The Skyhome Academy

Rose hurried across the plaza as fast as her impractical clothing would allow, with Emma following. A large crowd gathered as Prince Robert Fairfax and his entourage landed. There was a mage and three other soldiers, each on their own griffon, and a flying carriage propelled entirely by levitation magic. Unlike most ground carriages, this vehicle kept the pilot within a windowed, interior cockpit. However, the exterior decorations of the lengthy golden craft were still reminiscent of an old lord’s horse-drawn carriage—only military fliers were designed with aerodynamics in mind. A pair of footmen soon emerged from the carriage.

Of course, most of Rose’s attention was focused on Prince Robert himself. He was tall and fit, with dark hair, soulful brown eyes, and a strong brow and jawline. His dress uniform further enhanced his presence. To say that he was handsome was an understatement—as far as Rose was concerned, he was a fairy tale prince come to life.

After dismounting from his griffon and removing his parachute, the royal approached the crowd. His guards followed at a distance. Many of those present were starstruck noble girls in dresses even more expensive than Rose’s—her earlier fear that she would go unnoticed seemed likely to be realized.

Prince Robert greeted nobles he recognized as he made his way past the gathering. But he halted when he caught sight of Rose. He then moved closer to her. “My Lady. I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure…?”

After a moment frozen in surprise, she answered. “Lady Rose Spellshield, if it pleases My Lord.”

“Ah. Your grandfather invented the arcane shield, didn’t he?” She nodded. “And of course, he and your father have had many years of leal service to the Crown.”

“I hope to follow in their footsteps.”

“Lady Rose, you are far too beautiful for the ugliness of combat.”

She had never felt so torn in her life. He called me beautiful! But she could not agree with the rest of the sentiment. “I’m flattered…but my appearance doesn’t affect my ability to protect the kingdom.”

“Well, it is certainly your right to pursue magehood.” Though he smiled and remained gracious, she could hear disappointment in his words. “You’ll have to forgive me, but I have diplomatic duties to attend to.”

“Yes, My Lord.” Rose was not sure if she had made a good impression, though many of the other girls nearby looked to her jealously. And while she was disappointed with the prince’s old-fashioned views, at least he had not been rude about them as Margas always was.

Prince Robert continued on to where the warship was stopping alongside the plaza. It was now hovering only feet above the ground.

“Let’s see who needs a warship to deliver them to school,” Rose told Emma before leading her closer to this new spectacle. An even larger crowd was forming.

A wide ramp was pushed past the edge of the ship’s deck, and one end hit the ground. Down the ramp came a Far Eastern girl, surrounded by four bodyguards. They were followed by four handmaidens, and then two additional servants carrying a metal cage on poles between them. The contents of the cage were hidden by a fancy curtain placed around it.

But it was the foreign aristocrat who had everyone’s attention. She wore a silk dress and expensive jewelry. Her black, straight hair fell down the entire length of her back. For all her elegance, she had a look of displeasure that was off-putting in Rose’s view.

The presumed cadet and her entourage stopped at the bottom of the ramp, where they were met by Prince Robert and his people. “Princess Mei,” he greeted her. “It’s a great honor to receive such a prestigious guest. I’d heard how lovely you are, but mere words could not hope to describe your legendary beauty.”

Legendary beauty? Rose felt a pang of jealousy over this new arrival receiving an even greater compliment than she had. Just as annoying was that the princess did not seem thrilled by his attention—only the hint of a smug smile crossed her features.

“Prince Robert, your greeting pleases me.” The princess spoke the Western tongue without any trace of an accent, though her languid tone came across as self-indulgent. “It’s agreeable to finally speak to you in person. I welcome the chance to stay with our allies in the Graylands Kingdom, and to attend your world-renowned school of magic.”

“Thank you for your kind words, My Lady. Please come this way—the academy is presently arriving.”

