The First War Mage: Skyline Trials

The world was cloudy around my vision, coated in an intense white haze of peaceful nothings. The wind sounded like a whistle whisper, teasing me with truths that couldn't be heard.

Yet, a faint truth tried to whisper its way through the thinnest, silken section of the veil.

Hacking coughs reached my ears, ones which were so painfully familiar in an unfamiliar way.

As the silken layers of fog grew thinner a pair of voices whispered in dreamlike tones.

"Alexander… How is she?" A feminine voice asked, sounding so, so close to my ears.

"She's doing fine, but please rest yourself some." A masculine voice answered from even closer than the first.

"No… Please, bring her here," The feminine voice insisted. Her words were soon accompanied by the creaking of wood, like an old chair barely holding itself together. "I need to… before it's too late."

"No you don't!" The masculine voice spoke quickly—The sound of footsteps could be heard from two directions at once. "Hibiscus! You'll recover, you'll be here to raise her, don't put such a burden on her—Not yet." He was pleading, the desperation wet on his tongue.

"Alexander…" She spoke weakly, her voice closer than ever before. "We both know I don't have long. Please, let me have just this little bit of hope." I could almost hear her head turn, almost feel her gaze upon my presence.

"But why, why do you have to put such a burden on her?" He asked in continued desperation, now even closer than ever.

"A final gift for her… and a final, little revenge on them," She whispered so close, I could almost feel her breath through the veil. "I'm so, so sorry little one… But this burden can only be carried by you now."

—

My eyes opened to lavender colored sunlight once more. The pleasant warmth those rays cast upon my sheets made me desperate to try and sink back into them—But I couldn't give in to that temptation.

The strange dream was still fresh in my mind, it was… comforting to think about. Those voices, so painfully familiar, but they never gave answers, only more questions. As I sat up and turned my head towards the curtains, I could see an immense shadow approaching from the distance.

A floating island, nearly a quarter of the city's size, was entering into its final approach. Nearly two weeks had passed since I arrived in Ferilis, a week had passed since the last racer showed up.

Lucia and Erick had been the next two to arrive after the first four of us—But the fanfare they received was nearly nonexistent in comparison. Instead they were quietly ushered into the city, Lucia had her own room a few doors down from mine. Presumably, Erick had been given the same in another section of the estate.

"Last day before the ball…" I grumbled softly. I expected Tulip to show up soon, so I got up and quickly set to work getting dressed. All the while, my mind began to wander.

Training with Carmine had been nearly relaxing for the last two weeks in comparison to Tulip's lessons. She wasn't exactly harsh, at least not in a way I was used to. Instead, she was just insistent—I had to refer to her by titles, I had to watch my posture, I couldn't yawn, roll my eyes, couldn't look anything but intrigued by every boring conversation. It was such an absurd level of pointless posturing it made me feel sick.

When compared to that? The training sessions with Carmine were blissfully easy. Even if I had to use the single rune I had made to defend myself from her onslaughts, it was fun.

Around the same moment I finished tying the strap around my waist, fastening the Kimono together once more, a knock came from the door.

"Come in!" I called just as my arms finished tying the knot.

I turned as the door opened, welcoming Tulip with a smile and a forced bow—This was the worst part about the etiquette training. I had to address her properly now, at least until the ball had passed.

"Good Morning, Miss Tulip." Berinia was strange with the titles of Nobility. Instead of referring to most by their titles, it was more broadly accepted to say "Sir," "Ma'am," or their variations. It was only when someone represented a family in an official matter that a full title would be used.

"Good Morning, Kirin," Tulip replied with a smile as she walked towards my bed. "Let's get your hair fixed up." And thus, what had become our morning routine began again.

I brought a chair over to the side of the bed, situating myself on it in front of Tulip. It took only moments for her masterful hands to grab onto my hair, the soothing sound of a brush soon following.

"How is this fair… You don't even take care of your hair and it's this soft." Tulip grumbled as she began brashing my hair slowly.

