The clanging ring of bells spilled across the Storming Jasmine, bringing the brief conversation to a halt.

  “That means lunch is ready!” Jasmine beamed, “Like my father always says “There's no better way to travel then with a full stomach” Let's head to the mess hall.”

  “That's great!” Jasper rubbed his stomach “I’m starving.”

  “I had one of the castle chefs come to prepare this meal. I guarantee it will be one of the best you’ve ever had. Her roasts fall off the bone before you can even take a bite.”

  “Princess,” Blue cut in, “We can’t forget you have lunch plans already.”

  “Oh right,” the princess’s smile fell to a slight grin. “I promised the captain we would eat together.”

  “And you can’t upset captain Pearl,” the guard smiled ruefully.

  “No he’ll send letters to me father,” the princess chuckled and turned to the others with a genuine smile “Please go enjoy the meal our chefs worked hard to prepare.”

  “I assume you’ll be sticking with your girl?” Blue asked Sayer who winked cheekily.

  “Give the captain my regrets,” he bowed slightly, “but what kind of man would I be to leave my girlfriend to dine alone? He’ll understand.”

  “Lucky you” Blue rolled his eyes.

  With a final goodbye the princess and her guard retreated back towards the front of the ship.

  “They seemed nice,” Ruby commented, glancing at her friend.

  “I wonder how Blue became her guard” Alison mused “He’s not much older than us”

  “Nepotism” Sayer shrugged “His dad is a castle guard and the king loves rewarding diligence with more work. Plus his aura wouldn’t let him do much else”

  “What does his aura do?” Jasper asked

  “He’s the strong guy right?” Alison added “I remember you said he could lift the ship with one arm”

  Jasper’s eyes sparkled at the description, his mouth nearly dropping while Ruby frowned.

  “He would need both hands” Sayer said dismissively “but yes his aura boosts his physical strength. An aura like that only has so many uses”

  “How does that work with the princess’ aura” Ruby questioned “Wouldn’t he get caught up listening to her?”

  Sayer frowned at this question, glancing to the side “I’m sure they have their methods. For now why don’t we head down to eat. I’m sure you’re all hungry after traveling”

  The group agreed and began making their way below deck. Before he could make his way down the stairs Jasper was halted by a voice.

  “Jasper!” an urgent whisper came from behind.

  The crafter turned and saw Mica approaching with wide eyes. He was glancing around as if being hunted.

  “Hey. you alright?” Jasper questioned.

  “Are you?” he hissed in response “Was that the princess you were just talking with? I thought you came from a small village like me,”.

  “I just met her,” Jasper shrugged. “She’s friends with my friend’s boyfriend. She seems really nice. What's the big deal?”

  “She’s royalty,” Mica said as if sentencing a criminal “She could have you and me executed because her guard sneezed! How can you feel safe talking to her?”

  “I mean I don’t think she would do that,” Jasper shrugged “Like you said she can do what she wants regardless of me. That, like a lot of things in life, we just don’t have control over it. So why shouldn’t I act how I want to act? If I get killed for it at least I died being true to who I am.

  Mica seemed shocked at Jasper’s words, unable to come up with a response.

  “Want to join us for lunch?” Jasper asked with a smile “Promise the princess will not be with us so you won’t get executed for using the wrong fork”

  “That’s not funny” Mica said weakly “I guess I could eat though”

  The mess hall was below deck with a large room bordered with windows, showing the ocean waves. All around were tables filled with passengers enjoying their meals. The scent of baking bread filled the air as the dull roar of conversation became the background music. The group of five sat at a round wooden table that had legs that looked to have grown from the floor itself. A server with a blinding smile came by and placed glasses of water for everyone.

  In the corner of the hall, a man in all white stood by an opening that led to the kitchens. The sound of fire and metal banging was overshadowed by the roar of conversation. Several plates brimming with food were placed on the opening and the man in white went to work. He glowed with a pale red light centering around his hands. From the light wolves formed taking flight above the man. Then with a wave the wolves grabbed a plate with two paws and flew across the room to the group’s table. Jasper and Alison cheered as a wolf dropped a plate in front of them, ignoring the slight mess as some vegetable fell off. Ruby and Mica sunk into their chairs as the astral wolves delivered the food, unnerved by such an uncanny looking creature looming above them.

  As they ate a comfortable silence fell over the table, everyone enjoying the meal in front of them

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  “If you don’t mind me asking” Mica spoke up, looking at Sayer and Alison “How did you two meet?”

  Alison’s eyes shined at the question “We met in Port Oceanic this past dry season. I worked with the local guards to ensure no monsters made it into the town”

  “I didn’t know they had a monster problem like that” Mica frowned

  “Well that’s kinda my fault” Sayer chuckled. “I spent the season working on the route we’re taking now to the academy. Had to drive some monsters from their homes which can lead to an avalanche of monsters moving territories.”

  “We only had one real attack” Alison said almost disappointed “A group of crabs the size of hay barrels. Their shells were crazy tough but hitting them at the joints made their legs snap easy”

  Mica recoiled at the description and sunk further into his chair, clearly done with questioning.

  “So I know you said you don’t want to harp on the past” Jasper rushed out “but can you tell me if Ace really has ten auras? Can a person have more than two?”

  “Jasper” Ruby chided, glancing at her friend to make sure she wasn’t bothered. However Alison was looking at Sayer with a hopeful expression.