Rose glanced behind her, and saw that the floating structure in question had covered nearly all the distance from the clouds to the ground. By far the largest building within the academy was the central stone spire, which towered over the lecture halls and outer walls. Atop the Skyhome Spire was an enclosure of metal armor in the shape of a collection of massive feathers. The feathers were arranged in two planes that came together like the roof of an ordinary building. A hint of the Phoenix Maw’s fire cannon could be seen hidden beneath the protective but decorative plating. There was also a Graylands flag atop the roof—white over blue, with a gray castle in the center.

As Rose watched, the academy’s massive drawbridge came down. Its end landed on the stone ramp at the edge of the plaza. The castle was still a short distance above the ground, but it had stopped sinking.

“Make way for the royal procession,” a voice carried by small, white crystals spread throughout the plaza announced. “All other cadets will be called to enter the academy in the following order: high nobles and their servants, all other landed nobility and their servants, landless nobility and their servants. The remaining peasants will be last.”

The crowd parted for the royals and all their assorted followers as they made their way slowly toward the academy. Rose was content to simply watch the procession until the two servants carrying the hidden cage walked by. Her curiosity then got the better of her. She stepped forward and lifted the cage’s curtain to peer inside.

Floating in midair within the enclosure was a coiled, three-foot-long creature with a blue, snake-like body, a head reminiscent of a crocodile, horns, and four vestigial legs. A dragon! Upon seeing Rose, the beast screeched and breathed a harmless little burst of flame at her. It simultaneously changed the color of its scales to blend in to its surroundings.

She gasped, and then belatedly realized that another cadet standing right beside her had done the same. He must have decided to peek inside the cage at the same moment she had. The two looked to each other in surprise.

Her inadvertent conspirator had boyish good looks, blonde hair, and arresting blue eyes. He was dressed in a peasant uniform with no heraldic symbol, indicating that he was a citizen.

The dragon’s roar had not been loud, but it gained the attention of the royals. They both turned around, and the procession came to a halt.

“How dare you!” Princess Mei said to Rose.

“I apologize, My Lady.” She hastily fixed the curtain. “I was just curious.”

“Lady Rose, please remember to conduct yourself as a noble and cadet should.” Thankfully, Prince Robert sounded chagrined rather than annoyed.

“It seems the other one is a peasant,” Princess Mei said to her fellow royal in contempt. “No wonder you have such troubles with rebellion in your land, if your people act this brashly.”

“I understand that the Middle Kingdom has its own strife, My Lady,” the citizen said to the princess.

“Mind yourself,” Prince Robert told him sharply. “She did not invite you to address her.”

“A thousand pardons, My Lord and Lady.” Rose picked up on a distressing hint of sarcasm in his tone. He did at least give a deferential nod afterward.

Fortunately, the royals ignored any sign of impropriety and resumed walking toward their destination. Rose, Emma, and the citizen were soon left behind by the crowd. Though Rose noted that the actual procession was becoming even longer—more servants carrying supplies, and four each leading adult dragons of different colors by the reins, were leaving the warship and following after the princess.

“She might as well bring the whole damn boat inside,” the young man muttered to Rose. He then belatedly recalled his manners. “Oh. Pardon me, My Lady. Simon Exeter at your service.”

“Lady Rose Spellshield.”

The citizen looked expectantly to the noble’s handmaiden. “I’m Emma Smallport. Nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

“I hope that making a bad impression on the royal cadets doesn’t cause you trouble,” Rose said to Simon.

“I doubt they consider me important enough to remember. …⁠But I probably should be less impulsive if I’m going to fit in at a military academy.”

“You and me both,” she agreed with a slight laugh.

As they were speaking, Rose observed the arrival of the blimp by a tower in a nearby field. Suddenly, a much smaller, metal flying machine left the underside of the lighter-than-air vessel. What’s going on? There was no reason she could think of for the scout craft to leave its parent behind after docking.

The small flier passed over the plaza. A large number of pamphlets began to fall from it.

“Are those advertisements?” Emma asked in confusion.

Rose shook her head. “No one would risk this much trouble just to promote their business.” As the pamphlets reached the crowd, she heard indignant cries. She then caught one of the papers and looked at it. “This is traitor propaganda!”

