Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Gaius leaned back in his seat, as the freight train rumbled around the curves of the mountainous terrain. The train ride from Nord to Roer was a long one, but the ride was surprisingly gentle. The rhythmic rocking of the carriage almost lulled the man to sleep. As if out of habit, he reached for the medallion in his pocket, and gave it a small squeeze, his thumb tracing over the golden chalice inscribed upon it. He’d only left a few hours ago, but he was already worried about his family back home. His sister Sheeda gave him a ribbon to tie his hair up, which he wore with pride. The patterns on the red ribbon were emblematic of his homeland. It was supposed to give him the blessings of the wind and safety on his travels, so he accepted it gratefully. Keeping the long strands of brown hair out of his eyes was an added bonus.

“I know I’ve said it before, but the Thors uniform really looks good on you.” The conductor said with an easygoing smile. Not many civilians ever had a need to travel to Nord, but the train lines were necessary to export goods and services from Nord and vice versa. And so, Gaius had gotten to know the conductor a little better during this train ride. Turns out he loved to talk, which made the train ride a lot more comfortable for Gaius. He could carry a conversation, but preferred to go with the flow and let others take the lead.

“I’m glad you think so.” He said, blushing a little bit. “I’ve never worn a uniform like this, it feels a little strange to me honestly.” He gave a languid stretch, letting the sleeves of his uniform stretch with him.

The conductor laughed. “I wouldn’t worry about it. You’ll be feeling natural in it in no time flat.” The conductor looked over him again and smiled. “Besides, I don’t think I remember Thors ever having a red jacket for their uniform, they’d normally give you a green one.”

“I’m more partial to the red myself.” Gaius looked out the window and smiled. “It amazes me just how different Erebonia is to Nord, and I’ve only seen it through the window of this train.”

“It’s a pretty interesting place, that’s for sure. I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun with your new school life.” The conductor said in a jovial tone, before handing Gaius a paperback book. “Here, consider this a gift from me.”

Gaius looked down at the cover of the book and scratched his head. “Red Moon Rose?”

“Give it a flip through when you’re feeling bored, it’s a pretty interesting story. A dramatic tale of the ancient vampires of Erebonia. Some say it’s even non-fiction, but I think they’re crazy.” He handed Gaius the luggage he had stored away. “We’ll be arriving in Roer in a couple of minutes here, you aren’t forgetting anything are you?”

Gaius looked down at his luggage and smiled. His spare clothes, the gifts from his family members, and the wooden cross spear, wrapped up for transport purposes were all there. Thors was a military academy after all, training in a specific weapon was part and parcel of the education experience there. The cross spear had been something he trained with his whole life, so it was only natural he’d bring it with him. “It looks like I have everything. Thank you for all you’ve done, sir. And I really appreciate you giving me this book.”

He just shook his head. “Think nothing of it, I’m just glad to be able to have a conversation with more than the engineer and a bunch of horses.” he chuckled. “May the wind grant you safe travels.”

Gaius laughed. “That’s not quite how it goes, but I appreciate the thought.” The train settled into its destination, coming to rest gracefully under the engineer’s steady hand. Gaius grabbed his luggage, and stepped off into a brand new world.

---

The sights were dizzying. The city of Roer was a maze of tunnels, a sea of skyscrapers and iron, a world filled with industry. He could barely catch his breath, as he struggled to find exactly where platform number one was. A world of people caught in a turbulent flow, always in a hurry. It would have struck him as silly, if it wasn’t so disorienting. He looked above the crowd of people, but still couldn’t find a way through.

“Pardon me!” A girl’s voice called out from the distance. Gaius turned to regard it, and lost his breath for a moment. Fair white skin, long blonde hair, and sparkling ruby eyes greeted him. He didn’t know who this girl was, but judging by the familiar red blazer that she wore, she was a Thors Military Academy student, just like he was. “Are you looking for the train to Heimdallr?”

Gaius nodded, regaining his composure. “Yes, I need to go to Heimdallr, and then transfer to Trista.” He said, waving his ticket around. ”Unfortunately I have no idea where I’m going, this place is a maze.”

She chuckled softly. “Well, Roer is pretty hard to navigate. Just follow me, platform 1 is this way.” She said, striding forward with the utmost confidence. Gaius quickly got to following her, weaving through the crowds of people. He found his eyes drawn to the girl’s milky white thighs, peeking out of her long boots. He quickly shook his head to distract himself from those thoughts.

“I haven’t introduced myself.” Gaius said over the din of the crowd.

“Tell me when we get on the train, we don’t have a lot of time before it departs.” She said, hurrying the man on. The two danced through the surging waves of people, before finally reaching their destination. Quickly stowing their luggage in the proper compartments, the pair found their seats, and finally relaxed.

“That was something else.” Gaius said, shaking his head. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that.”

“Luckily the transfer in Heimdallr should be a bit less chaotic. They run more trains, so the wait won’t be too bad even if we miss one on the way.” She said calmly. “I take it this is your first time coming to Erebonia, judging by how flustered you were.” She tilted her head inquisitively.

Gaius smiled, the girl had some rather cute expressions, and he couldn’t help but blush a little. “You’re right. This is my first time in this country. I’m Gaius Worzel, by the way. What’s your name?”

She snapped to attention. “Oh, I must have been so rude to you. My name is Alisa Rei...” She quickly cut herself off. “Alisa R. It’s nice to meet you, Gaius.”

It felt like a strange way to introduce herself, but Gaius didn’t mind. Some people were less forthcoming about things, and it was important to respect that about them. It didn’t stop him from wondering though. “I see you have the red jacket as well, Miss Alisa.” He said, looking over the seated people in the train. He noticed a boy in red, face buried in a newspaper, but his raven hair was striking in the early morning light. “I can see one other person has it as well, but most of the students on this train are wearing green.”

“Maybe it means we’re classmates?” Alisa said with a chuckle. “If so, then I’m really glad I was able to help you out. Erebonia is a really big country, but I hope you get to enjoy your time here.”

“Likewise. A lot of this is new to me, so I’m glad I found someone I can talk to.” Gaius laughed. “I’m honestly really nervous about all of this.” The train lurched as the engine was stoked, slowly moving the carriage forward. The throngs of people returned to their seats, leaving the two of them alone in a pod. “This is my first time riding a passenger train, I’m not sure if there is something more I should be doing or…”

“You’re fine, Gaius.” She said with a smile. “But I can’t imagine never having ridden a train before. Just where are you from?”

“I’m from the Nord Highlands.” Gaius said with more pride in his voice than he had thought. “My tribe is nomadic, so we move from place to place based on the season, carrying our supplies on horse-drawn wagons. Though there is an orbal car in the village, if we need to travel somewhere quickly.”

“Wow, that must have been quite the culture shock.” she said, grazing her hand against the window. “I’m sure seeing Roer with all the tall buildings and energy converters must have been quite a shock. I can’t even imagine what you’d do if that orbal car in your village broke down.” Responding to Gaius’ confusion she continued. “Oh, the energy converters are those big conical towers. They produce the energy needed to run all the factories in the city. The process is quite interesting when you get down to the science of it. See the-” She stopped suddenly, “Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to get so technical on you.”

Gaius laughed. “I don’t mind. You remind me a lot of the hermit who lives on the highlands. Every now and then he comes down to the village to share some fish he caught, or to do some maintenance on the machinery in the village. He’s a really lively guy, he always loved talking about orbal engineering, and about how cute his granddaughter is.” He shook his head. “And now I’m remembering all the times he tried to tell me we’d be a cute couple like she was some kind of prize he could give away. He’s a good dude, but kind of a pervert if I have to be blunt.”

Alisa started to laugh, but something set in that caused her to change her tune. “Uh, this might be a strange question, but do you happen to know that hermit’s name?”

“Oh of course, his name was Gwyn Reinford…” Gaius stopped as he took in the aghast reaction on Alisa’s face. “Oh, I see now.”

Alisa hid her head in her hands. “Grandfather…!?” she mumbled under her breath as a mixture of embarrassment and rage reverberated in her voice.

“So you’re Alisa Reinford, huh.” Gaius gave an easy smile, “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

She screamed into her bag, trying her best not to cause a scene, or to show Gaius her blushing face. After a few minutes of watching Alisa panic, arrange every item in her handbag, pour them all out, and do it again, she finally calmed down enough to say something. “This is so embarrassing.” She pouted, “I thought I’d be able to keep my identity a secret…”

Gaius shrugged. “I wouldn’t worry about it. If you want me to stay quiet about it, I will.” He said, rubbing the back of his head. “We all have things we don’t want out in the open.”

She gave a resigned groan. “If it was that easy for you to suss out, then it was silly of me to hide it in the first place.” She looked up at him, causing him to blush again. “So you know my grandfather, huh. ” She mumbled something that sounded like an apology under her breath, but Gaius didn't hear what she said.

“I guess I do. He wouldn’t stay in Nord all year long, but during the summer months he seemed to enjoy his retirement up there.” Gaius said, “I learned a lot from him, he’d lend me a book every time he’d drop by the village, and I’d burn through it in time for him to lend me another the next time he came around.”

“You’re an avid reader?”

“Yep, call it one of my stranger hobbies.” Gaius said, “but I’ll read through anything, whether it be a history book, a research paper, or even something like this.” He pulled out the copy of Red Moon Rose the conductor gifted him. “I haven’t started on it yet, but it sounds pretty interesting from the synopsis.”

“Oh, that’s a good one!” Alisa said with a wide smile, “I won’t spoil it for you though, you need to read it for yourself.” She seemed to relax again, which gave Gaius some peace of mind. The two of them continued to talk about each other and their experiences, though at Alisa’s behest, Gaius didn’t push her about her family. From the sounds of it, it was a complicated situation, and he didn’t want to pressure this cute girl he had just met.

Despite that, they really got along, and barely noticed the passing of time. In a lull, he’d read bits of the book, and share his thoughts with Alisa as they travelled. Before they knew it, the intercom sounded out. “The Ministry of Railways would like to thank you for taking the Nortia Main Line to it’s terminus. Now arriving in Heimdallr Central Station. Please make sure to take all your belongings before leaving the train.”

“We’re here already?” Alisa could barely hide the surprise in her voice. “The train shouldn’t be able to achieve that kind of speed with its specs… unless they-”

Gaius looked over at the clock attached to the cabin wall. “It’s been about 4 hours. It’s a little earlier than expected, but that was about how long you said it would take." he chuckled, "But wow, you really are into all things mechanical, if you know this train’s specs off the top of your head.”

“Well it is a Reinford Company train after all, I should know at least this much.” She said with a smirk. “C’mon, I’m sure Heimdallr Station is going to be even busier than Roer’s was, especially at this time of day. Wouldn’t want you getting lost on your first day because you couldn’t make the transfer.”

“I’ll be counting on you, Alisa.” He said, following the blonde off of the train. True to her word, Heimdallr Station was chaos. There were 10 separate lines, each going in different directions, spanning across Erebonia like the spokes of a wheel. It truly was the beating iron heart of the empire. He knew the town that Thors was located in was close to the capital, but he wanted to see the city with his own eyes.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t time for that. There were a few extra minutes to make the transfer sure, but not enough time to do anything else but wait for its arrival. “Well, we made it to the right platform.” Alisa said, looking at the crowd of people. “Plenty of Thors students in this group, but you’re right, it looks like the uniforms are mostly green ones, with a white one here or there.”

“So it seems.” Gaius said, looking at his transfer ticket. “From the looks of it, we won’t be seatmates for the rest of the trip. They have me in car 4.”

“Yeah, I’m in car 2, so it looks like this is goodbye for now. But if our guess is right, we’ll probably be seeing each other in class, Gaius.” She gave him a bright smile. “I’m looking forward to studying with you. Just make sure you remember not to get on the express train, that one skips over Trista and goes straight to Celdic en route to Crossbell.”

“Understood. Thanks a lot Alisa, I’m looking forward to talking to you again.” Gaius waved and moved down the platform to where the car would be waiting for him. He couldn’t help but smile, if all Erebonians were as nice as she was, this might be more fun than he thought it would be.

As he scanned the crowds, he noticed a few more red blazers in the sea of greens and whites. There were plenty of businessmen too, so it was quite a collection of people. He had never been in such a large crowd for so long, the presence was overwhelming to say the least. He saw Alisa, and that black haired boy with the red jacket over at the second car’s waiting area, and he walked by another pair of boys wearing the red uniform. They seemed to be chatting up a storm, so Gaius didn’t want to interrupt their conversation. He still ended up listening in, despite it being rude to eavesdrop, his ears just seemed to pick up what they were saying. He learned very quickly that their names were Machias and Elliott, and that they had wildly varying degrees of excitement for their new academy life.

His eavesdropping was interrupted by the sudden gust of wind raging from the western tunnel. It appeared that his train had arrived. “All passengers boarding the Kreuzen Main Line Train, proceed to platform number 3. Please stay behind the line until the train has reached a full stop. Thank you for your patience.”

The train ride from Heimdallr to Trista was a lot shorter, and without someone to talk to, a lot quieter. Gaius just watched out the window, as the scenery changed. The air was a lot clearer outside of the city, and the wind seemed to be almost whimsical as they drew towards their destination. The bloom of unfamiliar flowers immediately caught Gaius’ eye as they drew closer, the pink petals falling from the trees created an almost romantic appearance. ‘Those must be lino flowers…” Gaius mumbled under his breath, enchanted by the sight.

He stepped off the train, confident he had all of his gear, and strode into the town proper. Unlike Roer and Heimdallr, it wasn’t loaded with people, cars and machinery, but instead it had a homier atmosphere to it. The tallest building in this town, aside from the imposing schoolhouse to the north, was the church, it’s golden chalice a beacon for all people in need of guidance. There were plenty of homes situated along the river that flowed through the town, and the pink petals of the lino trees bathed the town in an almost ethereal tranquility. It wasn’t quite like home, but Gaius felt like he could relax here.

The opening ceremony wasn’t until noon, so he had an hour or so to wait before it got started. There were plenty of students already making their way towards the academy gates, but Gaius had other business he needed to attend to first. He had made it safely to his destination after all, it was only right that he offered a prayer to the goddess for looking out for him. He made his way to the church, and greeted the father, before taking a set in one of the pews.

His prayer was interrupted by another. He looked to see a young woman, dressed in the green uniform of Thors. Her figure was alluring, and Gaius couldn’t help but be drawn to her curves. Were all the blonde women of Erebonia this pretty? “My apologies for interrupting you. Are you mister Worzel?”

“I am.” The woman smiled and handed him a letter. Her face held a neutral and inscrutable gaze, but in that instant she reminded Gaius of the heroine of the book he was reading on the train.

“This is for you, from the Second. I suggest you give it a look over before the orientation ceremony.” She looked up with him with her bright blue eyes. “It’s a pleasure to work with you, mister Worzel.”

“Just Gaius is fine.” He said, with strain in his voice. “I’m not really one to stand on ceremony, especially with a fellow student.” She seemed to accept that response, and went on her way, giving him a polite bow.

He looked down at the letter for a while, collecting his thoughts. Though he did come to attend Thors for an opportunity to see new lands, and to understand Erebonia in a better light, there was a second reason for coming here. He carefully undid the seal, and unfolded the letter. It was brief, unlike the lengthy explanations he was used to from the fellow Dominion.

“Gaius, I want to congratulate you on coming to attend Thors. These years will be the most meaningful of your life, of that I am certain. I would like to inform you that your role in this operation is strictly that of an observer. This academy holds many secrets, and with dangerous forces converging upon the empire, the extra hands are much appreciated. For the time being, you’re free to be Gaius Worzel. If the situation changes, we will call upon you to act accordingly. Please dispose of this letter once you have memorized it’s contents.

- II.”

Gaius folded the letter back into its envelope, before enveloping it in a light fire art, incinerating the letter in the blink of an eye. “Just an observer, huh?” His shoulders felt lighter. Ever since his stigma awakened, the church had been keeping tabs on him. As the bearer of said stigma, this was his fate since birth, to be used in their schemes, to serve their purposes. At least for a little while longer, he was free. Free to be just an ordinary student, to learn, to grow, and maybe to love. However, he knew his freedom was tenuous. There would be a time when the Soaring Phoenix would be called to act.

Gaius prayed that day would never come.

---

A small black cat made her way through the crowds of students, unflinching and uncaring at the stares and gazes of the people entranced by her elegant and glossy black fur. She was after all, simply adorable. She made her way down by the river, and after bounding over a fence blocking the way, made her way to her witch. A shy girl with braided hair and a quiet disposition. Her large frameless glasses made her look much meeker than she truly was, not that the girl needed any help with her vision. “Emma.” the cat called out, drawing the purple haired girl’s attention. She shifted slightly, to regard the cat.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that, Celine.” She said in a hushed voice.

“You’re the one who asked for that information in the first place.” Celine groaned. “By my count, there’s eight more of those students wearing red. It’s uncommon, but it should be enough for a small class. Five of them got off of the last train from Heimdallr, while two arrived by car just recently. The last was the white haired girl you met yesterday.”

“With me, that makes nine in total.” Emma said, deep in thought. “Enough for a small class indeed, but I can’t help but wonder why they would have us in different uniforms.”

“Don’t ask me, I don’t care.” Celine said with a harrumph. “Why don’t you just find out when you get there? It wouldn’t do for the number one student on the entrance exams to be late to her own opening ceremony, now would it?”

She nodded. “Fair enough. I wonder what kind of people they put in my class. I wonder if I’m really ready for this...”

Celine groaned. “Just go, you can figure it out from there. Your job is to guide the awakener, if he or she actually shows up. If no awakener does, then I guess you get to enjoy your peaceful school life.”

Emma shook her head. “I don’t think it’ll be that simple. Not with Vita still missing.” She curled her hands into fists, letting her knuckles go white. “I think the time grandmother spoke of is close at hand. With her gone, and the abnormal mana flow here, the treasure Driechels left behind is ready to be passed on again.”

“Then I hope you’re ready, Emma. As much as I’d like to, I can’t take care of this for you.” the cat said, curling up into a ball.

She bit her lip. “I hope so too.” She gathered her belongings and headed back onto the main road, ready to start her new school life. She didn’t see the tall student leaving the church as she bumped right into him, tumbling to the ground.

“Ow…” The man extended a hand to her. His skin was kissed by the sun, and his gray eyes seemed almost magnetic, drawing her into them. “I’m terribly sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going and-”

“No need to worry.” He reached out and helped her up. “I’m alright, I’m far more worried about you though, that sounded like a bad fall.” His voice was like nectar, where in the seven heavens did Aidios find him?

Emma brushed herself off. “I’m alright. Thank you for helping me up. I’m Emma Millstein, what’s your name?” She was entranced by the man in the red blazer, and the warmth of his hand lingering on hers. She wondered how bright her cheeks were right now, thankful her glasses obscured so much of her face.

“Gaius Worzel.” He said politely. “I take it you’re heading to the opening ceremony too?”

“That’s correct. It starts shortly so I’d better hurry.” She wanted to hide her embarrassment and not have to face this hunk of a man.

He nodded. “Let’s go together then. If my hunch is right, we’ll probably be put in the same class. I’d like to talk a little more with you, if that’s alright?”

It was more than alright. Emma thought. “It’s more than alright. It’s perfect.” Emma said, before covering her face. “Uh I mean, I’d be happy too, Gaius!” She already wanted to crawl into a hole and die. But when she took a closer look at the man’s face… Could there be anything more beautiful? He didn’t seem to be judging her, just taking everything in stride, and that reaction helped her relax as well. If this was going to be her new school life, she was definitely looking forward to it. The lino petals that littered the school ground seemed even more breathtaking in his presence.

Chapter Text

A blistering salvo of bullets flew from the boy’s twin pistols, each finding their mark in the titan’s chest. His partner, clad in a leather jumpsuit, delivered the final blow, her fist shattering the rocky monster into tiny pieces. With this, their work for their instructor was done, and he could finally take a break. He quickly checked the energy units on his weapons before shoving them into their holsters.

“Not bad for a day’s work, Crow.” She said with a mirthful chuckle. Angelica Rogner, the daughter of one of the most powerful nobles in the country. Not that she looked anything like the part, with her short purple hair, leather jumpsuit, and propensity to hit on any girl within visual range. Her skills with the eastern martial arts were nothing to scoff at either, and Crow learned quickly to avoid getting on the girl’s bad side.

“Yeah, yeah. I still think we’re doing too much for those kids.” Crow sighed. “Instructor Sara just threw us into this test last year, we had to fight way tougher monsters than they’ll have to.”

Angelica just laughed. “C’mon, no use complaining about it. That new class of theirs will probably be fine with this though.” She cracked her neck and stretched her arms upward.

“May as well get out of here.” Crow wiped the sweat that was pooling under his bandanna, brushing aside a few strands of gray hair. “If these kids can’t handle this place after all we’ve done for them, then this whole Class VII thing is a bust, and I’m complaining to Sara for wasting my time.” Angelica just laughed, not paying any mind to Crow’s gripes.

The pair strode out of the dungeon, the rest of the random monsters far too intimidated by them to even bother attacking. Crow had no problem killing monsters, but he hated wasting energy on small fries. They took the back exit out, not wanting to arouse suspicion from the students making their way into the academy. It was the season of beginnings after all, and oh boy did those red blazers have a hell of beginning waiting for them.

They made their way over to an outcropping, giving them the perfect view of the students wandering into the old schoolhouse.

“Glad you could make it, Crow, Angie.” A tiny student waved at them. Despite her height, and her lack of any traditional feminine features whatsoever, this girl was the academy’s student council president, and the third member of their prototype class. Towa Herschel. Crow had to admit, she could be pretty cute when she smiled, in the sense that a squirrel was pretty cute when observed from a distance.

“The gang’s all here.” The fourth member of their crew arrived, a heavy set young man dressed in a yellow jumpsuit, the traces of donut crumbs lining his tool filled pockets. A real master engineer, the utterly unflappable George Nome. He idly brushed his hands off on his jumpsuit, before finding a nice tree to sit under.

“Yep, everything went pretty well.” Crow said, letting out a yawn. “We took care of the monsters that might cause those new kids trouble.” He looked over to George, “Mind looking at these guys after this?” He said, gesturing to his weapons.

“Of course, leave it to me.” George said with a smile. “But man, we’ve got an interesting bunch this year, the Prince really knows how to pick em, ey Towa?”

Towa smiled, running a hand threw her brown locks. “The prince just gave the board of directors guidelines on what he was looking for. Of course, there was quite a bit of deliberation on who actually got to be part of this class.”

Angie chuckled. “From what I hear from our good friend Vincent Florald, his dear sister didn’t make the cut. They must be cut from a higher cloth than the usual Class I, huh?”

Crow watched the team of students follow the voluptuous Sara Valestein into the entrance of the old schoolhouse. Nine of them, a few he recognized from various places, but others he couldn’t put a name to. Of course George and Towa had met every one of them when they took their weapons, all for the sake of a fun little orienteering exercise. “Nine huh. Five guys, and four chicks, guess they wanted to strike a gender balance as well as a class balance.”

“It was purely coincidental.” Towa said, “but yes, they come from all walks of life, as one would expect from Prince Olivert’s pet project.”

Angie laughed. “I’m glad to see the debaucherous prince has good taste. I know that blonde girl all too well, but those other three are pretty powerful as well. If I collect them all, would I become a goddess?” Angelica’s babbling devolved into nonsense as she went into great detail about the things she would do, given the chance. Crow could only wonder why the world saw fit to throw this insane lesbian at him. Maybe it was karmic punishment, he already knew Aidios had it out for him... He stopped that line of thought. Nah, no sense in blaming it on anything but my own luck.

“So, run us through the list.” Crow said, “I’m curious to see what kind of people they thought would make a good class VII. I know you and Angie sat in on that board of directors meeting, and George met them all already, so I’m really the only one in the dark here.” Crow said, lamenting the need to be out of town so often. Even though his time here was just a cover, well it didn’t mean he didn’t like hanging out with these people. Hell, if not for his circumstances, he’d be happy to call them his friends. But, they’ll just have to be that in name only.

“Well I know you recognize some of them, so I might as well go from there.” Towa pulled out a few envelopes, each stuffed with data on each of the new kids.

“Pretty prepared, aren’t you Towa?” Angie laughed as she rubbed the shorter girl’s head.

“A-Angie, stop!” Towa complained, so she backed off. She was about the only girl who Angie would actually listen to, considering her proclivities. “Anyway, you already know Fie right, since Sara is acting as her guardian.”

“Yeah. She’s also a lot younger than the normal students who go to this academy.” Crow rubbed the back of his head. “So what, special teacher privilege get her in?”

“Her circumstances are pretty complicated, but…”

Crow shook his head. “I know she’s a former jaeger, Towa.”

“What?”

“The way she carries herself, always on guard, the way her eyes move. That’s someone who has been trained on the battlefield from a young age. No wasted movements, and always knows where the nearest cover is.” Crow gave a sardonic grin.

“Guess you’re seeing something of yourself in her, huh Crow?” Angie laughed.

“Oh come on, the only battlefields I fight in are the blade tables and the horse racing bookies.” He chuckled. “Of course, that’s where the true warriors hone their skills.”

“Eh, whatever you say, Crow.” George said, taking a candy bar out of one of his pockets. “She’s got some real interesting weapons though. Gunblades, made with a variety of parts from various different companies. Versatile, powerful, and deadly in the hands of someone as fast as she is.”

“Her academics may be a little behind the average, but when you consider her age that’s not really saying much. Based on her high ARCUS compatibility and even higher combat scores, she was one of the easy choices for the new Class VII.” Towa passed the file around, letting the rest of her friends take a look.

“Damn, they really did improve the ARCUS’s adaptability functions if she’s scoring at 90%.” Angie said with a whistle. “When they had us running the tests, we topped out at 40% initially.”

“Yeah, our efforts with the new orbments really bore fruit. Now a capable fighter should end up around 70%. By the way, our updated numbers put us around 85-95% depending on which one of us you measure.” George said. “Everyone in this new class needed a compatibility mark of at least 80% to qualify.” He pulled out a calculator and started crunching some numbers. “I’d say about fifteen new students made that mark this year.”

Crow’s eyes widened. “These combat scores are ridiculous... wait, they’re higher than mine?!”

Towa just laughed. “Guess your time at the top is over, huh? Seems like you’ll need to get some practice in.”

He just shook his head. “Yeah, I can definitely see why that board put her in. Sara must be so pleased to have her little girl there under her watchful eye.” Angie was about to open her mouth but everyone knew exactly what she was going to say, so they just glared at her before she could speak.

“Damn, you guys are no fun.” Angie sighed. “So little Fie is one of them, and I recognize that noble as well. The girl with the blue hair is Laura Arseid.” Angie stretched out her legs as she continued. “The daughter of the radiant blademaster, and by every means just as charming as he is.”

“High combat scores, scored in the top 15% on the entrance exam, and just enough ARCUS compatibility to pass standards.” George said. “By all means, she seems like an incredible combatant.”

“Well at least I scored higher than her in combat scores.” Crow scratched his head. “Just barely though, these girls are insane! If she’s the daughter of the Radiant Blademaster then she probably wields a greatsword one handed, doesn’t she?”

“Got it in one, Crow.” Towa tilted her head. “I don’t know if you recognize anyone else, but the blonde girl is Alisa Reinford. She was a last minute addition, but her ARCUS compatibility hit 95%, her academic scores are excellent, in the top 5%, and she’s fairly adept with an orbal bow. With those kinds of numbers, there’s no way the board could turn her down.”

“And considering her mother is on the board, admission was probably a pretty sure thing.” Crow laughed. “Might as well hit me with the last girl. She seems pretty plain looking, but she’s got it where it counts, that’s for sure.” Angelica leaned over to give him a high five, which Crow gladly accepted. Towa just looked up in disgust.

“Well, she was the top scorer in the entrance exam, perfect numbers across the board.” She passed the file around to her friends. “In addition, she’s in the high 80’s for ARCUS compatibility, as well as high compatibility for the prototype Orbal Staff testing unit. In short, she was an easy choice.”

“Emma Millstein.” Crow pretended he didn’t recognize the name. Vita’s little sister, come to guide the next awakener. Which meant that Vita’s intelligence was true. One of those was resting in Thors after all, and with Olivert’s little pet project underway, someone was likely to wake that sleeping giant. “From a small village in the Sutherland Province… the data on here is atrocious.” Crow shook his head. “Compared to the notes they had on the jaeger tot and the Blademaster’s daughter, you’d think they’d have a little more than a dating profile on here.”

“Well she’s not a noble, nor does she have a member of the staff related to her.” Towa said, “but I’ll admit, the background is curious.”

“Well, if you’d like, I can keep a very close eye on her.” Angie winked as she nudged Crow in the ribs. Sometimes he wished she could keep her libido in check for five minutes. Sometimes he even said it out loud.

“Whatever. That covers the girls, so who are the guys?” Crow remembered the faces of the five who passed by. A sullen blond, a hot headed four eyes who kind of looked like a pine cone, a tall Nord with a stoic expression, a tiny nervous redhead, and a black haired boy who seemed utterly passive. A curious bunch to him, that was for sure.

“The blond boy is Jusis Albarea. He’s a court fencer trained in the standard noble style, and the brother of director Rufus Albarea.” Towa explained, going down the folder.

“Nepotism works wonders it seems.” Crow resisted the urge to spit on the ground. He still needed to get in here on his hard work, but nobles would always get special treatment it seemed.

“Top 5 in the entrance exams, Arcus compatibility in the low 90’s, high arts aptitude, and very strong combat scores.” Towa said, “Quite frankly, his numbers spoke for themselves, no nepotism was needed. Rufus only voted yes when the rest of the board said their piece and made their arguments. Not that there was much to argue about.”

“Sounds like the perfect noble to headline their class.” Crow shrugged his shoulders. Hadn’t he heard some rumours about the Albarea kid before? He’d have to pay attention to that one as well. Still Crow flipped through the files, seeing another name he recognized. “Regnitz? Like, the Imperial Governor Regnitz?”

“That’s right.” George replied. “Machias Regnitz, he’s the only son of the governor. Finished second on the entrance exams, and his ARCUS compatibility met the threshold as well. He’s got a high impact Orbal Shotgun, with a real nice energy unit cartridge, it specializes in a variety of status effector shells. More than just the freezing bullets your guns can be loaded up with.”

“Another gunner, huh?” Crow smiled, “Guess he prefers the shoot first ask questions later method when it comes to combat.” Crow flipped through the notes, he was always interested in the inner workings of other people’s weapons, but he especially liked other guns. “Petrification is the real speciality, but being able to load poison, freezing, even silencing bullets? That gun can cover the whole spectrum, and it’s wide burst fire can simultaneously land multiple effects? Damn, that’s no joke, he must have spent quite some time tinkering with that model.”

George laughed. “Yeah, I’m looking forward to doing some research on it, the parts he got seem to be custom ordered from all over Zemuria. I hope he’ll let me do some maintenance on it from time to time.”

Angie shrugged, “You boys and your guns. Anyway, there’s three more right? Who’s the redhead?”

Towa nodded. “That’s Elliot Craig. His academics weren’t outstanding, nor were his combat scores. But they did meet standards.”

Crow sighed. “Then why is he in this class?”

“His orbal arts abilities were second only to Emma’s. In addition, his ARCUS compatibility was at 97%, the second highest out of all the Thors entrants.”

“Damn.” Crow whistled. “And I take it he’s also in the testing for that Orbal Staff program of theirs? Makes sense that he’s not much of a fighter, but with abilities like that he’ll be a good medic. Seems he’s got an affinity for healing arts if these files are anything to go by.” And he’s the son of a military general, it seems like there were a lot of fingers in this Class VII pie. Crow thought, as he remembered the appearance of the towering Olaf Craig. He kind of hoped that his son stayed as cute and docile as he was now, rather than hulking out like his dad did.

“Huh, he might look good in drag.” Angelica said with a chuckle. “But that’s besides the point. I take it those other two are more typically suited to combat? The Nord has a good physique for sure, and that swordsman is hiding a well trained body as well.”

“You’ve got a good eye, Angie. But how did you know he was a swordsman?”

Angie just laughed. “If Crow can pick out Jaegers out of a crowd, I can pick out martial artists. He’s an eight leaves one blade practitioner right? Probably has a nice katana too.”

“Hmm.” Crow mumbled, looking over Gaius’s file first. “Seems the Nord fights with a cross spear, had pretty good academic scores, in the top 20%, pretty good combat abilities, ARCUS compatibility 90%...” His eyes widened. “And a letter of recommendation from One Eyed Zechs? My word, they really are just pulling the best of the best out here.”

Towa took back the file that Crow handed her, stuffing it neatly into her satchel. “As an exchange student, I think he’ll also provide a fresh perspective on the current state of Erebonia.”

Crow couldn’t help but laugh. “A fresh perspective is lovely, but that won’t change much about this country.” He looked down. “That just leaves this guy, Rean Schwarzer.”

George nodded, shoving his candy bar wrapper into his pocket. “As Angie guessed, he’s a swordsman, and his tachi has a certain beauty in its simplicity. He’s a direct student of Yun Ka-Fai, and the son of the Baron of Ymir, Teo Schwarzer.”

“Combat scores are in the middle of his class, behind Laura, Fie, Jusis and Gaius. Academics are in the middle of the pack as well, behind Emma, Machias, Jusis and Alisa. And his Arcus compatibility… uh Towa? I know you don’t make mistakes, but is this a typo?”

Towa shook her head. “Nope. We tested him multiple times to make sure, but that’s no mistake.”

“But how is that possible?” Crow’s eyes widened. “240%? That’s physically impossible!” He took a deep breath as he studied the black haired boy’s file just a little closer. This one… will need to be watched, that’s for sure.

“Sounds like an interesting cast. I’m looking forward to our future interactions.” Angie said, with just a hint of perverse glee. Crow was almost glad she learned to show some restraint.

Crow just blinked as the realization dawned on him. “You know, if they were all this talented, then why did Sara have us clear out the tough monsters for them? They could have handled it on their own!”

Towa just laughed. “Oh I’m sure she had her reasons. Whatever they may be, all we can do now is wait and see how our little chickadees do.”

“Well, whatever.” Crow leaned up against a tree and pulled his bandanna over his eyes. “I’m going to take a nap, doing all that work this early in the day makes a man tired you know?” He wasn’t going to mention that he had been up all night hammering out financials with G. Working with the nobles was a pain in the ass, but his movement needed their cash flow in order to make revolution possible. If possible, another real ally might be the ticket to turn the tables. He pictured the black haired boy in his mind again, as he dozed off into a comfortable nap. If there was an opportunity... he was going to make sure to take it.

Chapter Text

Gaius’s first day of school could have gone worse. Granted, it probably could have gone much better, but he knew as well as any Nord did, that dwelling on the past was pointless. Gaius had found himself drawn into a myriad of conflicts and all it took was a single laissez-faire instructor, and nine teenagers pulled from every walk of life possible in Erebonia. To recap, Alisa, the girl he had made fast friends with had fallen boob first into another classmate’s face. The foremost noble and commoner of the class got off to a start that would make mortal enemies seem friendly toward each other, and they stormed off on their own. Along with the quiet white haired girl who seemed to march to her own drum, the class of nine had quickly dwindled into two groups of three. Naturally, the other girls formed their own group, leaving Gaius alone with the disgraced black haired boy, and a very timid redhead.

They introduced themselves, and after watching the girls take the first branching path to the left, the boys decided to take the right side. Gaius turned to the black haired boy and observed him closely. Rean Schwarzer, he fights with a eastern sword known as a tachi. The style was unheard of to him, but his skill was undeniable. He called himself a beginner of the school, but he was either being incredibly humble, incredibly deceitful, or he was just dense and didn’t understand his ability. The redhead on the other hand wasn’t very athletic, he didn’t really fit Gaius’ picture of a military academy student. However, his unconventional weapon, the orbal staff, seemed to amplify the boy’s magic abilities, allowing him to clear away monsters just as well as he and Rean did.

“So, Gaius.” He broke from his thoughts, as Elliott spoke to him. “You’re really something with that spear of yours. You move so naturally, how do you do it?”

“It just sort of comes with practice.” Gaius shrugged, “I’m still nowhere near the ability of my father, or some others in my village.”

He turned to Rean who responded with a faint smile. Gaius didn’t know why, but he found it a little harder to breathe when he looked at him. It kind of sent chills down his spine, if he was being honest. Gaius cleared his head, being distracted in a monster filled dungeon would only lead to trouble, and their careless instructor told them to get out of here alive. He wasn’t about to underestimate this place, just because everyone else was.

Monsters appeared from the corridor, skittering from the passage in a torrent of chitinous shells. They appeared to be some kind of beetle monster. Nothing tough by themselves, but in a whole pack, they might provide a challenge.

“Look alive, Gaius!” Rean called out. Gaius felt a sudden connection to the boy, as his orbment flickered with a pale blue light. Gaius could feel where Rean wanted to strike, so he reacted accordingly, sweeping the beetles to the right with a hard swing. A line of fire came from Gaius’s left, as a blazing slash emanated from the boy’s sword. Rean swung again, and Gaius took the remains. Elliott could only watch as the two boys danced in a furious movement, clearing the enemies with precise and constant attacks. As the last of them scattered, Gaius stopped to catch his breath, wondering what the hell just happened. Elliott quickly used a orbal art to restore their lost stamina.

“That was incredible.” Rean said, dumbfounded. “I’ve never fought like that before.”

“Me either.” Gaius replied, instinctively grabbing the orbment in his pocket. “It might be related to this new battle orbment they gave us. The ARCUS, I believe Instructor Sara called it?”

Elliott scratched his head. “I could barely keep up with you guys, that was incredible! Do you think I could try it too?”

Rean seemed to be deep in thought. “If it’s a function of the orbment, I don’t see why not. Let’s try it together, next time.”

The three continued to make their way through the old schoolhouse. The ancient building held a few traps and curiosities, but thanks to the ability that their ARCUS was granting them, they made quick work of the enemies inside. Gaius noticed that the link felt different when he tried it between himself and Elliott. His connection with Rean was just so much stronger, it was hard to believe they were using the same function. He’d make a mental note to grill Instructor Sara about it later. They were progressing smoothly until they heard a furious clash in the room ahead.

“Air Strike!”

“BREAK!”

Monsters scattered under the assault from the two boys ahead. Between Jusis’s elegant footwork, and Machias’s shotgun assault, the monsters ahead were blown apart. Gaius, Rean and Elliott could only watch, as the two took care of them handily, without the telltale signs of a combat link between them. With the enemies clear, they turned their focus to each other.

“I didn’t ask for your help, Regnitz.” Jusis said, disdain oozing from his voice.

“I didn’t ask for yours, you shallow narcissist!” Machias replied with a furious growl. “I had that under control.”

“Hmmph, you talk big, but you’re nothing without that toy of yours.”

“Like you can talk, waving that sword around.” Machias put his weapon down, and put up his fists. “But if you want a real fight, I’d be glad to oblige you.”

Jusis put his sword away and let out a deep, annoyed sigh. “I will not rise to your provocation, Regnitz. Quit wasting my time.” Jusis started to walk away, but Machias wasn’t about to let him go.

“Get back here you bastard! I’m not done with you!”

Jusis turned on his heel, anger plainly evident in his deep blue eyes. He strode towards Machias, his fists at the ready.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about.” Machias rolled his shoulder, and prepared to land a straight right into Jusis’s craw. The two boys were about to strike-

“Wait!” Rean shouted as he grabbed Machias from behind, and put him in a half nelson. Before Jusis could get a swing in, Gaius had moved instinctively to block his punch. It hurt, but it would have hurt a prone Machias a lot more. “Stop fighting you two, we’re on the same side here!”

“Same side? Like I could ever be on the same side as that arrogant, coddled half-wit.” Jusis turned his back, and ran off. Machias shouted some more obscenities at him, but Gaius didn’t care. There was something far more important at stake here.

‘Rean.” He said calmly. “I’m going after him. Once things are settled down here, follow us.” He rubbed the part of his chest that Jusis hit. The boy hadn’t held back, he put everything he had into that punch of his.

“Why bother?” Machias sneered, “He’ll be just fine on his own, he’s a high and mighty noble after all.”

“It doesn’t matter what you call him, I can’t turn my back on anyone trying to do this alone.” Gaius said, “If you underestimate a place like this, you’re going to run into trouble you can’t handle. So sorry guys, I’m going on ahead.”

Rean and Elliott could only agree with his logic, after all, they knew how much easier traversing this place was with their link function, compared to trying to do it all by themselves. Gaius hurried on, trying to keep his focus. The individual monsters may not have been tough, but he had no idea how long this dungeon was. If mental or physical fatigue sets in…

Luckily he found Jusis pretty quick, the boy was catching his breath after storming off in such a hurry. “Come to taunt me again, huh?” He shouted at the ground.

“No.” Gaius said softly, taking the opportunity to recover.

The voice forced Jusis to turn around, to regard him properly. “Oh.” He looked down in shame. “I’m sorry, I lost my temper for a moment.” He raised his head and looked him straight in the eyes. “I apologize for my behaviour, and I’m sorry I hit you. I sincerely hope you’re unharmed.”

Gaius shook his head. “You don’t need to apologize to me, but thank you.”

“So where is the rest of your group?” he tilted his head. “You were working with Schwarzer and Craig, correct?”

“They’re just behind us. They’ll catch up in time, so I take it you want to get moving, right?”

Though Gaius was a man of few words, he cut to the heart of their conflict immediately. If Jusis had run into that foul mouthed commoner again, he’d almost certainly… Well, he didn’t want to let his mind wander. It would be unfitting of a noble to drag himself to that man’s level. “I’ll be fine on my own, I don’t need any help.”

“I’m sure you will be.” Gaius agreed. “I got to see a bit of your court fencing earlier, along with your arts ability. However, do you think I’d be fine on my own?”

Jusis looked blankly at him. “You’re selling yourself short, Gaius. You have the countenance of a real warrior, if anyone in this class could fare alone in a place like this, I’d put my money on you.”

Gaius laughed. “Well then, allow this strong warrior to accompany you then. Two is always better than one, after all.” Not allowing any room for argument, and along with Jusis’ desire to get moving, the two went forward together.

“I’ve been meaning to ask, Jusis. Do you know about the special feature of the ARCUS?” Gaius prompted him, he had been by himself after all.

“Well it’s a battle orbment, it amplifies one's natural abilities and allows them to cast arts…”

Gaius shook his head. “I’m not talking about the effect of battle orbments in general, I’m talking about the combat link function.” He pulled out his ARCUS and beckoned Jusis to do the same. With some reluctance, Jusis pulled it out. As he had expected, a faint blue light connected the two devices, creating a link. It was definitely the weakest one he had experienced thus far, but a link nonetheless. Gaius could anticipate the noble’s movements, and Jusis could do the same.

“What is this?” Jusis said, feeling a strange closeness to his fellow student.

“I think a practical explanation will serve you better.” Gaius said as a pair of flying felines bounded into view. “Back me up.” Gaius quickly brandished his spear, and unleashed a flurry of thrusts, stunning the poor cat monster. It didn’t even feel Jusis’ follow up. The first cat hit the ground, and before the second could figure out what was happening, it had been bisected by Gaius’ spear.

Jusis put his sword away, and looked up at Gaius. “So this is what you meant. The power of combat links, huh? It seems like this is more than some hare-brained social experiment after all.” He put his orbment away, and wiped the monster blood off of his sword. “Let’s make it to the exit quickly, I have words for that supposed instructor of ours once we’re free.”

“I’m right behind you.” Gaius smiled. Every combat link he had experienced had felt different. With Jusis, he felt the boy’s quiet determination shine through, but also a hint of desperation, like he was chasing some sort of shadow. He wondered if the others could sense his emotional state as well. Regardless, it was an interesting experience. Despite everything, he was enjoying himself, just a little bit. He could feel the wind blowing again, a taste of fresh air coming from the room ahead. “We’re getting close to the exit, Jusis, keep your guard up.”

“Oh?” Jusis replied, his foot kicking away a pile of rubble. “I’ll take your word for it, but there sure is a lot of debris here. I know this building is ancient and decrepit, but did a wall collapse here?”

The ground rumbled. The Nord moved quickly, yanking Jusis by the collar. He tried to protest, but after seeing what Gaius was reacting to, he shut his mouth. The rubble that had lain askew started to coagulate, and consolidate into a single point. As the rocks formed a humanoid shape, Jusis clicked his tongue. This new monster was blocking the entrance, and it looked far tougher than any of the other monsters in the place. In just a few moments, the beast had gained its original shape.

“An ancient golem.” Gaius growled. “Physical attacks won’t be very effective on this thing. Jusis, I’ll be counting on your arts in this fight.”

“Leave it to me, make sure it doesn’t interrupt my casting.” Jusis pulled out his ARCUS, and began to invoke orbal energy from the air around him. Gaius took to his role. He may not have been able to damage it much with his spear, but if he could keep it busy for long enough…

Gaius dodged the slow moving creature’s blows as best as he was able in the cramped space. It was slow, but in tight quarters maneuverability only mattered for so much. His spear glanced off the monster, even as he struck at the beast’s knees. It didn’t matter. Luckily for Gaius, Jusis’ art was ready. He jumped back as a tornado swelled into existence under the golem’s feet. The tempestuous winds tore the beast asunder, it’s crag like features started to crack under the intense pressure.

“ARCUS, activate!” Gaius roared as he charged his own orbal art. Nothing as powerful as the tornado his comrade brought forth, but he called forth a flurry of wind blades designed to rip the beast apart piece by piece. The winds were his most steadfast ally, akin to the Goddess in his eyes. They would always be with him, and because of that, he could read exactly how to deal the most damage with their currents. The blades struck home, severing the golem into pieces.

“Did we do it?” Jusis asked, catching his breath.

The ground shuddered, as the pieces of the dead golem started to reform. Gaius struck with his spear, trying to stop the reformation, but it did no good. If the golem could keep regenerating itself, there’s no way they could keep fighting it. Jusis launched a flurry of his own wind blades, his orbment running on empty after that ferocious spell. The spell might have tickled the golem, but it showed no signs of slowing down. Jusis tried to cast again, but the blinking red light of his orbment meant he was out of charge. If they were going to win this, it’d be on their own strength. The beast finished reforming and swung it’s arm, knocking the two boys backwards.

Gaius grit his teeth. How the hell did they expect us to beat something like this? He didn’t want to resort to it, but if there was no other option, it’d be preferable to being crushed to death by a monster on his first day of school. Gaius roared out, igniting his spirit with all of his anger.

“G-Gaius?” Jusis saw the darkness swirling around him, and could only watch as he drove himself into a corner. How could someone emit this kind of pressure? Jusis could tell that whatever was going on, it was not good. With his orbment out of charge, there was nothing he could do, he saw how pitifully Gaius’s spear bounced off of the golem’s body after all.

“Icicle Edge!” A high and soft voice echoed in the chamber, as a massive blade of ice tore through the schoolhouse, connecting with the golem. In an instant, it froze in place, looking like a famous Remiferian ice sculpture. “Machias, now!”

“BREAK!” The sound of an orbal shotgun resounded, landing square in the golem’s chest. For a brief moment, nothing happened. Slowly, but surely, the effects of the attack made themselves known, as cracks propagated through the monster, growing larger and larger until it broke into tiny frozen shards. The boys watched the spectacle with caution, not entirely sure it wouldn’t reform even after all that.

All of them but one. Gaius saw out of the corner of his eye, the black haired swordsman rushing into the fray. He could barely grasp the nature of his quick draw technique, its target, or the reason for it, but he put it together as the golem faded away into a pool of sepith. Rean had seen the golem’s heart, barely distinguishable, and in a single instant, cut it before the golem could reform itself once again. Together, they had defeated a foe far too dangerous for any one of them alone. He couldn’t help but thank the goddess for this opportunity. Gaius fell to his knees in a combination of exhaustion and relief.

“G-Gaius, are you okay?” Elliott said, preparing a healing art immediately. Gaius just laughed, and said that he had overdone it just a bit. Between chasing down Jusis and fighting that golem, it wasn’t a lie.

“You are incredibly reckless.” Jusis said, breathing a sigh of relief. “But thank you nonetheless, Gaius.” Jusis wanted answers, but now was not the time.

“Heh, what are friends for, right?” Gaius said with a smile, as Rean helped him up to his feet. “The exit is just past this door, we should probably get going.”

“Right, I don’t want to be around this guy any longer than I have to.” Machias said, trying to keep his anger in check.

Jusis said nothing in response, instead choosing to observe the situation cautiously. Elliott offered him a shoulder to lean on, but he refused, saying he could walk fine on his own. The boys made it out, back to the entrance hall where they first started this little orienteering exercise. The girls were already waiting for them, and from the looks of it, they dealt with their own monster on the path. They might have worked up a bit of a sweat, but they were nowhere near as exhausted as Gaius and Jusis were.

“Congratulations, everyone.” Sara Valestein greeted the students with a gleeful grin. “Especially you boys. That monster you took care of at the end should not have been down here.” She grumbled something under her breath, but no one really caught her complaint. “Regardless, how did everyone find their orienteering exercise? Did you have fun?”

“Fun?” Alisa protested. “You just dropped us into a monster infested pit and called it orientation. Not to mention…” She glared daggers at Rean, “you literally dropped us into that situation.”

Sara just chuckled. “I’ll take that as a no, then?”

“Honestly, I found it fun.” Laura said with a smile. “That gargoyle was tough, but it allowed me to sharpen my skills, and the other girls were both incredibly helpful down there.” She regarded Alisa and Emma with a smile, and even gave a brief nod to the white haired girl standing alone in the corner.

“Ho, I knew we had some strange ones here.” Sara smiled. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Class VII. You’ve probably noticed more than a few strange things here and there. Perhaps the abilities of your new combat orbment?”

“You mean the link system.” Rean said, quickly stealing the instructor’s thunder. “Those were certainly incredible. It’s like I could feel and predict what my partner was doing, how we could react to the flow of combat instantaneously, without any verbal signals.”

“The link system?” Emma shook her head. “What are you talking about?”

“Ah that’s right. You girls didn’t actually activate it.” Sara said, causing a few of the boys to drop their jaws. “But yes, the ARCUS is a brand new prototype orbment, and Class VII is it’s testing ground. In addition to a social experiment, it’s also a science experiment, pretty neat huh?”

“So that’s the primary reason we were all shoved into this class?” Jusis said, not even bothering to hide his disdain.

“Yeah, basically.” She smiled. “But, if any of you want to opt out of this grand experiment, you still can. We can move you around to one of the noble or commoner classes if need be, and run this class with a few less heads. It’d be a bit of a shame since you all work so well together, but that’s up to you.” She crossed her arms and let her students think. “Classes haven’t started yet, so there wouldn’t be that much catching up to do.”

Rean was the first to volunteer to stay in the class, and that quickly brought the rest of the group into agreement. Gaius saw just how much stronger they were together, rather than apart, and he felt like he had already made fast friends with so many of the other students in this class. He wanted to know why Machias and Jusis would hate each other so much after only meeting for the first time. He wanted Alisa and Rean to get along properly, considering how quickly he grew to like each of them. He wanted to see just what kind of things this so-called social experiment could bring. That was what he told himself anyway.

Chapter Text

A few weeks had passed since Class VII was created. And in time, the students of that class got settled into their school lives. Days of studying, practical courses, and the best education from the best teachers in Erebonia. Though the lessons were difficult, Gaius found himself engrossed in a world of knowledge so different from his nomadic life in Nord.

When he wasn’t focused on the minutiae of school life, he was observing the class. Although he found it easy to talk to his fellow students, he could see that there was a lot of tension between them and everyone else. Machias and Jusis were still at each other’s throats, and wasted no opportunity to bicker about any petty thing that came into their heads. When they were apart however, they were both surprisingly rational. Gaius had asked for Machias’ help with Orbal Science questions, and he was an incredible teacher. Stern, yet patient and always looking for the best way to explain a problem so he could understand. Meanwhile, Jusis had opened up about his love of horseback riding, and it seemed that tales of his homeland had entranced the boy. Despite his aloof exterior, he was incredibly easy to talk to. Of course Gaius wouldn’t dare broach the subject of their rivalry with each other, instead just trying to figure out how those two could possibly get along.

His relationship with Laura was cordial, but they never really talked much outside of a friendly greeting, or about martial art techniques. He and Elliot bonded over their love of the fine arts, and he ended up joining the music club. Emma seemed a bit shy around him, but she was kind, and shared a lot of his concerns about the class getting along. Most of all, she was worried about Fie, the silver haired girl who seemed to prefer solitude over getting to know her classmates better.

“Hey Gaius, are you still in there?” A familiar voice grabbed his attention.

Gaius turned to face the dark haired boy. Despite knowing him for two weeks now, he still needed to resist the urge to stare at the boy’s delicate features. “Sorry, Rean. Were you asking me something?”

“He was just curious about what club you were planning to join.” Elliot chimed in. “I’ll admit I’m a bit curious too.”

Gaius shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I’m actually planning to join the art club.” He said, pulling out a sketchbook. “I just recently bought this from the bookstore, because I wanted to capture some of the landscapes of the town.” He opened it up to the first page. “I think this will make a good painting, but I’m still working on the details.”

“Is this… the school’s rooftop?” Elliot asked. “Oh wow, I can see the field from here, and is that imposing building the old school house?”

Gaius nodded. “Yep, but it’s not complete yet. Hopefully I’ll be able to get some more work done during the free day. The club leader seems to be pretty easy going, so I don’t think it’ll be an issue.”

“Do you mean Clara?” Rean asked. “I think she’s a bit too intense to qualify as easygoing, but that’s just me.”

Gaius laughed, “Well she lets me do what I like, so I don’t mind.” He leaned back in his chair. “So Rean, what are you up to today?”

He scratched his head. “Apparently I need to go to the student union and see the president. Seems like Sara wants me to be her gofer. Since I’m not busy with club activities and all.” Rean’s eyes shifted to the blonde haired girl’s desk, and sighed.

Elliot laughed. “That sounds like Sara alright. So Rean… have you made up with Alisa yet?”

He shook his head. “Every time I try, she avoids me. This is really frustrating.”

“You know, she’s probably just shy.” Gaius said. “I know she wants to make up with you too.”

“Oh that’s right, you and Alisa are good friends, right Gaius?” Elliot said with a smile. “From the way you two talk to each other it’s like you’ve been friends forever or something.”

Gaius shrugged. Alisa was definitely easy to talk to, and she was as cute as a button, especially when she got flustered. But they had quickly bonded over their love of books and an insatiable curiosity about the world around them. Alisa had told him multiple times about her attempts to apologize properly, but she would always chicken out before she could go through it. “We just met on the train and we hit it off. Rean, you really should try to talk to her soon, I’m not the only one who wants to see you guys be friends again.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I’d really like that.” He said with a faint blush. Gaius wondered how it was fair that someone could be so mesmerizing. “Although, it’ll have to wait until I get this done.” He said, lamenting the work put on him. “Hopefully this will be over quickly.”

“Good luck!” Elliot waved goodbye as Rean grabbed his bookbag and trotted out of the room. “Boy, Rean always seems to be busy, huh Gaius?”

“No kidding. I understand going with the flow, but he takes it to another level.” He turned to regard the red haired boy. “I take it you’re going to the music club today?”

“Yep. There’s a new piece I want to work on with Hibelle.” He smiled vibrantly. If anything was certain, it was Elliot’s passion for music. “Will you be in the art room?”

Gaius shook his head. “No, I want to finish this sketch today, so I can do all my painting during the free day tomorrow. If you need me for anything, I’ll be on the roof for the next couple of hours.”

“Sounds good. Take care Gaius, see you in the dorms.” With a polite wave, Elliot scurried off as well, leaving Gaius as the only one in the classroom. Gaius took his things and headed out to the rooftop, yearning to feel the wind on his face again.

The heavy doors opened to reveal a world bathed in a faint sunlight. A few clouds dotted the mid april sky, but the sun held the academy in a soft yellow glow. Though it’s beauty paled in comparison to the lush highlands of Nord, it still held its own enchantment and wonder.

He wasn’t alone in enjoying this scenery, though his counterpart seemed to have no interest in the sky, nor the world around them, instead choosing this spot for the quiet. The silver haired and quiet, Fie Claussell, who had just awoken from a nap. Her sleepy eyes regarded Gaius, and after dismissing him as a threat, went back to laying down. Gaius had always found the girl peculiar, but he was never sure how to go about talking to her. Rather than worry about it, he found a comfortable spot, and started to draw.

Gaius found himself entranced in his work, his hands replicating the shades of the world around him, putting his perspective into reality. As he sketched the finer points, he noticed a hint of movement out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t pause, but offered the curious girl to come and join him. “If you want to watch, I don’t mind.”

Fie drew closer, watching the boy draw with unbridled passion. “You must really like art if you can get that into it.”

Gaius smiled, “I’m not very good at it though. Linde taught me a little bit about techniques I can use, and I want to put them into practice with this one.”

“Oh.” Fie sighed. “I thought you were an expert. I could never draw like that.”

“I’m sure you’d like it if you tried it.” Gaius put his pencil down. “But, you can only get better at something through hard work, something I think you know pretty well.”

“You think I work hard?” Fie chuckled. “You’re strange, Gaius.”

“I suppose that’s something we have in common.” He laughed, looking up at the sky. “I’m curious about something, if you don’t mind answering my question.”

“I make no promises.” She shrugged.

“Do you like it here?”

The question must have caught her off guard, judging by the way she stuttered. Gaius didn’t prod her for an answer, he simply waited for her to speak her mind.

“I don’t know.” She replied after what felt like an hour of silence. “In a place like this, I don’t fit in.” She laughed, despite herself. “Though I never really fit in anywhere.”

Gaius shook his head. “I don’t think that’s it. Far as I can tell, you’re just as odd as any one of us here in class VII.”

“You say that because you get along with everyone.” Fie said, glaring daggers at him. “Talking to people is tough.”

“Maybe, but you’re talking to me right now.” Gaius said, picking up his pencil once again. “Despite our various backgrounds, educations, our pasts, we’re still very similar. I think the winds granted us this chance to learn and grow from one another.” He turned to face her, “but whether or not you want to take that chance is up to you.” He went back to his drawing, sketching in more details on the rooftop.

“You’re just going to say your piece and start drawing again?” Fie tilted her head.

Gaius laughed. “Well, I’m going to be here for a while, so if you want someone to talk to, I’ll listen.” His pencil made some rough strokes, as he brought some details of his picture into view.

Fie just watched for a while, as the boy fixed his lines. Gaius sketched with deliberate strokes, slowly bringing the landscape to life on his paper. She waited for him to stop before asking the question on her mind.

“Gaius, can I ask you something?”

“Sure thing, Fie.”

“Do you like it here?”

Gaius thought carefully as he put his pencil away. “Without a doubt. It’s a new experience for me, but I’m learning so much every day, I can’t help but think it’s worth it.” He smiled, “I’m making lots of new friends too, something I never would have gotten to do if I stayed home at Nord.”

Fie scratched her head. “You consider your classmates your friends? But you just met them a few weeks ago?”

“Of course. Naturally I include you in that mix as well.” Gaius smiled. “And I know Emma worries about you, with the way she always tries to study with you. Alisa was telling me about how funny she found you, and wanted to make friends.” Gaius grinned. “And of course, Machias worries about you as well, though I think he’s more concerned about your academics than anything.”

Fie seemed to take his words into consideration. “You people are strange. But I guess I can give it a try. In the end, I came here because Sara asked me to. I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing here, but if I need help, can I ask you for it?”

Gaius smiled. “Of course. What are friends for?”

“I don’t know yet. But hopefully I’ll find the answer to that.” Fie laughed as she headed for the railing of the roof. Gaius panicked as the girl jumped off, but as he watched her fall, he realized that she was going to be fine. She managed to slow her descent by running down the wall, and by somersaulting during the landing, she made a clean recovery, aside from a bit of dirt on her blazer. She ran from the courtyard all the way around the building, making her way back into the city. Gaius definitely found her strange, but it seemed her circumstances were pretty complicated. He felt glad that she was at least trying to open up a little more.

He looked down at his sketch, and after thinking for a few moments, decided it needed one more thing to be complete. He drew in a little silver cat, napping on the rooftop bench. He didn’t get to ask if it was alright to draw her, but he figured the whimsical feline-like girl might enjoy it anyway.

Finishing his sketch, he looked out over the roof again, and noticed a familiar student walking out of the student union building. With his dark black hair, he was unmistakable from a distance. Rean Schwarzer, carrying a bag full of notebooks and manuals. Gaius couldn’t make out their contents from the distance, but he could pick out a gray haired boy following behind him, carrying some of the same packages. Gaius steadied his breathing, and listened in carefully.

The wind carried their voices directly to his ears. It appeared that the gray haired one was named Crow, and he was a second year second from the way Rean was deferring to him. He was helping Rean not out of kindness, but because he got roped into it by the student council president. They were going around passing around the updated orbment manuals to all the students of Thors… which meant that there was probably one in there for Gaius. Nodding to himself, he put his sketchbook away, and moved down to meet Rean, eager to see him once again.

Chapter Text

Elliot was excited for his free day. The academy was more fun than he was expecting, but he still longed for the sound of music. It was his life, something he could truly throw his passion into. He wasn’t a warrior like Laura or Gaius, and he didn’t really like fighting all that much either. How he ended up in a class with a bunch of elites, he honestly had no idea, but they were all so interesting. People from various backgrounds, each playing out their own notes would normally just be discord, but they really seemed to complement each other, aside from a few people who could not get along.

He couldn’t help but sigh. He worried about Jusis and Machias, especially since both of them were really similar, if they could just see eye to eye. He worried about Fie, since she seemed so averse to others, and he worried about Rean, who despite being so magnetic, did everything he could to keep people at arm’s length. Maybe he was thinking too much about it, but the music club would help keep his mind clear.

Hibelle, Bridget and Mint were all so talented, he needed to do everything he could to keep up. The sounds that echoed through the music room were lovely, as they worked on a classic piece that debuted around the start of the orbal revolution. However, they had hit a snag. A certain measure… they just couldn’t get it to sound quite right. No matter how they tried to brute force it, it just didn’t sound right.

Hibelle shook his head. “I don’t think we’re going to get any farther on this piece today. I was looking forward to going a little while longer, but I guess we’ll have to stop here for today. Your homework for next practice is to figure out what went wrong here, and how we can adjust it for next time.” The other students nodded, and gathered their things, leaving Elliot alone with the club president.

“Elliot, a word if you please?”

“Of course, Hibelle. What’s wrong?” He tilted his head.

“This may be a bit too pushy coming from me, but you really should try going at your own pace.” He said. “You’re a good musician… probably the best one here if I’m being honest. But when it comes to working with others, you’re trying too hard to match them.”

“I don’t understand? I’m just playing as I always do.”

He just nodded. “It’s just something to think on. You’re a pretty smart kid, so I think you’ll figure out what I’m getting at. For now though, just think about it.” He patted Elliot and walked away. “Oh, you should probably check your orbment, it’s been vibrating for a while.”

With that Elliot was alone in the room. While Hibelle’s advice confused him, the message he received on his ARCUS confused him even more. The orange haired boy read it carefully, making sure it wasn’t some kind of mistake.

Sender: Rean

Hey Elliot, the principal asked me to explore the Old Schoolhouse today. If you’re interested, meet me in his office at noon. If you can’t come that’s alright, I know how busy you are with music practice.

Elliot put his ARCUS away, and looked up at the clock. 11:30. With his music practice suddenly cancelled, he really had nothing better to do. Knowing Rean, if no one came he’d probably go by himself and that wouldn’t be good, the Old Schoolhouse was really scary. Elliot quickly gathered his things, and made a quick stop to the art club.

Gaius was inside, working on his new painting. He seemed to have a lot more detail on his work now, and it was really starting to take shape. He waved Elliot over, and introduced him to Linde, the other girl painting beside him. Despite the amount of space, it was a really small art club, just the two of them, and the intense club leader working on her sculpture in the far corner. He noticed that Gaius and Linde seemed awfully close, the two of them giving each other advice on their work, and they just looked really content together. He felt a little bad about asking Gaius, but he would feel worse about leaving Rean by himself.

“So that’s what’s up.” Gaius said, putting down his brush. He looked over to Linde and offered an apologetic smile. “Thanks for all your help, Linde. Sorry I have to leave a little early.”

“Not at all Gaius.” She smiled. “It was fun talking with you, good luck with that work for Class VII.”

“Finally, I don’t have to hear your incessant flirting.” The club head briefly remarked, before returning to her work. Elliot wondered if the two of them really were like that, he didn't take Gaius for the flirting type.

The two of them met Rean in the principal’s office at noon, just like he asked. None of the other members of class VII were there, but there was one other student, wearing the green commoner uniform. Elliot didn't recognize him, so he may have been a second year?

“Thanks for coming, Elliot, and Gaius.” Rean said. “I tried asking the others, but they all refused. They either had club activities, or they were still looking for the right club to join.”

“I kind of figured.” Elliot scratched his cheek. “So it’s just us three then?”

The principal shook his head. “No, I’m sending you a helper this time around. Though I would have liked for Class VII to deal with this, I’m not comfortable only having three of you down there.”

“And why is that?” Gaius asked.

The principal nodded, “In typical infiltration squads, we tend to send 4-6 people teams, That way everyone has their backs covered. Three people teams can work, but with the functions of the ARCUS, it’d be better to have a fourth, so everyone has a combat link enabled.”

“And so that means you’ll be joining us then?” Gaius regarded the commoner boy, who seemed very relaxed despite being dragged into this.

“That’s right.” He nodded. “I know Reanie here knows me, but the rest of you guys probably don’t. Name’s Crow Armbrust, in case you need a face to the name. I’m not really here because I want to be, but this beats writing an essay on why I broke school rules.”

“You’re lucky I’m allowing this, Armbrust.” The massive principal glared at him, “You really need to consider what it means to be a part of this academy.”

He scratched his head, “Yeah, yeah, I get ya. In any case, I’ll be providing support for you kiddos. Naturally I’ve got an ARCUS of my own, so you don’t need to worry on that front.” He flashed his own orbment, a very utilitarian looking piece of tech, definitely an older model from the looks of it.

“Well, I ask you kids to explore the old schoolhouse, but just remember that you are students first. If there is something in there you can’t handle, make sure you can escape.” Principal Vandyck said, concern plainly evident on his wrinkled brow. "If worst comes to worst, I can always ask Instructor Valestein or Neithardt to check it out.

“No need to worry, we’ll do our best, Principal.” Rean spoke out, adjusting the tachi on his belt. With a stern nod from the principal, the four boys headed out towards the old schoolhouse.

---

The Old Schoolhouse had shifted drastically since the last time they were in there. The sounds in the air were different, the way the area was mapped out was different. If he hadn’t heard the rumours, he wouldn’t have believed that this was the same building.

“As I thought, this place has changed.” Crow said, pulling out his pistols. “Guess the old man was right to want an investigation.”

Rean pulled out his tachi, and instantly formed a link with the elder boy. “So it seems.”

Gaius formed a link with him. Elliot could hear the sounds and rhythm of the Nord’s heartbeat. Steady and patient, it was a rather soothing beat in this den of monsters. He could feel a large monster roaring in the distance. Working with Gaius, he felt like his senses were amplified too, although they didn’t do anything for his stamina or his strength. "Let's proceed with caution." Gaius' calm tone kept the four of them focused as they proceeded into the dungeon.

With measured caution, the four of them took to clearing out the monsters, trying to get the lay of the land. They were a little tougher than the ones they fought during orientation, but with the four of them in sync, it was a breeze. Gaius even said as much, after slicing down a bat monster. True to his word, Crow mostly stayed back in support, but he always provided the perfect amount of it, his arts and his bullets always finding the mark without a hint of hesitation.

Despite being filled with the beasts, they had cleared the place out in an hour. The only monster left was the large one that Elliot heard from the beginning. The others were keenly aware of its presence as well, as they drew closer. All that stood between them was a sealed door, and an orbment charging station. They took the opportunity to rest, while their orbments charged.

Gaius smiled warmly. “I see fighting with a fourth person is completely different.”

“That’s the basics of battle tactics. One person to draw the enemies attention, one to mess up the enemies up close, one from range, and an arts user to provide support, or artillery depending on the situation.” Crow said, back leaning against the wall. “We’ve got a good composition here, this is pretty similar to what some of the commando units use in the army.” He said, stroking his chin.

“I have to say, your support was on point. It’s like you knew exactly where and when those monsters would attack, Crow.” Rean said with a bright smile. Crow rubbed his head affectionately.

“Oh, I could get used to a cute underclassman praising me like that.” He chuckled. Elliot noticed Rean pouting a little, and was a bit confused by the reaction. He decided to ask a leading question.

“So you and Rean have really good combat links, have you two fought before?”

Crow smiled. “Nah, but this guy is really impressive, to keep up with my pace.”

Rean laughed, “You’re really easy to work with Crow. I’m amazed at how easily our links work together. It’s like you can tell exactly what I’m thinking.”

“Well, you know what they say. A good combat link is like sex.” The sudden vulgarity nearly made Gaius fall on his face, as Crow had a good laugh. “I take that to mean you’ve never had the opportunity?”

Gaius shook his head. “No… there were no women in the village around my age.” He said quite bluntly. Elliot was surprised that both of them were being so open right now, maybe that was due to Crow’s open and easygoing nature.

Crow laughed. “Ah, fair enough. And judging by the cute blush on Reanie’s face here, I take it you haven’t either.”

Rean bashfully looked at the ground. “No of course not…”

“And you Elliot?” Crow asked.

“I’m still a virgin.” Elliot admitted, shaking his head. If everyone else was going to be honest, he might as well join the party.

Crow smiled. “Ah, I have so much to teach all of you. But school is the perfect time for those seeds of romance to grow.” He opened his arms and gestured proudly. “And once you find that special honey, your big brother Crow here will give you all the advice you could need.” He smiled lewdly. “I bet you guys have your eyes on some of those cuties from your class, huh? I gotta say, there are some real fine hunnies in that class of yours, almost makes me want to be held back a grade.”

