SOFIA

Vargra Academy

Maius

With a well-executed punch, Sofia knocked her opponent down to the mats below. She whirled around, blocking the strikes of her other two attackers. She ducked and twirled around, grabbing one boy's arm and twisting it up, Sofia following. The boy cried out and fell to the ground.

Sofia swiped the flyaway strands of her golden hair out of her face, bringing her gloved fists before her face. Her cerulean eyes glinted as she narrowed her gaze at the last of her three opponents, "Are you sure you want to keep this up?"

The boy blinked and put his hands up in surrender, backing off. Sofia lowered her stance, her cocky smirk melting into a dazzling grin. "Good work, boys. Really, you helped so much." She patted the boy whose arm she'd twisted as he was coming up, and when he yelped, she barely noticed. She sauntered off, headed towards the sidelines of the gym.

"Miss Raske."

A pointed voice echoed through the gym, stopping Sofia in her tracks just as she reached her bench. Sofia had just enough time to look out longingly out the ceiling-to-floor glass windows before turning, adjusting her posture, and facing the woman walking towards her.

"Yes, Hera Gunhilda?" Sofia asked, lacing her words with as much light as she could.

Hera Gunhilda, a middle-aged militant woman who spent more time scowling than training soldiers, stalked towards Sofia, a clipboard perched on her waist. As always, Gunhilda was donning a slate gray jumpsuit with her war medals from what many thought was the turn of the century pinned to her torso. A whistle hung from around her neck, and her piercing gray eyes were as reprimanding as ever.

"Were you training with those three boys just now?" Hera Gunhilda asked, nodding her head over to where Sofia's training partners were recuperating on the opposite side of the gym.

Sofia slid her gaze over to them nonchalantly; the boy whose arm she'd twisted was watching in fear. With a twist in her gut, Sofia looked back to Hera Gunhilda. "Yes, Hera."

"You are aware of the training policies, are you not?" Hera Gunhilda arched her heavily penciled eyebrows.

Sofia pressed her lips into a thin line. "I am aware, Hera."

"Then you know that intentionally injuring one of your sparring partners is strongly discouraged?"

"Yes, Hera."

"Good," Hera Gunhilda chimed, a serpentine smile lacing her lips. "Then you won't have any apprehensions about your consequences."

She began to scribble something on her clipboard.

Sofia paled. "You can't be serious."

Hera Gunhilda's pen swerved as its writer looked up in shock. "Do you think I am joking, Miss Raske?"

"No, Hera! It's just..." Sofia sighed as she saw Hera Gunhilda's scorching expression. "Never mind."

Hera Gunhilda twisted her mouth together, then scribbled something down on her clipboard. No doubt some detention for Sofia, yet again. Sofia watched with a resigned look while trying to maintain her posture.

"Get to breakfast, Miss Raske, before I dock more points from your overall score." Hera Gunhilda jerked her chin to the door nearby.

"Yes, Hera." Sofia brought her hand up to her heart and bowed in begrudging salute, then grabbed her stuff and hurried out of the room. Once the doors to the gymnasium shut behind her, Sofia leant against the wall, taking a deep breath. The next time she trained, she did it by herself. Those boys were snitches, no doubt about it.

Sofia muttered a curse under her breath, readjusting the strap of her bag over her shoulder and trudging down the immaculate halls of Vargra Academy. She weaved around the other stellje, or Starlings as they were called in the military school, as they headed to breakfast. Sofia eventually reached her room, dropping her bag on her bed and slouching into hers and her twin sister, Amalia's, bathroom.

Just as Sofia was reaching for the nozzle on the shower, a wave of crippling vertigo crashed into Sofia's head. She cried out, collapsing to the tile floor as her head felt like it was splitting open. Panic flared in her heart; what was this? She gritted her teeth, her eyes shut before her as visions flew through her head: a great stone building being burnt to the ground, a fleet of arrows flying towards a small skiff on the sea, and a city that seemed to glow in the middle of the night.

Breathing heavily, Sofia staggered to her feet, a pounding feeling in her head as the mysterious pain began to ebb. She blinked as the haze escaped her eyes, and in a daze, Sofia got to her feet.

What on Earth was that? Had she done something during training to upset her stomach or twist a nerve or something? Sofia shook her head, spooked, and proceeded to take the fastest shower of her life. She dried her hair as quickly as she could, twisted the damp golden mass up into a messy bun, and slipped into her uniform: dark trousers, white t-shirt, and her standard grade slate gray jacket. As soon as she'd tied her boots on, Sofia was out the door, racing down to breakfast.

Thankfully, no one noticed that she was a few minutes late. As per usual, the three hundred Starlings that called Vargra Academy home were seated and chatting away over plates of food. Sofia ducked past a group of giggling girls as they flitted to table to table, hoping to dodge the hawk-like stare of Hera Gunhilda. As a school official, Gunhilda didn't eat with the students unless there was a feast, which in that case, she'd be seated with the rest of the faculty at the head table in the front of Midnight Hall. Most of time, however, Gunhilda was monitoring the students from the sidelines, making sure they didn't do anything she deemed out of line.

