Sidastir paced back and forth with angry steps. He was just about to destroy the little pissant when Magnus had struck Zhan. The boy had no idea that Magnus had just saved him by being the first to act.

He sighed and rubbed his red cheeks which was still sore after Akana’s unforeseen attention. His new partner was a peculiar creature.

He sat down on his untouched bed while watching his consort.

Akana wandered around the chamber and began moving the furniture. He had done it the same with their chamber in Ice palace. From what Sidastir could understand, it has to do with the flow of the space. Auons was finicky with the need for everything to be in such a way that it was convenient for them.

"Are you well? You looked frighten,” Sidastir asked at last. Akana halted and seemed to be speechless.

"I was not afraid."

Sidastir sighed desolately. "You were paralyzed, Akana."

Akana looked like Sidastir had asked an incomprehensible question. "Every time I mention he has had an emotional reaction, he looks like he does not understand the commentary."

"Auoner has no emotions," replied Akana and turned around to unpack.

"You have mentioned it a few times, but I have witnessed you use several emotions. Joy, anger and now fear," said Sidastir. He sensed how the atmosphere became burdensome in the chamber, while Akana winced in anxiety.

"Auons have emotions but they are distinctive from the feelings of other races. It is more understandable to say we do not possess them because it is closer to the truth than to say they are unique, " said Akana light-hearted.

"Explain it to me. Try to make me understand, "Sidastir folded stubbornly his arms and Akana turned towards him with a surrendering sigh.

"My people do not experience joy even though we can be proud of what we have accomplished. We do not feel sorrow. We remember those who have died but do not understand the principle of the pain you feel when they are no longer there. Anger occurs among my people but is mild. Auons cannot feel enough anger to get a violent outbreak. Vendettas and to some extent love is incomprehensible to us as they require an abundance of emotions. We care for our family. We are faithful but are what you would call incapable of understanding and feeling some of the commonplace feelings you other races have, " explained Akana with a dilatory tone as if Sidastir couldn’t understand the language. Sidastir wasn’t sure how he felt about this revelation.

"What you saw out in the courtyard wasn't fear as you know it. We Auons do not feel fear but we have a peculiar feeling. An instinct that says when we are in danger. If I get too close to a blade I will react but I do not fear the blade. Zhan was dangerous so I responded by warning you, " said Akana casually but there was something about what he said which made Sidastir frown.

Dangerous? Zhan was one slight from turning into an ice sculpture but I would not call him -"

Sidastir silenced when he noticed Akana’s gaze. He rose abruptly and grabbed onto Akana’s arm in order to look him in his eyes.

"What was the spectacle out in the yard really about?"

Akana surveyed Sidastir before he released a weary sigh. "Huzhidierna has slain my people for centuries. They see us as demons and have declared it their sacred duty to eradicate us. It is legal to slay an auon in Huzhidi and the military must execute all of my people they cross roads with."

Akana’s explanation makes Sidastir’s innards freeze.

"How long has this been going on."

"We are irresolute. The Auons has no written history before Auone was created. We saw no reason to write down our history but we know Huzhidi had hunting trips to our desert. They hunted Auons. It was only rational we fought them, we created mechanical wonders in order to defeat Huzhidi and we conquered, what was their capital back then. We proclaimed our own country and the city became our capital, Gaza. Our price. We conquered four other cities before we ended the war, "explained Akana briskly.

"Why did you stop? It sounded as if you could easily have conquered Huzhidi " Sidastir asked but he had already an idea of the answer.

"For what? We didn't have people enough to populate entire Huzhidi. We had enough land and resources to make Auone thrive. Conquering Huzhidi was never our goal. "

Sidastir had expected Akana's explanation. Auons has no ambitions for power or revenge.

"If you have such might, then why haven’t you defended yourselves?"

"We have fought them off if they penetrate into our country but they stick to the borders where they can attack defenseless nomads. It does not help the dead if we invade Huzhidi," said Akana. Sidastir sighed in grievance.

"It doesn’t seem to have crossed the Auons minds to put fear into their adversaries.”

"In any case. Be cautious of Zhan. I do not trust him even though I do not think he will stab you in the back. However, I would not put it past him to try to maul you when no one is around," Sidastir finally said and spread out on the bed.

"Maybe a slight warning for Zhan wouldn’t be out of place."

*****

Year 782 Octavus, 13th day of the sixth-month Dailainus

Akana wandered through the humongous halls. After many arguments, Akana had finally convinced Sidastir he was able to visit the main building of the school on his own. Or to be precise, Akana slipped away when Sidastir had not been attentive.

A week had passed since the incident with Zhan and Sidastir refused to leave his side. First, it had been necessary when Akana could not find his way around the school grounds but he had now memorized the majority of the places he had visited.

He had found the floor and the walls, which were made of gray stone, very cold but he must admit they should be practical as stone was more durable than wood or mud.