The reaction of the three boys was enough for Crow to keep the teasing up. “So, which one of those lovely ladies has caught your eyes, huh?” He put his arm over Rean’s shoulder, forcing a cute blush on his face.

After some incessant urging, Rean finally spoke up. “I’d really like to get along with Alisa better.” He started with a smile. “But I haven’t been able to talk to her since then. I’d also like to talk with Laura, Fie and Emma a little more, and get to know them better. I don’t really think I’m crushing on anyone right now.” He said, looking right into Crow’s eyes. The older boy gently rubbed his head, as Elliot could only wonder how far in denial Rean was. Not a girl perhaps but... he was from a more rural area, he probably hadn’t put two and two together yet.

“Well damn, that’s every girl in your class. What about you, Gaius? I bet being in the art club gets you all the girls.” He flashed a flirty smile. To his credit, Gaius actually gave him a serious response, not realizing that Crow was just trying to get a rise out of them.

“I don’t know about that, but I'm leaving my options open.” Gaius said with a wry smile. “Of course, I won’t say who they are.” He leaned over to the station and pulled his orbment out. “Looks like mine is ready, we’re just waiting on you Crow.”

“Damn, you guys really need to update your slots. Having a healthy orbment is key, especially in long drawn out fights. The one who can cast last usually wins.” He said with an easy going grin. “But I still didn’t get your answer, Elliot.” He pulled the orbment off the station, satisfied with the charge. “You’ve got your eyes on someone in your class right?”

“Crow, is this really the time?”

“Of course it’s the time. And that wasn’t a no I heard, so that works for me.” He rested his hand on Elliot’s shoulder, while pulling something out of his pocket with the other. “Just remember to keep that cutie in mind when you’re in trouble and you’ll find strength you never knew you had.” He dropped a quartz into the red haired boy’s hand.

“What’s this?”

“A little something I want you to try.” Crow smiled. “Not everyday you get a fine carnelian master quartz like this. It’s known as the Criminal quartz, and it speeds up your casting quite a fair deal. The one Sara gave you is fine, but it didn’t have any thought put into it.”

“The Canon quartz specializes in healing and recovery arts.” Elliot recited. “It was mentioned in one of the manuals they gave us for the orbal staff testing.”

“Yeah, and healing is great and all, but you already specialize in healing and recovery arts. You should be drawing out your latent talents, not just amplifying a single strength. With our current formation, we lack artillery fire. I can cover in a pinch with my arts, but in terms of natural aptitude, you come out way ahead. And I don’t think Rean or Gaius over there have a real knack for casting yet.” Crow seemed to pick up on the boy's unease and rubbed his head a little. “Well, it’s honestly up to you.”

Elliot looked down at the red quartz, and quickly decided to swap it out. Crow made a very good point, and what Hibelle said earlier in the music room was bugging him. He needed to find his own rhythm, and sometimes that just meant changing his tempo. With their orbments ready, they pushed through the creaky iron doors.

Elliot quickly noticed the sound of the howling from earlier. A monster with the head of a goat, standing about eight feet tall, carrying a massive club took centre stage. However, that wasn’t the only creature lurking in the shadows. Listening past the roaring monster, he could hear the skittering sounds of bug type monsters.

“Well this is unusual.” Crow said with his usual laissez-faire attitude. “Better call the exterminators.”

“We are the exterminators.” Rean sighed. “Alright, Gaius you’re with me. Crow, Elliot, keep those things off of us.”

“Roger that.” They responded in unison, as they brought their links to full capacity. Rean and Gaius’ teamwork was flawless, but their quarry was far more dangerous than your typical monster. They had their hands full dealing with it’s powerful strikes, and with their ability to dodge was stymied by the beetle monsters, Crow and Elliot needed to work faster to clear them.

They just kept coming, no matter how many bullets Crow could fire, or how many ice spells Elliot could get off. This wasn’t working, and their numbers kept growing. This tempo wasn’t working! Elliot clicked his tongue, and started casting a fire art. Visualization was key for casting arts, and when he thought of fire, the image of a certain girl burned into his mind’s eye. A dashing figure with long hair, and a mighty sword...

The spell came naturally to him, as a surge of brimstone rained down on the monsters. Their advance was slowed, the fear plainly evident by their cautious movement. He kept casting, not caring that the orbment in his fist was burning up. He was going to give his friends the support they needed.

“Way to go Elliot!” Rean shouted as he narrowly dodged the goat monster’s club. “Now it’s our turn Gaius!”

“Got it, Rean!” He thrusted his spear forward, the assistance of his wind arts staggering the mighty beast. That slight opening was all Rean needed, his tachi cutting through the void, and severing the beast’s leg. Gaius landed the finishing blow, his spear piercing the monster’s heart in a single breath. The monster vanished from existence, the only trace of it remaining was the septium shards scattered on the floor.

Elliot turned to Crow, who had finished clearing up the bug monsters on his side as well. He hardly seemed phased, though he did wipe the sweat off his brow. “Damn, you really made that master quartz your own, didn’t you?” He laughed. “Sure is a lot hotter in here now, though. He made a labourious effort to fan himself, and with the way Rean was looking at him, it seemed to work according to plan.

“Guess that’s mission complete then.” Elliot said with a smile. He looked down at the orbment in his hand, a thin filament of smoke seeping from the metal. “Oh boy, I think I overdid it…”

‘That’s why you gotta upgrade your slots. Seriously, go see George after this, he’ll have that baby roaring like a lion.”

“That was some impressive casting, Elliot.” Gaius said. “I’m still getting the hang of casting anything more than a fireball, and you pretty much took care of those small ones all by yourself.”

“Yeah, you definitely carried the team today Elliot.” Rean said with a smile. “Thanks for accepting my invitation.”

“Oh come on, we’re friends right? If you end up doing this again, let me know, okay?” Elliot was positively beaming.

“You’ll have to invite me as well.” Gaius said, “I’d love to help you out with this.”

“Yeah, we did great but as much as I love celebrating a good victory, we really should wrap things up here first. I don’t see any way forward, do you guys?” Crow prodded the group on.

“I don’t think so.” Gaius looked on. “Those beetle monsters were coming out of a hole in the wall, but that hole isn’t there anymore. The wind in here is stagnant as well.”

“Let’s get going. We-” Rean stopped, grasping his head. Elliot could swear he heard a faint whisper, but ignored it as he saw Gaius clutching his head as well.

“Are you two alright?” Elliot asked, already in the process of casting a healing art.

“I felt something in my head, like a voice...” Gaius said, “did you hear it too, Rean?”

“Yeah… though it was less like a sound, and more like someone rang a gong inside my head.” He grimaced as he dragged himself to his feet. “We should probably get going, before this place does something even stranger.”

“Did you hear anything, Elliot?” Crow asked, scratching his head, “Because I didn’t hear a thing.”

“Maybe a faint whisper? But it might have just been a stone falling or something, I don’t know.” He said. “But I think we should get out of here as well.”

With the group in agreement they left the Old Schoolhouse, confident that they explored every nook and cranny that they could, and cleared the place of monsters. However the place just left them with more questions than answers. At the very least, he felt confident that he was getting better, and that he had a place here in Thors after all. He was starting to get used to this military academy life, and it was thanks to the great friends he made here. He closed his eyes, the image of a blazing sword still fresh in his mind.

Chapter Text

*tweet tweet*

Instructor Sara blew on a whistle, signalling the end of their practical exam. She had the students join up in teams of three and fight a mysterious object called a combat shell. With a snap of her fingers, the porcelain shell disappeared, as if it was never there to begin with. Laura, Jusis and Emma put away their weapons, and joined the rest of the class on the sideline.

“Good work everyone.” She said with a wry smile. “With this your practical exam for this month is taken care of. I hope you all learned how to use your links effectively, and how to react to unexpected situations in combat.”

“It was tough, but we pulled through somehow.” Elliot said, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Glad to hear it.” Before I dismiss you, I have a couple of announcements I need to make first, so keep those ears perked up, alright.” Sara chuckled as the class shifted to attention. “First of all, your assessments on today’s exam. All of you passed, so you don’t need to worry about that.” A sigh of relief echoed out, “However, there are still things you can do better. In life or death combat, settling for good enough is going to get you killed.” She said, her stern warning very unlike her.

She turned to Gaius, Rean and Elliot first. “Our first team here had the best showing of the lot. Elliot’s support in particular was perfect, and Rean and Gaius’ combat prowess was easily the best of the group. I take it that the practice you did in the Old Schoolhouse really helped out, huh?”

“Oh?” Laura seemed intrigued, “Perhaps I should take a trip down there next time.”

“Next up, Fie, Machias and Alisa.” Sara clapped her hands together. “Your links are a little shaky, but you have a good sense of each other's strengths and weaknesses. Alisa and Machias, you two should work on your stamina a little more, your form was good early on, but it got sloppy near the end of the bout.”

“He just needs more practical experience.” Fie said with a smug grin. “If you want to train some more, I don’t mind.”

Machias nodded. “I’m not about to lose to any nobles. If I have to work harder to make that happen, I will.” He said, glaring daggers at Jusis. The blond just shrugged his shoulders, ignoring the provocation completely. Gaius still couldn’t understand why the two hated each other so much, but it made group activities like this awkward. At least they would keep quiet in the classroom, but it was incredibly tense when they were in close proximity like this.

Sara seemed ready to move on though, “and lastly, Emma, Jusis and Laura.” She paused for a second. “This was the worst combination of the bunch. In terms of practical skill, all three of you showed amazing promise. You’ve really got the Orbal Staff down pat, Emma. And I could tell you were doing your best to support those two. However, the two of you need to consider the people around you better. If you rush in alone without your support against a more powerful opponent, you’ll be in serious trouble. You need to rely on each other a little more, okay?”

With a quiet affirmation from the two nobles of the class, Sara continued her set of announcements. “With that in mind, it’s time to announce the super secret extra curriculum for Class VII!”

The class wasn’t impressed by her bravado.

“You guys are so lame! You should be peppy and full of energy! Like me.” She tilted her head and pretended to be cute, but it didn’t take. "Oh fine, all of you come up and take one of these envelopes."

They followed instructions, with Gaius grabbing the last one off the pile. They all seemed to be the same, so it probably didn’t matter what order they grabbed them in. Though the why still eluded him.

“These envelopes contain the information you need to know about your field studies!”

“Field study?” Rean was the first to ask.

“That’s right. You’ll be splitting into two groups, A and B, and going all over Erebonia to take part in field studies. This month’s study will take you two days, so why don’t you open those up, and take a look at the first page.”

Gaius ripped his envelope open and deliberately read the contents. “Group A: Rean, Alisa, Elliot and Laura. Location, Celdic.” He vaguely remembered hearing the name of that town from Alisa, but he wasn’t part of that group. “Group B: Emma, Fie, Jusis, Machias, Gaius. Location, Parm. Are these both in the empire?”

Emma answered his question. “Yeah, Celdic is a market town to the east of here, about an hour away by train. Meanwhile, Parm is known for its spinners and textiles, and it’s in the southernmost reaches of the empire.”

“It’s practically on the border of Liberl.” Fie said, stifling a yawn. “Pretty far away though, that’s a pain.”

The other two members of their group didn’t seem too pleased, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why.

“Instructor! What’s with these groupings? Why would you pair me with this arrogant hedonist!” Machias shouted out, in a rather predictable fashion.

“For once I agree with Regnitz. These groupings are a joke, please move me to group A immediately.”

Sara just shook her head. “Sorry, groupings are final. Why can’t you kids just get along, you’re all on the same team here.” She tried to explain, but neither of them wanted to accept it.

“I think that’s enough, you two.” Gaius spoke up. “You aren’t going to get your way just because you complain loud enough. We aren’t children anymore.”

Machias grunted, but shrugged and left it as is. He wasn’t happy about the arrangement, his posture and body language made sure of it, but he still accepted it.

“Very well.” Jusis said in response. A minor crisis averted, but if this is what he was going to have to deal with for the entirety of their field study, it wasn’t going to be easy.

Sara seemed grateful that the discussion had gotten back on track. “Well, with that out of the way, I wish you kids the best of luck. If you have any questions for me… and not about the groupings, because those are final, then I’d be happy to field them. This covers everything I want to cover for homeroom as well, so if there’s nothing else, you’re all dismissed.”

“That isn’t everything, instructor.” Rean spoke up. “How exactly are we supposed to be getting there?”

“Ah, I suppose my explanation was a little lax for your first field study. The pertinent info is on the documentation, but just so there isn’t any confusion, I’ll explain. You’ll be travelling by train to your destination of choice. Your tickets have already been paid for by the school, all you need to do is show the voucher inside your envelopes to the train station attendant. You’ll receive further instruction about your field study tasks on site and as I said earlier, you’ll be there for two days before coming back to Thors on Monday.” She held her hands behind her head and started whistling. “What? That’s it. Pretty simple, right?”

“Seriously? What are we even doing on these field studies anyway?” Alisa asked, but Sara seemed awfully evasive about answering her questions. It seemed like wait and see was the only approach that was going to work here. Machias and Jusis seemed to agree with that assessment, and they went their separate ways.

“Well, this is going to be… interesting.” Emma walked up to him. “I’m not sure how those two are going to get along, but maybe we can think of something.”

“Indeed, there has to be some way to get them to cooperate.” He stroked his chin, as he looked at the other group. It appeared they had been getting along much better than theirs, especially now that Fie had run off as well.

“I don’t think we’ll be the only ones who’ll have a difficult time though. Rean and Alisa still haven’t…” Emma paused as she looked over at group A. They may not have been directly talking to each other, but the tension that had been festering between them had vanished entirely. “Wait, when did those two start getting along?”

Gaius chuckled a bit. “Well, I wouldn’t call it getting along, but they finally cleared the air during their last free day. Apparently they had a chance after Rean caught her cleaning up for club practice all on her own.”

Emma gasped, “And I didn’t know about this?”

“I guess neither of them wanted to make a big deal out of it. But she was really happy that they could start talking normally again.” Gaius said. “I wonder if we could make an opportunity like that for Jusis and Machias…”

“You’re… pretty close to Alisa, aren’t you? You two seem to get along pretty well, and you always seem to know what she’s thinking.”

Gaius tilted his head. Did she mean that in some other way? He couldn’t be sure. “We’re good friends, I’d like to think. Why do you ask?”

“It just seems like she confides in you more easily than the rest of the class.” Emma shook her head. “But that’s not all that important.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Laura spoke up, as the members of group A joined in on their conversation.

“We were just wondering what we were going to do about our field study.” Emma said, quickly changing the subject.

“I was thinking of having a strategy meeting with the rest of my group, but Fie ran off.” Gaius said, shrugging his shoulders.

“I can’t imagine it’ll be easy, but I think you can get through to them, Gaius.” Rean spoke up.

“I agree with Rean. You’re very calm and collected, and maybe some of that is just what those two need to see eye to eye.” Alisa joined in.

“You sure know how to put pressure on a guy. But, maybe you can help me with some ideas? I wanted to go to Kirsche’s after school and discuss this, try and hammer out a plan to get those two on the same page… but I don’t think I know enough about either of them.”

“Sorry, I’d love to join you, but I promised I’d help out George out at the engineering building after class.” Rean said first, which made sense, he had been running around doing a lot of errands as of late. Hopefully he wasn’t pushing himself too hard.

“I’ve got club practice to attend, so I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to assist.”

“Same here, sorry guys.” Elliot added after Laura.

“Well I can…” Alisa paused for a moment, her eyes catching Emma’s, before shaking her head, “Actually, never mind, I think I need to… uh... tune up my orbal bow. Think I may have damaged the orbal reload mechanism during that exam! Yeah, definitely!” She said, oddly evasive of Gaius’ prying eyes.

“I see. Well you can’t do anything about that.” Gaius said, shrugging his shoulders. The familiar chime of the period bell resounded, signalling the official end of class. “Well then, shall we, Emma?”

“Sounds like a plan, Gaius.” Emma said, a faint blush forming on her cheeks. She tended to hide her expressions a lot, but her genuine smiles were definitely the cutest in Gaius’ eyes. Though this wasn’t his intention, it was an unexpected perk.

The two of them headed out, leaving group A standing alone in the field. “You didn’t really have club practice, did you Laura?” Elliot asked, rubbing the back of his head.

“How did you know?”

“You and Alisa shot Emma a little glance. I take it you just wanted the two of them to have some alone time?”

Laura blushed furiously at the remark. “Oh no, I just thought Group B should be trying to work and solve Group B’s issues, that’s all.”

“Uh huh, whatever you say.” Elliot whistled innocently, as the rest of their group shared a laugh.

---

The atmosphere in the cafe was relaxing, as the fragrant aroma of coffee permeated the air. Emma took a sip of coffee before shaking her head. It was far too bitter. She dropped a few sugar cubes into the drink and stirred it carefully. Her classmate watched with a calm expression as he sipped on a cup of tea. He smiled softly as he set it down. “You really like sugar, don’t you?”

“Oh no, I enjoy the taste of coffee, it’s just too bitter by itself.” She chuckled. She’d have to remember to thank Alisa for this moment later. Her initial impression of the man hadn’t changed in the few weeks that she had known him, his very presence was calming, and for someone as prone to worry as her, it was comforting knowing there was someone like him by her side.

“I’d have to agree there. Machias tried to get me to try coffee, but I couldn’t stomach it.” He smiled. “However, it was an interesting experience.”

“Speaking of, I suppose we should try and figure out how to get those two to see eye to eye.” Emma tapped on the rim of her coffee cup idly.

“True. I feel like those two are so similar in a lot of respects, and perhaps that’s the reason why they clash so much.” He leaned back in his chair and looked up. “Maybe we should go over what we know about them, and see if we can dig into the root of the problem that way?”

“That seems like a good way to go about it.” She said, “Let’s start with Machias then.”

Gaius nodded. “Right. Machias hates nobles, it’s practically his catch phrase at this point, but there has to be a reason behind it. That kind of grudge doesn’t just form out of nowhere. It needs time to fester and grow into what it is now.”

“You’re right. In addition to that, his father is the governor of the capital city, and has close ties with the Reformist Faction.”

“Jusis mentioned that before. I tried to do some research myself, but I still don’t quite understand this whole Reformist and Noble faction thing.”

Emma pushed up her glasses. “Well, I’d be glad to help with that. I imagine it’s pretty confusing, considering they don’t really have a class system in Nord. Erebonia has went through some great upheaval in the last ten years, ever since the end of the Hundred Days War, and the ascension of Giliath Osborne to the position of Prime Minister. He’s known as the Blood and Iron Chancellor for a reason, and none of the rumours are very pleasant. In his time the common folk have become a lot more wealthy, as the power that the nobility once held has waned greatly. The country’s trade and the general quality of life have improved massively ever since he was appointed to the role, while military spending has steadily increased over that time.”

I’ve seen it firsthand… Gaius thought. “I suspect that the noble faction wants to restore their original power then. Return things to their traditional ways, and take back their influence.”

Emma nodded. “That’s the basics of the conflict anyway. You’ll find that it’s hard to get away from that sort of thing in Erebonia. Our school class may be unique, but what you’re experiencing definitely isn’t the norm in this country. Many people believe that your fate is decided purely by the blood that runs through your veins, and that sentiment is stronger the further away from the capital you get."

“It’s a real shame then, I definitely prefer the way our class operates. A melting pot of different viewpoints… although it may be a bit chaotic, it allows us to be equals, to butt heads when we disagree, and look each other in the eye when we agree.” He said, brushing a strand of hair from his eyes. “I can’t say either the noble nor reformist faction looks very favourable in my eyes.”

Emma smiled. “On that, we agree, but I don’t really like to talk about that kind of thing much. For so many Erebonians, your blood is your life.”

“I feel like I understand things a little bit better now. Why Machias might be so angry at the nobility.” Gaius rested his chin on his interlocked fingers. “He’s an intelligent young man, and when his temper isn’t blinding him, he’s rational and decisive. He’s also fiercely competitive. Someone who thinks like that probably sees this class system as a hindrance to his own development.”

“I don’t think that explains just how he can be so angry. It just seems more personal than that.”

“Personal, huh? I can believe that. He might not really hate Jusis, but because of his grudge he hates anyone that fits the image of the noble he truly detests. The problem is Jusis really plays into it when he’s around, always goading him instead of trying to calm him down and deescalate.” Gaius leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"It's not a one sided thing either." Emma remarked, taking another sip of her coffee. "Jusis isn't fond of Machias either, and doesn't miss an opportunity to take shots at him."

"Jusis would never say, but I think but he was hurt by Machias' attitude towards him." Gaius looked down at his hands, "Whether he was expecting it or not was another story, but the rest of the class has been really accepting of him. Despite the weight of his name, he's just another student to the rest of us. Except for Machias, that is."

“You’ve really been watching them a lot. Has this been bugging for you a long time?”

Gaius nodded. He was usually so stoic, but Emma could see the pain on his face. “Jusis isn’t the kind of person Machias thinks he is. He’s kind and sensitive, he loves animals, and he’s incredibly compassionate, but he hides it all behind his aloof and prideful exterior, as if he can’t afford to be vulnerable.”

“You think there’s a way for them to reconcile their differences? It kind of sounds like there isn’t anything we can do for them, that they need to solve their issues for themselves.” Emma said.

“Maybe, but we can’t just do nothing.” Gaius’ hands squeezed tighter. “I’ve got an idea, but there’s no guarantee it’ll work.”

“Really? Well anything is better than what’s going on now.” Emma’s eyes widened.

“We’ll play to their competitive nature. Instead of making each other the enemy, we give them a new one. I think we can get Group A to help us with this.”

Emma clapped her hands together. “A competition between the two groups to see who does better? True, if we do that, maybe they’ll be more inclined to work with one another.” the gears were already turning in her head. “Maybe I can get Laura and Alisa to help incite them a little.”

“And I can get Rean and Elliot on board.” Gaius smiled, his face easing up for the first time since he got here. “I knew talking with you would be a big help. Thank you, Emma.”

She waved her hands in front of her face. “Think nothing of it, Gaius! We’re classmates, right? And we’re allies in this operation to get those two to make up.” She could feel her face burning up as she extended her hand out to him. “So let’s get those two to see eye to eye, alright?”

“Of course.” Gaius took her hand in his own, they could feel the warmth of each other in that moment, and couldn’t help but smile. Emma couldn't help but lose herself in his eyes. Aidios above, why was he so perfect...

Their little moment was interrupted by a weird catcall. Emma retracted her hand and turned the source. From his appearance, he appeared to be an upperclassman, wearing the green Thors uniform. Noticeably, he had a few earrings in place, and a bandana over his forehead, along with a paper bag filled to the brim with groceries. Emma had no idea who this guy was but she already didn't like him.

“I’ve never seen two people on a date shake hands before. Good to see you’re doing well, Gaius.”

“Crow, it’s a surprise to see you here.” He replied. Noticing her confusion, he introduced the man to her. “This is Crow Armbrust, he helped us out in the Old Schoolhouse last week.”

“Oh, so you’re the one who went with them.” Emma nodded. “I’m Emma Millstein, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise.” He gave an easy smile. “Sorry to interrupt your little moment there, I just wanted to say hi, since I was in the neighborhood.”

“It’s no problem.” Emma said, resisting with every fiber of her being to glare at the man. “What’s in the bag?”

“Oh this?” He said, setting the grocery bag down on the table. “It’s a little something for my friends. Got something special planned tonight at the engineering building, and you can’t party without snacks, right?” He showed off the contents before picking the thing back up. “Sorry to keep you two, I gotta run. Have fun on your date, though.”

Just as soon as he interrupted, he was gone. Sadly for Emma, the nice little mood they had going was completely ruined.

Gaius took another sip of his tea before sighing. “How unfortunate.” He whispered under his breath, just loud enough for Emma to hear him. “I’m really sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. It’s not like you summoned him here on anything.” Emma chuckled, “But it sounds like we’re just about ready for our field study.”

He nodded, a warm smile on his cheeks. “I’m really looking forward to it. I can’t wait to see even more of Erebonia.” Emma agreed, but she wanted to see more with him by her side. He was handsome, intelligent, and sensitive? She couldn't help but feel glad that she went to Thors. The two of them hammered out their plans to get Jusis and Machias to at least tolerate each other, as the sun started to set on Trista.

Chapter Text

Gaius woke up with the rising of the sun. Even in a different nation, in a room so different from his one at home, the sunlight always greeted him first. Although he didn’t need to worry about his brothers and sisters running around, his room tended to feel a bit empty whenever he first woke up. He steadied his breathing, and got himself out of bed. It was the day of their first field study, and Gaius was overwhelmed with emotion. Excitement at seeing a brand new town, nervous at what lay in store, but more than anything else, he was concerned about his classmates. Only the winds knew whether the plan he and Emma had worked on would work, but he prayed with all his might that it would.

Their train didn’t leave for another hour, so Gaius decided to kill some time in the lobby. If what he read was true, it’d be a long train ride to Parm, almost as long as the trip he took to get here last month. He was surprised to sense someone else up at this time, as he heard a faint humming coming from the dormitory kitchen. He descended the stairs and caught a cute scene out of the corner of his eye. Emma and Fie had taken to making breakfast. Gaius could smell the aroma of bacon grease and boiled eggs wafting from the pans, he could see Fie chopping vegetables, while Emma assembled some scrumptious looking sandwiches from the vivacious ingredients. Hearing the two humming an Erebonian folk song was almost as cute as the pink apron Emma was wearing over her uniform. He pinched himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Nope, this was reality.

“Good morning Emma, Fie.” He announced his presence by walking into the room. “You two are up early today.”

“Good morning, Gaius.” Emma replied, turning her head slightly, greeting him with a beautiful smile. “Breakfast will be ready pretty soon if you don’t mind waiting.”

“There’s a lot of food there, are you making breakfast for everyone?”

“Yeah, but we’re also making lunch boxes for Group B.” Fie stated, putting another lunch box to the side. “It’s a long trip, don’t want to get hungry on the way there.”

“That makes a lot of sense, we might not have time to get food at the station.” Gaius said, “I didn’t expect you to be so good at cooking, Fie.”

“I’m used to this sort of thing, but Emma’s the real master here.” Fie twirled the knife in her hand. “It looks way better than anything I’d make on my own.”

“You saw me make it, so I think you’d pick it up if you tried it by yourself next time.” Emma hummed happily. “Gaius, would you mind calling the others down? It may be a little early, but I think all of Class VII could use a good breakfast before our trip today.

“Sounds like a plan, I’ll call them down-” Gaius’ thought was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. It appeared he wouldn’t need to wake up the rest of the class after all.

“Something smells incredible.” Laura said, wiping a mote of sleep from her eyes. The rest of the class ambled in behind her, drawn to the delicious smell wafting from the kitchen.

“Oh wow, that looks delicious!” The rest of the class seemed eager to share their opinions on the spread, as a faint hint of pink tinged Emma’s cheeks from all the flattery. Even Jusis and Machias could put away their pettiness for a brief moment to appreciate the effort Fie and Emma put into breakfast.

“Everyone take a seat, breakfast will be served shortly.” Emma said, with a bright smile on her face. The rest of the class was eager to oblige and dig into the spread of bacon and eggs, toast and hash browns. Gaius found it delicious, so delicious that he hadn’t even noticed he had cleaned off his plate before his fork clanged against it.

“There wouldn’t happen to be seconds would there?” He asked, while the rest of the class was still only halfway done.

“Of course, I made extra just in case.” Emma said, picking up his plate, and shoveling some more eggs and hash browns onto the plate. “Unfortunately, we don't have any more bread or bacon.”

“That’s more than enough, thank you Emma.” Gaius said, eager to get started on his second helping.

“You can really put that away. Was it that good?” Fie asked, still nibbling on her meal.

“You eat like an orbal vacuum cleaner, Gaius.” Alisa chuckled at the display. Gaius just nodded in response, it was rude to talk with food in your mouth after all.

“Indeed, I think there’s no greater compliment to a chef than an empty plate and a demand for seconds.” Jusis said, polishing off his plate as well. “Although I’m too stuffed to eat another bite.”

“Yes, I found it quite amenable as well.” Machias said nearly simultaneously, his fork and knife resting on the plate.

“So you can show civility, colour me surprised.” Jusis replied on instinct. The warm and calm atmosphere that had been born there was shattered in an instant. As Gaius saw Machias’ head lurch to the side, he could only pray things didn’t get worse.

Machias said nothing, the dark glare in his eyes the only language he needed to speak. After a few tense moments, his lips moved. “Thank you for the food. I’ll meet you at the train station before we have to go.” He bolted upright, and walked out of the door, slamming it behind him. Jusis’ face flashed apologetic for but a brief moment before resetting to his usual stoic disdain. How long was this going to last? How often would he see this scene play out over and over again. A mere glance at Fie and Emma’s dejected expressions was enough to get him to start moving, his body reacting before his mind could process what he was doing.

“My apologies, everyone. I’m excusing myself. Thank you again for the breakfast, it was incredible.” Gaius bolted behind them, eager to catch the trail of the hotheaded boy. He hadn’t gone too far, but he was moving quickly towards the north. Gaius chased after him, calling out as he went, but the boy wasn’t listening.

Machias stopped running once he reached the bridge, panting for breath as he gripped the guardrail. Gaius slowed down himself, and waited beside him. “I know what you want to say.” He said to the ground. “I realize just how much of a child I’m acting like right now, and you’re well within your rights to scold me for it.” He kicked at the rail, clicking his tongue. “Emma and Fie made an amazing breakfast, and it was nice to share a meal with everyone. For a brief moment, nothing really mattered. But then Jusis had to open his big fat mouth, fire a pot shot at me, and I remembered just what kind of person he truly was. I didn’t want to ruin the breakfast, so I just left.”

Gaius laid his hand on his shoulder. “You can talk to me about this Machias, I won’t judge you for it. I understand that Jusis gets under your skin, but he is still a part of this class, and a part of our field study. This isn’t something you can run away from, no matter how much you might want to.”

“I’m aware of that, damn it!” He howled out, “I know that more than anyone! How the hell do you expect me to forgive him? To pretend he’s my friend! That’s far easier said than done!” His face curled into an expression of pure malice.

Gaius didn’t have the answer for him. He wished he could just say something to make this conflict go away, but it never would unless the two of them were willing to face each other on equal terms. “Why not make peace with him instead?” He offered.

“Did you not hear what I just said?” His scowl intensified.

“If we think of you two as warring nations, then why not declare a ceasefire for a few days. Instead of pretending to be friends, just hold off on hostilities until the field study is done.” Gaius explained, using the idea he got from Emma.

“And why would we do that?”

“We’re being graded for our field study. Group A has Rean and Alisa, and Group B has you and Jusis. I imagine the instructor wanted us to sort out our differences during these studies. The problem for us is, Rean and Alisa already have. I imagine with the way things are between you two now, there’s no way we won’t be beaten by Group A.” He could feel the sweat trickling down his neck, hoping this gambit would work.

Machias seemed to think on for a long time, before letting out a hearty sigh. “You’re right. If there is anything I can take pride in, it’s my ability to work hard. If I can’t be at my best in this field study, those four will mop the floor with us. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to apologize to that hedonistic bastard!”

Gaius shook his head. “Um, if I might, Machias. I don’t mind if you don’t apologize to him yet and I don't mind if you can't bring yourself to forgive him either. But, could you not call him a bastard?”

“What?” His head tilted to the side, clearly confused by Gaius' request.

“I just think you won’t be able to keep any sort of ceasefire if you say that sort of thing, no matter how sincere your intentions are.” Gaius placed his hand on his chest, remembering Jusis’ punch all too well.

“Ah.” Machias said, realizing exactly what Gaius was getting at. “I believe I owe you an apology for what happened at the old schoolhouse. And you’re right, I have a large enough vernacular to avoid using that term to describe that stuck-up cretin.”

“You don’t need to worry about that, it’s all in the past now.” Gaius said. “I know you mean well, Machias, I really do.” But as long as your anger controls you, you'll never be free of it.

“Meaning well isn’t enough…” he mumbled under his breath. He slapped his cheeks and stood up straight. “Thank you Gaius. You’re far more of a man than I am right now, and I could learn a lot from you. You’re far more patient with me than you have any right to be. I know exactly how insufferable I’m being right now.” He looked around and scratched his head. “I’m going to go tune up my shotgun for a bit before properly apologizing to the girls. Thanks for chasing after me Gaius.”

“Not a problem. Just don’t forget to pick up your luggage before we leave.” The reminder seemed to make Machias sweat a little.

“Hopefully I don’t run into that pompous nitwit…” he muttered as he took off back to the dorm. Gaius looked over the river and sighed. It was going to be a long day today. At least he had the energy to face it properly.

---

It was ten minutes to eight, and the rest of Group B had assembled at the train station. Group A, from what they heard, had already boarded their train, and judging from the announcement over the station’s intercom, they were just about ready to head east towards Celdic. Group B’s destination was in the opposite direction, so they were waiting for the Heimdallr bound train to arrive.

The situation was tense, as the ominous silence between Jusis and Machias gripped the entire room. Even some salarymen were uneasily eyeing the two behind their newspapers.

“How long did you say the train ride to Parm was again?” Fie asked, almost hoping the answer would be more favourable than the last time she asked.

“It’s about 8 hours, but we need to transfer at Heimdallr and there’s a stop at Saint-Arkh, so it’ll likely be closer to 9.” Emma explained, doing her best to keep the group settled.

Machias spoke up, after taking a deep breath, “Jusis Albarea.”

“What do you want, Machias Regnitz?” Jusis replied, clearly exasperated by the man.

“I’m proposing a ceasefire for the duration of the field study.” He said bitterly.

Jusis blinked slowly. “A ceasefire? Really?”

“We don’t have to be friends, but I don’t want my grades to suffer because of this. My conditions are thus.” He raised two fingers to the air. “We won’t talk to each other unless absolutely necessary, and we’ll leave the catty sniping to a minimum.”

“You’re actually serious about this, aren’t you?” Jusis seemed surprised, but not disappointed. “Very well, I can accept those terms. To further implement this ceasefire, I suggest we sit in different pods on the train. That way we don’t have to look at each other for the duration of this train ride.”

“Works for me.” He extended his hand out to Jusis, which caused the blond to pause for a moment. “What, is my hand not good enough to shake or something?”

Jusis shook his head. “No, I was just confused on what you were doing. I accept your proposal, Regnitz.” The two shook hands and immediately turned their backs on each other. Some of the tension between them seemed to dissipate, if only a little bit.

“I guess this is better?” Emma scratched her cheek, “I don’t think it’s ideal but it’s an improvement?”

“Every journey starts with a single step.” Fie said in her usual nonchalant tone. “Good work Gaius.”

“I’m not really sure I did anything, but thank you anyway?” He rubbed the back of his head, just glad that he wasn’t walking on eggshells for once. As the chime of the intercom resounded, the members of Group B gathered their things, and prepared for their long journey to Parm.

---

Transferring at Heimdallr wasn’t so exhausting the second time around. Machias had a great handle on the layout of the train station, so finding the right platform and train wasn’t as scary as it had been when Gaius had headed to Trista for the first time. And while they couldn’t get on separate pods due to the amount of commuter traffic between Trista and Heimdallr, the express train to Parm was filled with a lot less people. It wasn’t exactly a busy time of year for tourism, and people wanting to go directly to the Sutherland Provincial Capital would take the direct line to Saint-Arkh instead.

True to their promise, Machias and Jusis sat on opposite windows of the train, each refraining from commenting whenever the other spoke. It was almost like they were treating the other as if they didn’t exist. It wasn’t what he had in mind when he proposed a ceasefire, but it was working to an extent. Fie sat with Machias, while he and Emma joined Jusis on the right side of the passenger car. As the train picked up speed, the group relaxed, knowing that everything so far had gone smoothly.

It would still be a long time before they reached their destination. The conductor had said the estimated time of arrival at Saint Arkh would be around 2:30, and after a brief stopover in the capital, it’d be just before five when they arrived in Parm. The clock right now stated that it was a few minutes past nine in the morning. With nothing to worry about until they reached their destination, Gaius reached into his carry on bag, and pulled out his sketchbook. The landscapes of Erebonia were so interesting to him, and he’d like to preserve his memories of these places.

“You really do enjoy that, don’t you?” Jusis asked, looking up from his forlorn window gazing. “Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like a bit more than just a hobby for you.”

Emma nodded. “I agree with Jusis here. You really do like drawing a lot.”

“I won’t deny it.” Gaius said, a wistful smile on his face. “Art is something important to me, it helps me understand not only the world around me, but the world inside me as well.”

“That’s rather poetic.” Jusis said, “I’ll admit, I’ve only been to the Sutherland Province a few times, so I don’t know the area very well. Perhaps it’d be a good opportunity to learn more about the area. Speaking of, you’re from the Sutherland Province are you not?” He turned his head to Emma.

“That’s right, though you wouldn’t find my small village on any maps. I never really had an opportunity to leave my village, so this is a new experience for me as well.” She chuckled softly, “I’m interested in seeing what Parm is like, I’ve never been there before, so I only know it by reputation.”

“Seems like it’ll be a new experience for all of us. I’ve been to Saint-Arkh before, but never to any of the other towns in the province.” Jusis explained, a soft smile on his lips. It only lingered for a moment, his eyes looking over to the other pod briefly before the strain returned to his face.

Nothing was ever easy, but Gaius could see just how hard Jusis was trying. For their part, he’d have to try hard as well to keep the fragile peace in place. And so, he took to his sketchbook, making some references of the rolling hills and vast hinterland in the distance. It had a sort of savage, untamed beauty to it, much like a wild horse on the highland steppes. He wondered what kind of greens and browns he could use to replicate this beautiful landscape, what blues and whites could replicate the colour of the skies? His formless thoughts were abated by a question.

“I feel I need to ask you something.” Jusis spoke up, looking him straight in the eyes.

“What is it?”

“It’s likely we’ll be put into combat situations, we are military academy students after all. I didn’t want to broach this subject earlier out of concern, but if we’re going to fight side by side, I’d like to know what you did in the old schoolhouse when we fought that Golem. It wasn’t anything I’ve ever seen before, and it seemed incredibly dangerous."

“Oh, that.” Gaius bit his lip. “It’s something of a special technique used by my people. It’s admittedly not common, but I can channel my rage into power, for a brief amount of time.”

“That sounds quite useful.”

“It’s something I’ll only use in an emergency, because it comes with serious drawbacks. There’s a reason I haven’t used it since, even though we’ve done a bit of practical training since then.” He opened and closed his palm, squeezing it tightly. “It puts a massive strain on my muscles, and drains my stamina pretty quickly, so I can only use it for a few good hits before I’m down for the count. I believe the Jaegers have a similar technique...”

“Jaegers?” Jusis nearly stood up, but sat back down quickly before he could cause a scene. Gaius raised an eyebrow at his reaction, but dismissed it. “I'm sorry. So it’s an all or nothing technique, and you used it so readily to protect me?”

“In that situation I couldn’t think of anything better. I apologize if it caused you undue worry.”

“So something like that happened in the old schoolhouse?” Emma said, jumping into the conversation. “That place is really just full of surprises… but you would think if we were in any real danger Instructor Sara would leap to our aid.”

“You think our instructor would do something like that? Have you met Sara?” Jusis said, expression blank.

“It might be callous of me to say, but you are a duke’s son. If something happened to you at the academy, I can’t imagine what kind of backlash the faculty would face. And I’m certain there’s more than a few people with an interest in seeing this Class VII experiment go smoothly.” She started counting out the reasons on her fingers, “For one thing, the Reinford Company is relying on us to write reports for their orbal staff testing, in addition to the ARCUS units. Second, though I already mentioned this, is that we have various VIP’s here. Yourself included, but Machias and Laura would qualify as well.”

Not to mention Alisa. Gaius thought, but kept his mouth shut. She wasn’t ready to put her name out to the rest of the class yet, and everyone was prepared to give her time to do so. “Between these various parties, I’m almost certain none of them want to hear ‘and one of the students got injured or worse on his very first day.’ It’s likely to assume Sara, or perhaps someone else, was prepared to rescue us if things ended up being more than we could handle. Luckily, that wasn’t the case. I heard Rean helped save the day in the end.”

“That’s right. He was able to see the core of the golem and slash it before it could reform again. I only barely caught what he did myself, and I don’t think I could replicate it easily.” Gaius said, with a smile. “He’s pretty impressive.”

“All the more reason for us to do our best on this field study.” Jusis said, matching Gaius’ grin. “Although I still think it’ll be awhile before we get there.” His stomach grumbled at the thought. “My apologies!” He said with a faint blush.

Gaius laughed heartily. “At least your stomach is honest. Do you still have those lunch boxes packed, Emma?” The girl beside him nodded, and pulled out the carefully wrapped lunch boxes from her bag.

“Of course. Would you mind giving these ones to Machias and Fie?” She put three boxes in his hands, and leaned over to whisper in his ear. “Would you mind checking on those two as well? It seems like Jusis is okay, but I don’t want the others to feel left out.”

“Gladly.” Gaius took the boxes and bowed his head slightly. “I hope you don’t mind if I have lunch with those two?”

“Not at all, you’re free to do whatever you like.” Jusis chuckled. “Don’t worry yourself for my sake, just go.” With those words of encouragement, Gaius joined the other half of his group, ready to enjoy whatever the girls had cooked up for them. If it was anything like their breakfast, he was looking forward to it.

Chapter Text

The sandwiches Emma and Fie were just as tasty as the breakfast he had this morning. Egg salad, with a hint of leftover bacon, and what Gaius could only assume was spinach, judging by the little hint of bitterness. Once again, his lunch went from box to stomach in a matter of minutes, as Fie and Machias could only wonder how the man could eat so quickly.

“You remembered to chew, right?” Fie asked between nibbles. “It’d be bad if you started choking.”

“I’m fine. It was just so tasty that I couldn’t help myself.” Gaius said, wiping a few loose crumbs from his chin. “I feel like I’m ready for anything now.”

“Keep that enthusiasm away from me, I hear it’s contagious.” Fie said in her usual way.

“Don’t mind her too much.” Machias laughed, “She’s probably just grateful to be finished studying.”

“Why did you think studying on a train was a good idea, Machias?” Fie asked, looking over the wide collection of notes and books he had stuffed in his carry on.

“It’s a good way to pass the time, and last I checked, you were the one who volunteered your time.”

“You tricked me into it.” Fie snarled for a brief moment, before a contented smile rose to her face. “Although I can’t complain too much, you’re a good teacher, Machias.”

He had a faint blush on his cheeks as he desperately tried to deny it. “It’s only because you’re a good student. You pick up on these concepts pretty quickly, we just need to build your knowledge base, and that takes time and repetition.”

“The boring stuff.” Fie sighed. “Honestly, I rather see what terrible things Sara has in store for us then deal with any more orbal science lessons.” She put her lunchbox away and curled up in the corner of the bench. “I’m going to nap, wake me up when we get there, Machias.”

‘Wait, Fie-” Machias’ protest fell on deaf ears, as Fie had already curled herself into a ball, and fell into a light slumber. “Unbelievable.”

Gaius smiled softly. “Looks like you two really get along.”

Machias scratched his cheek, hiding his embarrassment as best he could. “I don’t know about that, but she’s definitely easier to talk with than some people I could name.” He took a deep breath, it appeared that even thinking about him set his hair trigger temper off.

Gaius rested his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Are you doing alright?”

“I’m fine. No need to treat me like a child, Gaius.” Machias shook his head. “I’m more curious about you. I have to imagine you’d be having more fun with Emma and Jusis considering how close you all are.”

It was Gaius’ turn to tilt his head. “Well, I want to be good friends with all of you, this sort of opportunity doesn’t come around every day.”

“Oh? How do you mean?”

“I live in a small nomadic village, there weren’t many people around my age. Sure I’ve got brothers and sisters, but there was never anyone I could just hang out with like I can with you guys. Being able to share these kinds of experiences with you guys just makes everyday worth looking forward to.”

“I can’t imagine that.” Machias said, looking down. “I was born in the capital, as I’m sure you can guess. We probably had more stray cats in our district than you had people in your village.”

“That wouldn’t surprise me.” Gaius said, "All things considered, I am enjoying myself here."

“I bet you’re curious about what they have in store for us during this field study. Needless to say, this sort of thing is not business as usual for any military academy.” Machias stroked his chin.

“I’m growing to expect that from this class. It seems like there’s a lot out of the ordinary in this class, and I expect our instructor is responsible for that.” Gaius said, peering out the window.

“I never would have expected to see other parts of the empire like this.” Machias said, pushing up his glasses. “In that sense we’re all in the same boat, experiencing something new like this. I never would have expected I’d be travelling to the outskirts of the empire with nobles, commoners and people from different countries entirely just a month into my academy life.”

“It’s certainly something different.” Gaius agreed. “I knew Erebonia was large, but I didn’t expect to be riding a train for quite this long just to get somewhere else in the empire.”

“I think I have something to help pass the time.” Machias said, reaching into his bag.

“Please don’t tell me you’re going to study some more.”

He laughed softly. “No, even I have my limits with that sort of thing. I’ve got one of these instead.” He said, pulling out a deck of cards. “One of the second years was quite insistent I take this from him, a guy in a bandana named Crow. Apparently it’s a pretty popular game around Trista.”

“Blade?” Gaius tilted the deck over in his hands. “What kind of game is this?”

“I’ll teach you as we go. I brought some regular cards as well in case we get bored of this.” Machias said with a bit of excitement. “The first thing you do is…”

The two of them passed the time by playing cards, and chatting idly along the way. Machias won the first few games, but Gaius was starting to get a hang of how the game worked and stole a few victories of his own. They played so long that they barely noticed the stop over in Saint-Arkh, and before they knew it, they were only a few minutes away from their destination.

“This might seem an odd question, but I’m curious, Gaius. Are you a cat or a dog person?”

“That is odd, what brought this on?” Gaius said, scratching his head.

“Just idle curiosity. I don’t know if you have any pets in your village, so I was interested if you had a preference or not.”

Gaius chuckled. “I guess I’d be a dog person if you had to ask. There’s something dignified about their bearing, while they hold a lot of loyalty toward their master. Plus there are a few sheepdogs in our village, and they’re valued members of the community. Judging by the look on your face, you’re a cat person?”

Machias gasped. “How did you know?”

Gaius looked over at the sleeping girl for just a moment before shaking his head. “Just a hunch. Why cats, though?”

“I don’t know if I can put it into words, but they just have a very calming presence about them. They live according to their own wants and desires, it’s charming in a sense.” Machias scratched his cheek. “It looks like we’re getting pretty close now. I guess we should wake up Fie.”

“I’ve been up for a while.” Fie yawned as she uncurled herself and gave a great big stretch. “Morning, Machias, Gaius. Are we there yet?”

“Just about.” Gaius chuckled. “I’m going to go grab my bag. It was lovely chatting with you Machias.”

“Same here. We’ll have to play some more Blade on the way back.”

“I’m not going to lose next time.” Gaius waved as he left their pod. The train was starting to slow down, the windmills of Parm visible in the distance as farmsteads and livestock could be seen dotting the distance. The members of Class VII were finally ready for whatever lay in store for them in Parm.

---

The five students disembarked the train, with their luggage in tow. Unlike the underground stations Gaius was used to seeing, Parm’s train put them right outside. A cool breeze swept over the sleepy town, as the sight of windmills and waterwheels made the place feel close to nature.

“It’s a rather colourful place.” Emma remarked. “The air is so fresh here too, it's like stepping into a fairy tale.”

“I concur. I wouldn’t mind taking a vacation to a place like this.” Jusis said, looking over the area. “I wonder what they expect us to do here, however.”

“Looks like we won’t have to wait long to find out. That guy over there is waving us over.” Fie pointed out a red haired man waving them over. He was well built, and had a rather easygoing expression on his plain looking face. “That’s probably our point of contact.” Fie started walking toward the guy, and the rest of class quickly moved with her.

The man gave a cheery whistle as he walked up to greet them. “Judging by those spiffy blazers, you must be the military academy students that Sara told me about. Let me give you a warm welcome to Parm. My name is Grant, and I’ll be your point of contact for these next coupla days.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Grant.” Machias said. “So what exactly are we supposed to be doing on these field studies anyway?”

“I’m glad you asked, because that tells me exactly what Sara told you… which was probably nothing, am I right?” The class nodded in response to that remark. “I should have expected as much from her.” Grant gave an exasperated shrug, “Alright, well most of the details are written in this envelope here so I’ll let you go through that at your own pace. For now, let me show to the inn where you’ll be staying. I’m sure you want to put your luggage and gear away before you get started.

They took Grant’s suggestion to heart and followed him to The White Footpath, the inn in which they’d be staying for the night. The owner showed them to their rooms, one for the guys, and one for the girls, and after setting their bags down and stretching out their muscles, they met Grant back inside the inn’s dining room.

“Good to see you’re all eager and ready to go. Why don’t you guys open up that envelope and take a look through it.” Jusis opened it up and spread the contents out on the table.

“A list of errands?” He said, scratching his head.

“Something like that.” Grant explained. “The people in charge thought this would be the best way for you to get some real life experience.”

“Sounds like tedious busywork if you ask me.” Machias replied, as if on the same wavelength as Jusis.

“Well, you don’t have to do any of these requests, except the first one.” Grant pointed out the one on the list. “You are military academy students, so you should at least be able to handle monster exterminations, I hope.”

“That one sounds pretty standard at least.” Emma said looking over the list. “That is the only required one, but there are three other requests here as well. One of them is a delivery request, one is a request from a dye maker for certain items, and the last is a training request from the Vander Training Hall?”

“The Vander style is one of the foremost sword techniques of the empire, only the Arseid style is comparable in fame.” Jusis explained. “Though I think Rean and Laura would be able to tell you more about it than I would. The Vander family also happens to be known as the bodyguards of the royal family.”

“I wonder if the requester is related to Lieutenant General Zechs.” Gaius wondered. “It seems like they have us working all across the area.”

“Well, I’ll let you kids figure out what you want to do. Your deadline to complete this field study is 10 PM tomorrow, when the last train leaves from Parm. Just remember to write daily reports for your instructor, so she knows what y’all have been doing. If you kids have any questions, you can ask me, but Sara told me that I should ‘let those kids figure things out on their own, it’s part of their field study.’” He chuckled softly.

“Well I have a question, but it doesn’t pertain to our field study necessarily. I noticed that emblem on your chest, are you a Bracer, by chance?” Emma asked.

“That’s right, I’m a C rank Bracer. Not that I was trying to hide it or anything.”

“What’s a bracer doing in Erebonia? I thought the guild branches in the empire closed down.” Machias said, pushing up his glasses.

“The imperial government kicked them out, Regnitz. It’s different.” Jusis replied.

“So you kids know that much at least. It’s true that most of the branches have been shut down here in the empire, but there’s still a need for Bracers in this country, especially when the RMP is less inclined to take up the workload on their shoulders.” Grant explained. “You’ll find certain places like Parm and Legram are a bit more amenable to having Bracers around, compared to most of the country. Although going through customs at Titus Gate is always a pain in the neck.”

"Are you from Liberl, then?" Machias asked, "That would explain the accent at least."

"Not a lot of Liberlians usually find their way up to the empire, but I've been helping out from time to time ever since the Orbal Shutdown Phenomenon a few years back. Parm was hit by it pretty hard too, so I'm practically a regular here, isn't that right, Berty?" He waved to the innkeeper who gave a hearty laugh back.

“I take it this kind of stuff is typical for bracers, then?” Fie said, looking over the list again.

“Maybe.” Grant said. “Daylight is burning though, I wouldn’t want you kids to miss out on the joys of helping others. Good luck, and I hope you enjoy Parm.” Grant stood up and moved to the counter, where he got started on a frothy mug of ale. It seemed like his day was just winding down. Though Class VII’s was really just starting.

“If we’re being graded on this, it’s likely Sara wants us to take care of everything on this list.” Machias pointed out.

“I concur. It also seems similar to the things Rean was doing for the student council on our last free day.” Emma replied, “as such Group A has a pointed advantage over us.”

“It seems like we have a lot to do, are any of these urgent and need to be done by today?” Gaius asked.

“No, they all can be finished by tomorrow night, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. We should go around and ask for more details from the people who submitted these requests.” Machias said.

“Well there are three places we have to go, so I suggest we split up and handle these individually.” Jusis explained.

“Who made you the leader?!” Machias blurted out. “You think you can just order us around because-”

Jusis interjected quickly. “This way I don’t have to deal with you, and you don’t have to deal with me.” He massaged his temples. “It’s a matter of convenience, not because I care about what you think.”

Gaius could see Machias fuming in his seat, “That’s enough you two. I think splitting up and gathering information is a good idea. We’ll meet back here in an hour and a half, and talk over our plans to tackle these requests.”

“Are you sure about this, Gaius?” Emma whispered in his ear, “it might be better for us to travel as a single group for these.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.” Gaius whispered back, “There’s no way we can get these two to agree on anything when they’re like this.” He turned his attention back to the group. “Jusis, if you’d like, I’d like you to check on this delivery request from the orbal workshop.”

“I can do that.” Jusis nodded.

“I’ll go with him as well.” Emma volunteered. “If it’s a delivery request it might be too heavy for a single person to carry.”

“Are you certain? Thank you, Emma.” Jusis said.

“Machias, I’d like you to check with the dye maker and see what sorts of items he needs, and where we can find them.”

“You can count on me.” He grumbled slightly.

“And I’ll head to the Vander training hall to get more info on that monster, and on what kind of training they want us to take part in.”

“I’m going to get the lay of the land.” Fie announced, excusing herself.

“That sounds like a good idea.” Machias agreed. “I’ll go with you once I’ve checked in with the dye maker.”

“May as well go together then.” Fie said, deciding on her course of action.

Gaius looked over the rest of the group. “A lot of these requests have us going out onto the highways. While I’m confident you all can handle yourselves in a fight, I don’t want you going out alone. This is one thing we need to do together, understood?” His eyes lingered on Jusis and Machias for just a second longer than the rest. For obvious reasons, he knew Emma and Fie weren’t going to act brashly. “May the winds and the goddess guide us.”

---

The rest of them nodded and split up, looking for the places on their list. Gaius got up as well, and headed out towards the Vander training hall. The wind was peaceful in this town, a light breeze carried across the air, leaving a little bit of a spring chill. Parm wasn't a very large place, it was probably just a little bigger than Trista was. Gaius could see children playing on the streets, while the hum of sewing machines could be heard from the various houses in the residential areas. The gravel beneath his feet crackled as he made his way east towards his destination. The Vander Training Hall was one of the landmarks in the Parm skyline, a wooden building that looked rich with culture and tradition stood out immediately to him from the moment he stepped off the train. Crossing the wooden bridge over the babbling stream that bisected the village proper he made his way up the hill to the training hall. The smell of sweat and the sounds of battle eked out through the thick wooden door frame.

Gaius steeled himself and knocked on the door. “I’m here about your request, may I come in?” Gaius waited a moment, as the heavy doors creaked open. A man with silver hair and piercing brown eyes greeted him. He could tell in an instant that this man was an incredible warrior, just from the way he carried himself. He may not have had a sword on his person, but it would have been a natural fit.

“I was expecting more of you.” He said plainly. “Did they get lost on the way here?”

“They’re in town, just gathering information on the other requests we’ve received.”

“I see. I would have liked to meet the rest of your class, but this will be fine. My name is Matteus Vander, the acting master of the Vander School.”

“Gaius Worzel, of Thors Military Academy.”

“Worzel, eh? You must be the one I heard so much about from my little brother.” He seemed to relax a bit as he looked him over. “Well, I won’t keep you for long, I take it you wish to know about the training request?”

“That and the monster extermination request that was put in. I’m rather curious as to what both of them entail.”

“Of course.” Matteus gestured inside, and the two took a seat on a bench in the foyer. The sounds of the raucous training only grew in intensity as they got closer. “I apologize for the noise, our students are doing some sparring to round out the evening.”

“Not at all, it makes me appreciate just how much goes into formal training.” Gaius replied. “What kinds of things would we be doing to help with your student’s training though?”

Matteus smirked. “I’d love to see what the students of Thors are capable of, especially the students of Sara Valestein. Between the Albarea boy, and yourself, I’m pretty interested in seeing what you’re all capable of. However, our training for the day is winding down, so I’d actually like you to come in tomorrow for some sparring matches with my students.”

“That sounds reasonable. I’ll be sure to let my classmates know. Is there any specific time you’d like us to show up?”

“As long as it’s before noon. We have a special guest coming in, and I want him to see the Vander school in action as well.” Matteus remarked.

“I can’t imagine that’ll be a problem.” The older man nodded, as Gaius moved onto his second request. “Now that that’s settled, what about the monster request? Our information said they were some kind of dog creatures?”

Matteus nodded. “They’ve been attacking farmsteads recently and damaging property. The orbal lights are supposed to keep monsters away, but these ones don’t seem to be affected. We only have a few eyewitness reports, but nothing concrete, so that’s why the descriptions are vague. Normally the army would take care of this, but they don’t have the manpower to spare right now. I was surprised when Thors was willing to offer their assistance in this matter.”

“Well if they’re causing trouble for people, we’ll do all we can to help out. The message also mentioned that they’ve been sighted on both the north and south highways?”

“Yes, but the monster descriptions and damage reports were similar enough that we believe them to be the same type. The bite marks and fur left behind indicate some form of canine. Luckily no one has been hurt, but if this continues it’s only a matter of time.”

“I see.” Gaius wrote down the relevant information in his student notebook. “I’ll have to let the rest of my class know what you just told me. I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me.”

“Don’t mention it. I can always make time for the youth of the world. I am looking forward to seeing you in action tomorrow, Mister Worzel.”

“I’ll try not to let you down.” Gaius bowed and left the training hall. With the others spread out across town, and their meeting time still a while away, Gaius made a trip to the chapel. It just didn’t feel right not to pray to Aidios for making it here safely. It sounded like there was quite a bit going on, but it wasn’t anything he and the class couldn’t handle. The bigger issue was whether they could handle themselves.

Chapter Text

“Satisfied, Fie?” Machias asked as they finished a circuit around town. The younger girl twirled on her heel and nodded, the closest thing to verbal confirmation Machias would get when she was in her serious mode. The girl had a very interesting outlook on what it meant to get the lay of the land. Rather than looking for important landmarks or historical buildings, she seemed to be looking for vantage points, choke points, and spots to take cover in case of a firefight. She never said as much of course, but with the way her eyes wandered, and the knowing nods she made to places that stood out to him for the very same reasons, he could only assume as much.

“Let’s head back. We need to tell them about what we learned from the dye maker.”

“Yeah, I suppose they’ll need to know about what he said.” Machias tucked his hands into his pockets. They had already grabbed one of the items he needed from the shops, a semi-rare cobalt stone. The other was a lot harder to get, and required them to go out to the old road on the east side of town. He had never seen a firefly fungus, but according to the man, they only came out of the ground at night. Why a dye maker even needed a mushroom, he had no clue, but he wasn’t about to question the strange things they were expecting him to do on these field studies.

Much to his chagrin, he wasn’t the first one back. Jusis and Emma had returned as well, the noble carrying a box full of vinyl records. Was this what the general store wanted them to deliver to the army?

“You know, I can help you carry that, Jusis.” Emma insisted, but Jusis shook his head.

“Nonsense, this sort of thing is easy enough to move around.” he said clearly straining himself. Machias would have insisted to help, if it was anyone but Jusis carrying that box. We’re still in a ceasefire… he had to remind himself. Machias grasped the inn’s front door handle and held it open, making sure to keep himself as inconspicuous as possible.

“Ah, someone’s held the door open for me. Thank you very much.” Jusis said, his vision obscured by the box.

“Don’t mention it.” Machias whispered, just loud enough to be heard.

“Oh.” Jusis kept walking, a little bit faster this time as he headed towards their room.

“Sorry about that, everyone.” Emma said.

“What are you apologizing for?” Machias replied, “it’s typical of him to be that stubborn.”

“I’m surprised you actually did something nice for him without any of us asking.” Fie said, shock clearly apparent on her delicate features. “You didn’t get a fever or something, did you?”

“I-I’m fine, alright?!” Machias insisted. “More importantly, where’s Gaius? He was the one who asked all to meet here after we were done. Considering he just had to go to the training hall and back, he should be here by now.”

“Maybe he had the same idea as all of us, and took to exploring the town?” Emma said. “It’d make sense that way.”

Before they could posit more hypotheses, Gaius arrived with a calm expression on his face. Tension just seemed to relax whenever he showed up, and right now was no different. “Hello everyone, shall we go inside? I think we should talk over a nice meal.”

Emma beamed, “Of course!”

“I wouldn’t mind hashing out our plan over some grub.” Fie said. “It is dinner time, after all.”

“Dinner sounds lovely right now.” Jusis said, returning from their room, still catching his breath, but pretending to be unperturbed. His fakeness was starting to set Machias off again. He told himself to calm down, take a deep breath, and avoid thinking about the myriad ways that stuffed shirt annoyed him.

“Let’s eat, I’m starving.” Machias replied, averting his eyes from the noble.

---

The five of them discussed everything they learned about Parm, and the requests they had so far. Gaius had apparently taken to going around town asking about the dog attacks, but he didn’t turn up anything more than what the head of the Vander school had told him. If those creatures were attacking at night, it might be best to try patrolling at night and seeing if they could catch them in the act. The monsters were staying away from the town, but they were hitting the farmsteads. His other request seemed simple enough, show up at the Vander hall in the morning and do some training with their students. It didn’t sound like the most enjoyable thing, but it would be nice to see where he stood compared to Erebonia’s martial artists.

Emma and Jusis’s delivery request was pretty simple, they just needed to take those vinyl records to the rest stop owner at Titus Gate, apparently someone had stolen his originals, and he needed a set of replacements brought in. And lastly there was their request. Machias took the cobalt stone out of his pocket and placed it on the table after explaining the gist to them.

“So he needs this stone, and a few firefly fungi to complete his dye. They only grow at night on the Agria Old Road, so we should take care of that today, since we’ll be leaving tomorrow night.”

“You want to go into a dark forest road at night?” Jusis rubbed his temples, “I thought you were supposed to be smart Regnitz, but clearly common sense has eluded you.”

“How else do you propose we get them, Albarea?” Machias scowled. “Fie and I checked the stores before coming here, and none of them sold any. Perhaps you in your infinite wisdom have a better idea?”

“If you want to go into unknown territory and get yourself killed, be my guest, I’m not going to be a part of it.”

“Umm if I may-” Emma tried to speak, but was cut off by the two boys arguing. Their tone was getting more vicious, as the two started to throw verbal barbs at one another. The situation quickly escalated from a boil to an inferno as the insults got more and more pointed.

“This is just what I’d expect from someone like you.” Jusis hissed. Machias banged the table in response, drawing the crowd's eyes directly to them.

“Let’s take this outside, Albarea. It’s clear this cease fire isn’t working.” Machias adjusted his collar, undoing the top button of his blazer.

Jusis stood up as well, rolling his shoulders as he did. “Very well. Allow me to put you in your place.”

Gaius stood up, giving both of them a nasty look. “This is not the time for-”

“Shut it, Gaius.” They both responded simultaneously. “This is between me, and him.” They pointed at each other, glaring at one another like starving lions. Despite his best effort to interject, those two weren’t listening to anyone.

“Very well.” He resigned himself, and let those two do what they wanted to from the very first time they met each other. The two feuding boys took his expression as an opportunity to step outside amidst the hushed whispers of the patrons of the bar.

“G-Gaius?” Emma spoke out, “You aren’t going to stop them?”

“I don’t think I can, and I don’t think I should.” he replied. “If this is the only way those two can talk to each other, then I’m not going to stop them. Maybe they’ll learn something from all of this.” He put his hands together in a silent prayer, “Though it’d be nice if they didn’t hurt themselves.”

“That’s asking for a little much, wouldn’t you say?” Fie stood up and rushed out. “I’m going to make sure they don’t kill each other.”

“F-Fie?” Emma scrambled to her feet. “I’ll go with you, wait up!” She looked over to Gaius, who just shook his head. The two girls scrambled out, hoping to catch the two before it was too late.

“You don’t seem too concerned, do you Gaius?” The bracer who was sitting at the counter walked over, taking a seat opposite the boy. “Not going after them?”

“Sometimes men need to hash things out with their fists. In the end, words can only do so much. I was hoping the two of them had grown past the need for that, but nothing is ever easy with those two.”

“Guess you’re at the end of your rope, huh?” Grant said, taking a sip of his drink. “Well, whatever you decide to do, you should do it properly. One should always live without regrets.”

Gaius took his cup of water and chugged it down. Had he really tried everything he could? At the very least, he should stop those two if they decided to go too far. He chased after Emma’s back and headed outside.

---

Machias swung first, his knuckles hitting naught but air as the noble deftly dodged his fists. Neither of them were much for fist fighting, but Machias picked up a few tricks in the Ost District. You had to be tough to make it in the lower class district, not just in mind, but in body as well. Jusis’ hand made contact with his arm, but the blow was weak. “Never thrown a punch before, Albarea?” Machias taunted, drawing closer.

“I’ll show you, Regnitz.” Jusis tried to strike at the boy’s temple, but Machias dipped his head at the last moment. With the noble caught off guard, he struck, landing a hard shot in his solar plexus. Jusis folded back, and narrowly avoided the followup.

“You can’t dodge me forever.” Machias said, trying to corner Jusis against the wall. Jusis snorted in response, the inflection pulling the boy’s easily triggered temper. The hothead swung again, but this time Jusis was ready, sliding under his guard, and finding his chin with a well timed uppercut. Machias staggered backwards, and as Jusis was ready to press his advantage-

“That’s enough!”

Jusis felt electricity coursing through his veins as he hit the ground. Not long after, Machias fell in much the same way. They looked up to see their instructor, wielding a nasty looking orbal gun, glowing with the faint embers of electricity.

“Instructor Sara?” Machias vaguely mouthed the words, his face numb from the electric shock. “What are you doing here?”

“I got a call from a reliable source that things weren’t going so well and I had a feeling you two would be doing something stupid right about now. Don’t you just hate when your hunches are right on the mark?” The pink haired instructor twirled her gun around before sticking it back in it’s holster. The rest of the class rushed out of the inn, only to see that everything was already taken care of.

“Hey Sara. I guess you showed up pretty quick, huh.” Fie said with a slight smirk.

“You knew I was coming? Am I really that predictable, Fie?”

“Yep.” She sounded almost relieved. Almost.

Sara’s shoulders slumped at the halfhearted dismissal. She turned to Emma, “Has it been this bad the entire field study?”

Emma shook her head. “They said they were on a cease-fire, but I think all it did was delay the inevitable, rather than form a bond of trust." She looked down at the boys quivering on the ground. "Are they going to be alright?”

Sara chuckled. “They’ve been hit with stun rounds. Non-lethal, but they aren’t going to be moving for a while. These babies can knock a rhinocider off its feet. Mind helping me take these guys to their room, Gaius?” She said with a sly wink.

Gaius nodded. “Thank you for the help, instructor.” He helped Jusis up to his feet, before propping the boy up on his back. Sara took a more casual approach, and tucked Machias under her arm like he was a piece of luggage.

“Hurry up, he’s heavy!” Sara chided as they pushed back into the inn. With a little bit of struggle, the two boys had been tossed onto the bed, still unable to move. She stretched out her shoulders, and cracked her neck. “Alright. I’m going to talk to the innkeeper here and explain the situation, but after that, I want to have a nice long chat with all of you. So sit tight for a while, okay?”

The two feuding boys sulked for a while as the room stayed deathly silent. They had never seen Sara look like that before, and though her voice made it seem like everything was fine and dandy, everyone in that room could tell she was pissed, and not the kind that came from tying a few too many on. Even Fie seemed a little shaken, and she was usually unreadable.

After a few tense moments, they heard the sounds of boots clambering up the wooden steps and creaky floorboards before opening their room’s door with a casual shove. She closed it behind her, grabbed a chair from the corner, and sat down, her eyes still holding that same intense expression.

“Instructor Valestein, look-” Machias began, but the glare from Sara silenced him instantly.

She took a deep breath and calmed herself down a tad, before putting on a smile so fake you might have thought she was made of wax. “I talked to Berty, and luckily for you kids he’s not holding that little stunt against you. He even appreciates that you went outside to handle it, instead of trying to fight indoors.” Her expression tightened. “He’s willing to forgive you, but I’m not.”

An audible gulp could be heard from the members of Group B, as they prepared for their instructor to unload on them. “This may not mean much coming from me as it would coming from Principal Vandyck or Instructor Neithardt, I’m not nearly as militaristic as either of them. However, I am a teacher of Thors, and you all are students of the very same academy. The actions you take don’t only reflect on yourselves, but on everyone at the academy. Some of those people now believe the people of Thors are nothing but thugs spoiling for a fight, they might have thought about enrolling their kids at the academy in the future, but now they might not.”

“I’m sorry, instructor.” Gaius bowed his head. Emma, and even Fie quickly did the same, taking Sara’s words to heart.

“Why are you apologizing?” Jusis groaned as he tried to move his limbs again. “The only ones who should be apologizing are Regnitz for provoking me, and myself for falling for his provocations.”

“You say that like you're not the one provoking me!” Machias retaliated.

Sara slammed her hand on the dresser nearby, silencing the bickering boys. She didn’t say a single word, the glare on her face said more than words ever could.

“I’m sorry, Instructor.” Machias replied meekly.

“I am as well.” Jusis replied in turn, meeting Sara’s gaze.

“If you are, then take my words to heart. You don’t get to be students forever, situations like these don’t usually get to end with a stern warning once you’re adults and making your way out in the world.” She walked up to Jusis and Machias, pulling them up. “I won’t always be here to bail you out, in fact I probably shouldn’t have been here in the first place. Whatever you have between the two of you, you need to find a way to resolve it. Otherwise it’ll end up much worse than this and you will regret it.” She clapped the boys on the shoulder, before turning on her heel and exiting the room, shutting the door behind her.