"Guess I just have good luck with that," I mused softly, resting my head back as the gentle sound of brushing took over. "So, what's on the agenda for today?" I asked with a slight tilt of my head.

"Honestly? There's really not anything special going on today. I can barely teach you a tenth of everything needed for a social gathering like this," Tulip sighed morosely. "Just remember what I told you, when introducing yourself you are Kirin Vulender. Even if people hate you for it, it's your name now." Tulip said reassuringly.

"I still wish I knew why my father was hated so much… What little I remember, he was always a good person." I spoke grimly.

"Not all bad people are bad fathers, just as not all good people are good fathers," Tulip said in a lecturing manner. "I wish I could say more, Kirin, but no one can." She added with a sigh.

"Then why can't anyone say?" I snapped, feeling anger welling up quickly. "What stupid, unwritten rule on society dictates that I can't be told why the world hates me?" Before I knew it I had turned around, glaring directly into Tulip's rubellite eyes.

"I…" Tulip recoiled, her gaze turning away guiltily. "It's my father, alright?—That is all I can say, otherwise he'll know." In mere moments Tulip's unbreaking visage was shaken. Her entire body was shivering as if the room had suddenly turned arctic.

My mouth opened, but no words came out when I saw Tulip's reaction. It left an ache in my chest, forcing my gaze back forwards while a single utterance broke free.

"Sorry…" I croaked out. Tulip's fear was palpable, anguish and regret hung thick in the air—Distinct, thick emotions that I was so painfully familiar with.

Tulip didn't answer for a long while, all I could hear was her slow and methodical breathing. So long did the silence drag on that I was forced to break it once more.

"Do… Do you want to talk about it?" I asked hesitantly. "I-I could brush your hair, let you talk?… If you want…" I tried my best to sound reassuring in my words, but I couldn't tell how Tulip was reacting as I couldn't bring myself to look back at her.

"Maybe… Maybe when we're back in our dorm?" Tulip offered.

"That's fine—When we're back in our dorm, that sounds nice." I nodded affirmatively. I could tell Tulip was uncertain, but a selfish part of me was desperate to learn more about her family—Especially with how little she spoke of her father.

"Well… You should go ahead and get your training in with Miss Carmine," Tulip said after taking in a deep breath. "I need to go into town and pick up our dresses for tomorrow," She paused, sighing lightly. "How I miss having people to pick things up for me…" She added with a dry chuckle.

"Now you're just sounding spoiled." I said with a sly grin as I stood.

"I am a Princess, I'm allowed to be a little spoiled now and then," Tulip bit back, her words punctuated with a harsh chop to the top of my head.

"Ow!" I yelped in pain, turning to glare at Tulip again. But, her smug grin was enough to turn the momentary anger into a joyous fit of giggling from both of us. It took just a few moments for the laughter to chase away the hanging heaviness that still sat in the air, replacing it with a sense of trepidation and excitement for the next day.

"Alright… See you tomorrow then?" I asked, turning towards the door.

"Yep—Remember early tomorrow. The ball is for most of the day, and we're expected to be there within the starting hours." Tulip answered with a nod.

With a nod of my own I turned fully towards the door, pausing for only a moment to call back.

"Akemi!" Within moments of my call, the furry missile launched herself at me from under the bed. With recently practiced grace she was able to land on my shoulder with ease, she shifted her paws for only a few seconds before finding balance and settling.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, Miss Tulip." I raised a hand, waving as I left—My ears, thankfully saved from Tulip's ire at my tone.

Just as every day before I was greeted by a maid at the end of the hall. She quickly escorted me down towards where Carmine waited. The other side of the door was the same as it was every day, the open, barren courtyard with nothing but a single gazebo decorating it.

As soon as I was within eyeshot of Carmine, she opened her eyes and looked over to speak.

"Good morning, Kirin," She said with a warm smile. "Have you noticed anything different with your magic?" She asked the same question she had every time we began training now. And, as with every time she asked I had the same answer.