Akana veered off to the right and went through a grand gate decorated with two seated griffins on each side. A griffin was on the school's coat of arms and was a symbol which you could see everywhere in the main building. These two guarded the portal to the library. He had ordered the school material a while back and he had gone to retrieve the newly arrived delivery.

The library was magnificent with floating small light orbs which moved around in the hall. You could grasp one of them if you needed personal light. However, there was no need for it when grand, colored windows, with motifs which depicted historical battles, illuminated the hall. Wide pillars held up the roof which was painted in gold.

Akana wandered up to the reception and asked to get his material on relevian. The receptionist gave him a dark look.

Akana walked up to the front desk and asked for their material in Relevian. The receptionist gave him a sullen glare.

She must be from Patricalum. The school is located between Dailain, Patricalum and Relevium. Although Patricalum once belonged to Relevium, the Patricalis is not amiable towards foreigners. Relevium is a little more accepting in both religion and their attitude towards strangers.

Akana audited the order to ensure everything was there. He grabbed onto bag and pushed down the books before he attempted to lift the bag. Perhaps it had not been the wisest of acts to order all literature of the courses in one go. He bit in the lip and jerked up the bag. Now he regretted the decision to leave Sidastir at home. Say what you will about the king's intelligence but he could at least carry literature.

Akana had just started to walk towards the exit when he heard a laugher from a table near him. A typical patricalian woman, with the pale skin and black hair, sat with a ridiculously adorned tunic and a golden toga and laughed at him. She was surrounded by men and women who seemed to laugh with her in an attempt to win her favor.

"Herd mentality," he thought with a sigh. The woman would try to cement her position of power by pushing down those she deems to be easy targets. Foreigners fall under this category. Who cared about a stranger after all?

"Need help, Incola?" asked the woman with loud voice making sure people noticed them.

Akana sighed and continued his onwards journey without giving them a second glance. Incola was the relevian word for stranger which also be interpreted to outsider and was an insult associated with foreigners.

Akana wandered down the hall without pondering about it anymore. He hoped Sidastir had discovered his absence and arrived at the school to pick him up because he had no idea how to return to Cathurn without help. He was just about to turn off to the left when a knock on his back caused him to fall onto the solid floor.

Akana avoided making a grimace in agony and found that stone floors were less practical than he had first assumed. He got up on to his feet and brushed off his relevian clothes. Pants with a long tunic whose arms and neck whose embroidered with vines. At least his clothes were unscathed.

He already knew who it was that had knocked him down. The woman had followed suit and one of her admirers, a large bearded man who looked like a troll, had taken it upon himself of to make Akana fall flat on the floor. Spectators had begun to gather.

"I suppose you truly wanted me something as you made such an effort to hustle after me as if you were an incompetent servant."

Akana did not know if it was his tone or if it was something else but the woman and the man looked perplexed.

"Well! What did you want?"

"The lady asked if you needed help," the man grunted foolishly.

"No... He looks more like a wild boar on closer inspection."

Akana turned to the grinning idiot. "Obviously not, as I left the room on my own accord. So are we done here?"

Akanas voice was neither loud nor angry but he had very little patience for those without common sense.

"Your gall is not flattering, Incola. Know your place! "snorted the woman behind the boar.

Akana turned towards her. Her tone was foul but something else with the woman which made Akana react. She was obviously of the nobility as only the nobility wore toga in Relevium and Patricalum. Did she consider herself of higher rank? Akana assumed he should give the appearance of being a true nobleman.

"I'm Akana den Rifabeinn. Husband of Sidastir den Rifabeinn, Rial of Eitir, and Rial Caraid of Eitir. Who are you to believe you are my equal?"

He did not have to utter the words loudly. The stone walls brought his words across the hall and allowed everyone within its walls to discern his words. Akana hoped he sounded like Sidastir but Akana has not had needed to act superior towards the trolls, who he was sure didn’t understand rank. Fairies merely didn't care about rank.

The words must have had an impact because you could hear a tremendous noise of whispering voices. The boar generally looked like a simpleton as if he were trying to decipher what Akana had just uttered. The woman looked moderately offended. She began to hiss out words like a snake.

“Incola! How dare you use a King's name as your own? It is high treason for a lowly peasant... No, an agricola! To appoint themselves as royalty. You should be executed. Verres, slay the fool!”

Akana had not expected such a brutal reaction and cursed Sidastir who had given him the advice to act like a nobleman when he arrived at Virtus Scolaris. He was just about to retreat from the charging man but something went wrong.

Akana gasped when his whole body was paralyzed. He could not move or even breathe. Something was gravely amiss. He tried to wiggle himself free from his invisible chains in order to try to throw himself to away from the incoming attack but it was useless.

All Akana could do was prepare for the incoming strike.