The two boys stewed in silence, wondering what they could possibly do to solve their issues. They couldn’t find an answer just thinking about it though. Eventually, the effects of the stun rounds started to wear off and they could finally move again.

“I’m going to bed.” Machias proclaimed, “Whatever we decide to do, we can figure it out in the morning.”

“We still need to write our reports.” Emma said, but quickly rescinded her statement. “Uh, I guess we can finish those tomorrow, instead.” She shied away from the scowl on Machias’ face. “I’m sorry!” She bowed her head and left the room quickly, unable to wait any longer. Machias touched his cheeks, and could feel his face was taut. He’d have to apologize to her later, she didn't deserve that.

Fie looked over at the two of them for a long time, before shrugging her shoulders. “Good night guys, see you in the morning.”

That just left Gaius, who seemed to be deep in thought. “Is something the matter, Gaius?” Jusis asked, clearly concerned.

“I think my approach may have been heavy handed. I’d like to apologize to the two of you.”

“What do you mean?” Machias said, wringing his hands together.

“I saw Instructor Sara here while we split up in Parm. I told her the situation, and she acted accordingly. Perhaps I should have just said everything was fine, instead.”

“What was she doing here?”

Gaius shook his head. “I don’t know for sure, but my gut says she came here to check up on us. She mentioned airship travel being a pain here compared to Liberl, so she probably checked up on Group A first.”

“Unbelievable.” Machias muttered.

“Is it?” Jusis said, “Looking at how things turned out, it was probably fortunate she showed up when she did. Rather than ask you to apologize, I want to thank you. You’ve been looking out for the two of us this entire time.”

Gaius scratched his cheek. “I appreciate it, but I’d be happier if you two could stop being at each other’s throats. I know I’d like that much better, but it’d be beneficial for the both of you as well.”

If only it were that simple. Machias thought, as he prepared his bed. There’s just no way he could ever forgive them for what they did to her. It didn’t matter what face they put on, nobles were nothing but heartless monsters. He just had to keep telling himself that, for Elsa’s sake.

---

The night had reached its apex, the stars blotted the sky, and the cloudless, moonless night left some time for self reflection. Jusis and Gaius were fast asleep, which meant it was time. Machias grabbed his gear, and slowly shuffled out of the room, being careful not to wake anyone. He couldn’t drag the team down any longer, and the only way to do that was to get results. He carefully shut the inn’s bedroom door, and made his way down the steps. There wasn’t anyone partaking of the libations of the inn’s bar late at night, the town had settled into a blissful sleep of it’s own. Machias was home free to escape. He opened the front door and stepped outside.

The night air was a little chilly, nothing like spring in Heimdallr where it always tended to be a little muggy. It would have been a nice night for a stroll, to gaze at the stars and read a novella under their light. Happy memories of time spent with cousin and father flitted through his memory banks as his feet carried him over the gravel roads. So lost in his reverie was he, that he didn’t notice the young girl directly in front of him.

“Sup Machias?” Fie said, poking him in the chest. He recoiled for a moment, before breathing a sigh of relief. “Out for a stroll?”

“Yeah, something like that. Wait a second, what are you doing out! It’s late at night, you know?” He protested but she didn’t seem to care.

“Getting the lay of the land. The town breathes differently at night.” She said, looking up at the sky. “You can see all the stars too here, there’s almost no orbal light interference.” She looked back down at him. “So, are you ready to go?”

“What are you-”

“The firefly mushrooms.” Fie explained, cutting him off. “That’s why you snuck out, right?”

He kneaded his temples. “Yeah, I am. Are you going to tell the others?”

Fie tilted her head. “Nah. I think you were right, we only have one chance to get those mushrooms, so I’d rather tell the client good news than bad. Especially when we’ve already done half the work.”

Machias nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, I’m happy to have you by my side Fie. Are you ready?”

“Always.” She replied curtly, and started heading forward. Machias called on her to slow down, but he quickly found himself drawn into the girl’s pace. The faint lights of the city dimmed in the distance, and the two students found themselves following the streetlights on the old road. The Agrian Forest wasn’t nearly as famous as the Ishtimia in terms of size, but it was abundant with wildlife, according to the travel brochure they had on display in the inn’s lobby. He was wary about treading into unknown territory, but having an extra set of eyes was handy, especially one so equipped for night vision.

“Watch your step, the roots here are pretty bad.” She said as she gingerly stepped over a root in the darkness. Machias’ foot hit the same root and nearly stumbled, but he collected himself before he fell. “What did I just say?”

“Sorry, my bad.” Machias chuckled. “You think it’s around here?”

“Yeah. The guy said those mushrooms grow near spruce trees like this one.” She kicked a few pinecones off the ground for good measure. “Probably going to be in a shadier area, if they only grow in darkness.”

“We might have to go further in then, this area should get a lot of light during the day.” Machias’ eyes narrowed as he heard something moving in the underbrush. Fie was ready with her gunblades as well, but breathed a sigh of relief as a rabbit scurried out of it. “Phew.”

“Stay on guard, Machias.” Fie holstered her weapons again, “We’re going further in.”

“Right!” Fie really seemed like she was in her element here. She struggled with schoolwork despite putting the effort in, but outside in the wild, she was alert, competent and efficient. What kind of life could she have led to be like this at such a young age?” Machias didn’t trip over a snarl of roots this time, but stepped into something else entirely. “Shit.” He grumbled.

“It sure is. Probably a canine’s, from the smell.” She whispered.

“How could you possibly know that?”

“Experience.” she evaded the question with her usual nonchalance. “Don’t worry, it’ll wash off. Just bear with it for now.”

“Great.” Machias pulled out his orbment, trying to get a better grasp of the ground around him. Contrary to his expectation, there wasn’t just one pile of stool, there were several. “Why is there so much shit?!” He screamed out. Fie shushed him in a hurry, but his outburst stirred the wildlife around them. He heard a howl in the distance. Then a second. A third, a fourth, and several more soon after.

“This isn't good.” Fie drew her weapons out. Machias took the cue and readied his shotgun, quickly forming a combat link with her. “Watch my back!”

“I’ve got you covered, Fie!” He tried to hide his fear, as he saw a pair of gleaming eyes in the shadows. Red like rubies, they shone with bloody intent. Another howl echoed out, as more pairs of ruby red eyes shone in the darkness. He saw a flash of teeth, and readied his gun. When they attacked, he would strike. He just had to wait on the timing, and trust the girl behind him. She was counting on him, and he wasn’t going to let her down. His hands shook, as he tried to steady his breathing. The number of snarling wolves increased, circling around them like hunters stalking their prey.

The first gunshot fired into the night.

Chapter Text

Gaius awoke to the sound of rapping on the bedroom door. He inhaled slowly and took stock of his surroundings. It was still late at night, and it didn’t seem like anything dangerous was happening. Jusis groaned and tried to push himself out of bed, clearly irritated by the interruption of his sleep.

Still, he quickly jumped out of bed, and threw on his uniform’s pants, and the shirt he had draped over the desk’s chair. “Hello? Are you in there?” The voice called out, one he recognized all too well. He quickly buttoned up his shirt and opened up the door. The purple haired girl looked awfully tense as she met his gaze.

“Good evening, Emma.” He tried to stay as casual as possible, hiding his rosy cheeks. “Is something the matter?”

“Yes, there is.” She remarked, clearly flustered. “Is Machias still here? Or has Fie stopped by?”

“Regnitz?” Jusis rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and looked over the bed. “Well there’s a lump that looks like him here.” He grabbed the blanket and yanked it off. “Aidios save me.” He groaned as he revealed a stack of pillows buried underneath the bed spread. “Where the hell is he?”

“I don’t know, but I do know Fie went missing too.” Emma said. “However, she at least told me that she was just going for a midnight walk, and if that she wasn’t back, I should wake you guys up.”

“I’m sorry, what’s going on?” Gaius tried to get the gears in his brain turning, but he wasn’t himself without a good night’s sleep.

“That idiot!” Jusis kicked the bed. “He snuck out! And knowing him he was probably after that damn mushroom.” He kicked it again, before grabbing his uniform and throwing it on. “We need to hurry before he gets himself killed.”

“And he brought Fie with him too?”

“I think that’s likely to assume.” Emma said, pushing up her glasses. “I’ll just uh… wait outside while you two get ready, okay?” She said, averting her gaze. Jusis quickly realized he was halfway in a state of undress and covered himself up. Gaius took her advice and shut the door. He quickly threw on his blazer and grabbed his gear.

“I can’t believe that idiot.” Jusis growled, “It’d be one thing if he was just putting his own life in danger, but he had to drag one of our classmates into his nonsense.”

“I agree.” Gaius said, “However, I wonder why he felt obligated to do something like this.”

The noble scoffed. “That idiot wants to prove a point. I can’t claim to know what goes on his head, but he probably thinks he can prove himself superior or something with this fool-headed notion of his. I can’t believe Instructor Sara thought this was a good idea!” Jusis threw his clothes on, and grabbed his sabre. He was angry, but Gaius noticed that he didn’t hesitate in the slightest to get ready. Gaius opened the door again, and after apologizing to Emma for the wait, the three of them were ready to go.

“Do you have any idea where they headed, Emma?” Gaius asked once they left the inn.

“If they’re after firefly fungus, they’d be heading for the Agria Old Road.” She explained, pointing to the east. “It grows in dense forest areas, so that’s likely the place to go.

“He did mention that earlier.” Jusis grumbled, “Something about a mushroom that only grows at night.”

“We’d better hurry.” Emma said, picking up the pace, “We don’t know their situation, but we do know there are dangerous wild monsters out.”

“Better safe than sorry.” Gaius agreed. “I’ll take point, you two can cover me with arts if the situation gets dangerous.” He pulled out his orbment, adjusting the setting so it gave off a bright light in the darkness.

“That setting will burn up your orbment’s charge quickly.” Jusis warned.

Gaius shook his head. “I need my charge less than you two do. We don’t want to be blind out there either. Stay close to me, and stay calm.” Emma and Jusis quickly obeyed, following close behind as they cut through the stony path. Luckily for Gaius, it seemed like Fie was deliberately leaving a trail for them to follow, as the scattered leaves, footprints, and shallow cuts in the trees guided them exactly on the path those two had taken.

Once they were close enough, there wasn’t any need for those hints, as the howl of wolves crying their death wails were all the signals those three needed. They saw the flash of orbal energy crackling through the darkness, as a wounded wolf recoiled into sight. Gaius grabbed his spear, and finished it off before it could recognize the new attackers.

Emma launched a furious lightning spell, crackling through the dense foliage, and lighting up the night. As the wolves encircling their classmates became aware of the sudden attack, it was too late. Jusis had come screaming in, his sabre fresh with the blood of several wolves, as he broke their encirclement.

The group tried to flee, but no longer surrounded, Machias and Fie could bring their full power to bear, unloading shot after shot on the fleeing monsters. A couple of them escaped into the dense underbrush, but the rest of their gang was dead on the ground, the sepith they had consumed spilling out of their blood, as their bodies faded away.

Gaius turned to the two of them. Fie seemed no worse for wear, other than the sweat dripping down her arms and legs, but Machias had taken a few cuts and scratches from the beasts, and his uniform was covered in mud. Despite the minor injuries, it didn’t seem like anything major had happened.

Not yet anyway. Jusis strode up to him, and grabbed him by the scruff of the collar, yanking him off the ground.

“Jusis!” Gaius shouted out, but he wasn’t listening. The anger in his eyes could be seen clearly, even in the dead of night.

“What in Aidios’ name is wrong with you!” He threw him to the ground with a hard shove. “Do you not understand that there are dangerous monsters out here? That you could have gotten yourself killed because you were too damn arrogant to ask for help?” He spat on the ground, his fists curled into balls, fingernails digging into his palms. “And not only do you lack the sense to risk just your life, you have to risk the life of another one of our classmates? For what?”

Machias looked down at the ground, unable to meet his gaze.

“You can answer me at any time, you know.” Jusis snarled, looking far more ferocious than any of those wolves did. “What exactly were you expecting to happen?!”

“Like you even care!” Machias roared back. “You get everything you ever want without putting an ounce of effort into it! When the going gets tough you can just get someone else to deal with your dirty work and come out smelling like a rose, ready to steal all the glory when you’re done!”

“You don’t know a damn thing about me, Regnitz!” Jusis stepped forward.

“Oh yeah? Then what’s your brilliant solution? Just forget all about this, give up before even trying?! You’ve got nothing at stake, so of course you would!”

“You’re an absolute fool, Regnitz! Instead of talking it out with us, you just tried to solve everything on your own! Your arrogance is unbelievable!”

“My arrogance?” Machias fumed as he dragged himself to his feet, ready to get into another fight. “Look who’s talking, you pathetic, stuffed shirt, son of a-”

“ENOUGH!”

The forest went dead silent as Machias and Jusis turned to Emma. In that brief moment Gaius learned that he should never get on Emma’s bad side, lest he live to regret it.

“Both of you need to shut up, and calm down.” She urged, lowering her volume, but not her intensity. She turned to Machias and shook her head. “The dye maker asked you to find him a firefly fungus, right?”

“That’s correct.” He answered promptly, practically standing at attention from her interrogation.

“And he also said that they only grow at night?” Machias nodded. Emma simply shook her head. “I’m sorry to say but that dye maker is misinformed.”

“What do you mean?” Fie asked.

Emma picked a mushroom off the ground, and started tuning her orbment to the bare minimum output. “Luminous Ray.” She used the mirage spell, lighting up the mushroom in a pale silver glow. As she did, the mushroom started to glow green, the bioluminescence of the fungus finally shining through.

“What?” Machias scratched his head. “This was a firefly fungus?”

Emma sighed. “These mushrooms grow like any other. However, they only glow in the moonlight.” She pointed up at the dark sky, and shook her head. “With no moonlight, you would have been out here for hours searching for a mushroom that you never would have found.”

“But why didn’t you try and tell us this sooner?”

“I did.” She said, trying not to let her anger show. “And if you and Jusis weren’t busy fighting over every little thing, maybe I would have been able to tell you!” Machias stepped back a little, before looking down at the ground in shame.

“Are all of these firefly fungus?” He asked, pulling out his orbment, and repeated the process he saw from Emma. “Luminous Ray.” He cast the spell, lighting up several shrooms scattered across the ground.

“The glow of the mushrooms is eerily similar to the glow of septium.” Fie remarked. “That probably explains why those monsters all gathered around here. If I had realized it was so dangerous I would have forced you to turn back.” She said to Machias, looking deeply ashamed.

Machias shook his head. “Don’t blame yourself for my decisions. I’m clearly the one in the wrong here. I’m sorry for putting your life at risk, Fie.”

“Don’t be.” She said quietly, “I made this choice on my own.”

“Let’s pick these and be on our way, the sooner we can get out of here the better.” Jusis said, getting down to grab a few of the glowing shrooms. After a few minutes, they had filled a sack with them. It was more than the dye maker needed, but if he was planning to use them in the future, he would have a healthy supply.

“Thanks for coming to save me.” Machias said, after pulling himself off the dirt. “You saved my life, really.”

Gaius shook his head. “If you want to thank anyone, thank Fie for looking out for you. If she hadn’t told Emma where you were going, we might have slept through all of this.”

Machias looked at his other classmates, and bowed deeply, offering his apologies to the rest of the class. Emma and Fie brushed it off casually, but one person didn’t.

Jusis strode up to him, forcing Machias back up. “You didn’t answer my question, Machias. Why the hell did you try and do this alone?”

Machias looked him dead in the eye. “Why should I have to answer to you?”

Jusis slapped him across the face. “Hate me all you like, Machias, but hate the person I am, not the one you think I am. I can’t stand your guts, and I can’t stand that you’d risk the lives of our classmates just to prove your so-called superiority. If you really hate the nobles so much, stop acting like one!”

Machias glared at him. “What the hell do you know about me, anyway?” His hands curled into fists as he barked out.

“Exactly what you know about me! Not a damn thing! Now use your words, Machias Regnitz, why do you hate me… no, that’s not right. Why do you hate the nobility so much?!” Jusis shoved him against the trunk of the tree. Emma and Fie tried to move closer, but Gaius held out his arm, holding them back. The green haired boy nearly fell over from the impact, but still managed to stay on his feet.

Machias swallowed his spit, and rubbed the cheek where Jusis slapped him. All that emotion that he had been holding back finally boiled over. “Nobles like you killed a member of my family and got away with it.” He said quietly. “They took the most important person in the world to me, and never paid the price for their actions. That’s why I hate nobles, and why I hate you, Jusis Albarea. You’re the very model of every fake platitude I hate about your social class! She could have been happy before your kind killed her with their petty games!” His shoulders slumped, as the strength in his knees gave way. He slid down the base of the trunk, staring up at the noble above him, defiance and anger reflected in his eyes. That emotion twisted, when he saw the pain in Jusis’ ice-blue eyes. He was genuinely hurt. For a brief moment in time, Machias could see the real Jusis Albarea. The sensitive and kind soul that lay beneath the haughty attitude.

Jusis' face churned as he listened to Machias’ words, before settling on a brief awkward smile. “So we have something in common, after all.” He whispered under his breath. “I’m sorry for your family, Machias. I may not have been personally responsible, but as a noble, I bear the shame of it all the same.” He extended his hand out to Machias and offered to pull him up. Machias paused for a moment as he reflected on Jusis’ words. “What? Is my hand not good enough for you, Regnitz?”

Machias shook his head and took Jusis’ hand. “No, I was just confused about what you were doing.” He accepted Jusis’ strength and pulled himself up to. He released his grip and gave a coy smile as he revealed the smear on his hand. “Sorry, I didn’t have a chance to wash my hands before this. I hope you don't mind shaking the hands of a dirty commoner.” He laughed heartily as Jusis looked down at the slimy trail of shit stuck to his hand. He looked awfully pale as Machias roared with laughter. “Don’t worry, it’ll wash off. It’s just dog shit.”

Jusis pushed him down into another pile of it and the two started wrestling each other. There wasn’t any malice in their struggle, just a desire to get even. In this case, evenly coated in animal feces. Gaius wondered if this really was the only way those two could see each other as equals, but the relaxed smiles on his classmate’s faces made him all the more certain that things would finally be better. He didn’t know anything about the darkness those two were harboring inside, but maybe a sliver of common ground was all they needed. As Jusis shoved Machias’ head into another dung pile, he decided he might need to revise that thought.

The rest of the class laughed at the scene, as both Machias and Jusis seemed to relax after all that happened. Emma used her healing spells to patch up Fie and the two dirty boys, and together all five of them left the forest behind. After getting some proper first aid for their cuts and bruises, they each took a long shower before turning in for the night.

---

Group B met with the dye maker first thing in the morning, dumping the bag of mushrooms and the cobalt stone he wanted onto his desk. After showing him the trick with mirage magic, and explaining the fungi’s properties, he assured the students that he’d never make that same mistake again. After accepting their reward and his thanks they moved over to the Vander Training Hall.

Machias yawned loudly, still trying to get the sleep out of his eyes.

“Still tired, Machias?” Gaius asked, resisting the urge to do the same.

He chuckled, “A little, I hadn’t expected to stay up so late last night. Turns out getting shit out of your hair takes a really long time.”

“Well you only have yourself to blame for that.” Jusis said with a smirk.

“I suppose so. My glasses still stink though.” He shrugged his shoulders. “So, combat training at the Vander hall, huh? After last night, I’m feeling ready for anything.”

“I’m glad to see you boys so excited.” Emma said, rubbing her eyelids. “But this is a serious matter, we’ll need to give it our best if we don’t want to bring shame to our academy.”

“I don’t think that will be an issue.” Gaius straightened his back and stretched out his arms. “I feel a lot better about our chances today than I did yesterday.”

“Well, if you say so.” Fie said, joining the yawn party. “Let’s just get this over with.”

The five of them made it to the thick wooden door, and knocked carefully upon it. The doors creaked open, and brought the Thors class face to face with the students of the training hall, and the master of it, Matteus Vander himself. He welcomed them inside, and took them to the inner pavilion, where the students eagerly awaited instruction. They seemed to vary in age, the youngest looking to be in their early teens, while the oldest of the group seemed to be in their early to mid thirties. In addition to the heavy sword users the Vander school was famous for, there were a number of sabres, naginatas, and even a few wielding twin swords among their throng.

“Welcome to the Vander School, students of Thors.” He said, his voice reverberating like thunder. “I am honoured to have you take some time out of your busy schedules to come train with us today.”

“It’s our honour, lord Vander.” Jusis bowed, taking the lead. “We’d be happy to assist with your training today.”

“Excellent.” He said with a wide grin. “I find that the best way to learn is through first hand experience. Therefore, I would like to propose a series of battles. A three on three match, a two on two battle, and lastly, a one versus one duel.” he looked over the group of students and gave a wry smile. “I hope you don’t mind if I choose the combatants, do you?”

Group B looked at each other, and after considering it for a moment, shook their heads. “That should be fine.” Jusis said, “I just hope all of us get a turn.”

Matteus laughed heartily. “There is no need to worry about that, I’d love for all of you to get something out of this. I apologize if I mispronounce your names. Miss Millstein, Miss Claussell, and Mister Worzel, I’d love it if you could go up first."

Emma nodded and stepped forward, pulling out her orbal staff, Fie did the same, twirling her gunblades around. Some of the students gasped at her choice of weapons, but the more seasoned members seemed unfazed. Gaius was the last to step forward, his cross spear prepared for a tough fight. Master Vander called up three of his students, warriors who appeared to be around their age, and they rose to the challenge. With their swords at the ready, they answered the call, and the practice bouts between Thors Military Academy and the Vander School were underway.

Chapter Text

Jusis’ classmates took their stances. Emma, Fie and Gaius would form one hell of a team, between Emma’s proficiency with orbal arts, Fie’s speed, and Gaius’ ability to control combat with his power and reach, they’d be a tough out for any ordinary group of students to face. The Vander school specialized in raw power, but it lacked in versatility, at least from what Rufus had told him during their training sessions. Judging by their opponent’s choice of weapons, he was hard pressed to disagree with that assessment.

No, he was more concerned about what came after. If they were having a series of battles, the two on two fight would likely pair him up with Regnitz. To be completely honest, he still didn’t like the other boy very much, but he could at least understand where he was coming from now. And because of that, it was a lot harder to hate him like he once did. Still, their combat prowess together had never been satisfactory by any measure, so it’d take all he could muster to avoid getting embarrassed against this rabble.

As he watched the combat reach an early stalemate, the doors to the training hall opened up again. Were they expecting visitors? Jusis tore his gaze away from the fight to see what was going on, and his jaw very nearly dropped. What were they doing here? He wondered as the four youths entered the training hall.

“Our apologies for the intrusion.” A vivacious blonde girl said, her ringlets bouncing with every step. “Thank you very much for inviting us, Lord Vander.” Beside her stood another girl with long black hair, no less elegant than the princess beside her.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the Parm training hall, not since we were kids, right Kurt?” The blond boy said with a wide angelic smile. The blue haired boy next to him nodded curtly, his eyes focused on the master of the dojo.

Matteus gave a subdued smile and bowed his head. “It’s an honour to have the treasures of the empire in my care. As master of the Vander style, I humbly welcome you to my dojo, Princess Alfin, and Prince Cedric.” He raised his head and gestured to the fight. “You’ve arrived just in time to watch some sparring matches, if that strikes your fancy.”

“Oh, are you from Thors?” Cedric piped up. “Oh wait, I recognize you!” He pointed straight to Jusis.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you again, Prince Cedric.” Jusis bowed his head, glaring at Machias to do the same. At the very least, he seemed to take the hint, and bowed in turn. “This may not be my first time meeting you, but this is the first time I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the princess, as well as your bodyguards. My name is Jusis Albarea, son of Duke Albarea.”

“Machias Regnitz.” He stumbled over his words. “It’s an honour to meet the prince and princess of Erebonia.”

“Don’t choke on your tongue, Regnitz.” Jusis sighed.

“S-Shut up!” He complained, with less fire than usual. Even he knew how to show some self restraint in front of the heirs of the empire.

“My, what a lovely bunch you are.” The princess smiled, “and ever so cute together.” Her laughter, and the implication, sent a strange chill down Jusis’ spine. “I don’t think I need to introduce myself, but I’m Alfin Reise Arnor.”

“Cedric Reise Arnor.” Cedric replied, a little embarrassment on his cheeks.

“Kurt Vander.” The blue haired boy said, his stoic expression never leaving his face. The girl beside Alfin just bowed her head.

“Oh come on, you can introduce yourself too, don’t worry about it!” Alfin teased the girl, practically pushing her forward.

After some prodding, and her eyes darting to the fight and back, she introduced herself in a strange manner. “I go by Thorn.” She said calmly and politely. “My apologies for the pseudonym, but I have my reasons for hiding my name. Please forgive me.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Miss Thorn.” Jusis said. He understood well that some highborn ladies didn’t want to properly introduce themselves to the nobility until they made their debut into high society. As she wasn’t introduced by her house’s namesake, she had every reason to be wary. Judging by her posture and etiquette, as well as her place by the princess’ side, she was likely highborn.

She accepted his words with a polite smile. While she didn’t glow in the same way the princess did, she definitely had her charms. Perhaps that’s why she kept her name a secret. Regardless of speculation however, that did the beg the question of why the royal family was here. Luckily for him, Machias was dumb enough to ask the question on his mind.

Matteus chose to answer. “I wanted to get my son in for some training, everything else appears to have been coincidental. I certainly wasn’t expecting the princess to join in on this little soiree. This does make our training session more interesting, though.”

“I always aim to stun!” Alfin said with a bright smile. “And ooh, what a showing we have today.”

“Indeed, but it looks like this fight is going to be over soon.” Thorn replied calmly. “I expect the Thors team should break through their defenses shortly.”

Jusis’ eyes turned to the fight, and he could see what the black haired girl meant. The Vander team had decided to try and focus their attacks on Emma, pegging her as the weak link. Which meant that their focus was drawn away from Gaius, and they’d pay dearly for that mistake. With a single swing he knocked one greatsword user into the other, the loss of balance allowing Fie to strike, her bullets striking home, and knocking the two of them to the mat. The last one wielding a naginata tried to strike Emma, but the blade only hit an illusion, as Emma’s real body was several feet away. The lightning spell that crackled from her staff finished the last warrior off, resulting in a clean sweep for his classmates.

“And that’s the match!” Matteus called, raising his arm. “An excellent showing, you three, but take care not to get tunnel vision in the heat of battle.” He called to his students, who slowly picked themselves off the ground and returned to the waiting students by the wall. “As for you young students of Thors, that was fascinating teamwork. I’m sure my students will have a lot to learn from your varied techniques and abilities.” The three of them bowed politely to the Vander students, before returning to the side.

“Oh. Who are those people?” Fie asked, somehow entirely unaware of what the royal family looked like. “They’re pretty cute.” She said looking at Cedric with a wry smile.

“F-Fie, you’re being incredibly rude!” Regnitz said, flustered beyond measure. The royals didn’t seem to mind so much, Alfin sharing a laugh at Cedric’s expense.

“Oh my goodness, is that Prince Cedric and Princess Alfin?” Emma exclaimed, nearly jumping out of her skin. “Oh my gosh is my hair alright, do I look presentable, is everything-”

“I’m sure it’s fine, Emma.” Jusis reassured her. “You were just in the middle of a battle, no one will care if your hair isn’t immaculate.” The group took to introducing themselves again, with a lot of fanfare and excitement. I suppose it wasn’t every day you’d see the royal family, even for nobles of high standing such as himself. To find out that they were so down to earth really only made them more charming.

“Erebonia must be in good hands if these are members of the royal family.” Gaius said calmly. “And I take it you two must be their bodyguards?”

“That’s correct.” Kurt replied. “It’s my duty as a member of the Vander family to protect his majesty.”

“Indeed. And while I may not be a member of the Vander family, my devotion to the princess is no lesser because of it.” Thorn replied in turn.

Matteus coughed into his hand, silencing the training hall once again. “That was a good fight, but we were promised three bouts. Mister Albarea, and Mister Regnitz, you’ll be fighting second.

“Of course.” Jusis could feel his face tighten, as the spectacled boy rose up beside him.

“Don’t hold me back, Albarea.” Regnitz said in his usual adversarial tone.

“Hmmph, save those words for yourself.” He replied, brandishing his blade. “Let’s see if you’re capable of forming a combat link this time.”

“I’ll show you capable!” He pulled out his orbment, and let the system do its work. Considering the link didn’t immediately shatter, this was already far beyond anything they had achieved in class.

“Now for your opponents. Since you’re here, would you mind showing them what the bodyguards of the imperial family are capable of? Kurt and Thorn, step forward please.”

Kurt rose to the challenge, and stepped up onto the podium. But as the black haired girl was about to join them, the prince interjected. “If you don’t mind,” he said with a hint of nervousness in his voice. “I would like to fight instead.”

The master seemed amused at the prince’s request. “And why is that?”

“Both Jusis and I were trained by Lord Rufus in court fencing. I want to test my skills against him, to see how far I’ve come. As a man of the empire, I can’t slack off on my training either.” Despite looking frail and angelic, it was clear that he knew how to handle the sabre in his hands.

“I didn’t know my brother trained you.” Jusis said, “but if he did, I certainly won’t refuse that challenge.”

Matteus turned to the black haired girl and nodded. “Very well. Miss Thorn, my apologies.”

She shook her head. “I’d love to see how much Cedric has grown, and I’m eager to see how far Kurt has come as well. Please give it your best shot, you two!”

“Ooh, I’m so excited! Don’t lose baby brother!” Alfin cheered out.

“I’m only the younger one by four minutes…” Cedric griped as he took his spot beside Kurt. “Are you ready, Kurt?”

“Of course, Cedric.” He said calmly. “Just be careful to protect yourself and not go in too far. We should be able to handle these two if you do.”

“Right!” He nodded enthusiastically. The two of them took their positions, and at the swordmaster’s signal, the fight began.

Cedric challenged Jusis, drawing his attention with a simple attack. His form was perfect, but it didn’t have the same strength that Rufus could put into his attacks. Jusis easily parried, and countered in turn. The prince’s guard wasn’t easily broken, as his footwork kept him upright and in position. “Let me show you how it’s done.” Jusis thrust his blade in, driving Cedric back with each thrust. It was clear he had learned the basics, but he was nowhere near his level. As he thought that, he felt the twin swords of Kurt Vander rake against his arm. As he spiraled and tumbled from the sudden hit, he could see Regnitz defeated on the floor. He hit the ground and groaned in pain, wondering how that just happened.

Matteus raised his arm, and the fight was over. They hadn’t even lasted a minute! Jusis staggered to his feet, ready to chew out his supposed partner a new one, but was distracted by the healing spells cast by both the princess and Emma.

“Are you two alright?” Emma asked. Jusis let the soothing magic wash over his cuts as he stood up properly.

“I’m fine, though I can’t say the same for Machias here. What the hell happened?”

“You kept getting in my way so I could never line up a shot.” Machias screamed back.

“That’s enough, you two.” Gaius said, placing a hand on both their shoulders. “Your opponents used a good strategy against you and executed it to perfection. If you wanted to last longer in that fight, you should have focused on slowing down Kurt instead of challenging Cedric.”

“At least one of your students knows strategy.” Kurt said with a disinterested expression. “Because if that was seriously the best Thors had to offer, I’m disappointed.”

“Don’t be like that, Kurt.” Cedric smiled and extended his hand to Jusis. “You’ve shown me just how far I need to go to improve my court fencing skills. If it had been a one on one fight, I would have lost for sure.” It was hard to feel angry at such honest praise, so Jusis dismissed the rudeness of his bodyguard.

Despite Machias’ scowl, he seemed to accept the result as well. “Next time, we won’t lose.” He said, his eyes boring through Jusis.

“Obviously.” He smirked.

As they took their place on the sidelines, Fie made an offhand remark, one that surprised him. “You know, your combat link didn’t break until Machias lost.” She chuckled. “Good work you two.”

He blushed a little at the comment, he wasn’t used to getting praised for losing, but the fact that he had even formed a link with the insufferable boy was definitely a good sign. Maybe Sara would be satisfied and stop putting them in the same group. No… he couldn’t be satisfied with just this, if he wanted to improve, he’d need to communicate better. The ARCUS may give an advantage to those in combat, but it doesn’t cover up everything. Only a fool would consider that performance acceptable, and at the very least Regnitz thought the same thing.

“And so that leaves our final bout.” Matteus smiled. “With the Vander school and Thors at one win a piece, this one will decide it all.” His eyes met Gaius and Thorn, who understood immediately that they would be the ones called to fight. “Miss Thorn, Mister Worzel, please show us the results of your training and your experiences.” He gestured to the students waiting in the wings as well. “Please watch closely, I’m certain you will learn much from this duel.”

“Do us proud, Gaius.” Machias said, “and don’t underestimate her just because she’s a girl.”

“That’s funny, coming from you.” Fie chuckled. “Remember the orientation exercise?”

“That’s because I didn’t know better!” Machias groaned. “How was I supposed to know the strongest students in our class were all girls!”

Jusis smirked. “You’ve got this Gaius, I know just how tough you are.”

“Be careful out there.” Emma added with a nervous expression. “I’ll heal you if you get hurt, okay?”

Gaius waved his hand. “Hopefully you won’t need to, but I appreciate it all the same. I’ll be sure to do the academy proud.” He hopped up onto the stage, facing down the raven haired competitor in front of him. He readied his spear, while the girl beside him drew a slender rapier.

“I didn’t know the Vander style taught rapier skills.” Jusis said, tilting his head.

“It’s not typical, but Thorn isn’t a typical Vander student.” Kurt replied. “If you can’t match up against me, there’s no way you’d stand a chance against her.”

“Is she seriously that strong?” Machias gawped.

The princess just gave a soft chuckle. “You’d all be wise not to underestimate her.” Her angelic smile held nothing but utmost faith in her bodyguard. It was rare to see such trust among the nobility, but there was a reason why she and Cedric were known as the empire's greatest treasures, the grand roses of the imperial bouquet.

The two warriors assumed their stances, each of them staring the other down. Matteus gave the signal to begin, but neither of them moved, each analyzing the other’s movements down to the rege. While the crowd started to stir, eager to see a clash, Jusis knew that the battle had already begun. He remembered something Rufus had told him once, that a duel started well before either side made an attack, it started the second you knew who your opponent was.

Thorn was the first to move, sliding in the interval between the Nord warrior’s breath. Her rapier struck hard and fast, so fast that Jusis barely saw her move. Gaius was quick to react, deflecting the blow while gaining some distance. Thorn closed in, her blade screaming in with repeated thrusts, trying to keep Gaius from using his cross spear to its fullest. He could defend the attacks with the haft, but as long as Thorn closed the distance, he could never get a clean strike of his own. She was playing to her strengths, and as long as she could do that, it’d be difficult for Gaius to counter.

She went for another flurry of blows, but Gaius was ready this time, quickly launching a fireball to get some distance, and distract his opponent. His spear came in hard, but Thorn deflected the blow, holding her rapier’s blade to soften the downward strike. He carried his momentum forward, but she spun away from the strike, finding prime position to strike again. Once again, Gaius was on the defensive, dancing to Thorn’s tune.

“It’s not quite court fencing, but there are similarities in her movements.” Jusis remarked as he continued to observe their deadly dance. “And yet, there are practices from Vander spearmanship in her blade as well. It’s curious.”

“The styles of combat go over my head, but she seems to incorporate a lot of different skills into her sword. It’s clever, but you need to be smart to mix up your techniques, otherwise you just have a hodgepodge of mediocre skills.” Emma replied, watching with awe. “But despite the different skills she's using, her sword technique is beautiful. I can see why she goes by the name of Thorn, with how sharp her attacks are.”

Gaius was able to gain some distance, and catch his breath, staying wary of the sword fighter in front of him. “I’m impressed!” He called out. “This fight is a lot of fun!”

Thorn nodded. “You fight well, sir Gaius.” She said politely. “But I don’t want to show my lady a shameful performance. If you could stop playing around, that would be much appreciated.”

Gaius’ eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

Thorn struck like lightning, her blade covering the length of the stage in a mere heartbeat. Gaius’ guard was paltry, and couldn’t guard the second strike which came with just as much fervor. Her rapier found skin as it marked Gaius’ arms with each thrust, it was as if she became lightning itself. The man roared as Thorn tried to land a finishing blow, and the strength of his spirit sent her backwards. “There we go.” She muttered as she staggered to her feet.

Gaius twirled his spear over his head, gathering the air around him into a deadly tempest. His eyes were laser focused on his target, and his attack was waiting. Thorn tried to disrupt it again, closing the distance like before, but she was just a fraction of a second slower this time. That fraction was all he needed. The wind buffeted her assault, and Gaius sent her falling backward with the momentum of his spear. Jusis could swear he saw wings on the man’s back as he leaped into the air, the cyclone of orbal energy following him as he did. “Calamity Hawk!” He roared as he brought all of his power to bear on the stumbling Thorn.

The air shook as he made impact, a cloud of dust covered the training hall as his ultimate technique hit it’s mark. Jusis waited for the dust to settle, in utter awe of the raw power he just witnessed. After many painful seconds, Jusis’ eyes were open to the truth of the battle. Both Gaius and Thorn were still standing, albeit barely. For a simple training bout, the two of them were pushed to their absolute limits, and nearing what orbal arts could heal on their own.

Thorn was the first to speak, a calm smile on her face. “Why do you fight, Gaius?” She asked, still leaning on her sword for support.

Gaius took some time to consider her words, and perhaps just to catch his breath, he looked like he was at his limit. “I fight to protect my home, and the people I love.” He said with complete honesty, something Jusis had always admired in the man.

Thorn seemed content at his answer. “That’s good. I fight for similar reasons myself. To protect those I love, to be their strength when they have spent their own.” She pulled her rapier from the ground and stood up straight. Despite her shaking, her will was like iron, and her blade resolute. “That’s why I cannot afford to lose. You showed me your ultimate technique, it’s only fair that I do the same.”

Gaius rose to his feet, and held his spear out with both hands. “Let’s see what you’ve got.” He roared again, like he was psyching himself up, an aura of impenetrable darkness seemed to swallow him as he did. Jusis couldn't believe the kind of pressure he was giving off. Even more amazing was how unperturbed his opponent was, she was watching him closely with her light blue eyes.

“Assume your stance.” She whispered as she pointed her blade upward. She took a single breath, and moved like lightning, harnessing all of her strength. Thorn’s blade danced in a volley of horizontal strikes, her body twisting and turning, using the gathered momentum to strike harder and faster each time, breaking through his defenses like they were nothing. And as she called her attack, there could be no doubt in his mind. He had seen something similar before, a technique Rean used in combat practice once before.

“Eight Leaves, One Blade, First Form.” Jusis mouthed the words that Thorn spoke aloud. It was similar, but combined with the combatant control that court fencing offered, and the raw power of the Vander School, it was a technique that Thorn made all her own.

“Helix Garden!” She called out as her blade made its final strike, knocking Gaius to the ground in a shower of blood and torn clothing. She pumped her fist to the sky in victory, before falling down on the matted surface. It seemed they had both spent the last of their energy.

Alfin and the rest of the Class VII quickly climbed up on the stage to see how those two were doing, but were shooed off by Matteus Vander. “This fight isn’t over yet.” He said plainly.

“They’re clearly down!” Machias said. “Neither of them can fight-” He was silenced by the groans of the two combatants, neither side willing to give up just yet.

“This match is on until one of them can no longer fight. I would be a poor teacher if I was unwilling to let my students try to push past their limits.”

Gaius and Thorn rose to their feet, shaky and unsteady, but determined all the same. “Incredible.” She remarked. “Most people collapse before taking every strike of that attack. It’s impressive you can even stand with all of those cuts.”

Gaius smiled. “That was something else, I'm kind of surprised, honestly.” He said, opening and closing his hands. “Listen, can I ask you something?”

Thorn seemed confused, but entertained it regardless. “Sure, if I can answer it.” She said with grace, something that Jusis thought impossible in the heat of battle.

“Would you mind telling me your name? I don’t think it’s fair to fight such a worthy combatant without knowing who she is.”

The girl paused for a minute, before nodding her head. She walked up to him and whispered something into his ear. She stepped back and smiled. “Sorry, but I don’t want anyone else to know.”

“Very well. Your secret is safe with me.” He tried to point his spear at her again, but fell to his knees. “Sorry, I don’t think I can fight anymore.” She fell to her knees as well, shaking her head.

“It’s the same here. Would you mind if we called this a draw?” She turned to Matteus, who nodded his head solemnly.

“This match is over!” He raised his hand. The bout between Thors Military Academy and the Vander Training Hall ends in a draw!

---

Gaius grumbled as the healing spell washed over him, the cuts and bruises slowly fading thanks to the healing spell that Emma was using. “Thank you, Emma.” He wheezed.

“Take it easy for now.” She insisted, “You pushed yourself way too hard, you know that?”

“I’m sorry.” He said quietly, “but I felt like I could push a little harder than usual because you were here.”

Emma flushed crimson at his casual remark. “Just because you have someone to heal you doesn’t mean you should be trying to get hurt in the first place!” She scolded him harshly, but he seemed happy all the same. Meanwhile Jusis noticed the princess healing Thorn, her healing arts were even more potent than Emma’s were.

“You fought wonderfully today, El-”

“Shh...” She said quietly.

“But you told him your name, it should be alright!”

“When we’re like this, just Thorn is fine. I am your sword after all, my dear princess.” She said softly.

“Well as my sword I demand you take better care of yourself!” She scolded. “I don’t want to see you get hurt doing stupid things like that again!”

“I’m sorry, but something about that man wanted me to fight even harder. To push myself even more. It probably sounds silly coming from me, doesn’t it?” She shrugged in an apologetic manner, “I just felt like I had an opportunity to become even stronger for your sake, Alfin.” Her words seemed to fluster the princess, who turned a shade of red similar to the dress she wore.

Cedric and Kurt crouched beside Thorn, helping her to her feet. “Not at all.” Kurt said. “I was disappointed by my opponents, but it appears yours was quite the warrior. If he wasn’t completely exhausted I’d be asking him for a round myself.”

Jusis fumed at those words, because he couldn’t deny it. He was weak, and after seeing what Fie, Emma and Gaius could do, he found himself feeling woefully inadequate in comparison. At least he was better than Machias, but that wasn’t a high bar to clear. Machias seemed to fume at the remark too, and Jusis was worried that he was thinking on the same wavelength as the governor’s son once again. Jusis shook his head, and extended his arm to Gaius. “That was well fought, Gaius.”

“Thank you Jusis.” He took his hand and stood back up, though he was still a little shaky. “Emma was right though, I shouldn’t make a habit of fighting like this, lest I get into a situation where I can’t be healed.” He turned to regard his opponent, and flashed a small smile. “Thank you for the duel, Miss Thorn. I hope we have a chance to do this again sometime.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it, Lord Gaius.” She bowed politely. “Oh, I’m sorry, you’re not actually a lord, that was very rude of me!” She bowed repeatedly, but Gaius just shook his head, clearly amused at Thorn’s about face. The princess spared no effort to tease Thorn about her sudden attitude shift, something that made her seem just like any other girl with her embarrassed pleas to stop. It was hard to believe that this was the same warrior he saw going toe to toe with Gaius just moments ago.

“And with that, our sparring matches are completed.” Matteus announced. “As for the rest of you, consider what you’ve learned today as you begin your sword swings. There was a lot to learn from those bouts, so I hope to see you all applying those lessons!” The students of his dojo saluted, and immediately took to practice, the training hall gaining a fierce clamour as it’s reinvigorated students trained with extra intensity.

Jusis had a lot of questions, but with this event, they could check another task off of their to do list. He had wanted to stay and chat with the royal family, but they had actually decided to participate in sword training so there wasn’t an opportunity for that. If Cedric and Alfin truly were the roses of the empire, then their thorns were sharp indeed. Compared to them, he found himself lacking.

“Cheer up, Jusis.” Fie chimed in. “Just because you and Machias got your butts whooped doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. You survived, so you can fight again another day.”

“Fie’s right. We just have to win next time.” Machias said. “Even if that means I have to carry your sorry ass to do so.”

Jusis smirked. “Who was carrying who? I seem to recall you being unable to get a shot off in that fight, while I was handling the Prince.”

“What was that!?” Machias growled back. “I swear I say one nice thing and you turn into a gigantic ass again! How do you fit that ego in that head of yours?” Jusis had almost grown to miss this sort of thing. And for some reason he felt a bit better because of it. Thors really was a strange place, he couldn’t deny it, and he couldn’t deny just how strange he and the rest of Class VII truly were. He really couldn't help but laugh at it all.

Chapter Text

After finishing those sparring matches, Gaius gave his report to Matteus about what happened last night, and those wolf like monsters they fought on the Agria Old Road. They hadn’t heard any news of monster attacks last night, but they would still send a few of the Vander students on patrols around the farmsteads just in case there were a few stragglers left behind.

He nodded solemnly. “Well, I won’t ask what gave you the inclination to go out for a nature stroll late at night, but hopefully this bodes well for the people of Parm. They live a quiet and relatively peaceful life, and as a warrior I can only hope that things stay that way.”

“It’s a good creed to live by.” Jusis spoke up. “However, we’ve taken up more than enough of your time already. We should be heading out.”

“Very well. If you ever want to come in for some more training, the training hall will always welcome you.” He bowed deeply, showing the dignity of a true sword master. Gaius wished to show the same respect, but the wounds he suffered in his fight against Thorn still ached. A simple wave would have to do.

They left the training hall, and decided to return to the hotel. With their training concluded, and their report on the wolves taken care of, all they had left to do was deliver those records to the manager of the rest stop at Titus Gate. Despite the rough start, it felt like they would be able to take care of everything smoothly. They entered the hotel lobby, and saw Sara enjoying herself at the bar, a glass of beer in her hand and a dopey grin on her face.

“Good morning, kiddos!” She said, stifling a yawn. “Still busting your humps on those field study tasks?”

“Something like that.” Emma said, “but isn’t it a little early to be drinking?”

“Bah, it’s never too early to have a nice cup of beer. Especially since I still have an hour to kill before my flight gets here.”

“You’re flying out to Celdic, I take it?” Gaius said.

“Woo, got it in one. At least you know that both of your groups are keeping me incredibly busy. So the least you can do is spare me some sympathy and let me enjoy a good brew.” She winked at them. “How did training with the Vander school go?”

Jusis and Machias sunk their heads, that loss clearly damaged their pride. “It could have gone better, but I think we learned a lot.” Gaius said, rolling his sore shoulders.

“Hmm, well alright.” Sara gave them a knowing glance. “The nice thing about sparring matches is that they give you that opportunity to learn and grow, even if you stumble and screw up along the way. If those lessons were fruitful, then the result of the match doesn’t really matter.” She put her empty glass down, and called to the bartender to pour her another. “I won’t keep you waiting, I’m sure you’ve got plenty left to do.” She turned her stool back around, only to sag as the bartender cut her off.

“We should get going.” Machias said. “The sooner we finish this delivery, the better.” They took his words to heart, and after debating for a while, decided to let Gaius carry the records over to Titus Gate. He was excited to see Erebonian nature, but his excitement was tempered by the heavy box in his hands. There were a few monsters flying out in the fields, but along the highways the orbal lights kept them far away. He always found it interesting how despite being powered by septium, orbal lights had the effect of repelling monsters. He also found it strange that he could let his mind wander while roaming the highways. If he did that outside the settlement, there would be no shortage of monsters ready to prey upon him. He felt comfortable with Emma and Fie watching his back, and while Jusis and Machias still couldn’t quite figure out how to work together in combat, they were making a serious effort to coordinate themselves better.

Despite walking for nearly an hour and a half on the highway, it felt like barely anytime passed at all before the imposing gate was in view. Gaius had always found Zender Gate to be impressive, but Titus Gate was built for the sole purpose of being imposing. As the only land passage between Liberl and Erebonia, it was the staging front for Erebonia’s attack on Liberl twelve years prior. With the sheer cliffs and jagged mountains of the Krone Range acting as a natural barrier between the two countries, the Titus Gate was a reminder to both Liberlians and Erebonians alike of just what their military is capable of. It was a reminder he felt all too uneasy about.

It was an outpost for one of the empire’s military divisions, despite signing the non-aggression pact with Calvard and Liberl two years ago, Erebonia was always ready to keep its borders secure. He had heard that it was even worse on the Crossbell border, with giant railway guns in place, and a fortress that effectively operated on the scale of a small city. At least he wasn’t the only one who felt uncomfortable at the sight.

“Do they really need this many soldiers here?” Emma said, nearly stopping in place as she took in the sight. They were close enough now that they could see the anti-air guns on top of the gate, and the soldiers who were keeping watch both on the ground and in the air.

“Indeed, it’s not as if our relations with Liberl are nearly as tense as they are with Calvard.” Jusis said. “But this sort of show of force is exactly what I’d expect from the Blood and Iron Chancellor and his reformist faction.”

“You need weapons to wage a war.” Fie said succinctly. “And you need weapons to encourage others to back down.”

“Even if they’re your allies?” Machias countered. “There’s defending your borders, and then there’s... this.”

“Especially if they’re your allies. Loyalties shift like the wind on the battlefield.” Fie replied. “I can’t say I agree with it, but I understand what their intentions are. If it’s bugging you guys, the rest stop is over to the left.”

“We should go ahead.” Emma said, “There’s no reason to stand around here any longer.” Gaius nodded, his arms were starting to get sore, and looking at reality wouldn’t change it.

Thankfully there weren’t any checkpoints or customs procedures to go through, they had no business outside of Erebonia, after all. The rest area was a lot more peaceful than the rest of the fortress, a delicate song was playing from the phonograph in the corner, as soldiers and civilians alike were chowing down on lunch. The waiters and waitresses took orders and food with practiced efficiency, keeping their staggered crowds happy and no longer hungry. Gaius’ could feel his stomach rumbling as the scent of fried foods fluttered towards his nostrils.

After getting the barkeeper’s attention, the manager came out, a wide smile beaming on his face. “Oh thank Aidios, the records are here!” He cried out, practically yanking the box from Gaius’ hands. “I don’t have to play Amber Amour for the fortieth time today!” He rushed over to the record player, quickly changing the simple tune to something a little more lively, the sound of swelling strings surrounded the restaurant with a noble and dignified melody. The patrons didn’t seem to notice all that much difference, but the relief of the manager was readily apparent to anyone in proximity. He practically skipped back to them, bowing his head in thanks as if they had just performed a miracle.

“There’s no need to thank us that much.” Emma said with a nervous chuckle. “We’re only doing what Mister Jerome asked us to do.”

“I take that to mean you’re satisfied?” Jusis said, stating the obvious.

“Satisfied? Such a word doesn’t suffice! You are my personal angels! I’m going to phone him and tell him the good news! My precious collection… it’s all here, all restored!” He said, wiping his tears on his sleeves. “But words aren’t enough to show my appreciation! Take a seat, and a look at the menu. You must be hungry after travelling all that way, lunch is on me today! In fact, Lunch is-”

“AHEM.” A young woman walked out of the kitchen with a soup ladle in her hand. “I can understand a free meal, but I won’t let you finish what you were about to say.” She tilted her head in apology, before dragging the over-excited manager back into the kitchen by his earlobe. Not sure of what to make of the situation, Gaius took the advice of his stomach and took a seat at a large empty table.

“Lunch sounds good right about now, wouldn’t you say?” Gaius said with a smile. “Between the training and the heavy lifting, I could use a good meal.”

The rest of the class quickly agreed, making no effort to hide their hunger. They used their lunch to plan out their next moves, after all, they had finished all of the assigned tasks left for them. With the manager making a call to the Parm General Store as they spoke, they had cleared all four tasks on their list.

“So do we just wait in Parm until our train gets here?” Machias asked, “It’s not as if there’s anything else we were expected to do.”

“I dunno about that. I think it would look pretty suspect if we did nothing for the last hours of our field study.”

“Doing nothing sounds good to me.” Fie said, stifling a yawn. “Knowing when to rest is important.”

“You can’t rest all the time, Fie!” Machias exclaimed, nearly bursting a blood vessel as she put her fingers in her ears.

“If I may…” Emma suggested. “Why not make a patrol of the areas affected by the wolf attacks? We were planning on doing that before we encountered their nest last night, anyway.”

“I don’t have any issue with it.” Jusis said, carefully setting his utensils sideways on his plate.

“If I recall, a few of the monsters escaped.” Machias said, wiping his hands, “It’s possible the survivors tried to recover, or there are other nests.”

Fie just nodded, “Whatever you guys decide is fine.”

“We value your input too, Fie. Don’t feel like you have to go along with us if you disagree.” Gaius replied.

She sighed, “We probably won’t find a nest, but we might find a survivor or two at the places they attacked, maybe. I wouldn’t get my hopes up though. They’ll be wary of other humans.” She leaned back in her chair. “So whatever you guys decide, I’ll go with it.”

“Easygoing to the end, huh?” Gaius replied, finishing the last bite of the rest stop’s famous Mega Chicken Burger. “It beats doing nothing, and I want to see what kind of damage those monsters did first hand. I don’t know if it’s just me, but something about them didn’t seem ordinary.”

“I know what you mean.” Machias said. “We’ve fought monsters before, but those ones seemed… more intelligent? Almost as if they were trained.”

“That raises more questions, but it’s not like we’re military inspectors or anything. There is only so much we can do.” Emma said. “But if we’re all in agreement, shall we head out and do some investigating?”

They nodded in agreement, and after saying goodbye to the manager (who was still determined to sing their praises to the rafters), they departed Titus Gate. None of the farmsteads hit were all that close to the gate itself, so they had more walking to do.

“Are you sure you want to return to the frontlines, Gaius?” Jusis asked. “I understand if you’re still feeling sore and want to rest.”

“Thanks for the concern Jusis, but I’ll be alright. That lunch charged me up, so I should be back to peak fighting condition. But if I’m feeling winded, I’ll be sure to let you know.” He said as he stretched out his arms. “To be honest, I feel great. Your healing arts worked wonders, Emma.”

“I-It was nothing! Just doing what I could to help.”

“I appreciate it, really.” Gaius smiled, as the flushed girl turned her head away.

Machias coughed loudly to dispel the awkward tension. “If that’s settled, then we should probably get moving. We’re burning daylight, and all that.” They agreed and moved out onto the highway again.

Their purpose was renewed, but any hopes for a breakthrough or discovery was quickly tempered. None of the farmsteads attacked reported any changes, and anything they discovered was information they had already known. Emma was right, they weren’t military inspectors, or detectives. Above all else, they couldn’t wrap their heads around the motive. If those monsters had a nest in the Agria Forest, why were they going out of their way to attack farmlands? There’s no shortage of prey animals in the forest. Machias suggested that they were trying to expand their territory, but that didn’t seem right either. It was puzzling, and their investigation finding nothing made it frustrating.

“Well that was a waste of time.” Fie said, not even bothering to hide her frustrations.

“I’m sorry Fie.” Emma apologized.

“I’m not blaming you, Emma.” Fie shook her head. “Hoping for new clues would have been too easy.”

“Well, at least we got our exercise in.” Machias said. “But we should probably work on heading back. We’re still a ways off the main drag, and we do want to make it back to Parm before sundown.”

Jusis flipped open his ARCUS and opened the clock function on it. “It’s almost three now, and it took us about an hour and a half to get from Parm to Titus Gate.”

“Sounds like we should wrap this up then.” Gaius agreed. “Let’s head back, and hopefully we can finish our reports before we get on the train.”

“Ugh, paperwork.” Fie heaved her shoulders in a long drawn-out sigh. Emma consoled her and offered to help her out with the work, but insisted that she wouldn’t do the work for her. Gaius couldn’t help but think it was really nice how Emma always looked out for her.

As they were walking along the path, they noticed something that struck them as odd. “Was this path always here?” Emma asked, as she looked westward.

“I didn’t notice it when we were walking to Titus Gate, but now that I don’t have a box in my hands, it’s kind of strange. There’s a road there, but where does it go? There's no signs or anything.”

Machias pulled out his map, and traced his finger along it, but after following the road, he couldn’t find anything. “There’s no landmark or town there, it just goes into the Krone Mountain Range.”

Fie’s ears perked up at a sudden sound, like a tiger sensing it’s prey. Her head jolted to the path ahead, and that drew the rest of the group's attention to what was in her line of sight. “No way…” Jusis whispered as he caught sight of the same thing.

“That’s the same thing we ran into last night!” Machias said in a stage whisper. “Where is it going?”

“We’re following it.” Fie said, pausing for a moment. “Uh, we are following it right?” She deferred to Gaius.

“Of course. Let’s be cautious, so it doesn’t catch wind of us.” Gaius replied. “Get those combat links ready, just in case.” A quick affirmative from the rest of the group, and they tried to pursue it.

However, five humans weren’t about to sneak up on a wolf that was on guard. It caught their scent in the air, growled, and rushed down the path. “After it!” Gaius shouted, now that the element of surprise was no longer in their favour. They rushed up the winding mountain path, keeping the monster within eyesight. The path was fraught with steep hairpin turns as they ascended up the path leading to nowhere.

“Boxes?” Fie shouted from the front of the line, as the wolf deftly hopped over the obstacles like it was nothing. The rest of the group caught up to her, and saw exactly what she meant. There were dozens of wooden boxes just lying in the middle of the road, obstructing their vision and the path ahead. Gaius could see traces of fur and claw marks on some of them, as well as some weathering from dirt, snow and rain. They had been there for a while from the looks, at least since winter.

“Step aside.” Machias said, brandishing his shotgun, loading the chamber with special shells. As soon as they took some distance from him, he fired the heavy shells, breaking the boxes apart like they were nothing. There was nothing inside of them, which just made the situation weirder. “Let’s keep going.” He said, “That wolf can’t lose us on this path without falling off the mountain.”

“And it should be leading us somewhere.” Jusis said. “I’m just hoping this isn’t a trap.”

“Stay on guard.” Gaius said. “Fie, I’m counting on you to cover our backs.”

“Ja.” She said succinctly, slipping into the shadows, staying behind Gaius and Machias.

“Let’s move, Gaius and I will handle the front.” Machias stepped up. “I should be able to use my shotgun to its full efficiency in a narrow area like this." With their plans made, they trudged forward, staying wary for any unknown ambushes. They caught up to the wolf fairly quickly, and now that they had a closer look at it, they could see it was wounded.

“A stray bullet from the looks of it.” Machias said. “This one was wounded by us yesterday, I’m sure of it.”

“Shh.” Fie whispered. “Don’t scare it-” She spoke too soon, the wolf that was licking its wounds was startled, and rushed further down the path. As they moved to pursue it, Fie quickly yelled out. “Stop!” They slid their heels into the ground, and gasped in horror as the wolf was blown apart in messy chunks. Gaius could barely process what he just saw, but everything made sense as soon as Fie spoke again. “A landmine…”

“What?” Machias and Jusis said in shock, while Emma said it in confusion.

“It’s an explosive device designed to explode when pressure is put on it.” Gaius explained, “but this is the first time I’m seeing one.”

“What the hell is a landmine doing here?” Machias shouted as he tried to take a step forward.

“Don’t move!” Fie shouted at him, scaring them with her intensity. “We don’t know how many more are buried here. If you step on one… boom, that’s it.” He had never seen the girl so intense before.

“We should turn back, report this to the army…” Emma stuttered. Gaius could see her hands shaking.

“Stay calm you guys.” Gaius said, hiding his own fear. “Panicking now will only make things worse. Breathe in slowly through your nose, and out through your mouth.” He directed them, teaching them the methods his father taught him to stay calm in tough situations. After giving them a few seconds to cool down, he asked, “Fie, do you know anything about the type of mines these are? Could we explode them by using an art?”

She shook her head. “You’re right about them being pressure sensitive. Other than that, I couldn’t say. Whether magic will trigger them or not is uncertain, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She looked up as something else caught her eye. “Shit. It’s too late.” She spat at the ground. “Come on out! We’re not here to fight!” Gaius couldn’t see what she was looking at, but judging by the angle, the distance, and the general position they were in, he could hazard a guess. A sniper. In their current position, they were sitting ducks. Surrender was the only option.

“Fie?” Machias whispered. “What’s going on?”

She was silent. His question was instead answered by the sounds of heavy boots marching down the road. Gaius could hear the girl’s teeth clattering in her jaw as the owners of those heavy boots came into view.

“Jaegers…” Jusis spat out.

Gaius analyzed the two people walking towards them. On his left, was a tall muscular man with dark skin. He didn’t look like he was from Nord, and he definitely didn’t pass for a native Erebonian. His eyes were hidden behind black shades, his head was shaved, and he carried himself in a very determined, stoic manner. He had a pair of guns holstered to both of his hips, and his hands hovered over them, ready to draw them at a moment’s notice.

In contrast, he was quite surprised at how opposite the woman beside him was, anarchy to his order. Her natural brown hair was dyed with pink stripes and cut in a spiky bob. Her general demeanor was relaxed as she rolled a lollipop around in her mouth, exposing her midriff as she stretched her arms over her head. The only thing the two of them had in common was their uniform. White pants, heavy steel toed boots, and a black jacket with a green wing logo on the left breast pocket. A single word was sewn under it.

“Zephyr.” Fie whispered breathlessly.

“You’re kidding me.” The woman pulled out her sucker and laughed so hard she nearly started choking. “Hey Marcus, my horoscope did say that I’d have a fateful encounter today. And what do you know, who else shows up here on this boring ass job than fucking Sylphid?”

“We’re still on the clock.” The taciturn man replied. “Would it kill you to show some professionalism, Candy?”

“Bah, you’re such a stick in the mud.” She griped. As soon as she blinked, the air around her changed, changing from a lackadaisical woman to a full blown huntress, staring down Class VII like they were her prey.

“Who the hell are you?” Jusis spoke up.

“Huh?” The woman named Candy tilted her head. “She didn’t tell you?” Her eyes darted to Fie.

Fie was shaking. Gaius had never seen her like that, and as the jaegers took a step forward, she took a step back.

“Do you know these people, Fie?” Jusis spoke out. When she didn’t answer immediately, he raised his voice. “Do you?!”

“Jusis!” Machias glared at him. “What is wrong with you!”

“What’s wrong with me? I didn’t think one of my classmates was a dirty jaeger!” He spat on the ground. The silver haired girl shivered at the vitriol in his words.

The man named Marcus spoke up. “What’s it to you, kid?”

“Jaegers are nothing more than mercenaries who’ll kill if the price is right. Excuse me if I don’t have any respect for your kind.” Jusis howled as his hand settled on the hilt of his sword. Gaius didn’t know what was going on, but escalating the situation was not helping.

Candy cackled, her high pitched voice grating like nails on a chalkboard. “Looks like this noble needs to be taught a lesson. Wanna see how many bullets it takes before he starts begging for mercy? My rifle is getting hungry, and the taste of nobility might just fill it up!”

Marcus’s twitching fingers settled on the grips of his pistols. Jusis went to pull out his sword, but Fie raised her hand. “Stop, please.” She said quietly, barely a whisper in the wind.

“Calm down, Jusis.” Gaius said, trying his best to keep a lid on the situation. “They’re just trying to provoke you. The last thing we need right now is a fight.” Jusis met his eyes straight on, the anger within them slowly tempering from an inferno to a mere boil.

“You’re right. I’ll hold my tongue for now,” He glared at Fie, “but I demand answers at some point.”

“Well that didn’t work.” Candy rolled her eyes. “At least some of you have common sense. Such a shame.”

Fie spoke up again. “Why are you here? When I tried searching for you guys, I couldn’t find anything, so I thought you disbanded… but why? Why are you still here wearing those uniforms?” Her voice was cracking, he had never seen Fie be this emotional before.

Marcus sighed. “Outsiders don’t need to know about our internal affairs. And you’re an outsider now, Sylphid. Just go home, forget this ever happened and live your life. Judging by the uniform, you joined a military academy?” He cracked a tiny smile, as he crossed his arms against his chest.

“That’s not good enough! Why the hell did you abandon me?”

“It’s none of your business, Fie.” Candy said. “Unless you want to force us to tell you? Why not show us what you did to earn that nickname! The fairy who dances on the battlefield, Sylphid!” Her face curled into a sadistic smile, as she crunched the lollipop between her shark-like fangs. Fie and Jusis glared at her, looking like they were about ready to attack.

“What the hell is wrong with you people?!” Machias spoke up, distracting all of the parties ready to throw down. “I can’t say I know exactly what’s going on between you, and there is a lot we haven’t been told. But before any of that, how the hell can you just abandon a little girl! Family isn’t something you’re allowed to throw away when you’re done with them!” Machias stepped in front of Fie and Jusis, blocking them from going forward. “I don’t know what you’re doing here, and quite frankly, I don’t care. But Jusis was right about something, you are utterly repulsive.”

“Machias…” Fie said softly.

“Heh, you’ve got some real good classmates, Sylphid.” Marcus said. “He’s right you know. Jaegers are just monsters in human form and you’re no monster. You’re too soft to be a part of Zephyr.” His voice was stone cold, and his words seemed to chill the air itself. “So go on and get out of here while we're still in a good mood.”

“Let’s go guys.” Machias said. “I may not like these guys either, but this is no time to fight.”

“Before we do, can I ask you something?” Gaius asked.

“Outsiders aren’t-”

“I’m aware. We’re here searching for those wolf monsters.” Gaius gestured to the exploded corpse. “Do they belong to your corps?”

Marcus smirked. “Ah, that’s why you’re here. Yeah, we can tell you that. We aren’t using military monsters for this operation. I’m not going to elaborate further, but you have my word that they aren't ours.”

“Then that’s all we need to know.” Gaius said, placing his hand on Jusis’ shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Jusis was scowling, but he understood well enough. “Right… Emma? Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine.” She said. Gaius had noticed that she had been oddly quiet. Her hands were shaking, her legs were quivering in place. She clearly wasn’t ready to deal with two people carrying this much enmity within them. “I’ll be… fine…”

“Heh, looks like we scared the girl shitless.” Candy cackled. “Sheltered little girls like you have no place on the battlefield.” She reached for her sniper rifle. The sudden movement made Gaius react quicker than he could think.

“ARCUS Activate! Earth Lance!” He didn’t aim the spell at either of the jaegers, but at the ground separating them. Just as he thought, there were more mines buried in the ground. The spell set them off, as spiritual lances rose from the ground and covered the mountain road in a thick smoke. “We’re retreating!”

“Roger that!” Fie threw a grenade from her pouch into the wall of smoke, continuing the smoke screen. Gaius grabbed Emma by the hand, and pulled her down the mountain path. All he could think of was getting clear from those psychopaths. Whatever they were doing, whatever they were planning, he had a bad feeling about it all. He didn’t even notice how tightly he was squeezing her hand, or how much his own were shaking.

---

“Put the gun down, Candy.” The man gestured to the sniper beside him, who was still trying to aim through the smoke screen. “We aren’t getting paid enough to kill children.”

“Tch.” She grunted, and returned the rifle to her back.

“He had that art ready to go from the second we showed up.” Marcus sighed, and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. “Those kids have some serious balls.”

“Some of them, anyway.” Candy sighed as she pulled out another cherry flavoured lollipop. “That girl with the glasses really pissed me off, though. She was so scared she nearly pissed herself! Cowards like that have no business here.”

“You didn’t need to threaten them, Candy. It might have jeopardized our mission here. They’re going to draw attention to this place if they report it to the authorities.” He lit the cigarette in his hand and took a long puff. “Despite that, I’m glad. I didn’t expect to see little Fie like that. I guess the Purple Lightning really did find a good place for her, huh?”

Candy just nodded. “The boss gave us some troublesome orders, didn’t he? I really liked having her around.”

He nodded, blowing smoke out into the sky. “It’s for the best. That kid is a better person than any of us could ever be. She can have a normal life, go to school, maybe even find a special someone. She’d never have that chance sticking around with us.”

“That’s fair. We chose to be here, she never did. Still, I thought of her like a little sister, it hurts to say that kind of thing to family. That kid with the glasses knew exactly what to say to twist the knife, didn’t he?” She chuckled.

“Indeed.” Marcus didn’t say anything after that, he just turned his back and went up the mountain road. A few tears rolled down his face. “Damn smoke got into my eyes.” He grumbled as he trudged along.

“You’re a terrible liar, Marcus.” Candy said, following close behind him. “The sooner we can get this job done, the better. For the boss's sake, at the very least.”

Chapter Text

They were quiet on the return trip to Parm. Luckily it didn’t seem like those jaegers were following them, they seemed more intent on guarding whatever happened to be on that mountain road than dealing with them. While they were dangerous individuals, and the presence of landmines was concerning, all they could really do was report their presence to the proper authorities. Whether something was done about them or not, was up to them.

Emma wanted to break the tension in the air, but this problem was something entirely new and unexpected. She had always expected Fie had lived a strange life, and from what little bits she learned beforehand, she kind of assumed Fie was an orphan. But she had never expected her to have been part of a jaeger corps. Her education and background didn’t change how she felt about the girl though, she was still her friend regardless of her past. The issue was that Jusis had a hang-up about the whole thing, one that seemed eerily similar to Machias’ hang-up with the nobility. Those two really were two sides of the same coin, a comparison that she'd never dare to speak out loud.

What drove Jusis to act like that, to say the things he did? If they couldn’t answer that, there was no way any of them could move forward. And after all the progress they had made today, she didn’t want to feel more useless than she already was. She closed her eyes, and those horrid memories returned. The bloodlust emanating from those jaegers reverberated in her brain, as that lingering fear welled up inside of her once again. She needed to calm down and stay reasonable, she wasn’t the same weak and powerless girl she used to be! Gaius’ advice came directly to the forefront. Just breathe slowly, in through the nose, out through the mouth. She couldn’t help but be grateful that he was there, however even he seemed at a loss on how to deal with this current impasse.

