Aflame

"Today, Ithea suffered a profound loss – the death of one of the kingdom's greatest Champions, Rhaizen Gale. It has taken us all by surprise. His heroic stand against the Trerth and his unwavering defense of our land will forever be etched in our hearts. His dedication to our kingdom and his gallantry will be honored and cherished. Nevertheless, we must continue onward.

Amidst the collective grief, the kingdom now requires a new champion to protect us, just as he did. A pool of promising candidates stands ready to take up this mantle.

Among them is Luciana, my daughter, the most accomplished alchemist among the contenders. Her prowess is unparalleled, and I have every confidence she will rise to the challenge.

Consequently, I hereby declare the seat of Ithea's champion vacant, paving the way for new trials to commence. Luciana Vonner, Jalon Barr, Norval Greensmith, Cecily Ethel, and Nelanian Henfery will partake in these trials. While we extend our best wishes to them, let us take some time to pay homage to our fallen hero."

As the king's words reached their poignant conclusion, camera shutters sprang to life, capturing the somber moment. Reporters surged forward, their questions clamoring for a response. The king's gracious wife followed, her face shrouded in grief.

One persistent reporter attempted to approach, thrusting his recorder towards her, nearly brushing against her face. Swiftly, a vigilant security guard intervened, pushing the reporter back into the throng of journalists. Reacting promptly, the king rushed to the scene, offering assistance. "Are you unharmed, young man? I apologize for the disturbance."

"I'm well, King Vonner," the reporter replied as the king aided him. Blood trickled from a cut on his nose, which he wiped away. As he rose, his hand accidentally brushed against the king's shoulder, staining his coat with blood.

"Please refrain from approaching the queen. She's understandably upset and not in a state to speak with the press. I hope you understand," the king said, shaking the reporter's hand. With that, he rejoined the queen, and together they retreated into their castle. Eleven imposing circular towers punctuated the skyline, surrounded by robust yellow stone walls.

Windows and archer apertures adorned the walls with a sense of symmetrical chaos. Nestled in the frigid mountains, a substantial gate with sturdy defenses offered refuge, the sole, albeit not necessarily accessible, entrance.

Outside the castle, meticulously tended gardens boasted fragrant roses, majestic trees, and lush bushes. Despite adversity, the castle endured, a testament to its resilience.

"That concludes our coverage. The King of Ithea has delivered the long-awaited statement on the untimely demise of champion Rhaizen Gale. His body will be transported to The Ithea Academy of Alchemy, the foremost alchemical institution and training ground for champion candidates.

A public viewing and final rest alongside his predecessors will follow. Stay tuned for further updates. This is Judy Ben Mor, reporting for Inter-kingdom News."

As the castle gates slowly closed, the media's coverage drew to an end, poised to document the public viewing of Rhaizen Gale's body at The Ithea Academy of Alchemy.

THE ALCHEMY ACADEMY OF ITHEA

Four of Ithea's five candidates sat in a classroom, their attention locked onto a large screen broadcasting the news before them. The lecturer powered down the monitor as the king and queen retreated to their palace. His gaze shifted back to the candidates, granting them a moment to absorb the information they had just heard from the media.

Cecily Ethel, among the contestants, wrestled with her emotions. "So he's truly gone," she uttered, struggling to keep her composure. The lecturer at the front of the room remained silent.

"Let's face it. His absence is a reality we must confront. His death caught us off guard. We all held him in high esteem. None of us anticipated his passing so swiftly. This only adds to our responsibility," Norval Greensmith remarked, smoothing a crease from his jacket.

"Rhaizen Gale was a mentor to us all, and while only one of us will inherit his title, we must continue safeguarding our kingdom," he affirmed.

Attending the Ithea Academy of Alchemy, often referred to as The IAA, demanded a certain elegance in attire.

The male students wore plain, bronze-colored Dacron trousers that extended to their Chelsea boots. These were paired with long, white gloves and a thick orchid belt over an almond-hued short-sleeved shirt, untucked beneath a conventional jacket. A broad tie featuring horizontal stripes of bronze and orchid hung casually at the center, sometimes loosely fastened. The female students donned bronze-layered dresses, just grazing the knees, complemented by orchid and bronze plimsolls and socks, respectively.

Similar to the males, the females also wore short-sleeved tops that draped over their skirts, covered by an unbuttoned jacket. Their neat attire often featured a sizable checkered tie, tucked tidily beneath their coats. While the uniform accessories were entirely optional, many students embraced them as a subtle means of self-expression.

"I agree with Norval, and I encourage you all to do the same. Rhaizen Gale's passing has shaken us all, but it was an inevitability, much like the previous champions that came before him and those that will follow. You must all brace yourselves for the upcoming trials. They're approaching faster than think.

Now, I've called you here to provide an update on the rankings."The man passed a sheet of paper to one of the five pupils and continued, "Jalon Barr, your progress has dipped by two points this month. You currently stand at level 35. Here's your stat card."

Level - 35/100

Experience - 2nd Rank

Points- 1245

Weapon Mastery - 2nd rank swordsman

Alchemy - 1st rank master alchemist

"1245! What the hell! I defeated everyone in this classroom this month, How could I have earned 1245 points this month?" Jalon screamed, enraged.

"Indeed you did, but you earned 5 points in your offensive ranking this month while losing 8 points in your defensive standing.

You spend so much time focusing on your attacking abilities that you forget how important it is to work on your defensive abilities as well. As a result, your ranking has dropped. I recommend that you balance your training next month." The man responded. He passed the sheet of paper over to Norval Greensmith and said, "Next, Norval Greensmith."

Level - 67/100

Experience - 2nd Rank

Points - 4650

Weapon Mastery - 1st rank lancer

Alchemy - 3rd rank recruit alchemist

"You're an excellent combatant physically, but you need to work on your alchemy, I make steps to also balance your workouts. Your grades are top-notch and quite possibly even the best in the country. But all that knowledge is useless if you don't know how to apply it to your Alchemy. After all, fighting the Trerth will necessitate alchemy. Now, Luciana Vonner is up next."

Level - 73/100

Experience - 1st Rank

Points - 7300

Weapon Mastery - 3rd Rank Archer

Alchemy - 1st rank Elder alchemist

"As always, Princess Vonner, you do fantastic work. Even though your archery needs improvement, you are still well-balanced both in Alchemy and physical prowess. Though your schoolwork needs a bit of improvement, but overall great job," he concluded.

"Cecily Ethel,"

Level - 57/100

Experience - 3rd Rank

Points - 3645

Weapon Mastery - 5th rank Archer

Alchemy - 1st rank Elder alchemist

"Your combat abilities remain pitiful, and your defensive abilities have reached a nadir. You must improve your combat capabilities, even though you are the best alchemist among your friends. And Finally, where is Nelanian Henfery?" He was nowhere to be seen as the students looked around.

" He doesn't show up for class these days, I think Rhaizen Gale's death affected him the most of all of us," Cecily explained.

"He needs to rethink his priorities, "Luciana stated, "The kingdom is more important than his feelings."

"Well, I don't have time to waste waiting for him to come for his stat card. The instructor handed the stat card to Luciana and stated, "Can someone take this, and make sure it gets to him."

Level - 5/100

Experience - 5th Rank

Points - 425

Weapon Mastery - ?????

Alchemy - Not Ranked

Luciana gave a nasty look at the stat card. "You're a waste of space, Nelanian!"