Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

6. Glyph Academy

This was a...school?

The castle was titanic, far larger than any building she'd ever come across. It blended seamlessly into its natural environment, fusing with titanic, rigid shelves of rock cast above the sea of grassy blades frolicking at its base. Flags fixed into the ground and stone flapped in the breeze, and each bared what Elaine guessed was the school's official insignia: a golden-colored emblem shaped to look like a griffon enclosed in a ring of stars, standing on its hind legs with its wings spread behind it. 

If what she'd heard was true, then the castle itself was well over three hundred years old, yet it was somehow in a better state than some of the noble mansions she'd catch sight of in tabloids. Granted, there was a fair share of overgrowth staining its aged bricks turned gray, and if she looked hard enough, perhaps she'd distinguish a dent in the roof, a crack or two in its yellow-tinted glass windows. 

From a distance, though, it was a perfect image. It didn't appear as one, complete building, rather, it was more as if the "castle" was a coagulation of separate spires and temples, all glued together to create one, united entity that was Glyph Academy. Bridges and archways connected separate sectors of it together, most notably, the large gap split right in between the two highest steeples on either half of the castle. No, she should probably start getting used to calling it an academy.

Its tipped roofs extended into the sky like blue-colored horns. As Elaine's eyes traveled lower, she could already tell it would be a headache and a half to navigate. From the looks of it, there were at least six or seven stories in total, each containing intricate, confusing hallways and routes, she was positive. The largest building she'd been invited into was her local library—a shoddy hovel that would make even a bushgoblin cringe with embarrassment.

She imagined that if she were to take the stairs—assuming the academy had any—days would pass before she ever reached the top. Elaine gulped. Her professors would be expecting her to attend class on time, wouldn't they? The semester hadn't even officially started and yet she was already fearing for her attendance record.

But if an especially daring mage were to somehow crawl to the very top of the place, teeter at the peak of its tallest tower—the one that had a series of glowing runes made of energy spiralling around it in a loop—she'd more than likely appear as little more than a harmless, insignificant spec. No wonder a majority of the students here were nobles; that was probably how they viewed most of the world through their gold-blooded eyes. Kings and queens in their heavenly towers.

Speaking of, as she gathered the strength to tug her stare from the magnificent piece of architecture, Elaine couldn't help but notice the line of people herding along an up-facing path that—with a tight squint—seemed to be leading them towards the castle's entrance. This came in the form of a cylindrical-shaped temple poking out of the castle's abdominal region, one that was positioned close to the edge of a cliff. 

"Ah, there you are! Young Elaine!" Orion exclaimed, turning to better aim his grin at her. The two men he'd been speaking with only a second earlier were now baring annoyed glowers. "So, what do you make of the place? Not thinking of getting lost, are you?" 

"It's amazing, sir!" Elaine beamed. "A bit, err, a bit bigger than I expected it to be. Then again, it is a premier magic teaching institution. I'm sure I'll get used to it."

Orion snickered. "Just try not to fall off the sides now. That would be a rather unfortunate trip, I would say!"

"Please don't make jokes like that, sir," Raze sighed.

Ah, the grim reminder. Elaine made an active effort to keep all her attention on the school itself, as was her intention. She'd never been afraid of heights, and she figured if she just kept pretending that this was a normal academy then everything would work out fine. But if the people here were anything like the headmaster himself, then it'd be a futile exercise.