The silence persisted through their walk back to Parm, their dinner at the White Footpath and even as they checked out and boarded the sleeper train, no one said a word beyond the basic pleasantries. This couldn’t go on. They had taken two pods, as there weren’t enough beds in a single pod for everyone. Despite all that, they still needed to write their field study reports, so they all gathered in the girl’s pod to finish the report properly. Not that it was going anywhere with the way Jusis and Machias were glaring at each other, the way Jusis was glaring at Fie, and the utter confusion on how to break this uncomfortable silence on her and Gaius’ end.

“AGH! I’ve had it!” Machias was the first to speak, banging his hands on the table in the centre of the room. “We’ll never get this done if we keep fighting like this! Jusis, hurry up and apologize to Fie, already.”

“If I had anything to apologize for, I would.” Jusis said with a scowl. “Why didn’t you tell us you were a jaeger?”

“Ex-jaeger.” Fie sighed. “I’m not one anymore.”

“And you expect me to believe that?”

“Believe it or don’t, that’s your choice.” Fie’s hands balled into fists as she tried to play it cool. “They don’t want me anymore, they made that clear.”

“This is why it’s so frustrating! You never speak up, always acting so aloof. How am I supposed to trust anything you do?”

“Are you serious right now?” Machias said, giving Jusis a glare that could melt steel. “If Fie wasn’t with us, we would have been killed on that mountain path. And I know I might have met my end in the forest if she didn’t come with me last night. While I am concerned that she never told us about her past as a jaeger, we never asked about it either! And if you say you can’t trust her after all she’s done, then there really is no hope for you.”

“How can you trust her so easily! I-”

Gaius coughed loudly, ending the argument before it could escalate any further. “That’s enough.” He said, leaning forward. “We all possess strong opinions on this matter, but I think I can cut to the heart of this.” He turned to Jusis, and rested a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think your hatred of Fie is warranted, but there is something you aren’t telling us. We can’t function as a group if you can’t tell us why you hate jaegers so much. Is it just because they’re mercenaries? Or is it because you had a bad experience with them in the past?”

Jusis flinched at his words. It was just as she thought. “Um, I don’t know what happened, but the way you sound right now sounded very similar to Machias last night. Which reminded me of something you said to him. ‘I guess we have something in common.’ I apologize if I’m digging up old wounds, but what exactly did you mean by that?”

“Should’ve known I wouldn’t get anything past you two.” Jusis clicked his tongue and stared down at his feet. After taking a moment to gather himself he raised his head, his eyes meeting Gaius’ straight on. “Fine, I’ll talk. But I want something in return.”

“And what is that?” Gaius responded.

“I want Fie to tell me about her past as a jaeger. What kind of person she was back then, so I can quell these doubts. I want to believe in you, but I just can’t right now.”

“Fine. I was planning on it anyway.” She said. “Though I don’t think it’ll help.”

“Fie…” Machias trailed off, “No, I suppose I shouldn’t say anything. I do want to know what the hell your deal is, Jusis Albarea.”

Jusis smirked. “It’s amazing how quick you are to defend her Regnitz. But, I suppose there’s no point in hiding it now.” He leaned back and started to tell his story.

“As you all are aware, I am the son of Duke Albarea. As you may not be aware, I am not the son of the Duke’s wife. I’m a bastard, born to one of my father’s servants.” His expression was bitter as he recalled his past. Emma had no idea he was hiding something like this, but she knew there was far more to this story. “I had a better life than most bastards. While I wasn’t publicly acknowledged by him, he did send money to my mother every month to keep my existence a secret. I didn’t learn about this until after the fact, but it did explain how I could be so well off with only a single mother raising me. And that was my life for about seven years, just me and her.”

“For seven years…” Gaius said. “But something changed that, right?”

Jusis nodded, his lips were quivering as he gathered up his courage to speak. Emma had a feeling she knew what was coming, and couldn’t help but feel a lump form in her throat. “It was an ordinary summer day, one so nice that my mother decided to take me out for a picnic a few miles outside of Bareahard.” His fingers dug into his legs and his voice became tense. “Someone was waiting for us there. I had never seen uniforms like they had before, and I was curious. They responded by pulling out their guns. My mother moved to shield me from them, and… and…!”

Gaius wrapped him up in his arms as Jusis wailed into his chest. She couldn’t help but cry a little herself. Why was this world so cruel? “It’s okay, Jusis.” He said, trying to reassure the young man, stroking his head softly.

He took some time to compose himself, before pulling out of Gaius’ embrace. “Thank you, but there’s more to this story.” He swallowed down his emotions and continued. “They ran off after pulling the trigger, but I remember hearing one of them say that their mission was complete, and that the target was eliminated. I’ll never forget that, for as long as I live. This wasn’t a random act of violence. This was premeditated murder.” His face twisted as he recalled those horrid events again. “But I was just a dumb child, I don’t remember the colour of their outfits anymore, or their faces. I just remember that deep voice, and my mother’s blood on my hands. I was too scared to fight back, and when the provincial army eventually found me, I couldn’t even help them find her killers.”

“Awful.” Fie said quietly. “Jaegers shouldn’t take missions to kill civilians.”

“They’ll do anything if the price is right.” Jusis said, sharply. “Even kill my mother.” Fie had no response to that, other than to let Jusis continue. Was it because she couldn’t deny his words? Or did jaegers have a code of conduct? She just didn’t know.

“In any case, after that incident, I was taken in by my father. I doubt it was out of love, but instead to prevent a scandal from brewing. And I became his ‘trueborn’ second son while my mother’s death was swept under the rug. My education was fast tracked, as I learned how to act like a proper noble. I was still young enough for them to get away with the ruse, despite the number of rumours that still pop up from time to time.” He rested his hands on his chin, as his eyes turned to ice. “The person who hired those jaegers was likely a noble. My mother and father had no contact with one another while they were alive, but he would always send money to her through an intermediary. If someone was looking to diminish the reputation of the Albarea house, bringing his bastard son to light would be a good way of doing just that.”

“That’s horrible.” Machias’ voice was cracking. “This whole system is monstrous!”

“You know on the very first day, you actually said something I agreed with. ‘The noble system is a blight on every facet of Erebonia.’ But I still believe there is potential in that system, and that people who bear the title of noble have a duty to live up to the ideals espoused by Emperor Driechels.” Jusis said, no longer putting up a front. “People like my brother, people like Prince Olivert. These sorts of people are what nobles should aspire to be.”

“I see.” Fie said quietly. “I’m fine if you hate me, Jusis, I was a jaeger after all.”

“I’m not, though.” Jusis replied. “My hatred for you is irrational. You never killed my mother, and I know you’re not the kind of person who would ever do that sort of thing. I just need to know, why did you become a jaeger, and why did you leave?”

Fie blinked slowly, letting the weight of his words sink in. “I did promise to tell you, didn’t I? But I should make one thing clear first. I didn’t really ‘choose’ to be a jaeger.” She said, as her words grew more wistful.

“I was a war orphan. Don’t remember my parents, if I even had them. I lived in some war torn land where the only constant was fighting. I did what I could just to survive, until I ran into Zephyr and their boss, the Jaeger King. Maybe it was just one of his whims, but he took me in, gave me a home and a place to belong. Not only that, he gave me my name… I guess he was sick of saying ‘Hey, you!’ all the time. They took me in, and raised me as one of their own.”

“They really were your family, huh?” Machias pushed up his glasses, as the lump in his throat rumbled.

“Yeah. I did a lot of basic chores when I was with them, cooking, sewing, packing and unpacking, all the essential non combat stuff. The boss never wanted me to fight, but when I was ten, the first fight came to us. The opfor tried to raid our camp, and in order to defend it, I killed for the first time. The other members thought I had some potential, so they started training me properly. The boss wasn’t exactly for it, but he couldn’t disagree with me when I said I wanted to help my family.”

“They taught me everything. How to track people, how to become more aware of your surroundings. How to sleep and wake up instantly, set traps, load and unload weapons, how to shoot, anything and everything you could think of, they drilled into me. I was a quick study since I had been observing them all that time, and in just a year, I was a fully fledged jaeger. Even earned a nickname after a while, like some of the long term jaegers do. Sylphid.”

“The sylphs are a mischievous wind spirit in Erebonian myth.” Emma pointed out. “Small, but not to be underestimated. I think it fits you, honestly.”

“I liked it too.” Fie said. “But, I earned it for a reason.” She looked directly at Jusis. “I may not have killed your mother, but I have taken lives before. My specialties were scouting, infiltration and assassination.” She paused, before continuing. “It may sound hollow coming from me, but we never took jobs that threatened the lives of civilians. They may have ended up in the crossfire, but we never went out of our way to put their lives in danger. We were mercenaries sure, but we had a code of conduct. We leave our business on the battlefield, so we can live among those who want to make an honest living. I lived in hell until I joined Zephyr. I was scared that it might have become hell again when the boss died.”

“How did he die?” Gaius asked, squeezing his hands together, “Was it in a battle?”

Fie nodded. “Jaegers never know when their last day might be, but at least we had some warning about the boss. The Red Constellation, another of the larger corps in West Zemuria, wanted to settle things once and for all with our boss. Their leader, the War God challenged our boss to a one on one duel. A fight to the death. They fought for days, neither giving an inch, each clash growing fiercer and fiercer until… they killed each other simultaneously, just like that.”

Fie lowered her head and closed her eyes. “After that, Zephyr just disbanded. Without the boss, everyone just went their separate ways. They didn’t tell me anything, they just left without a care in the world. I tried to track them down, but they were long gone before I could even process what had just happened. I was alone again, but Sara found me pretty quick, and took me in. A few months later and I’m here now.” She opened her eyes again and let out a deep breath. “That’s it. You guys know the rest.”

Emma reached over and grabbed Fie’s shaking hands. “I didn’t know. I’m so sorry…”

“Don’t be.” She smiled, “I didn’t want to hurt you, that’s why I didn’t say anything. I know how jaegers are treated by normal people. We weren’t exactly well liked wherever we went. After you spent so much time trying to help me out, I wouldn’t want you to hate me.”

“I could never hate you Fie!” She said, much louder than she was expecting. “You’re so sweet and kind, and I really enjoy spending time with you! I just want you to know that no matter what, I’ll always be here for you. Because you’re a precious friend to me.” She stood up and moved over to Fie’s side, just holding the girl close to her. “You must have been so scared… I’m proud of you for opening up to us.” The silver haired girl relaxed in her arms and wrapped her arms around her.

“Heh…” Machias scratched his cheek. “I feel the same as Emma. You’re our friend, and nothing will change that.” He turned to Jusis and glared at him. “But I believe you have something to say, don’t you?”

Jusis nodded, before bowing his head. “I’m sorry, Fie.”

“Huh?” Fie wriggled out of Emma’s arms and turned to him. “What do you mean?”

“I said terrible things about you, and the people who raised you. Honestly, I just did the exact same thing Regnitz did to me. Do you know how disgusting that is…”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean!” Machias roared back.

“Exactly what I said. I don’t want to be a loser like Regnitz, and as such I’ll swallow my pride. I’m sorry I hurt you Fie, and I’m sorry I hurt the memory of your family.”

Fie shook her head. “Don’t apologize for that. You were mostly right. Lots of jaegers do anything if the price is right. We might really just be monsters in human form…”

“No.” Gaius spoke up. “Humans are capable of gross misdeeds, but they are also capable of kindness and compassion. Capable of recognizing their own faults and striving to overcome them. You’re no monster Fie, and I doubt those members of Zephyr were either. If they wanted to kill us where we stood, they had plenty of opportunities to do so.”

“You guys are seriously soft…” Fie sighed. “But, thank you for apologizing Jusis. I don’t think I deserve it, but I am grateful.” Her voice chilled as she changed the subject. “Do you remember anything about the people who killed your mother? Even if it’s a small detail, maybe I can help.”

Jusis shook his head. “It’s painful to remember, but I think I told you all I could. Two men, in a strange set of armour and… a wolf patch on their breast? I’m sorry, my memory is fuzzy and…”

“A wolf?” Fie’s eyes darkened. “Could be Fenrir, but they don’t typically operate in Erebonia. Arngamr existed around that time according to the boss, and Skollfang… I don’t know if they were active ten years ago, but they might have been just starting up.” She listed names one after the other, but none of them seemed to ring any bells to Jusis.

“Don’t worry about it.” Jusis said, “the fact that you want to help is more than enough. One day I will find out who killed my mother, and who hired them to do it. But I know for certain now that it wasn’t you or anyone from Zephyr.”

Fie sighed. “You know I could be lying right?” Her proposal didn’t elicit a response from anyone, there was no way she wasn’t telling the truth just now. “Fine, believe me. Can we go ahead and get this report done, now? The sooner we get this done the sooner I can get some sleep.”

The rest of the group laughed, as the awkward tension between them finally dispelled. Emma was so grateful those two were willing to open up, and express just why they couldn’t get along. Now that they understood where they were each coming from, their harmony was even greater than it was before. Even she couldn’t help but smile, as they went over every detail of what they did, forging their report into a completed state. As Fie finished writing the last of the details on her report, she leaned back and stifled a big yawn. They were finally done, and they could only hope they wouldn’t be graded too harshly for this field study.

“I’ll be back.” Fie said, climbing over Machias to head outside. She was probably going to the restroom. Jusis and Machias stood up to leave as well, since their beds were in the other pod. She had expected Gaius to leave as well, but he was still looking over his report. Emma moved back to sit on the edge of the lower bunk bed with him.

“Do you need some help with revisions?” She asked, wondering what had him looking so serious.

Gaius set his papers down, and shook his head. “I think my report is alright, I just wanted to talk with you a bit before I left.”

She blushed crimson at his words. Was he hitting on her? Now that the two of them were all alone... She wasn’t ready for this sort of thing and she could feel her brain overheating as he looked into her eyes. “W-what is it?” she squeaked out.

“Are you doing alright?” He asked abruptly.

“I’m fine, why do you ask?” She could feel herself melting from his gaze, why did Aidios have to make him so good looking…

“I was worried about you after what happened on that mountain path.” His lips cracked into an awkward smile. “But if you’re doing okay, then maybe I didn’t need to worry.” He stood up, and started heading out to his room. He was just concerned about her safety. She felt relieved, but just the slightest bit disappointed all the same.

“Wait!” She couldn’t believe herself, why did she stop him? Just let him be, he doesn’t need to listen to your problems! He turned around, and met her eyes again. Why did she do that, oh goddess, why! “I-” She stuttered up a storm as he sat back down beside her, the train bed creaking slightly underneath his weight. His gaze was patient, understanding, and he made no indication that he was in any rush. “I… um… I never thanked you back there, did I?”

“I didn’t do anything that required gratitude. Honestly, I just kind of acted without thinking.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m just glad you weren’t hurt.”

She sighed deeply. How could he be so kind to someone as pathetic as she was? She just didn’t get it. “I’m sorry you had to see me like that. I was just so… scared.” It hurt to admit it, just speaking those words made her throat run dry.

“You too, huh?”

“Me… too?”

He nodded. “I’m not as unflappable as you might think. I was terrified when we came across those landmines. Those two were professionals, and I think if they had been even a tiny bit more serious we wouldn’t have escaped untouched. And that’s probably an optimistic prediction.” He confessed, letting his shoulders sag. “Fie knew them, and even she felt threatened. And with Jusis being uncharacteristically hot blooded at that point in time, I was scared for all of us.”

“I never thought Machias would be the one to diffuse tensions in a dangerous situation like that.” Emma chuckled. “If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think we would have gotten through that.”

“Indeed.” Gaius said, stroking his chin. “You know, I was just thinking that we wouldn’t have been able to do anything on this field study if we were just acting alone. It’s only because all of us were working together that we were able to help all of those people.”

“Everyone except me, maybe.” She said, eyes boring holes through the cabin floor.

“I disagree.” He said, shaking his head. “Honestly if there was any reason we were able to get anything done at all, it was because of you. You were the one who kept the peace between Jusis and Machias, you were the one who knew what firefly fungus were, and you even helped patch me up after those sparring matches with the Vander School. I can say with confidence that you were an essential part of our team. We needed you so much more than you needed us.” He smiled a little, hiding a faint blush on his cheeks. “So I don’t think you should talk down about yourself like that.”

Emma couldn’t help but chuckle. They were simple words, but they did a lot to make her feel better. “I still hate how useless I was back on that mountain path. All I could do was stutter and shiver like a scared little girl...”

“Cursing your own powerlessness is something everyone does. But when all of us stumbled, you were there to pick us up. I think it’s only fair that we return the favour.” the blush on Gaius’ face seemed to be growing larger. “You never gave up on any of us, so I’m not going to let you give up on yourself. If there’s anything at all that’s bothering you, I’ll always be ready to listen, and hopefully I can help you rise up again.”

Now Emma could feel the heat rushing to her head. How could he say things like that so easily? Seriously, it wasn’t fair. She slumped down and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. “Thank you, Gaius.” She said softly. “I still feel like I’ve got a long way to go, but I don’t want to look back anymore. I think if you, and the rest of the class are with me, I can keep moving forward. Her hand started to move without her even realizing it, as her fingertips brushed across his hand. Before she could stop herself, her hand found a home in his, his gentle grip providing more reassurance than any of his words ever could. How could someone so strong and dashing have hands that felt so soft and warm? She squeezed it softly, and he gently squeezed back. She could feel her face melting, but when she looked back at him, his expression was no longer that of the calm and stoic Nord she knew, but one who could barely keep his embarrassment in check.

“If you don’t like it, I can stop…” He trailed off as she squeezed harder and gently shook her head. She wasn’t ready to let go just yet. “Well, okay. I don’t really want to let go either…” He smiled softly as she rested her head against his shoulder. All of her doubts and fears just seemed to fly away as they enjoyed the comfortable quiet, the gentle rocking of the train, and the steady beating of their hearts.

Chapter Text

Deep in the nestled farmlands of the empire’s breadbasket, a lone black airship cut through the night air. Inside that airship, two men discussed their plans for the future of the empire. This airship held no symbol, flag or affiliation, but those aboard were united under one creed. To remove the ruthless tyrant who had claimed his seat at the very top of the government. The Ironblood, Giliath Osborne.

Just thinking about that accursed man made C’s heart burn with fury, only tempered by his desire to see justice done, no matter the cost. He had set his plan into motion, and now the game between him and the Ironblood had begun. He had gathered all of the resources necessary for his plan to work, prepared plans and counterplans for every contingency he could think of, and backed up those plans with the brightest minds and toughest people he could muster.

His charisma had won him no shortage of support, and perhaps his most useful lieutenant was standing beside him on this very airship. Before long, they had reached their destination. An old abandoned farmhouse, utterly indistinct from the many that dotted the landscape of eastern Erebonia. There had been plans to convert the area into luxury condos for high paying customers, but those plans fell through, something about an ongoing fraud investigation. Regardless, that left this land perfect for hiding a few airships. The provincial army certainly knew how to look the other way. C lowered the ship into the field of overgrown grass, the natural cover making a perfect hiding spot.

He and his associate G made their way out, striding through the fields, looking for a specific place. It wasn’t easy to spot, but there was a secret passage beneath this field, one that if you followed the tunnel all the way, would take you directly into the heart of the capital city. The ancient catacombs of that city extended far and wide, and this was the farthest tunnel that C knew of. But exploring the entirety of those tunnels would take a lifetime. Regardless, it was perfect for his use, as he lifted up the wooden hatch door, and shut it behind him once G had entered.

The tunnels were bathed in a vermillion glow, fireflies and other bioluminescent creatures made their homes inside of these tunnels, and that meant there was no need for unnatural light. C’s destination wasn’t too far away, a few minutes walking down winding corridors lead them to an open room, where they stored some extra supplies. Food, water, weapons and ammunition, it was a supply cache for their eventual attack on the summer festival. But first things came first. He needed a report on their current situation, and to discuss what their future plans were. He waved to the one eyed woman sitting on a stool, maintaining a sword that coiled and extended like a serpent. She waved back and kicked the burly man who had been sleeping on the hard floor beside her with the point of her heel.

“Ow! That hurt like hell, S.” The loud man with a scarred face groaned, but quickly scrambled to attention. “Sorry, C! Didn’t know you were here!”

“I just arrived.” He said, his voice still modified by the voice changer. Right, he was still wearing the mask. He pulled off his helmet and set it on the table in the centre of the room, taking a seat on one of the stools. “Now that we’re all gathered, I’d like to hear your reports, so we can decide where the ILF goes from here.” He shook some of the damp gray hair from his eyes, the condensation in that helmet was crazy.

“I’ve already given C my report, but I’ll let you two know as well.” G started off the discussion, the former professor already treating it like a lecture as he pushed up his glasses. He had been operating in Celdic, running a minor scheme with the provincial army to test just what kind of pressure would force the RMP to act. Duke Albarea may not like the extra attention being sent his way, but it’s a small price to pay for learning how the enemy would react. One thing was certain, the Icy Maiden was a force to be reckoned with, as one of the Ironblood’s most dangerous supporters.

“Huh, already got a plan cooking up in that big brain of yours, huh C?” V said, stretching out his shoulders. “I don’t think my news is as good as G’s, sadly. Using military monsters in our operations is a flat out bust. What’s worse is those idiots just dumped the extras into some backwater in the Sutherland Province.”

C couldn’t believe it. It was a pain in the ass getting those military monsters in the first place, and now the provincial army didn’t want them? “What the hell were they thinking!” He fought back every urge to bang the table.

“Yeah, my thoughts exactly, C.” V said, empathizing with his fury. The people in Parm called some bracers from Liberl to handle it, since they were close by and all. I don’t imagine they’ll tie those monsters to us, but if the provincial army is stupid enough it could get tied to them.”

“Morons.” He clicked his tongue. “At least we know what won’t work for us this time around. Please tell me the recruitment drive is going well, S?”

The woman nodded. “I’d say it’s going splendidly. Turns out there are plenty of sympathizers to our cause in the capital. Bet our friend the Chancellor never thought so many enemies were hiding right underneath his nose. Your plan for the summer festival has met its initial conditions, at the very least.”

“Good, but all good plans fall apart on first contact. We need to stay sharp, and keep our target distracted putting out fires until then.” C leaned forward, placing his chin on his fingers. “So let’s set a few away from the capital to keep them scrambling.”

“I have a proposal for that, actually.” G replied, pulling out a map of Western Zemuria. “I’ve been negotiating with Calvard’s Anti Immigration League, per your orders. And it gave me an idea.” G pointed out the buffer states between Erebonia and Calvard. Crossbell being the biggest, of course, but Liberl to the south and Nord to the north were also prominent.

“Why not set our fire here in Nord.” He pointed it out on the map. “The area is sparsely populated, but tensions have been increasing as both Erebonia and Calvard’s militaries have expanded over the past few years. “If we were to launch an attack on both of them simultaneously, we may just drag them into a war. And with the ensuing chaos and panic, the chancellor’s head will be that much easier to pluck.”

“We will be putting innocents at risk.” C said, mulling it over. “But every day we spend with the chancellor in power puts even more at risk.”

“This seems like a bold plan, G.” S said, twirling her scarlet hair between her fingers.

“Here, let me describe my idea in detail. We can make use of those jaeger dropouts…” G gleefully described his plan, and after working on a few details, as well as the financials necessary to pull it off, they had something that could really work. Even if it didn’t, it would strike a blow at the chancellor’s pride.

“Give me two months, and I can make it happen.” G proclaimed, waiting for the go ahead from C.

“You have two months.” C gave his tacit approval. “However, I would like to propose one more idea. I just received this intel today, and I thought we should act on it. We know the Chancellor will be out of the capital next month.”

“We do?” V practically stood up. “Where did you hear this?”

“From a trustworthy little bird.” He resisted the urge to chuckle. “There is going to be a celebration of the fine arts in Saint-Arkh next month. And as the emperor’s representative, both Chancellor Osborne and the Crown Prince will be in attendance.”

“Is this the opportunity we’ve been waiting for?” S asked, licking her lips.

“Our goal is to take the head of the chancellor.” C said, looking his comrades in the eye. “I would be remiss if we did not take this chance. However,” He warned, tapping his finger to his temple. “We need to make sure that if we fail, we still have an opportunity to strike again. I don’t want anyone giving up their lives in a suicide mission!” He turned to both S and V. “That’s why I’ll be sending both of you to the Chalk Capital. Look out for each other, if the opportunity to take his head does present itself, take it. But not at the cost of your own. I’m counting on both of you to come back alive.”

“Understood, boss.” They said in unison. He knew S and V were hotheaded, but they had a mutual respect for each other, and would keep each other from doing anything too dangerous. He could count on them for that, at least.

“Alright then. I’ll leave the airship to you three.” C said, rising from his chair. “I need to get some exercise in. The monsters in these tunnels should prove fair sport.” He cracked his knuckles, and rolled his shoulders.

“Uh oh, looks like the boss man is angry.” V laughed. “Come on S, G, we’ve got work to do.” At V’s prompting, his loyal subordinates made their way out the hatch that he came in. C wouldn’t be leaving with them though. He still had one more item on his agenda, and he’d need to go through a lot of tunnels to make it to Heimdallr’s Garnier District. He set aside the helmet that hid his face, and folded his black uniform into an empty box in the corner of the room.

Crow Armbrust had a hot date after all, and it wouldn’t do to keep her waiting. He wiped the sweat from his brow, and tied on his favourite bandanna.

---

The sleeper train from Parm rolled into the imperial capital, just as the sun started to break from the horizon. It made a lovely sight, seeing the crimson sun mix with the vivid blue sky to paint the entire world in magenta. Gaius sat up from his bed, and immediately hit his head on the roof of the cabin. “Right, I wasn’t sleeping on a bottom bunk.” He rubbed his forehead as he remembered everything that happened last night.

The original plan was for him to sleep on the couch in the boy’s cabin, but that plan changed when Fie never returned to the girl’s cabin. What she had done however, was scribble a note and leave it for Gaius and Emma to find, stating something along the lines of ‘I don’t want to walk in on you horny teenagers making out, so I’m going to sleep in the boy’s cabin.’ He remembered just how red Emma got when she saw that note. It may have been the gentlemanly thing to just leave the room and fetch Fie, but he just couldn’t bear to leave Emma as she was.

They slept in different beds of course, and they didn’t do anything more than hold hands that night, but he had slept well, and judging by the peaceful snoozing of the girl in the bottom bunk, she was sleeping soundly as well. He carefully woke up, making sure not to hit his head on the roof again, and slid down the bunk bed’s ladder.

He pulled his ARCUS off the table and checked the time. Just a few minutes after six, they should be in Heimdallr in about an hour’s time. He recognized some of the scenery coming back, but it looked much different with the lilac sunrise hitting it, compared to the yellow midday sun. Emma probably needed time to get ready, as well as the privacy to do so, so once he grabbed his things, he made a quick exit to the boy’s pod across the hall. What he saw inside confused him.

“Did you two just wake up, or have you been up all night?”

Machias was the first to speak up, the bags around his eyes made him look like a starving raccoon. “Ugh, don’t talk to me about sleep.”

Jusis scoffed. “This is mostly your fault, Regnitz.” He didn't look much better, his aloof attitude didn't really work midway through a large yawn.

Gaius shook his head. “Why didn’t one of you sleep on the couch? I know Fie is sleeping up on the top bunk, so…”

The two of them just glared at each other, clearly too tired to rehash whatever issue they had with sleeping on the harder couch. Gaius just shrugged, he was aware that not everything had been fixed between the two of them. “Fie, you can wake up now, we’re almost in Heimdallr.”

He heard a groan and a rustling of bed sheets as Fie leaned up. “Five more minutes…”

“Nope, somebody needs to wake up Emma, and I don’t think it’d be a good idea if I did it.” Gaius said.

“But it’s a good idea to wake me up? I see where your priorities lie, Worzel.” She said, draping her legs off of the edge before jumping down. “Morning, guys.” She put her hand over her mouth to stifle a yawn as she exited the room still half asleep.

“She really just does things at her own pace…” Machias’ eyes slowly gained some light in them. “So how did things go with you, you sly dog?”

“Indeed.” Jusis seemed to leer at him. “You spent all night alone in that room with Emma. I certainly hope you didn’t do anything ‘untoward’.”

Gaius laughed a little. “Nothing like you’re thinking, I’m sure.”

“Well we were waiting for you to return, and we didn’t want to leave you without a place to sleep. It seems our concerns were unwarranted.” Machias’ knowing stare was intense enough to melt steel. “I bet you slept well last night…”

Gaius realized he’d have a difficult time explaining everything that happened, but it was a quick way to pass the time as the three of them got changed out of their sleep wear and into their school uniforms. All the while, he tried to pry the truth out of Machias and Jusis about why neither of them just took the couch when it was clear he wasn’t coming back. Both of them were being far too evasive to get an answer out, so he figured he’d just have to ask Fie for the details. From the looks of it, she slept just fine.

Whatever the reason might have been, he was glad that this was all he had to worry about now. Silly and fun things, moments that made his heart race, and his sides ache from all the laughter. These were the sorts of moments he would always treasure, like jewels he could hold close to his heart. One transfer in the capital later, and they were back in Trista, back in their home away from home. He could wait to get back, to tell Group A all about the things they did, to see their laughing faces again. One face in particular sprung to mind, the raven haired boy who always took too much on his own shoulders. Hopefully seeing Jusis and Machias acting somewhat closer to friends would ease those burdens just a tad.

Group B made a quick stop to the dorms to drop off their extra luggage, before heading to school immediately afterward. Life as a student wasn’t easy, but it sure was eventful. He looked over at Jusis and Machias, who still seemed to be fighting off the urge to pass out. He listened to Fie whistling a simple tune, while enjoying a laugh as Machias nearly walked face first into a streetlight. He turned to Emma, and upon seeing her blushing face, quickly averted his gaze at the same time she did. That little interaction wasn’t missed by the other members of their field study group, and they wasted no time teasing them about it.

So it wasn’t long until the other members of Class VII found out about it. Their first period today was with instructor Sara, to go over their field studies, and discuss their findings with the rest of the class. The things they did, the lessons they learned, everything was brought to bear. So while Group A learned about what Group B was doing, the reverse was true as well. After giving their reports, Sara gave them time to just discuss with each other, to fill each other in on all the little details and gossip.

Rean, Alisa and Elliot pulled up their chairs next to his, and listened as he explained everything in his own words.

“Sounds like you had a tough time, Gaius.” Alisa chuckled.

“Yeah, but look at those two. I’d say they had it way worse than any of us. What did you do to them?” Elliot said, his concern oozing out of his voice.

“W-what? I didn’t do anything to them. They just had problems sleeping last night.”

“Oh? Do tell, Gaius.” Rean said, leaning forward. Gaius explained the room situation on the train, which immediately elicited a reaction from Elliot and Alisa.

Her grin widened as she took in every word. “Oh ho ho, look at you, putting the moves on.” Alisa elbowed him in the ribs. “Pretty smooth, I have to say.”

“I think if something like that happened to us, Alisa would probably kill me.” Rean rubbed the back of his head as Alisa gave him a sharp glare. “The trip to Celdic and back wasn’t nearly as long, though, so no need for a sleeper train.” Rean’s nervous laughter did little to diffuse the awkward tension. Despite that though, apparently Group A’s field study had its own share of twists and turns.

“So you guys helped arrest some robbers who were causing trouble at Celdic’s grand market?”

“We almost got arrested ourselves.” Elliot slumped forward. “Seriously, the provincial army was in on the scam, and if it wasn’t for the RMP showing up in a timely manner and taking charge of things, the people in Celdic would still be dealing with those crooks vandalizing their stalls.”

“It was rather fortunate indeed. We did technically trespass on government property, but given the circumstances, I don’t think we were in the wrong for it.” Alisa said, “It was really cool how you shattered that lock with your sword. I didn’t think that kind of thing was possible.”

“Well, I’m just glad I pulled it off on my first try.” He smiled softly, “It means my sword skills are getting stronger.”

“The eight leaves style really has a lot of depth to it.” Gaius remarked, recalling the duel with Thorn yesterday. “I’d be eager to see it action again some time soon.”

“Well if you’d like to spar, anytime is fine with me.” Rean smiled, as the four of them continued to share their stories until the next period came. As Gaius looked back at Rean, he noticed that despite sharing a last name with that girl, they really didn’t have a lot in common with their appearance. Other than sharing dark hair that is. His curiosity was bothering him, so he had to ask. Before he could bring up his thoughts, Rean spoke up.

“Oh by the way, I need to tell you something, Gaius.” He clasped his hands together. “I’m planning on telling everyone in the class eventually, but Group A already knows, and you’ll be the first in Group B.” His eyes nervously darted over to Machias and Jusis, before returning to their little group. “I’m actually a noble, not a commoner. Not by blood, but I was adopted by Baron Schwarzer. Our barony is in Ymir, up in the Eisengard mountains.”

“Huh, that makes a lot of sense.” Gaius said, stroking his chin.

“I kind of thought you’d be more shocked, Gaius. I know I sure was!” Elliot said.

“Well, I kind of had a suspicion that you weren’t telling the whole truth back in the old schoolhouse that day.” He chuckled. “Given how those two were acting on the first day, I understand wanting to hide it.” He also had other clues, but he left that part unsaid. Elise had specifically asked him not to let her brother know about her in that duel, and he would honour that promise. Hearing that Rean was adopted made all of the disparate pieces in his head click together.

“So you aren’t mad I lied to you?” He looked up at him with puppy dog eyes.

“Not at all.” He rubbed his classmate’s head. “I’m proud of you for speaking up now though.” Rean just laughed quietly as he let Gaius stroke his head. It was way too easy to dote on him, so he withdrew his hand before too long. “You’re planning on telling the rest of the class right? Why not do it now? I’m sure you’ll get a better response than if you said it on the first day.”

Rean agreed and nodded his head. “That’s a good idea, thanks for the support, Gaius.” He was beaming as he stood up and joined Laura and the rest of Group B, who were in a discussion of their own. Once again, he found his eyes drawn to the purple haired girl, but meeting her gaze was a bit too difficult right now.

“Well that was cute.” Alisa said with her perpetual snark. “Are you trying to get everyone in the class to fall for you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Gaius chuckled. “He just kind of reminded me of my little brother just now. I couldn’t help myself.”

Elliot laughed with them. “Forget that for now, I want to hear more about your train ride back. Like, why are you and Emma playing keep away with your eyes?” Elliot’s lips curled into a grin, as both of his friends leaned in closer. He laughed to himself as he wondered how he was going to play this cool. He couldn't help but wonder, how long would it take before peaceful moments like these would fade away?

Chapter Text

The hectic days of the first field study passed, and the students of Thors found themselves back in the usual rhythm of classwork, studying, and club activities. And as another day wound down, Laura found herself heading towards the training hall. Her technique hadn’t felt as sharp as it normally had, so she was making sure to get her fundamentals back in form. Her father had always preached the importance of the basics. Without the basics, you have no footing.

The gym was quiet as she swung her sword, trying to get her paces in. Normally she could focus solely on her swordplay, and shut the world out around her. Today, as it had been for many of the past several days, she could not. To the uninformed, her skills would be looked at as impressive, but to herself, her harshest critic, it could only be called sloppy. She did a few more reps, before lowering the blade again. Regardless if it didn’t feel right, she wouldn’t slack on her training. Fortunately the gym in Thors was well equipped, and had plenty of free weights for training. She took the heavy weights in hand, and started on some lunges. Today was her typical leg day, and it was a day her father told her to never skip.

She worked up quite a sweat as completed her list of tasks, methodically checking off each section on her mental checklist. She grabbed her towel and wiped the sweat from her brow. Her legs would be a little sore tomorrow, but healing magic was an incredible salve for post workout fatigue. Finishing the workout left her mind to wander again, something she was hoping to avoid.

As an Arseid she had always tried to live true to herself, to follow the path that made the most sense to her. The philosophy of pursuing excellence had always been at the core of the Arseid school, and so while she may have pulled ahead at a faster rate than her fellow disciples, they all pushed themselves to be better than they were the day before. However, that ideal clearly wasn't shared by the other students of Thors Military Academy.

She had joined the swimming club, rather than the fencing club per the suggestion of her father. While she wanted to improve her swordsmanship, he did say that you can only learn some things outside of the sword’s shadow. She still didn’t quite understand what he meant by that, but she was willing to give it a try. Her father was always a fountain of good advice, but she couldn’t rely on him now. Because her way of thinking just didn’t seem to be helping Monica improve. Her progress was painfully slow, in fact calling it progress might be lying. As the person coaching her, Monica’s failures reflected poorly on her. Monica definitely wasn’t a natural swimmer, her form was rough, her breathing erratic, and her stamina was pathetic. She wondered how someone like that could even get into a military academy in the first place, but they had been loosening requirements over the years. With nearly half of their graduates taking work in the civilian sector immediately after graduation, it was practically a military academy in name only.

She couldn’t figure out how to make her better. She had shown her proper technique time and time again, but the girl just couldn’t understand it. Laura squeezed the towel in her hand as she silently vented her frustrations. If that was the only issue she was having, maybe she could work through it, but that wasn’t all. She found that the air between her and Fie had been getting prickly as of late, but she couldn’t put her finger on why. By all means, she should have been pushing to greater heights, but she never seemed to take class seriously, only putting in the bare minimum of effort when she could be so much more if she just applied herself. She didn’t understand why the girl was so selfish, it didn’t make any sense at all. Especially when that same girl had scored higher than her on the combat portion of their entrance exams.

She wanted to close that gap and be friendlier to Fie and Monica, but she just couldn’t understand any of them. She wiped her face with her towel and tossed it over her shoulder. It was getting pretty late, and if she didn’t hurry there would be nothing but leftovers for dinner. She was so engrossed in the recesses of her own mind that she didn’t recognize the voice calling out to her at first. She turned her head and focused her eyes on the spectacled man heading towards her from the direction of the engineering building. “Machias?” She asked, as he finished closing the distance.

“Hey, I finally got your attention.” He chuckled. “What are you still doing here so late?” She gestured toward her training bag and smiled. “Ah, working out, makes sense. You must be really dedicated if you’re staying here this long.”

“Yes, that’s right. One’s skill with the sword dulls if one doesn’t practice it every day. I owe it to myself to be well prepared as I pursue mastery of my school’s techniques.”

Machias nodded. “Makes sense to me. I’ve never used a sword myself, but it probably takes a lot of focus and strength to wield something like that. I don’t think you’re usually training this late however.”

“It’s rather embarrassing to admit, but I forgot to set an alarm. I got so focused that I lost track of time.”

“Heh, well I can understand the feeling of getting lost in a task. I just spent the past four hours tuning up my weapon, so I’m not one to judge.” His stomach growled as he said it, proving his point. “Sorry about that,” he chuckled, “I didn’t even stop to eat.”

“Seems like we’re both a bit more stubborn than we should be.” Laura said, checking her ARCUS. “Wow, it's even later than I thought. I doubt there’s anything left over for food at the dorms now.”

“It seems rather unlikely.” He rubbed the back of his head. “Would you like to go with Kirsche's with me? I’m pretty sure they still serve dinner, even this late.”

“Works for me.” She said, hoping her stomach wasn’t growling as well. The two of them made their way over to the restaurant, not saying much as they made their way there. Laura really didn’t have much in common with him, and he made an awful first impression during orientation. He had settled down a bit, but he still had a long way to go before he could redeem himself in her eyes. At the very least, he was earnestly trying and she could respect that effort.

They entered the pub, and found themselves a table for two by the window inside. She could see a few other students using the place, mostly commoners from the smattering of green uniforms. She could even see instructor Thomas hanging out by the bar, talking up a storm with the barkeeper. It really was a lively place.

“I didn’t think they’d be quite so busy this late at night.” Machias said, trying to make conversation. “But the food on their menu is pretty good. Have you been here before?”

She shook her head. “No, this is a new experience for me. I mostly just ate at the cafeteria, or the dorm.” She opened up the menu and scanned through it. The choices the restaurant provided looked really good, but she couldn’t decide between them all. It seemed like they created foods for both commoner and noble alike, no doubt a function of their unique position to serve both kinds of clientele. Still, there was a certain decision paralysis about the whole thing. She poured over the menu front to back, seeing if anything particularly caught her fancy.

“If you’re having trouble, would you mind if I suggested something?” Machias said, opening up his own menu. “The spaghetti bolognese is out of this world.”

“Oh? I’ll have to take up your suggestion.” She said, setting down her menu. “Most of the food on here looked interesting.”

“Yeah, I felt the same when I saw the sheer size of the menu.” Machias replied. “I haven’t gone out of my way to try everything on the menu, but I thought the pasta was something you’d enjoy.”

She tilted her head. “Did you mean something by that?”

Machias flushed red, “W-what, no!” he squeaked out. “I was just thinking that since you had been working out, you’d want something with a lot of carbs to replenish your energy.”

It was pretty easy to get a rise out of him, even if it was unintentional. “That sounds good actually. So what are you getting?”

“The spicy chicken wings.” He said, almost salivating. “They’re something of a specialty, though it’s not Wednesday today.”

“Is there something special about Wednesday?”

Machias nodded, as if she had no idea of the most obvious thing in the world. “Wing Wednesdays, it’s really big around Heimdallr in all of the pubs and eateries. It drums up a lot of business because people really enjoy chicken wings around here.”

“The alliteration does have some appeal as well.” Laura nodded, “Perhaps I should see if the Aprikoze in Legram could introduce them to their menu.”

“Sounds like a fine idea to me.” Machias said as he waved down the waitress and had her take their orders. “Heh, I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I sat down. Everything in here smells delicious.”

She couldn’t help but agree. The scent of the food was utterly scrumptious, but as she scanned the tavern hall, she noticed something. It sort of felt like a lot more eyes were on them than usual. She was used to a few prying eyes, but nothing quite like this. “There’s something else I’ve noticed as well. Doesn’t it feel like a lot of people are looking at us?”

Machias tilted his head. “Not really…” He trailed off as he took a quick glance around. “Actually, now that you mention it, you’re right. Did I put my blazer on backwards or something?”

“I don’t think it’s that, Machias.” Laura’s eyes narrowed at the poor joke.

“No, of course not.” Something seemed to dawn on him, as he opened his mouth up like a gluttonous bass. “Oh. Oh no. I’m sorry, Laura.”

“What exactly are you apologizing for?”

He took a deep breath and crossed his arms. “We're a boy and a girl going into a pub for dinner. I’m sure people are probably thinking we’re on a date.” He flushed a little at the mention of the word date. “I mean, I’m not one to let rumours bother me, but I’m sure you-”

Laura shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t pay attention to things like that anyway. If anyone is curious, we just have to tell them the truth, correct? I’m not really looking for that sort of thing right now, anyway.”

He rubbed the back of his neck as he sighed almost wistfully. “Yeah, I suppose that’s a good way to look at it. I was just worried about your reputation, is all.”

“You don’t need to be.” She replied, perhaps more harshly than she intended. “I can handle myself, I assure you.”

“That’s not…” Machias lowered his head, “never mind, I’m sorry.” He raised it back up and curled his lips into an awkward smile. “Forget I brought that up.”

She was all too eager to. “Sure, I can do that.”

Machias tapped his fingers on the table, as Laura started to lose herself in thought again. He seemed to be debating whether to say something, as his face twisted and turned. She kind of admired how easy he was to read sometimes. “Is there something you wanted to say, Machias?”

He sighed. “Yeah, how’d you guess?” She just laughed softly, pretending it wasn’t written plain as day on his face. “Is something bothering you, Laura? You’ve seemed a bit distant today.”

Perhaps she was just as obvious as he was with his emotions, if he could see that so clearly. “Yeah, but it’s my own problem to deal with, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

“Alright, I won’t pry then.” He said, using his next words to pry, “but if you do want to talk about it, I can listen. But I understand if you’re not comfortable talking to me about it.”

“I appreciate the concern.” She said, feeling a fervent desire to change the subject and break this suddenly awkward silence. “Um, out of curiosity, why did you need to spend so much time on your weapon? Did it break?”

He smiled, “Oh no, it just doesn’t hurt to be prepared. We have joint combat practice with Class I tomorrow, and let’s just say I’m feeling a little extra motivated to do well.” He cracked his knuckles.

“Well that is the class with nobles in it, it makes sense…” Laura trailed off.

“It’s not just that.” he clasped his hands together as he looked around the room. “Well, I mean, some competition is good and all, but to be honest I just want to show up one person in particular.”

“Jusis.” She said offhand.

“Yes. Wait, No!” Machias groaned. “I’m not that predictable, am I?” The look on her face prompted an instant remark, “ok, I know, but seriously it’s not Jusis.”

“Oh, then who is it?”

“Patrick T. Hyarms.” He grinned. “Oh I’ve got a lot in store for that arrogant stuck-up noble brat…” He trailed off again, remembering the company he was currently with. “Oh, I’m sorry!”

“I take no offense, I heard he said some pretty nasty things to Rean, Elliot and Gaius today.”

“Ah, word travels fast.” Machias nodded. “Seriously, who does he think he is, trying to recruit Rean to his special little boys club, calling the rest of us gutter trash and riffraff. I’d ask if he had no shame, but I already know the answer to that question.”

“Regardless of whatever you’re planning to do, I would exercise caution.” She explained. “He has been trained in court fencing, and from what Friedel has told me his skills are nothing to balk at.” For a green first year anyway, but she left that part unsaid.

“Don’t worry, I don’t intend to go easy on him.” He smiled as their food finally arrived. “Let’s table this discussion for now, there’s something more important to take care of now.” He rubbed his stomach as the waitress set their orders on the table. Laura thought it was awfully rude, but maybe that was just her sheltered upbringing coming to the fore again. The waitress certainly didn’t mind, sharing a mirthful chuckle with him. She thanked her for the meal, and went on her way, grabbing the fork and spoon.

They ate quickly, devouring the meals in front of them, only stopping occasionally to savour the taste of their food and sip on some water. She had to admit, the sauce on the wings Machias was devouring made them look extra delicious.

“Would you care to try one?” He offered, unwrapping his fork from it’s napkin. “I’ve been noticing you eyeing my plate.”

“Can I? I wouldn’t want to take your food from you. I know how hungry you are...”

He shook his head. “It’s fine.” He scooped it up with his utensil and set it on the edge of her plate. “It’s best just to eat it with your hands, no forks or knives required.” She took the wing in hand, and regarded it curiously. It was covered in a spicy sauce, one that tickled her fingers. She gently nibbled on it, careful not to consume the bone. Machias seemed to be quite amused, as he picked one up to show her the proper technique. She took a larger bite of it, grasping the flavour of it. It was savoury, sweet, and-

Her eyes widened as the heat hit her tongue, it was like all of the water was being sucked right out of her face. She chewed through the chicken quickly before consuming her entire glass of water. She panted as the sensation burned through her. “You eat this? How?”

“You get used to the spice. This is only their medium blend, they have it even spicier if you ask for it, but even that might be a bit much for me. I know Gaius and Elliot can handle them no problem. I probably should have warned you about the heat, at least.” He chuckled as he handed her a few napkins. “They do taste good though, just give it a second for the heat to subside.”

He had a point, now that she wasn’t being assailed by the ghost of a thousand deceased peppers, she could really see what the big deal was about them. “I’ll definitely have to give these a try next time I’m here. Although I’ll ask for the milder sauce.”

“Sounds great.” He chuckled softly, and they enjoyed the rest of their meal. Before they knew it, they had finished up, and all that was left was settling the bill.

“I can handle this.” He said politely, reaching for his wallet.

“No need, I’ve got this.” Laura said, right on queue.

The two of them met eyes, and stared each other down, each insisting they should be the one to pay. Laura was strong willed, but Machias wouldn’t budge either. The waitress was clearly getting uncomfortable with their chorus of “No, I insist.” and suggested a much better compromise.

“I’ll print two bills then.”

“Oh… right, we should have just done that.” Machias put his whole head in his hand and groaned. “That’s a lot easier.”

“Right…” Laura chuckled at the absurdity of it all. “‘Going Crossbellan’ is a reasonable method, I don’t know why I never considered it...”

The two of them paid their own bills, and after leaving a generous tip -- as generous as students could be with limited allowances -- they headed back to their dorm, stopping at the public park to take in the moonlight.

“It’s really gotten late.” Machias sighed. “I’m just glad there isn’t a curfew at our dorms, or we’d be in trouble.”

“Even still, it’s not a good idea to be too late, we do need to get a proper amount of sleep. I’m sure the rest of our classmates are worried about us, to various degrees.” She trailed off as she thought about Fie again. “We should probably hurry once our stomachs are settled.”

“Agreed. You should probably go first.” Machias suggested. “I don’t want to go through what Gaius and Emma have been going through these past couple of weeks. I mean, those two might be in denial, but at least they’re interested in each other like that.”

She laughed at the thought. Those two were really cute together, she had to admit, but she could just imagine how awkward it would be to deal with that sort of thing. Perhaps she should relent on the teasing on her own end. “I had a lot of fun tonight, thank you, Machias.”

He blushed at the simple compliment. “I really can’t let my guard down around you, can I?” He chuckled nervously. “Your directness can be a bit difficult to deal with sometimes.” He mumbled something else under his breath that Laura didn’t quite catch.

“How so?”

Machias looked at her like she had just swallowed a frog. “You really aren’t aware?” Laura shook her head, wondering what he was getting at. “That… explains a few things, actually.”

“You’re being awfully cryptic, Machias. What are you talking about?”

He took a seat on the bench and stretched out his arms. It seemed like whatever he wanted to say wouldn’t be quick. “I didn’t want to bring it up, but how are things going between you and Fie? Tell me what you honestly think.”

“Why do you care and why bring this up now?”

“Curiosity.” He wilted a bit as her gaze sharpened and gave his honest assessment. “Look, it may not be any of my business, but I know you helped try to get me and Jusis to stop butting heads. I can tell things between you two aren’t quite as bad, but they got a lot worse after our field study. Is this about her being an ex-jaeger?”

She took in a deep breath, letting the sudden wave of emotion that hit her subside before speaking. “There’s nothing wrong between Fie and I.”

Machias clicked his tongue. “You really might be more stubborn than I am. Alright, I’ll drop it. It’s clear you don’t want to talk about it.” He grumbled and crossed his arms. “I really wish I could be more like Gaius or Rean. They always seem to know exactly what to say.”

She shrugged her shoulders, “I appreciate your concern, Machias, but I think this is something I just need to work out on my own.”

He smiled awkwardly as he looked back at her. “Well, that’s fine. Just remember that our class is here for you. I don’t know about Jusis, but I know the rest of the guys in our class are good people. And I can vouch for Emma as well after our field study. I still don’t know Alisa very well, but I think you get along pretty well with her anyway. We aren’t islands, as much as we try to be. I might not be able to help, but I’m sure someone can.”

“Islands, huh? That’s a surprisingly apt way of putting it.” Laura turned her back on him as she started heading towards the dorm. “Thank you for talking with me, Machias, and for inviting me to dinner. It was really kind of you. I’ll be going on ahead, though.”

“Of course. It was a lot of fun, Laura.” She waved goodbye as Machias settled back down on the park bench. He squeezed the edge of the wood until his knuckles turned white. “Our class has some serious blockheads, don’t they? Of course, I’m probably the biggest one of all.” He sighed into the wind, letting his last question linger as it fell from his lips. “Why is it so hard to pay back kindness?”

Chapter Text

Gaius woke up early this morning. It was their second free day, and he intended to spend as much time as possible making use of it. He was so excited that he barely got any sleep at all, the clock on his wall showing it was a few minutes after 5:30 in the morning. He got changed, and made his way towards the kitchen, being careful not to make too much noise. He knew Elliot had been up late practicing for his club, and Machias had been studying into the wee hours of the night. He set a good example as a student, but one that was hard to follow for an early riser like Gaius.

He grabbed a few slices of bread, some cheese and dried meat, and a little bit of lettuce and tomato to make a few sandwiches. This would tide him over for a few hours, but he’d probably make a stop at the school cafeteria once they opened up.

He scarfed down his first breakfast, and made his way back up to his room, grabbing his weapon and his art materials. As he made his way down the stairs quietly, trying not to wake his classmates. He stopped abruptly when he heard the building’s main entrance creak open. He raised his guard, watching the door open slowly. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw who the intruder was. She could have easily been mistaken for one of his younger sisters, but she happened to be a year older than him, and the president of Thors’ student council. She walked inside, and placed an envelope in one of the communal mailboxes, before yawning, turning on her heel and leaving.

He waved and tried to get her attention. “Good morning, President Towa.” Nothing. He tried calling out again once they had made some distance from the dorms. "Good morning, President Towa!"

She nearly jumped out of her skin, as she looked around like a panicked horse. She settled down after a second when she caught sight of him, breathing a sigh of relief. “Sorry Gaius, you scared me!” She confessed. “I didn’t think any students would be up at this time of day.”

“Me either. I take it those were the student council’s tasks for Rean?” Gaius said, making sure to slow his pace down to match her tiny strides.

She nodded, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “Yeah, I wanted to get it to his mailbox right away, before I started on my work.”

“I’m kind of surprised you delivered it personally, considering your dorm is much closer to the school than ours. Why not just leave it at the student council room for him to pick up?”

“Well I could, but there are some issues with that.” She said, while waving to one of the shop owners. He waved back with a smile on his face. It seemed like she was a pretty big deal, as Gaius watched that scene repeat itself a few more times before making it to the bridge over the river. “If Rean showed up at the student council and I wasn’t there, he’d have to spend time trying to track me down. Or I could be caught in a meeting, or any number of things could pop up. Rather than having Rean try and conform to my schedule, it’s easier for him to go at his own pace. After all, he’s the one helping me out, it’d be rude to put him out after he was so eager to assist.”

Eager to assist? It seemed Instructor Sara was more persuasive than he thought. He couldn’t help but feel a little bad for Rean, but he could see why he had such a hard time turning her down after being volunteered like that. “That makes sense.” Gaius offered, “I’m sure he really appreciates the effort, President.”

Towa perked up again, her smile and positive attitude really was contagious. He could see why everyone at the academy, and in the town trusted her so much. “Thanks, but you can just call me Towa, you know. No need for formalities here.”

His smile brightened. “Very well, Towa. Do you usually wake up this early?”

“I like to sleep in until 6:30 on free days usually, but today is a bit different.” She confessed, still trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes. “I have a bit more work than usual, so I thought I should get an early start on it.”

“I see. You shouldn’t push yourself too hard though, proper sleep is important too. You wouldn’t be able to get anything done if you got sick. I’m not sure what all your council work entails, but it sounds like you’ve got a lot on your plate.”

“I do, but I have a lot of capable hands working with me too, so I don’t want to let them down.” Towa seemed to pump herself up as they reached the school gates. “In any case, I’m headed to the student union building now, but it was nice talking with you, Gaius.”

Gaius nodded and waved goodbye to the diminutive president. He had some time on his hands, and with none of the other buildings open, he headed over to the field, meandering towards the stables as if it was a matter of course. When he was younger, he used to get up at the crack of dawn to feed the horses. That chore had since been passed to his younger siblings, but he still enjoyed doing it from time to time. The riding club had four majestic mounts in their stables, all of them stallions. Judging from their demeanor and thicker legs, he could tell these were descended from Nord stock, as most horses in Erebonia were. Not a single one stirred as he walked up to the gate. They must have felt very secure here. He sensed a warm, familiar presence behind him just as he took another step inside.

“Admiring the horses, Gaius?” He turned around to see Alisa in her blue lacrosse uniform, with about eight rackets precariously balanced in her arms.

“Yeah, they look very well taken care of.” He scratched his cheek. “Do you need a hand with that, Alisa?”

“No, I’m good.” She said with a bit of frustration in her voice. “After Emily found out how poorly Ferris and I did in our combat training with Class I yesterday, she insisted on doing some hardcore team building exercises. Hence why I’m here so early, with all this equipment in my hands.”

“That’s rough.” Gaius said, thinking back on those exercises. Alisa definitely had the short end of the stick, pairing up with someone from outside of her class. She and Ferris were teammates in the Lacrosse Club, but it was readily apparent that the two did not see eye to eye. Despite their general prowess in combat and orbal arts, they still finished 14th out of 15 pairs. He could imagine for someone as competitive as she was, finishing second to last was something a little more than irritating. “I hope you’ll still be able to join us for the old schoolhouse exploration today?”

“As long as I survive Emily’s workout plan, I should be alright.” She chuckled nervously.

“If you’ve got time to flirt, you’ve got time to work! Get over here, Alisa!” A boisterous voice shouted across the field, loud enough to stir the horses from their rest.

“Sorry, I gotta run.” She said with resignation.

“Don’t worry about it. Good luck with practice.” He waved to the hustling girl, who was trying her best not to drop her cumbersome load. The team captain yelled and screamed, and before he knew it, their entire team was running laps, all the while Emily was singing some old Erebonian war song to lift their spirits. It made for a rather rowdy inclusion to his day. While he wouldn’t have minded watching them practice, he wasn’t sure how to say so without sounding like a creeper. And with that drill sergeant of a captain focused on ‘Whipping you sorry losers into shape!’, he didn’t want to accidentally draw her ire. He decided it’d be best to check in on the horses, and see if they needed any special attention.

They did not. The riding club had been taking fastidious care of them, and all four of them were healthy and raring to start the day. One of them even came closer to Gaius to get his head rubbed. Alisa was right, this little stable did remind him of home, though these guys were far more pampered than the ones who lived in Nord their entire lives. He enjoyed the moments he had, before heading back towards the school building entrance. There were a few students and faculty starting to shuffle in, so the doors to the main building were open now.

He made his way up to the second floor and into the art club. He was surprised to see that he was the first one to arrive, normally Clara arrived first thing in the morning to work on her sculpting. He took a look around the room to see that the statue she was working on wasn’t in the room either. While he was curious about where she had gotten to, he wasn’t worried. Maybe someone had decided to purchase her art, and that's why she wasn’t in. Regardless, the art room felt empty without the taciturn girl tapping away in the corner.

He set up his easel, and pulled his canvas out of the storage area. He had a lot of really good ideas for sketches, but there was one thing in particular he wanted to paint. A moonless night in a dense forest, the whispering wind and the sounds of nature. Dark blues, and greens, a touch of crimson for the mushrooms growing underfoot. It was turning out nicely but it felt like it was missing something. It was empty somehow.

He took to his canvas, and mixed vermillion and azure, light and dark, and introduced a pale magenta moon to the scene. He didn’t believe in just painting what he saw, but painting what he had felt as well. Relief, at the safety of his newfound friends. Frustration, at his inability to protect them without relying on the cursed mark on his back. And while his face blushed as the thought about it, he felt love and admiration too at the strengths of another. He could feel his heart pounding out of his chest as he bore his soul into the canvas. He hated staying quiet about what he was and what he felt, but at least he could always communicate through his art.

His mentor had called it a form of therapy. A way for him to channel his frustration and anger without hurting the people he cared for. That was how it started when he first took up a paintbrush four years ago. When he started, it had just been another chore, something he had to do for the sake of his family. Little did he know that he would come to love the experience so much. He was a person of few words, and his stoic demeanor led to a lot of misunderstandings with people. It was only with a brush in hand could he truly unveil the real emotions that were buried in his chest.

Gaius leaned back and set his brush and palette down. As he did, he noticed that the room had changed slightly. The sunrise of the morning had long since given way, and he had company in the room now. He reached for his pocket and pulled out his ARCUS. It had apparently rung once while he was working. Even more confusing was the time on it. He had lost himself in his art before, but never like this. Luckily for him, he didn’t miss anything important, he had promised to help Rean explore the old schoolhouse today after all, but it was still a bit jarring to see that four hours had passed without him realizing it.

“Good morning, Gaius!” Linde waved to him.

“Good morning, Linde. I take it that wasn’t the first time you said that to me today?”

She laughed softly. “Well I tried saying hi, but you were so absorbed in your painting that you didn't notice.”

“I’m really sorry for blowing you off like that.” His shoulders slumped a little.

She shook her head. “I know you didn’t do it on purpose. Clara gets the same way when she’s really in a zone. It’s kind of admirable, honestly.”

“I’m glad you think so.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “So, what do you think?”

Linde scanned the canvas, tilting her head as she took it in. “The choice of colours is vivid as always, Gaius. You know how to make it feel like you’re actually there. If I were to nitpick though, even in a night scene, you need to have shadows if you’re going to introduce a light source. A little touch darker here and here-” she pointed to the edges of the gnarled roots, “and a bit lighter here and here… and then it would blend in perfectly.” She sighed a bit. “Sorry, did I get too critical?”

Gaius laughed and shook his head. “Not at all. I’ve mentioned before that I don’t really have any formal education with this stuff. Instructor Mary’s lessons are great, but there are just so many things I don’t know in detail. Having your help is invaluable.” Gaius went right to work making the small touches he needed, making sure not to get too absorbed in his work. “How’s that?”

“Amazing!” Linde pumped her fist up. “Oh dear, I’m getting more excited for your work than I am mine! I’m sorry!”

Linde really had a bad habit of apologizing too much, and he wasn’t exactly sure how he was supposed to reassure her. “If you don’t mind, could I take a look at what you’re working on?”

The girl nodded in agreement, so Gaius went over and took a look. He was in awe of her technical skill, if she called his work realistic, then what did that make hers? “Is this a self-portrait? No… this is your younger sister, Vivi, right?”

Linde nodded. “You’ve got a good eye, Gaius. How did you know it was Vivi and not me?”

At first glance, he wasn’t sure, but inspecting it closer made it all the more clear. “You put a lot of love into this painting, it’s easy enough to tell even if I’m not an art expert. It’s clear you put a lot of time and care into what you want to say about the subject.”

She turned bright red, “L-Love? I uh, well-”

“I think it’s amazing that you can pour yourself into your work and still paint with such proficiency and care for detail.” Gaius heaped on the compliments. “What kind of flower is she holding?”

“They’re snow lilies. I believe Vivi mentioned that they represent purity and devotion.” Linde’s blush settled a little as she started talking about her sister. “I think she’ll be really surprised when she sees this finished.”

“You were planning on submitting this piece for a contest right? When is that happening?” Gaius asked, now that the ball was rolling.

“Well I have to submit it by tomorrow, but I’m just about done. There’s a few little bits I want to touch up, but I think it’s going to go well.”

“I’ll be looking forward to the good news.” Gaius laughed, as he noticed a presence lurking by the door. “You two don’t need to hide, I was just about to find you anyway.” Elliot and Laura both walked in, wide smiles on their faces.

“Maybe Clara was right.” Elliot chuckled. “This is the second time I’ve seen you two really gushing about art.”

“Hmm, is there something we should know, Gaius?” Laura teased back.

“This feels oddly familiar somehow.” Gaius couldn’t help but laugh. “Thank you for your time, Linde. I hope you do well in that contest of yours.”

Linde blushed and smiled back. “Good luck with that monster bashing! If you get hurt, don’t be afraid to use the infirmary!”

“Of course.” Gaius waved to the girl with rose coloured hair and cheeks, and joined his two classmates for lunch at the cafeteria.

---

After eating their fill, and meeting both Rean and Alisa half way through the meal, the five of them set out for the old schoolhouse. The monsters in the dungeon were definitely tougher on it’s newly made second floor, but with Alisa and Laura supporting them, and the skills they gained during their field studies, it was almost easier to make their way through those monster infested halls.

Alisa wasn’t quite as timely as Crow with her support, but her healing and her arts were top notch, and having Laura’s raw power at their side meant that most monsters didn’t last more than a few seconds against their combined offensive. Her sword skills truly were powerful, and witnessing her skills first hand just reminded him of how hard he had to train if he wanted to keep up. They had cleared the place in just over an hour, and once again an orbment charging station awaited them just before the end.

“I’m feeling good, but this is a good opportunity to charge up your orbments.” Laura said, leaning back against the wall.

“If anyone is injured, I can patch them up.” Elliot offered, but there weren’t any takers.

“This was a pretty good workout so far.” Alisa said. “But compared to drill sergeant Emily’s practice, it’s been a breeze.”

“Well it wouldn’t do to get overconfident.” Rean replied, “but we are really doing well so far.”

“I’m amazed at how in sync all of us are.” Gaius nodded his head. “It seems like the field study really improved all of your combat links.”

“Oh for sure. I think if I had paired up with one of you guys, I would have done way better in that training exercise yesterday.” Alisa griped, still bitter about that lower placement. “Heck, all of you finished in the top five, didn’t you?”

Laura nodded. “Yes, but I wasn’t satisfied with my fifth place performance either. I understand why we didn’t finish higher, but knowing my weakness doesn’t make it any more frustrating.”

Gaius agreed. When Laura had chosen to pair up with him, he thought they would be competing for the top spot, but one of the tests involved using arts, and neither of them were particularly proficient at them. In terms of casting speed, he was fine, but his accuracy, and his efficacy were near the bottom of the class. Laura had no problem with power, but her casting speed was slow, and controlling her spells were an issue as well. They wasted a lot of time on that section of Sara’ test.

“Well, Jusis and I finished in third, and Elliot and Machias finished in second.” Rean recalled the results. “Would this exploration have been easier if we had any of our first place students here?” Emma and Fie had cleared that test and beat everyone’s time by minutes, something he found incredibly impressive. However, the look on Laura’s face was less admiration and more confusion. When he was linked with her, he noticed that she had been a lot more fervent than usual. Something was getting under her skin, and he reckoned it was probably Fie.

Laura took her orbment off the charger. “Well, I’m ready to go. Let’s see what the boss of the domain has to offer.” He could feel the air around her getting prickly, she clearly didn’t want to think about the source of her irritation. It wasn’t affecting their combat links, but she seemed intent to deal with it on her own.

“I think I’m ready too.” Alisa grabbed her orbment and rested her hand on Laura’s shoulder. “Let’s show these boys what a little girl power can do.”

Elliot chuckled as he grabbed his as well. “I don’t think any of us doubt what you two are capable of.”

“But if they want to show off, why don’t we do the same?” Gaius rolled his shoulders, limbering up for battle.

“Focus guys! Just because we’ve had an easy time so far doesn’t mean we can let our guards down.” Rean said, getting the group back on track. “We don’t know what we’re up against, so be wary!” He was the last one to grab his orbment, fully charged and raring to go. “Class VII, let’s go!”

With confirmation in unison, the five of them entered the boss’s domain. Awaiting them were three fiends, each of them wholly unsettling. They looked like heads with wings, each with deranged grins and closed eyes.

“Are those faces?” Alisa asked, “That’s really gross.”

“They aren’t moving though.” Laura said, drawing her blade. “Are they asleep?”

“I doubt it.” Rean said. “But we have the opportunity to strike first.” He turned to Gaius, who met his look with a knowing nod. “Let’s go!”

They fired up their combat links, Rean and Gaius rushing in to hit the one on the left. It’s eyes opened and a flash of blinding light burned from its eyes. Laser beams descended on the party as they narrowly avoided the attack.

“This’ll be tricky.” Elliot warned. “We can’t get close enough to-” He gasped as he turned to Laura who ran right by him. “Wait!” She wasn’t listening to his warning.

The one on the right tried to mow her down with it’s lasers, but just before it’s attack could hit her, she leapt into the air. Gathering her power into her blade, she smashed down on it like a falling meteor, severing it one blow. The other two launched their attacks, but it was mitigated by Elliot’s quick thinking. The shield of water he formed only lasted a second, but it was more than enough for the trained swordswoman. She leapt behind the second one, and used her ultimate technique, light gathering on her blade as she unloaded powerful strikes one after another on the monster. The last one thought it had a clear shot on her, but it was wrong.

Gaius charged in to support. if Laura was using her strongest attack, then he would do the same. He leapt up into the air, and made the strength burning inside of him explode into his weapon. Downward momentum, a tornado of orbal induced winds, and just a fraction of borrowed power from his Stigma was the recipe for his strongest attack.

“Radiant Blade Dance!”
“Calamity Hawk!”

The two of them brought down so much force that the remaining monsters shattered into motes of light. They took a second to compose themselves and appraise the situation, but no more monsters came crawling out of the woodwork.

“That’s it?” Alisa tilted her head. “I didn’t even get to do anything!”

“They were powerful foes, if those lasers had hit us we’d be the ones dead on the floor right now.” Laura said, analyzing the enemy’s capabilities in an instant. “Gaius, that technique was incredible.”

“I could say the same for you, Laura.” He said, equally impressed. “If we didn’t hit those things with techniques of that caliber, we would not have broken through their defenses.”

“That was amazing!” Rean laughed. “I’m sorry I held you two back there.”

“Not at all.” They said in unison.

“It’s because I knew you had my back that I felt confident moving so aggressively.” Gaius said.

“Yes, I knew you were ready to support us the second the situation changed.” Laura replied. “And I can’t forget you too, Elliot. That spell you cast was exactly what I needed to press my attack.”

“I might be able to patch you guys up, but prevention is still the best medicine.” He chuckled. "Though I could have used a little bit more warning next time."

“I really need to get myself a cool super technique like you guys have.” Alisa griped. “Even Rean has that flaming sword move!” She sighed and put her bow back. “So, is that really it?”

“Yeah.” Rean paused. “But I don't hear anything this time around. Do you, Gaius?”

He shook his head. “No, for whatever reason, this time is different.” He scanned the room, but there was no other way forward. This was all that was left of the monsters in the area. “I still think we can call that mission complete.”

They all seemed satisfied, except for Laura, who looked back on the room with confusion. “Is something the matter, Laura?” Alisa asked, worried about the girl who had been on edge for the past few weeks.

“I just don’t feel satisfied yet.” She explained. “I was hoping this dungeon would give me a good fight, but I’ve been disappointed. This is very selfish of me, I’m aware, but I want a good fight.”

Rean and Gaius nodded, while Alisa and Elliot looked on with confusion. “I don’t really get it.” Elliot said, “We won, and we finished our investigation without anyone getting hurt.”

“I think it’s just something a martial artist has to deal with. When you fight a foe with everything you have, and it’s more than enough to win, you can’t help but feel disappointed. Frustrated that the amount of effort you put in was far more than you needed, and frustrated that your opponent was so weak. There’s a certain thrill in a good fight, you know?”

“You get it, Rean.”

“Well, I may not be as strong as you, but if you want to spar, I have some time.” He offered politely.

