Chapter 101: Welcome to the Capital
Holden had never been on a train before. In the slums, you walked. If you were lucky, you rode a cargo cart. But this was something else entirely.
The Academy’s train was a fast machine that hovered few feet off the ground. The interior was polished wood and soft leather seats. Windows stretched from floor to ceiling, giving a perfect view of the landscape whipping by.
Renna had pressed her face against the glass the moment they left the station.
"Whoa, look at that. Is that actually a floating farm? Why is that even a thing? Wait, how do the cows not fall off? Do they have magnetic boots or something? Because now I want some"
"They aren’t floating farms," Emric said, keeping his eyes on his tablet. "They’re sky platforms built to grow more food. Being up that high gives the crops perfect sunlight. They stay up using Aether engines, which cost about forty thousand gold a year just to keep running."
"Forty thousand?!" Renna spun around. "For a FARM?!"
"Infrastructure costs in the outer territories are much higher than in urban centers due to the lack of established Aether grid connections."
"But that’s so much money!"
"Yeah. It costs a fortune, but they grow enough food to make it worth the price. At least, that’s what the reports I was reading this morning said."
Holden leaned back in his seat and watched the scenery change.
The rolling hills of the academy’s territory gave way to denser forests. Then the forests thinned out, replaced by smaller towns and trading posts. The farther they traveled, the more buildings appeared. Houses became shops. Shops became towers.
Up ahead, the Capital city finally came into view. It stood incredibly tall against the sky, shining bright like a giant structure of glass and light.
Skyscrapers stretched into the clouds, but they didn’t stop at the clouds. They kept going, disappearing into the sky above. Between the towers, glowing bridges of crystal and light connected building to building in a web of walkways that floated in the air. Massive energy shields shimmered like soap bubbles around different districts, protecting them from weather, pollution, or attack.
Wow," Lyra whispered, her eyes wide.
Even she looked impressed, and she had grown up in noble society.
"The Royal Capital," Emric said, finally putting down his tablet. "Population: twelve million. Estimated annual tax revenue: eight hundred million gold coins. The energy shield network alone requires a dedicated power station that consumes more Aether in a day than our entire academy uses in a year."
He pushed his glasses up.
"Fascinating."
The train began to slow as it approached a massive platform that jutted out from the city’s edge. Other trains were already docked there, unloading students in uniforms of every color.
"Competitor Village is just ahead," Maeve said, checking her tablet. "We’re registered under Vanguard Academy. Team Soup, five members. I’m listed as support staff."
"Support staff?" Renna pouted. "You’re literally the most important person here!"
"Rules are rules." Maeve didn’t look up. "I’ll be in the observation deck during matches. You’ll have me in your ear the whole time."
The train stopped with a gentle hiss.
The doors slid open, and Team Soup stepped out into the Capital.
The National Arena Village was a city within a city. A sprawling compound of luxury buildings, training grounds, and entertainment venues, all built specifically to house and entertain the tournament fighters.
And fighters were everywhere.
Students from different academies crowded the main courtyard. Holden spotted teams wearing bright red armor, long robes, and tribal tattoos. All of them looked rich. They had perfectly fitted uniforms, shiny weapons, and glowing gear that showed off exactly how much money and power they had.
A team from the Ironclad Academy marched past in heavy plate armor that clanked with every step. A group from the Shadow Veil Institute moved like ghosts, their dark uniforms blending in the shadows between buildings.
And everywhere, students were showing off.
A girl with silver hair casually summoned a frost wolf the size of a horse, letting it pace beside her while people stared. A muscular boy punched a training dummy so hard it exploded into splinters, then looked around to make sure everyone had seen.
"Subtle," Holden muttered.
They made their way to the check-in building, a grand structure with marble columns and gold trim. Inside, a long counter stretched across the lobby, staffed by officials in pristine white uniforms.
Team Soup took their place in line behind a team wearing emerald green cloaks with gold embroidery.
"Excuse me," a sharp voice said from behind them. "Coming through."
Holden turned.
A group of five students pushed their way to the front of the line like they owned the building. Their uniforms were midnight blue with silver trim, and every piece of their gear glittered with embedded gemstones.
The leader was a tall boy with blonde hair and a smirk looked way too practiced. He had diamond studs on his collar, and his armor was covered in shiny panels that caught the sun and flashed it all over the place.
"Royal War College," Emric whispered. "The favorites to win the tournament."
The blonde boy turned and noticed Team Soup standing there in their standard-issue academy jackets. Plain black fabric with a small silver emblem on the chest. No gems. No glitter. No pretension.
His smirk widened.
"Well, well," he said, looking them up and down like they were something stuck to his shoe. "What do we have here? Vanguard Academy? Isn’t that that little school out in the middle of nowhere?"
Nobody answered.
The blonde boy laughed. "Look at those jackets. Standard-issue? Seriously? Did you guys not realize this is a national tournament and not a field trip?"
One of his teammates, a girl with too much makeup, giggled. "They look like country bumpkins, Kaelen."
"Country bumpkins," Kaelen repeated, savoring the words. "I love it. Did you all chip in together to afford those uniforms? Or does your academy just not care enough to give you proper gear?"
Renna’s hand twitched toward her bow.
Lyra’s eyes went cold.
Emric adjusted his glasses.
And Holden stepped forward.
He didn’t flex his aura. He didn’t square his shoulders or look threatening. He just walked up to the counter and stood next to Kaelen, then glanced over at him like he had only just noticed the boy was there.
"Hey," Holden said.
Kaelen raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"
Holden stared at the reflective plates on Kaelen’s armor, then the diamonds and the glitter.
"Nice armor," Holden said. "Very shiny."
Kaelen preened. "Thank you. It’s custom-forged with—"
"Looks like a disco ball."
The silence that followed was absolute.
"A what?" Kaelen’s smile froze.
"A disco ball," Holden said calmly. "You know, those round shiny things they hang from ceilings at parties? You spin around and light goes everywhere?"
He gestured vaguely at Kaelen’s armor.
"Careful walking in the sun with that thing. You might blind yourself."
A snort came from somewhere behind them. Then another. The teams from other academies who had been watching the exchange started laughing. Quietly at first, then louder.
Kaelen’s face turned red.
"You little—" He reached for Holden’s collar.
Two security guards appeared from nowhere, cutting the tension in a flash.
"Sir, please step back," one guard said to Kaelen. "No physical altercations in the check-in area."
Kaelen’s hand trembled with rage. "Do you know who I am?! I’m Kaelen Zack! Heir to the Zack duchy! This street rat just insulted me!"
"And he’ll be dealt with if he breaks tournament rules," the guard said flatly. "Until then, please wait your turn in line like everyone else."
Kaelen looked like he wanted to scream.
Holden turned back to the counter, where the check-in official was trying very hard to hide a smile.
"Vanguard Academy," Holden said. "Team Soup. Here for the National Academy Wars."
The official handed him a packet with five room keys and a schedule.
"Welcome to the Capital," she said.
Holden took the keys, tucked them in his pocket, and walked past Kaelen without another glance.
"Enjoy the disco ball," he said over his shoulder.
Team Soup followed him out of the building, leaving Kaelen sputtering behind them.