Asgard Academy
Year 1: Part I
[ Index ]
xxxxxxxxxWhat a horrible morning.
The sky was clear, and the breeze was fresh, but everything else ruined it. Being forced to move to Central Asgard was already tough, yet knowing that the vibe at ‘home’, both here and in his previous location, did not improve weighed heavy in his heart.
The boy walked slowly, observing his new environment with contempt. It was so loud, all the time. Cars, people, children, machines, trains. He could even hear a dog barking its head off in the distance. Everything seemed to follow a rhythm he couldn’t understand. Everyone seemed to know what to do and where to do it. Not that he was any different, but he never had a choice, only a schedule.
Today, he was going to the Academy to sort the final paperwork before the start of the school year.
Lost in thought, he realized the barking was now quite close. Just when he was about to turn, something caught his eye. A large, short-haired dog was angrily snarling and barking at a few trash cans, moving left and right to prevent whatever it was harassing from escaping. The boy walked a little closer only to realize there was someone there. The girl seemed to be around his age, with her long hair tied in a braid. Her arms were in front of her face, and every muscle in her body seemed to be trembling.
He tightened his lips, unsure of what to do. This was a complete stranger, and he was new in town. Newcomers usually didn’t do well in situations like these. After a deep sigh, he walked with confidence, almost dominance, toward the dog. The animal noticed him at once, but instead of making him the new target of his aggression, began to take steps back. It finally turned around and left with its tail between its legs. The boy walked back to the trash cans. Without the dog barking, he could actually hear her whimpering.
“Hey, uh… it’s gone now. The dog…” he said, uncomfortable.
She seemed spooked by his voice and lowered her arms immediately. There was a medical patch over her swollen left eye. The girl looked around several times, making sure the dog was really gone. “Wh… Who… are…?”
Out of nowhere, another teenager came running towards them, pushing the boy to the side and crouching in front of her. “Artica! Are you okay? What happened?”
She rubbed her face. “I- A dog came round the corner… I couldn’t… Did you run all the way back looking for me?”
“You can bet your ass I did! Damn it, the one day I have to run an errand and this happens…” he groaned, helping her up. There was something odd about his appearance. Careless, but carefully curated. He finally noticed the boy and narrowed his eyes. “What are you looking at?”
He gave the girl a quick glance before starting to walk away. It was better like this, no need to have some awkward conversation with a stranger.
“W-wait!” she called out from behind the other boy. “Thanks… for helping me out!”
He nodded and went on his way, not giving what just happened another thought. After a while, he finally reached his destination. The Academy’s main building was intimidating by itself, but the whole compound was breathtaking.
Unaware he was being watched, he swallowed hard, and let out a mortified sigh. If only that person had not insisted so much, with such well-intended concern…
“Good morning, Fenrir,” an older girl said with enough grace to make the gods blush. She approached him, her long silvery hair swaying in the gentle breeze.
Fenrir turned around at once. He cleared his throat, feeling very awkward. “Your Royal Highness… Good morning…”
“At school, 'Lady Hilda' is more than enough. Are you ready to start on Monday?”
“Not really, no, but… to repay your kindness, my Lady, I will do my best,” he answered, lowering his eyes.
“Please, think of this as a new adventure. It is marvelous to have you here in Central Asgard.”
Fenrir nodded, not believing himself worthy of her efforts. He was fine back in the mountains. His tutor was an average individual, perfect for the average life outside of town. Going to such a flashy academy in Central Asgard felt unnatural to him, but Princess Hilda had personally insisted on having the son of late Lady Ingrid join this institution. Asgardian nobles should aim for the best education their country can offer, or whatever it was she said to convince his relatives. They didn’t care about him, so any excuse was acceptable to send him away.
“With your leave, I will go check what my schedule is…”
“Certainly, please go ahead,” she replied with a nod. “I hope you have a great day… and do not forget to tuck in your shirt before going inside.”
x+x+x+x+x+x+x
The great hall had been beautifully decorated with colorful banners, each with the heraldry of the many nobles attending the Academy that year. There was also a black one with a special coat of arms, with the Balmung sword, which represented those students who were people of Odin, but not from noble bloodline.
Bud couldn’t help scoffing at the sight of it. “They really do have an ‘everyone else’ banner, I can’t believe Boreal was right.”