"I don't think so—I still feel the same," I said as I approached the Gazebo, tilting my head softly I asked; "Why do you keep asking me that?"

"Because, most often there are tiny signs of an innate element awakening. You're at the point with your magic that you could start seeing things," Carmine answered with a shrug. "But it's also hard to know what the signs are when you're not familiar with them." She pushed herself to stand, gesturing to the open area.

"What are the signs?" I asked, following her to the open section of the courtyard.

"They're different for everyone. Some people notice their magic acting different, others notice oddities in themselves—But it's hard to say," Carmine turned to face me with her arms crossed. "The reason most mages never find their innate element is simple: The signs are very hard to see."

"So… I'm trying to find a difference that I can't recognize?" I asked for affirmation. Akemi took this chance to jump from my shoulder, returning to the Gazebo where she would be able to sit and watch.

"Effectively, yes," Carmine answered. "Now, are you ready?" She asked, electricity arcing across her skin.

"Y-Yes." I sputtered out.

Carmine didn't give me a second longer to react. In an instant she was on top of me, her fists tightened and rushing towards my body. I didn't have time to think, I barely had time to react—Relying entirely on the instincts she had been aggressively forging into me.

Mana surged through my body, rushing out from my hands into a floating stormcloud symbol.

Lightning formed a broad dome, barely reflecting Carmine's punch as I stepped back rapidly. The arcs jumped from the barrier, shifting through Carmine's skin, yet it seemed to only make the woman move faster—She effortlessly continued her momentum, spinning into a powerful kick that threatened to shatter the barrier immediately.

I was forced to take several steps back, spiderweb fractures jumping across the dome as I did. Even as I rotated the barrier, bringing a more solid section forwards, Carmine's attacks never stopped.

Every strike came quicker than the last—A kick, a punch, a knee, an elbow, another punch—She was an endless storm of attacks, each perfectly executed to flow into another with utter ease.

Strike after strike slammed into the barrier until it inevitably shattered. But, as Carmine's fist whistled through the air, aiming on its final arc to end the match I moved.

I leaned to the side, my eyes meeting Carmine's distant gaze—She was utterly lost into focus, clearly holding nothing but raw power back—And I raised an arm. From my open palm an elongated construct formed, drawn from within my ring where it was left floating in the air.

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Carmine's eyes widened marginally. For a sole, hopeful moment I thought I had gotten away as I kicked at the ground to hope back. However I was quickly met with a confusing sight.

The open, blue sky greeted my eyes, its welcome foretold by a sharp pain in my back. A groan escaped my mouth, my gaze shifting down to try and make sense of what had happened.

My trap had worked, Carmine's arm was trapped inside of the construct—When she had struck the construct it bent, wrapping around her arm to form a sort of manacle. It was only when I looked lower, taking in my slightly elevated legs that I understood what happened.

Carmine had made her own construct, an ankle high bar just low enough to avoid sight, while more than high enough to completely take my feet out.

"Not bad," Carmine said with a smile. She effortlessly tore herself free of my bindings, merely flexing her hand and pulling to release herself. "You managed to surprise me with that trap—But, you were too focused to pay attention to your footing." She gave a satisfied nod, stepping forwards with a hand proffered.

"What was that… Ten seconds?" I asked, my voice doing little to hide the pain as I took Carmine's hand.

"Mmm, fifteen. You're up ten seconds from day one, I'd say that's pretty good for two weeks." Carmine spoke reassuringly as she pulled me to my feet.

"I'm only making it fifteen seconds because you're still going easy on me." I grumbled discontently. I was already sweat covered from just fifteen seconds worth of sparring, my back was aching and I knew more was coming.

"Kirin, as far above a non-mage as you already are, I am leagues beyond that when compared to you," Carmine spoke flatly. "I am going easy so that you have a chance to learn, because any more power and it stops being teaching. It simply becomes a purposeless beatdown." She reached a hand out, ruffling my hair. I didn't even have time to shout my displeasure or bat her hand away before it was gone.