Laura shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but there is actually someone else I want to challenge.” She pointed her finger directly at Gaius. “You fought the princess’ bodyguard to a draw during your last field study, correct?”

He nodded. “I did. She was incredibly strong.”

“Emma mentioned that she said something strange, that you were holding back. I didn’t think anything of it, but between our training exercise yesterday, and this excursion today, I’m inclined to agree with Lady Thorn’s assessment. So I think you can give me the fight I want. If I can make you go all out that is.” Her spirit surged as she drew her weapon.

“T-this is ridiculous, Laura!” Alisa protested.

Gaius met Laura’s gaze head on. Despite everything, he couldn’t refuse. Certainly, it’d be the smart thing to do, he was supposed to keep a low profile. But for some reason, he couldn’t ignore this challenge. This was a cry for help from Laura. She was struggling with something, and if he could help then he couldn’t sit idly by. Maybe this was an opportunity for him as well, A chance to overcome his own demon, the one burned into his flesh. “Sorry, Alisa. But I can’t refuse this fight.” He pulled out his own weapon, and met the blue haired girl’s intensity.

“Seriously? Why are you both being so stubborn?!”

Rean laughed. “Maybe it sounds strange, but both of them have pride in their skills, and it’s because of that pride that they want to strive for greater heights. I have to admit, I’m kind of excited to see how this fight will go down.”

Alisa groaned, but gave in when Elliot rested his hand on her shoulder. “I know this isn’t great, but they’re both dead set in their ways. Let’s keep some distance, and heal them up when they’re all done.”

“There aren’t any monsters left crawling around in here, so we don’t need to worry about interruptions. I’ll act as the referee, so things don’t get too messy.” Rean spoke up, while Alisa and Elliot headed for the entrance of the room to watch from a safe distance. She didn’t seem too happy about it, but she didn’t raise any more verbal protests.

“Understood.”

Gaius and Laura made their way to the centre of the room, their spirits ignited by all the tension in the air. He could feel the hairs on his neck stand up as he faced down his opponent. He was aware of just how strong Laura S. Arseid was. She was like a waterfall, a never ending torrent of ice cold water. It would take more than strength and determination to win this fight. Yet despite the great wall in front of him, he couldn’t help but feel excited. His soul echoed with the winds, if a force of nature stood in front of him, then he would become a force of nature as well. A gale force wind that would blow away his opposition. She smirked as her soul sharpened under his pressure.

“It looks like you’re both ready.” Rean looked at both of them, nodded, and raised his hand.

“You may begin!”

Chapter Text

Alisa couldn’t believe those two were her classmates. It had been about twenty minutes since their duel wrapped up, but she was still in shock at the way those two fought. For two people without a shred of animosity towards one another, their attacks were so desperate, yet at the same time utterly sublime. She considered herself someone who understood martial arts on a basic level, but that was definitely beyond the basics.

Each attack was like a 90mm tank barrel firing off, as steel clashed with steel, violence with violence, as each sought to throw their most powerful strikes at one another. Laura’s training and noble upbringing should have given her an edge in technique, but Gaius’ spearmanship was just as precise. No, she’d probably argue that Gaius had even more technique than Laura. After all, the conclusion of their fight was made clear. He deflected her ultimate technique, only losing his spear in the process. However it didn’t matter, with her technique broken, he wrestled her to the ground and pinned her down. Probably not how a spear user would prefer to win a duel, but it was still a clear cut victory for him.

She sighed, loud enough for the boy next to her to overhear. He turned to her with an inquisitive glance and a soft smile. “That was some duel, huh?” He said, almost as if he had a window into her thoughts. “Those two really set a difficult example to live up to.”

“Agreed.” Between those two, and people like Instructors Sara and Neithardt, this world was filled with incredibly strong people. She wouldn’t have learned about any of this from her Roer highrise. “But I’ll be fine if I don’t ever have to fight them one on one.”

Rean smiled softly, an angelic expression on his typically stoic face. “Luckily you won’t need to, unless Sara is planning something insane for the next practical exam.”

“I think she’d rather teach something useful, than try and fit a square peg in a round hole.” Alisa chuckled. “I may not say many nice things about Sara, but there’s always a reason why she does the things she does. Though if I do end up facing down Laura in a one versus one duel, I want you to know that I’ll curse Sara to the grave.”

Rean chuckled at the imagery, and shook his head. “Sure thing, Alisa. Were you planning on doing anything after this?”

She shook her head. “Between lacrosse practice and that dungeon dive, I just want to go back to the dorms, crash on my bed and unwind with a nice book.”

“Ah. The reason I asked is because I actually have another errand for the student council to run, but I thought you might enjoy it.”

“Why would I enjoy watching you run errands?”

He scratched his cheek as he hid a sheepish smile. “Well, president Towa promised me it would be a good way to unwind, and it involves the Orbal Bikes.”

“Orbal bikes?” She had heard of regular bikes, but calling them orbal implied that they had some sort of orbment running them. She had to admit, she was curious. You couldn’t just slap an orbal engine onto a bicycle and call it a day after all, it'd fall over instantly. “Ok, I’m in.”

“That was fast, I didn’t even tell you what they were.”

“I can make a few assumptions! But the fact that they’re making something like that has me pretty curious. Is this something George was working on?”

“Yeah, him and the rest of his friends. Towa, Crow, and Angelica, though I haven’t met her yet.”

Alisa could feel the blood drain from her face. “Angelica… Rogner?”

“That’s the one. Is something wrong?”

“No, just count yourself lucky that you’re a man, Rean. That’s all I’m going to say about that.”

“Seems like a bit of a landmine, huh? Well, if you know her, that must mean you’re pretty well connected in Roer right.”

She scratched her cheek. Rean’s attempts at finding out her identity were anything but subtle, but she realized it wasn’t something she could hide forever. She just wasn’t ready to come out with it. But as she thought about why that was, she couldn’t come up with a satisfactory answer. She wasn’t really ashamed of being a Reinford, was she? No. What her mother chose to do did not reflect on her, and she wouldn’t let her decisions dictate her life anymore! Moving back to the topic at hand she just gave a nervous laugh, and deflected as best she could.

“Angie is… unique. She might be the daughter of Marquis Rogner, but you’d never guess that by looking at her. Just don’t be surprised by what you see, okay?”

“Uh sure, I can do that.” He glanced over nervously at the engineering building. “Although now you’ve got me curious.”

The two of them made it to the building beside the student union building. As Rean was telling her, this used to just be a storage shed, until the engineering students repurposed it for their own ends. It definitely didn’t fit the image of a prestigious military academy on the outside, but on the inside there were plenty of interesting machines and gadgets, ranging from weapons and ammunition to more mundane things like orbal lamps and scales. Of course, Alisa’s eyes were drawn to the corner of the room where those so called orbal bikes were. Just at a glance she could tell those babies had some serious power behind them. Frames wrought in steel, tires thick enough to handle even the more treacherous roads of Erebonia, and a chassis large enough to hold an engine in its frame... she couldn’t wait to see how those things actually ran in person. She was so distracted that she didn’t even notice the other four people in the room sitting at a table loaded with junk food.

“Heya, Reanie!” The silver haired boy waved to them. “It’s nice to see you again. And you even brought a friend!” He gave her a sly wink and an easy smile.

“Heh, glad you could make it, Rean.” George said, wiping the potato chip crumbs off on his yellow jumpsuit. “And welcome to you too, Alisa. Are you here for a tune-up on your bow?”

She shook her head. “Not today. Rean told me about those Orbal Bikes and I had to go see them for myself. I have to say I’m impressed.”

“You’ve got a good eye.” George said, his eyes positively sparkling, as he started listing the specs of the machines off the top of his head. Those machines were definitely his babies.

“Heh, you’ll scare the poor girl off with all the technical talk.” A lady with a husky voice responded. Alisa could pick that voice out of a crowd, anytime and any place. Judging by the purple jumpsuit she was wearing, it didn’t seem like her time in a fancy military academy changed her one bit. “Although I suppose for Alisa Reinford, talking about bike specs might just make her more intrigued.”

“I see you’re still the same as ever, huh Angelica?” She sighed. “But yeah, these sound incredible!”

“Huh… so you really were a Reinford.” Rean said, holding his chin in his hand. “I had my suspicions, but it makes a lot of sense now.”

She paused… Angie just spilled the beans without any fanfare. And judging by the reactions of the others at their little table, they all knew too. She smacked her forehead and groaned.

“Oh, were you still trying to keep that a secret?” Angie smirked. “I’m sorry about that. Let me make it up to you by taking you somewhere nice. Have you heard of the Grey Poupon? It’s a lovely restaurant in the Garnier District…”

“Angie, please!” The fourth member of their group spoke up, the tiny president Towa Herschel. “That wasn’t your secret to tell! Apologize to Alisa right away!”

The purple haired girl blushed, immediately cowed by the little president. Maybe she had changed a little bit, if she was actually following orders from someone else. “Sorry, Alisa. If it makes you feel better the only students who know are either in this room or in the student council.”

“No, I understand.” Alisa sighed. “It makes sense that you’d be privy to that information if you’re on the student council. And Angie knows me personally too.” She turned to Rean who seemed to be taking it all in stride. “So now you know too. Cat’s out of the bag.”

“Well, I’m not really sure why you thought you needed to hide it from us, but I can keep quiet about it if you want.” Rean shrugged, as if it wasn’t as big a deal as she was making it out to be.

“Don’t worry, I’ll let everyone know tonight.” She sighed. “You’re actually the second person in our class to learn about it, so it’s not a big deal anymore. Considering what some others have already shared, it’s selfish of me to hide my last name like this any longer.”

“I don’t even know why you’d keep it a secret in the first place. If I was the heir of a major corporation, I’d probably let every cute girl on campus know it.” The easy going upperclassman said, with a seemingly perpetual smirk.

“And a few cute boys too?” Angie smirked as she elbowed him in the ribs.

“Do you even need to ask?” Crow slid out of his chair and extended his hand to her. She reached out timidly, assuming he was going for a handshake. “You know the rest of these guys, so I was kind of hoping they’d introduce me on a better note than this. Name’s Crow Armbrust, a pleasure to meet you, Miss Reinford.” He pretended to bow and kiss her hand.

“Doing your Angelica impression?” Alisa smirked at the attempt. “Just Alisa is fine, thanks. Being called Miss Reinford kind of makes my skin crawl.”

“Heh, fair enough. Wouldn’t want anyone calling me Mister Armbrust.” He let go and stood back up, resting his hands behind his head. “It is nice to meet you though, Alisa. Ready to try riding one of these bikes?”

Her eyes lit up, like a child waiting for presents on her birthday. “C-Can I?”

Towa and George nodded. “That’s right, today’s request is actually to do some testing on our Orbal Bikes.” Towa started off, seeming just as excited as Alisa was about the whole thing.

“Crow and Angie have been our drivers for so long that I’ve been tuning these bikes specifically to their tastes. Which would be fine… if we weren’t planning on mass producing these in the future.” George explained. “I want to work out the issues that might be difficult for brand new drivers, and for that I need people who have never done this sort of thing before to work out those kinks. Towa and I are out because we’ve worked on these guys for so long, but you two would be fresh eyes to this sort of thing.

“I’m glad I asked you, Alisa.” Rean said, with a quiet smile. “I’m definitely up for it.”

“No way am I missing out on trying out the newest orbal tech. You said the top speed on these guys was 1200 selge/hour right?”

“The theoretical limit is a bit higher, but we’ve never had reason to test it at higher speeds than that. Considering the wear it causes on the more delicate parts, it wouldn’t be a good idea if something broke down at that kind of speed, either.”

“The speed limit on most highways is 1000 selge/hour anyway, in places where automobile law is recognized. Since these are equipped with orbal engines, we’ve been treating them like cars when it comes to legal issues. We definitely won’t be asking you to go quite that fast though, safety comes first after all!”

Alisa understood completely. They weren’t going to be doing anything ridiculous, just giving off a general impression of how they felt in operation. The seniors gave them a run down on how to operate the bikes, where the brakes, gas, and clutch were, all of the basics that someone needed to know to actually operate one of these things. It sounded pretty complicated, but Towa and George explained it in a way that made a lot of sense to her as they walked the vehicles down to the highway.

“So then you just punch it, and then you go like Vroom! NEEEYYYYAAH!”

Crow’s explanation to Rean was decidedly less helpful as he waved his body around like a lunatic. At least Angelica was actually trying to help him understand it, but she wasn’t too worried. He’d pick it up eventually.

“There’s a few signposts down the road that mark the distance to Heimdallr, once you get to the first one, I want you to stop there, switch bikes, and drive back.” George explained. “The purple one here has been tuned to Angie’s specifications, while the white and blue one is tuned to Crow's preferences.”

“Let me know which one you like better, too.” Crow winked at her. “I always deliver a smooth ride.”

“Crow, some days I can’t decide which of you two is worse.” Towa sighed, “Just don’t worry about all that, and have fun. They’re a lot of fun to ride on! Although I’m too short to reach the shifter and see the road…”

“Heh, sorry about that Towa. Once we get some better data, I’ll try making a smaller model that you can drive without worry. We just couldn’t fit the engine into anything your size…” George sincerely apologized. It seemed he wanted this kind of experience to be available to everyone, a sentiment that Alisa really admired.

“It’s alright, I understand completely.” Towa’s expression changed to one of cheer and excitement again, “So, which one do you want to start with, Rean?”

Rean decided to try his luck with Angie’s bike first, which left Alisa to drive Crow’s blue one. It didn’t really matter which one they chose to start with, so she didn’t read too much into it. They got on, and started up the ignition. The engine purred as she started it up, it was much quieter than a gasoline engine was naturally, but it still made a tell tale hum as it started. She had heard so many engines start up that she knew what a healthy one sounded like. She didn’t expect anything less, but she was still surprised at just how well these machines were being treated.

“Are you ready to go, Alisa?” Rean asked out of concern. She snapped out of her daydream, and focused on the road.

“Yeah, ready to leave you in the dust.” She smirked as she revved the engine. It felt natural as she turned the accelerator, and at the signal of their upperclassmen, her vehicle roared forward. She was surprised at how quickly the machine could accelerate, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. She actually did leave Rean in the dust as she took to Crow’s bike naturally. After a few seconds of driving at a lower gear, Rean caught up, surprise in his eyes.

She shifted gears and shot ahead of him again, making sure to wave back to him. She was ecstatic as she pushed the bike up to higher and higher speeds. The wind on her face felt amazing, as she scanned the road for anything strange. No monsters, no pedestrians, but she was coming up on that first signpost rather quickly. She checked behind her to make sure she wouldn’t have Rean ram into her if she slowed down, and casually brought the vehicle to rest right next to the sign.

‘Heimdallr, 54 selge.’ The signpost indicated, as Alisa waited a few seconds for Rean to come trundling in. He had a lot harder time stopping Angie’s bike, but he was able to make a complete stop without crashing. He wiped the sweat off his brow as he descended from his perch, shocked at how easy Alisa had made it look.

“That was the first time you’ve done this right?”

Alisa nodded. “Not my first time around a vehicle mind you. They all have wills of their own, but the operation is pretty standard once you get used to it.”

“That’s crazy. I kind of thought it’d handle more like a horse than anything…”

“That’s not a bad way of thinking about it, you just need to try a different method to tame it.” She looked over at Angie’s bike and shrugged. “Maybe you just took the harder ride first. I found this one pretty easy to get used to, but that might just be my experience talking.” They swapped bikes, and Alisa even offered to let Rean get a head start, so he could feel what it was like to be in the lead.

“Are you sure?”

“Just because you’re starting ahead doesn’t mean you’ll be staying that way.” She giggled as she got onto Angie’s bike. “Enjoy it while it lasts, Rean.”

He started up Crow’s ride and offered a “Don’t complain when I win.” before hitting the gas and zipping ahead. She got herself ready as well, counting to five before hitting the accelerator…

And nearly lurching over the handlebars and into the dirt road in front of her. Crow’s bike had pickup, but Angie’s was like a monster smelling blood in the air. She tried to tame the beast, easing off the accelerator, and settling the shifter down. A smooth ride, this definitely wasn’t, and she was losing time on Rean.

She calmed herself down and pushed gently on the accelerator, treating it with a delicate touch as she revved it’s engine. As she thought about it deeper, she understood why Angie had made this bike so hard to handle. It was her baby, of course it’d play hard to get! She shifted gears and immediately relented on the accelerator, not letting it take control of her. She was the driver, and this was her vehicle. She could see Rean in front of her now, and she brought it up another gear, closing the distance as fast as she could. If she kept going at this speed she could probably surpass him!

But then she’d have to worry about stopping this thing on a dime. If she knew anything about Angie, that wouldn’t be an easy feat. Rather than risk hurting herself or someone else, it’d be better to just let him have the victory for once. She kept a close tail on him, but was never quite able to get ahead before reaching the finish line. He made a smooth stop, while hers was a bit more unwieldy.

Crow just laughed as she came to a stop. “Heh, looks like I called it. My bike really is a nicer ride.”

“Yeah, I think that’s evident from the little bit we’ve seen, but I want to hear what our drivers think.” George pointed out, helping Rean find the kickstand on the machine.

“Angie’s bike was definitely made for her. I think if anyone else wanted to use it, they’d have a tough time figuring out it’s temperament. Not to say that it didn’t prowl like a kitten on those straightaways, and if I was in a racing situation, I’d definitely prefer it to Crow’s.”

“I’d be interested to see how they feel on a road with more turns and curves.” Rean added, “But I can definitely say Crow’s was easier to drive, the pickup wasn’t trying to throw me right off the bike, like Angie’s was.”

“Yeah his stop was waaaaaay worse than mine at the signpost.” Alisa embellished, much to Rean’s chagrin.

“You’re breaking my heart, Alisa!” Angie pretended to whine, draping her arms over her bike like it was her missing child returning home. “Don’t worry baby, mommy’s here now to treat you right.”

“I… I don’t know what to say to this.” Rean said, averting his eyes from the walking disaster.

“I do.” Towa sighed and clapped her hands. “That’s enough Angie. Let’s get these bikes inside the engineering building. We had a few forms they needed to fill out, right George?”

“Yeah, just some general Q&A stuff. Sorry to bore you with the technical stuff after having such a fun time, but we need to be methodical when making this stuff.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for, I’m well aware of how this all works.” Alisa explained. “Especially if you’re planning on selling this product to a major manufacturer like Reinford.”

“Well if it makes you feel better, after we’re done with all that boring crap we’re all going out to eat. Angie’s paying so you don’t have to worry about your wallets.” Crow chuckled as he placed his hand on Rean’s shoulder. “Are you two in?”

“Hmm, I don’t know…” Rean pondered deeply.

“We’d really love to have you!” Towa said, unable to hide his enthusiasm. “It’s always fun to eat dinner with friends.”

“I agree.” Alisa spoke up. “If you guys don’t mind having me, I’d love to join in. Especially if Angie is paying for it.”

“Well Crow was going to pay for it, but I lost that stupid bet of his. So you’ll lend me some mira, right Alisa?” Angie begged with puppy dog eyes, but she wasn’t about to fool her.

“Nope, you’re on your own Angie. You can afford to pay for dinner for all of us, I know what your house looks like.”

“Touche.” She grinned. “So what about you, Rean? Care to join us for dinner?”

“I suppose I have to.” He gave a warm and bright smile, like the dawn itself. “I guess I helped you out of a jam didn’t I, Crow.”

“For riding my bike so smoothly? Hell yeah you did.” He got his younger classmate in a headlock and rubbed his head like he was polishing it. “You’re my hero, Rean.”

“I get that you’re grateful but that really hurts!” Rean spoke with a bright blush lining his cheeks. It was almost like those two were long lost brothers with the way they acted around one another. Alisa couldn’t help but think that they were really cute, and joined in the fun with a laugh of her own. Before she knew it Angie, George and even Towa had added their voices to the chorus, laughing away another carefree day at Thors. But she could feel her heart pounding just a little faster when she saw that gentle smile of his, the glint of sunlight blending into a soft vermilion haze. It was a feeling she didn’t quite comprehend, but one that she wanted to hold onto for as long as she could.

Chapter Text

Being a member of Class VII wasn’t easy work, and Sara made sure that everyone knew it when practical exams came around. Gaius never once doubted her prowess in combat, but she had a knack for evaluating her student’s abilities as well. The combat shells she used for testing were no slouches, and this second one hit way harder than the first. It was some good exercise to push their limits, even if the fights were four of them against two. She mixed up the teams at random, but everyone got two cracks at the shells, except for Machias and Jusis.

Sara seemed quite pleased with the results, as he, Alisa, Rean, and Laura withdrew their weapons. He wasn’t feeling up to a third match anytime soon, and it didn’t look like many of his classmates were up for another round either. She clapped her hands together, and snapped the combat shells away, signifying the end of combat practice.

“Good work everyone!” She said, stretching her arms over her head like she had been the one to go four rounds. “It looks like those links are working better than ever. Alisa, and Rean, I’m especially impressed with your team work in particular today!”

“Thank you instructor!” They said, practically in lockstep.

“Well that wraps up our practical exam. I’ll give you your proper grades later, but I don’t think anybody has anything to worry about. It looks like that joint combat exercise with Class I last week gave you kids a nice kick in the butt, huh?”

“Yes, instructor.” Laura was the only one to verbally respond, but Gaius could see a few heads nod aside from his own, Machias the most obvious, but Alisa seemed to have a chip on her shoulder as well. One thing was for sure, she got along better with the rest of the class than she did with Ferris.

“Well, why don’t we start with you, Miss Reinford .” Sara’s lips curled into a shit eating grin as the rest of the class shared an amused chuckle at Alisa’s expense. After their free day, she went out and announced what her last name really was. It was only a matter of time before it let slip, but he was just glad he wasn’t responsible for the embarrassment she was feeling now. “Go ahead and pass out the envelopes for you guys next field study.”

“Sure thing, Miss Valestein. ” Alisa retorted, putting a lot of emphasis on that miss. Much to Sara’s chagrin. Alisa took the envelopes from a pouting Sara and passed them around. They quickly opened them up, appreciating that there was some consistency. After the usual forms and legal documents, they all had the same idea in mind. Where were they going, and who were they going with.

“Group A: Rean, Emma, Fie, Machias, Jusis. Location: Bareahard. Group B: Alisa, Elliot, Laura, Gaius. Location: Saint-Arkh.” Emma was the one to reach it first, a strange look in her eyes as she read it out.

“Ah, so two provincial capitals this time.” Gaius remarked. “This should be interesting.”

“I concur. I’m sure there will be a lot to learn there.” Laura said, nodding her head.

“Heh, looks like we’re babysitting again, Emma.” Fie smirked, as she looked over at the two scowling boys. 

“Are you kidding me!” Machias raised his voice. “Him? Again?!”

“Why don’t you tell us how you really feel, Regnitz.” Jusis groaned. “I can think of far preferable arrangements than this one.”

Sara didn’t seem perturbed however, “These groups look pretty perfect to me. Bareahard is your hometown, Jusis. Putting you there makes perfect sense. And as for Machias, it’ll be a great way for you to spread your wings, take in the sights, maybe learn something new?”

“You can’t be serious.” Machias groaned. “You expect to learn something in that dusty old relic of a city, filled to the brim with nobles so far up their own asses that-”

Sara coughed, interrupting his tirade. “While you aren’t wrong, there’s something to be gained from this. As your instructor, it’s my duty to look out for your best interests, and I think that’s exactly what I’m doing. Besides, the two of you started to get along in your last field study, didn’t you?” The silence she got in response was all the reaction she needed. “If these allocations really are so bad, why don’t you prove to me that you know better? I’ll take you both on. If you win, you can go to separate groups.”

Her eyes narrowed as she grabbed her holstered weapons. “But if you lose, the groups are staying the way they are, and each complaint I hear will be a point knocked off of your group’s final mark. So, what do you say?” She looked like she was itching for a fight with the way her eyes were shining.

Jusis and Machias’ eyes met, and after pondering it for a brief moment, both of them shook their heads. “Fine.” Jusis sighed. “I’ll stick with this arrangement. I’m not happy about it, but I’ll live with it.”

Machias pushed up his glasses. “Don’t steal what I’m going to say! But… this is a good opportunity to prove we can do better than our last field study.”

Jusis crossed his arms and uttered out a simple “Hmmph.”

“Don’t hmmph me!”

Sara relaxed her stance, and slumped her shoulders. “S-Seriously? I was all prepared to go wham, boosh, pow on you guys!”

“You told us in Parm, our actions reflect not only on ourselves, but our group as a whole. It wouldn’t be fair to Emma, Fie or Rean if we acted out now.” Jusis explained. “And I know just how quick you are when you’re serious.”

“I hate to admit it, but right now you aren’t an opponent we can win against. Even two on one.” Machias sighed. “To everyone but Jusis, I apologize for my earlier outburst.”

“And to everyone but Regnitz, I apologize for my behaviour. It won’t happen again.”

Sara just blinked slowly, as if she couldn’t believe those words were coming out of their mouths. “Well that’s great! I’m glad to hear it!” She quickly got the pep back in her step. “If there are no further complaints, it’ll be business as usual Saturday morning! Make sure you get up bright and early, you’ll be leaving Trista at 07:00!” She giggled into her hand, “Ooh, I always wanted to say that.”

“It’s hard to believe she’s an instructor sometimes.” Emma whispered to him.

“No kidding. I’m just glad we don’t have to worry about another fight breaking out. I don’t want to have to lug Jusis or Machias around again.”

“Hehe, that’s a good point, Gaius.” Her gentle smile sent his heart racing again. Aidios above, why was he so weak to this woman? “Is something wrong?” She looked up from her glasses, meeting his eyes with an innocent gaze.

“Not at all.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “So it looks like the only difference in our groups this time around is that Rean and I switched places. It’s a bit of a shame.”

“Yeah, I would have liked to go on another field study with you.” She said wistfully. “Think we can challenge Sara to a fight to switch groups?”

“I think that ship has sailed.” Gaius had a hearty laugh at the situation. “I’m sure things will be alright regardless.”

Gaius could hear a chuckle behind him, as Alisa joined in on their conversation. “And what are you two talking about so secretly? Got a hot date planned after this?”

“A-Alisa!” Emma turned bright red at the mere suggestion. “Gaius and I aren’t like that!”

“She’s right.” It hurt a little to admit, but he definitely wasn’t brave enough to say that. “Just talking about our group assignments is all.”

“You’re really good at evading things you don’t want to talk about, aren’t you?” Alisa smirked as she read his expression. “Well, whatever. We’re going to some pretty interesting places, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, I’ve only passed through Saint-Arkh’s train station, and I’ve never been to Bareahard before. I’ve heard that they have beautiful jewels and furs there. I’m pretty excited, honestly!”

“I didn’t take you for a jewels and fur kind of girl.” Alisa’s eyes widened. “Pretty expensive tastes, wouldn’t you say? I’m shocked!”

“Oh!” Her face turned bright red again, “I mean, it’s just something I might daydream about from time to time!”

“Heh, I understand. I bet a nice winter coat with a fur trim would look great on you…” Alisa already seemed to be picturing wardrobes in her mind as she started juggling ideas.

“Is it really so strange?” Her head tilted just a little bit, her tight braid bobbing to the side.

Gaius shook his head. He understood the value of nice things as well as anyone. He preferred things that were more utilitarian, but a nice coat and pair of boots go a long way anywhere. There was nothing strange about it at all, and he said as much.

“Honestly, if we’re talking about shocking things, I was so surprised to hear that you were a Reinford. I know it's been a few days but I still can’t quite believe it. Even more than that, I can’t believe you knew the entire time, Gaius!” Emma pointed out.

“We just happen to have a casual acquaintance.” Gaius said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Although I never really understood why you didn’t mention it before. I know the Reinford company is a big deal in Erebonia, but there’s no shortage of people with important family names here. What’s one more in the mix?”

“My family situation is… a little complicated.” Alisa said, averting her gaze. “Not really a topic I’m prepared to go into detail with you guys about.” She waved her hands in front of her face, “Not that I don’t trust you guys! It’s just…”

“Don’t worry about it, Alisa.” Emma said. “I’m pretty sure you’re not alone when it comes to that sort of thing. Whenever you do feel ready to talk about it, I'll be there to listen.”

“Same for me.” Gaius replied. “It’s only natural.”

“Heh, I’ll hold you to it then.” Alisa laughed, closing up their practical exam on a positive note. The other members of the class got together, now that they were officially dismissed for the day.

“So, what do you guys want to do?” Elliot asked, now that everyone was gathered. “Want to have a strategy meeting?”

“I’ll pass.” Jusis said. “I have some studying to do today, I’ll be in the library.” He said, leaving the group with another word. It seemed like he still had problems interacting with the group as a whole.

“Ugh, studying.” Fie’s shoulders slumped at the mention.

“It’d probably be a good idea to get some in, Fie. Midterms are coming up next month, and they tend to be pretty comprehensive. You still have a lot of subjects you’re struggling in right? If you don’t mind, I'd be happy to help.”

“I’ll be fine… probably…” She looked down at her shoes and kicked up some dust.

“We are students first and foremost.” Laura said, “Perhaps you should take Emma up on that offer, Fie.”

“I’ll join in too, and we can have an all girls study party!” Alisa chimed in.

“All girls, huh…” Fie’s eyes darted toward Laura, and back toward Emma. “I guess that’s fine.”

“I’ll have to decline.” Laura spoke up. Anyone could feel the apprehension in Fie’s voice, like sandpaper against their skin. “I have a prior arrangement to attend to.” She bowed her head like she was apologizing, but the other girls understood.

“I see…” Fie mumbled, “Well, I still hate it, but we should get it over with, right?”

Emma and Alisa nodded, and left to go on ahead. The whispers of tricky subjects and the upcoming midterms flooded the air, but all Gaius could focus on was the apologetic gaze Emma gave to him. He wasn’t sure how to convey his feelings with his eyes alone, so he pressed his hand to his chest and nodded to her. The smile on her lips made his heart beat faster as he didn’t want to turn away. He was smitten, positively captivated by her, and he didn’t know what to do.

He was removed from his train of thought by a soft elbow to his ribs, and the chilling cackling of Machias Regnitz. “Zemuria to Gaius, are you in there?”

He took a deep breath and shook off his idle fantasies. He had a role to fulfill, and he needed to make sure that role wasn’t compromised. He didn’t like all this responsibility, but he had to own up to it. If he didn’t, who else would? “I’m proud of you, Machias.”

“W-what?” He was taken aback by the compliment. “What’s all this about?”

“You didn’t pick a fight with Sara today, and your teamwork with Jusis is going a lot better than it was this time last month. I have a feeling your field study will go a lot smoother this time around.”

“Ah,” He nodded, “You won’t be with us this time, Gaius. It’s kind of strange how our groups are practically the same as last time, just swapping you and Rean.”

“Yeah, I noticed that.” Rean chuckled, joining in on the conversation. “If I look at it optimistically, it just means that she trusts Gaius and I.”

“And negatively?” Elliot chimed in, joining in their little circle. Laura wasn’t far behind and poked her head into their chat.

“Negatively it means she’s just lazy and didn’t want to adjust things more than necessary.”

Everyone’s shoulders slumped at the far more likely possibility. “That’s about what I’d expect from instructor Sara.” Elliot scratched his cheek, relaxing now that things had settled down a bit.

“Hey, Laura? Didn’t you have some prior arrangement to attend to?” Rean asked the oddly quiet girl. She shook her head and sighed.

“That was a bit of a fib.” She admitted. “It’s not really a secret that Fie and I aren’t getting along very well right now. I figured it’d be best for both of us to keep our distance when possible.” 

“I see. So you two still aren’t getting along.” Machias rubbed the back of his head, awkwardly looking for a way to change the current topic. 

“If I might, why don’t we have a study session of our own? No sense in lagging behind the girls and Jusis, right?” Gaius suggested. “We can talk over dinner at Kirsches’.”

“Heh, tempting a guy with food, huh?” Machias chuckled. “Twice in a week feels a little excessive, but I can budget around it.”

“It sounds like a lot of fun to me.” Elliot smiled, chipper as always. “It’ll be a guy’s night! Plus Laura, I suppose.”

A sharp smirk cracked her lips. “Well I’m definitely in. It is Wednesday after all.”

“Wednesday?” Rean tilted his head, trying to figure out the significance of that.

“Chicken Wings.” Elliot, Machias and Gaius all said together, laughing at their oddly perfect timing.

“W-What?” Laura pouted at the boy’s laughter. “Is it really something to be making a fuss about?”

“Not at all.” Elliot supported her, “I just found it funny that we were all thinking the same thing. Studying and wings are definitely an interesting combination, that’s for sure.

The group shared their affirmations, and the thought of a savory meal to go with some bitter studying seemed like a fantastic idea to all of them. With their practical exam bleeding into their last homeroom period, they didn’t need to make any detours to gather their belongings, or return to the classroom to grab some extra study materials. Gaius briefly wondered if they could have a gathering like this with all of their classmates one day, but as long as there was still tensions between them, it was likely that the day was still far off.

But just as things seemed to be going smoothly, they bumped into a snag. One with pale blonde hair and an ego far larger than anyone had a right to. The student was flanked by his cronies, people Gaius had no recognition of, but possessed of similar attitudes. “Well well, if it isn’t the rejects from Class VII.” The man made condescension his weapon, as if the only direction he could look was down.

“What do you want, Patrick?” Rean spoke up, not bothering to hide the exasperation in his voice.

“Going on another field study this week? Must be nice for students to get a vacation from classes.” He put his hands on his hips and pointed his chin up, every gesture just annoying Gaius a little bit more. Best just to ignore him and move on…

“What would you know about that?” Machias replied, and Gaius realized that ignoring him was not going to be an option in this lifetime. “We’re going there to study and learn, something you don’t seem to be very capable of.”

“What did you say? Like a filthy commoner such as yourself would know anything about how hard we nobles work.” He crossed his arms and sneered, glaring holes through Machias.

Machias bit back, “Did you have business with us, or do you just like hearing the sound of your own voice?” 

“I’m just here to deliver a word of warning to the nobles in your little group. Be careful who you spend your time with. Instead of working hand in hand with reformists and second-class Erebonians, you’d be better suited making friends with better people.” He shrugged his shoulders and turned his back.

“What did you say?” Laura spoke up, glaring daggers at the Marquis’s son. “Your comments are unbefitting of your stature, Patrick. Apologize, immediately.”

He flinched at the sudden chastisement, and considering it was from someone in the social class as him, he couldn’t just easily dismiss it as the whining of a commoner. Gaius was quite grateful for it, as he didn’t even notice his own hands shaking at his sides. Another second of listening to his voice might have shattered his temper.

“Hmmph, what I say is the truth. You’d be wise to pick your friends more carefully, daughter of Arseid.” His cohorts laughed heartily before joining Patrick on his way towards the noble’s salon. No apology would be escaping his lips anytime soon.

“Ouch.” Elliot said. “That was uncalled for.”

“What a prick! Say what you will about Jusis, at least he keeps any vitriol he has towards me directed at me. Things like that are why…” He stopped what he was saying, “I mean not all of them, but attitudes like that just make me so…” Gaius could hear his teeth gnashing together, and feel his anger exuding from his pores.

“Angry?” Laura finished his sentence. “You have every right to be. I am ashamed of his attitude, and I apologize to all of you for his behaviour.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Gaius said, a little bit more shaken up than he’d care to admit. “You didn’t say those things, he did. You don’t bear responsibility for his actions.”

“Well, I…” Laura stumbled over her words… “I suppose you’re right, but…”

“He is right.” Elliot said, “It’s as clear as day to any of us that you aren’t like that, Laura. You have pride in your nobility because you believe in doing the right thing! You chastised those provincial soldiers for acting the same way in Celdic, and I know you care about the people around you.”

“You and Patrick are different people.” Rean said, holding his hand to his chin. “It might sound blasphemous to say, but I think nobility is shown through actions, rather than being a product of one’s bloodline.”

“I appreciate your optimistic viewpoint, but that’s not true.” Machias argued, “not that I don’t agree with those ideals, but nobles are just people with titles. You use yours with care and responsibility, he does not, and that’s all there is to it.”

She nodded her head at the sudden praise, and tried to hide her blushing cheeks. “Thank you. I didn’t realize what I was saying just now.”

“It’s nothing to worry about.” Rean laughed, “I know all too well the desire to apologize for other people. Let’s just move on, and get started on our study party shall we?”

“Maybe we can talk a bit about the places we’re going as well!” Elliot perked up, as he started listing some of the events in the upcoming Fine Arts Festival taking place in Saint-Arkh. He always did light up a little when it came to music. His candor and excitement dispelled the sour mood that Patrick had put them in, and made Gaius all the more grateful that he counted him among his friends.

His pace slowed down as he caught up with the girl dragging behind. Rean, Elliot and Machias were deep into their own little discussion now, which gave him a chance to talk privately. “Thank you, Laura.”

“For what?” She whispered back.

“For saying those things you did. It meant a lot to me that you’d say that without a second thought.”

“Don’t mention it, Gaius. You’re my friend, and a proud citizen of Nord. You don’t deserve to be treated like that, and I hope Patrick finds the time to apologize to you properly. His behaviour is utterly unacceptable.”

“Thank you.” He nodded his head, “but, I have to ask. Is that a common thought among the nobles in this country? Are the people of Nord just second-class Erebonians to them?”

Laura’s expression darkened, telling Gaius most of what he needed to know. “There are certainly some people who think that way, but they’re ignorant. I can only hope that they challenge their ignorance, and accept the people of Nord for who they are. I am...” She shook her head, “While it isn’t my responsibility, I still feel guilty by association.”

Gaius returned her sincerity with a soft smile. “There’s no reason to feel that way, in fact I appreciate your honesty, Laura. Thank you, for always being willing to be upfront with me.”

“I’m still trying to challenge my own ignorance but I have a long way to go in that regard.”

“Maybe. But I believe that you will get there eventually. As long as you continue to make the effort, I know it won’t be wasted.” He started walking a little faster to catch up to the guys, but Laura’s whisper still carried on the wind and caressed his ears. He couldn’t help but smile at her heartfelt sincerity.

“Thank you... for believing in me.” 

Chapter Text

It was surprising how quickly he got used to the trains of Erebonia. He had been nervous at first, but now after seeing Heimdallr Central Station a few times, he knew it like the back of his own hand. Or at least like the bottom of his own foot. He and the rest of his group left fairly early, since they wanted to arrive at Saint-Arkh before noon. It only took two field studies, but the train transfers now started to feel like second nature to him. And the present company in tow was a lot more agreeable than the last time he took a train that was western bound.

After settling his luggage in the overhead compartment, he leaned back on the comfortable bench, letting out a deep yawn. He must have been more tired than usual, if he was yawning now.

“Don’t yawn or else I’ll-” Elliot opened his mouth and let out a yawn of his own. Flustered, he turned his eyes away and mumbled. “-yawn too...” Laura and Alisa chuckled, as the four of them got settled in their pod.

“Just a few more hours and we’ll be in Saint-Arkh.” Alisa said with a smile on her face, “Have any of you guys been there before?”

Gaius shook his head, waiting in the train station clearly didn’t count, but both Laura and Elliot raised their hands.

“You too?” They both said at practically the same time.

“What a coincidence.” Laura chuckled, “When did you go to the Chalk Capital, Elliot?”

He scratched his cheek. “Well I was pretty young the last time I was there, so I don’t really remember too much, but my mom was performing there, and my dad had some vacation time, so the whole family went together. I think that was about… 11 years ago, if I remember right.”

“Your mother is a musician too? I had no idea.”

“Well she was.” Elliot rubbed the back of his neck, “She’s performing for the goddess now, I’m afraid.”

“I see… I’m sorry.”

He waved his hands and shook his head. “Don’t be, you didn’t know. It’s not like I’ve talked about my family all that much. She was a really talented pianist, and even wrote a few original songs. I know she was a particular favourite of the people of Saint-Arkh, since she performed in the fine arts festival year after year.

“A famous performer with the last name Craig…” Laura pursed her lips and closed her eyes, “That wouldn’t happen to be Liana Craig, would it?”

Elliot’s eyes opened wide, “How did you know that?”

“I really enjoyed her music, but I didn’t know she passed on.” She said sheepishly, “but I really loved ‘To My Dear, in a Far-Off Land’. Her music was just what I needed to keep my focus whenever I had a writing assignment for Sunday School.”

“I didn’t know you were such a fan of music, Laura!” Elliot leaned forward, and started bringing up some other popular artists. To everyone’s surprise, Laura kept up with the conversation just fine. The two of them had a common interest and it was one Gaius definitely wasn’t expecting.

“Well, that’s surprising.” Alisa chuckled. “Who knew those two had that in common?”

“People are interesting like that.” Gaius laughed as Elliot and Laura rekindled their talk about music. He had to admit, it was nice seeing that there were things more important to her than just combat and fighting. He understood the pride of a warrior, but that didn’t mean that battle was the only thing worth living for.

“Are you a big music fan, Gaius?” Laura asked, turning the discussion toward him.

“I’m not really familiar with a lot of Erebonian artists, but I do know how to play a sitar. I think the style of music on the highlands is quite a bit different from what I hear performed in the music club room.”

“I remember you telling me about that!” Elliot gushed. “We really need to have a jam session one of these days!”

“Sounds great, but I didn’t bring it with me when I moved into the dorms.” He chuckled. “Maybe I’ll write to my parents and see if they can send it by courier.”

Elliot pumped his fist up, his energy utterly infectious as they all shared a laugh. This was definitely better than the last field study. As they passed the time talking about little things, Gaius pulled out his sketchbook again, and turned to the page he started on with his last study. He had used coloured pencils to add more details to the scene, but even a single month’s difference greatly affected the lighting and the natural canvas. The grasses were greener, and the light a deeper yellow as the spring shifted toward summer. Even still, the skies were utterly majestic, and worthy of being sketched today.

Before too long they had arrived at their destination, prompting Gaius to quickly fold his sketchbook back into his carry-on bag as the announcement rang out over the intercom. It seemed like they would be arriving right at noon, which gave them plenty of time to work on their field study tasks. “That was fast…” He mumbled as he got his things together.

“This trip probably went by a lot faster for you since you didn’t have to deal with Jusis and Machias.” Alisa giggled as she stretched out her arms. “Time flies when you’re having fun after all!”

“Certainly. It would behoove us not to forget anything. Do you have everything you need, Elliot?”

The ginger boy nodded, closing up his stowaway bag. “All clear here. Alisa, Gaius?”

“All clear.” The two of them repeated, just waiting for the train to reach a complete stop before taking their bags out of the overhead compartment. The gears screeched to a halt, pulling into the underground station right on time. The four students quickly grabbed their gear, and proceeded to leave the train in an orderly fashion.

Their instructions inside their envelopes indicated that someone would be meeting them at the station, but they were given no indication as to who that would be. With not much to go on, they made their way up and out of the station, keeping an eye out for whoever the school decided would be their liaison.

It was quite surprising indeed when they were approached by three people in gray uniforms. Two men were flanking a young woman with light blue hair tied in a side ponytail, each of them standing with perfect posture. Gaius didn’t recognize them, but the other three members of his group did.

“Captain Claire?” Alisa spoke up, “Are you our liaison for this field study?”

The woman shook her head. “No, I’ve merely been sent to escort you to your destination, ladies and gentlemen of Thors.” She looked over them before settling her eyes on Gaius. “My apologies, it seems as if there is another student in your group. I’m Captain Claire Rieveldt of the RMP, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Gaius nodded. “Gaius Worzel, I heard you helped my classmates out of a jam in Celdic last month, thank you for that.”

“Just doing my job.” She said with a small smile, she clearly took pride in her work. “In any case, are all of you ready to go? Time is a bit restrictive right now.”

There wasn’t any dissent in this group, and they followed Claire to the gray RMP truck she had stationed outside. They only just popped their heads out, but they could feel the festival atmosphere in the air, as voices shouted with glee, and music could be heard playing on every street corner.

“It’s quite festive here.” Laura remarked, “I always had the impression this town was more sombre and refined than this.”

“Typically it is, however...” The captain said as she reached for the driver side handle, “the Fine Arts Festival tends to bring out the most in people, for good or for ill.” Group B followed her lead and got settled in the back of the vehicle, while still having plenty of room for their luggage. “You’ve come to the city at quite a lively time, but I’m positive you’ll see the Chalk Capital at its brightest today.” She ran through all the standard checks of operating her vehicle, before turning back to the students. “Are all of you wearing your seatbelts? It’s a violation of the traffic laws if you aren’t.”

With that surprisingly stern warning, Gaius double checked to make sure his seatbelt was on tight. He imagined if Sara was driving the vehicle, she’d be more laissez-faire about restrictions like those… It was probably a good thing Sara was not responsible for driving any of these vehicles.

The car ran over cobblestone streets, moving from one district to another. Gaius may not have had an eye for real estate, but even he could tell that the destination they were heading towards was a richer part of the city.

“The noble district?” Laura spoke up first, “Who exactly is our point of contact for this field study?”

“Well I thought you might like to have it be a surprise, but we’re going to be meeting with Marquis Hyarms. That’s why we’re making our way to his mansion now.”

“That’s Patrick’s father, right?” Elliot squeezed his hands together, and peered out the window.

“Correct.” Laura said, “Patrick is his third and youngest son.”

“If you’re classmates with one of his sons, that might make this easier for you.” Claire replied, “I wouldn’t worry, Fernand Hyarms is a kind man, you don’t need to feel intimidated about meeting him.” The car eventually made its way toward a giant mansion, where members of the provincial army stood guard in front of the gate.

“Captain Rieveldt, here with the members of Thors Military Academy, Class VII.”

“Understood.” The guard said, peering into the vehicle. “However, given the circumstances we can only allow those members of the military academy to pass. I trust you understand?”

“We have every right to enter upon Marquis Hyarms’ land.” Claire argued, “But I do not wish to cause any trouble.” She turned back to the students. “I suppose this is where we separate for now, but there’s a chance I’ll see you all again. I hope you all get something important out of this field study.”

“Thank you for escorting us this far, Captain Claire. I know I would have loved to chat some more.” Alisa grabbed the handle and said her goodbyes.

Gaius couldn’t help but think the whole thing was strange. The RMP and the Provincial army had the same goals, didn’t they? It seemed like something as simple as escorting someone to their destination would be all well and good, but that wasn’t the case. As he and the rest of his classmates rolled their luggage toward the entrance, Claire and the other RMP members turned their vehicle around, and headed back south. They must have been quite busy, and they still spent the time to get us this far. He’d have to give her a proper thank you later.

For now, he had never seen a home this big before. There were more rooms than he could count, hallways that seemed to go on forever, and each panel was lined with beautiful art pieces. He recognized a few of them from art history textbooks, but many of them looked to be original copies. The Hyarms’ family must have spent a fortune on these, and he wished he had more time to admire the paintings. However the provincial army soldiers were a lot more gruff, and less forgiving about wandering eyes.

“Don’t dawdle!” One commanded after Elliot spent a few seconds too long looking at an ornate vase. “This is why we never should have allowed filthy commoners inside…” He mumbled under his breath. Gaius resisted the immediate urge to punch him, but he breathed a sigh of relief that Elliot didn’t actually hear what the man said. Their footsteps slowed when they finally reached the sitting room of the Marquis mansion's labyrinthine layout.

“You are about to meet with Marquis Hyarms and Brigadier General Bardias, be sure to show the utmost respect.” The soldiers ordered as they flanked the entrance.

“These must be our guests from the military academy.” A light voice sounded through the door, “Please let them in.” At the voice’s command, they swung open the doors, and revealed the Marquis’ sitting room. It was clearly designed for entertaining guests, with all sorts of art lining the walls, curios upon the shelves of exceeding rarity. Gaius could even spot a liquor cabinet in the corner, stocked with what he could only assume were the finest wines and whiskeys in Zemuria. Not that he could tell much else about them just from looking at the bottles on display. The marquis sat at a beautiful wooden desk, his orange hair and facial features a dead ringer for his son Patrick, but he held a lot more joy in his expression than Patrick ever did. Perhaps more surprising than the state of the room, was the company that the Marquis currently kept with him.

He was dressed in a military uniform but worn loose and free, with swept back brown hair and a deep scar on his cheek. But what drew his eye most of all was his complexion, he was tall, dark-skinned, and carried himself like a spearman. Was he from Nord as well? If that’s the case, why was he serving the provincial army? And as a general, at that?

“Thors Military Academy Class VII, reporting for duty!” Alisa spoke up, leading the group. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Marquis Hyarms, Brigadier General Bardias.”

The seated man giggled. “At ease. You can relax here, I don’t like to stand on ceremony when I don’t have to. It is a pleasure to meet each and every one of you. You must be surprised as well, Wallace.”

“Heh, a little bit. I wasn’t expecting to see a fellow Nord warrior among this class.” The general spoke vivaciously, “Though I have not been to my ancestors homeland in quite some time, I still try to carry the spirit of the highlands with me.”

“Ancestors, huh?” It dawned on Gaius, how could he be so foolish. “Ah, your family must have fought with Emperor Driechels during the War of the Lions!”

“Heh, you got it.” Wallace smiled, “The Lionheart Emperor offered my family peerage for their deeds in that war, and we’ve lived among the Erebonian nobility ever since. What is your name, young warrior?”

“Gaius Worzel.” He felt at ease speaking to this man, he definitely felt like he belonged on the windy highlands. “I think there can be no doubt you’ve been blessed by the winds.”

“I’m honoured to hear that from a native of my ancestral home.” He bowed slightly, and turned his attention to the rest of the class. “My apologies, I got a bit ahead of myself there.”

“Not at all.” Laura chuckled. “I’ve actually heard a few stories about you from my senior disciple, brigadier general. I’m Laura S. Arseid. It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”

“Aurelia told you about me, huh? I certainly hope she said good things.”

“She said you were her eternal rival, and I don’t believe she gives such high praise that easily.”

Wallace burst into laughter at that comment, “Wow, she really said that about me, huh? Guess that means I have a lot to live up to.”

“I’m Alisa Reinford.” She introduced herself properly for the two nobles, “Is it true that you’re our point of contact for this field exercise?”

“That is correct. The Hyarms family has a long history tied to that military academy, and when Prinicpal Vandyck came calling, I was delighted to answer. To give an opportunity to show our youth the expanses of Erebonia, I truly believe that this is a great way to give meaning to Dreichels’ words.”

“Arise O’ youth and become the foundation of the world.” Elliot spoke up, surprising everyone. “They’re pretty imposing words, honestly.”

“Yes, but they are words I believe you all can handle. There is a glimmer in your eyes that seems oddly familiar... I don’t believe I heard your name, young man.”

“E-Elliot Craig, sir!” He stumbled over his words, “It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

“Elliot Craig hmm… I see.” The marquis’ face relaxed, “I do see the resemblance to Liana, indeed. Your mother was quite the talented musician.”

“You knew my mother, sir?”

“Indeed. I went out of my way to invite her for the festival every year it came around. Her skill with the piano made the fine arts festival a true spectacle.” He shook himself out of his nostalgic reminiscence. “But, that is neither here nor there.” He pulled out an envelope with the Hyarms’ seal affixed to it. “I have here your set of tasks for your field study today. I will have another set for your second day, but General Wallace and I believe this to be within your capabilities as students.”

“Are we going to be helping with security?” Alisa pointed out, “It seems like this festival is pretty important for everyone in Saint-Arkh judging by the crowds.”

“Not quite.” General Bardias replied. “Not that we don’t think you kids are capable of assisting us, but we’ve got security of the city under wraps. With the RMP offering their assistance as well, we’re already more than covered on that front. However, with our forces focused on security, we can’t really spare the men to take care of more miscellaneous tasks.

“Like monster extermination?”

“That, among other things, Gaius. I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise for you, though. Make sure to have a good look over the tasks inside, it should be pretty self explanatory, but if you need to get in contact with either I or Lord Hyarms, you can report to the provincial army guardhouse to the north of the city. Do you have any questions?”

“It seems pretty straight forward.” Alisa replied, “But what are we doing about our luggage?”

“Ah, I should have mentioned that earlier.” Marquis Hyarms shook his head in apology. “You will be staying at the Hotel Augusta in Cathedral Square. All you need to do is tell the person up front that you’re with Thors Military Academy, and they’ll take care of the rest. They also have a lovely restaurant in the lobby if you’re feeling a bit peckish from your train ride. I sincerely hope that you enjoy your stay here, young lions of Thors.”

“Thank you, Lord Hyarms.” Laura bowed her head. “Is there anything else that you require of us, or should we leave to get started on these assignments?”

“That will be all from me. Do you have anything to add, Brigadier General?” Wallace shook his head, bringing that conversation to a close. “Very well then. Best of luck to you all.”

The students bowed their heads and excused themselves from his manor. The guards that were waiting by the doorway escorted them back outside and pointed them in the direction of their hotel.

It was one thing to experience the city through the windows of trains and cars, but quite another to walk along the paved stones, to listen to the sounds of music in the air and the excitement of the people in the streets. As they made their way closer and closer to the cathedral in the centre of town, the noise of the crowds became louder and louder. There were several venues scattered throughout the city, (Elliot had been distracted by some technically skilled performances more than once on the way there), but the cathedral was the largest of all. People dressed in flamboyant costumes sung and danced, while musicians stoked the flames of passion in the hearts of all the spectators attending.

The crowds made their commute take a little longer than usual, but they came upon their hotel room in due time. Once they had completed their check in and put away their luggage, they took the advice of the Marquis and decided to have a meal in the restaurant. The four members of Group B started planning out how to tackle their field study in earnest, all while listening to the sounds of beautiful music.

Chapter Text

Saint-Arkh definitely felt like a city that relished in its history. From the architecture, the food, music, even the people, all of them seemed to take pride in that shared history. Gaius remembered a book he read a long time ago, about the ancient dark dragon that took root in the city of Heimdallr. It’s very presence was anathema to life, and forced the capital to move away from all the death and destruction that was rooted there. Despite Emperor Hector reclaiming Heimdallr from the dragon’s clutches one hundred years later, and returning Heimdallr to the nation’s capital, there was still a great amount of pride left over in the citizenry.

Incidents such as those were hardly at the forefront of his mind, but he was quickly understanding the charm of this city, and why those ancient warriors of Nord might choose to settle in a place like this. It was different from the highlands in so many ways, but it had a strange comfort to it all the same.

He and his classmates had just finished their lunch at the Hotel Augusta’s restaurant, and found themselves peering over the set of tasks the Marquis had left for them to do. Alisa did the honours of opening up the sealed envelope, while the others gathered around her.

“Well, the first page is pretty much what you'd expect. The scope and area of our field study is Saint-Arkh and everything within a 100 selge radius of it.”

“That sounds pretty similar to our field study in Celdlic, yes.” Laura replied.

“And our study in Parm as well.” Gaius added, “Are there any other significant landmarks roughly that distance away from the city?”

“Well Dreknor Fortress is a bit further north than that so I don’t think we’d be going there, and it doesn’t really get all that close to Parm either. If you head west though, it’ll take you straight into the Isthmia Forest.” Elliot explained, trying to recall the topography of the area.

“So we’ll mostly be dealing with stuff in the city and the highways. That makes sense.” Alisa nodded and flipped over to the next page. “Looks like we’ve got a lot on our plate. Four tasks from the look of it, but two of them are optional.”

“And the Marquis said he’d have more for us tomorrow.” Laura crossed her arms, “They must be busier than anticipated.”

“That’s just how things go with the festival.” Elliot nodded his head, “We should try taking care of them all if we can.”

Gaius peered over Alisa’s shoulder, “Looks like the mandatory ones are monster exterminations, just like I thought. One on the north highway, and one on the south highway.”

Alisa tapped the sheet on the table, “The other tasks look like they’re requests from citizens. One of them is an ‘urgent’ request from a baroness, but it's lacking in explanation. We need to go ask her for more details once we arrive.”

“And the last?”

“Let me see…” Alisa read off the final request, “I received a mysterious parcel, but I never ordered anything like this. I’d like to return the object in question to it’s rightful owner.” She scratched her head, “I guess we’re playing delivery people? Looks like the request is from an orbal factory in town called Chambers. Seems to be named after the owner of the building if I had to guess.”

“Sure sounds like it.” Laura nodded. “If we’re going to take care of all of these requests, we should probably start with the things in the city first.”

“I agree.” Elliot spoke up, “Which one should we do first, though?”

“We need more details from the baroness, correct? I think we should go see her first, and then decide from that point on.” Gaius suggested, “We’re also a little more familiar with that area since we walked through it to get to the hotel.”

“Sounds good to me. The baroness is located in the noble district in the northwest, while the orbal factory is near the south exit.” Alisa folded away the requests neatly in their envelope and stood up. “Shall we get going?”

No one lodged any complaints as they gathered their equipment before setting out. Saint-Arkh was a big place, but with a plan in mind, they had confidence they could cover everything that they needed to. They stepped outside and heard the sound of an opera singer belting out high notes one after the other. Elliot stopped to look over his shoulder a few times, but unfortunately they didn’t have the time to spare to listen to her serene melody.

“Did you know who that was, Elliot?” Laura asked, as she matched the boy’s smaller stride.

“I couldn’t see over the crowd, but her voice was really beautiful!” The redhead could barely contain his excitement, “If only we could stay and listen!”

“Well if we get these tasks done quickly, we might be able to spare some time afterward.” Gaius said, “But for now, our field study comes first.”

“Heh, well said.” Alisa smirked as they made a turn back into the noble district.

It was something of an adventure looking for the house of Baroness Alm, but there were plenty of people willing to lend a helping hand as they eventually found their way through the maze of gaudy houses. The mansion they found sat near the outskirts of the city, with a yard that extended out past the limits of the city.

The nameplate affixed to the entranceway could leave no doubt however, as the family name and crest loomed overhead. “This is certainly auspicious.” Elliot said, “Should we knock?”

“That would be for the best.” Laura replied, stepping up. “Baroness Alm? We’re with Thors Military Academy, and are here about your request.”

It took a few seconds for a response, but the sound of the doors creaking open was a good sign. A lone butler was there to greet them, but there was little joy in his voice. “Good afternoon, are you the ones Marquis Hyarms sent?”

“That’s right. Can we ask about the nature of your request?”

“Of course.” He bowed his head. “Follow me to the sitting room, my lady is waiting for you inside.” They followed him through, passing by several distraught maids and butlers, before happening upon the lady of the house.

A child? Gaius kept his thoughts to himself, but he could sense that others in his class were thinking the same. Her back was turned, but she was clearly not in a state to welcome guests, with the way her sobs echoed throughout the room.

“Lady Annette, I have returned with the people the Marquis sent to help.” The butler bowed low, “Please my lady, I’m sure they will be able to help you.”

She sniffled into her arm before turning around, doing her best to hide the fact that she was crying. “I’m sorry you had to see me like this.” She couldn’t have been more than eight years old, and yet the staff were deferring to her like it was second nature. He tried his best to hide his confusion at the scene, but it was difficult, even for him.

“Are you Baroness Alm?” asked Elliot.

She shook her head. “My apologies. My mother is currently away on business. She told me that using her name was the surest way to get urgent matters done quickly. This matter is…” She sniffled again, “of the utmost importance. My friend is perilously ill, and I need help.”

“She is talking about her pet lamb.” The butler interjected. “If it was a human, we would have called a doctor or the church.”

“She’s not just a pet, she’s family!” The young noble replied. “You don’t understand at all Frederic!”

Alisa whispered to the rest of the group. “Are we really ready for this?”

“I don’t think we covered this sort of thing before.” Laura said, “but it would be rude of us to refuse.”

“I agree with Laura.” Gaius broke away from the huddle, “Do you mind if we take a look at her?”

The baroness’ daughter nodded. “Please, if you can’t help Susie I don’t know what to do!”

Gaius kneeled down and ruffled the girl’s hair.“We’ll do everything we can to help.” The butler and a few maids looked shocked, but the girl seemed to calm down. “Can you take us to Susie?”

She gave the best smile she could muster, and offered to show them the way to the room where Susie was resting. He could tell at a glance that the sheep wasn’t of Nordic stock, but he could also see that it was very ill. Elliot and Alisa looked disheartened when they saw it in the condition it was in, but Laura was at least trying her best to keep her composure. “Do you mind if I take a closer look, Miss Annette?”

“Not at all, mister… uh… my apologies, I didn’t ask for your name.”

“Gaius Worzel, Thors Military Academy Class VII.” He replied, kneeling down beside the sheep and inspecting it closer. She was still young, maybe two or three years old by his estimation. “These are my classmates, Alisa, Elliot and Laura.” The rest of the class made their introductions while he continued his inspection. Judging from the looks of things, it appeared to be a digestive issue, but that only narrowed things down so much.

“So, do you know what’s wrong with her, Sir Gaius?” The child asked, wiping away tears from her eyes.

“Not yet, but I have an idea.” He stood up again and let the sheep rest, closing it’s yellowed eyes. “By chance, do you have any other animals in your household?”

“Yes, we have a couple of horses in the stable outside.” She replied. “Why do you ask?”

“Do you ever let Suzie into the stables?”

The girl paused, “I try not to, but she’s pretty adventurous, and she likes to sleep in there sometimes. I never saw the harm in it, so I’d let her if she wanted to. Is that… bad?”

Gaius felt bad that he had to break this to her, but she was quite young. His hunch was becoming more likely by the second. “I see. While I can’t be sure, I think I know what’s going on. Could I see the stables?”

The butler spoke up. “Of course, I’ll show you the way.”

“Let me show him!” Annette insisted.

Gaius shook his head. “I think you should stay with Suzie. Make sure she drinks plenty of water in the meantime, okay? Elliot, Laura, can I ask you two to stay with her?”

“Of course, Gaius.” Laura replied. “It sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what’s going on.”

“Maybe. Would you come with me, Alisa?”

She nodded her head, and the two of them followed the butler out to the stables outside. “Lady Annette is correct when she says we have horses in our stable, but right now they’re both with the master and mistress of the house.”

“That’s fine. I’m not heading out here because I want to see the horses. As much as I would appreciate seeing your stock.” Gaius admitted. “No, there’s something else I want to see.” He followed the man inside, and found what he was looking for fairly quickly. “Is that the horse’s mineral block?” he pointed to the gray block in the corner of the room.

“It is…” The butler’s eyes widened, “W-Who left this uncovered?!”

“If I had to guess, it was probably the sheep itself.” Gaius said, kneeling down to inspect the block closer. He found traces of the block dissolving in places far lower than horses would normally lick. That was enough evidence for him to prove his suspicions. “They tend to be pretty mischievous if they’re coddled a lot. Since Annette mentioned that Suzie went into the stables frequently, it seemed like the most obvious solution.”

“I don’t get it.” Alisa said, “Are you saying the sheep got into the horse’s mineral supplements? That shouldn’t be such a big deal, should it?”

Gaius shook his head. “Horses and sheep have very different dietary restrictions. The mineral supplements that are good for horses are actually poisonous for sheep, due to their higher copper content. It’s quite likely that Suzie is suffering an acute case of copper toxicity.”

“Is it terminal?” Alisa asked, worried that she’d have to break some seriously bad news.

Gaius shrugged his shoulders. “If we had some Epona Grass and Savoy Weed, we could brew something, but those plants are native to Nord. Our best bet might be to ask at the church, and see if they have anything for copper poisoning there.”

“And if they don’t?” The butler asked warily.

“Then she should prepare to say her goodbyes.” He said. “I would appreciate it if we didn’t extinguish her hope just yet.”

“If you say there’s a way, then I’ll believe in it.” Alisa pumped her fist. “I’ll break the news to her, and let her know what to worry about.”

“Thank you, Alisa.” Gaius couldn’t help but crack a smile, “I was worried about how to tell her the news.”

They returned to the young noble and broke the news to her, explaining that they would need to go to the church to see if they had an antidote. She was nervous, but ultimately trusted in their judgment. To Gaius, it had appeared that she had calmed down greatly since he and Alisa checked the stables. He had to imagine Laura and Elliot played no small part in keeping her calm and collected. They promised to return as soon as possible, leaving the manor with swift purpose.

They were fortunate enough to find that the sisters there had time to see them, and even more fortunate that they had plenty of the necessary medicine in stock. It wasn’t brewed with the exact same ingredients that they were in Nord, but they promised it was effective. He could only pray to Aidios that they were right.

“That’s a relief, isn’t it?” Elliot spoke up on the way back, “that they had the medicine and all.”

“I was half expecting to be asked to fetch the ingredients ourselves.” Laura replied. “But after hearing our explanation, they seemed to agree with your assessment completely, Gaius.”

“I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if you weren’t here, Gaius. Nobody else in our class has this kind of expertise, that’s for sure.” Alisa said, keeping the medicine secure in her bag.

“I just did what I could.” He replied, “and I don’t think I’m the only one who could have figured it out. Jusis has plenty of experience with horses for instance, and I’m pretty sure any one of us would have tried asking the church for medicine, even if we couldn’t diagnose exactly what was wrong. If worse came to worst, this request was left optional for a reason.”

“What reason would that be?”

“If I had to guess, they simply believed we were capable of making sound judgments and coming up with a good solution. This field study is something of a practical test for us, is it not?”

Alisa nodded her head in agreement. “If that’s the case, I think you passed with flying colours! I would have never thought to check something like that.”

“It’s just a difference in the lives we lived up to this point.” He was really bad at taking the compliment, and could feel his cheeks heat up with embarrassment. “It wasn’t anything special.”

“Even if it wasn’t to you, It was still a great help to Lady Annette.” Laura said, her eyes and ears perking up as they got closer to the Alm mansion. “Let us hurry, time is of the essence.”

There was no argument from the class, as they had gotten used to the city streets and pace of the chalk capital. The family was more than eager to let them inside, and administer treatment to the girl’s pet. The sheep brayed weakly, as Gaius held its mouth open wide. Laura helped pour the medicine down its throat, and he helped it to swallow it down. He wasn’t expecting an immediate cure, but the lamb’s unsteady breathing was already starting to sound better.

“The sister told us that you need to administer that medicine twice a day.” Elliot explained, “Suzie’s symptoms should clear up fully in about a week’s time, but if there are still issues, the church said that they would be happy to help.”

“She’s… gonna get better?” The young girl looked up at Gaius, doing her best to put on a brave face.

“She certainly is.” Gaius gave her a warm smile. “But you’re going to need to take better care of Suzie, and make sure she doesn’t get into the stables without supervision, okay?”

The girl nodded her head fervently. “Of course! I’ll make sure this never happens again!”

“That’s good.” Gaius rose up from his sitting position, and let the lamb rest on its plush bedding. The class breathed a collective sigh of relief as the lamb drifted into a quiet sleep, no doubt feeling the effects of the church’s medicine.

The head butler bowed deeply, “I cannot thank you young men and women enough for what you’ve done for us. If you ever require our assistance, you need only ask.”

“Thank you, but we’re just doing what anyone would.” Alisa replied, unable to hide how happy she was with this outcome.

“I was worried when Lord Wallace didn’t show up, but he sent some really capable people in his stead. Thank you Lord Gaius! Elliot, Laura, and Alisa, you as well. As my butler insisted, I will let my mother know of your service on this day.” She bowed her head low, “Thank you, for saving my friend!” He was no Lord, but he didn't have the heart to correct the girl.

“We accept your gratitude wholeheartedly.” Laura said, bowing her head. “I beg your pardon, but we still have many tasks to complete today.”

“I understand, as members of a prestigious military academy you must be busy. Please feel free to visit any time, the Alm household will always welcome you with open arms.” The young girl smiled and waved, an expression that filled Gaius with joy at a job well done. With that last statement they took their leave, proud of their accomplishment this afternoon. Seeing their teamwork go so smoothly, it was like night and day compared to the last field study he was on. They rode that wave to their next task, one that definitely held a lot less urgency than the life of a pet.

The client was a young man, someone who looked a little sleep deprived as he fumbled around the back of the store until he found the misaddressed package. Normally these tend to come with an address slip on them, but there was no such thing on this one.

“No address makes this a lot more difficult.” Elliot wrung his hands. “What exactly is in here?”

“Well I opened it up because I thought this was my package of specialty tools I ordered from Leman. But all I found inside was a musical instrument. Some kind of horn? A trumpet? I dunno, not my expertise. Either way, I don’t have any use for it.”

“Well if checking the package isn’t turning up a lead, maybe checking the item itself would be prevalent.” Laura suggested. “There might be a clue we haven’t seen yet.”

“May we?” Alisa asked, prompting a nod from the engineer.

“Sure thing, whatever will help you guys clear up this mix-up.” He opened it up and revealed the instrument inside. Gaius wasn’t quite sure what he was looking at, but Elliot identified it immediately.

“A saxophone? That’s odd.” Elliot scratched his cheek. “These aren’t exactly popular in Erebonia, but I think they’re a big deal in Calvard now.” The musician picked up the instrument and inspected it. “Well, we can at least rule out it going to one of the performers on the street.”

“How do you figure?”

“The neck is bent.” He said as simply as he could. “This was probably sent in for repairs, but it got sent to the wrong place. What music repair shops are here in the city?”

“Well, most people go to the Rieveldt Company if they want their instruments worked on. I’d probably start there.” Chambers said, “If not them, then it probably went to a specialist, but I don’t really know any.”

“Well, that’s as good a start as any.” Alisa said, “but Rieveldt? Like… Captain Claire?”

“It’s a distinct possibility, but it could just be a coincidence as well.” said Laura. “Where is this place?”

“The other end of town.” Chambers shrugged his shoulders. “Not quite in the noble district, but pretty close considering how much music means to the nobility here. Compared to something like an orbal factory, where commoners get more use out of it. It’s pretty hard to miss, just keep heading north along the main drag and you’ll see it eventually.”

“They really do have us running all around town.” Laura chuckled. “At least we can’t complain about not getting our exercise.”

“Indeed. And if they aren’t our targets, they can probably point us in the right direction.” Gaius extended his hand to Elliot, who was still marveling over the instrument in his hands. “I can carry that for you if you like?”