  Sayer sighed and rolled his eyes with a good natured grin “Fine let's get this out of the way. Yes Ace claims to have ten auras. I have only seen him use some of them. One to make solid light, one makes him crazy strong and can fly, one teleports, one creates illusions, and the last creates plants. He hides most of the other ones”

  “Incredible” Jasper’s eyes glowed with excitement

  “No way a human can have that much power” Mica gawked

  Sayer gave a short laugh “Well you wouldn’t be the first to consider Ace something beyond human”

  “How can someone have more than one aura?” Ruby questioned. Back home everyone had a single aura which some claimed reflected their true self. Alison was a warrior by heart and soul so it made sense her aura would turn into a spear to fight with. Jasper was ever creative and saw potential in everything around him so his aura gave him the ability to mold everything around him to his unique design. Ruby on the other hand didn’t like to think about how her aura reflected her inner self.

  “That’s something we in the advanced class are trying to find out” Sayer said “Ace isn’t the only person in the academy with multiple auras. Just the guy with the most. As of right now it just seems like some develop multiple auras and others just have one”

  Ruby frowned at the information, not like she wanted to develop auracraft anyway. The education and connections from this academy will be far more valuable in the long run. Though the idea of another aura couldn’t leave her mind, one that reflected who she saw herself as instead of what everyone else saw her to be.

  “Speaking of auras” Alison turned to Mica “What can you do?”

  “Alison” Ruby chided “That’s not our business”

  “We’re going to be in classes together” Alison threw her hands up “We’ll see it eventually, why wouldn’t we talk about it?”

  “That’s his decision to make,” Ruby stated firmly.

  “Not to take sides” Sayer cut in “but students are actively encouraged to discuss their auras”

  “What?” Ruby’s stomach fell beneath the waves

  “Auras come from who we are as people” he explained “to truly understand the power one has to understand themselves”

  Ruby fists clenched at this and she lowered her head.

  “Well um” Mica said, “My aura isn’t very flashy or strong. I can lock and unlock doors”

  “That’s pretty cool!” Jasper said “Is it just doors or anything with a lock?”

  “I’ve done chests and a small vault as well” Mica puffed with pride.

  “Enough about Ace and auras” Sayer waved his arm towards a window “We are going through the Brined Shallows at the moment. Let's go to the deck and i’ll show you where I fought a sea monster”

  “What kind of monster?” Jasper asked, already out of his chair.

  “Looked like a bull mixed with an octopus that also had a fishtail” Sayer grinned leading the group back to the top deck “It could wrap its tentacles around the rocks to trap ships passing through”

  Out on the deck Jasper realized the vast ocean around them was now spotted with tall stone stalagmites. The ship sailed between them never coming within a few feet from a stone.

  “Is this really a safe path? Ruby asked, it looked as if there were no rocks a bit farther away.

  “Unfortunately yes” Sayer confirmed “The open waters on either side hold colonies of Whirl Bass. They can swim in circles so fast entire schools can create whirlpools. Their favorite food is the sailors unlucky enough to lose their balance”

  “That’s terrifying” Mica groaned

  “Not as terrifying as a bull octopus monster” Jasper countered

  “That's a matter of opinion” Sayer shrugged “For me I’ll take a monster above water any day over a school of carnivorous fish”

  “Fighting underwater would be tough,” Alison nodded.

  The air thick with the salty scent of the sea shifted slightly. A new earthy scent traveled on the wind, hinting at something different. Something ancient and massive.

  “We can almost see the academy,” Sayer reported, pointing towards the front of the ship.

  Rocks jutted across the horizon in front of the ship, creating the illusion of a stony wall. As the ship progressed it became clear that some parts of that wall was an actual wall past the sea. A building made of the same gray stone the stalagmites rose from the horizon like a waking beast. Towers pierced the sky, their peaks hidden by the clinging grey clouds. Massive waves crashed against the stone.

  The group converged on the side, Alison and Jasper leaning the farthest over the railing. Ruby kept both feet planted on the deck and had a firm grip on their jackets. As the Storming Jasmine cleared more stalagmites the sheer size of the academy came into view. Spanning the horizon with a seemingly endless amount of towers and buildings. A mountain rose at the center of the island, or what looked like a mountain. It’s distant peaks glinted with spots of sporadic reflected light.

  “Wait, is it coming out of the water?” Jasper asked, his voice dripping with curiosity and anticipation. He lent further over the railing straining to see land under the buildings.

  “It’s like a fortress island” Alison gawked, her eyes flickering with blue light.

  “It is an island,” Sayer revealed, laughing at the awe-inspiring looks.

  This brought Alison and Ruby’s attention back to the swordsman. Jasper continued observing the academy with Mica glancing beside him.

  “What do you mean?” Ruby asked “Like the academy takes up the entire island?”

  “Not at all” Sayer shook his head “The island itself was transformed into the academy. Every room and building is just a part of the ground risen and given shape by one of the instructors”

  “A single instructor did all that” Alison was practically humming in excitement.

  Ruby stared at the imposing form of the academy, its presence weighing down on her. They had finally arrived at New Age Academy. According to Sayer this would be where they uncover the truth behind Auracraft. This is where people come to finally grasp who they are. To decide what effect they will have in the world. For Ruby this would be the place she discovers who she really is. Or discover the villagers were right and she was nothing but a monster of destruction.