CHAPTER 1: ZARISTE CAPITAL
Fantazija is a dimensional world where magic, wealth and prestige are the most important in the entire continent. Zariste Palace rules the entire kingdom, located at Zariste Capital. Fantazija is divided into six primary regions and several small territories. The six primary gods and goddesses, and other minor magical gods together with the powerful Spirit Beast Masters support the entire kingdom with their powers to maintain peace and order. The gods, goddesses and current Masters are also the ones who will pick the next ruler of the kingdom among the King's sons and daughters, before the current ruler's demise.
A royal tournament is also held every year to select powerful Spirit Beast Masters every now and then, to serve and protect Fantazija as the new Royal Masters. They become gurus, educators, trainers, knights and other special positions in the kingdom. Every aspiring Spirit Beast Master trained hard to become a Royal Master.
They join annual tournaments to establish their reputation. Magical Schools also hold Inter-school Spirit Master Tournament yearly. They train the best students in hope to develop the next ruler and Royal Masters of the kingdom.
"Yin!" Czarina called her friend. "Look at these stuff!" She pointed the colorful dresses in one of the stores on the street of Zariste Capital. They just arrived in the center of the kingdom to study in Zariste Masters Academy. Czarina received a scholarship from an unknown sponsor while the villagers supported Yin to hone his skills and they hope he becomes a Royal Master someday.
"We do not have enough money to buy those," Yin complained. "I only have ten thousand silver coins. This is my budget for the whole year." He waved his hand to bring out the pouch of silver coins. It came out from his magical storage wrist band. He looked around and hid it again. "I need to be safe. I don't want to be a victim of thieves."
"My Mom gave me enough for my study." Czarina opened her palm. Two pouches appeared, floating on top of her palm. "Here, fifty thousand silver coins and two thousand gold coins." She closed her palm again to hide her money. One gold coin is equivalent to one hundred silver coins.
"That's from your sponsor?" he asked. "He's really rich."
"Not all. Mom saved fifty thousand silver coins for my study." She smiled. Her Mom supports her dream to become Spiritual Beast Master and be a trainer of the next generation of masters.
"We need to hurry up first," Yin said. "We haven't found the school yet. We are staying at the dormitory, right?"
"I guess so." She kicked a stone on the street, then walked like nothing happened. "Look, it seems that's the school!" She pointed the biggest and grandest infrastructure at the end of the road. The large compound has several tall buildings, and the one at the center is the biggest. Its colors are combination of blue and white. The school is surrounded by a high stone fence and a black gate.
"What an enormous infrastructure they have!" Yin's eyes were wide and his jaw dropped.
"There's nothing like this in our village," Czarina said it in a matter-of-fact statement. "Everything here is amazing."
They both stood up at the front gate, still looking at the whole picture of the school. It says Zariste Masters Academy at the top of the gate. They were busy imagining things when hey heard the arrival of a carriage and a few soldiers assisting it. They moved a bit to give way to the carriage. The gate automatically opened to let them in.
"He must be a prince or something," Yin said. They followed the carriage as it enters the school ground. A few students started to enter the school campus, too.
"What do you think will happen to us here?" Yin asked.
"I don't know," Czarina responded. "I feel excited and anxious at the same time."
The carriage stopped at the front of main building's entrance door. It's currently open to welcome new students. The chauffeur stepped down and opened the carriage door. A handsome guy appeared from it. He's tall with a fair complexion and a small face. His light brown eyes matches his long, white, silky hair. The soldiers and the chauffeur bowed at him.
"This will be your school, Prince Kev," the chauffeur said.
"Thank you, Alfred. You may go now," Prince Kev said.
"But Prince---"
Prince Kev raised his hand to stop him from speaking again. "I'll be fine here. Don't worry. I can manage myself." He brushed his hair and the wind blew it. The girls walking and passing by looked at him and giggled.
"He is so handsome," one of the girls said.
"I know him! I saw him last week at the Queen's ball! He was beside her for a few minutes then he was gone," the other girl said. "He's a prince, we have no chance."
"We should hurry up and fix ourselves in the mirror!" the third girl excitedly said. She started running and the other two followed.
Prince Kev shook his head. "You can leave now, Alfred. Bring them, too." He pointed at the ten soldiers in gold armor.
"If you say so, Prince," Alfred said, giving up. He went back to the carriage and started leaving the campus together with the soldiers.
He looked around, he saw Czarina and Yin. "Hey, are you both students here?"
They also looked around to see if the prince was taking to them. "Are you talking to us?"
"Yes, of course. We're the only ones here." The prince laughed.
"I-I'm sorry. It's not everyday we could talk to a prince." Czarina awkwardly smiled.
"You can call me Kev, then," the prince offered.
"Hell, no!" She shook her head. "Do you want me to be beheaded?"
"Why would you be? I was the one who told you to call me Kev." He scratched his head. "Yeah, I'm Kev. You are?" He offered his hand to them.
Yin accepted his hand first and shook it. "I'm Yin, she's Czarina." Yin grabbed Cazarina's hand and placed it on Kev's hand. He shook it for them. She gave him a strange look.
"Anyway, you're a student here?" Kev asked again.
"We're about to move in. We're pretty new like you," Czarina replied. She felt comfortable with him. "He seems odd, but he's nice," she said to herself.
"Let's get in and look for the Principal's Office." Kev walked in first, Czarina and Yin followed him.