Elliot shook his head. “You can leave this one to me. I always handle instruments with care.” He carefully wrapped the saxophone back in its packaging, and lifted it without any struggle. “Besides, this is my first time seeing a saxophone up close like this.”

“I suppose I understand your excitement.” Laura smiled, “I was quite excited to see so many different weapons and styles among our classmates, I imagine you must be feeling the same way.”

He chuckled a little, “Something like that. Shall we go?”

“Yeah.” Alisa bowed her head. “If we see your package across the way, we’ll make sure it gets to you as well.”

“Thank you, young lady. The tools are Raycroft brand, so they’re top of the line.”

“They should be, Raycroft is a subsidiary of Reinford after all.” Alisa chimed in. “Don't worry, we’ll be back before you know it.”

“Of course! And if you need any tuning done on those ARCUS units you can come here any time!” Chambers waved them out, and the four students continued their jaunt around the streets of Saint-Arkh.

Before too long they came up against the north side of town, and a large number of RMP patrol cars along the way. They had noticed guards from the provincial army and RMP standing watch here and there, mostly closer to the festival attractions, but this many members of one army in one place struck them all as peculiar.

“What’s going on?” Elliot murmured as the crowd of police turned their attention to the four students.

“A checkpoint?” Laura suggested, “Though the provincial army would probably have something to say about it if it was.”

Before they could investigate further, a pair of gray uniformed officers greeted them, barring the way forward. “Apologies, but can we check that package of yours?”

“Is something the matter?” Alisa asked.

“Just standard procedure.” They said roughly. It was clear they wouldn’t take no for an answer, so Elliot gingerly handed the saxophone over. The two ran their inspection, and after finding nothing out of the ordinary, they returned it to the students. “Thank you for your cooperation. You’re heading for the music store, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“You’re almost there, just take your next left and you should arrive shortly.”

The students nodded and thanked them, disregarding the strangeness of the whole situation. They understood the need for security checks but-

“Why would they be checking us out here?” Laura wondered. “This kind of presence in this kind of situation makes me think of one thing only.”

“Some kind of security detail for a VIP?” Alisa chimed in, guessing Laura’s thoughts exactly. ‘If it was some ordinary checkpoint they’d have it set up at the gate into town, and they’d be checking everyone who goes in.”

“They probably can’t, because the provincial army has jurisdiction over that area. It’s quite bold of the RMP to set security stops so close to the provincial army guardhouse as well. You might think that they don’t trust each other or something.”

“Speculating on it won’t do us any good.” Elliot replied, “We should leave the security here to the soldiers, we’ve got to help out by taking care of this delivery mix-up.”

“Aren’t you curious, Elliot?” Alisa asked, prodding just a little bit more.

“I won’t deny that I am, but all we can really do is guess, can’t we?” Elliot said, “From what we saw in Celdic last month it’s clear the Provincial Army and RMP really don’t see eye to eye. Maybe it’s different in this province, but I don’t want to get between them to find out. Getting arrested isn't on my to-do list.”

Gaius nodded his head, getting into trouble with the authorities seemed like the last thing they wanted to do in their field study. He caught a glimpse of what they were looking for, and turned his head to see the sign in full view. “This looks like the place, everyone.”

The rest of the group gathered in front of the music store, glad they were able to find the place so easily. Just as Alisa was about to take her first step into the entrance, the glass door swung open, and all of a sudden the increased security detail made a whole lot more sense to Gaius. Two boys, dressed in royal finery came out, along with one RMP officer with icy blue hair. There could be no mistaking the people who walked out that door.

He raised his hand to greet them. “Prince Cedric, Kurt Vander, long time no see! And Captain Claire, good to see you again today.”

The other students in their classes had their jaws drop, as the prince returned his greeting. In all of their speculation, they certainly weren’t expecting this.

Chapter Text

Alisa didn’t exactly wake up this morning expecting to rub elbows with the Marquis of the Sutherland Province, a high ranking Captain of the RMP, and the Crown Prince of Erebonia, but these field studies certainly had a way of surprising her. She was aware of what the prince was like by reputation and pictures, the Imperial Chronicle certainly made him out to be a well spoken, mild-mannered young man, but he had an even fluffier aura to him than any picture could properly portray. His bodyguard was quite cute as well, and the dour expression on his face only reminded her of a cat who hadn’t quite warmed up to people yet.

They made their introductions, but it was clear that they were short on time to discuss anything significant with them. Still, the impression she got from the prince was rather warm and cordial, he was every bit the picture of a royal scion. What impressed her even more was how attached they were to Gaius. Perhaps he left a greater impression on them than he had originally thought, as Cedric was more than eager to bring up stories of Driechels and the heroes of Nord who traveled with him.

“So, what brings you guys to this instrument shop? I had no idea it was so famous.” She added to the conversation, not feeling like she was speaking out of turn at all. They were dignified, but they felt like good people, and not distant or snooty, like Ferris or Patrick were.

“Well, my brother is something of a musician, and I wanted to get him a gift since I was going to this Fine Arts Festival without him. When I asked, Captain Claire suggested this place, and I know I can trust her judgment.”

“Your Highness…” She seemed taken aback by the genuine comment, as evidenced by her cold exterior cracking for just a moment to leave a heartfelt smile behind. “Thank you.”

“And is this another field study?” Kurt asked, “I’m not sure what business you all might have with an ordinary instrument shop.”

Laura quickly explained the current task they were assigned to, and a little bit about what they had been doing in their field studies so far. Both Kurt and Cedric’s eyes lit up when they talked about their experiences, the first hint of emotion she had seen on his face since they ran into each other.

“Fascinating. It appears they have students engage in all manner of things, though it does sound rather mundane.” Kurt said, crossing his arms.

“Mundane or not, these sorts of things matter to the people who request our help.” Laura spoke up, perhaps with a little more intensity than she expected to. “And even the small things are worthwhile when compounded on top of each other.”

Kurt’s eyes widened, and then nodded his head. “Yes, I suppose that does make sense. I apologize for my brash choice of words, it seems I still have more to learn.”

“My apologies for the interruption.” Captain Claire gathered the teenagers’ attention with a few simple words, “but your scheduled appointment with the Marquis is set to begin in fifteen minutes.”

“Ah, I’m afraid we have to cut this conversation short. I’d love to talk with you all again some time, but the captain is right, we really must be going. Let’s go, Kurt.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He fell in line quickly, following the prince’s lead like a well trained dog. He was the assigned bodyguard of the prince after all, even though he didn’t have the same muscular frame that she expected from a swordsman. She knew Rean and Laura were quite well built, but Kurt definitely seemed to possess a lither frame. Not only that, he was about two rege shorter than the prince. Alisa knew from experience that the best bodyguards did most of their work by being imposing rather than simply being good in a fight. No matter what, she couldn’t picture the cute blue haired kid as imposing, even if he grew a few inches taller at the end of puberty.

“Huh, I didn't expect to meet royalty here.” Elliot said, finally confident enough to speak up now that they had left. “But I didn’t get any strange feelings from them or anything.”

“Just because they’re royalty doesn’t mean they aren’t people.” Gaius chuckled, “I’m sure Prince Cedric and you would have a lot to talk about, if given the opportunity. Unfortunately, it seems we’re both pretty pressed on time.”

“That’s right. We still have to get these packages sorted out.” Laura gestured toward the music shop. “Here’s hoping it was just a simple mix-up.”

Alisa was partially expecting this to be a wild goose chase throughout the streets of Saint-Arkh, fixing up a variety of mistaken package deliveries, but that proved not to be the case. It was just a simple mix-up, and given the states that the packages were in, it was easy enough to understand why that was. Both packages were roughly the same size, the weight was roughly the same, and both address slips had been removed beforehand. The owner of the shop mentioned something interesting as well, that a few of his friends had packages mixed up in the exact same way, but they were able to resolve their issues with the delivery service afterward.

“Who runs this delivery service anyway?” Laura asked, “It seems like if they’re making constant errors like this, they should probably be hiring new delivery people.”

“Well.. it’s actually under the administration of one of the nobles in the province. I think it was a count or something but I don’t really pay too much attention to that sort of thing unless it starts affecting business, you know? When you live in a town with a bunch of nobles, it’s best to keep your head down and your nose clean.” The owner scratched his cheek, “I was considering issuing a formal complaint with the Marquis, but it appears he’s sent people to help deal with this situation, so I might not have to worry about it.”

“I’d still consider making that complaint. Sure, we were here to help now, but if this is a consistent issue, then it should be addressed and fixed. Upper management doesn’t tend to notice things are wrong unless those things are brought to their attention.” Alisa said while looking over the other package to make sure nothing was missing. “Nothing appears to be missing from this tool set, so I don’t think this can be attributed to theft either.”

“Do you think there’s something wrong with all of this, Alisa?” Gaius’ stoic expression tensed up just a bit. Maybe he expected some kind of foul play as well, but without evidence, there was no reason to throw accusations around. Not every mistake can be attributed to bad intentions after all.

She shook her head. “Sorry, I’m just thinking out loud. In any case, we should be returning this set of tools to the orbal factory. Thank you very much for your time.”

“Not at all, I should be the one thanking you guys. You were a big help, finding that saxophone! I can give that Calvardian musician some good news now!” The shop owner waved them off, looking like he just had a heavy weight lifted from his shoulders. Gaius took it upon himself to carry the heavy weight back this time, as the four of them headed back to where they came from. The RMP checkpoint that was there earlier had disappeared, no doubt part of the added security detail for the Crown Prince. She couldn’t help but feel tense, all of a sudden. She might just be overthinking it, but for some reason she couldn’t shake off this nervousness.

They made it back to the orbal factory and resolved his issue, the owner more than grateful for the assistance, and in addition to the reward of three thousand mira, he threw in a few extra sepith masses for good measure. Most of it went into improving their orbments, but they had a little left over to sell for a nice chunk of change. Enough to buy dinner at Kirsche’s at least. With their second task out of the way, they stepped out and reaffirmed their plans.

“We still have two monsters to defeat, one north of the city, and one south of the city.” Laura recalled.

“That’s right.” Alisa said, pulling out the envelope they were given. “I don’t think the order we beat them matters, but we’re closer to the south side of town right now, so what do you say to taking care of that monster first?”

“Sounds good to me.” Laura replied, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword. “It’s about time I got an opportunity to show off my strengths as well.”

“Well I feel pretty safe with you and Gaius at the front of our formation!” Elliot smiled, “You two can take care of anything!”

“Even so, we can only do so because our support is so reliable. With you two watching our backs, these monsters will be a breeze.” Gaius cracked another awful wind pun, which meant he must have been feeling better if he was giving cringe worthy lines like that one.

“Well, let’s get going shall we? To the highways!” Alisa ordered, and they all followed her lead. She wasn’t sure about taking the leadership role herself, but nobody seemed to complain with her judgment, and neither Gaius nor Elliot were exactly the take charge sort of people. And with Laura still a little out of sorts, she didn’t exactly feel like herself. In that case, she was the choice by default, but even if that was the case, she intended to do the best job possible, and keep all of her friends safe and sound.

---

Her bladework was a lethal dance, cutting through the monster’s attacks like they were nothing. She imagined that to Laura, those attacks were nothing she hadn’t seen before. As both monsters they encountered today were fairly resistant to their orbal arts, it was down to Laura and Gaius to handle most of the hard work damaging them, and they did it in spades. They fought in perfect sync, and dispatched the monsters so easily that she had to wonder if the Marquis was going easy on them.

But she dismissed that thought rather easily, somehow she knew that those monsters were a bit tougher than the ones she fought in Celdic and the nature park, save for that king of the jungle they fought at the very end. Simply put, Laura was just that strong. The monster faded into sepith and a few errant pieces of fungal flesh, the swordswoman wiping the last of its guts from her giant blade.

“Hmm, that felt really good.” She admitted, as she returned her clean blade to it’s home on her back. “It’s like I’m close to making a breakthrough.”

“That’s only close to a breakthrough?” Alisa blurted out, “You were incredible there. Both on this monster and the one on the south highway!”

“Well, I appreciate the compliment, but I’m not quite where I need to be yet.” She said, looking down at her hands. “However, I think I’m getting closer to that point. Rest assured, I won’t let my swordplay drag this group down any further than I already am.”

“Laura… you aren’t dragging us down at all.” Elliot spoke up, “We need all of us in Group B to make this field study a success, and you’re included in that. I worry that I-”

“Let me stop you there.” Gaius said, “Elliot, without you patching us up and keeping our morale high from behind, our attacks would not have been nearly as effective. It may seem like the front line attacker does a lot of the work, but we’re keenly aware of just how important our support is, and how it affects the way we fight.”

“Without you and Alisa, we would have been fighting those creatures for a lot longer, and there would be no guarantee of victory. If one of its spore attacks had landed before you could dissipate them, or they had venomous claws or fangs, we would have been hopeless on our own.” She placed her hand on the shorter boy’s shoulder, doing her best to comfort him.

“Right… thanks Laura.” He said with a faint blush on his cheeks. “Anyway, enough negative talk, we’ve taken care of the monsters, so what now?”

“That’s all of our assigned tasks for the day, so we just need to report to the guardhouse and get those reports done for Instructor Sara.” Alisa said. “What time is it right now?”

“Just a little after four.” Elliot said, checking the time on his ARCUS, “I’m amazed we were able to get everything done so quickly!”

“Yeah, I think we can pat ourselves on the back for today.” Gaius stretched out his shoulders, “Let’s go ahead and get our reports done, and decide what we want to do from here.” Finding no reason to argue, they returned back to Saint-Arkh and finished making their reports. 

The town was bustling, as makeshift stages were erected all over the city, in plazas and parks, opera halls and cathedrals, the pitch of the fine arts festival reached an even higher pitch, now that the labourers and artisans of the city were starting to finish their work for the day. Not only that, on every street corner, she could see a member of the provincial army, or of the RMP standing watch over the proceedings. She wished it could say it made her feel secure, but it was no secret that there was an intense animosity felt between the two groups. The soldier at the guardhouse they made the report to even said as much, calling them 'insurgents trampling upon the sovereignty of the nobles in this city'. 

She wouldn’t go quite that far, but it was no secret that the presence of the RMP acting as escort to the prince meant that whoever made that decision did not trust the Sutherland Provincial Army to keep him safe. Alisa sincerely doubted that this was prince Cedric’s decision alone, and that there had to be someone else calling the shots. But before she could think too deeply about it, she was bumped into by an excited young man.

“Sorry about that!” He apologized, “I was in a rush, and didn't see you there!”

“That’s my bad, sorry.” She replied. He was right, this wasn’t the time to be daydreaming. The man walked away, clearly hyped for the musical performances he’d be seeing today. To the common citizen, it didn’t matter what uniform the soldiers were wearing, as long as nothing happened to ruin the festival. She had to keep that in mind, as she continued on this field study, no matter how much this vague sense of unease she had wore on her.

“I’d have to admit, it’s probably a bit too rowdy for us to actually work on our reports with any effectiveness, and it’s still early in the day.” Gaius said, speaking up for once. “So why don’t we just go ahead and enjoy the festival?”

Elliot’s eyes lit up like the morning sun. “Can we really?!”

“I don’t see why not.” Laura said, “We’re on a field study, and I think experiencing the local culture and cuisine certainly falls under the scope of that. If Sara really didn’t want us to, she would have made mention of that.”

Alisa chuckled, “I just think you’re looking for an excuse to party, but I’m not going to argue otherwise.”

Gaius clapped his hands together, “Well then, let’s each go our separate ways, and we’ll meet back at our hotel at 8:30. That should give us plenty of time to finish our reports, and wake up early for tomorrow. Do all of you remember how to get back to the hotel?”

“Yes, dad.” Alisa teased, “You don’t need to worry about us.”

“Sorry, sorry.” He rubbed the back of his head, “I’m just used to looking after my little siblings, that's all, I guess my big brotherly side seeped out a bit there.”

“Do they have festivals like this in Nord?” Elliot tilted his head to the side, probing for a reaction from the stoic man.

“Sort of. All of these stands and stalls are different, but different tribes of ours would get together and dance by a great bonfire, while others would play instruments and sing songs. They were pretty fun when I attended, but it’s been a while.” He said, shrugging his shoulders.

“In that case, allow me to be your guide to your first Erebonian Festival!” Elliot said, practically pulling the man away.

“Wait, hold on…” Gaius tried protesting, but before Alisa and Laura knew it, those two were gone in the crowd, making their way to whatever event caught the redhead’s fancy.

Which meant that Alisa was left with Laura. She didn’t mind the prospect of enjoying a festival by herself, but she knew it’d be a lot more fun with somebody else. “Hey, Laura.” She asked, hoping for a positive reaction, “Want to go see some of the food stalls with me? I’m kind of hungry after all that running around.”

She looked surprised as she turned to face her, but that surprise quickly gave way to a gentle smile, and an appreciative nod of the head. “I’d love to” She laughed with a melodious giggle, one Alisa didn’t think she was actually capable of. She felt really bad for thinking that though, and quickly fell in line with the taller swordswoman.

Though, when she admitted she wanted to try the food stalls, she wasn’t expecting to hit every single one of them on the way to the park in the west side of town. But as she quickly learned, festival food was very addicting. If she hadn’t done so much running around today, she might have regretted that decision, but rather than being stuffing, it filled them up just enough to enjoy the sounds of music all about them.

Laura and Alisa didn’t recognize a lot of the artists performing, (She was sure Elliot could name them all off the top of his head), but she recognized the talent and ability they all had. The emotion and effort they put into their work was clearly evident, and everyone in the crowd could feel their passion for music shining through with every note played. For a brief moment, she could understand why Elliot enjoyed music as much as he did. Laura seemed to feel the same way, getting swept up in the emotions of the music just like everyone else. Laura cut an intimidating figure, so it could be easy to forget that she was just like everyone else sometimes. A girl with her own share of worries, doubts, fears, and joys. Being able to see a natural heartwarming smile on her face just made her feel better as well. She’d never admit it to Instructor Sara, but she was glad they got sent to Saint-Arkh for their field study. This might have been just what Laura needed to get over her slump after all.

Eventually their imposed curfew came, matching with the crowds starting to dwindle and the excitement starting to hibernate. Sunday was an even bigger day for the performers, according to the rumours she had heard, and so the music started to die down. Not to stay dead, but to rise to an even higher height tomorrow. She would be looking forward to it, if not for the next set of field study tasks they would have waiting for them in the morning.

They made it back on time, skipped dinner thanks to the many food stalls they perused during the festivities, and got to work on their reports. It was a peaceful and calming experience. Gaius had mentioned his first field study being something of a disaster, so she was glad that he could have a normal one this time around. They filled out their reports, and turned in for an early night. Though the boys and girls were in separate rooms this time, they had rooms right beside one another, and their balconies were only separated by a small gap. If someone wanted to leap over to the other side, they certainly could. Normally that would be a fact Alisa wouldn’t have paid much attention to, but when she heard stirring in the middle of the night she couldn’t help but wake up, and wonder what disturbed her sleep.

She didn’t want to get out of bed, but the voices she heard wouldn’t let her rest. She adjusted her posture a bit, just enough to see the balcony door open a hair, a certain blue haired girl sitting outside and looking down at the ground below. At least it wasn’t anything dangerous. If she strained her ears, she could make out what she was saying… and who she was talking to.

“You couldn’t sleep either, Elliot?” She said, suppressing a sigh.

“No.” He admitted, “I don’t really know why, but I just couldn’t fall asleep. Maybe I’m just too excited.”

“About the festival?”

“Yeah.” he trailed off, “Well, that and I’m a little bit jealous.”

“You’re jealous? Of what, exactly? That you aren’t there performing yourself?”

Alisa didn’t need to guess that Elliot was nodding his head profusely, as she heard the creak of the iron handrail from the balcony. She couldn’t see him through her spot on the bed, but she could hear him at least. “Yeah. When I see all of these talented performers, and know that so many of them attended the music academy in Heimdallr it’s… well... it's a little frustrating.” Laura turned to look at him, waiting for him to speak again.

“Why is that?” She prodded, concern evident in her expression.

“Well… I guess I haven’t told anyone this, but I never really wanted to go to Thors.” Alisa could hear the handrail eke under the pressure of his hands. “I wanted to go to the music academy in the capital, and eventually be a musician just like my mom and older sister. But I couldn’t… because I’m a man.”

“I’m sorry? I don’t understand what your sex has to do with performing music.”

“It shouldn’t have anything to do with it!” His voice raised for a brief moment, before quieting down to a hushed whisper again. It was still late at night after all. “It shouldn’t, but my dad is a military man, and his father made him attend a military school, and his father before him did the same. It’s a Craig family tradition, and I would have been the first one who didn’t do it. So I didn’t really have a choice in the matter.”

“That seems quite unfair to you. I understand holding onto a tradition, but it’s not fair for a parent to stop a child from doing what they want to do just because of that tradition.”

There was a bit of a pause in the conversation, no doubt Laura’s honest words had left Elliot lost for words of his own. Her directness could be off putting, but she had a natural ability to cut to the heart of things. 

“I said the same thing.” Elliot spoke again, a little measure of calm in his voice. “I know I told him over and over, but the most I could do to get him to budge was to choose a military school on my own, rather than the one he picked out for me. The only reason I ended up picking Thors is because they had a music club. I figured if I was going to be a soldier, I could at least hold onto the music I loved for as long as possible.”

She could see Laura turn to face him now, no longer were the two of them sharing the same view of the streets below. “I’m sorry that you have to deal with that. It must be tough being here then.”

Elliot paused for a brief moment, “No. That’s the thing. Even though I should be mad that I didn’t get to go to the music academy I wanted, that my first choice was taken away from me, I’m actually having a lot of fun here.” Alisa wondered what kind of expression was on his face when he said that. She really wanted to get up and listen closer, but she knew if she did she’d be ruining this nice moment going on. For Laura and Elliot’s sake, she kept as quiet as she could. For her own sake, she continued to eavesdrop.

“I really like it here at Thors. Getting to know new people, experience new things, and find out things about myself that I never knew, it’s exciting! If I never went to Thors, I wouldn’t have made friends with Gaius and Rean, I’d never have found out that I’m good at using orbal arts, or that music could be incorporated into them to provide even stronger effects. And, I almost certainly wouldn’t find myself running around town doing deliveries and providing medicine to pets. It’s all so interesting and fun, and I just can’t help but feel… like my dad was right all along. Like I was just some dumb kid throwing a tantrum because I love music so much. And that thought just frustrates me, you know? Why am I feeling guilty when I had to give up on my dream?”

“Elliot…” Laura trailed off for a bit, the night air making for a quiet and contemplative silence. “You still want to be a musician, don’t you?”

“Yeah, more than anything.”

“Well, from what I understand, being in a military academy as a student doesn't prevent you from being a musician later down the line.” She said, “I don’t know what your father’s intentions were by sending you here, but I do know that a father’s duty is to love their children. To help them grow, even if that growth can sometimes be painful.” She giggled a little, “Would you like to know a secret, Elliot?”

Alisa could hear him take a step back from Laura, and had to imagine how bewildered he must have looked. “Um, if you’d like to tell me, sure!” His voice squeaked a little, it was just too cute for words.

“When I got to Thors, I felt lost and confused as well. I rarely left Legram, and most of my days were spent training with the sword and studying. I didn’t go to quite as many salons and parties as the other noble kids my age did, because I focused primarily on my own craft. And, just like you love music, I love practicing the sword. Every time I figure out a new concept, or learn a new technique to improve my skills, I get so excited I can barely contain myself. I still feel the same joy when I pick up the sword as when I did when I picked one up for the very first time.” She leaned over, looking down at the city again. “I thought fitting in would be easy enough at a military academy, but I quickly learned that I wasn’t as well equipped as I thought to converse with people from different walks of life. I constantly found myself thinking, ‘How little do I know?’ and ‘What am I doing wrong?’ countless times over these past couple of months. I’ve always had a hard time making friends, which is why I was so happy when everyone in Class VII welcomed me with open arms. But I feel like I have a hard time being a good friend to them, because I have a hard time understanding where they’re coming from.”

Elliot replied with a small giggle. There wasn’t anything malicious in it, but it was an expression of joy without any restraint. “You know, Laura. I’m really happy you told me all that. Because just talking like this, I feel like I understand you a lot better than I did before.”

“You do?”

“Yep.” He was practically beaming, Alisa didn’t need to see him to know that. “You listened to my problems, and you helped me feel better, and all you had to do was say what was on your mind.”

“But, I didn’t do anything special…”

“You listened to me when I was feeling down, even though you didn’t have to.” His voice dropped even lower, so Alisa really had to strain her ears to catch his next words. “I think that’s pretty special honestly.”

“Really?” Alisa wasn’t sure if Laura was blushing or not, but she certainly was! If Rean had said something like that to her, she’d go an even brighter shade of red than she was right now! Wait, why was she thinking about him right now? She cursed her errant thoughts, her goal right now was to hear as much as possible, and then work on a plan to get those two to spend more private time together! “You know, Elliot. I think this conversation helped me too. I think you’ve helped dispel the last bit of doubt that’s been holding me back.”

“I’m glad to hear it. I’m happy you’re feeling like yourself again, Laura.” There was such comfort in his voice, that there was no way she could get up and ruin this moment now. 

The two of them standing on balconies side by side with each other, with their only company being the moonlight. And an eavesdropper who hadn’t been caught yet, but that was beside the point. The gap between those two balconies was just wide enough that the two could kiss over it if they leaned over. She could only hope Laura would realize it. ‘Come on girl, step closer to the edge! Have a moment I can tell Emma about!’ She tried sending a telepathic message, hoping it would make its way through Laura’s thick head. As she was straining her ears, waiting for the telltale sounds of a romantic kiss, something else happened.

A loud crash, followed by the sounds of broken glass. Her eyes jolted wide open. Did either of them fall off the edge by accident? No, that sound wouldn’t make sense, after all, neither of them screamed. She heard another loud bang, this one further away from the hotel, but just as violent. This wasn’t normal. She tore off the sheets, wondering what the hell was going on out there. Laura turned around to look at her, and Alisa could see the reflections of fires in her eyes. She scrambled out and looked over the edge, mouth agape at the sight.

Saint-Arkh was burning. Not just a single building or two, but several had gone up in smoke, all at the same time. The sound of another explosion echoed in her ears, as the church nearby lit up in an incendiary blaze. A question escaped Alisa’s lips, one she was sure all of her classmates were thinking. “What… is going on here?”

Chapter Text

Gaius awoke to the sound of screams and explosions. It seemed that getting a good night's sleep was not something he’d be able to get during any of his field studies. Quickly wiping the fatigue from his eyes, he felt ashamed that he was the last one up and ready to go. He was in such a rush that he didn’t even bother tying up his hair. He just threw on his uniform and hoped that it was all on the right way. There was no time to do more.

He and the rest of Class VII scrambled out of their hotel rooms, quickly getting dressed and prepared for more explosions. Was it an enemy attack? Were they being shelled from a distance? They didn’t know, but one thing was certain, there were far too many buildings on fire for any of this to be an accident. The four of them rushed outside, and decided on their course of action.

“What do we do?” Alisa asked, “We can’t put out all of these fires.”

“We do what we can.” Elliot raised his voice. “Let’s focus on dealing with rescue efforts and firefighting in this area. We can worry about what comes next later.”

“That sounds like a plan. Gaius and I will check for survivors, and you and Alisa can handle putting out the fires, right?”

“I’ve got a few water quartz, I should be able to help there!”

“Sounds like a plan, let’s move!” Gaius said, concerned first and foremost with the safety of anybody still inside.

The four of them rushed to the church first, being the largest building in this area of town. Using their arts, Alisa and Elliot quickly doused the flames before the fires could spread to the rest of the church. Gaius and Laura pushed the doors open to check for people inside, but luckily no one was in the vicinity. The priest's office had taken the brunt of the damage, and from the looks of things that appeared to be where the fire started.

“Was it some sort of incendiary bomb?” Gaius pondered out loud.

“We couldn’t say for sure, but I think you’re on the right track.” Laura replied. “The upstairs is clear by the way.”

“Then this place is empty. Let’s move on to the other buildings in the plaza, this wasn’t the only one hit.”

“Understood.” He and Laura rushed to their next destination, a two story house just a block away. Elliot and Alisa were already there, working to contain the flames using their orbal arts. Gaius certainly didn’t expect to see orbal arts used for this kind of application, but Elliot did have a very natural control with his abilities. Despite the higher power of his arts, he was directing it so it wouldn’t destroy the building by sheer force. He noticed that they had successfully doused another building already, but the one he and Alisa were working on just wouldn’t relent.

“The church is clear!” Laura shouted out to them. “What’s the situation here?”

“I can hear voices inside the building.” Alisa said, “But it’s too dangerous to go inside!”

“Don’t worry, Laura and I can handle it now, right Laura?”

She didn’t even hesitate to agree, taking the lead in the rescue of this second building. The heat in the house was oppressive, the smoke clung to his skin and threatened to steal his breath if he wasn’t careful. He covered his nose and mouth underneath his shirt, and pressed forward, knowing that he was racing against the clock. Alisa was right about hearing voices, but they weren’t on the ground floor of the building.

He gestured to Laura and pointed up. It was far too dangerous to speak in this smog, and the heat was continuing to rise. She understood his meaning completely and rushed upstairs, sword in hand. It was a good thing she was prepared, as one of the beams collapsed from the ceiling. She cut it without a second thought, carving her way through like this was just an ordinary day of training for her. He was really going to need to try his best to live up to the examples of his classmates today.

His ears were trained and found the feeble hacking voices, blocked off by a collapsed beam. The fire hadn’t reached them yet, but all of the smoke that had been building up had been billowing in. Gaius remembered something that Sara had taught them offhand, in one of her lectures that went a bit off tangent. The most dangerous part about being in a burning building wasn’t the fire, it was the smoke. Lose your oxygen and it’s all over. Thank the winds and the goddess above he still had breath left, and an able companion by his side.

Laura swung down and broke the barrier that stood between them and the voices inside. Two children, barely old enough to walk had been inside, the last of their strength spent when they saw their rescuer’s faces. He wished he had been here a little bit faster, but they just needed to get them out of the fire. If they lingered too long, it’d be too hot for anything to survive in there. He scooped the two children under his arms, and bade Laura to cover him as they made their escape. He had never moved so quickly, but he had no choice, only praying that he was in time to save them.

They made it outside again, just in time to hear another explosion inside of the building. He had no idea what caused it, but in that kind of heat it could have been anything. He and Laura were well clear of it, but they made sure to stay even further back from the raging inferno. For all of their arts, they could only contain the blaze, and keep it from spreading further. That building… their home, it couldn’t be saved. He set the children down, grateful to hear the sounds of them breathing properly again. But they weren’t the only victims here-

“W-Where’s the next fire?” He growled, breathing heavily. “We- We have to hurry!”

“No way!” Gaius turned to the voice, to see Elliot glaring up a storm at him. “Didn’t you hear me when I said you shouldn’t go inside there!?”

Gaius tried to recall, closing his eyes. Come to think of it, he did see Elliot out of the corner of his eye as he was rushing inside, but he didn’t catch what he had said. “No… I didn’t.”

“I told Alisa it was too dangerous for a reason, and she told you too! You two are lucky you got out before that backdraft happened!” He looked like he was about to cry, an expression that Gaius hated to see.

“I’m sorry but… I couldn’t leave them be.” He hung his head.

Elliot knelt down and placed his hands on Gaius’ shoulders. “I know you’re strong, and I know you want to help people, but if you get hurt, who is going to save them when they need you the most? We have a responsibility as first responders to protect lives, and that includes our own!”

He was ashamed. There was no argument he could put up to that, he just wasn’t thinking. When he saw those fires, it was like all rational thought drained from his head. “I’m sorry. I really wasn’t thinking. I got carried away.” He trailed off.

“I’m sorry as well.” Laura replied. “I heard you, but my excuse was the same as Gaius. However, if we didn’t go in, these children would be...”

Elliot took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. “Let’s leave the rest of the rescues to the professionals, alright? Look, there’s some members of the RMP coming with firefighting equipment!”

He pointed out the soldiers of the RMP rushing in, cordoning off the scenes and starting to fight fires on their end. A certain crystal clear voice could be heard issuing commands to the people evacuating their homes during the sudden crisis. The blue haired captain gathered everyone’s ears, assuaging all doubt with perfect methodical instruction.

“Please remain calm, and evacuate in an orderly manner. All evacuated citizens should muster by the fountain plaza. If you understand what I am saying, relay it to your neighbours!” She spoke into the megaphone, with a clear and calm manner, instantly defusing the natural tension that had been built from the sudden explosions.

“See, they know what to do.” Elliot said. “You two should rest and catch your breaths. I know you guys weren’t in there long, but smoke inhalation is dangerous!” He pulled out his orbment, and checked his charge. “Phew, just enough. Curia!” He cast the spell on the unconscious children, and then again on Gaius and Laura, draining his orbment completely.

“Thank you, Elliot.” Laura said, before taking a knee and crouching into a sitting position. “That definitely helped.”

“That’s why we’re all here, to help each other out.” He turned to Alisa, who just finished having a conversation with an RMP soldier. The man relayed what he was told to Claire, who continued to lead the firefighting and evacuation efforts. “What was that about?”

“I just gave him a situation report about what was going on. Captain Claire will probably want to hear what we have to say as well. Considering the RMP has the evacuation and fires under control here, we should help with first aid to anyone who needs it.”

“Sounds good, but we should find out who these kids belong to first, no?” Gaius suggested, now that he had caught his breath. “I didn’t see or hear anyone else inside, did you?”

Laura shook her head. “Perhaps their parents had escaped already, or-”

Her speculation was cut short as a lady and gentleman in their early thirties came rushing towards them, sweat cascading down their faces. Relief was evident as they came across the children, who were just starting to come to.

“Was that your home?” Gaius asked them, to which they nodded their heads.

“We just went over to a friend’s house for the night after tucking in the children.” The mother said, her hands shaking. “If we had been there, then…”

“It’s alright.” Alisa said resting her hand on the mother’s shoulder. “If you were in there, you may have got caught up in the blast.”

The first child wheezed out the words “Mom?” which caused the dam she was holding back to burst. Weeping, she swept the young boy into her arms, while the father took the other child, who was still managing to sleep through this whole ordeal. In a sense, it was fortunate for the child, he could just dismiss it all as a nightmare, one that would pass when his eyes opened.

The family was so grateful, they insisted on paying them something, but all the members of Class VII refused. They had just lost their home, there was no way that they’d demand a reward for rescuing them. A simple thank you and their safety were more than enough compensation for their good deeds. He and Laura had recovered enough from their rescue, and it seemed like the area around the Cathedral Square was well under control. The only remnants of the explosions now were smoke clouds billowing in the air, and the remains of burnt buildings. Some had fared better than others, but some were completely destroyed.

Now that he had a moment to calm down and think, he wondered who could have committed such a heinous act? What was their motive, who was their target? If he had to guess, it had something to do with the fine arts festival, but he couldn’t place his finger on the finer details. He tried to think back to anything he noticed about the places that were targeted. He went inside two, the burnt down house, and the church, but there were at least two more in the immediate vicinity that were less significant blazes, and several buildings that weren’t in this district that were caught in the attacks, judging from the way the smoke carried on the wind. He didn’t have enough information, and the thought was frustrating beyond measure!

“Gaius?” Alisa called out to him, “We’re going to report to Captain Claire now. Are you still feeling winded?”

He shook his head and stood up straight. If anyone could figure this out, it’d be an RMP officer. “I’m fine. I was just lost in thought for a second. I’m sure the Captain needs to know everything that happened, right?”

Alisa nodded and gave him a smile. She was doing her best to mask her own worries and reassure him. That just wasn’t acceptable, he really needed to get his head on straight. “You’re right.” He and the rest of the group headed toward the captain, who was still delegating and handling the situation as best she could.

“Class VII.” She turned to regard them, “I’ve heard you were the first responders on the scene?” Her question held no judgment, it was just a statement of the facts as she knew them. Alisa explained the situation and all they had discovered and done before the RMP arrived.

“Understood.” She placed her hand on her chin and stroked it. “You students handled the situation admirably for your limited resources and experience in the field. And from what I heard, one of you even knew some details about firefighting I wouldn’t expect to be covered in your typical lessons.”

Elliot raised his hand bashfully, “That would be me, my father drilled me on proper fire safety since I was really young. It's something that’s stuck with me for a long time, so while I’m not happy I needed to use that knowledge, I’m grateful that it came in handy.”

“It seems your father taught you well, mister Craig. Thanks to the efforts of all of you, the damage that was dealt here was kept to a minimum. I only ask that some of you act with more caution in the future. Endangering your own life for the sake of others isn’t heroic, it’s foolish. On that point, I must make myself clear. Do you understand?”

“Yes ma'am!” They stood at attention and said simultaneously.

“Good. I assume you still have some questions about the incident?” She looked at each and every one of them, answering their expectations with a calm and measured resolve.

“I suppose I’ll start.” Gaius said, “You called this an incident, and not an accident. Why is that?”

She hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Well, I can’t reveal too many details of our investigation to outsiders, but when you consider the sheer number of buildings targeted, there could be no way for this to be a coincidence or an accident.”

“And how many buildings were targeted?” Alisa asked, not fearing the answer her curiosity would give her.

“At our current estimation, thirty-eight buildings. Most of the damage occurred in the noble district, but a fair number of places in the southern residential and industrial districts were hit as well. The property damage alone exceeds a hundred million mira, not to mention the other damages caused.”

“A hundred million?” Elliot stuttered, “What about the people? Was anybody hurt? Did anyone… die?”

Claire shook her head. “I’m not at liberty to speak about that yet. Forgive me. Just know that your efforts today prevented further injury and property damage. For that, you should be proud.”

“Do you still need help with relief efforts?” Laura volunteered, “Now that this happened in front of us, we can’t just ignore it.”

Claire crossed her arms and shook her head. “While I appreciate your concern, you can leave the rest of this to the adults. However…” She paused for a moment as an idea seemed to come to her, “I would like you to come with me to the noble district, if that’s not an issue?”

“The noble district? I don’t see why not.” Alisa said, looking at the rest of her class for approval. Gaius nodded his head, and the rest followed suit. He was worried about the people there as well. Going with Claire and the RMP was better than trying to assess the situation on their own.

They still had a few minutes before Claire was ready to depart from the scene so Gaius returned to the hotel room quickly to tie up his hair. The red ribbon was important to him, and he didn’t want to forget it. He took the opportunity to make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything in the hotel room, and made sure to offer a silent prayer to Aidios, thanking the goddess that this place wasn’t caught in the fires.

He joined up with the rest of his class, and following the captain’s lead, they made their way through to the noble district. The smell of smoke was much heavier, and there were far more burnt out buildings in the vicinity.

“It must have been worse here.” Laura pointed out. “There are more houses with structural damage…”

“Fortunately, the provincial army was ready to act to protect the nobles and their property.” Claire didn’t spare a second glance at the damage, just calmly surveying it all. What struck Gaius wasn’t the smell of smoke, nor the devastation the fires had caused, but the sounds of people crying. Pain, fear, some even crying for forgiveness from the goddess. The sounds of these torrential emotions were buffeting, and in their shrillness, utterly deafening. He could never get used to something like this, how was Claire able to stay so calm? Was it just a matter of experience, or was there something else that he didn’t understand? It wasn’t a case for all the members of the RMP either, he saw a few men and women flinch at the scene, but not her. Not in the slightest. “Stay focused, men.” She ordered, without looking back. “You are the pride of the RMP, act like it.”

Their attention tightened, and any doubt and fear was washed away by their discipline. If nothing else, they were extremely well trained. She had a nickname didn’t she? The ‘Icy Maiden’ he believed it was? With how cool she seemed under pressure, he didn’t doubt that nickname was well earned. The rest of Class VII followed her to the heart of the district, where the largest crowd of people had gathered. Soldiers from the provincial army, the military police, and a few uniforms he didn’t recognize at first, until he saw the Crown Prince among their number in the crowd. They must have been the royal guard.

As Gaius scanned the surroundings he noticed more than that single VIP in that collective. Marquis Hyarms was there of course, and one other. A man he knew only by reputation, but just from a glance, he gave off an intimidating aura. No mere politician had eyes like that, ones of steel that only glanced forward. They were similar to the eyes he saw in Captain Claire, but an order of magnitude more intense. His posture, his expression, everything he did explained exactly who he was. The Blood and Iron Chancellor, Gilliath Osborne. He was focused on the Marquis, but when the captain came into view his gaze turned and assessed all of them. It sent chills down his spine.

“Captain Claire.” His voice boomed, and drowned out the sounds of trepidation and fear in the scene around them. “I trust you have good news.”

“Yes sir.” She saluted promptly, clicking her heels with the rest of the RMP in unison. Military discipline really was something else. “The fires have been extinguished in all parts of the city, and recovery efforts are already underway.”

“That is excellent news, Captain. At ease.” He ordered, and the RMP relaxed their postures, but still stood vigilant. Considering the kind of person he was rumoured to be, Gaius expected nothing less. “And what of the investigation into the cause of these fires?”

“Hold on.” Marquis Hyarms spoke up. “The investigation of affairs in Saint-Arkh will be led by the Sutherland Provincial Army, you can leave the investigation to General Wallace and his men.”

Osborne turned to him and the chill in the air turned even colder. “That’s a bold stance to take, Marquis Hyarms, when you consider who exactly was affected by this incident. Not only were several musicians and artists put at risk by these terrorist attacks, the Crown Prince of our nation was as well. Quite frankly, this has become a matter of national importance, and as such, should be treated by the best our nation has to offer.”

“What do you mean, terrorist attack?” Elliot spoke up, not even the least bit cowed by the situation.

The chancellor turned to face the questioning boy, and the chill in the air resided just a bit. “A good question, and one I think you can find out the answer to with a little knowledge of the situation.”

“Captain Claire.” Gaius spoke up, feeling like his hunch was going somewhere. “Did you find any bombs at the scene? Perhaps in wooden delivery boxes?”

The nobles who were listening into the conversation gasped, as if the air had been sucked out of their lungs. Claire turned her head, and nodded slowly. “Yes… we did. What made you stumble upon that idea?”

“When we were delivering parcels that were sent to the wrong places earlier, the RMP checked the packages. I thought it was just as an extra security measure, considering who was in town, but… did you have knowledge something like this was going to happen?”

Osborne smirked. “As a matter of fact, we did. And we thought it prudent to warn the provincial army here of the threat, two days ago. I can only assume that their investigation into the threat was not taken as seriously as it should have been. This incompetence from your people has been extremely costly, Marquis. I hope you understand that we need to work together and not let petty differences get in the way in order to ensure the safety of our people. Considering how much they pay in taxes, it is the least their lord could do to assuage their worries.”

Hyarms was doing his best to mask his frustration, but the nobles who were listening did no such thing. Cries accusing the chancellor of being responsible, mixed in with cries defending the chancellor all mixed into a chaotic swirl. “Settle down!” The Marquis shouted over the din, silencing the crowd. “It is true that our men did not do their proper diligence in investigating this threat, and because of that, our people have been grievously wounded.” He crossed his arms behind his back, hiding the fact that he was squeezing his hands together until his knuckles went white. “The Sutherland Provincial Army will assist the Railway Military Police in this investigation, and we will not stop until the criminal is caught.”

The nobles’ hushed whispers echoed into the night, anger, frustration, resignation, all of those swirling emotions coated the venomous words on their lips as the crowd slowly started to dissipate, being shooed to their homes by both the provincial soldiers, and the federal ones. Gaius was listening to what they were saying however, and it certainly wasn’t good.

“What is Lord Hyarms thinking?”
“He had no choice, that damn ironblood forced his hand…”
“I bet this was a plant by Osborne himself, just like-”
“Shh, do you know what he does to his enemies?”

Gaius tried his best to ignore it. He sincerely doubted any member of the government would be stupid enough to burn down a city just to sway public opinion. People had been executed for far lesser crimes in this country, as Instructor Thomas had shown him in countless history books. What mattered right now was that he was right about the cause, and that it meant something far worse for the people of Saint-Arkh. Marquis Hyarms went with his soldiers to help provide relief and to explain the situation to the rest of their army, leaving just the RMP, Royal Guard, and themselves standing there.

“Sir, I’d like to introduce you to the students of Thors Military Academy who were engaging in their field study here. Thanks to their quick thinking they were able to save the cathedral and several other buildings within the district.” Claire said, directing a lot of praise that he didn’t feel like he deserved.

“Is that so?” The threatening aura around the man grew far less intense, but was still present around them, like a lingering fog high in the mountains. “On behalf of the Erebonian Government, I’d like to thank you properly for your meritorious service.”

“We were just doing what any citizen should do for their country.” Laura said, “Nothing more.”

“Perhaps.” He smirked, “But I think you’ll find that doing the right thing and knowing what the right thing to do is, are two completely different matters entirely and one is far more difficult than the other. There’s no need to be modest.”

Laura nodded, “My apologies, I should have introduced myself first before speaking.”

He shook his head. “There’s no need, Miss Arseid. I’ve heard plenty about you from Captain Claire and Prince Cedric already. Thank you very much for your assistance as well, Elliot Craig, Alisa Reinford, and Gaius Worzel. I am sorry that you had to deal with such an awful incident during your field study.”

“But what happens now?” Alisa asked. “Surely the fine arts festival can’t continue while there are still terrorists at large, can it?”

“No it cannot. Considering the devastation, and the risk of there being more dangerous attacks, we have no choice but to cancel the festival. I don’t imagine Marquis Hyarms will disagree.”

It was what he expected to hear. It’d be foolish to try and continue to perform as if nothing had happened. To try and make music when the smell of smoke still lingered in the air? He couldn’t imagine it.

“There has to be something we can do…” Elliot’s voice gained more strength, unable to accept this terrible situation for what it was. “There has to be some way to get the festival to continue.”

“There is.” Osborne said without missing a beat. His words had a way of gathering attention, even in the dead of night. “If we could capture the terrorists responsible and confirm that there were no more bombs set to go off, then we could ensure that the festival would continue. But how many people would want to perform in a situation like this?”

“Lots of them!” Elliot wasn’t fazed in the slightest. “The power of music is the power to heal. I know that not only would the musicians want to play in a situation like this, but that they need to play. To help heal the wounds caused on the people of this city! Please, allow us to help in the investigation!” He turned to each member of his class, and bowed his head, “Please… you guys agree, don’t you?”

He had never seen Elliot so serious. If he was going to be that adamant, what was he doing down in the dumps? There was a path forward, so he just had to take it. “I’m in. I’ll do everything I can to help.”

“I concur. It wouldn’t sit right with me if we let terrorists do what they want in our cities. It’s an insult to everything Erebonia stands for.” Laura said, just as motivated as Elliot was.

“If you guys are certain, then I’m certain too.” Alisa said. “Class VII is willing to offer their full cooperation in this investigation. I don’t know if this qualifies as something under the scope of our field study, but we owe it to these people who’ve treated us so well to do everything we can to help.”

Claire looked at them, assessing them with her cold eyes before giving just a bit of leeway to them. “Very well. Chancellor Osborne, I will take responsibility for the actions of these students. I trust that will be acceptable?”

“Quite.” He seemed almost pleased at their responses. “You have until ten AM, if you cannot find the ones responsible by then, we will have no choice but to cancel the festival. It’s just about three in the morning now, so do all you can in this seven hour interval.”

“Wait.” A young boy spoke up, and Gaius had almost forgotten he was here. “Allow me to assist in the investigation too!” Prince Cedric said, trying his best to cast aside the nervous look on his face, but failing miserably in the process.

“Absolutely not.” The chancellor shot him down point blank. “We have no idea what motivated the people behind this, but considering this happened while you were here, it’s fair to assume that you could be their target, my prince. Please, reconsider.”

He took a step back, and conceded the point. “I’m sorry… It’s just, there must be something I can do to help…”

Osborne looked down at the boy, and got down on one knee, putting his hand on his shoulder. It was the first time the man had appeared warm to him, and not completely inhuman. “There is something you can do my prince. When the RMP and these brave men and women from the academy find the culprit and bring them to justice, you can herald the restoration of these festivities. The people may doubt me, or Marquis Hyarms, but they would never doubt you, the Crown Prince of our nation. In fact, I believe it would help these grievous wounds heal even faster. Consider what it means to inherit this great nation, understand what your responsibilities dictate, and the answer should be clear to you, my liege.”

Cedric nodded his head. “I understand.” Osborne stood up and stepped aside, as Cedric addressed the members of their class. “Class VII, while I can’t join you in solving this case, I’m wishing you the best of luck. Please, do your utmost to find those responsible, and bring them to justice.”

He could feel his spirits lifted by the prince’s request, and he could somewhat understand why the rest of his class felt so strongly about their monarchy. He was even more motivated to solve this incident now, for the people of Erebonia, and for his friends. There was only a lingering shadow of doubt in his mind, just a pinprick of it in his sea of motivation. The malice that seemed to linger around the Chancellor never quite faded away, and the expression on his face made Gaius feel like everything that was going on had been exactly as he planned. Surely, that wasn’t the case… was it?

Chapter Text

After finishing their harrowing conversation with the chancellor, the four of them were left in the presence of the crown prince, his bodyguard Kurt, and a few members of the Royal Guard stationed for the prince’s safety. The rest of the crowds had been shooed away, told to return to their homes and seek shelter with their neighbours if their homes were damaged in the fires.

Given that it was the dead of night, most of them had no reason to stay awake any longer. Seeing the prince do his best to stifle a yawn only reminded him that he hadn’t gotten any sleep tonight. His heart was still pounding in his chest, and though a part of him wanted to tuck himself into a nice warm bed, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to sleep through all this. Not after he promised to help get to the bottom of this. This place was special to all of the musicians that took the stage here, his late mother included among them. For their sake, he’d find the truth.

“Excuse me?” The prince’s meek voice called out. “I understand that you’ll be busy but I still wish to help.” There was something resolute in his eyes, some inner strength that wouldn’t let him back down.

“How so? Didn’t you hear what the chancellor said? You could be the target of this plot!” Kurt spoke up, clearly worried for his charge. “It doesn’t make any sense to put your life at risk!”

“I heard him loud and clear, and he is right. As I am now I’d be nothing but a burden in the field. But there is still something I can do. Kurt, would you go with them?”

“Y-Your Majesty?” Kurt’s eyes widened, “I’m not sure that’s wise. I’m your personal bodyguard and-”

“And you’re guarding my body by finding out who was responsible for this.” Cedric said, using a more forceful tone, “You’ll do this for me, won’t you? You’re the only one I can count on...”

The blue haired boy stammered under the sudden command. “My prince, my mission is to protect you from anyone that might harm you, but if I’m not by your side then-”

“Kurt.” His voice was as cold as winter, and just as harsh, “If I order you to do so, you can’t refuse, correct? Your skills are better suited to helping them investigate than just standing at my side, waiting for another disaster. I’m asking you this because I trust you. Please, Kurt?”

He could see the bodyguard squirming in place, it was definitely a selfish request, but the way he put it left no room for refusal. Both on his end, and on ours.

“What do you think, Alisa?” Gaius spoke up, doing his best to diffuse the tension surrounding the two boys. “I can vouch for Kurt’s ability in combat at the very least.”

“Well, I don’t think we’re really in a position to refuse help.” She stated plainly, “We’re up against the clock, and we don’t have nearly enough information to go on. So if you want to help us investigate, we’d be glad to have you, Kurt.”

The boy grit his teeth and bowed his head. “Very well, please allow me to assist you in this matter.”

“Glad to have you, Kurt. Now, let’s go ahead and figure out our game plan here.” Alisa said, directing them away from the prince, who was being escorted back to safety by the other members of the royal guard.

“So what do we know about the incident, and what can we do to find the culprit?” Kurt asked, taking this with the utmost seriousness. For someone who seemed so reluctant beforehand, his disposition seemed peculiar to Elliot. Maybe he had already resigned himself and simply wanted to get it over with?

Elliot brought up the most obvious lead in his eyes, “If we run off our deduction that this was caused by the courier company sending the packages, then we should really find out which noble was running it. Remember what the man in the music shop said?”

“But he also said he didn’t know who was actually running it, since he didn’t want to stick his neck out.” Alisa stated calmly, “Other than that, we could check out the other places where fires occurred and try to uncover more clues. We haven’t examined the noble district in detail, and the southern residential and industrial districts.”

“You mentioned a courier company?” Kurt said, his eyes lighting up, “I believe I know the person you’re talking about. Not personally, but by reputation. I expect the provincial armies and the RMP are aware of this man as well, but he’s a baron with a small portion of land in the industrial district. Baron La Costa, if I’m not mistaken.”

“La Costa? I’ve never heard of their house.” Laura admitted.

“That’s understandable.” Kurt said, “They aren’t a large family, only being granted a title twelve years ago, right after the Hundred Days war, but they’re more well known in the Sutherland Province than they would be elsewhere. I’m afraid I don’t know much more about him than the name, and the location of his company.”

“The name is a start, and I think it’s the best place to start our investigation.” Alisa said, hatching a plan. “Gaius, Laura, I’d like the two of you to ask around in the noble district, and see what you can learn. Elliot, Kurt and I will head over to the industrial district and see what we can find there. Keep your ARCUS on so we can get in touch if anything changes, understood?”

“If neither of us finds anything by five, let’s regroup at the cathedral plaza.” Gaius suggested, “It’s in the middle of town so it shouldn’t be too far for either group to get to.”

“Sounds like we have a plan, shall we get going?” Kurt suggested, one foot tapping against the pavement.

Alisa nodded her head, and everyone split up into their assigned groups. He, Kurt and Alisa headed south, while Gaius and Laura got to work in the noble district. He worried about the provincial army getting in their way, but that’s probably why Alisa split the groups up the way she did. The Arseids were an important military family with a lot of history, and Gaius and General Wallace had a shared heritage. Considering they needed Kurt to show them where the La Costa Courier service was, it made for their best bet to avoid obstruction. Maybe it was just because of the way the Kreuzen Provincial Army acted, but he couldn’t bring himself to trust them so readily.

The smell of smoke grew more intense as Kurt led them toward the location, and Elliot’s suspicions were only magnified when he saw the state of the company building. “It’s completely destroyed…” He mumbled under his breath.

“That’s not a good thing, is it?” Kurt said as he examined the wreckage. “I don’t think I led you to the wrong place… Ah! Take a look at this!” He pulled out a laminated sign that survived the fire. There were a few char marks on it, but ‘Costa Courier’ could clearly be made out through the corrosion. “This is definitely the place.”

“And from what I can tell, it’s the only building that was hit by fires in this district. There’s some damage on the adjacent buildings, but clearly this was the epicentre of an explosion, likely several judging by the fact it's just rubble now.” Elliot said, analyzing the scene as best he could. Even though he didn’t have a lot of experience with this sort of thing, he had a fine eye for detail. At least, that’s what his dad and the other members of the 4th division had said.

“But why would this place be targeted? An accident? Or to hide evidence, maybe?”

“That’s a good thought.” Elliot agreed. “The best place to hide a tree is a forest right? So when is the best time to burn your evidence? If we’re assuming Baron La Costa is responsible for these attacks, then there would have to be a place where the bombs were made. These buildings are all factories and the like, correct?”

“I believe so.” Kurt said. “I’m not a resident of Saint-Arkh, but I’m somewhat familiar with the area, thanks to the training school being in Parm. Sometimes we needed to get supplies that weren’t available in the city so we’d head here to get them.

“Well that’s a lovely theory, but its just circumstantial evidence at this point.” Alisa said, bringing up the obvious point. “And I don't think we’re going to find a smoking gun digging through all this wreckage anytime soon. We should probably talk to this baron directly, and see what he knows.”

Elliot’s pocket vibrated, so he pulled out his ARCUS and quickly scanned the caller ID. “Elliot here. What’s the situation, Gaius?”

“We asked around about Baron La Costa, and it just so happened that the RMP was already investigating their place.” Alisa and Kurt nudged in closer to overhear the conversation.

“Let me put you on speaker so the others can hear you.” Elliot said, pressing the switch. “Alright, we’re good here. What did they find?”

“Nothing.”

“What do you mean, nothing?” Alisa blurted out, “When we checked out his courier company, it was completely burned down. There has to be some evidence of-”

“No, but I think that lack of evidence can tell us something.” He explained, his voice carrying more weight to it than usual. “When I say nothing, I mean that the house is untouched. The furniture inside is sparse, and there’s a thin layer of dust on everything. The food stores are completely empty, and there’s nothing of value on display on the shelves or walls.”

“Did he leave town?” Kurt said, “If the place is empty, then it makes sense.”

“I don’t think so.” Laura spoke up this time, she must have been listening into the conversation as well. “When we canvassed the area and asked about the Baron, quite a few people mentioned that they had seen him yesterday or the day before. He had even attended the Marquis’ banquet this evening, which several provincial army men attested to.”

Kurt tilted his head and spoke up, “He was at the banquet? If he was, he didn’t introduce himself to the Crown Prince. He might be a new noble, but I’m sure he’d be aware that that’s quite the social faux pas.”

“So he didn’t go missing, according to the provincial army at least, but his house looks like nobody lived in it?” Alisa scratched her head, “This whole thing just gets more and more confusing by the second.”

“I agree.” Gaius said, “Whatever is going on, it doesn’t sit right with me. Should we meet up now?”

A flash of something caught Elliot’s eye, and he turned to face it. There was a person standing there, doing their best to hide where they were. “That sounds good to me but-”

“Hold on, Alisa.” Elliot said, the change in the tone of his voice startling the figure in the distance.

“Who goes there!” Kurt shouted, turning the person’s fear into a downright panic. It made a mad dash away from there, heading in a northwestern direction. “Wait, don’t run! Damn it!” Kurt’s warning fell on deaf ears as the shadow tried to make it’s escape. Whatever he was up to, the fact that he ran made him a prime suspect, and they couldn’t let him get away!

“What’s going on?” Laura said, only hearing the commotion from their side of things.

“We’re in pursuit of a suspicious figure.” Elliot said, “I think he was trying to listen in on our conversation. He’s heading toward the west exit of the city, can you meet us there?”

“Understood, we’re on our way!” Gaius said before terminating the call. Elliot cursed his rotten luck, he should have known not to put the orbment on speakerphone. Cursing himself would do nothing right now, so he focused on running after him instead. They were able to keep their eyes on him as he ran through the industrial district, moving with purpose as he stuck to the shadows.

“Damn, this guy is fast!” Alisa griped, “Are you sure he’s heading for the west exit?”

“It makes the most sense, and we don’t want them escaping the city.” He replied, trying his best to keep his breathing steady.

“There aren’t a lot of alleyways for him to slip into, just keep your eyes on him and we’ll exhaust him eventually.” Kurt said, showing no signs of fatigue. Elliot had only been at the military academy for a few months, and long sprints were definitely not a strength of his. His heart was pounding in his chest, and the strain on his legs was getting worse every second. He just had to keep up the pace, they could corner him at the city exit and then he could-

The highway was coming into view, the city walls that marked the terminus of Saint-Arkh were in view, and their target was just about to escape. It was there that Elliot saw his first bit of good news. Gaius and Laura had arrived, just as they did to pincer the man. “There’s nowhere left to run.” Laura shouted, brandishing her mighty sword. “Surrender peacefully or we will have to use force.”

“Heh, like I’m going to listen to some dumb brats.” The man scoffed.

“I wouldn’t laugh if I were you. You’re surrounded.” Alisa said, an arrow loaded and ready to fire at her target.

“That’s what you think? You brats really are naive.” The man whistled, signaling his companions to come out. It was true that there weren’t many places to hide, but they don’t have to be good hiding spots if you aren’t looking for them. They each held orbal rifles, and started to fire. They reacted quickly, relying on their links to dodge the errant scattershot. However, their movements broke their encirclement wide open, and the four men scurrried toward the west exit, laying down covering fire as they did to further assist their escape.

Elliot tried to chase them again, but the exhaustion finally got to him, as he fell down to one knee, gasping for air. “Elliot!” Gaius and Laura ran toward him, looks of concern on their faces. “You weren’t hit were you?”

“I’m fine.” He yelled back, “Don’t lose them! I’ll catch up to you guys as soon as I can!”

“Are you sure-” Laura placed her hand on his shoulder.

“I am. Please, you have to stop them!” He pleaded, cursing his lack of stamina, cursing his lack of awareness in the moment.

“You can count on me.” She said, holding her head high as she did. “And I know I can count on you.” That last part was said so softly that he was pretty sure he was the only one who heard that. “Let’s go, everyone! We can’t let them escape!” A few verbal confirmations resounded from the other students and the prince’s bodyguard, and all of them ran on ahead, leaving him to wallow.

He dragged himself to his feet, gripping his legs as he struggled to take deeper breaths and get more oxygen to his body and brain. After everything that happened, he was starting to get a better idea of what was really going on here. The evidence they found, the strange situation that just kept getting stranger, this was way out of his league. He couldn’t do this alone…

“Hey, what’s going on out here!” The sound of army boots on concrete resounded as a pair of soldiers approached the scene. “Wait, you’re from that military academy, aren’t you?”

Elliot smirked, as something that should have been obvious dawned on him. They had friends in high places, and this was the best opportunity to make use of them. Even if he was slow and weak, there was still something he could do to help his friends!

---

Laura led the charge, with Gaius and Kurt at her sides, and Alisa not too far behind. These ruffians that they were pursuing weren’t amateurs, but she’d hardly call them warriors. They were just ordinary men, but they still tried their hardest to make their escape.

“Damn it!” She overheard one of them shout. “These kids are relentless!”

“Keep running! Once we make it to the forest it’ll be over for them!”

So they were heading to the forest after all. If they intended to lose them in the wild, they had another thing coming.

“I wish I could get a clean shot off like this.” Alisa said, her bow shaking in her hands. “If only Machias or Fie were here, they could shoot them out of range of those rifles.”

Kurt spoke up this time, and offered a good point. “I wouldn’t fire just yet. They’re leading us somewhere, and we need answers.”

“So you want to use them as bait?” Gaius sounded intrigued, “Then why don’t we rile them up a bit?” He pulled the ARCUS out of his pocket, and gathered up orbal energy from the air around him. “Fire Bolt!” The fireball flew out toward the crowd of men, but sailed way over its target. It was about what she expected from one of Gaius’ arts.

“Pfft, what was that? We’ll show you kids some real fireworks in a minute.” The mook Alisa and Kurt had been pursuing the longest, turned his head and stuck his tongue out. It was a rude gesture, but Gaius just laughed at the man. “What’s so funny?”

Gaius didn’t respond to the provocation, instead raising his arm to cast again. This fireball went completely in the wrong direction, sailing up into the air before extinguishing itself when the orbal energy depleted.

“You really need to stop wasting your orbal energy.” Kurt complained, “If this is the kind of casting you’re capable of, I can see why that other student was with you. A caster to cover your faults, but it’s not much help if he can’t keep up with a light sprint. I’d say I wish we had the extra hands, but he’d probably just be dead weight.”

Alisa’s shrill voice pierced the night air, “Hold it! What did you just say?”

“I said that he’s dead weight. He said he’d be trailing behind us, but he’s nowhere to be seen.” Kurt said, looking back over his shoulder. “He probably just gave up and went back to his room to rest.”

“Elliot isn’t that kind of person.” Gaius spoke sharply, an intense scowl on his face. “Just because athletics aren’t his strong point does not make him dead weight. He’s a vital part of this group, and a dear friend.”

The criminals they were pursuing just laughed, “Look, the brats are arguing! You kids should probably be worried more about yourselves than that little ginger!” A couple of the men pointed their rifles behind them, and fired wildly, not caring about where they were aiming or what they hit. Their shots were nowhere close, but it made getting closer to them that much more difficult.

This whole situation was aggravating, but despite the fact that Elliot wasn’t behind them, she knew that he’d be here soon enough. Stamina and power were not his strengths, but he wasn’t a student here just because of his athletic abilities. “Kurt. I don’t expect you to understand right now, but I have the utmost faith in Elliot. We can count on him when it matters the most.”

“I’d rather have faith in something tangible.” He said, letting the discussion end there. The treeline was in sight, and the reason for these criminal’s apparent cowardice was made abundantly clear.

Gunshots fired from the canopy, and the four of them were forced to stop their pursuit. At the very least, their targets had finally stopped running. The bad news was they had even more friends lying in wait. Eight guns were trained on them and eight… no, ten men laid in wait, all ready to take down their pursuers. “Heh, it’s over for you kids now. Boss, let’s take them out!”

The two men in the centre of the formation, the ones not holding any weapons stepped forward into the light of the moon. It was too dark to make out too many features, but even she could see that one of them was massive. He had to be around two arge tall, and his face had a large cross shaped scar across it. He was definitely far more intimidating than the other man beside him, someone portly and well dressed. If she had to guess, that was the baron they were looking for. “What exactly do you idiots think you’re doing?!” The portly man said with a high pitched wailed.

“What do you mean, boss?”

“Why did you think it would be a good idea to bring them directly to our hideout!” The man screeched as he stomped his feet in the dirt. “Now they’re going to… wait a second, are those children?”

“Military academy brats. Persistent, but dumb and naive. There’s no way they can take all of us. Especially when we’ve got the captain with us.” The thug looked up to the scarred man, who crossed his arms in front of his barreled chest.

“You want me to help you deal with a bunch of children?” He shook his head, and turned his back on them. “You can handle this on your own.”

The portly noble’s eyes widened as the ‘captain’ walked off. “W-What are you doing, I paid good money for your services!”

“And you have good men to take care of your problem. You can bother me when they send somebody worth a damn.” He clicked his tongue and walked off, deep into the forest. She wasn’t sure about their odds with that man fighting, but against the rest of them, she was certain they could manage.

Everything up to this point had been hard. Now that they were entrenched and ready to fight, it was just a matter of showing her martial prowess. With this blade in her hand, she’d cut through any obstacle that stood in her way. She turned to Gaius, and felt the familiar sensation of a combat link between them, the calming nature of the man seeming to flow through her through the orbment’s link. “Gaius, Laura, take the offensive, Kurt, keep them distracted for me.” Alisa said, getting into a stance for casting arts. Kurt drew his twin blades and readied himself in a defensive posture. The four of them faced off against eight willing mercenaries, orbal guns locked and loaded, trained on their targets.

The one noble took a step back and issued his order. “Hurry up and shoot them, you fools!”

Their guns fired out of the clearing, trying their best to hit their targets as the shots brought up a cloud of smoke. “Did we get them?” One of them said, feeling confident about his accuracy. His confidence shattered as the dust cleared, and not a single bullet met its mark, all of them deflected by Kurt and Laura’s blades. “W-What the hell is going on? K-Keep firing!” Another failed assault, this time the attack was swept away by Gaius and Alisa’s wind arts. She could see the fear starting to form in their expressions, as their formation weakened.

Laura almost felt bad for them. Almost.

Chapter Text

The outcropping of the great forest was alight with gunshots, as sparks of orbal energy illuminated the dark night sky. Gaius hadn’t trained to evade quite this many armed soldiers, but thankfully their teamwork was sloppy enough for their numbers advantage not to matter. If he had to guess, these were low level mercenaries, hardly qualified enough to call themselves jaegers with any sort of pride. It took all they had just to keep him at bay, and doing that would prove to be their downfall. Eight gunmen quickly turned to seven, as Laura knocked one out who had pursued too far.

They tried to flank them while they still had a numbers advantage, but they weren’t the only ones who could control a crowd. Alisa’s arts weren’t the best in the class, but they were pretty close, and no one could utilize the space element like she could. A glyph lit up underneath their feet, and two were caught in the sudden surge of holy energy. Before they could even recover, the lithe swordsman beside them used the pommels of his swords to knock them out cold with a hard blow to their necks.

Down to five, they started to panic, and fired wildly in a slow retreat deeper into the forest. It was time for him to step up, and with none of them focusing on him, that just made his work easier. Sensing the shift in the flow of battle, he rushed in, using the few milliseconds of time his friends gave him to close the gap, and bring those mercenaries into the range of his spear. His first thrust drew blood as the mercenary dropped his rifle. The sweeping motion of the cross tip caught the man in the chin and dragged him forward. He used the momentum of his spear's attack, brought it around and slammed the blunt side down on the back of his foe's head, folding the man into a heap. He could see the remaining rifles turn to him, and he thought about stepping back, but he just needed to hold their attention for a few moments. He wasn’t the only fighter here who could bring down an amateur in a few blows.

“It’s over!” Laura roared, as the four remaining mercenaries hesitated in the midst of battle. Laura moved far quicker than anyone with a ten pound hunk of metal in her hand should have. But she was already an intermediate rank swordsman of the Arseid school, and closer to mastery than a beginner in that regard. The first was only barely cognizant of the warrior, and crumbled as her sword slammed into his chest and knocked the wind out of him. The second tried to use his rifle as a shield, but it broke under her fluid motion and knocked him to the ground. The third and fourth quickly realized that they stood no chance and started running in different directions. Laura looked down at the one conscious merc and scowled at him. “Cease resisting, or I’ll knock you out like the rest of your friends.” With a panicked squawk, he tried reaching for one of his fallen comrades’ rifles, only to shriek as Laura’s sword plunged into the ground, just a single rege from his outstretched fingertips. The man gulped, and passed out from the sudden shock.

Gaius took the opportunity to scan the surroundings, realizing in the heat of battle that the most important person fled. Baron La Costa was nowhere to be seen. Fortunately he made no attempt to hide his tracks, as a clear path cut its way into the heart of the forest. He took a brief second to catch his breath, and looked to Alisa for their next course of action.

“Gaius, Laura, don’t worry about those two, if we don’t capture the baron now we might not get a chance later. Kurt, watch our backs for any ambushes.”

“Right!” With the orders confirmed, the four of them moved deeper into the forest.

---

“Damn it! Damn it all!” Baron La Costa cried out as he scrambled through the dense brush of the forest. “What the hell am I paying those mercenaries for if they can’t handle a simple task!” He looked over his shoulder to see the flash of muzzles and hear the clashing of steel on steel.