“They already gave us different uniforms, I can’t wait to see what other fun distinctions they have,” Artica added with a slightly ticked-off attitude. She tried hard not to care about it, but some aspects of going to the Academy still rubbed her the wrong way.
“I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough,” a redheaded boy said with his arms crossed. “There is some kind of activity scheduled after the ceremony.”
His name was Asgrim, and even though they didn’t know him very well, they’d seen him often at the scholarship study sessions. The three of them took a deep breath when the special guest walked in. Everyone gave her a deep bow as she walked by, while one of her companions cleared his throat.
“Her Royal Highness, Freyja of Asgard.”
The younger princess was still in her third year of junior high school, and would not be attending the Academy just yet, but her sister invited her for introduction purposes. As she took her place near the stage, so did everyone else. The scholarship students were on the left, next to the window, while the nobles filled the rest of the hall. The older princess, soon to be crowned ruler of their country, walked up to the stage and did a short bow.
“Greetings, everyone, and welcome the new school year at Asgard Academy. When I started my studies here two years ago, I noticed many of our traditions seemed out of touch with the world around us, and as the future of Asgard, we must strive to display the best our country can offer. After careful deliberation, changes were made to the junior and senior high school programs…”
There was a small smile on her lips. “That will be duly communicated at the beginning of every term. Even today’s schedule was updated to…”
Bud wasn’t really listening. The gold and green banner right on top of him made his blood boil. And to top it off, he was here too, on the other side of the hall. He’d known beforehand, of course, but having to actually acknowledge it was irritating. Artica, on the other hand, was looking around at all the different banners, wondering who they belonged to. Two noble girls nearby seemed to be doing the same.
“That banner has not been hanged anywhere in a long time,” the one with long, black curly hair said in a low voice. “Not since the…”
“Accident, yes,” a blue-eyed blonde whispered back. “So that heir is here today?”
“Indeed. Judging by the unfamiliar face, it is likely him…”
Artica was not trying to eavesdrop on their conversation but couldn’t help also looking at the student they were staring at. His hair was silver, but the light gave it a blue tone. She side-eyed the boy a few times before nudging Bud with her elbow. “Hey, don’t we know that guy?”
“Who?” he whispered, looking around. “The one with the messy hair?”
“Yeah, he looks familiar somehow…”
x+x+x+x+x+x+x
“The rules are simple; each of you has ten balls filled with chalk powder. Players marked with someone else’s color are disqualified and need to surrender their balls to whoever marked them. The white uniforms given to you will make it easier to see who has been hit and with what color.”
A hand shot up the moment the man was done talking. “Is there a prize for winning?”
“No, my lord. This activity’s objective is for Year 1 students to have a healthy introductory game, it is not meant as a serious competition.”
“Like hell it isn’t,” Asgrim growled. “The faster you get kicked out, the quicker they’ll start treating you like trash.”
“Are you trash?” Artica asked, looking at her bright green balls.
“Of course not!” he replied with an irritated tone.
“Good, then let’s show those Blues how to play, commoner style,” said Bud with a smirk.
“Wave 1. Ready, go!”
Artica and Bud immediately ran towards a big tree in the corner of the yard. He gave her a push to get her up a branch and then crouched behind the bushes. Artica surveyed the area for a few minutes.
“Alright, I’m taking it off. Can’t aim shit with this stupid patch.”
“Sure, just be careful not to get chalk on your face. It's probably gonna sting.”
x+x+x+x+x+x+x
In just the first few minutes, several students were taken out. Most of them complained loudly they weren’t here to display themselves in such a tasteless manner and would rather do something else. Hilda paid them no mind. The game was her idea, and what made it truly interesting was to see how those willing to play set up their strategy.
Two scholarship students had set base in a tree on the far side, another was hiding behind the greenhouse. Several nobles had taken refuge next to columns and benches. There was no team that mixed the two groups, which was her main objective, but there would be other opportunities. It also caught her attention that there was one student who was not even hiding, but somehow had not been hit at all.
“Well, now, is that not curious…?”
x+x+x+x+x+x+x
After another ten minutes, there were only five students left: three scholarship and two nobles. Up on her branch, Artica carefully aimed towards one of the nobles that had carelessly wandered near their tree. Once ready, Artica stood up and threw one of hers. Her jaw dropped when the noble suddenly turned around and kicked it away in a flash.