"And don't for a moment think you're going slow," Carmine added before I could even think to respond. "In not even ten months since you awakened your mana you've made it this far. Further than most mages make it in five years." A smile moved onto Carmine's face, her violet eyes settling on me warmly.

"Don't slow down, but don't worry too much about speeding up either." With her final statement she stepped back, crossing her arms lightly.

It was, of course, something I had thought about. I felt like I wasn't moving quickly enough, like I wasn't doing enough—Not when people like Lushia existed. But, when Carmine spoke so reassuringly, it abated that anxiety, if only momentarily.

After that short conversation the day went on. Dozens of matches back-to-back with Carmine, each and every one ended in my failure. After all, I couldn't come close to even thinking about a counter, let alone throwing one. It only came to an end once the sun began casting long, golden rays across the horizon.

"Let's call it here for tonight," Carmine said moments after her open palm made contact with my collar. Her strike left me staggering backwards—A clear end to the match if she had kept going.

"Already?" I asked, surprised that she was calling it a few hours earlier than she had the previous nights.

"You'll need the extra rest for tomorrow, Kirin," Carmine said, already turning towards the door. "Go wash up and sleep." That was all she said before leaving the courtyard.

"Thanks…" I said in a low tone after she had already left. I stood there, letting the silence of the courtyard fill me for several comforting moments.

"Why does she always leave so quickly?" I wondered to myself as I walked towards the door. It only took a glance to my side before Akemi was running over to me, choosing to walk beside me instead of riding on my shoulder.

Just as every other time, once I stepped out from the Courtyard a maid quickly rushed me back towards the guest section of the estate. The evening went on with almost nothing else happening—I got back to my room, eating the meal which awaited me on my nightstand before going to shower. Physical exhaustion dragged me into sleep more than quickly enough, bringing the next day forwards all too soon.

A furious knocking on my door woke me up. I found myself snapping up to my feet, my heart pounding as I tried to take stock of what was happening—The room was still dark, the moon still hung in the sky, barely being chased away by the first vestiges of the sun.

"W-Who's there?" I asked, desperately trying to make my pounding heart slow down.

"It's me! Open the door so we can get started!" Tulip's voice broke through the door—Only bringing my confusion up even higher.

"It's not even daylight yet?—I-It's unlocked!" I called back, rubbing my eyes.

Tulip entered a moment after, a large set of different items in her hands as she strode confidently over to the table on the far end of the room. Upon it she laid down two dresses, several boxes of items, then she turned and crossed her arms.

"And you've never had makeup done before. Not to mention the dress had to be made with measurements that included your clothes, because someone couldn't get in their underwear for me to measure you." Tulip bit back with a scoff.

"It's not even six!—Why do we need nine hours to do that?" I pleaded, looking desperately back towards the dim window.

"Just, trust the process, alright?—Besides, I'm helping Lucia and Silva too, since they both asked for my help. They'll be here soon," Tulip sighed out, shaking her head. "Now quiet down, please? You don't need to yell when I'm right here." Tulip added as she separated the two dresses she brought.

I couldn't make out most of the details thanks to how they were folded, different pieces hanging over areas they clearly weren't meant to be—But I could comfortably make out some details.

One of the two dresses was made up of reds and blacks, while the other almost looked like a slice out of the night sky.

"Still… Is it really going to take half a day to do makeup for four people and get us in dresses?" I asked, not even coming close to believing she needed that much time. After which I pushed myself to stand, wandering towards the table to further inspect the dresses.

"Hey, hands off," Tulip snapped, swatting my hands away from the table. "And yes, just wait and see." Tulip's words almost came out like a threat—One which I wished I could have recognized.

Over seven hours later I was stuck sitting in a chair, Tulip running a soft brush over my eyelids while I fought every instinct I had to stay still. The sun had long since risen and set past midday, while the ball was due to start in the next few hours.

"Stop jittering so much!" Tulip hissed out, bringing a series of giggles from both Silva and Lucia. Both of them had long since arrived, with Lucia doing her own makeup to Tulip's instruction, while Silva simply waited patiently—Lucia having long since stepped in to work on her makeup.