“Those damn police, those damn reformists and now these damn kids?!” Sweat was forming on his brow as his heart struggled to keep pace with the suddenly heightened stress he was under. “I just need to escape, get to my secret cabin and-” The scream of one of his men interrupted his frantic internal monologue, and the fear of finally being caught stalked him like the reaper of death.

He prayed that his mercenaries could hold off a bunch of children long enough for him to escape, and he cursed the attitude of their leader. That man named V was nothing but trouble, why did that Lamarrian noble recommend him in the first place? He turned tail at the first sign of trouble! If he knew this was the price of getting involved with those gentlemen, he never would have done it!

Another scream echoed through the forest, but he was nearly at his destination. He looked over his shoulder again, far enough out of sight of those pesky kids. The wooden log cabin looked a bit out of place in a forest like this, but it was far off the beaten trail so one would have to know where it was beforehand to find it. He reached for the door, opened it up and slammed it behind him as he fell to his knees and caught his breath. He had never needed to run like that in all of his life as both a merchant and noble.

The RMP had caught wind of his dealings, he was sure of it! After all, Chairman Hartmann was on the run after that incident in Crossbell, it was only a matter of time before they found out the extent of his wrongful deeds, and just how far his influence spread. If only they didn’t have that dirt on him! He crawled on the floor, looking for the trap door he had installed underneath, and opened up the hidey-hole where the last batch of his supply was hidden.

A plastic bag with four blue tablets inside. Four measly little pills was all that was left of that accursed drug. The rest had been destroyed in the fires, he made sure of that. But what he wasn’t anticipating was the people he hired to do it to set the whole city on fire! He only wanted to make his factory blow up in an accident! He even made sure the people who normally worked there that day took it off for the festival! It was all going according to plan! But these damn pills ruined everything!

The baggy shook in his hand, his beady bloodshot eyes darting around the room. There was no other option, he had to dispose of the evidence somehow. He knew that these were dangerous, but he had no other choice. He poured the tablets into his hand, and tried to swallow them all down at once. He gasped and hacked as he tried to force them down, but his body was unwilling to swallow it all, half of them bursting out in a haggard cough. He swallowed the other two down, and crawled on his hands and knees, trying to find where the others landed. Even a single pill would indict him and his family. But as he desperately tried to find it, sudden agony wracked his body.

The effects of Gnosis were instantaneous, as Baron La Costa clutched his chest and collapsed on the ground. A high fever burned inside, and his skin dripped with sweat. He felt as though he had fallen into the fires of Gehenna, as unbearable pain overcame him. At that moment, he prayed for death to come, to spare him from this pain.

—

“He cannot have gotten far!” Laura shouted, as the four of them hurried down the trail left behind by the fleeing noble. They followed the animal trails deeper into the forest, finding more and more evidence of the man fleeing away. Gaius was the first to notice it in his line of sight, and quickly let the others know.

“There’s a cabin ahead! Looks like the perfect place to hideout.”

“With it being so deep in the forest, it's quite well hidden.” Alisa mumbled, before raising her voice. “Be on your guard, everyone!”

The four of them quickly moved to surround the cabin, after finding that the trail ended there. Alisa and Kurt checked the back, inspecting the windows for any potential ambushes, while Laura and Gaius checked the front door. It was locked, but Gaius could sense something inside. “Laura, let’s break it down.”

“Understood.” She leaned in, rounding her shoulders for a hard check. “On three! One, Two, THREE!” They barreled into the door, splintering it like it was made of toilet paper rather than wood. As the two of them made an immediate scan of the room, the first thing they noticed wasn’t a sound, or something, but the odor. A foul odor that burned the nostrils, accompanied by a squishing, squelching sound, like boots tromping in the mud. Gaius took a step, and his shoe sank into something wet. He looked down, and nearly choked on the bile that rose from his stomach.

Laura took a step back, covering her nose. “Is that blood?” She asked, keeping her other hand ready on her sword. “Did he-”

That squelching sound continued and Gaius raised his arm. This wasn’t blood. This was something else entirely. Something utterly inhuman, foreign, something that simply didn’t belong. His eyes followed the trail of sludge across the cabin floor, past the trapdoor open in the middle of the room, down to the very corner where it lay. A pulsating mass, slowly crawling away along the floor. As he drew closer, it stopped crawling, and seemed to turn to regard him, letting out a ghastly noise, like the moans of the unhallowed.

Gaius picked up his spear, and clutched it tight. The martial techniques he learned weren’t for the sake of mastering a style like Laura did. They weren’t for the sake of enlightenment, like they seemed to be for Rean. No, his skills were honed for a singular purpose. To protect the people he loved and cared for, and to destroy anything that would threaten their happiness. The words of Master Ein echoed in his head.

“Mankind is not yet ready to be free of their shackles.”

The point of his spear punctured flesh, popping the strange creature like a balloon. Black ichor spewed from the wound as he raised the weapon up again.

“If they came to know the truth, they would fall prey to madness.”

He stabbed again, letting out his anger with each blow. A monster. A demon. A heretic. It no longer mattered that this man had a name, a face, desires, dreams, family, morals. None of that mattered anymore. In the pursuit of forbidden knowledge, it lost the one thing that tethered it to this world. His spear no longer felt resistance when he pulled it away, but he still kept stabbing.

“Such is the will of the Goddess, in all of her infinite wisdom.”

He could no longer stab at the creature, his arms locked in the grasp of the stronger girl. He could resist and break free from this hold if he had to, but there was no reason to. He breathed in, letting the foul air fill his throat and burn at his lungs. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was better than not breathing at all. His heart rate steadied as the words the girl was saying finally broke through to him.

“Gaius, answer me!” She shouted, her desperation clinging to her voice.

“Laura.” He grounded himself, “Let’s get out of here.”

“You’re responsive?” She breathed a sigh of relief but demanded answers immediately afterward. “First of all, please explain exactly what that was! You moved so quickly I could barely see you, and once you got there, you just wouldn’t stop!” She pointed at the bloody mess that was once Baron La Costa. The sight was far too grotesque to describe without risking the bile coming back up his throat.

If he was once human, there wasn’t much to show for it. His clothes had torn at the seams, and his watch was covered in the acrid goop. Gaius could still hear it ticking away, which meant the blood wasn't acidic enough to burn through metal. He had become calm again, analyzing the situation like this was just an ordinary school day. It didn’t matter that it was anything but, routine is what kept him from going too far. He inhaled again, getting used to the sound of his own breathing, and the sound of his own human heart pumping in his chest.

“I’m pretty sure… that’s the baron.” Gaius looked down and gnashed his teeth together. “It was already too late for him.”

“What… happened to him?”

“I wish I knew.” He said, “But even if he was alive, I doubt we’d get the truth out of him.” Laura undid her hold around his arms, and he used the opportunity to pull that watch out of the sludge. The blood on the floor adhered to his skin like paint, but this was not a canvas he was keen to paint on. The inner mechanisms were still working somehow, as the second hand willfully continued its duty, regardless of the fact that its master would no longer wear it. “But I don’t think any of us are in a position to do more here.

Alisa and Kurt popped their heads into the cabin, after confirming that there were no more hired guns standing by. “Ugh, what is that stench?”

“You guys should stand back.” Gaius spoke up, grateful for the distraction. “It’s not pretty in here.”

“Is that… Did a monster get him?” Kurt asked, not able to see the full extent of what happened.

“No.” Gaius said, “Not a monster at all.” Gaius took a step toward the exit, only to feel Laura’s hand squeeze against his forearm.

“When the time is more appropriate, I want answers.”

Gaius nodded. “And you’ll have them. I don’t intend to hide anything, it’s just…”

Laura took his response well enough, releasing her grip and following him outside. The air outside was so much fresher he almost felt like he was back in Nord. Almost, anyway. The lack of open plains made for a startling difference, after all.

“So, what now?” Kurt asked, breaking the awkward silence.

“Well, with the baron dead, all we can do is bring in the people we knocked out already. After that, we explain the situation to Captain Claire, and see what we need to do from there.” Alisa explained. “What really happened inside that cabin? That didn’t look like an ordinary monster attack, and there was way too much… blood? That stuff on the ground only kind of resembled it though.”

Laura glared at Gaius, so he had no choice but to speak. “There’s a corpse in there, that's no longer human. You won’t find much in there that resembles the baron, but it's him. I have no doubt about it.” Gaius’s ears perked up as a faint gust of wind blew by, and with it, a premonition of danger.

Laura seemed to recognize it too, quickly drawing her blade. Alisa and Kurt didn’t take too long to follow suit, which was fortunate because the ground gave a much larger premonition as it rumbled beneath their feet. It splintered and cracked underneath the cabin, and out of the ground came an entirely new beast, one that resembled a man eating rafflesia flower, this one large enough to actually consume a man, if given the chance. Gaius clicked his tongue, the very nature of this place must have been distorted by something, and that pile of flesh wasn’t it.

“It’s just one thing after another, isn’t it!” Alisa griped. “Class VII, get your combat links ready!” Not that he needed the reminder. He drew his weapon, and made a link with Laura. Typically the connections he felt were a lot stronger, but this link was barely functioning as is. Was something wrong with the orbment, or was something wrong with him and Laura? He didn’t know, and he didn’t have time to think about it as the flower lashed out at them with a whip-like vine.

He deflected the first blow, and nearly got sent flying backwards by the force of impact. Laura used the break to cut it down, but the flower had more than a single vine at its disposal, as several more took its place. Kurt moved in first, his deadly dance cutting through the creature’s attacks, but unable to gain him any ground in reaching the creature’s body. Alisa tried to shoot at it’s bulb, but the monster swatted away her arrows like they were nothing. He and Laura were doing all that they could to stop the vines from crashing down on Alisa, but every hit he took made his lungs burn that much more. Without another attacker, Kurt was forced to back off as well, his swords acting in the service of Alisa for the time being.

He felt like someone had taken a hammer to his skull and pounded on it without stopping, his blood was throbbing in his veins, and his spear felt so heavy. If it wasn’t for the adrenaline coursing through his body, he might have passed out. Why did he feel so sluggish? There had to have been something else at work. He thrust his spear toward the target and immediately felt something was wrong.

His spear missed the vine that was hurtling toward him, and he had no means of breaking the impact that he could see coming. Its appendage slammed into him, and with a hard cracking sound, knocked him off his feet and into the tree behind him. He coughed and gagged as the hit knocked the air out of him, and the taste of iron stung his lips. He was feeling sluggish, and he could figure out why now. That demon wasn’t just unsettling, it was also toxic. Even though he was only in the cabin for a minute or two, that was enough time for that vile air to poison his lungs.

His eyes widened as it dawned on him that he wasn’t the only one who was standing in that log cabin. Laura was the next to fall from the creature’s attack as it hit a blind spot, a blind spot he would have covered if he was still standing! The vine latched around her leg, and pulled her off the ground like she was simply a toy. She tried to keep her core steady, and hold onto her weapon, but the poison was affecting her too, and his heart dropped as her blade fell from her hands. Kurt and Alisa were trying to break her free with arts, but it wasn’t working. The vine was withdrawing toward the open bulb of the pink flower, it’s petals opening like a voracious jaw. He had to move. He couldn’t let this happen, he wouldn’t let this happen. He screamed at his body to move, to get up and save her before it was too late. He howled at the heavens and put all of his fury into his weapon.

And that’s when he heard the sound of angels, waiting in the wings.

“Freeze it to the core, Crystal Flood!”
“Burn to ashes, Purgatorial Flame!”

Two arts, cast in perfect sync buried the plant in a colossal surge of orbal energy. He rose to his feet and took off running, as the spell burned away the vine that held Laura in place. She was still in the air, but already preparing her landing. It didn’t matter that his lungs hurt like hell, and it didn’t matter who had just saved them, he was going to make that monster pay for what it had done. He grabbed his spear off the ground, and imbued with the energy surging forth from his stigma. He had to let all of that hatred out, and he would drive that hatred straight through that rotten monster! He pulled his arm back, and threw his weapon like a javelin, watching as it spiraled through the air, and blew the twisted flower’s bulb apart. The creature let out a terrible sound as the holy energy tore it apart from within, while the twin arts tore it apart from without. His spear fell harmlessly to the ground, just after Laura touched down on the ground safely. He fell to his knee, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw who cast those spells.

Laura laughed as she steadily rose to her feet. “I knew I could count on you, Elliot.”

“Sorry I cut it so close.” He said, running up to her, “How bad are your injuries?”

“Just a few bruises, but I think I was poisoned.” She said, before coughing into her hand. “Gaius might be feeling the effects as well, you should heal him first.”

While Elliot was searching through his bag for a proper curative for the two of them, Alisa acknowledged the other caster with him. “Captain Claire! You came too?”

She nodded, looking over the situation. “Once Mister Craig told me everything he had found out, I hurried here with my men. They’re currently arresting the criminals you knocked out. Are there any others we should know about?”

Kurt nodded his head. “Yes there are. Two of them separated from the group during the skirmish, while another man retreated before we even began fighting. Is the provincial army here as well?”

Claire grimaced for a second before shaking her head. “No, that simply wasn’t an option. Not when it was their carelessness that led to this situation in the first place. Miss Reinford, can I ask you to explain the situation?”

Alisa did her best to explain everything that happened, from their discovery at the courier company, all the way up until now. He felt fortunate that Alisa hadn’t seen what the baron had turned into, because there was no sensible explanation for how something like that could happen. At least, there wasn’t an explanation he knew of. The man didn’t seem like the type to read heretical texts about demons, and from what he understood, the demon worshipping DG cult had been wiped out before he became a member of the church. Whatever triggered that transformation was something he’d need more information on.

Once Laura had been cleared by Elliot’s first aid, he moved over to him, applying the same medicine to knock the toxins out of his body. Laura retrieved his weapon, while Elliot checked his pulse and breathing. “Well, that’s a relief.” He said, putting his hand away, “You should be just fine now, whatever you inhaled forced you to have an allergic reaction against that plant.”

“That was an allergic reaction?” He said, surprised that allergies could do something like that.

“Yeah, but it’s nothing a proper art can’t fix. It was only temporary too, so it’s not like you’re going to develop a pollen allergy because of this.” Elliot looked down at him and smiled, “Instructor Sara mentioned that plant monsters are exceedingly likely to have poisonous attacks, thanks to their ability to spread spores into the atmosphere.”

“I think we inhaled the poison in that cabin, instead of one of the creature’s spores.” Gaius explained, feeling his strength returning to him. He stood up properly, the only thing ailing him now was just a bit of fatigue, as all of that fighting and running around took its toll. “I don’t know if it’s safe to enter, but the RMP will need to investigate in there.”

“I concur.” Claire said, pulling out her radio to issue an order to her men. After finishing that, she turned back to the students. “Thank you all very much for your hard work, Class VII. And you as well, Kurt Vander. I certainly didn't expect you to leave the prince’s side for anything.”

“He asked me to help, but I don’t feel like I contributed much.” He said, looking down at his shoes “I still have a lot of training to do before I can call myself worthy of the Vander name.”

Alisa patted him on the shoulder, “You were definitely a big help. I wouldn’t have been able to support you with my arrows and arts if those guys had the opportunity to focus fire on me. Gaius and Laura are really good at pushing the pace, so the fact that you were able to keep up with them is a really good sign.”

“I see.” The quiet boy nodded his head, “Thank you, Alisa. I was still useless against that flower, and I didn’t have poison running through my veins either.” He looked over at Elliot and bowed his head. “It appears I owe you an apology.”

“M-me?” Elliot was taken aback, “I’m not sure what you’re apologizing for.”

“I know just how strong Gaius and Laura are, so I was kind of expecting everyone in your class to be the same. When you couldn’t keep up with us in pursuit, I doubted your abilities. I sorely underestimated you, and I’m deeply ashamed of my actions.”

Elliot waved his hands in front of his face, “No, no, if you’re criticizing me for my lack of stamina, that’s a fair point. I never really trained my body for this sort of thing until I actually enrolled in Thors. It does put me a bit behind everyone else, but I know that’s no excuse. Everyone was counting on me, and I let them down because of my shortcomings.”

“But you also saved us because of your quick thinking.” Laura said with a serene smile as she held her hand to her chest, “Several times today, in fact. As long as you stay diligent with your training, I’ve no doubt both of you will find the improvements you seek.”

“This is a good lesson for all of us, I think.” He said, adding his insight to the conversation, “It’s only when we all work together that we can achieve our maximum potential. Relying on our bonds and our shared experiences is what will give us the edge against whatever foes we may face. Thanks for the save, Elliot.” He turned to Laura and bowed his head. “And I apologize for what happened in the cabin there. I was acting purely on instinct, instead of working with you.”

“Apology accepted, although I was scared about you for a second there. It was like you were possessed by something inhuman, if only for a moment.” He had to applaud his friend’s senses, Laura really wasn’t that far off the mark. “That poison must have been very strong. Thanks once again for curing us of its effects, Elliot.” She gave the younger student another genuine smile, and he could feel the tension between them dissipate. He was sure if he tried to form a combat link with Laura again, everything would be alright. Though if he had to guess, a link between Elliot and Laura would be even stronger than his own.

“You guys, all this flattery is going to go to my head.” He blushed and scratched his cheek, “I’m just glad everyone is okay, and no worse for wear.” He glanced over at Captain Claire and asked, “So, what else can we do to help?”

Claire shook her head. “Well you’ve captured most of the suspects, and some of them are willing to talk, so at this point I don’t believe we’ll need any further assistance. You guys should try and get some rest, before the fine arts festival continues today.”

Elliot’s jaw dropped, “Y-You mean it?”

The captain nodded, “Yes, I see no reason to postpone the festival. The students who worked so hard to help save it should at least have the luxury of enjoying it before their field study is over, don’t you agree? You can leave the rest of this to the adults.”

There was no way she would get Elliot to disagree about that, and after hearing how beautiful the music was yesterday, he wasn’t going to disagree either. It was a bit of a shaky finish, but it was a job well done. The five of them went with Claire back to the forest’s exit, while members of the RMP canvased the scene for additional evidence about the case. They made it all the way to the RMP transport trucks, when Claire’s radio buzzed again. When she picked up the receiver, her face grew cold as ice, and a sudden chill ran down Gaius' spine at her reaction.

“What? You’re certain about that? And it’s connected to that incident in Crossbell last week?!” He couldn’t tell what the person on the other end was saying, but it seemed to confirm the captain’s suspicions. “Damn it. I’ll get in contact with Scarecrow, but tell no one outside of the RMP what you found. Is that clear, Engels? Good. Keep me informed if you find anything else regarding that.” She terminated the call and grit her teeth.

“Is something wrong, Captain?” Laura asked, “That didn’t sound good.”

“It’s nothing you kids need to concern yourselves with, I just got a lot more work placed on my shoulders is all.” She looked each of them in the eye and asked for a favour, “Regarding what you saw in that cabin, can I ask you all to keep that confidential? Given that I took responsibility for your actions, I will inform your instructor of the details of course, and you don't need to lie on your reports. However, news of what happened here is not to spread elsewhere. Am I understood?”

“Yes ma’am!” Alisa responded first, “But, can I ask why? This doesn’t seem like-”

Claire quickly cut her off, “I’m sorry, but the underlying circumstances just got a lot more complicated. It’s now an issue of national security.” She spoke with such gravity that it was impossible to argue otherwise. Gaius didn’t know all of the details, but considering what he witnessed, confidentiality was for the best.

The words the grandmaster of the Gralsritter once told him resounded in his brain, reminding him of the role he served, and the duty he had as a Dominion.

“Mankind is not yet ready to be free from their shackles. If they came to know the truth, they would fall prey to madness. Such is the will of the Goddess, in all of her infinite wisdom.”

Chapter Text

The sun rose on Saint-Arkh’s sky, the bright light bringing truth with it out into the open. Against all odds, those responsible for the heinous act were caught, not thanks to the provincial army, but due to the efforts of the RMP and the young students that assisted them in their investigation. Because of that, the deadline which the chancellor imposed for the safety of the festival was met, and it had the right to continue. Although, it wasn’t all good news for the people of Saint-Arkh.

Homes and businesses had been destroyed, and a few people had lost their lives, including the person responsible for all of this, Baron La Costa. There were many bitter feelings to be had, which is precisely why it was so important for this festival to continue. So that people could heal their hearts and minds with the power only art and song could accomplish.

Prince Cedric stood in front of the church, with Chancellor Osborne, Marquis Hyarms, and several soldiers behind him. A crowd of onlookers had gathered with weary faces and haggard expressions, but in the end curiosity had won out for them. The words the prince had to say were being transmitted on radio, so all the people of Saint-Arkh could hear what he had to say.

He was sweating as he stood in front of the microphone, but after a few steady breaths, he started to recite the speech in his hands. “My fellow Erebonians, I am filled with sorrow at the despicable actions taken against our citizens last night. It was a tragedy, one that never should have befallen the people of our great nation. I stand here today, to offer my sincere condolences to all of our citizen’s losses in the midst of this horrible event. I ask that we offer a moment of silence to those we have lost today.” He placed his hand on his heart, and the murmurs of the crowd went silent as they watched his speech with rapt attention.

Once the moment had passed, he spoke again, finding a fire in his heart. “But, it is not only bad news that I bring today. Thanks to the courageous effort of our soldiers, we were able to capture the fiends responsible for this awful incident, and rest assured, they will be punished for their crimes accordingly. However, that alone isn’t enough to help the people harmed by this incident, and rest assured the imperial family will do everything it can to help the people of this great city.”

“The results of the RMP’s investigation concluded that all of the bombs used have been found and disposed of, and there is no risk of any more attacks. With that wonderful news, I am proud to announce that the Fine Arts Festival will continue, but with an added addendum. The money raised by this event will go straight to relief efforts for the people of this city, and the crown will match each mira raised in order to get this grand city back to normal!”

Those words brought a large cheer out of the people in the crowd, and many chants of Cedric’s name. As Gaius watched these events unfold, he couldn’t help but notice the smirk on the chancellor’s face. Even though it was a tragic event, he was the one who got something out of it. Favour with the people of Saint-Arkh, as it was his RMP that took the credit for saving the city, and it was the imperial family who were the first to offer support to its citizens, not the lord of the province. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he turned his back on the rest of the speech, knowing the gist of what Cedric would say.

The sounds of music picked up across the city, as venues that were unharmed by the attacks had musicians lined up and ready to go. It seemed as though Elliot was right, the performers for this event would only be more motivated to perform after this disaster, and the music tugged on his heart. Given the sudden events of last night, and all of the work they did in preventing the incident, Group B had no tasks for the second day of their field study, instead being given the order to enjoy it for all it was worth. But for him, enjoying it was proving to be a challenge. He walked around to a back alley, and slid his hands into his pockets, his thumb rubbing against the orbment’s embossed design.

“Hey! Gaius!” He noticed someone trying to get his attention, and turned his head toward her. His blonde classmate ran over, nearly barreling into him in the process. “We were looking for you!”

“Sorry for heading out without saying anything, I just wanted to make sure I was here for this.” He said, “It’s a relief to see the people here enjoying themselves.”

“Is that so?” Alisa was staring at him, her ruby red eyes boring holes through his face. “Then why don’t you look relieved?”

“That’s-” He hesitated, as no convenient excuse came to mind. “It’s that obvious, huh?”

“You might think you’re cool holding everything in, but that just makes you easy to read when you actually are bothered by something.” She said, shredding his facade with a few simple words. “You can talk with us, you know? We’re not out to get you.”

Alisa’s expression told no lies, and the fact that Elliot and Laura were watching with sympathetic eyes didn’t make this any easier for him to admit. They really were becoming just like family to him, considering how easily they saw through him. It should have been concerning, but for some reason he felt his spirits lift when he realized how much they cared about him. “What can I say? This whole incident left a sour taste in my mouth, and what’s worse is that I completely lost control back there.”

“I didn’t get to see that, but I’d try not to worry so much. At the end of the day, no one got hurt, right?”

“Just barely, Elliot.” His friend was right about the result, but he was still hung up on it. Laura walked up to him, shaking her head as the discussion turned.

“Well I was there, and I can tell you that I don’t think you lost control at all.” She stated plainly. “Your movements were precise, methodical and calculated, to the point where I’d have to argue the opposite. You acted according to your best judgment, but that judgment simply wasn’t the best option.” Laura crossed her arms, “But even though I understand feeling bad about that, it’s not the end of the world. We’re only human, making mistakes is in our nature. What’s important is that we learn from them.”

His lips parted just a hair, as a laugh found its way out. He really was being careless, and all of his friends were worried about him. Aidios had given him so many blessings, perhaps the reason for that was some sort of divine karma, to make up for the curse branded on his back. Right now, he wasn’t the church’s dog, he was still a student, still a young man growing through the aches and pains of adolescence. Above all, he was still human, wasn’t he?

He breathed a sigh of relief. “I can’t believe I missed something so obvious. I’m still frustrated, but at least I can rationalize it now.”

“Indeed.” Laura said, resting her hand on his shoulder. “Besides, if you really weren’t in control, you would have shaken me off in that cabin. I didn’t exactly have you in a Neithardt approved half-nelson back there. So don’t beat yourself up over this, and remember that you can rely on us. We may not understand everything you’re going through, but we can help with the things we do understand.”

“Yeah, we’re not keeping score here. Just because we know we can count on you doesn’t mean you can’t count on us, you know?” Elliot said with a cherubic smile. “When we work as a team, there’s nothing we can’t do.”

“A little cheesy, Elliot, but I agree completely.” Alisa pressed her fist into Gaius' chest. “You don’t have to keep everything bottled up, in fact I was pretty happy to hear you say you were frustrated.”

His mouth slacked open, “Why’s that?”

“I don’t think any of us liked being kept in the dark after that resolution. What is everyone trying to hide? I know Captain Claire said that she’d inform Sara about the pertinent details, but where does that leave us? I feel like we’ve gotten hold of a loose thread, and I’m curious to see where it leads!” She looked up at him, and squeezed her hand into a fist.

“While I am concerned about it, there’s not really that much we can do, outside of bugging Sara about it after she’s had a few drinks.” Elliot said, sharing Alisa’s concerns. “She’d probably be more willing to talk about it, or at the very worst explain why this has to be kept a secret.”

“Whatever the case might be, we’re too involved to be left completely in the dark.” Gaius said, taking a deep breath in. “But I imagine we aren’t going to make any more progress on that today. So what should we do now? I know the Marquis doesn’t have any more tasks for us but…”

“But you feel like our group will be left in the dust by Rean’s team if we just spent today relaxing?” Alisa read his mind, and did it all with a smirk on her face. “Well, it might not be official, but there are probably things we can do to help. Why don’t we make ourselves available as we go around town? I also want to check in on Kurt before we leave, I never got to thank him for helping us out last night.”

Laura nodded her head, “That sounds like a brilliant idea, Alisa. You don’t mind, do you, Elliot?”

The boy shook his head, “Nope, not at all. I want to show this city and all of the performers who stuck around my gratitude. Helping out around here is the best thing we can do, I think.”

“Well if that’s settled, shall we go?” Alisa tilted her head, but she didn’t need to wait long for an answer from him.

“Of course, I’ll follow your lead.” He said, pushing away the dark thoughts that clouded his mind. Those would have to wait for another day. For now, he’d do all he could to help others, as a member of Class VII, his home away from home.

—

While Class VII found purpose in their field studies, forces lurked in the shadows beyond their reach. Two people knew the entire truth of the incident, and they made their way north in an airship hidden by the latest stealth technology. It had no use in a protracted aerial battle, the armour was much too thin, and it was quite expensive to mass produce, but for a black ops squad it was the perfect tool. Though S and V would agree that calling themselves black ops would be a bit far fetched. They were terrorists, and they had just committed their first act of terror.

The ship landed in what was an abandoned fort on paper and every known map in the country. Property once belonging to a disgraced noble, now being used for a different purpose, as the air traffic controller guided them inside the newly assembled hangar. Two more duplicate ships were inside, along with a collection of prototype weapons, ones that would revolutionize warfare as they knew it. After all, they were based on an ancient weapon, one that was very much the real deal. A gigantic knight, clad in azure armour, wielding the same double sabre as their leader, the enigmatic C.

It acknowledged their presence, but stood in place, waiting for its master. After all, it was no simple tool, but a machine with its own artificial intelligence. Neither S nor V could claim to understand what made it tick, but it was one hell of a spectacle regardless. “Blows me away every time I see it.” V said, crossing his arms.

“And you haven’t even seen him in action yet.” C stepped out of the shadows, his voice masked by a modulator, but his flair for the dramatic made it evident who was really behind the flamboyant outfit. “Comrades, it is good to see you well. How did your little jaunt into Saint-Arkh go?”

“Wish we could say it went well, but all we managed to do is light a few fires.” S said, looking over at the steel soldier. “If we just wanted to cause trouble, I think that hunk of metal would have done a better job.”

“I’ll admit, that dumbass made for a good patsy. What the hell kind of dirt did you have on him, C? There’s no way he would have been so willing to let us offer our assistance blowing up the town without a serious noose around his neck. Considering he blew himself up before he could get caught, it had to be something serious.”

“You’d be right about that.” C crossed his arms and leaned back against a support column. “The odds of this plan attaining the primary objective was slim, but the odds were worth gambling on. Even though the chancellor’s head is still nestled on his shoulders, we got three major wins out of this scenario.”

V’s eyes lit up. “We did? That’s news to me, but I should’ve known you had more going on than just what we had on the surface. You’ve always had brilliant plans, C.”

“No need for flattery, V. It’s only because you two enacted the plan perfectly that we were able to meet our goals. The first bit of good news is that we have the RMP movements pretty much understood at this point. There’s no denying their talent and ability, but soldiers follow orders and those orders make them predictable once you understand their movements. We should be able to fully anticipate their response to our plans in Heimdallr, even if they catch a whiff of the main event earlier than expected. In fact, we should anticipate that they will find out a day or two before the festivities kick off.”

“And the other points?” S asked. “This plan was pretty complex for not a lot of gain. Thankfully the mercs we hired have no connection to the ILF, but there is a chance they could tie their actions to V.”

“It was a risk we could afford to take. Considering our need to train Soldats pilots, you’ll be laying low in the noble alliance’s training bays for the next month and a bit.”

“I really wanted some action, but I guess this is the closest I’m going to get. Did they build that heavy weapons model yet, or am I sticking to the Hector class?”

“Just the Hector, the Goliath is still undergoing performance issues. Of the explosive variety.”

“Well that’s not the kind of blast I was hoping for.” V shrugged, “But I guess I don’t mind getting some sparring in, even if it is with a vehicle rather than face to face. So what are those other two wins you mentioned?”

“The second was getting rid of a loose end. Baron la Costa is known for being a social climber, and having too much knowledge for his own good, leveraging it to his advantage. That sort of thing would almost be admirable, if he didn’t dirty his own hands in the process. S, I take it you’ve heard of Paradise?”

S tilted her head toward him, her teeth grinding together. “I don’t imagine you’re talking about Aidios’ sanctuary for the dead, are you? I thought that place was destroyed years ago by the society?”

“It was, and a majority of the cult members running it have met justice. But the patrons? Not so much.” The modulator couldn’t hide C’s anger, not that he had any intention of masking it. The baron was one of those patrons, and with that incident in Crossbell last week, all of the people connected to Joachim Gunter are being thoroughly investigated. But the Crossbell police can only do so much when it comes to Erebonian nobility. If someone like him was questioned by the RMP however… well he might just say a bit too much. By putting him in a dangerous situation, we forced his hand, and put all of his secrets to rest in the process.” He sighed deeply, “It’s easier to end a wide spread investigation with a dead man at the end, rather than one who can’t keep his mouth shut.”

“Take out one bad apple and pretend the bunch isn’t spoiled?” S scowled, “So we ended up covering the nobility’s ass on this one.”

“Yes, unfortunately.” C said. “However, this debt of service has not been forgotten by our benefactor, and he’s given us quite a financial boon in the process. More than enough to ensure the Chancellor meets his end.”

“Forgetting about all this paradise stuff, for a moment, what is that third victory you mentioned.” V quickly changed the subject, something C was thankful for.

“As I said earlier, we helped the nobility out a great deal with this little exchange. In addition to burying some dark secrets, we also forged the bonds of trust between the four great houses, and all it took was reminding them that they all have a common enemy, in our dear friend Chancellor Osborne. You saw how the man had strong armed control of the situation, didn’t you? With him and his hounds in the RMP taking all of the glory, Marquis Hyarms lost a great deal of face and respect among his citizens. The other nobles in his territory are no doubt furious at what he had no choice but to do, and this desperation is the perfect situation to strengthen the ties of the noble alliance, who will really only stick together until something drives them apart again.”

“You’re really playing the long game, aren’t you C?”

“Every action has its consequences, and it’s important to read the field a few moves ahead of everyone else. Especially when your opponent can read just as many moves ahead as you can.” He closed his eyes, and briefly wondered if all of this cost was worth it. There would be a lot more blood and fire before he was done with this deadly game, and he knew there was no going back. He cursed the part of him that yearned to just continue living under this iron fist, pretending like nothing was wrong. Sadly, comrade G gave him a more than reasonable explanation of why the Chancellor couldn’t remain unchecked, and Crow simply could not ignore the facts once they were placed in front of him.

He opened his eyes again, and turned to S. “With G working on the plan in Nord, and V helping to train Soldats pilots, I’ll be entrusting the operations in Heimdallr to you. As always, secrecy is a must until D-Day.”

“Understood, Comrade.” S said with full faith in him. He knew damn well she had her doubts about the alliance, but this was their best option. It was in times like these that they had to be clinical, detached, and utterly inhuman. That was the only way they could wield the hammer of judgment, and topple the iron blooded tyrant on top of the world.

Chapter Text

A couple of days had passed since everything that happened in Saint-Arkh, and Gaius was still feeling unmoored. He was grateful for his friends, truly, but the situation at hand did not leave him feeling at ease. At times like this he would turn to his family, but he could only send them letters, and any response would be delayed by the weeks it would take for those letters to travel back and forth across the country. He still sent them of course, but rather than concerning his family over his troubles, he let them know about all the fun and exciting things he did, without giving them cause to worry about him.

With family out of the picture, the next thing he’d turn to was his faith in the goddess and the winds. Prayer helped to steady him, but it would never provide the answers he sought, only the mental clarity necessary to seek those answers. He knew that the goddess would always have his back, and not just metaphorically anymore, but he was part of an organization that might have those answers. And so he looked down at his hand, and resolved himself to meet with the second dominion.

Classes let out and instead of going to the art club like usual, he went to find his history professor. It was easy enough to ask for his attention in a private setting, midterms were on the way after all, but he had a different idea in mind. Gaius was able to find the professor soon enough, sitting in the library with several heavy books spread open in front of him.

“Ah, mister Worzel! Did you have some questions about the upcoming exam?” Instructor Thomas said in an exaggerated manner, like he had been drinking coffee for the past eight hours. Judging from the half filled mug sitting on the table in front of him, that may have been the case. “I’m always willing to help a student out with whatever problem is ailing them! Of course, that isn’t limited to academics either! If you’re having girl troubles, I was known as quite a ladies man back in my prime!”

Gaius sincerely doubted that remark. He had known Father Lysander by reputation before coming to Thors, and the man had always had his nose buried in a book. Whether it be theological or historical, he had an unending pursuit for knowledge. Definitely not the kind of person most people would consider a ladies man. Gaius shook his head, it wouldn’t do to get distracted. “Ah yes, I actually had a question about the Church’s role in the War of the Lions.”

Instructor Thomas adjusted his thick spectacles, lowering them down the bridge of their nose. “A fascinating question, mister Worzel.” He glanced around the room, making sure no one was in close proximity, and snapped his fingers once, placing the two of them in a dimension partitioned away from Zemuria.

This was the power of Thomas Lysander’s stigma, the ability to open partitions that defied the rules of time of space. Gaius wasn’t sure what kind of limits there were to this incredible power, but he did know one thing. It made for an incredible confessional booth, where no ears were able to intrude open their conversation. “Thank you for hearing me out, Father Lysander.”

“Think nothing of it, Gaius.” His voice took on a more serious tone, “Even if we are colleagues, you’re still a student of mine, and I do earnestly wish to help you with your studies. But I take it you don’t actually have a question for me about the midterms?”

“Not right now, anyway.” He mentioned, “I’ve been studying with the guys in class, and they have been a big help for refreshing me on Erebonian History. No, I want to talk about something that happened more recently. During our classes field study in Saint-Arkh.”

“Of course.” Father Lysander crossed his arms, “While I have been kept abreast of the situation from our whispers in west Erebonia, I still haven’t heard all of the details. While I’m not your superior officer or anything, perhaps a proper debriefing might help us unravel the situation. What exactly happened after you and your class pursued the arsonists outside the city?”

Gaius explained the events that happened to the best of his ability, sparing no detail about the creature that the baron had turned into. “I could tell from its nature alone that it was something that did not belong in this world. A fiend, or a demon of some kind…”

“Judging from your description, it sounds very much like a demon.” Father Lysander said, crossing his arms, “You didn’t find anything else while you were there? Like some kind of drug or item used to coerce that change?”

Gaius shook his head, “I didn’t, but apparently the RMP found something. Because the second they did, they told us to keep quiet about all of the events that took place there. However I figure if anyone has the right to know about events such as these, it’s the church, right?”

Father Lysander nodded his head. “I agree completely. I admit, I should have asked you to debrief me immediately if I knew the circumstances behind these actions. You must be feeling pretty confused right now, I trust?”

“Yes I am.” He said, “What could possibly transform a man into a demon?”

“A drug called Gnosis.” His counterpart said, bringing a hammer to the confusion plaguing his mind. “One developed in secret by the remnants of the DG cult. This same drug was responsible for the mass brainwashing incident that took place in Crossbell just ten days ago.”

“Mass brainwashing incident? What the heck happened in Crossbell?” Gaius was alarmed beyond measure, if that kind of drug got into the hands of ordinary people…”

“It would be chaos, yes.” Father Lysander agreed, “Fortunately the people of Crossbell have a dedicated police agency, the help of several bracers, and an agent of ours helping to ensure that peace is kept there. In fact, it was Father Hemisphere who brought this drug to our attention.

“Hemisphere? You mean Wazy?” Gaius’s eyes widened, “He’s doing well, I hope?”

“More than well, it seems like he’s truly having fun being there. Of course, he is in deep cover on another mission, so that’s all I can say, but rest assured your old friend is doing alright.”

That did gladden him, Wazy was the only other Dominion around his age, and it sounded like his life was even more isolated than his own was. He had been quiet and near emotionless, during their training together, so he worried that he might never fit in elsewhere. To think he could thrive in a city like Crossbell… Well, it was a good sign for his old friend. Still, that brought up another issue. “So how did an Erebonian noble get his hands on a drug manufactured by cult remnants from Crossbell?”

“The ties between the cult and influential politicians in Crossbell run deep.” Lysander gnashed his teeth as he spat out his next sentence. “All because of that damn brothel, Paradise.”

Gaius had heard mention of that place as well, and his superior’s reaction was completely justified. Forcing children into sexual servitude, there were no crimes more heinous than that in his eyes. “So it was blackmail then? Using the politicians who made use of that service to set up a secret distribution network, hidden with dirty money and powerful influence.”

“You catch on quick, I always knew you were a good student, Gaius. And because the Church cannot overtly interfere in political affairs, we were left with our hands tied regarding these events. We’ve been doing our own investigations into Baron la Costa of course, and it seems like he had ties to Paradise as well. He was likely being blackmailed, and that explains his desperation. Given his role as a courier… well it might be better to call him a drug mule instead.”

“So the arson was a method to cover up evidence, after all?” Gaius blanched at the thought, “To think he would put so many innocent people in harm's way just to save his own skin. It’s utterly unforgivable!”

“You’re preaching to the choir, Gaius.” Father Lysander paced back and forth inside of his pocket dimension. “In any case, that’s about all I know about that situation. I can only hope that it brought you some peace of mind.”

“Sort of.” He admitted, “While it is nice to know the truth, I’m still worried about what this all means.”

“Gaius… you always were a gentle soul, weren’t you.” He placed his hand on his shoulder, “I may be an instructor as cover, but I am still your instructor. As such, I want to see you grow and develop, with all of your classmates. In working together with your peers, I’m certain you can find the truth, no matter how thorny that path might be.”

“Shouldn’t we continue investigating the matter?”

“Naturally, but you can leave that aspect to the others. The information you’ve given me will be spread to the right people, and they will act accordingly. Right now I think there’s something far more interesting right under our noses that you’re in the perfect position to investigate, and that’s the old schoolhouse.”

“You think there’s some kind of artifact causing it to change shape every month?”

“That would be my best guess, yes.” Father Lysander grinned, “It’s an utterly fascinating phenomenon and one I would love to explore in greater detail, but I’m sure I would raise far too many questions venturing into a place like that all on my lonesome.” He shook his head, and walked back to his original position, taking his seat back. “I’m afraid to say it but our time is almost up, I cannot keep this partition standing forever. Was there anything else urgent that needed my attention, Gaius?”

“Not at all, Father Lysander.”

“Good. Just remember, it’s Instructor Thomas here. After all, I’m everyone’s favourite instructor!” He put on his goofy voice again and snapped his fingers, the world of black shattering like panes of glass and reverting back to the Zemuria he knew all too well. “Our textbooks don’t cover the role the church played in the events preceding the War of the Lions, but we have a great amount of detail regarding the work Driechels did with the church in order to bring about the renaissance era. In fact, the central museum in Saint-Arkh holds several historical pieces of art during that time.”

“I actually saw some of those during my field study.” Gaius said, keeping pace with the shift in conversation. “The liberation of the capital depicted by Louise Jacques was an especially heartmoving piece.”

“You have a good eye, mister Worzel, Jacques was one of my favourite renaissance era painters. But I fear I could discuss the renaissance for hours, and not a single question from it would be on your midterms.”

“I was mostly asking for my own satisfaction, but I appreciate the time. As much as I would love to hear about it, I do have to study for my tests.”

The teacher smirked, and took a sip of his coffee, flinching at the taste. “Naturally, a student’s job is to study! And oh look what we have here!” Gaius followed his instructor’s gaze to a pair of red blazer wearing students. “Miss Millstein, Mister Schwarzer, do you have some questions for me as well? I do so love to help out the student body with whatever questions trouble them!”

“That’s quite alright, instructor Thomas.” Emma bowed her head politely, “We were just looking for a quiet place to do some studying.”

“Care to join us, Gaius?” Rean asked, “We’re covering history as well for our study session, so it might help you out as well.”

He nodded his head, as much as he respected Thomas Lysander, he knew just how many tangents the man could go on when he got really excited about something. For his sanity, studying with Emma and Rean was about a million times more preferable. “Well I could definitely use the help, I think I’ll take you up on it.”

“Ah, the bonds of youth! Such a touching scene! I’m looking forward to seeing how you three do on the history midterm.” He took another sip of his coffee and flinched again, “As for me, I think I need to get a refill from the cafeteria. Toodeloo, fellow historians!” He picked up his mug and sauntered out with his usual panicked and mousy gait.

“He’s… quite energetic, isn’t he?” Emma said, always careful with her words.

“He is, but he did manage to give me some good advice, despite that.” Gaius replied. “I hope I’m not interrupting your studying, I wouldn’t want to get in the way.”

“Not at all.” Rean added, “Studying is more fun in groups, isn’t it? And I’m sure that with our different perspectives we can do ever better than we would do on our own.”

“Then I’ll gladly accept.” He smiled and joined his two friends at a quiet table on the library’s second floor. He noticed that quite a few people were using the library, burying their heads in their notes and texts. If there was one thing Thors gave him a crash course on, it was studying. He enjoyed reading, so going through the required texts was never much of an issue, but seeing Emma and Machias be so studious helped to light a fire in the rest of the class, and made him want to keep up, so as not to set a bad example.

The three of them worked really well together, covering major events one after another. Emma had a really good strategy for history, one that he would have to take to heart, and that was to treat it like a story. Emperor Driechels was a larger than life historical figure sure, but he had motivations, dreams, and ideals, and those motivations helped to inform his decisions. If anything, history was the richest, most verbose novel there was. Although unlike in novels, plenty of people made irrational decisions that didn’t agree with their motivations. Or they took actions that made little sense because you couldn’t understand those motivations. Still, it made their coursework feel much more engaging to look at that in that fashion, and breezing through their review that much easier.

“Hmm, I think we should take a little break.” Emma said, peering up over her glasses, “I’m starting to get a little tired of looking down.” She leaned back and cracked her neck, letting out a delighted sigh at the release of tension from her shoulders. Gaius was momentarily distracted by her posture, and the small drop of sweat that trickled down from her neck and into her shirt. He quickly averted his gaze, wondering if he needed a break of his own. Being distracted right now was definitely not a good thing.

“I could definitely use it.” Rean cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders. “I knew Emma was really good at this, but you’re not bad either, Gaius.”

“Do I have to worry about you trying to compete with me as well as Machias?” Emma giggled, her soft voice never ceasing to make him feel like he could just float away.

“I’m not that crazy.” Gaius said, “I just want to do the best job that I can, that’s all. And while doing well on a test is nice, acquiring knowledge is the real reward from studying.”

“That’s a good point, it always feels good when something that's bothering you just kind of ‘clicks’ into place, and makes sense all of a sudden.” Rean leaned forward and smiled, “and when I’m working with you two I feel those moments a lot more often.”

“Aww thanks.” Emma blushed a little, “I may not be great at a lot of things here, but studying is one of my biggest strengths! I just wish I could be as strong a leader as the two of you are.”

Gaius tilted his head. He certainly didn’t feel like a strong leader, and judging from Rean’s confused expression he probably didn’t feel like one either. However Rean’s talent was readily apparent, both Jusis and Machias were on even better terms than before after their field study, and it seemed like he was able to get through to Fie to some extent as well. It had only been a couple of days, but somehow Fie and Laura were on speaking terms again, and it appeared that he had something to do with it, though he was keeping his lips sealed on what actually happened.

“I think my feelings are similar to Gaius’ here, leadership isn’t exactly my strongest point. I just want to do the best I can, and support my friends when they need help. All of you are really amazing, so I just want to keep up.”

Gaius smiled and laughed modestly, he didn’t want to distract anybody from their studies after all. “You hit the nail on the head there, Rean. I just want to help where I can, and not get left behind in the process.”

“You’re looking a lot happier as well, Gaius.” Emma pointed out, “Was something bothering you earlier?”

He wasn’t aware that it had shown on his face over the past few days. Still, he didn’t want to lie to either of them, so he told them what he could. “I was struggling for answers.” He admitted, “and when that happens the first person I go to is either my mother or my father. Given the situation I’m in, I can’t exactly turn to them for advice.”

“What was the problem?” Rean asked, “You’re pretty quiet most of the time, so it’s hard to tell when something is concerning you. Unlike Machias or Jusis, who are practically open books about that sort of thing.”

Gaius gave another sensible chuckle. “It was about what happened during the field study. Laura, Elliot and Alisa all gave me a pep talk about it which helped, I just… needed some time to process and understand everything that happened, that’s all. I was trying to play it cool, but it was honestly distressing to me.”

“Widespread arson, and several lives lost…” Emma said, recalling the reports in the Imperial Chronicle and the details Group B shared of their field study. “That sort of thing would distress anyone, Gaius.”

“I’m grateful to hear that.” He said, “and the people responsible for it will certainly face justice for their actions. It’s just that the decisions I made during the crisis weren’t level headed, and they put Laura and the others at risk. I know I shouldn’t regret the decisions I’ve made, since nothing irreversible happened, but I hate that I made them all the same.”

Rean nodded his head, “That’s tough.”

“But I know that I can’t feel bad about my mistakes forever, I just have to learn from them, and make sure I don’t repeat them. I just needed time to process those feelings, and to find some closure.” he smiled sincerely, “It’s easy to keep a level head when times are easy, but when they’re difficult is the real challenge isn’t it?”

“Agreed.” Rean chuckled, “You’re not the only one who made some hot headed decisions in your field study though.” He rubbed his shoulder and sighed, “Thankfully Emma’s grandmother is one heck of an apothecary, I thought I wouldn’t be able to move my arm for a few days, but her poultice fixed it up in a couple of hours.”

Emma chuckled, trying her best to calm down, “She was just diligent in teaching me what to use to treat wounds and injuries when I was young, but your natural recovery abilities are to be praised too.”

“Did something happen to your shoulder?” Gaius asked, “I don’t think you mentioned it during your field study report. Was that the ‘minor’ injury you got?”

“Yeah…” Rean explained the whole situation, about the monster they thought they finished off but it attacked while Jusis and Machias were arguing about something. He protected them, but got a pretty nasty wound in the process.

“Did it leave a scar?”

“Surprisingly, no. I can’t exactly roll up my sleeve to show where it got me, but I did need to get my shirt stitched up where it got me.” He showed Gaius his blazer, and there was a blue thread stitched from the top of his shoulder all the way down to the base of the shoulder blade.

That was surprising. Even proper medical techniques couldn’t heal a scar like that. Thaumaturgy or some high level recovery magic could, but Emma wasn’t as skilled in restorative arts as Elliot, and even Elliot couldn’t make scars disappear. Her grandmother might be more than she appeared to be, which would make Emma… He shook his head, trying to knock those suspicions out of his head. He cursed his overactive imagination sometimes, proper treatment would have prevented a scar from even forming to begin with. He was just being paranoid, and his friends didn’t deserve that treatment. He just needed to relax, and take the edge off.

“I’m just glad there wasn’t any lasting damage.” She smiled at the two of them, “Both of you tend to be pretty reckless, so it’s fortunate you aren’t in worse shape.

He definitely got an earful for that recklessness in Saint-Arkh, and Gaius resolved never to let that happen again, but Rean on the other hand? A nervous laugh and a deflection escaped his lips, worrying Gaius that he might be inclined to repeat the same mistakes in the future. He’d have to keep a close eye on his friend, and make sure that he had his back.

“Now, we could talk all day, but I think that was enough of a break. Shall we move on to mathematics?” Emma tapped her fingers on her book, “I know it’s a subject the two of you struggle with, but I think I know a few tricks to help the complex equations easier to understand.”

Rean nodded his head, reaching for the proper textbooks from his back. It certainly wasn’t Gaius’ favourite subject, but he wanted to do the best he could, and that included the subjects he struggled with. He was a student first and foremost, and he’d rather fear limits and complex numbers, than personal limits and complex political situations. Being beside friends like these, worrying about midterm results, this was the kind of life he had always dreamed of.

Chapter Text

It had taken a while for Fie to get used to her new life at Thors. The idea of being up for long consistent hours, constant coursework and studying about so many different things that it made her head hurt, and interacting with people who would probably never choose to step onto a battlefield, despite being in a ‘military’ academy, made the whole situation rife with confusion for the young woman. Even though she was officially a student, and was still being treated like a student among most of her peers, there were still plenty of things she couldn’t get used to.

The first was this fresh and unique hell known as midterms. The school wanted to see how much all of the students knew at certain intervals, so they hit their students with tests in every subject, all at once. Fie was fine with a test every few days or so, she could devote a few hours with Emma to go over some of the trickier stuff before it happened, but with a collection of tests about all the courses at once? It just made her brain hurt. Thinking too much would get you killed on the battlefield, but it was entirely the opposite at this place called school.

The second, was the attention she had drawn from a certain blue haired classmate of hers. Laura had been extremely cold to her the last month, but now after talking out their issues with each other, she had become downright possessive, always asking to study or train with her whenever a moment of free time arose in the girl’s schedule. She managed to tie with her in a duel, wasn’t that enough satisfaction for her? Whatever the case might have been, Fie was now currently running away from that overeager friend, trying desperately not to get caught in a deep blue vortex.

“Fie? Where are you?” She called out, her eyes darting back and forth around the campus. “Midterms are starting soon, and you really need to study!” Crap. She already found her third hiding spot. She rushed out of the bushes she was hiding in and made her way to the old schoolhouse. “Fie!” The girl caught a glimpse of her running figure. “Wait up!”

She really liked that spot by the garden too. Acting fast, she found a tall tree and scaled it quickly. There weren’t any low hanging branches, but it was easy enough to make some handholds with the knives in her possession. Despite all of their regulations, there was nothing saying she couldn’t carry weapons on her person. At least, she was pretty sure there was, she didn’t actually read all of the rules in the handbook Sara gave her. Ah well, as long as no one complained, right?

Laura was quick to chase her down into the quiet backdrop of the old schoolhouse, and with her tunnel vision in full effect, Fie had the perfect opportunity to leap down from the tree, and get a running start on the swordswoman. Laura was fast, but Fie was faster. Fastest in the school maybe, but she never cared enough to find out if anyone could outpace her or Sara. Judging from the info she had gathered, it was unlikely. Fie did her best to avoid the distracted students, as she made her way off campus. It’d probably be easier to evade Laura’s prying eyes if she did.

It wasn’t as if she hated Laura or anything, she just didn’t have nearly the same kind of zeal… that was the word they used in language arts class, right? The same whatever it was, that Laura had. She couldn’t relax around her, and that made it even harder than usual to focus on her studying. She wasn’t just snubbing her out of spite! Honestly, she wouldn’t have minded, if she wasn’t so overhyped about the whole thing! She looked over her shoulder and saw that Laura was actually keeping up with her. “Seriously?” She mumbled to herself and picked up the pace, this girl’s growth was insane! Fie was still faster, but for how long? Attempting to lose her, Fie made her way toward the dorms, she could probably hide out there until the heat cooled down.

She rushed into the lobby, and scaled the stairs two at a time, trying her best to put as much distance as possible between her and Laura. Once she made it to the second floor, she found her saviour in a blond boy with a perpetual scowl and far too many textbooks on the common room table. “Jusis, hide me!” she pleaded, much to his annoyance. Still, he barely reacted, and just lifted the tablecloth that draped over the edge of the table, unveiling a perfect spot for the young girl to hide. “Thanks!” She slid under and he lowered the cloth down again, creating a perfect veil to hide herself under.

“Don’t mention it.” He said quietly, “although you didn’t tell me-” The door slammed open again and a sense of understanding broke through. “Oh. I see.” A few seconds later, Laura came barreling up the stairs, eyes darting left and right.

“Jusis, have you seen Fie anywhere?”

He shook his head. “Sorry, I haven’t seen her since class ended. Why do you ask?”

“I could have sworn she headed this way.” Laura said, placing her hand on her chin, “you weren’t studying so hard that you didn’t notice, did you?”

“If I was, how would that help you?” he sighed as he tried to make sense of this strange situation, “Did she take something from you?”

“What?” her eyes widened, “No, of course not! I just wanted to study with her before midterms came around. Considering her lack of experience in the education system, I thought she’d need some extra help, since the midterms are cumulative of all we’ve learned so far.”

“Well, you probably aren’t going to convince her with that look on your face.” Jusis appraised the girl in front of him, “In fact I can kind of understand why she might want to run away from you. Didn’t you two just make up?”

Laura nodded her head, as a smile displaced her desperation. “Yes, we did, and that’s why I want to study with her. Now that we’re friends, we don’t need to be awkward with one another.”

“Well if she caught a glimpse of your face right now, she’d probably think you were trying to throw her into your stew pot.” Jusis creased his forehead, and picked up the book in front of him.

“Do I really look that desperate?” She wondered out loud, distracting Jusis from his reading once again. He gave her a look that told her everything, and that he really didn’t want to elaborate. So naturally, she asked him to do exactly that.

“Have you ever heard of the saying ‘it’s easier to catch a fly with honey than vinegar?’ It’s like that.” He said, almost remorseful that he was giving proper advice. “I’m sure she’d be more inclined to study with you if you weren’t so forceful about it.”

“I see… It seems I still have much to learn.” She nodded her head in approval, “Thank you for the advice Jusis.” She peered over at his notes that he wasn’t able to focus on. “By the way, what exactly are you studying? It looks like history, but there are a lot of books I don’t recognize on the table there.”

“Well, most of what I’m reading won’t be on any of the tests, I was just curious about something.” He flipped through one of the open textbooks to a map of Erebonia some two hundred and fifty years ago. “Do you know what the four great houses did during the War of the Lions?”

Laura thought carefully for a moment, before shaking her head. “I’m aware that they helped Emperor Driechels rebuild after the civil war, but I can’t say much about what they were doing during it. It’s not like their actions are material on our test either, so why are you looking at that in particular?”

“The tensions between the noble and reformist factions have only grown more intense lately, surely you’ve noticed that during our field studies?”

Laura nodded, “Indeed, between the kidnapping of Machias in Bareahard, and the arson incident in Saint-Arkh, it’s easy to see just how on edge both sides are.”

“Any number of incidents like this could be the final spark for a civil war to ignite, much like the one we saw during the War of the Lions. If that time comes, Goddess forbid, I want to know what I can do as a noble to help bring it to a swift and just end. The solutions our predecessors had were interesting, to say the least.”

“Well now you’ve got me curious.” Laura said, taking the time to sit down opposite her classmate. All the while Fie was screaming internally for Jusis to shoo her away. With her at the opposite end of the table, escape was impossible. All she could do was hold position and hope her cover didn’t get blown.

“Well, the Rogners decided it was best to sit back and let the princes fight it out. Of course, they made sure to provide iron and steel to all parties, and they made a tidy profit out of their war profiteering. If it was up to them, they’d probably have wanted the war to continue even longer than it already did.”

“An understandable approach, if lacking in honour.” Laura admitted, “The war mostly avoided the Nortia province, due to its rough mountainous terrain.”

“Right, the Rogners made out nicely for themselves due to their neutrality, but another house fared quite reasonably as well, but for the opposite reason.” Jusis’ finger moved south, toward the Kreuzen Province. “The lord of the Albarea household at the time was friends with Dreichels, and waited until he raised his banners before supporting a side. Even still, he played his cards diplomatically, so as not to make an enemy of Orthros, or any of the other princes until the time came.”

“He must have been quite confident in his friend, but I suppose looking back on it now, he had good reason to be.”

Jusis nodded, taking pride in his ancestor’s wisdom. “One day I hope to be as discerning and talented as that Duke, but I still have a ways to go before I get there. That covers the east, but most of the fighting took place in the west, in the Sutherland and Lamarre provinces.”

“I take it they didn’t fare nearly as well.” Laura leaned in, eager to learn this bit of history.

“Well, the Hyarms still sit as the lords of Sutherland, so they did something right at least. Even if that something was jumping from one prince to another before finally resting his hopes on Dreichels. First it was Gunnar, who had blood ties to the Marquis through his mother. Then it was Albert, who still had a standing army after Gunnar’s was crushed by Orthros. After the two of them rebuilt, tried and failed to siege the capital again, he hitched his hopes to Prince Dreichels, who had already won over Prince Lucius and the Eisenritter. Thanks to him being on the right side at the end, he kept his lands.”

“And the lords of the Lamarre province didn’t?”

Jusis nodded again. “It’s nearly impossible to find traces of their name in history books, but in the Albarea library I remember there being old tomes about the Heron house leading the Lamarre province, not the Cayennes. This house supported Orthros to the end, but when they lost, their house was wiped from history.”

“You think they were all executed?”

“Probably. The law was a lot harsher back then. The head was executed at the very least, and it’s quite likely plenty of family members were executed as well, in order to prevent any further rebellions from spreading. The Cayenne house, which had a long history, was elevated in rank as a means to pacify the nobles who were unsatisfied with Dreichels’ rule. However after five years of war, I’m sure they were sick of all the blood spilt on their lands, and just grateful to have a new emperor in place.” Jusis sighed, “The folly of supporting the wrong ruler, I suppose.”

“Between supporting friends, family, or your own sense of justice? What truly is right or wrong, who can say at the end?” Laura mused, “I’m sure you wouldn’t think about those things if you weren’t conflicted, right?”

“Perhaps…” Jusis sighed, “But when neither option is acceptable, what do you do?”

“Take a cue from your ancestor, and wait for a third option to appear?” Laura suggested, raising a point that Fie would have all but been keen to blurt out, if not trapped in her current situation. “Keep in mind that while you are a noble, you’re a person first. If you can’t make a decision that you yourself agree with, no one will want to follow you down the path it leads.”

“Wise counsel…” Jusis said, leaning back on the couch. “But, I am only speaking in hypotheticals of course. I take it to mean that if you were in that situation, you’d look for other options as well?”

“Absolutely. Things aren’t always as simple as they appear, but when you collaborate with people you trust, sometimes options you never would have thought of become available to you.” Laura smirked and puffed out her chest, “I can say that with confidence, at the very least.”

Jusis nodded and gave her a small smile, “Good to see you’re back to your usual self, Laura. Now, I don’t mean to be rude, but I really do need to catch up on my studying.” He opened his book again, and closed the conversation with far more tact than he normally would.

“Of course, but let me thank you for your time, and your advice.” She bowed her head and walked away. Once she was in the clear, Jusis called out to the girl still hiding beneath his table.

“She’s gone now, you can come out.” He didn’t even look away from his book as Fie crawled out from under the table, breathing a deep sigh of relief as she did. “Sorry that it took so long.”

“Don’t mention it. Although I was getting kind of worried when you started going on about history.”

“Did you learn anything useful?”

“Surprisingly, yeah. You’re a lot better at storytelling than Instructor Thomas is. Less annoying tangents too.”

Fie could catch a small smirk peeking out from behind the book that covered his face. “That’s good, but I prefer to do my studying in peace. So if she comes around again I’m not offering another hiding spot for you.”

“Fair enough, I owe you one anyway.” She said, stretching out like she had just woken up. She looked down at his set of textbooks and grumbled. “Guess I should get on this studying crap, huh?”

“I wouldn’t say you have to, but it would be for your own benefit. If not for your own scholastic achievement, then for the fact that you won’t have Laura or any other of our do-gooder classmates hunting you down to put your nose between textbooks.” Jusis shrugged his shoulders. “But ultimately it’s up to you.”

“Thanks for the advice.” She said, lazily heading toward the stairs, only stopping once she realized she was missing something important. “By the way, I just wanted to let you know that your dad is a prick. You shouldn’t feel obligated to do what he wants just because he’s your dad, alright?”

Jusis set his book down and met her eyes, staring her down for a brief moment before relenting and offering a sincere smile. “I appreciate the sentiment, and I’ll keep that in mind. If you’re looking for someone to study with who might be less intense than Laura, I’m pretty sure Craig and Regnitz are at Kirsche’s.”

“Mmm, see ya later.” She said, heading down the stairs slower than usual, just in case Laura was waiting for her by the entrance. Hopefully that chastisement from Jusis helped settle her down a bit, but she could never be too cautious.

As she descended the steps, she couldn’t help but think about Jusis’ lecture from earlier. When she was a jaeger, battlefields were strictly business. It didn’t matter why someone wanted something, all that mattered was that they could pay for it. If she wasn’t a jaeger anymore, she’d have to decide for herself which battles were worth fighting and which side she should take. Just this once, she wished the Boss would take her to meet clients, just so she could understand this all a little bit better. After all, she didn’t have to be a noble to smell smoke on the horizon. It almost made these tests seem pointless… but then she remembered that war and battles were only temporary affairs. If she was going to live outside of the battlefield, she’d need to learn how to live at peace.

And for now, that meant studying like it was a battlefield. At least a wrong answer on a test didn’t mean a stray bullet catching her in the leg. She’d just have to take it nice and slow, and figure it out on the way.

She left the dorm, and still saw no trace of Laura lingering around the residential area of Trista, so she took up Jusis’ idea and made her way to Kirsches’. Hopefully Machias was still there, he’d probably help her out if she asked nicely… maybe she wouldn’t even need to ask him at all. He’d think of it as his duty, or something equally silly. Her heart felt just a bit lighter as she pondered exactly what kind of face he’d make if she showed up to study with him. In her daydreaming, she found herself in a rare situation. Completely caught off guard by the trap set for her by Jusis Albarea.

At the cafe’s patio table sat three students, not two. Machias of course, eagerly explaining some complicated equation, to both a confused but slowly grasping understanding Elliot Craig, and a confident shimmering, Laura S. Arseid. And just as he so casually finished his explanation, three sets of eyes narrowed in on her.

“Fie!” Laura called out to her, “Would you like to study with us?” There was no way she could say no to her when she got like this.

She was completely defeated. With nothing left in her to resist, she shrugged her shoulders and sighed in resignation. “Sure, why not.” It seemed there were more similarities than she could have thought between her old life, and the new life that she was starting to look forward to. “I’m actually pretty good at math though.”

Machias smirked, “We’ll see just how good you are. C’mon and take a seat, I’ll order you a coffee. Just one sugar, right?”

She nodded her head and said. “And no cream either.” A new battlefield awaited her, and this was one she’d do her best not to fail at.

Chapter Text

The flood of midterms in the midst of the rainy season was met with a natural flood as the dim weather outside made for a soothing backdrop to the scratching of pencils, and the occasional exasperated grunt from Emma’s classmates. The tests were challenging, but nothing too difficult for her, everything had been covered in the relevant textbooks, and most of their instructors hadn’t thrown in any trick questions. Professor Heinrich did in the first exam they wrote this week, but ever since Rean told her about the trick he learned about from Towa, she was prepared for his current events question. As the last exam wound down, she scanned over her answer sheet one last time, though she felt quite sure of her answers after double checking them already.

“Times up, pencils down everyone!” Sara, acting as their proctor, announced with a beaming smile. “That’s your last midterm everyone! Turn your sheets over and I’ll come pick them up for you.” With only nine students in the classroom, passing them all to the front wouldn’t save any time at all, Emma supposed. Sara passed by the desks, picking each one up in turn before heading back to the lectern with a smile on her face. “Congratulations on surviving midterms! We should have all of your results announced by Wednesday, so you all can look forward to that.”

Fie groaned, vocalizing about what half the class seemed to think about these tests. Writing them was one thing, waiting for the results was another thing entirely. “With tests ending today, you guys have the rest of the afternoon off, along with a free day tomorrow! Aren’t you guys lucky! Meanwhile I have to stay and grade papers… so many papers…” Her shoulders slumped, and Machias and a few others giggled at her apparent misfortune. “Anyway, all of you make sure to enjoy your freedom while you can, there’s another practical exam coming up next wednesday, and we’ll be announcing the location of your next field study afterward too. It’s going to be a busy day, so look forward to it! Oh, and Gaius, can I borrow you for a second after this?”

“Sure, but what for?”

“It’s a surprise.” She winked, “Go ahead and meet me at the principal’s office when you’re ready.” She said before leaving the class. Not wanting to keep his teacher waiting, Gaius quickly packed up his things and headed out, leaving the rest of the class to wonder what that was all about.

“You don’t think he’s in trouble, do you?” Alisa vocalized the largest concern in Emma’s mind.

“I sincerely doubt it.” Jusis replied, “Do you really think Gaius is the type to cause trouble, even accidentally?” It was a good point, and good enough to leave Alisa speechless for a moment.

“Maybe it has something to do with his midterm results?” Machias offered, “I mean, I doubt they’ve all been graded, but…”

Rean shook his head, “I don’t think that’s it either. He might not be acing tests like you and Emma, but I never got the impression he was falling behind in his school work. We were studying with him last week, right Emma?”

“That’s right. And he seemed very on top of things in my opinion.” She crossed her arms, “So what else could it be?”

“I don’t think we should pry.” Fie suggested, “Whatever it is, Sara probably won’t tell us until it’s dramatically appropriate. I have a feeling we’ll find out soon enough, so we can wait until then. Or he'll just tell us if we ask him.”

Fie’s comment spurred a heated round of discussion, but at the end of the day, no one could come up with any definitive answers. Emma had to agree with Fie, whatever it was, if it was important, it'd come up in due time. And if it wasn’t important, she didn’t want to invade his privacy. Some things were better left unsaid, especially if they’d just invite confusion.

But with midterms out of the way, members of the class started filing out of the room. Spending an entire week doing exams made even the most studious of them grow sick of their classroom, and some fresh air was definitely needed. Emma stood by for a little while longer, pulling out her textbook to check the answers that she had written, making sure she had full confidence in her answers. She might have been docked partial marks for one long answer question, but other than that she felt like she did really well on this one. While she wasn’t as competitive about getting good grades as Machias was, she still wanted to do the best that she possibly could. By the time she finished her review, she was the only one left in the classroom. It felt a little lonely being the last one out, but it wasn’t like she asked anyone to wait for her to finish. She was kind of looking forward to walking back with everyone now that they had more or less made up from their disagreements earlier this year.

Folding her books into her bag, she checked around the back of the classroom for her umbrella. “I’m sure I…” She mumbled as looked around, but there was nary an umbrella to be found. She tried to recall what she was doing in the morning, and it dawned on her. “Oh no… how could I forget?” It had been clear outside when they left this morning, the rain only picking up once they started writing their tests. Normally she would have brought it with her as a matter of course, but she must have had so much in her head that she forgot about it. She glanced out the window and saw that the pouring rain showed no signs of slowing down. If she went out like this she’d get drenched.

She considered waiting around for the weather to clear, but that could take hours, or even longer if the clouds weren’t willing to treat her with kindness. She considered running all the way to the dorms, but it was a fifteen minute walk, and even at a full sprint she’d still be out there in the rain for quite some time. There weren’t any spells out there that could change the weather, not for a single witch to accomplish, anyway, and there’s no way she could possibly head back with a magical barrier surrounding her, her cover would be completely blown! Those thoughts stirred in her head as she walked out of her classroom and down toward the exit of the school. She was staring out the door, contemplating holding her book bag over her head and sprinting back home to the dorms. Things weren’t looking good for her as she hesitated to leave the warmth and shelter of the school.

Seeing no other options she swallowed her pride, and prepared to make a mad dash as soon as she opened the door, but she was stopped by a warm and calm voice. “Emma? Is that you?” She turned and saw him walking confidently toward her, his smile a beacon of warmth, and the umbrella in his hand a miracle granted by the goddess herself. Although Emma didn’t consider herself much of a believer in Aidios, she was willing to credit acts of serendipity to the deity from time to time.

“Gaius!” She called out his name, perhaps with a bit more energy than usual, “How did things go with Sara?”