“Did you see that? What is up with that guy?”
“I didn’t, sorry, Asgrim’s making a move and I wanna take them both out in one go,” Bud replied, readying two red balls.
Quick as lightning, he aimed and fired, but missed. His targets were pursuing each other around the tree and barely noticed his balls speeding by. A minute later, they ran into the other noble.
“Huh? How come you haven’t been hit?”
He gave no reply, and effortlessly ducked to evade Asgrim’s throw. At the same time, Bud hit the other noble and Asgrim in the back. A whistle in the distance validated his attack, and they returned to the building. Artica and Bud gave each other a quick look.
“Do we wing it?”
“He’s too quick. Let’s try a pincer and wing it if necessary. I don’t really think he can mind two people at the same time.”
She got down from the branch but did not reposition her eye patch. Bud moved away to nearby bushes. The noble was staring right at their tree with no particular expression. Artica frowned; he had been aware of their location the whole time, yet made no throws. Bud made the signal, and she took her position right behind the tree. They both launched their attacks at the same time, aiming right at the noble. He dodged the red ball and, just like before, gave the green ball a strong kick that sent it flying right where Bud was.
“Shit, he already knows where I moved to,” he whispered.
Bud managed to catch Artica’s eye and made some gestures. She nodded in agreement. At the count of three, they both attacked. Moving quickly and efficiently, shooting without standing around, and hoping for the best. The other student took a step back without even looking at either of them. To her horror, Artica felt a red ball hit her right in the chest. Exactly on the opposite side, Bud received the green ball in his forehead. Another whistle came from the distance.
x+x+x+x+x+x+x
Bud and Artica were arguing on their way back to the building.
“I can’t believe you missed!”
“I can’t believe you missed! You’re aim is way better than mine!”
They only settled down when they noticed Princess Hilda was waiting for the three of them. Artica clumsily adjusted her eye patch in the right position, while Bud smudged more chalk on her face to hide the clean spot on her forehead.
“Congratulations, Fenrir Ylfingrsson of the House of the Northern Wolf, for remaining unmarked during Wave 1 of this game,” Hilda said with a big smile. “I was not expecting the winner to literally evade all balls and throw none back!"
“I don’t understand the objective of the game,” Fenrir whispered when giving back the ball net.
Bud almost choked when he realized all ten blue balls were still there. Artica was gesturing at it as well, bewildered.
Hilda turned to them. “Bud Sannfridsson and Artica Reynirdóttir, such teamwork! A perfect example of what deep trust on one another can achieve!”
“Thank you for kind words, Lady Hilda,” they both replied with a deep bow.
“Very well, please head back and change into your regular uniforms while Waves 2 and 3 play out. Ms Reynirdóttir, go to the infirmary after that to clean out your wound. Chalk will not help with healing.”
Artica nodded in a nervous manner. She made a note to never let her guard down around Princess Hilda.
x+x+x+x+x+x+x
In the Academy, you would be in the same classroom for most subjects (except those which required special equipment, like sciences, home management, and sports), and the teachers would rotate during the day depending on their subject. His seat was located at the back, next to the window, which was a nice way to distract himself. The rest of the class had introduced themselves and there were only two left.
“My name is Artica Reynirdóttir, and I come from the Eastern region. My hobbies are archery and reading,” the girl with the eyepatch said, sitting to his right.
Fenrir stood up and cleared his throat, not really looking at any of his classmates.
“Fenrir Ylfingrsson, from the North,” and sat back down, providing no further details about himself. He found it hard to believe someone would be actually interested in knowing more.
x+x+x+x+x+x+x
“Good,” was the short reply from the Archery Captain.
Artica let out a quiet sigh. She had already performed seven shots, all successful, surely there was no need for more?
“That should be enough.”
“Actually, may I ask for one more?”
Everyone in the club turned to the entrance, where Princess Hilda and another senior student were observing. The tall young man’s hair fell in delicate brown curls, and his elegant demeanor matched the princess perfectly. “Would that be alright?”
“Of course, my lord,” Artica replied. One more Blue making her jump through hoops was not really a surprise.
