The Distant Trail Of Ciara Badvia

The Saria Magic Academy
Part 1: The Solzarand Royal Castle

IN THE CAPITAL CITY OF SARIA: WHITE CASTLE

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

A carriage was driving on a rough road, rocking irregularly.

The rural town of Lily didn’t have much interaction with other towns. That was only natural, considering it was nestled in the rugged mountains and with its small population of not more than ten thousand. However, the royal capital of Saria—a bustling city with relatively active trade, and the place Tyril was heading to—had frequent interactions with Lily. For that reason, a broad road had been cleared in recent years so that a two-horse carriage can make its way to and fro.

But as broad as it was, it was still an unpaved road that cut through a steep, dense forest. Tyril was currently on this road, aboard an elegant carriage adorned with green and gold decorations. Almost like a carriage one might take to a party hosted by a prince in a fairy tale, it had a splendid roof and was furnished with plush leather seats. Even so, Tyril was starting to show signs of fatigue from the long journey—though it might not be appropriate for a passenger like her to say as much.

“Are you all right?”

Tyril heard Theodore’s concerned voice from the coachman’s seat. He was a young man with short, reddish-brown hair that was close to orange, accentuating his handsome and slender face. Despite actually being an envoy from the royal castle, he looked more like a traveler who didn’t have much money because of his seemingly cheap cloak and poorly tailored navy shirt.

Throughout this long journey, it was Theodore’s attentiveness that ensured Tyril’s comfort countless times. She felt that the distance between them also shrunk considerably.

Tyril was starting to feel a bit queasy and fatigued from the unfamiliar mode of travel, but she felt the need to show him that she was fine. She lightly slapped her own cheeks before showing a smiling face toward the small window in front of her.

“Yes, I’m okay!”

“We’ll be there soon, so please hold on for just a bit longer.”

“Right!” she replied, her cheeks twitching slightly.

Tyril glanced out the left window. The pale green scenery, still covered in patches of snow here and there, stretched out endlessly—a sight that had become tiresome to Tyril, who had grown up in the mountains. The view initially excited her upon leaving the town, but the motion sickness paired with gazing at the same scenery over and over transformed her excitement into weariness. Still, she tried her best to put on a brave front, returning smiles and occasionally starting conversations with Theodore, her only companion for this journey.

“We’re almost there. We’ve already come quite a ways down the mountain. Once we pass through this mountain road, Saria will be right in front of us.”

“Don’t worry about me,” she said, hurriedly waving him away with both hands.

The young envoy’s words did gradually soothe Tyril, but she knew her words didn’t sound convincing. Making sure her smile didn’t slip, Tyril opened the window to let the air in and shake off her nausea. The cool breeze caressed her cheeks, bringing a pleasant feeling. Surprisingly, despite traveling on a snowy mountain road, the inside of the carriage stayed warm. It was likely due to Theodore’s magic.

Soon, the smell of the wind took a refreshing change..

They were right in front of Saria, the royal capital.

*****

Clatter, clatter, clatter.

Tyril felt the rocking of the carriage grow fainter after they passed through the mountain path and entered a vast, open field. For someone who grew up in the mountains like her, the sight of the flat and gently sloping plains dotted with houses and open spaces filled with livestock was all so new and fascinating. She couldn’t help but act like a child, running her eyes over everything in sight with excitement.

The most eye-catching sight was the white cityscape ahead. Towering within it were two tall spires, with green flags fluttering at their peaks. Tyril leaned out of the carriage and gasped in awe, easily recognizing that it was Saria.

“Those towers belong to the royal castle, Follantia,” Theodore informed her from his seat.

He seemed delighted; for him, the royal capital was his hometown, a place that brought him comfort and familiarity. On top of that, he had just accomplished the mission entrusted to him. Seeing Theodore smile got Tyril to feel a small burst of joy as well.

Eventually, the road transitioned into cobble, changing the sound of the carriage and lessening the rocking once more. Tyril realized that they entered the city.

As they went farther in, the number of houses and shops lining the streets increased, as did the bustling crowd of people and horses, creating a lively and chaotic atmosphere. There were butchers, fishmongers, and a bustling market where women gathered to prepare dinner. The post office was a three-story building—three times the size of anything the town of Lily had. There was a flower shop displaying flowers she’d never seen before, as well as a larger and neater bookstore than the one she frequented. Right next to it was a printing shop. An open-air cafe had its tables on the side of the cobbled road, offering tea and cakes mostly to young women. Likewise, a tavern with a similar setup provided alcohol and sausages to men, even though it was still early in the day.

Every sight was new to Tyril. She turned her head left and right, sighing at every little thing she saw until she got dizzy.

“Saria was designed with the royal castle and the magic academy at its center. From there, four main roads extended north, south, east, and west,” Theodore explained, looking back at Tyril as he did. “The city’s developed along those four roads.

“Each street has enough shops to cater to a small town, but they don’t sell everything. This street we’re in, North Main Avenue, it’s known to offer a lot of edible mountain vegetables and meat from wild animals, and there are also plenty of cheap hotels for travelers. I know rural towns like Lily have those in abundance, but…”

Theodore continued to chatter away, but Tyril only heard him faintly because of her excitement.

A while later, the carriage finally arrived at the town’s central plaza, right at the foot of the royal castle.

It was, in a word, majestic—a pure white castle surrounded by walls twice as tall as Tyril. The walls and roofs of the ancillary buildings were all a shining white as well, while the spires, in contrast to how they seemed so beautiful from afar, now had an apprehensive feel to them.

With a sigh, Tyril remembered something she had read in a book before. It spoke of the Solzarand Kingdom’s King Elm I, the nation’s first king, and the reconstruction of Saria Castle during his reign into Follantia Castle, otherwise known as “White Castle.”

Tyril gulped in awe. With its color and imposing and frightening majesty, it certainly was an apt name.

They skirted around the castle, approaching the main gate on the east side. The carriage gradually slowed as they arrived at the open gate, where two guards in dark-green military uniforms stood holding their swords. Theodore slowed down even further and signaled to the guards as they entered. Tyril, too absorbed by the scene, forgot to nod in acknowledgment to the guard as they passed, but she did so behind the guard’s back even though they weren’t looking.

Theodore finally stopped the carriage in front of the castle entrance, at the far end of a large garden. He released the reins and alighted the carriage, then turned to Tyril, beaming.

“Here we are.”

—————

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