25 Aquila School of Magic III

(Sandrine POV)

"Greetings young ones and welcome ... to the Wand Tower.", the Emperor's voice was heard and it seemed like the entire room suddenly became brighter. His presence filled the room and took my breath away. It was like the day he came to our home. I can't say anything but look at him. His words demand attention.

"Today is the day you all enter the world of magic. This has been a long time coming and finally, Aquila School of Magic has been completed. Rejoice, for you are the first ones in the entirety of Cadia who may study here and shape the future of Cadia. There aren't many rules in Aquila. Those who think that certain topics shouldn't be taught are not skilled enough to teach them. 

However ... let it be known that arrogance and disobeying the rules, will result in expulsion if not worse. Everyone makes mistakes, but some things won't be forgiven. So be smart and listen. Arrogance is something that only the strongest in existence is entitled to.", I listen to the Emperor's words closely and nod my head unknowingly. He is right. Arrogance is not good. Maman told me so. 

"But enough about that. As you all noticed, you didn't have to take anything with you. You don't have to buy anything or acquire something. Everything you may need will be provided by Aquila itself. Because the moment you step in this room ... you are all equal in status. No matter what your parents work as or how much money, or influence your family has, when you come here, none of that matters. 

This here is the Wand Tower. As the name suggests, this tower holds hundreds of millions of wands. All forged personally by me. There are all kinds of woods combined with all kinds of cores and lengths. It is said that the wand chooses the wizard or witch ... that is wrong. It is a symbiosis. So let your magic flow naturally and your companion will find you as much as you will find him. 

But remember ... a wand is a tool. Do not grow dependent on it. See it as what it is. Don't depend on it too much. Otherwise, it will become a crutch and hinder your potential. Enough said! Let's begin!"

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As soon as the Emperor said those words he spread his hands and the tower seemed to come to life. I look up and see the never-ending shelves holding ... boxes of various lengths.

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Everything seemed to come to life and the boxes began to move on their own and fly through the tower at high speeds. The boxes glowed with magic power, I could tell. It looks amazing. And each of those boxes has a wand inside it. I don't know much about magic, but I know that usually wizards and witches use wands. But some don't use them. The Emperor also doesn't use one anymore. He told us that. 

I watched as the others slowly had one such box approach them and reveal a wand of 8' - 13' length. And finally, I feel one such box also approaches me. I feel my heartbeat quicken as the box opens itself. Inside the box, I see a greyish wand with a silvery handle. My eyes widen at the elegance and beauty of the wand. I reach out and touch it. When my fingers touch the wand, I suddenly feel a reaction and my magic seems to react to the wand. 

A white light comes out of the tip of the wand as I hold it in my hands and I feel like ... I think it looks like a horse of some kind. 

"Beautiful ...", the words escape my mouth. I then take out the paper inside the box and read what stands on it. 

{Blackthorn wood, Unicorn blood (willingly given), 10 inches. 

Blackthorn, which was a very unusual wand wood, is best suited to a warrior. It is a curious feature of the blackthorn bush, which sported wicked thorns, that it produces its sweetest berries after the hardest frosts and the wands made from this wood sometimes need to pass through danger or hardship with their owners to become truly bonded. Given this condition, the blackthorn wand would become as loyal and faithful a servant as one could wish.

The Unicorn hair, willingly given, is some of the most pure material to make a wand core out of. It doesn't change loyalties and its wielder also has to be one of the purest souls. 

- Don't be discouraged, young Sandrine. Nothing worth having comes easy. Don't look too far into the future. Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out. Take courage in your heritage and pave your way towards greatness. I believe in you.

A friend. - }

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I stop after reading the note. Someone knew I would get this wand. But ... how? And who? I thought it was supposed to be ... could it be? Was it ... no. I look up and see the Emperor smiling lightly. Then he addresses everyone again. 

"Perfect. Now that you all have met your new helper, let us proceed to the great hall."

We all move through the doors and reach different halls. I study the walls and the pictures. They seem to be alive and are telling stories of battles, wars, or specific fights. But there are also live pictures of beautiful sceneries of mountains, jungles, underwater life and much more. This is truly marvellous. No matter where I look, something magical and extraordinary greets me. Everything here speaks of knowledge, learning and long experience. The Emperor is probably older than he looks. 

After passing through a few corridors we reach a very big door, which opens up in front of the Emperor on its own. The school seems to be alive in a way. Or he did something I don't know. He stops walking and motions us to take a seat. The giant hall is apparently a dining hall. It is beautifully decorated with candles and chandeliers ... I don't know why it has both. More pictures on the walls and many expensive-looking artefacts. 

I sit down somewhere and my three new friends are next to me. Everyone can choose where they sit on their own. After everyone is seated, the Emperor addresses us once more. 

"This my young students, is the dining hall. Here we consume our food. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. You may come here and take your food. The food, as you will see, is prepared by some very special experts. Show them the respect they deserve.", he says and out of nowhere, many differnet plates of food materialised and appeared on the tables. There was a very tasty fragrance in the air and I unknowingly began to drool. The journey from home to here, took longer than I expected and it was lunchtime. I looked around and saw that everyone was just as unsure about things as I was. 

