumed that I would have to show my talent for magic somehow, but everything turned out to be much simpler: we were checked with the help of some small artifact of a fancy shape, while whispering something barely audible, but I couldn't make it out. Next came the conclusion of the contract. In addition to simple papers, we had to drop some blood on another artefact. As the mage himself said, this procedure was necessary to keep track of the apprentices. It is done even for those apprentices who have paid their tuition at once. It's just that they're not tracked as soon as they're trained, but those like us are not tracked until we've paid the agreed amount of eight hundred Kaedwen marks.

- Here are your contracts. Keep them with you, you'll need to take them to the Rector.

- Will you show us the way to the academy? - We didn't know the exact road, we didn't want to wander for too long.

- The road? Oh, no. No, I'll open a portal for you now. Stand aside, - we stood behind the magician's back, so as not to interfere with his manipulations. The man picked up a small trinket with an embedded ruby. He whispered some phrase (sort of in Elder Speech), then waved his hands. A two-dimensional golden funnel appeared in front of us. - This is a magical portal that will take you to Ban Ard. Come on, come on in, don't be long.

I looked at my new acquaintance. It was my first experience of going through a magic portal, but not Detmold's, as I could tell from the look in his eyes, as if he was saying, 'That's how it works here'. He was the first to go through it by just walking through.

It's convenient, you just walk through and you're in a different place, you're on the other side of the portal. Going through the portal didn't affect me at all. One - I take a step into the magical manifestation. Two - I feel like I'm being twisted into this kind of vortex. Three, I see a new interior, different from the magician's office.

A medium-sized room in the city administration was replaced by a spacious hall. There were columns of engravings running up the sides. There were some nice looking paintings hanging on the walls. We were not given much time to look round the room - there was a new actor - one of the few doors opened, and a man, not young in appearance, came out to us.

- New students, you have already been notified, - he stood in front of us, looked at each of us and began to speak a memorised text. - My name is Mardin of Rikwerelin. My position within the walls of this academy is vice-rector for student affairs. In the future, if you need to know anything that is not related to what you are learning in class, or if you need any important, I repeat important, information, you are welcome to contact me.... So, do you have your contracts with you?

We took out the recently hidden papers from our bags and handed them to the vice-rector. For a while he looked at the text on them, apparently checking for possible inaccuracies. After examining the papers, each of us introduced ourselves, telling briefly about ourselves.

- Okay, that's clear. The rector is not in the academy now, you will meet him later, sometime in the afternoon. In the meantime. I'll show you to your room. Our rooms are shared by two, rarely three people. There aren't many students now, so you'll be sharing,' he beckoned us to follow him to a closed door. Behind it was a long corridor with other passageways to the right. Apparently to the left was the outermost wall of the academy. - As for the teaching staff, you will meet them in the lessons themselves. For now, besides me, you will need to remember our rector.

Turning another corner, we found ourselves at the exit to the street. The rector led us along a neatly made stone path through the garden. From here we could see the shape of the academy itself, which was a square. It was flanked by tall towers of different appearance. One of them, I'm sure, is home to the rector of the academy, Ban Ard.

- Well, our rector's name is Hen Gedimdeit, and he founded Ban Ard Academy back in the old days, as did the founder of Arethusa, Clarra Larissa de Winter. So, Hen Gedimdeit was trained by the elves in Loc Muinn. By the way, if you want to know about necromancy and why it is forbidden, I advise you to read our Rector's book. It was after his research that this type of magical arts was universally recognised as extremely unfavourable and was banned,' we had managed to get most of the way to the next entrance to the academy when the academy's Vice-Rector turned half-turned towards me. - As I managed to notice, you are very interested in the local species.

To put it mildly. From the interior of the academy, at least the part we had already been to, to the well-tended garden with its many different plants, everything caught my attention, making my head spin constantly. The towers of the academy and several elaborate fountains in the garden caught my attention the most. Detmold was the least passive in this regard..... Although, looking more closely at his face, I realise that he just wants to sleep.

- It's true. It's very beautiful here.

- No wonder, the academy was designed together with elven masters, - at the last word Mardin smiled sadly, as if sinking into memories. - Well, you will still have time to see the academy. Let's not be too long, your room should be next.

As they approached the local dormitory, the first people they met in this academy began to appear. They were local students. They wore the academy's student uniform, decorated in dark tones with brown and black predominating. Handy bags hung on their belts, one each on the left and right. Comfortable clothes, not too conspicuous.

There was no time for new acquaintances. Detmold and I had to settle into the room, change into the uniforms we'd seen earlier, and study the academy's code of rules until the rector arrived.

The room was rustic, but adequate for two people. Two beds on opposite sides, two bedside tables, and a wardrobe divided into two parts. There was only one table, but it was wide enough to fit two people without disturbing each other. The only window looked out onto the garden, which was pleasing. The view was pleasing to the eye.

The set of rules was simple, the most important being safety during practice, visiting and using the library, and leaving the academy grounds. The rest of the rules were described in such a way that one could guess them without even reading them, but maybe it was just me.

And so, after about three hours - during which we had time to sort everything out, get settled in the room and even a little tour of the academy thanks to Detmold's brother, whom I had got to know during that time - we were summoned to the academy rector. As I had thought earlier, he lived in one of the academy's towers. We had to climb a winding stone staircase to get to his office. The office itself was simple yet refined, minimalist I would say. Definitely expensive furniture. Intricately crafted paintings in different styles diluted the interior. There was a cupboard built in on the side all along the wall, filled with many books and scrolls. The Rector sat in a comfortable chair behind his desk. He already had our documents in his hands.

- Welcome to Ban Ard Academy,' Hela Gedimdeit looked like a man of respectful age, but of sturdy build. His voice was calm, but still had a note of authority in it, probably influenced by the years he had lived. It was surprising that this man was already over three hundred years old. - Eren and Detmold, your training will begin tomorrow. Here are the class schedules,' he handed us two identical lists. - I hope you will not break the rules of the academy, and will show eagerness in the study of magical arts and not only. After the second year, if you pass the exams, you will be given a choice of faculties. Each of which has an in-depth study of certain aspects. It's not important for now, just keep in mind. You are now free to speak to other students or Vice-Rector Mardin if you have any questions, but that's all for now. Congratulations on your introduction.