"I can't! That stupid brush tickles and it feels like I have mud all over my face!" I fought down another shiver that threatened to escape as Tulip stepped back, her eyes narrowed into a thin glare.

"Kirin," Lucia began, clearly fighting down another fit of giggles. "You don't even have much on—It's just some eyeliner and lipstick." She spoke rather softly, clearly trying her best to sound reassuring.

"And I'm almost done—I swear if you rub your face again I'm going to tie your hands behind your back until the ball is done." Tulip's voice was audibly filled with malice. She had clear and genuine anger after I had ruined her work no less than three times, all of which were from trying to scratch some part of my face.

"I-I won't…" I whimpered out as Tulip slowly moved to my other eye, seemingly satisfied with the first. My grip turned white-knuckled on the chair as she worked on the eyeliner.

"How do you not flinch with something this close to your eyes…" I whimpered out, the intense itch of discomfort refusing to leave my body.

"You get used to it." Lucia answered.

"I just learned to ignore it…" Silva also answered, albeit in a much lower voice. She didn't even flinch as Lucia effortlessly did her makeup.

"See? You're just a baby," Tulip teased as she finally stepped back. "Now stand up so I can get you into your dress and fix myself up." She barely hid her malice as she spoke.

"Sorry…" I whimpered out almost weakly. It was easy to feel how annoyed Tulip was, I didn't even have to look at her to feel the pressure. All the same I listened to her request, standing up and moving to the table.

"It's fine…" Tulip said with a long sigh. "I just wasn't expecting you to be worse than my little sister was her first time with makeup…" She added after a few moments. "Now strip."

"Huh?!" I looked at Tulip, utterly bewildered at her demand. "C-Can't I just go and change into this myself?—W-W-Why does this have to be here?" I took an almost fearful step back from Tulip, my face growing intensely hot with embarrassment.

"This is a multi-piece dress, Kirin, you're not getting into it on your own." Tulip said with a defeated tone. "And it's not like I don't see you in your underwear while you're changing in the dorm." She added, sounding rather tired.

"F-Fine…" I grumbled, eventually bringing myself to comply with her demands. Just as I reached to my midsection, endeavoring to start undoing the knot Lucia began making sound effects, whistling appraisingly. "L-Lucia!" I cried out, feeling my body grow even hotter from the embarrassment.

"Sorry—I couldn't help it!" Lucia said with a laugh.

"It's not funny…" I said with a shaking voice, looking down as my arms moved to hug my own torso. "I don't want to do this…" I added weakly. Embarrassment and anxiety were a righteous storm when mixed together—So intense was that storm that I felt frozen in place under the gazes of the other three girls.

"Why is this so hard now?…" I wondered as I stood in place, barely halting myself from shaking. "I didn't care about any of this stuff before… Why has this been so hard recently?" Never once did I feel embarrassed when around Tulip—I didn't feel anything then, but now it was like I was being overwhelmed by so many feelings.

"Kirin?" Tulip's voice broke me from my stupor. I looked up, meeting her concerned eyes while the ringing in my ears slowly subsided. "Kirin, why are you using magic?"

"I'm using magic?" I wondered, my gaze shifting towards my arms—Sure enough, lightning jumped across my limbs.

"Breathe." A soft voice spoke in the back of my mind. A voice that begged to be heard, demanded that its soothing message be understood.

I listened, taking a deep breath in before pushing it just as slowly. My pounding heart began to settle, but anxiety and fear still ravaged through my body.

The room was deathly silent as the arcs of lightning settled. Tulip, Lucia and Silva all looked at me, mixtures of fear and concern upon all of their gazes while they awaited an answer from me.

"I… didn't mean to…" I looked back down, feeling almost ready to start shaking again.

"Hey, hey it's fine, Kirin," Tulip spoke quickly and reassuringly. "We're almost done, then you can relax for a little bit before we go out—Alright?" Tulip added quickly.