Sofia was weaving around some other people on their way for seconds when someone ran into her, startling her.

"Sorry!" A girl said, her voice like the tinkling of bells.

"It's okay," Sofia looked up at her, and immediately discovered that she had never seen this girl before. Her bronze skin and coffee colored curls would have stuck out among the Silvan students, who made up the majority of the Starlings at the Academy. In all Sofia's years at the Academy, she had never seen this girl before.

The girl seemed to know that as well. She dropped into a curtsy, and Sofia noted her crisp, simple navy buttoned dress. She must have been a maid of some kind.

"Excuse me," the girl said and rushed off, out the doors of the Midnight Hall.

Sofia watched her go, but once she disappeared, so did Sofia's suspicions. She turned back to the Midnight Hall, still bustling around her, and surveyed the crowd. She eventually spotted her twin sister, Amalia, seated with their friend, Kennet. With a sigh of relief, Sofia darted over, slipping into the seat beside her sister.

"It's about time you showed up," Amalia said without looking at Sofia, raising her glass of orange juice to her lips. "We thought Gunhilda had given you morning detention."

Sofia made a face, reaching for one of the cranberry muffins on a platter in front of the table. "No, but I was close though."

Kennet, dark-haired and dark-skinned, laughed at that. "What'd you do this time, Sof?"

Sofia recounted the tale, half of her words muffled by the muffin in her hands. By the time she'd finished, she'd eaten two and a half muffins, and downed a mug of coffee.

Kennet blinked, then shook his head, reaching for a muffin as well. "I swear Gunhilda has it out for you, Sofia. Don't know why, but she does."

Sofia took a frustrated bite out of her muffin. "You're telling me."

At her side, Amalia stretched in her seat, beginning to twist her golden hair into a braid. "While you both keep gossiping and coming up with conspiracy theories, I'll be worrying about actual important things."

"Figuring out different ways to poison somebody doesn't count as important," Kennet quipped.

Amalia wrinkled her nose at him. "Not that," She said pointedly. "But rumor has it that Crown Prince Adrian is traveling."

Two very different things happened at once. Sofia, who'd harbored an irrational crush on the prince since she'd learned they were the same age, choked on her coffee. Kennet, who couldn't care less about the prince and was too confused about everything else in the world, knit his eyebrows together, asking "Huh?"

Amalia looked between her two friends, amusement on her face. "Some legion sources reported seeing him in Zemra."

"Again, I say 'huh?'" Kennet asked.

Amalia rolled her eyes. "It's a village out in northwest Peria." She slid her gaze over to her sister. "Some say he was there with a girl."

Something in Sofia deflated. "He just doesn't know that we're meant to be yet," she said, grabbing her napkin, and daintily patting her mouth with it.

"Other people," Amalia continued, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Say he was looking for the Chosen Few."

Sofia whipped around to face her sister at that, joining Kennet in a high-pitched "What?!"

"You heard me," Amalia nodded, a satisfied smirk on her face. "People are saying that they saw the girl he was with send out a shockwave of power. Nearly decimated the village."

"No way," Kennet breathed. "Those stories aren't even real."

"Don't dismiss what you don't know, Kennet," Sofia rebuffed, shooting the boy a look before returning to her sister's gaze. "Petra?"

Amalia nodded. "Petra."

A feeling like lightning shot through Sofia, excitement incarnate. She loved the stories of old, of gods and of heroes from days long turned to dust. The Chosen Few had been her favorite legend of all. The possibility that they could be real excited her more than it should have. As a future legionnaire, Sofia would have to enforce the martial law against magic users, which sadly included the legendary Chosen Few, if they were real.

Before Sofia could interrogate Amalia even more, the bell rang, dismissing the Starlings. All at once, three hundred chattering, rambunctious legionnaires-in-training got up from their tables and began to leave the Midnight Hall. Sofia scowled, downing the rest of her coffee as quick as she could, and getting up from her seat.

"Tell me everything later." She jerked a threatening finger at her sister, who only shook her head and laughed. But before Sofia could hear Amalia's response, she was already being whisked away with the rest of the group as they headed to their various classes and training assignments.

<>

Life at Vargra Academy was pretty simple once you got used to it. To any child that wished to join the legion, as well as a few children from other places in the Empire, was welcomed to Vargran Academy by their twelfth birthday. From there, they'd spend the next six years engaging in training, testing, and classes as Starlings. Assuming they passed their final examinations their fifth and sixth years, they'd graduate and enter the Legion. Being a soldier-in-training would normally sound boring, but it was actually quite fun—especially during holidays and festivals. Although every once in a while, there'd be a day where every Starling hated.

This was one of those days.

A sharp rap on the door tore Sofia out of her slumber. She rubbed her eyes, blinking at Amalia who was already out of bed on the opposite side of the room. "What time is it?"

Amalia stretched, ignoring her sister and sauntering over to the door. She swung it open to find a note on the door with the school's crest printed at the top: All Starlings are to report to the Midnight Hall in military dress at 8:00 AM sharp for a special announcement. Assignments will be distributed upon further notice.