The flying machine accelerated away from the plaza. The various guards on their own flying mounts had been caught unaware, but they belatedly gave chase.

Simon had also caught a pamphlet. “I’ve seen these before. We have our share of secret Peasant Army supporters in Exeter.”

Rose caught sight of her father on his pegasus, leading some other soldiers away from the academy and after the treacherous interloper. Some of the pursuers were catching up to their prey, when suddenly they backed off. She was not sure why until she caught sight of a glow from the top of the Skyhome Spire. The roof of metal feathers rotated to aim the cannon within.

“The Phoenix Maw!” Rose cried.

A great gout of orange fire shot forth from the cannon in a barely contained line toward the enemy flier. It dodged the attack, or so it seemed—but then the leading edge of the fire exploded. The flier was absorbed in the blast. When it became visible again, it was trailing smoke and losing altitude. The pilot must have mitigated some of the damage with his arcane shield, Rose realized—but this was not enough to save his vehicle. The flying machine landed roughly, and the pursuers set down around it. If the traitor had survived the crash, he would soon be in custody.

“That was amazing!” Rose cheered. Both Emma and Simon looked in awe toward the Phoenix Maw.

“Good to know our side doesn’t mess around,” Simon remarked.

“I hope dropping this rubbish on us was worth a decade of hard labor,” Rose said with contempt. She briefly glanced over the pamphlet. “Listen to some of this nonsense… ‘Peasants, rise up and slay your oppressors. The streets will run red with the blood of the loyalist scum…’ ‘Any nobles who join us will not only be spared, but greatly rewarded…’ ‘The heroic General Rohesia Griffonskull will lead us to victory…’ What a bunch of hypocrites, calling us oppressors! They work their peasants half to death, and kill them if they try to escape.”

“I’ve heard,” Simon agreed. He was also analyzing the treasonous treatise. “…⁠This is all typical…but there’s one part here I’ve never seen before. ‘We anticipate victory over the accursed Crown within a year. Now is the time to prove your dedication to the Cause!’”

“That’s ridiculous,” Rose complained. “Our side controls more land and resources. Including the Skyhome we have three floating fortresses to their one, and more warships. Their only advantages are all their artillery emplacements, and the cover from their forests.”

“So you don’t think they could defeat us in a year?” Emma asked her.

“The only way they could is by capturing the capital. And they don’t have nearly enough fliers for an aerial invasion. They’d have to march their army in on foot.

“But that wouldn’t work either. The mountains are impassible, so the only fast route from rebel territory to the capital runs right through this valley. A land army in open terrain would be devastated by the Phoenix Maw.”

A dark possibility then occurred to Rose. “Assuming that pamphlet isn’t just an empty boast…the traitors must have some plan to capture or destroy the Skyhome.”

“I’m going with empty boast,” Simon said. “They’re always full of themselves. I mean, what kind of name is ‘Griffonskull?’” He laughed slightly. “Is that supposed to be intimidating?”

“…⁠You haven’t heard the story of how she got that name?” Rose asked solemnly. Her companions shook their heads. “A decade ago she was a serf without a family name, who started murdering nobles for their valuables. Other criminals joined her. The Crown sent a small force to wipe out the bandits…”

Rose looked over toward the academy, where the royals were proceeding inside. “They were led by Prince Robert’s eldest brother Thomas, who was called ‘the Young Griffon.’ But the criminals were smarter than anyone had believed. They slaughtered the prince and his soldiers in an ambush.

“The serf, Rohesia… She used her caustic magic to reduce the Young Griffon’s body to nothing but bones. Then she sent his skull to the king. After that her band of criminals became a rebellion, and her followers named her for her deed.”

Simon was left speechless, while Emma was wide-eyed. “Why would she do something so horrible?”

“I don’t know,” Rose told her grimly. “But that’s what General Griffonskull is capable of…and most likely, she’s coming for the Skyhome Academy.”