Expedition Wonderstruck (1)

“Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. Although one can equally say that about a shriek from the bottom of the ocean, or within the vast wilderness or depths of the Earth. Somebody needs to be there to hear you scream in the first place. Which is why tomorrow is going to be the best beginning of someone’s new life ever!” Exclaimed Alexandre while looking towards the starry sky above and then to his dear friends and classmates from the past four years.

“Why are you trying to be poetic again? Weren’t you the one who said words probably won’t be able to describe what we’re going to see starting tomorrow?” Replied Javier to his admittingly melodramatic friend from the Académie Ronsterdraum. Atop the Tour skiée étoilée the wind seemed to block out everything but his friend’s boisterous voice, especially on one of the major balconies adjoined to the ball room. It was expected, at this kind of engagement, to keep your hair and suit respectable, hence why most of their classmates were enjoying their graduation party inside where the main festivities were being held. Something Javier looked back towards despite how his three friends obviously held a sincere interest and found a deep and alluring fascination with where the Légions d’expédition were sending each one of them. Not to say Javier wasn’t of course, whatever lied beyond the blue horizon of the océan saphir was theorized for centuries by all Arcanasia and the whole of Europia. Theories and postulations that of course were of a considerable interest to Javier, it’s just that he did have people at the academy that he wanted to see again before embarking on the voyage.

What caught his gaze was an opulent scene to say the least, everywhere one looked was a young maiden in eloquent attire and hair dress, accompanied by all manner of stalwart young men in tailored suits and dapper accessories. The twelve outer chandeliers and seven inward ones that beckoned the denizens of the floor to look upwards cast illustrious light on what would usually be a relatively dim chiaroscuro in accordance with what the ballroom usually exhibited when formal occasion did not demand otherwise. Yes, a royal or noble wedding, celebration of the grande révolte, there were many other good reasons to hold a lavish celebration at the top of the tower. However, this was a special occasion even by those standards given the sheer potential of what could unfold from this juncture. Something Javier staunchly chastised his three friends over.

Alexandre had his face hidden to Javier once more, the back of his reddish-blonde hair visible to the young man as he gazed upwards at the stars once more, no doubt having an inwardly ballistic expression for the imagination as to what planets and moons he would discover come tomorrow morning. He was always particularly fascinated with just what was beyond there, always bringing up some astronomer’s latest findings, or what some pictures of the galaxy held for society at large. He was almost transfixed on it all when he first got into the academy, and still held onto it, like a drowning man holds onto a hand pulling him from the turbulent depths. A fact that made all his professors rather irascible, as he always found some way to link the subject matter at hand back to some, usually tangentially related, matter having to do with outer space.

Regardless, his laser-like focus was once more attuned to the night sky, as it was on several occasions when he could be found with his own telescope atop the tower. Nothing particularly new with all that as one can probably imagine. It was his other two friends who were acting with particularly peculiar tendencies this evening.

Taking a step around Alexandre and one could see both Lionel and Romain, each gazing out at the horizon despite it being the dead of night and only the stars above and buildings of Ronsterdaum below giving off enough illumination as to ascertain anything at all. The rest was merely blackness and void in the night hours.

“What flora and fauna do you think will be out there?” Abruptly asked the Golden-haired spectator to the less than enthusiastic Javier. Lionel had to ask with a slight inclination to yell over the high winds of the tower, his brilliant blue eyes tinging with a slight green hue masked tragically by the dim light.

“You’re the biologist. How should I know, especially since this must be the thousandth time you’ve asked?” Replied Javier in an annoyed tone. He understood the excitement, being able to catalogue and document all manners of beast and bramble in the colonies and their myriads of jungles and deserts, forests and caves was something that, like Alexandre, was a lifelong dream and passion of Lionel. Every botany, zoology, ecology, other “ologies” having to do with the life sciences was voraciously taken up by this young man, and enough was never enough. Discovering all manner of things that crawled under the debris of the trees, or slithered and swam in the ocean, or made its domains the skies above was what Lionel was hell bent on doing for the whole of his remaining days. A fact he was more than happy to recite at regular intervals. He was getting annoyed now and looked towards Romain.

“Let’s see if my other buddy can trump this antisocial behavior, we’re all exhibiting in front of our friends and faculty” Javier said in relation to his last associate of the quartet, someone who had gone from gazing off into nothingness to gazing downward.

