On the horizon, just in front of the sunrise, was a winged hulk of white and black metal, seeming to glide effortlessly through the air. Its hull was beautifully immaculate. No dents or tarnish or rust. It was like it was brand new. The bird lacked propellers or rotor blades, its wings instead rowing back and forth like a pair of flippers. Chances were good that Dust provided most of the actual power which allowed the craft to soar like it did. Slowly, the airship closed the distance between itself and the pier, extending a ramp as it drew closer. There was a dull clang and a gaseous hiss when the ramp locked into the pier, and then the door slid open, allowing the students to disembark.
One person in the crowd seemed to have a great deal of difficulty keeping his balance as he stumbled down the length of the ramp, before allowing himself to collapse on his knees when he was off the pier. The student- a young, muscular man with wild, spiky brown hair tied back into a waist-long ponytail -quickly began dry-heaving, as if he were sick to his stomach and going to throw up. But nothing came of it, and eventually his heaving devolved into violent coughing. "God, I hate flying..." The man grumbled, regaining his composure and looking up from the ground to see his new home.
The sight of the castle which served as Syne Academy's main building left him speechless. The sun reflected off its white walls in such a way that it looked like it had been built from fine crystal, as opposed to stone. The overall style of the architecture reminded him of the fancier buildings back home, in Vale: grand and gothic. Something out of a fairy tale. It was certainly a change from the streets. Rising to his feet, the wild-haired man brushed some dirt off of his white jeans and reached over his shoulder to check if his weapon was still in the rectangular sheath strapped to his back. He smiled when his fingertips brushed against hardened rubber. His hand then shifted to the other shoulder, finding the cracked leather of an old guitar case with its touch. For good luck.
"Well... Guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be." He said to himself, taking in a deep breath as if to psyche himself up for his first day at Syne. His first day as an official Hunter, or at least a Hunter-in-training. Unable to put it off any longer, Freddie began walking across the courtyard, his bright red shoes slapping noisily against the white stone walkway beneath their soles. As he walked, his dark brown eyes remained focused on the castle before him.