Without another word, he threw an orange into the air. Instinctively, she aimed and released her arrow. It went right through the fruit and into the very center of the middle target at the back of the field.
The senior walked over to her. “Well, what a surprise! The Silver-Eyed Hawk’s little sister is now in the Academy.”
There were some whispers from other members of the club. He gave her a short bow. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Reynirdóttir. My name is Siegfried Sigurdsson. Your brother was a senior when I joined the Academy, and well known for his archery skills. Seeing you take your test reminded me of that one trick he liked to do in front of newcomers.”
Artica also bowed. “Boreal was always a show-off, my lord, but he did teach me that trick.”
“Only one person took the test for this club?” Hilda asked with curiosity.
“Yes, my Lady,” the Captain replied. “It seems this year’s juniors have other skill sets.”
The princess nodded at the remark, turning to Artica, who held her breath.
“Great work! Congratulations on passing the test, and…” she lowered her voice to the faintest of whispers. “That little hole in your eyepatch might bypass the depth perception issues, but it will not help with the infection in your wound. I strongly recommend you get a new one and come to an arrangement with Dr. Andreas and the Archery Captain.”
“Y-yes, my Lady,” Artica replied, appalled to have let her guard down in Hilda’s presence. “At once.”
Hilda cleared her throat with a smile. “The Archery Tournament will be held in Central Asgard soon. I do hope at least some of you consider taking part in it.”
x+x+x+x+x+x+x
One sentence, that was usually all he got, but it stung for days, weeks, years. Fenrir's presence was performative, as he was not expected to do much. Talking was definitely not it. And whenever he tried, he was chastised at once.
Or, if they felt petty, he wasn't, but after everyone was gone, Fenrir got lengthy reminders of how much of a burden he was, how little he was like his parents, how no one expected anything from him. In essence, how little he mattered.
Yes, they were too smart to lay a finger on him, knowing that was evidence for any prying eyes. Words, however, only bruised the soul, and there was no one who cared enough about that boy to check there.
x+x+x+x+x+x+x
She greeted him with a smile. “Hi! Welcome to the Arch… Hey, it’s you!”
Fenrir scratched his neck, feeling very awkward. After Hilda noticed a week had gone by and he hadn’t joined a club, she encouraged him to visit all of them and pick the one he found more interesting. Fenrir did not feel like joining any, and only came to this club because it seemed no one was around, but that was clearly not the case.
“Sorry, I do not know what you are talking about, my lady...”
The girl let her arrow fly, missing the center of the target by a few centimeters. “No? Oh… I had a problem with a dog before the start of the school year, and someone helped me out. I thought it might be you…”
Fenrir tried to recall the details of that weekend. “You were… the girl between the trash cans, my lady?”
There was embarrassment all over her face. “When you say it like that, I sound so lame.”
It made sense to him; that braid and eyepatch combo were difficult to encounter. Fenrir briefly eyed her face. The area surrounding her left eye was not as swollen as that day, but the patch made it difficult to estimate how the healing was going. He could not stop himself from asking. “What happened?”
“I was bit by a dog a few days before we met.”
She aimed again, and missed the target by an entire inch, but Fenrir could tell it was not because the eye patch affected her depth perception.
It was clear why she had been so shaken back then. However, he realized now how inappropriate it was for him to ask. Fenrir wished he had bit his tongue. Now what? Change the subject? Or would it be better to just leave? Damn, it was easier when there was no one to talk to.
She turned around and stretched out her hand. “My name’s Artica. Thanks again for helping me out that day!”
Fenrir met her handshake out of habit, but her welcoming attitude threw him off. It did not feel mocking, yet still felt unnatural to receive. People always seemed to take advantage of all opportunities to look down on him. “I am Fenrir.”
Artica looked at their hands briefly and slowly withdrew hers. “Shit, I forgot that’s not how these students greet others here.”
He frowned at her words, confused. ‘These students’? ‘Here’? Was she an alien?
Artica seemed to notice, and a few sweat drops ran down her face. “I-I’m sorry, that was probably not appropriate either. I’m… not a noble... I’m still getting used to the etiquette requirements. If you can, please disregard this!”
Fenrir finally caught up with the situation. Of course, she did not greet him with a slight bow, and certainly did not use formal language even though they did not know each other. She even shook his hand, like people did back in the mountains. “Don’t worry about it. I struggle with that myself…”
“Your words are kind, my lord” she replied, her tone was different. Fenrir found it less welcoming and, for whatever reason, felt slightly discouraged.