Amalia made a face, to which Sofia mimicked. She swung herself out of her bed, padding over to where her sister was shutting the door. Sofia took the note, reading it over and then sneering, tossing it aside. "Why do we have to be up this early?" She yawned.

"Guess we'll find out," Amalia sighed, walking over to her side of the room to begin getting dressed.

Sofia sniffed, following her sister's lead. She swung their shared wardrobe over and grabbed her military dress out of the closet—black fitted trousers, a deep ocean blue padded jacket with gold epaulets and buttons and badges, and a silver sash that wrapped around their waists. Sofia always hated the sash; she could never tie it right to look the way it was supposed to. Instead, Sofia always gave up and tied a big bow in the back.

As Sofia was buttoning her trousers, a thought ran through her, jolting her in place. "What if Dad's here?"

Even with her back turned, Sofia could tell that Amalia had slowed in her preparation as well. Their father, Aleksander Raske, was the general of Silva's cohorts in the Legion. He was famous in Silva, and one of the leaders of the school on occasion. Sofia and Amalia loved their father, but he was the epitome of a drill sergeant when it came to their training. Having him here would only make things harder on their end.

"Let's hope he isn't," Amalia sighed at last. "If we want to maintain our sanities by the time we graduate."

Sofia cracked a wry smile, buttoning the buttons on her jacket. She turned and with a deep breath, began to tackle the silk sash. It was going to be a long day.

When Sofia and Amalia entered the Midnight Hall, hushed whispers and general confusion welcomed them in. Both Raske twins looked at one another in confusion, looking around at the very out-of-character Starlings, who were normally chatty and in general, loud, during meetings in the Midnight Hall. However, as the girls took a seat, Sofia overheard the cadences in people's voices—elated, excited, eager.

Sofia relaxed, but before she could tell her sister about her revelation, the sound of Peder Harkoff's booming voice echoed through the room. Sofia's reluctant attention averted to the faculty table, where the Headmaster of Vargra Academy was standing.

"Good morning, Starlings. Thank you for gathering at such an early hour. I pride you on your diligence and swiftness. Surely, this group of soldiers will prove to be one of the greatest in the Legion's history," Headmaster Harkoff was saying.

Sofia wrinkled her nose, leaning to Amalia. "What's he buttering us up for?" When Amalia whacked her, Sofia snapped back into attention.

"You are gathered here today to welcome a very special guest, who I hope will enjoy his visit to our humble school. Even though he completed his own military training at the Empire's schools in Peria, it is with great honor that I announce and welcome Crown Prince Adrian Avitus of the Perian Empire to Vargra Academy." Headmaster Harkoff bowed.

Sofia's eyes widened at the same time as every other Starling did the same. Everyone got to their feet—to bow to the prince or get a better look at him, Sofia wasn't sure—and Sofia shot to her own, trying to catch a glimpse. Sure enough, there he was.

Prince Adrian, although seventeen, had a magical way of capturing the attention of any room. He exerted power and influence, while also radiating a sense of familiarity, like everyone could trust him as if he were a friend. He smiled at the Starlings, lifting a hand from where it rested lazily atop the hilt of his sheathed gladius, and Sofia swore that he looked at her for a second longer than he did everyone else.

Amalia seemed to read her mind, because Sofia felt a sharp jab in her side. "There's three hundred of us in here, idiot. He won't be looking at you and you only."

"You don't know that," Sofia hissed, swatting her sister away. She returned her eager gaze to the prince, whose scarlet hair was smoldering in the morning light filtering in through the lofty windows in the Hall.

"Thank you, everyone," Prince Adrian announced. "I am very happy to visit Vargra Academy. This trip is long overdue, and I apologize, but I'm sure that even without my or my father's visit, you all are as exceptional as ever," he said with a boyish wink. A few girls squealed in the audience.

"My trip, unfortunately, is only for today, but I hope to get a chance to talk with as many of you as possible. I'll be touring the school, and I will reconvene with you all at the feast tonight." Prince Adrian nodded, stepping back. It was then Sofia noticed the two people flanking him on either side, but against the wall, lurking in the shadows: a boy with a legionnaire's sapphire cloak, and a girl in what looked to be a muddy wool coat.

Sofia was too distracted to hear the rest of Adrian or Harkoff's speeches, but when she did focus again, everyone was hurrying out of the room. No doubt, everyone wanted to get this day over with so they could be in the prince's presence once more.

But as Sofia was begrudgingly marching out of the hall, she twisted her neck to peer over to the platform. And sure enough, Prince Adrian was still standing there, talking with his two shadows. He turned, and Sofia soon found herself staring right at the Crown Prince from across the hall.

The moment his blue eyes met hers, Sofia suddenly found herself in another world, another room. She saw stars and explosions, a halo of golden light, and a burning building. And then just like that, it was gone. Prince Adrian was being ushered away by Headmaster Harkoff, his two companions in his wake, and soon Sofia was alone in the Midnight Hall with nothing but questions streaming into her mind like sunlight.