“You think the ancients looked down upon their own cities and wondered the same thing?” He said, proving Javier’s suspicion and failing to oblige the common courtesy of eye contact.

“I mean, we really don’t know for sure how far back written history goes, or even how many times writing was lost and then found again.”

“Here’s this spiel again.” Thought Javier in response to this now trite exposition he apparently was being forced to listen to once more.

“I mean, we constantly find new ruins and artifacts from thousands of years ago, our professors make clear note of this. It’s only a matter of time before we stumble across something truly ancient in the excavation trenches or the ruins of some long lost something or other.”

“And I’ll be the one to find it, yeah, yeah.” Interjected Javier.

“I swear, I know we’re all excited, after four years of intense academics and military and/or magical training we’re all chomping at the bits, especially since the legions let us in. But it’s not every day where someone can meet so many members of the regency, we should get out of our own heads and try to be grounded and enjoy what’s right in front of us.” Remarked Javier, he was always the one who made a return to practicality and reason within this motley group of his. Usually, students at the academy were content with fellow students in their disciplines to make friends with, these four were so enigmatically eccentric with it all they had to look elsewhere for just the right kind of crazy.

Against Javier’s intentions however, this little attempt at reprimanding had little effect in the intended manner, and merely incited backlash from his three companions. In a sudden flurry of words and figures each simply made their adamant nature about what was going to transpire in their heads known, enough to drown out the wind and the tapping of the regent’s spoon on his champagne container. Whilst the four were carrying on, he began his speech for the evening in front of everyone in attendance.

“Once more I would like to congratulate the graduating class of the academy, a feat no doubt unsubstantial considering the rigor in merely entering its student body in the first place. Four years of intense study and training at the behest of the passionate faculty by the many of you is by no means unrecognized, and your imminent service to crown and country will no doubt help greatly in furthering the profound glory and greatness of Arcanasia at large.” As all of this was being said, the excitement of our motley crew of social oddballs was becoming more frantic, even rather manneristic with all assortments of overzealous movements and reenactments being done: Lionel and Romain impersonating fierce monsters and historical figures respectively; Alexandre jumping on the ledge imitating the propulsion from the mana gate and all that would unfold soon. The only one showing restraint of course be Javier.

“Though our battles will be numerous’ in war, science, and the arts; our focus and resolve, our self-discipline that we’ve honed in the classroom and the training yard will no doubt allow us to see through the onerous tasks before us.” Alexandre proceeded to slip, toppling headfirst over the edge of the balcony to his incredulous surprise, Javier was the only one who noticed and immediately grabbed in by his left foot, the overexcited graduate now dangling a solid 1,000 feet in the air above the gardens, statues, and other symbols of refined elegance that generally accompanied national treasures.

“Worst comes to worst, whether fiends in the darkness, or rivals at our borders…”

“You two stop it and help me!!!” Screamed Javier at his two friends who failed to notice the predicament. They promptly noticed what had happened and proceeded to lend their might towards pulling their companion back to safety from the clutch of gravity. A series of hard pulls and mishaps that could have resulted in the four of them never embarking on their grand journeys ensued.

“Prove stronger, faster, or more tactful in their approaches; we will always be united as alumni at the most prestigious academy of the land.” The three friends who did not almost fall victim to the precipice had then succeeded in pulling their fourth to safety, something wild expressions made clear but were masked by the regent’s speech at the party they might as well have not been attending. Javier sighed, looking downward at the talisman his father had handed down to him; the insignia of the world with its oceans and seas given a distinct texture on one side, the ship his father captained on the other. Looking to the representation of the H.E.S Sea Horse always made him feel more resolve in the face of hard obstacles. He, and his three friends for that matter, knew that great adventures and heralding challenges were ahead in their near futures. That they would most likely be forced to face their pasts and even their own demons with the onerous tasks and missions set before them by the legion. At this point, with the biting wind of the high tower serving as a grim reminder of venturing into the unknown, away from the light and splendor of Ronsterdraum and Arcanasia at large, something told the young man he was heading in the vicinity of something amazing.

A truly fantastic and otherworldly venture into a surely marvelous expedition of the wonderstruck.