"Alright…" I mumbled out, numbly listening to Tulip's requests as she told me what to do. It was a painfully silent affair as she got me put into the dress, however, it was at least a quick one. Before long she was done, guiding me slowly to stand in front of a mirror to see myself.

The dress she gave me almost looked more like an ornate suit of light armor. Deep black leather covered my entire body, only separating to show skin on my sides between my hips and ribs, and of course on the top of my miniscule chest where it was open all the way to my shoulders and bare arms. Attached via a belt was a flowing red skirt made of fine silk, it was just long enough to go down to my ankles without risking tripping me.

My hair was done up in much the same way as Tulip had made it every other day—Two strands sat across the outsides of my face like a frame, the rest of it cast over my back into a slightly more organized arrangement than usual. The thin, dark eyeliner mixed with deep red lipstick made my crimson eyes pop out like bloody diamonds.

"See? You look amazing, Kirin." Tulip said with a warm smile from beside me—She was still messing with my hair, putting a few pins in it so that it would stay neat and orderly as I moved.

I couldn't exactly deny her statement. By every standard, she had done an incredible job. A part of me wanted to accept that, the part that always wanted to be pretty and dress up. Yet, another part felt like it was a monumental waste of time.

"Thanks…" I muttered out, turning around as I went to sit by Lucia in one of the chairs. She had already finished her preparations, getting dressed with the help of Silva.

Hers was far more form fitting, a nice dress that accentuated her curves while mirroring her heterochromatic eyes and hair. While the center of the dress was black, each half was split between red and blue as it flowed all the way down into a knee length skirt.

"Is something wrong, Kirin?" Lucia asked in a whisper once I sat down. Tulip hadn't wasted time, already setting work to finish her own preparations.

"This just doesn't feel right…" I mumbled, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"What doesn't feel right?" She asked curiously.

"I don't belong here… I'm not supposed to be in some high-society world," I answered, lowering my forehead to my knees. "Especially not some ball like this…" Another shiver raked through my body.

"Really?" Lucia mused. "I think you belong more than I do—You earned a way into here, I'm just an orphan who happened to have been taken in by an orphanage that happened to be owned by the church." She added with a dry laugh.

That statement actually brought my head up, looking at her curiously.

"Really?" I wondered at her.

"Really," She affirmed. "It's ridiculous—I don't know about Silva, but, honestly? The overwhelming majority of students who are going to be here are nobodies. People who in your words, shouldn't be here. But we are, it's because we're fighting to belong." Lucia turned her hand upwards, staring into her palm.

"You have more rights than anyone else, because people hate you and you still save them," Lucia looked up, her miss-matched red and blue eyes shimmering with determination. "Kendrick may be my friend, but I know who I'm rooting for." Slowly, Lucia put her hand down and looked away.

"Thanks…" I said with a creeping smile on my face. But my thoughts were soon elsewhere, laying on the determination I had felt when I burned my insignia upon the world as an undeniable fact.

"I'll win… I'll win and prove to everyone that I'm not my father—And one day, I'll learn what he did." I felt a stirring in my chest at that thought, almost like the oath was carved into my very being. But, I hardly had time to focus on that as something else summoned my gaze.

Tulip had finished dressing herself, stepping out from behind the small privacy wall to reveal her astounding dress alongside Silva's.

Silva wore a simple black dress, its gold accents mixing well with her deep red hair and blue eyes. Yet, for however longer I could look at Silva's dress, I could spend a hundred times that looking at Tulip.

Tulip was adorned in what could only be described as the night sky itself. A soft white underskirt cast down to her legs, covering the thin black leggings that effortlessly flowed into her boots. While from her midsection up was covered in what could only be described as fragments of the night sky.

The black fabric and silk was adorned with specs of blues, reds, golds and silvers. Each one stood out like a glimmering star while every edge was embroidered with golden intricacies.

She did a small spin, showing off every last detail before looking at all of us. With a soft smile and a gentle tilt of her head, Tulip spoke rather simply.

"Is everyone ready now?"