He cleared his throat, uncomfortable once again. “Anyway, I’ll get going… I still need to join a club…”
“Oh! The Karate club is looking for new members, my lord! Someone with your reflexes will surely be welcomed there.”
“My reflexes?”
“Yeah! I haven’t forgotten you beat Bud and me on the first day. My lord.”
Fenrir smiled slightly as he turned around and waved goodbye. “I’ll consider it, thanks.”
x+x+x+x+x+x+x
Bud had packed up and left a while ago, but Artica was still reviewing her notes, comparing them to the textbook. Biology was not her best subject and struggled to make sense of it. Her diagrams had been erased and remade at least three times, but it seemed a fourth was needed. In the middle of it, someone peered over her shoulder.
“You are missing the individuals that carry the gene but are not affected by it.”
Artica turned around so suddenly, the kid from up north jumped back a bit. A quick look at her notes proved him right, so with a silent nod, she thanked him for his observation. Fenrir sat where Bud had been all afternoon (which was, really close to her). He took out a book and a notepad from his bag.
"Did we have History today, or was it yesterday, my lady?"
The girl side-eyed him, checking to whom he was speaking to and felt uncomfortable at once. It was one thing to talk after school and club activities, when there was no one around, and a very different one to do so in the middle of the study hall, which was currently packed with Blues. A few of the other students were sneaking looks at them already.
She replied in a low voice. "Yes, my lord, yesterday."
"Right, thanks," Fenrir said absently, looking for something in his bag. After a few painfully long minutes, Artica couldn't help silently nudging a pencil his way. The kid from up north looked up and nodded with a thankful expression. Everyone else now was just plainly staring at them, which had Artica biting her lower lip nervously.
“Hey, uh, quick question, why is your uniform black?” Fenrir asked, almost casually.
The tension was too much for her, so she subtly jerked her head and guided him out of the study hall, to a quiet hallway away from it.
“Bud and I are here on a scholarship, my lord.”
“Is that why you wear different uniforms?” he asked. They were the same, just black instead of navy blue.
“Yes, my lord. You probably noticed we are not the only ones, but there are not many scholarship students. Bud hates it, he feels we are being segregated.”
“Do you?”
“Not at all. I prefer it. I can see who is here through privilege, or through effort," Artica cleared her throat. "My lord."
“You can drop the formal language if you want. I must admit I’m with Sannfridsson on this one, it does seem like the Academy wants the scholarship students to stand out.”
“Do you know what the program requirements are? You need to be a top student during junior high school to be considered for the entrance exam. If you pass, you must remain a top student in the Academy. We are also asked to earn 20% more credits per term by helping on other clubs, apart from the one we belong to.”
“That sounds really tough. Is that what you mean by 'privilege or effort'?”
“Yes, being a Black requires an enormous effort. Three years of continuous hard studying, and still three years to go, plus keeping up with etiquette and other stuff now that we have noble classmates. Being a Blue just requires resources. No offense.”
“None taken,” Fenrir replied absently, thinking how Princess Hilda’s people did all the paperwork, he literally just showed up for the regional exam. “Do Blues know all of this?”
Artica had to laugh. “Do they care?”
“Fair enough.”
“Why do you care?” she asked. Her tone was less harsh than before and seemed genuinely curious.
“I’m from Northern Asgard and homeschooled up until now. I don’t really know how things work here. I just want to understand.”
Artica was slightly surprised. “Well, now you know why Blues and Blacks talking gets so much staring.”
“Yes, my apologies for back there. I realize now I put you in a tight spot. Is it ok if I still talk to you, though?”
“Uhm, sure,” she replied with an awkward smile. “Since the dog bite, I’m used to people staring.”
Fenrir did a mental facepalm. That was not what he meant, and he certainly did not want her to put up with it just because he still had questions. Yet he was not sure how to say this without messing up again.
“It can be when it’s just the two of us, if that is alright with you.”
Artica raised her eyebrows. She could understand how someone who was homeschooled couldn’t detect nuance behind that sentence but decided to not say anything. For whatever reason, she felt there was no real harm in letting it slip.