Aliquam: Academy of the Arts“COME ON GUYS WE’RE HERE!” Dylan yelled, dashing ahead of the group. It had been a little over a week since they had left Abatheo, and though they had said goodbye to some of their closest friends Dylan had something to perk him up. The morning after the farewell party, when Estelle had announced the next stop on their trip, Dylan had nearly fallen out of his chair in glee.
He was going home, back to Aliquam. It had been nearly a year since he had left, and though he had his fair share of bad memories of people who had given him a reason to leave in the first place, he had so many more good ones. The entire time they traveled he couldn’t shut up about the school, his teachers, the art, and his sister. He was so excited, in fact, that the first thing he did after they checked in with the Aliquam Guild was drag them over to the Academy.
The Academy rose tall over the town, dwarfing it with it’s sheer size. It was grand and elegant, the intricate detail on the scaffolding just as much a work of art as anything else inside it. The Adacamy had three wings with the back open to a stunning view of the ocean. The sides hosted the living quarters, one side for the teachers and the others for the students.The actual Academy was in a front wing, which hosted the classrooms and auditoriums.The Senior Exhibitions would be held in the great courtyard, a open air party which attracted artists from across the continent, coming out to see the greatest young talent of the year.
“Trust me guys, you’re going to love it. Oh Aislin, I can’t believe we made it in time for the Exhibitions!” He lead them into the courtyard, which was filled with throngs of students milling about. On normally days it was fairly quiet, filled with students who needed some time to breathe and relax. But this day was different. Scattered about were paintings, sculptures, photos and even some striking pieces of floral arrangements. The students seemed to travel in packs, their laughter rising through the din of conversation. The energy was infectious as it was a time of celebration and happiness.
“So what do you want to see first?” he asked, turning around to the Pride. “The paintings are always my favorites, but those floral arrangements are simply inspired this year.”
“Dylan?!!”
A bouncing bundle of blonde hair emerged from the crowd, running over to the where the Pride was and tackled Dylan, nearly knocking the matter artist to the ground. “Oh Dyl I can’t believe you’re back!”
Dylan laughed, spinning around to hug the girl. “Dalia! I’ve missed you too. Hey hey everyone - I gotta introduce you to someone.” Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he turned her to the group. “This is Dalia, my older sister! She’s one of the Priestesses here. Dalia, this is the Pride - I’ve been traveling with them for a while now. We’re Guilders.” He puffed out his chest. “We’re
really good Guilders.”
Dalia beamed at them, stepping forward to shake their hands and offer random hugs to those who would take them. “Really? My baby brother’s a Guilder now? You are going to have to explain that to me later. Please, come enjoy the Exhibitions. There’s something for everyone.”
“I want to see the flowers - did Rose do them?” Dylan was already getting distracted. He was itching to mingle with the students, since he knew a few of them from before he left.
“Oh, hold on, you’ve got all afternoon.” She turned to the Pride, slipping back into proper Priestess mode. “So, what do you guys want to see? I’d love to show you around.”