Fantasia (Part 1)

Picture credits: The images below are sample characters from the MMORPG Ragnarok Online of the company Level Up!. I don't actually play it, but the game was what I had in mind as a loose template of this story (template only, so it's not Ragnarok canon), not to mention images of its characters do provide a cute effect, hehe. Pictures nixed from the Ragnarok India official website (link). Pictures were slightly edited.

It was afternon. The sun-drenched hilltop trees of the Aerie swayed with the gentle winds of March. The swishing of the leaves produces a lively rhythm as petals fell from the trees like a gentle rain, releasing its fragrant aroma for the people of the Aerie to enjoy. What a way to punctuate the joyous mood around the hill, as the season marked the end of a year's worth of scholastic struggle. More so for Daniel and his peers, who were to celebrate not just the end of a year but entire decades of quests for mastery. As a reward for their labors, they would attain the Full Order of the Eagle, an honor coveted in the entire Empire of Fralippolippi.

For that particular moment however, the cheerful display of nature did not have the intended effect on Daniel as he walked up to his lodging by the hilltop. The dark fort-like facade of this usually gloomy edifice now seemed to be a welcome refuge for him as he walked inside its dark lobby. "Perfect," he remarked on the darkness feebly illuminated by a single lamp by the newsscrolls. He went through the motions of reading the scroll for the day, yet his mind was quick to wander. Perhaps it would be better for his mind to do so: at least he would not be totally engulfed by the darkness. Thusly, his mind went back to a place and time he left behind, but was unable to forget. Way, way back it went to the Land of EveAlone, way, way, back to seven years ago...

The Pillars of the Knight, a premier scholarly institute of Ceres City, the city right at the heart of EveAlone, was abuzz with excitement. The scholastic wards were having a break from all the scholarly pursuit of the arts and crafts. Instead, there were visitors coming, visitors from similar institutions in EveAlone that answered the call for interscholastic camaraderie.

"The vessels have arrived!" Necks craned and the buzz grew louder. The youngest wards of the Pillars grew impatient. They would have wanted to meet the visitors then and there along the riverside port as they disembark from their ferry ships, but they knew that they had to be disciplined especially for this occassion. The guests would be escorted to them. For now they had to be contented with the distant view of the sails on the ports near the gates of their venerable academy.

Among these restless younger wards was Daniel of First Group R. He had experienced a similar activity before in a different institution and knew somewhat that the selection of guest wards depended on criteria different from the host wards' preferences. But he would know soon enough whether he was right or wrong; from the noise emanating among the other rooms, it appeared their neighbors had started receiving their guests and their room would also do so in a while.

Applause and pleasantries greeted the guests of First Group R. Among them, Helen was mildly amused (or that she hoped was how she appeared). These wards of the Pillars sure were fun-loving and polite, as told to her by older peers from the Citadel of Aqueaon back in the seaport city of Legacy. Too bad these lads were not all handsome as claimed too by her friends, but there surely were some head-turners. What was somewhat unsettling for her and her fellow guests were the fuss and attention their hosts were overly bestowing on them while at the same time these same hosts were approaching them as if an invisible barrier like that of an aquarium exists in between. Ah, the Pillars was an institution for boys only, they were also cautioned by their peers; thus, expect them to behave curiously sometimes. Fortunately for Helen and the other guests of First Group R, there was an exception in the person of Dominic.

Even to the rest of First Group R, Dominic was, to put it mildly, a different person. He trained to be an acolyte, a rare calling, and thus he lived like an acolyte, an even rarer disposition still. He imposed upon himself stiff moral standards that others in the group find unrealistic. More than that were his weekly self-expunging of sins. But what was most abrasive to the group was that he preached all these to them like he wanted to impose it to everyone. Well for that day, Dominic was in his element to the chagrin of the others, for in seeing no malice, he saw no barrier in communicating with the guests.

Meanwhile, Daniel was finding his eyes constantly gazing at this girl named Helen, or that was the name he found on the sheet of paper she pasted on the board. The paper was the output of their first activity used to indicate, among other things, a neutral facial expression she drew to describe how she felt at that moment, and her address in the City of Legacy. He had realized that this Citadel of Aqueaon (it must be her academy since she was wearing its vestments: the moss-green jumper-skirt) did choose their representatives to be pleasing to the eyes. Unfortunately though, what was pleasing to his eyes was also pleasing to others' eyes--many other pairs of eyes, to be sure.

That was Daniel's predicament. He was intelligent, being trained to be a mage, knowledgeable in the various common letters as well as the Codix, the mysterious language of Magic. But physically, he was a wraith; although possessing a gentle comely face, he was tall and lanky, and like the usual mage, lacking that commanding presence in a crowd, much more a reasonable amount of brute strength. For Helen, we was ranged upon young lads of either better resources, face value or other desirable external attributes, not to mention persons more experienced in the ways of romance.

The one person who would know of this predicament was Mervin, who recently had been Daniel's companion in the long walks home from the Pillars, both of them deriving humor from day-to-day things along the way. Perhaps it was his warmth and his quick smile that made Daniel share his new secret. "Don't worry," he said confidently and reassuringly, "you have my support."

Time passed by quickly, on the second night they were already gathering for the Farewell Dance. Outside the Knights' Great Hall-turned-ballroom, just before it opened for the festivities, the young lads flocked around the girl of their liking. Daniel and Mervin, working as a team for the entire day, had engaged Helen in some chit-chat. A number of hopefuls still flocked around her, engaging her in their own small talk whenever they had a chance.

Oh! What could be her charm? Was it the way her long curly hair rise proudly in a bun? Was it the way her round eyes twinkle with sentiments hidden by her silence? Or perhaps it was her roundish face made rounder by her mannerism of puffing her mouth up.

Consistent with tradition, the Farewall Dance opened with a show. Helen was with the group of Mervin and Daniel. Or was it the two joining Helen's group? So far so good, thought Daniel, at last he would be seated beside Helen. But lo! In a quick move, Mervin took that seat beside her.

(To be continued)