But then I remember the small note. 'Don't be discouraged, young Sandrine'. I then take a plate filled with various vegetables and place it in front of me. I grab my fork and dig in. 

"Mmmmhhh"

"Is it tasty, Sandrine?", Mariella asks me. I can't speak right now and only nod my head. They smile and also take a plate for themselves. Maman told me what food is healthy and what food isn't. Vegetables are good for me and I like them as well. My glass seems to fill itself with juice without me saying it out loud. I have to say, this is truly a marveilleux school of magic. I take seconds and then even thirds and taste different kinds of food. Everything is unbelievably tasty. I am almost sad when I am full and can't eat anymore. But I will come here again for dinner, so that's good.

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The desert was a triumph. All sorts of dishes from different places were presented. But it was time to continue our tour of the school. The Emperor stands up and takes us out of our discussions. We are bonding, but we must continue now.

"Well little sprouts. I hope you enjoyed your lunch. I'm sure you will eventually find out who cooked it and when you do, thank them. Now, for the rest of the school, I present to you, Tranack.", the Emperor says and to his right, a man appears. He is wearing a purple coat and I can tell that he is powerful. He has a powerful magic that is slumbering underneath his skin, ready to be unleashed. 

"Tranack is one of the very few, Adeptus Magicae, so show him respect. For he has the necessary power to deserve it.", the Emperor says and then walks back through a door. 

"Thank you your Majesty. Now everyone, if you would please follow me. I will show you the rest of this glorious school.", Tarnack says and walks out of the dining hall. I heard about the differnet units. I know that the most powerful warriors of Cadia are called the Adeptus. So if this person, Tarnack is an Adeptus Magicae, a title I didn't know exists, then he has to be powerful. He walks with grace and precision. 

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Our tour leads us through the entirety of the school. I have to say that the staircases are a bit confusing. But I understand the meaning behind it. To walk the stairs, you have to transmit your will and the correct stair will appear. If you don't do that, the wrong or no set of stairs will appear. Tarnack said this was to train us to formulate our will and not dream while we walk around. Powerful will is necessary for powerful magic. At least that's what he told us. 

He showed us different classrooms, where the different subjects will be taught. He told us how to get to the gardens and the Cave of Wonder. Tarnack explained what subjects would be taught where and that we would find our schedules on the 'TV' in our rooms. Finally, he told us that there were three more things to show us. 

"This my dear younglings, is one of the most impressive and breathtaking sights that you will ever see.", Tarnack says and finally opens a large and heavy door. As the door opens, next to the door, two of the golden warriors become visible. They seem to guard what is located in the room. It must be valuable since there wasn't one of them in any other room.

"Welcome ... to the Tree of Knowledge, Library."

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"What ... the..."

Everyone is in awe at what we are seeing. The amount of books and the size of this library is ... indescribable. I really feel like I am inside a tree. There are stairs leading upwards, to allow access to the books which are many stories in the air. My jaw has dropped and I can't say anything. 

"This is the second largest library in the world. And it is constantly expanding, as more and more books find their way inside. You will find books about nearly every topic imaginable. It is not possible to read all the books and you are not required to read them all. So be smart about what you read.", Tarnack says and then leads us to the next destination. The hours pass by as he shows us more and more things. So after the library, he told us that we only had two more things to see. 

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"This my dear students, is the bathing area. You can take a bath and the water lessons take place here. Those won't be held until the fourth year though, so don't worry."

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"The water gardens are some of the most beautiful in the world, if not hte most beautiful.", Tarnack comments. I can't move anymore. This is just unreal. 

"How can a school be so amazing? Are we truly in a school?", someone asks. 

"Haha, all of this will be earned by you. The lessons are in no way easy. Those who want to stay here, have to prove that they are giving their all. You don't have to work until you drop, but you have to put in effort.", Tarnack explains. This makes sense. I do plan on giving my all here and not slacking off. 

"Now finally, we reach the end of the tour ... for today.", Tarnack says and honestly, I am glad. It has been hours of looking at the school and apparently, we are still not finished. We are brought to a separate tower and there are two different doors. The right one says 'boys' and the left one 'girls'. 

"These are the dorms. Boys and girls are separated. In each tower, the different years will be separate. After you pass one year, your rooms will rise one floor automatically. Every one of you has one room for yourself unless you wish to share a room, as that is also possible. Maybe you will have siblings in the future. Go ahead, look at them. The tour ends here today. I hope you rest well and we'll see each other tomorrow.", Tarnack says and then leaves. 

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I walk into a room and for the Nth time today, I am flabbergasted. This is a beautiful room. There are many books already on shelves and a beautiful large window and a cosy bed. 

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I walk out and look at other rooms. All of them look similar and still different. I can't help but wonder how someone can come up with something like this. The boys have similar rooms and some rooms even have two floors. After you pick a room, the cupboards fill themselves with clothes and with the school uniform. 

I change my clothes and then fall into bed. This has been a long day. But first ... I call my family.