“Not bad at all.” His smile widened, and Emma wondered if that smile was powerful enough to break through the clouds. She dismissed that thought and tried not to let it show on her face, telling herself to calm down. Just because he’s hot doesn’t mean he can change the weather! “But what’s going on with you? I thought you would have gone back to the dorms by now.”

“About that…” Emma chuckled nervously and explained what happened, to which he lent a patient ear. “...And so now I’m wondering if I should just make a run for it.”

“Well that won’t do.” Gaius said, lifting his closed umbrella. “Would you like to borrow mine? It’s a bit of a walk, and it wouldn’t do for you to catch a cold right after all of those exams.”

“Are you sure? I mean, if it’s alright then…”

He smiled, “Of course it’s alright.” He took a few steps forward, holding the door open as he turned back to her, “Well, shall we?”

“Y-Yes, of course!” She blushed and stumbled forward, following him outside so he could open up his umbrella. The pitter patter of the rain was soothing now, as the rain drops bounced harmlessly off of the fabric and onto the ground around them. “Thank you so much, Gaius!”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m glad I was able to help you out of a bind.” He smiled softly, and Emma could feel her heart racing again, the pounding of her heart playing in rhythm with the sound of the rain. She glanced up at him, and noticed that the rain was falling on his shoulder. She glanced up and quickly understood why. The umbrella wasn’t quite big enough for both of them when they walked at a normal distance to each other, so he naturally adjusted the umbrella to protect her first. It was charming, but she worried that he’d get cold holding it askew like that.

“Gaius, your shoulder…” She mumbled as her lips tried to vocalize the thoughts rushing through her head. She steeled her courage and took a step closer to him, to the point where their arms were practically touching. “I’m sorry, I should have moved closer to begin with.”

He adjusted his umbrella, and shook his head gently, “I didn’t mind getting a little wet, but this isn’t uncomfortable for you, is it?”

“Not at all.” She smiled and stood closer to the warmest spot on a rainy day. He blushed a little bit and scratched his cheek, the typical stoic mask of his diminishing just a little bit. “I just hope I’m not imposing.”

“Never. If you ever need my help, all you need to do is ask.” He said succinctly, and it was her turn to blush a little bit. Emma had thought him to be inscrutable early on, but she quickly discovered that he was just awkward with his emotions. She wouldn’t say he was holding back or anything, just that his expressions were more subtle than other peoples. Perhaps it had something to do with his upbringing, something she had been really curious about. What was life like in Nord anyway? From what she had heard it sounded like a lovely place, but she had thought the same of Parm and Bareahard before visiting them. It was only through those field studies did she learn that there was far more to these places than just the words and pictures in books and magazines.

“Thanks. Seriously.” She smiled and enjoyed walking with him in silence. Sometimes the quiet was awkward, a strange pause borne of expectations and anxiety that made dealing with people tricky. But when she was with Gaius, it was similar to the feeling she had when she nestled up with a good book next to the fireplace. It was soothing, relaxing, it felt like a place where she truly belonged. Her eyes widened as she desperately tried to force those thoughts down. She had to remember her role, why she was even attending Thors’ in the first place! As much as she longed to be an ordinary girl with an ordinary crush, she had a responsibility to her coven, and a whole host of objectives she needed to complete before she could ever dream about enjoying this moment of peace.

The town of Trista looked so much different in the rain. The usual bustle of children playing outside had been quieted by the storm, while the lights in all the buildings were turned on bright. A few people still carried out their usual routines, as some students tried their best to make the most of the rainy day, but most exhibited common sense and stayed inside while the weather was poor. If they had been in one of the ordinary commoner classes, it would have only been a short walk to the dorms, but Emma and Gaius had a lot longer to go. It had some downsides, but if it meant she could enjoy this moment for even longer, she’d never curse the long walk to the Class VII dorms ever again. Just as they cut through the park to save some time, Emma noticed a blur out of the corner of her eye.

“Is something wrong?” Gaius asked as she stopped in place to track that movement. She caught a full glimpse of what it was a second later, as it curled up under the park bench. “A cat?” He tilted his head, “I think I’ve seen that one around here before…”

What was Celine doing out here? She hated the rain normally, but maybe she just happened to be caught outside before the storm happened. Emma didn’t doubt that she could look after herself, but now that she made eye contact with her familiar, leaving her out in the cold would be a far crueler act than she was capable of. “Gaius, would you mind helping us out?”

He nodded his head, treating this inconvenience like it was no trouble at all, extending the umbrella over her head, as she gently coaxed the cat into her arms. Celine was no ordinary cat, but at the end of the day, her natural feline instincts were more powerful than her human-like ones. Emma scooped her up and held her close so she couldn’t escape even if she wanted to. And any word of protest was entirely left up to the telepathic link they shared. “There there, who's a good girl?” Celine cooed as she scritched underneath her chin.

“E-Emma! What are you doing?!”

“Keeping you warm, what else? What are you doing outside anyway?”

“That’s not important! More importantly, what are you doing with ‘Tall, Dark and Handsome'? Is this one of your human ‘dates’ I’ve heard so much about?”

“C-Celine!” She blurted out loud, much to the confusion of the current subject of their telepathic debate.

“Did she scratch you?” Gaius asked, peering over at the cat and at her arm. Goddess, he was close, and her face was burning up from that alone. If he got any closer she might just-

“N-No, I’m fine!” She deflected desperately, adjusting her grip on the mischievous cat. “She’s probably just cranky that she’s out in the cold. I know we’re not allowed to have pets at the dorm, but I’m sure no one will mind if she’s just staying warm inside until the storm passes.”

Gaius smiled, “I won’t tell if you won’t. But Celine, huh? Is that her name?”

Emma nodded, “I’m not sure who her owner is-” the obvious lie escaped her lips with practiced ease, “but she’s got her name on her collar here, and this isn’t the first time I’ve run into her around this area.”

“It suits her, I think. She seems very dignified and proud.” He knelt down, as if he was talking to Celine personally, “Don’t worry little one, we’ll make sure you’re warm and safe.”

“Looks like the hunk is pretty smart after all.” Celine communicated with smug satisfaction, “If you’re worried about having a relationship, you could do far worse than this fine gentleman here.”

“Celine!” She managed to keep her thoughts private this time, “We’re not like that at all!” The two students started meandering back toward the dorms, Celine wrapped up in Emma’s arms, and Gaius holding the umbrella over all of them to keep them sheltered from the downpour. Emma knew that this brief dream was about to come to an end, and couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret.

“I don’t see why not. There are no rules stating that a traveling witch can’t be in a relationship. In fact, it tends to be encouraged. Helps bring more witches to the clan, eventually...” Celine explained, “but more importantly, there’s a good chance he’s the awakener you’ve been looking for.”

Emma kept her pace steady, making sure the revelation didn’t show on her face. “How can you be sure?”

“The old schoolhouse has changed multiple times since the start of the year. We can assume that the trials are being undertaken with each foray your class takes into the building. The only people who have been there for each excursion have been this man, the redhead and the boy with the sword. One of those three will need you to guide them, so why not get a head start?”

“Human relations don’t work like that.” Emma sighed internally, “It takes a variety of factors before you can enter a relationship. Time, distance, feelings, all sorts of things…”

“Isn't that something you just read in a book? You’ve always had a bad habit of overthinking things like this.”

Celine’s statement gave her pause. Sure she was crushing on him like crazy, but there was no way he felt the same way as her. Besides, someone as handsome as him was probably already accounted for. No, there was no reason to push her luck. Just having a moment like this was more than she could ever dream of. It’d be fine to wake up if she could hold onto a dream like this.

“You’re going to the old schoolhouse tomorrow, right?” She asked, and woke from her dream. “Can I come with you this time around? I’m eager to see what it’s like down there, and after all of those exams, I could use a chance to get out and get some exercise.”

“You really want to?” He smiled vivaciously, an expression she had never seen on his face before. “That’d be a huge help! Your support is indispensable, and I know that Elliot won’t be able to make it because of his club, so your arts will be a huge help down there.”

“I-Is that so?” Emma blushed, “Well I’ll do my best down there. Is anyone else going with us?”

“Rean is for sure, since he has the keys to the place.” Gaius opened his free hand and started counting on his fingers. “Machias said he wanted to go this time, and Alisa told me she was coming through hell or high water. I’m not sure about Laura, Fie or Jusis, but I think they’d come if we asked them.”

“Well it sounds like fun.” She beamed, “Just let me know when you guys are planning to go, and I’ll be ready!”

“So the candidates are down to two, now.” Celine mused, as she curled up against Emma’s chest, seeking the most comfortable position to be in. “Sword boy and the hunk, huh?”

“They have names, Celine. The least you could do is try and remember them. Rean and Gaius. Can you repeat those for me?”

“Ok, ok, no need to treat me like a child! Seriously, you humans are so weird about these things!" Celine grumbled, "Although if one of them does end up being the awakener, I’ll have to remember their name.” Celine seemed lost in thought as they made it down to the dormitory’s entrance.

“Well, we’re back.” Gaius said, finding shelter in the archway of the building while he shook off the moisture on his umbrella.

“We certainly are.” Emma said with a wistful tone, “Thank you so much for lending me your umbrella. I really appreciate it. And thanks for looking out for Celine too. I’m sure if she could talk, she’d say thank you.”

“Hmmph, I suppose.” Celine wrestled out of Emma’s grasp the second the Gaius opened the door, hunting for shelter and a warm place to lie down and dry her fur.

“Uh, maybe not.” Emma chuckled, “But cats tend to be pretty fickle, I’m sure she’d warm up to you quickly if she got to know you.”

“Maybe.” He smiled serenely, and held the door open for her, “It was nice walking back with you, Emma. Maybe we could… do this again sometime?”

Emma’s eyes widened, there was no way she just heard that, right? She was just mishearing things, right? “Uh… yeah, sure, that’d be great.” She mumbled out a string of words that should have sounded like ‘Oh please yes, let’s walk home together every day!’ but didn’t end up anywhere close to what she really wanted to say. “But I don’t want to forget my umbrella every day!”

“No, of course not!” Gaius said, before whispering something under his breath. Emma didn’t catch what he said, but she hoped she didn’t do something wrong. It’d be terrible if he grew to hate her for some reason, so she chose to believe that it was nothing to worry about.

Gaius composed himself quickly and gestured inside to the warmth of their dormitory. Celine had already rushed in, she might as well do the same. He closed the door behind her, and Emma awoke from the beautiful dream. Maybe one day she could indulge in all of her fanciful thoughts, but for today, she and Gaius were just classmates. Perhaps closer than most, but she didn’t dare to dream about impossibilities any longer.

The two of them walked into what sounded like a heated argument, as one voice in particular reached a fever pitch. She and Gaius shared a glance before rushing into the dining room, where the rest of the class was gathered.

“What’s going on?” Gaius asked, and the group turned their attention to them, all except for the angry blonde girl screaming at the unfamiliar woman dressed in a maid uniform. This situation was anything but usual, and Emma had only seen Alisa this angry on their very first day of school.

The maid turned her gaze to Gaius and Emma, and offered a perfect curtsy, showing the manners and etiquette expected of a high class maid. Her bearing was serene, a stark contrast to the angry young woman in front of her that was being very politely ignored. “Master Gaius, Lady Emma, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Sharon Krueger, head maid of the Reinford Household, and newly acting dorm mother of the Class VII dormitories.”

Gaius tilted his head, “Acting dorm mother?”

“Reinford household?” Emma said, her eyes widening at the now obvious connection. “So does that mean?”

“I imagine it is just as you suspect.” Sharon said with a perfect smile, “Lady Irina Reinford sent me here to make sure her daughter and all of her classmates had their needs met properly. I am unsure of how long this arrangement will last, but I am honoured to be of service until that moment comes.”

Alisa let out an anguished scream of defeat, cursing out her mother under her breath, while the rest of the class shared a look with each other. There was never a dull moment at Thors, and it appeared that the future was only going to get crazier. She wasn’t sure what having a dorm mother would be like, but this new change promised to be interesting. At the very least, it was one less thing for Emma to worry about, as she focused on her real goal. Finding the awakener of Emperor Driechels’ legacy, and guiding him forward. For her family, and for the sake of her duty as a witch of the Hexen Clan.

Chapter Text

Most of Class VII found themselves with a sense of relief after midterms ended. They were finally free to rest their eyes from scanning pages upon pages of textbooks, and rest their hands from the daunting task of essay questions and multiple choice exams. Free days typically meant spending time at clubs, and having the luxury of catching their breath from the torrid pace of learning that Thors’ provided. Unfortunately for Jusis Albarea, there was no opportunity to take a break from his other duties. Being the second son of one of the great houses of the country meant that there were personal responsibilities that he simply could not shirk.

And this responsibility was perhaps most daunting of all. Dropped into his lap with such short notice that he had first thought it to be some sort of joke, but as his butler continued with the utmost sincerity, he had no choice but to accept it for what it was. He had always dreaded these events, and today filled him with the same dread as all of those prior engagements. It was a day for courtship meetings.

He understood the necessity of such things, nobles believed that you were only as good as your lineage, and that you had to keep the bloodlines free of ‘impurities’, as his father might put it. If you didn’t, your reputation would be destroyed, and the great house you belong to may no longer be considered so great. It was also a means of securing alliances, marriages may unite families, but it also provided hostages and collateral if necessary. One could argue that said marriage was the most important decision of his life, he didn’t have the luxury to choose not to wed without forsaking everything he had. And as much as he hated this situation, he would hate even more to lose what he had earned. Thankfully, these meetings were simply a prelude of sorts, a way to get to know certain ladies of the court better before making any sort of major decision. However that also meant that he had to be on his best behaviour, lest unsavoury rumours spread.

His butler Arnaud pulled up to the dormitory with the newest model of luxury Reinford car sitting pretty at the doorstep. An immaculate appearance, and perfectly punctual too, as the time on his ARCUS just reached nine in the morning. He straightened his back, took a deep breath and stepped out to greet him. Even if this whole thing was just a sham, he would meet it with all the dignity required of a noble. “Master Jusis, I am pleased to see you again, and so soon.”

“Indeed, it is a pleasure to see you as well. Before I step inside, I must ask. This isn’t some sort of ruse to get me to return to Bareahard, is it?”

Arnaud shook his head, and Jusis felt a pang of guilt. It hurt to accuse this man, the only thing he could be accused of was following the orders of his family perfectly, for all that entailed. “It is not, not even Master Helmut would do something so brazen as that after all that has happened. I trust you’ve been informed of the itinerary?”

“Indeed I have.” Jusis pulled out the letter he received from his family from his pocket and scanned the contents one more time. “A meeting at ten, a meeting at twelve, and a meeting at two. I must admit, I had only expected a single meeting, not a day full of them.”

“Given the fact that you were going through your midterm examinations, Lord Rufus thought it would be more prudent to put your education first, and thus suggested to Duke Albarea that you undergo all of these meetings on a single day, rather than spreading them out.”

“I see.” A small smile cracked on his face, as he thought of his brother’s mercy. True, it wasn’t enough to get him out of this entirely, but he could treat this like pulling off a bandage, or setting a bone back into place. It would hurt in the moment, but the pain would pass quicker. “Then I shall ask you to pass on my gratitude, Arnaud. Do I look presentable enough for these fine ladies of the court?”

Arnaud looked over his formal clothes with a discerning eye, glancing over from top to bottom, front to back, for anything out of alignment or lacking in refinement. His formal wear was immaculate, but he couldn’t escape his butler’s comb as he brushed down a few errant strands of hair that had curled out of place. “That should do, Master Jusis. I dare say those ladies will be quite impressed by your demeanour and apparel.”

“Thank you, Arnaud.” He said, trusting in the words of the family’s most trusted butler. He had the opportunity to view a skilled maid in Sharon Krueger recently, and it only served to remind him just how talented the people around him really were. Only a fool would dismiss people like Arnaud and Sharon as mere ‘help’, but there was no shortage of fools among the nobility. “Shall we be off?”

“Just one moment.” He said, turning his head toward the dormitory, “I believe we are expecting one more.”

This was news to Jusis, but as he followed his butler’s line of sight, he understood exactly what he meant. There were plenty of potential candidates at the academy, and one of them just happened to live in the same dormitory as him. And while he wasn’t used to seeing her in formal wear, he had to admit she looked very natural in the blue dress she wore, though her usual ponytail felt a bit plain in comparison to the fine silk she wore. Despite his thoughts, the only word that escaped his lips was a quiet “Oh…”

“I see.” Laura responded with a quiet chuckle, “I should have suspected that you would be involved in this, Jusis.”

“So it seems.” He tried his best to remain calm, and remember everything Rufus had taught him. “Would you care to come with us to the venue?”

“That sounds lovely.” She said, changing her usual manner of speech to something more formal. He didn’t know why, but it just felt off putting on her. The Laura he had grown accustomed to always spoke plainly, but he supposed this was just another side to her that he wasn’t aware of. “My original plan was just to take the train into the city.”

“You might get a lot of unwarranted attention in a formal outfit like that.” He said, extending his hand, “My apologies for this. I imagine you’d rather be enjoying your free day doing other things.”

She took his hand and smirked. “Not at all, as a daughter of a noble household I’m expected to do this sort of thing every now and then. I appreciate your kind offer, Jusis.”

Arnaud opened the door while Jusis introduced him to her, and once she had settled into the backseat of the luxury sedan, they started the drive into the city proper.

“You seem quite nervous.” She noted as they picked up speed on the highway, “Are you feeling alright?”

“Just a little taken aback.” He admitted, “I understand that my father arranged this, but I’m a bit uncomfortable about having multiple arranged meetings in the same day. I sort of feel like a gigolo, even if these are only preliminary introductions.”

She laughed and smiled, “I understand completely. To be honest, I felt a great sense of relief when I found out that you were the person I was scheduled to meet with. You never know what kind of person you’ll meet at these sorts of events, so I’m glad it’s someone I know.”

“Indeed, I’m quite relieved to hear that I know at least one of the people I’m meeting. Although I will admit to being surprised to hear you were involved.”

“Well, I can’t refuse these sorts of requests all the time. And while I would much rather focus on perfecting my sword skills than dealing with future husbands, there are certain expectations one is expected to maintain. I take it that’s the reason why you’re engaging in this now?”

Jusis nodded, grateful that he could at least talk with someone who understood where he was coming from. He had not been to very many of these, but every time there was a certain desperation in the eyes of the other party. At least Laura had no such inclinations.

Without those expectations needling into his back, he could relax, if just a little bit. He still had no idea what the other two were like, other than that they were students from St. Astraia. But the school held classes for girls as young as six years old, all the way up until they turned eighteen. While he was grateful that he wasn’t dealing with women significantly older than him, he couldn’t say the opposite would be better. He could only hope that they fell in somewhere close to his age.

But that was something he could face when the time came. For now, he enjoyed the conversation with Laura, who expressed a deep regret that she couldn’t go into the old schoolhouse today. He hadn’t seen it since their orientation exercise to start the semester, but apparently it was changing every month like clockwork. It was a strange occurrence, but he didn’t really have much interest in it, as long as it wasn’t causing problems for the people living near it. Monsters were always a problem of course, but he wasn’t a bracer nor did he have any delusions of becoming one in the future.

He and Laura had a pleasant chat about their exams, their clubs, and other such trivialities until they finally arrived at their location. A restaurant quite commonly cited by nobles as one of their favourite places to eat in all of Erebonia, the Märchen Hare. It also happened to be owned by his brother, though he took a very hands off approach to the management of the business.

“It’s even more impressive up close.” Laura remarked once she stepped out of the vehicle, “Is it common to have arranged marriage meetings at a palace like this?”

Jusis offered an apologetic shrug, “When they don’t take place at either household, a neutral location like this is often the best place to meet. A high quality restaurant like this is certain to give off a positive first impression. But I think we’re both well past that point.”

“Indeed. But your other two suitors might be impressed. Still, all the filigree in the world doesn’t matter if the substance isn’t up to par, wouldn’t you say?”

He couldn’t help but smile at his friend’s directness. “Of course. I imagine you’ll enjoy the food on the menu here, it’s made by some of the best chefs on the continent after all.”

“That’s something to look forward to at least.” She rubbed the back of her head, “But I must admit, I was supposed to meet you at twelve, not ten. It may cause problems for us if we go in together.”

Jusis crossed his arms as that piece of knowledge would have been useful to know on the ride here. Now that he was standing at the entrance of the restaurant, he couldn’t just have Laura go in separately, that would cause his family’s reputation to sour if he couldn’t show a lady the proper respect. But if he went in with her and the suitor he was supposed to meet with saw him, that would be considered insulting to both her family and the Arseid’s. He racked his brain over trying to find a solution, one that wouldn’t bring shame to him or to Laura.

But all of that grinding smoke inside of his head was for nothing, as Laura took a step forward. “Laura?” he called out, “What are you doing?”

“Well, I’ll go in first, and find a table close by. Then when you’re done I’ll just swap in. Easy.” She said it like it was the easiest thing in the world. Her directness even took him aback, as if it was simply a matter of course. What’s worse was he went along with it. Truth be told, he didn’t have to worry about his own reputation as much if Laura was willing to take a hit for a faux paus like that… but that wasn’t something he could abide by as a noble. It would go against what his brother taught him.

“No, we’ll go in together.” He said, offering his hand to Laura. “It would be rude of me to do otherwise, and if anyone takes umbrage at this state of affairs, they can tell me outright.”

With their course decided, they walked hand in hand to their table, a private booth well hidden from prying eyes and ears. Even if Laura wanted to listen in from a nearby table, she wouldn’t have been able to. The host guided them with the utmost hospitality, and after setting the menus down and pouring them glasses of sparkling water, left them to their business in peace. Jusis did his part to ignore the rubberneckers and faint whispers he heard along the way, this had nothing to do with any of them.

“We appear to have arrived a bit early.” Jusis said, glancing at the hands of the clock on the wall, “At the very least that gives me some time to explain the situation to the other guest.”

“I’m sorry for putting you in this mess.” Laura said, “Really.”

“There’s no need to apologize.” Jusis said, “We can’t change what’s already been done, and you haven’t done anything wrong. If I couldn’t navigate through a situation like this, I could scarcely call myself a noble. So just relax, and enjoy yourself.”

She nodded her head and seemed to be relieved, “Very well then. I’ll do my part to help you with this as well, but I’m curious to see what you have in mind.”

“It’s nothing too difficult.” Jusis said, folding his arms in front of his chest, his ears attuned to the white noise of the restaurant around him. The sounds of footsteps, the chime of the entrance door, and the sounds of pans, dishes and cutlery all moving in its own unique flow. As multiple footsteps headed his way, he opened his eyes again.

Just as he did, he could catch a glimpse of the uniforms of St. Astraia from his vantage point, ones that came fully into view once they rounded the corner into the private dining area. It appeared that the ladies of the school had the same idea as they did. “Lord Albarea, your guests have arrived.”

“Thank you.” He acknowledged the waiter’s presence for just a moment, before turning his attention to the two young women. One stood taller than the other by just a few rege, her long black hair flowed freely, adorned only by a headband to keep it away from her eyes. He couldn’t help but notice how familiar she looked, as if he had met her somewhere before. The other girl was an enigma to him, her minty hair wavy and long, curling at the ends and practically bouncing with each step she took. While the raven haired girl was nervous, she stood with an amused grin on her lips, and a sharpness in her lilac eyes.

“This certainly comes as a surprise. I had heard that I had courtship appointments scheduled, but I wasn’t expecting to take them all on simultaneously.” He stood up to properly introduce himself. “I am Jusis Albarea, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

The two young ladies curtsied, and offered introductions of their own. “My name is Mildine Egret, granddaughter of Count Egret.” She spoke first, “I hope this decision of mine hasn’t caused you any undue stress, Lord Albarea?”

“No, it’s quite alright.” He said politely, “I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Count Egret, but I hear he is a remarkable and well-traveled man.”

“Yes, he is quite fond of his expeditions. My grandmother doesn’t know what to do with him half the time when he finds a new souvenir from some far off land.” She giggled, but her eyes didn’t laugh with her. Or at least, it felt that way for a moment, but perhaps he was just imagining it. Her smile certainly looked natural now, anyway. “And this is my friend. When I heard she was scheduled to meet you today as well, I thought it would be for the best if we both went together. She’s a bit nervous about these courtship meetings, so I thought having a friend would help her out!” She turned to her and elbowed her in the ribs, “C’mon, introduce yourself~”

The young girl, whose face he finally remembered, stumbled over her words. Not wanting to let a lady struggle, he spoke first in an attempt to break the ice. “I believe we’ve met before, haven’t we? I’m not sure if you wish for me to refer to you by the name you first gave me, but I can do so if you feel uncomfortable, my lady.”

She shook her head, “That won’t be necessary.” She cleared her throat delicately and stood up straight. “My name is Elise Schwarzer, daughter of Baron Teo Schwarzer. I’ll be in your care.” She bowed stiffly, creating a far different impression than the one she gave as the princess’ bodyguard.

“Did you say Schwarzer?” Laura stood up as well in that moment, eager to chase after the name she provided. Jusis was surprised as well, but he knew that his classmate had a younger sister at the academy. “As in, Rean’s younger sister?”

She smiled and nodded her head, “You know my brother as well?”

“We’re all in the same class.” Laura said, unable to contain her excitement, “Oh, where are my manners? I’m Laura S. Arseid, daughter of Viscount Arseid. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance!”

“Oh, you’re Laura?” Elise’s nervousness seemed to melt instantly, “My brother told me all about you in his letters!”

Mildine giggled, “While this is a lovely little discussion, why don’t we all have a seat, first? Conversation goes so much better with tea, wouldn’t you say?”

Jusis agreed with that sentiment, and all four of them found their places at the table. Elise and Laura sat opposite from each other, which left him face to face with Mildine. She kept an easygoing smile on her face at all times, but something about the way she acted had him on edge. Did he do something to offend her? He certainly hoped not, but this courtship meeting had already taken a strange turn, so it wouldn’t surprise him if he had.

Their waiter took orders, and the four of them got to know each other between courses. As he gathered more information, it was clear to him that neither Mildine nor Elise were all that interested in the prospects of marriage right now. Elise was focused on her swordsmanship, much like Laura was, and she was eager to use her time at St. Astraia to grow as a woman. Jusis found it a strange turn of phrase, but Elise explained that Ymir was quite different from the capital, and that the rules of etiquette and procedure were more challenging to grasp.

Mildine on the other hand pretended to be interested in him, but her actions failed to match up with her words. If that really was the case, she would have gone by herself and used the opportunity to attempt to charm him. He had to admit that she was rather charismatic, and she was quite well informed about a variety of topics, from current events, to the type of tea they served, and even the brand of coat that Jusis chose to wear to this event. What struck him the most about her, was that she was always watching, always listening, keeping her ears open as Elise and Laura found no shortage of common ground to talk about.

“I just wonder how my brother is doing right now.” Elise mentioned, just as they had finished their appetizer course, “He’s currently on a free day, correct?”

“That’s right.” Jusis said, “Once a month, we get a free day at Thors. That stringent schedule is part of the reason why we’re all meeting today. If I had to guess…” He glanced over at the clock on the wall, confirming the time, “He and the rest of our class are probably exploring the old schoolhouse right about now.”

Mildine's ears perked up, “An Old Schoolhouse? How fascinating! Why are they doing something like that?”

“Well, that's a bit of a long story but...”

—

“Phew!” Machias said, wiping the sweat off his brow, before reloading his shotgun. “Glad we can finally take a break in this place. There were a lot of monsters to take care of, but I think we got it handled now.”

“Yeah, not bad Machias.” Rean slid his sword back into his sheath and let out a deep breath. “You and that shotgun of yours are really impressive. Thanks for taking the vanguard this time around.”

“Don’t mention it.” He said, “We’ve all got our strengths and weaknesses, right? With all of these fliers around, it makes a lot of sense for Fie and I to be up front.”

“Even if it is exhausting.” Fie leaned back against a wall, rolling down her sock. “Hey, Emma. You mind hitting me with a quick healing art? I think one of those bats nicked me.”

“Sure thing, Fie.” She knelt down and checked the wound, “Thankfully it’s just a minor cut and nothing serious.” She held her hands out over the cut and utilized her orbments healing art. “Tear!”

The orbal art worked its magic, and Fie’s cut was as good as gone. “Thanks, Emma.” She replied with a cute smile.

Emma chuckled, “Don’t mention it. Does anyone else need healing, while I’m at it?”

Gaius, Rean, Machias and Alisa all shook their heads, opting instead to use this moment to catch their breaths. “You should take a seat as well, Emma, and get your orbment charged up. You’ve been using a lot of arts, haven’t you?” Gaius said, patting the ground next to him.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.” Emma said, taking a seat by Gaius once her orbment was starting to charge, “I didn’t think I was going through that much charge until I checked it just now.”

“Considering how much support your arts have been giving us, that’s no surprise.” Gaius said, brushing away the sweat from his brow. “And considering how long this floor has been, it’s no surprise that we’re all feeling a bit winded.”

“Ugh, no kidding.” Alisa griped, “This one has to be twice as long as the last one. I don’t know what’s making this place change and expand every month, but this new floor is the worst!”

“The worst so far.” Fie joked, “Who knows how many more times it’ll change like this?”

“Honestly I’m hoping for this to be the last one.” Machias added, as he wiped the dirt from his glasses, “I can’t believe you and Gaius do this every free day, Rean.”

“Hey, it's not that bad.” Rean chuckled, “It lets us test out the new features of our ARCUS units and it helps keep our combat skills sharp. After all of those midterms I really needed to cut loose, you know?”

“I feel you there.” Gaius added, “I just wish we could have gotten everyone with us. It’d be nice to do this as a complete class.”

“Maybe next time.” Alisa smirked, “but I saw Laura getting all dolled up, and Jusis was up bright and early too. I wonder if they’re out having a secret date instead.”

“No, I sincerely doubt that.” Machias said, “If Albarea was keeping a secret he’d do a better job hiding it, and if Laura was dating anybody, we’d all know it.”

“He’s right.” Rean said, “If I had to make a guess, Jusis is probably dealing with courtship meetings. It’s about that time of year, after all.”

“What are those?” Gaius asked, crossing his arms. “I’m aware of what courtship is, but I didn’t think that sort of thing was arranged.”

“It’s something that the nobility does to find prospective marriage partners.” Emma explained, “Young men and women of marrying age meet and discuss their future prospects and look for their ideal match.”

“Something like that…” Rean said, rubbing the back of his neck. “There’s a lot of responsibility when it comes to marriages, especially between houses with as much clout as the Albarea family has. Jusis wouldn’t be allowed to marry just anyone, they would need to meet the standards of his household.”

“That seems rather difficult.” Gaius said, creasing his brows, “If the person you wished to marry didn’t meet your family’s expectations, what would happen?”

Rean seemed uncomfortable with answering the question, so Machias spoke up, against his better judgment. “Nothing good. He could be forced to marry against his wishes, or disowned for his decision to save the house’s reputation. For the nobility, marriage is less of a union of love, and more of a chain around your neck. It’s just another problem with this system…” He glanced at Rean and lowered his eyes, “Sorry…”

“It’s fine, you were just answering Gaius’ question.” He said, brushing off the comment like it was nothing. Like it was just the usual. “But arranged marriages aren’t always a bad thing. My mother and father had their marriage arranged, but they love each other so much it can make a guy gag sometimes.” Rean’s joke helped to lighten the mood a bit, “I just hope that when it comes time for my sister to start courtship meetings, I’ll be able to keep an eye out on her prospective partners. Because if they aren’t good enough for her…”

“Isn’t your sister already at that age, though? Not to marry, but to at least meet with and discuss those sorts of things with the opposite sex.” Alisa teased, “And besides that, I’m pretty sure no man will want to court your sister if you’re going to glare at them like that with your hand at your sheath.”

Rean quickly hid his hands behind his back and tried to hide his growing embarrassment. He didn’t mention her a lot, but it was clear that he was quite protective of his younger sister. Even if he was adopted, he still treated her like his family. No… she was his family, and Machias wanted to kick himself for thinking like that. He rose to his feet and rolled his shoulders, “How much longer do those orbments need to charge?”

“Just another minute or two.” Alisa said, “Then we can get going. I wonder what kind of monster we’ll be up against this time?”

“Well one thing’s for certain, it won’t be nearly as scary as Rean is.” Fie said, getting a good laugh out of the rest of the group. If they could count on one thing, it was that Rean always made for the butt of a good joke. Machias smiled, and wondered if Jusis was dealing with any overbearing family members right now. He’d very much like it if he was, at least it’d be some payback for flaking out on monster extermination duty.

—

Jusis felt a cold chill crawl up his back in the middle of their lunch. Instinctually he checked over his shoulder, wondering if he had offended someone, somehow. But there was nothing behind him but the wall of the restaurant. He must have just been imagining things.

“Is something the matter, Jusis?” Elise asked, to which he just shook his head.

“No, it’s nothing.” He laughed it off, “I just thought I sensed something for a second, but it was just my imagination.”

“Well your senses must be getting sharper, because I sensed something too.” Laura laughed, “It probably wasn’t anything important, however.”

“The ability to sense strange happenings, how whimsical.” Mildine said, “Perhaps you’re picking up on that ‘unclouded eye’ ability I’ve heard about. Some martial arts schools in the east have their pupils learn how to sense things by casting off their preconceptions of the world.” She set down her glass of water and tilted her head, keeping a cozy smile on her lips. “But I thought that was the stuff of fairy tales, at least until Elise mentioned she could something similar.”

“Heh, not nearly to the degree that my brother or Master Ka-Fai can, but it is possible with training.” She giggled, “I didn’t get to do any of the wilderness training as my brother, so while I picked up on some of the eight leaves techniques from him, I don’t really grasp the deeper philosophies behind the fundamentals. But every now and again I can sense people’s strongest emotions, like their confusion, or their anger.”

“But something like that could be really handy if you mastered it.” Mildine surmised, “If you could cast away your preconceptions, you could discover what someone was truly thinking, or what their intentions were from just a glance. When it comes to socializing, an ability like that would practically be cheating, wouldn’t you agree?”

Laura chuckled as she shook her head, “I don’t think it works like that. If it was, I’m certain we wouldn’t have had as many misunderstandings as a class as we did, even if Rean could use that ability. Isn’t that right, Jusis?”

Jusis was set to agree, but something about that girl’s statement gave him pause. It was true that they went through a lot of disorder as a class, but when it came to resolving all of their issues, it was Rean who ended up being at the heart of it. Such an idea would truly be fantasy, and yet he couldn’t help but wonder if it was possible. As he met her lilac eyes, her smile turned into a smirk, and he realized that she was evaluating him. He had almost lost himself in the casual conversation, and very nearly forgot that this was all an evaluation. As a noble, he was being tested at all times, and unlike Rean, he couldn’t figure out what she was thinking from just a glance.

“No, you’re right. I’m sure something like that would certainly be a boon, but social interactions are far more complicated than that. Even if you could surmise someone’s intentions, understanding and accepting those intentions would be something else entirely.”

Her lips curled upward just a bit, before she let out an exaggerated sigh. “You’re right, of course, but it doesn’t hurt to imagine the possibilities does it? And this class of yours is just full of possibilities. I’d certainly love the opportunity to hear more about them. However…” She glanced at the clock and shrugged her shoulders, “It appears this little soiree of ours is about to reach its conclusion.”

“Oh my, is it that late already?” Elise said, taking notice of the time as well, “We need to head back to St. Astraia soon, or else we’ll be reprimanded for staying out past our allotted time.”

“I had heard that the school was quite strict with its rules, but I would think they would give you a little leeway considering the circumstances.” Laura said, failing to hide her disappointment. “I would have loved to chat more with you, Elise.”

“I feel the same way, Laura. I for one would love to hear more about Countess Le Guin. I only know her by reputation, so hearing stories about her first hand has been really interesting!”

“It’s a shame that you both have to leave so soon.” He admitted. He was expecting something far worse, but this change of pace was actually kind of fun. “But I appreciate you both agreeing to this arrangement on such short notice.”

“It was my pleasure, Jusis.” Mildine said, rising from her seat, and offering a picture-perfect curtsy. “You were the very model of a noble gentleman.”

“Thank you.” He bowed in respect, before addressing the other woman beside her. “And thank you for joining us as well, Lady Elise. Is there anything you’d like us to pass onto your brother before you go?”

She shook her head, “No, I think I’m alright. If I’m completely honest, I’d rather he didn’t know I came to this meeting at all. My parents may have arranged this meeting with your elder brother, but I fear if my elder brother knew about it, he might… overreact a little bit. He’s a bit overprotective.”

Jusis could definitely imagine that happening. Rean didn’t talk about his family much, but when he did, he spoke quite highly of his younger sister. After meeting her in person for the second time, he could see why that was. She was the very picture of feminine grace, and her etiquette and refinement left no room for criticism.

But that left him with one question, and one he wanted answered before she left. “I understand. But, if I may, can I ask you something?” She tilted her head slightly before giving a minute nod. “Why did you introduce yourself as ‘Thorn’ when we first met?”

“Ah…” Her back and shoulders grew tense like the strings of a violin, “I suppose it is only fair for you to know. I chose that name because my family is not highly regarded among the other noble houses. In fact, I really shouldn’t even be meeting with someone of your high stature. However, because I serve as the princess’ sword, it is my duty to protect her, in both body and reputation.”

“Yes… I understand.” Jusis said, understanding clearly how difficult her position was, “Just be assured, I have no intention of judging you for that. I was merely curious. I can tell by meeting both you and your brother, that your house does not deserve the reputation it currently has, and I can only offer my sincerest apologies.”

A faint blush grew on her cheeks, and she offered a serene smile, “Thank you for your kind words, Jusis. I am honoured beyond words to hear that.”

“Allow me to offer my support as well.” Laura said, “If anyone wishes to give you trouble, you can direct them to me, and I can show them just what the Arseid school is capable of.”

“Hehehe, this little meeting was even more fruitful than I thought it would be.” Mildine smiled and rubbed her friend’s shoulder. “Not only did I get to meet you two, I got to see Elise make the most lovely expressions~”

“M-Mildine?!” Elise pouted, “Please, we’re still in a public setting!”

She giggled, and returned to her polite demeanour, hiding her playfulness behind the veil. “Lady Arseid, Lord Albarea, this was a wonderful luncheon. I’d love to get a chance to do this again sometime. Preferably somewhere without all of the prying eyes next time~” She giggled and turned on her heel, leaving her companions speechless as she walked away with Elise following close behind.

“Well, they were certainly something, weren’t they?” Laura spoke once the two had vanished from view. “I have to say, I’m impressed with how you handled yourself.”

“Something of that nature is a trifling affair.” Not that he would admit he was nervous at first, but having familiar faces with him helped ground him for the meeting. “I just hope that you didn’t find it boring. I’m aware that I’m not exactly the most sociable of people.”

“I doubt either of them found you boring.” She said, “and I didn’t either, for whatever it's worth. Elise seemed nervous, but she was interested in hearing what you had to say. And don’t think I didn’t notice you making eyes with Mildine. For some moments it felt like you two were in your own little world.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” He retorted, “She simply seemed… hmm, I’m not quite sure how to put it.”

“Alluring? Captivating, perhaps? So stunning that you were lost for words?”

“No, not that.” He chose not to entertain Laura’s joke. “If I had to put words to it, it felt like she was directing a play, and all of us were merely acting on the stage. Her eyes felt like they were staring through me, rather than looking directly at me.”

“Really? I didn’t get that sense at all.” Laura admitted, and he wondered if perhaps he was just being self-conscious. After all, these events were mentally strenuous, and triply so in his case. “To me, it just felt more like she was looking out for Elise. Having a friend by her side might have helped make her more open than she ordinarily would have been. Your eyes can be pretty intimidating as well, you know?”

Laura’s comment gave him pause, as he recalled how he must have looked. He certainly knew how to put on an imposing face, but he tended to save it for fools who wanted to curry favour like the third son of Hyarms, or for hotheads who wanted nothing more than to pick fights with him. “Heh, I suppose you’re right about that, I might just be overthinking all of this. While I still have Arnaud at my beck and call, is there anything you need in the city? It would be no trouble at all to drive you where you need to go.”

She offered a polite smile and shook her head, “Thank you for the kind offer, but that won’t be necessary. I’d be happy to return to the dorms now, and to check in on our friends.”

Jusis smiled and offered his hand to Laura one last time. He would never admit it, but he was glad to have someone he trusted along with him. The challenges of noble politicking felt so much easier with a friend than they did going alone. Maybe going to Thors wasn’t such a bad idea after all. It was just another thing he’d have to thank Rufus for when he saw him again.

Chapter Text

The day of the practical exam came even faster than Gaius was expecting, and it just so happened to coincide with the results of their midterm examinations. He wasn’t sure if this was all planned, but it certainly made things much easier to get all of that information at once. He wasn’t nervous about how well he did on the tests, but he was curious to see how he fared compared to the rest of his classmates. He knew they all put a lot of work into their studies, and he learned a lot from all of them along the way.

It wasn’t as if they consciously made a decision to check the board at the same time, but curiosity got the better of them as they huddled around to see the results of their efforts.

“Ten exams, each with a hundred points.” Machias mumbled under his breath, “C’mon perfect score!”

Gaius held an amused smile as the crowd cleared up enough for the students of Class VII to take a peek. They scanned from the bottom to the top, but each and every one of them could take pride in their grades at the end of the day. He himself managed to eke into the top twenty with a total score of 870. The extra studying must have really paid off, because he usually didn’t hit quite that high on most of his tests.

“Nice job, Fie.” Emma said, almost as excited for her as she was for her own first place ranking. Well she still tied with Machias, but getting 975 points was a remarkable feat. As for Fie, she ended up being the lowest out of all of her classmates, but 544 was still a very good score considering the fact that these few months were the only formal education she had up until now.

“You must have really got the basics down pat to score that high.” Alisa grinned, “Bet you’ll get even higher next time!”

“Yeah, if I feel like it.” Fie tried to play it cool but he could tell that she was quite pleased with her results. “Looks like the rest of you guys did pretty well too.”

“I suppose I’ll have to settle for third this time.” Jusis crossed his arms, but he didn’t look displeased. He could just imagine him on the first day being incredulous that he lost to Machias. To see him so calm now was a positive sign for the days ahead.

“A tie?!” Machias pouted, “I was so close to beating you, Emma! I’ll outscore you on the final exams for sure!”

“Haha, I’m looking forward to it.” Emma gave a polite smile, encouraging the competition without goading him too much.

“I don’t think I did too badly, but I feel like I missed one or two things that I should have nailed.” Rean spoke with a wistful smile. He did quite well himself, finishing with a total of 850 points. “I would have loved to make the top twenty with the rest of you guys.”

“You were almost there, no need to be hard on yourself.” Elliot replied, “I mean, you averaged 85% on these exams, and they weren’t easy pickings! I only just got above 80% myself!”

Laura placed her hand on his shoulder as an act of reassurance, “Indeed, there’s no shame in your efforts, Rean. I’m proud that I managed to exceed the marks I set in the entrance examination.”

“Heh, I’m feeling kind of left out.” Fie mumbled, before glancing at the other sheet of paper on the board, “Hey guys, take a look at that.”

They followed her eyes to see a ranking of their classes by average grade instead of just the individual line ups. The results were roughly what Gaius had expected after seeing three of his classmates take the top three spots. Class V was at the bottom, followed by IV. Class III and II duked it out for third with III narrowly coming out on top, and Class I finished in a respectable second place. Which naturally meant that their class came out on top, scoring an impressive 86% average across the board.

Alisa raised her hand for a high five, which Elliot graciously accepted. “We did it, guys! I had a feeling after seeing us take the top three spots.”

“You did great too, Alisa.” Gaius chimed in, “8th place is amazing.”

She giggled precociously, “That’s it, sing my praises more!”

“Like any class I’m a part of could fail to finish first.” Jusis joined in the boasting, crossing his arms with a proud smile.

Machias let out a quiet groan, “Do you have to be so full of yourself all the time…”

As they all enjoyed their success after working so hard, Gaius felt a pinprick of unease against his back. He turned his head slowly so as not to draw attention, and caught the jealous stares of a few members of Class I. He understood where they were coming from in the sense that losing is never fun, but the sheer malice they were giving off made him more than a little uncomfortable.

“Something up, Gaius?” Elliot asked out of concern.

“Probably just my imagination.” He chuckled, “I’m going to head to the cafeteria, we’re going to need our strength for the practical exam in the afternoon.”

“Oh right, I almost forgot about that.” Elliot’s shoulders slumped, “Well at the very least it can’t be tougher than those midterms, right?”

“I can only hope so, but don’t let Sara hear that or she might try to prove you wrong.”

“Fair point.” Elliot chuckled, as a shimmering smile rose to his lips, “Mind if I come with?”

Gaius smirked in satisfaction, “I thought you’d never ask.”

—

“Congratulations guys, Way to kick butt on those midterms, you overachievers, you!” Sara made no attempt to hide her jubilation as the class gathered at the practice field. “That’ll show that damn vice principal and his smarmy mustache…”

“We didn’t do well in the midterms for your sake…” Alisa griped, but Sara didn’t seem to care about her complaints.

“After that maid of yours showed up and all of the complaining I got from Heinrich, I think I deserve a little treat. Seriously, he wants to call me a bad teacher, and complain about how I dress when I go out? And now he tells me I have to hurry up and get married? Yeah, I’ll marry my foot to your face you jackass…”

Gaius had learned well enough to leave Sara alone when she went on her tangents, but he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for his instructor after hearing all that. She coughed into her hand, and got to the point. With a snap of her fingers, the old familiar combat shell she used popped into existence. He wished he knew how it worked, but it never failed to surprise him when it came out.

“Here we go again.” He said, feeling just a hint of excitement at the trial to come. He got a lot of work in with the rest of his classmates during his free day, and he wanted to see if those results bore fruit.

“Hmm?” Rean tilted his head, “That looks familiar…”

“You noticed too?” Fie chimed in. “It might be a different model, but it feels similar to the white one we saw during our field study. Must be the materials. Maybe…”

“Oh right.” Laura said, “I believe you mentioned it during our presentations. What are you thinking?”

“Well…” Fie put her hand to her chin. “I’m not sure but-”

Gaius felt a pinprick of malice against his back seconds before he heard him speak. It didn’t take long to recognize the condescending voice of Patrick T. Hyarms as he so boldly announced himself. “Well, doesn’t this look like fun?” He had an entourage of five other people with him, but aside from Ferris from the Lacrosse Club, Gaius didn’t recognize any of the other students with him.

“Class I? What are they doing here?” Emma was confused, but Gaius could certainly hazard a guess. They weren’t too keen about finishing in second place, so he could only imagine they wanted to be first in something.

Sara glanced over at them with a raised eyebrow “Oh? To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit? Class I’s combat training was scheduled for tomorrow, unless it somehow became Thursday without my knowledge?”

“Ah, Instructor Thomas’ class was changed to a self-study period today, so we thought it was the perfect opportunity for a little cross-class exchange, if you will.” He reached for the saber at his hip and brandished it, standing composed in a stance ready for battle. “Class VII has been all the rage lately, and we’d love the chance to get… better acquainted.”

“I don’t imagine you intend to talk over tea and cookies then.” Rean grit his teeth.

“You are a sharp one! Nothing gets by you, does it?" Patrick's voice was laced with venom, "Why not try your skills against a real human opponent instead of that puppet over there? Allow us to show you the refined dignity and spirit of the Erebonian nobility.”

His classmates chuckled as if he had told some sort of joke, but he didn’t get it, and the rest of his class didn’t seem to get it either. Machias scowled, while Alisa did her best to calm him down. He didn’t want to fight, but he didn’t like running away from a challenge either.

“Oooh, and here’s my entertainment for the day!” Sara’s flippant response quickly told him that the decision was out of his hands. “Alright, change of plans! Today’s practical exam will be a mock battle between Classes I and VII. Since you have four people ready to fight, Class VII will send four people of their own. Rean, you’re team captain for this bout, so choose three other students to fight with you.”

“R-Roger that.” He said, regaining his composure from the sudden change in plans. He put his hand to his chin and thought for a second, before turning back to the rest of them. “Elliot, Alisa, Fie, would you care to fight with me?”

They were all fine with his choices, and were about to draw their weapons when Patrick spoke up. “Hold on! I don’t like fighting against women. It’s a man’s duty to protect the fragile flowers of womanhood, not wound them. Reconsider your team and this time, choose men.”

“Who the hell does he think he is?” Alisa glared daggers at him.

“I’ll put a fragile flower… on his grave.” Fie said, making even the densest person aware of how she felt about the matter.

“Now, now Fie.” Emma patted her shoulder. Gaius caught the whisper that escaped her lips, but he was pretty sure no one else did. “Just because I agree with you doesn’t mean you can just say that out loud…”

“Well alright then…” Rean said, acquiescing to the noble’s demands. “Gaius? Laura? I’ll take you instead.”

“Uh, excuse me? Perhaps there was wax in your ears and you didn’t hear me. I believe I told you to choose only men. Reconsider your team, and this time, choose men.”

He sounded confident, but his friends were shaking a little as Laura gave them a sideward glance. It was clear her reputation as a warrior preceded her, and they wanted no part of the punishment she could dish out.

“Alright then. Jusis, if you would?”

Patrick coughed again, and Gaius really wondered what his problem was. Who in this class wouldn’t he make excuses about? This whole runaround was starting to get on his nerves. “I don’t believe Jusis needs an example of a noble’s dignity and spirit. He should have been part of Class I to begin with. Choose again.”

“Alright, enough of this damn charade.” Machias said, his composure finally breaking. “It’s you, me, Elliot and Gaius, alright? If you don’t want to fight the rest of our class, we’ll gladly take you on.”

“Kick their asses, you guys.” Fie said, deciding not to take Emma’s advice.

“You said it.” Alisa nodded in solidarity.

Jusis crossed his arms and gave a simple 'hmmph', but anyone who hung around him long enough knew that it was an acknowledgment of their skills and not an indictment. In any case, Gaius was more than motivated to take them on, he was eager to see what kind of skills Class I had.

The four of them drew their blades, each one comparable in size and shape, with only slight tweaks for their varied heights and frames. He had seen Jusis fight with a saber, so he knew of that style, but how were the rest of them in the style of Erebonian Court Fencing? He’d take this opportunity to find out, as he stepped up to the front with Elliot and Machias.

“Hey.” Jusis waved over Machias, “Don’t underestimate them. They may be fools, but they are well trained. Keep a cool head and don’t blow it, alright?”

“You don’t need to tell me twice but… thanks. I’m going to wipe those smug grins off their stupid cocksure faces!” He clicked his tongue as if that was difficult to say, but that reaction told him all he needed to know. A common foe made the bitterest of enemies into erstwhile allies.

“Are you done yet?” Patrick goaded them, trying to hurry it along, “We don’t have all day here.”

Rean looked over at each of them before nodding his head. “We’re ready.” He spoke for all of them, and they set their ARCUS links in place. With Elliot linked up to him, he could already tell the strategy Rean was going for. Rean and Machias would harry them with attacks, and Elliot would be the one to hit them hard with arts. Gaius’s role in this fight would be defensive, making sure nobody got close to Elliot. With the range of his weapon it was a sound tactic, and he’d do his best to keep his friend safe.

“Alright, we’ll now begin the battle between the representatives of Classes I and VII. Combatants, weapons at the ready?” Everyone drew their weapons at her command, four swords versus a tachi, spear, shotgun and orbal staff. Their eyes locked on their foes, as they listened for Sara to call out the magic words. “And BEGIN!”

The flow of battle was chaotic as steel met steel, sparks clashed and faded with each well disciplined strike. And it was true that all four of them were well trained with their weapon of choice, and decently strong to boot. But as the battle continued, Gaius felt no overwhelming strength from his opponents. Their moves were textbook, easy to grasp and easy to understand. They attempted to go for Rean first, targeting him relentlessly, but their skills weren’t nearly as polished to land anything close to a clean blow on him before support came. Sensing that wasn’t an option, Patrick opted to keep him busy, while the other three tried to get an easy out on one of them.

They should have known there were no weak links in Class VII. Machias may not have been as well trained, but his weapon provided a unique advantage over them, and his situational intelligence was superlative. An attempt to bring Elliot and his arts down was stopped at the root by Gaius, and together with Machias, they gave them no chance to get a free shot at him. They could have tried to gang up on him, but they seemed to avoid him instinctually. At this rate, all they had to do was wear them down. They weren’t so weak as for Gaius to see how Rean was faring, but he had the utmost faith in his friend to take down Patrick in a near one on one situation.

Their first member fell to his knees as Machias unleashed a wide spread of bullets on him. Sensing their weakness, Gaius knocked the weapon out of another of their hands, prompting Sara to blow the whistle on the defeated member. Just as the last of them tried to regain his composure in the heat of battle, it was too late for him to dodge the expertly timed fireball of Elliot. He took the full blast right in the chest, and fell spread eagle onto the turf.

That just left one. One who was getting very flustered by Rean’s technique. Gaius knew he was strong, but Rean seemed to get better with every fight he was in. It wasn’t just his talent or his training, but his skills in observation. Analyzing, studying, and developing countermeasures all in the heat of the moment, and being able to watch him do all this against a strong opponent was a treat to watch. Even though this was a four on four fight, they all felt it was best to leave Patrick to Rean, as if they already knew the conclusion to this fight.

He tried to keep his guard up, but Rean was so fast it was all he could do to keep his sword upright. He defended as best he could, keeping on his feet, trying to deflect the force of his blows, but each guard grew weaker as the sound of swords clashing reverberated in the air. Gaius could tell that this fight was just about done. Patrick tried to make a last ditch attack to turn the situation around, but that was just the opportunity Rean was waiting for.

“Flames, gather on my blade!” His call for action sealed Patrick Hyarms’ fate, as a second later he was down on the ground, his hands scorched by Rean’s blazing technique. Seeing Patrick down on the ground, along with the rest of his friends, Rean returned his tachi to his sheath, taking a breath of relief once he did.

A flawless victory, only tempered by the fatigue that suddenly hit them the second Sara said “Enough!” It was hard to notice in the flow of battle, but he had worked up quite a sweat in that bout. He felt better off than Elliot and Machias who were both panting for breath.

“Heh, we did it! We actually won!” Elliot said, mustering up all of the cheer he could behind his exhaustion.

“How’d you like choking on your own hubris!” Machias said, with far less tact.

“Good job guys.”
“Way to go!”
“A passable performance, at least.”

Jusis and the girls shared their own thoughts on the matter, but even with Jusis’s snark thrown in, he could tell that they all stood in solidarity. Gaius glanced over at Rean, who had the toughest role fighting Patrick one on one. The sweat was practically pouring down his face, as he pushed himself back into standing upright.

“That was a good match. You had us on the defensive more than a few times, that’s for sure.” Rean spoke with the utmost sincerity as he returned his weapon to his sheath, and walked toward Patrick to extend the hand of friendship. If this was like the novels he read, perhaps Patrick would accept his hand begrudgingly, vowing that things would be different next time.

But that wasn’t reality. Gaius could tell that the fire in Patrick’s eyes had not been doused by the taste of defeat, in fact it only seemed to burn with more intensity. “If we get another chance sometime maybe-”

Before Rean could finish his sentence, Patrick slapped his hand away with all the force he could muster. “Get your filthy hands off of me!”

His sudden shout caused Rean to recoil, and more than a few of the students to flinch at his ferocious denial. He dragged himself to his feet and faced all of them with a twisted and vile expression, one so contorted with rage that it scarcely felt human. “Don’t you dare start acting like you’re above me, Rean Schwarzer! Just because the lord of Ymir took pity on you doesn’t change the fact that you’re just a nobody without a drop of noble blood!”

“You son of a-” Machias fumed, but Elliot put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from saying what everyone in the class was thinking. That was a low blow, and one he couldn’t abide by as Rean’s friend.

“That was uncalled for!” Elliot said, trying his absolute best to play peacekeeper in a situation that was quickly escalating.

Patrick snapped back, “The rest of you are no better! Do you think scoring highest in the exams somehow makes up for the fact that you crawled up from the dregs of society?!” His eyes turned to Alisa, “What about you Reinford? A family of arms peddlers who think money is the only pedigree they need?” His eyes darted again, this time directly to him. “And what of this barbarian and the jaeger-tot? I’m surprised they could even read the enrollment forms!”

There wasn’t anything to say to him. He was just a child throwing a tantrum, but his ignorance was appalling. This was the epitome of Erebonia’s noble class? This is what it meant to be a noble? Was it so the only people who could stay on top were those who dragged everyone else down? He knew this attitude existed, but he had no idea there were some people who were so utterly reprehensible!

“So I’m supposed to be the jaeger-tot?” Fie grimaced. She rarely showed such strong emotion, but that was a real scowl on her face.

Even Emma was aghast at his words.“ How could you possibly say something so horrible?” She asked as if the answer wasn’t plain to see. It was just a tantrum, one thrown by someone who didn't care who he hurt.

“Patrick… I think you might be going too far.” One of his friends tried to stop him, and Gaius was glad that there were still reasonable people in Class I. It took a lot of courage to say those words to someone drunk on their own anger, and even more so to someone you respect. All three of those boys clearly held him in high esteem as they tried to calm him down.

“Silence!” He clapped back, causing them to cower at his harsh words, “You don’t get to tell me what I can and cannot say!”

Jusis and Laura seemed prepared to step in, but he had heard enough. If Patrick's friends were willing to try and stop him, then he would too. Patrick had gone too far, and he needed to be taught a lesson. He walked forward, separating Rean and Patrick with his body, and matching Patrick’s furious eyes with a calm and measured stare.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand. Maybe you can clear something up for me. What is it about nobles that makes them superior to those who aren’t?”

“W-what?” He said, stunned that anyone would even ask him that.

“I won’t deny that I’m not from this country, that’s as plain as the nose on my face. Where I’m from, we don’t have any class system, so this concept is completely foreign to me. I honestly don’t mean any offense by asking, but what is it that elevates nobles above everyone else?”

The question must have really confused him because his anger abated in an instant. “T-The superiority of nobles is self-evident! Our families have distinguished lineages, built on generations of tradition! That gives us a dignity, refinement, and pride that no commoner could ever hope to possess! We represent the pinnacle of man’s achievement, and that is what makes us nobles!”

He listened carefully to what he said, and took it all in. These were his honest beliefs, but those beliefs had a staggering flaw to them. One that he was all too happy to point out. “I understand what you mean, I’ve witnessed such dignity and refinement myself, in the way that Jusis and Laura carry themselves. But that leads me to another question. I understand the importance of tradition, lineage, pride, and the dignity that comes with it. Nordic society isn’t so different in that regard. But where do you think they let you get off saying the kind of things you did?”

He faltered, his lips moved but nothing more than a desperate gurgle came out. Gaius saw anger in his expression of course, but now it was mixed with shame, as the weight of the words that left his lips took residence on his shoulders.

“Gaius raises an excellent question!” Instructor Sara finally spoke up, letting this theater play out far longer than any of their other instructors would have. He was grateful for her discretion once again, as it let him get a load off of his chest. He was deeply insulted by Patrick’s comments to both his friends and himself, but seeing him feel the shame of his actions made it sting a bit less.

“As I announced earlier, this mock battle is now complete. I’d like to thank Class I for their gracious cooperation.” She crossed her arms and smirked, “By the way, just for future reference, self study doesn’t mean ‘going outside and doing whatever you want.’ That goes for you two as well, hurry back to your classroom, and if you feel like it, apologize to Instructor Thomas, alright?”

The girls who had been watching by the sidelines the entire time squeaked, and ran off, apologizing to Sara before they left. “And as for you boys, I’ve decided that your combat training tomorrow will be pointing out everything you did wrong today. I’ll be giving you the whole shameful play by play to the rest of Class I as well, so I want you to really think about what you need to improve on.”

The implication of those words weren’t lost on Gaius, and they certainly weren’t lost on Patrick, as he turned his back. “Very well, please excuse us.” He mustered up as much politeness as he could, before retreating back to the school building.

Elliot breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad that stopped before it really got ugly.”

“As far as I’m concerned, it already did. This is why I can’t stand nobles…” Machias griped, but for once he didn’t feel an urge to correct him.

“I’d rather not be associated with an imbecile like him, thank you.” Jusis said, crossing his arms.

“Thanks Gaius…” Rean said, turning to him with a sheepish expression. “What you did there really meant a lot to me.”

He felt a bit flustered at the honest compliment. “I’m not sure why you’re thanking me, but whatever I did, I’m glad it helped you out. I was just speaking for myself…”

Rean chuckled and smiled, making him wonder if what he did really meant that much. Still he was glad to see him in a good mood again, and everyone's spirits seemed to be elevated after that interruption.

Sara clapped her hands and brought their attention back to the lesson. “I’d say that concludes this month’s practical exam. I don’t think there’s enough time left in the period for the girls and Jusis to get a match in with the combat shell, so let’s just say you all passed with flying colours.”

“Lackadaisical as always.” Jusis remarked, “but that’s not all you wanted to say, is it?”

“You catch on quick!” Sara flashed a wide smile, “It’s that time of the month, time to find out where you’re all going for this month’s field studies!” She pulled out a stack of nine envelopes, and got Jusis to hand them out since he spoke up first. “Go ahead and give those a look through, I’m pretty sure most of you will be surprised by the results!”

“Oh, I almost forgot about that with all the excitement.” Emma said, “I wonder where we’re going…” Gaius already knew where he was going of course, but he wanted to see who he was going with, and the reactions of his classmates when they found out. Emma’s eyes widened as she scanned through the document, “Oh my!”

“How interesting…” Jusis remarked, “Group A has myself, Rean, Gaius, Emma and Alisa, and Group B has Machias, Elliot, Fie and Laura.”

“I guess you got sick of putting Machias and Jusis together for every field study, huh instructor?” Alisa joked as Sara flashed a smile, “But these locations are really interesting. Byronia Island for Group B, and Nord for us? I didn’t think we’d be going to a different country! That must have taken a lot of set up to make that work.”

“You know it! And I put in all that work while grading your midterms! You really should praise me more.” Sara said, her ego practically inflating by the second. “But I had some help with Group A at least, thanks a lot for helping the set up go so smoothly, Gaius.”

“Not at all instructor, my family was more than happy to help out once they heard from you.” Gaius let out a big smile, “I just wish everyone could see my homeland this time around, but I’m happy I get to go back with some of you.”

Laura smirked, “Ah, this was what the principal wanted you for after our midterms, right? I knew it couldn’t have been that you got into trouble. You’re way too even-keeled for something like that to happen.”

“I’m just shocked that you managed to keep it a secret for so long.” Rean chuckled, “I probably would have told everyone the second I knew.”

“Saving the surprise was worth it.” Gaius chuckled, “And as it turns out, I’m pretty good at keeping secrets.” He glanced over at his friends, each of them excited in their own ways. Rean with his bright and starry eyes practically shimmering with anticipation. Jusis with an understated excitement that he tried his best to hide. Alisa, who seemed to already be calculating the travel arrangements in his head, and Emma, who was so excited the paper was practically shaking in her hands. The smile sprung to his face naturally, as the words burst forth from his chest. “I can’t wait to introduce you guys to my family and to my homeland!”

Chapter Text

Alisa woke up to a knocking on her door, the loud thumping pushing her out of a well too short sleep. She was normally pretty good about going to bed at a reasonable hour, only staying up late on rare occasions, but she had been pretty wound up by everything that had happened this past week. She had been stressing about midterms, but she did really well on them, which was about the only good news she had at all this week.

The knocking grew louder, and her first major problem called out to her in that chipper, nearly overbearing voice of hers. “Lady Alisa, your field study is today. I know how long it usually takes you to get prepared in the morning, so I took the luxury of waking you up.”

Sharon Krueger was the only maid employed by the Reinford family, and for good reason. Her abilities were numerous, from the usual duties expected of a maid, all the way up to secretarial work, mind reading, and if rumours were to be believed, corporate espionage as well. Alisa groaned as she stumbled out of bed. She must still be dreaming if she actually believed that nonsense. Regardless of her abilities, her sunny disposition made her blend into any situation, and she had perfectly blended in as the dorm mother of Class VII. Whether it was the sway of her incredible cooking skills, her seamless etiquette, or her uncanny attention to detail, she had charmed every single member of her class in record time. She just wanted to be a normal girl here at Thors, but she found herself being pulled along by her name, like a weight around her neck.

She stumbled out to the girl’s bathroom, finding her way to an unused shower stall. The other one was currently in use, and judging by the humming, it was probably Emma. She closed the stall door behind her, and slowly turned the knob. As soon as the water hit her, she was wide awake, groaning in discomfort at the splash of ice from the faucet.

“Alisa? Are you alright?” Emma’s voice was muffled by the running water.

“Fine-” She groaned, as she turned the water to something a little more tepid. “How are you?”

“I’m so excited I could barely sleep a wink.” She was practically singing, “Seeing new places is always so interesting, and I never thought I’d have a chance to get out of Erebonia while I was still a student.”

“Yeah well, I’ll admit, I’m a little excited too.” Alisa said, as she ran her fingers through her hair, carefully undoing any knots that might have formed in her sleep. Though the reason she couldn’t sleep was mostly tied to her anxiety. They’d be passing through Roer again, and only three months after she ran away from home to do so. To think she’d be going back so soon only made her realize that she could never really run away from what she was. Perhaps she knew that from the very start, and just wanted to pretend as long as possible. “I think I only got a couple hours of sleep myself.”

Emma turned her own shower off, she must have been wrapping up when Alisa first came in. “Well, if you can get some rest on the train it might be a good idea, we’re going to spend most of our first day just traveling to Gaius’ settlement after all. See you in a bit, okay?”

“Sure thing!” She called out and heard her trot out of the bathroom. With that in mind, she sped up her own effort. The showers weren’t nearly as nice as the one in her home, so she didn’t spend much time lingering in the water, just enough to get clean and presentable. She was sure if Thors was more military than academy, she wouldn’t even be able to spare a thought for everything else while she was getting clean.

Still, Thors was a bit more lenient than other places like this. It could be because only half of its graduates don’t even end up serving in a provincial or imperial army after they graduate. Aidios knows she wasn’t cut out to be a soldier. The only reason she went to a place like this instead of the institute of technology was to get as far away as possible from Irina Reinford. Of course it’d be her luck that her mom would know exactly where she was going. She was naïve to think her mother wouldn’t keep tabs on her just because she didn’t show any affection or respect her feelings. She was still… how would her mother put it? That’s right, she was a liability. If she did anything wrong, why, that could affect the quarterly reports, and Aidios forbid that happens. She cranked the faucet handle off, squeezing it until her knuckles turned white. Just thinking about her mother made her seethe with inviolable rage.

She finished her shower on that sour thought, and returned to her room to change and take her things for the field study. She had already packed her things for the trip, so after getting one last stubborn knot out of her hair, she was ready to go. She pushed all of those nasty thoughts out of her head as best she could, and focused on what laid ahead. She couldn’t wait to see Nord, and everything it had to offer.

Even though Sharon had gone through the trouble of waking her up early, she was still the last one to arrive at the foyer. It made sense, Gaius was a notoriously early riser, and the rest of the boys didn’t need nearly as much time to prep as she did. And since Emma was practically done with her shower by the time she got there… well it all made sense. “Hey guys, did I keep you long?”

“Not at all.” Rean said politely, “I just got here myself.”

“We’ve still got a few minutes before we need to leave, but it’s good to see everyone arrived in a punctual manner.” Jusis said, crossing his arms as he did. “It’s a long train ride to Nord after all.”

“I think I clocked in just over eight hours when I made the trip.” Gaius said, “and I had to leave earlier than usual to make it in time for orientation.”

“That’s practically a whole day’s trip. I wonder if they’ll have us doing tasks by the time we get there, like they did in Parm.”

“We’ll just have to see when we get there,” Rean said, “I knew our field studies were comprehensive, but I didn’t think we’d be going that far out.”

“Well it makes sense.” Jusis added, “It’s where Emperor Driechels first built his military for his campaign during the War of the Lions after all. It’d make sense that the school he built would put focus in that area.”

“Yeah, but I’m afraid that’s pretty much all of my knowledge about the area.” Alisa said. "It's not like the section on Nord was very long in our textbooks."

“Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to tell you anything you want to know about the highlands.” Gaius said, showing just the hints of a proud smile on his face, “Though we should make sure we have everything before we leave. It’s a long trip, and we won’t be back for a few days after all.”

“Ooh, maybe we should get some snacks before we set out!” She said, “If we’re going to be on the train for hours then we should purchase some at the station!”

“That won’t be necessary, Lady Alisa.” She cocked her head in the direction of the voice, knowing all too well Sharon’s natural ability to intrude into a conversation at the perfect time with the perfect suggestion prepared on the tip of her tongue. “For you see, I’ve already prepared sandwiches, snacks and a pot of lemon tea for both groups.” She said, handing a basket to Rean like it was the most natural thing in the world. “I didn’t have the time to prepare a proper breakfast for all of you, so I hope that you can enjoy these on the train instead.”

Alisa groaned, “Thanks Sharon… I see your plan of cozying up to the rest of my classmates is working great for you, now that I’ve voiced my disapproval.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She smiled with her lips, She was so adept at playing dumb, but Alisa knew she was the farthest thing from it. She was probably plotting something else too, but she couldn’t fathom what was going on in Sharon’s head on the best of days.

“We have to get going, but we really appreciate the food, Sharon. The dorm is in your hands while we’re gone.” Rean said, treating this change entirely like it was normal and correct, much to her own loathing. Why did her family have to be like this? She was more than eager to step outside and run to the station, and get as far away as possible from all of this. Everyone else gave their goodbyes, and sweet mercy finally came as they made their way down to the station. She liked Sharon, honestly, she did, it was just that she could be a bit much sometimes, and her single minded devotion to her mother made her feel less like a friend and more like a spy.

She and her classmates made idle small talk as they made their way through the rail system, only really settling down once they made their transfer in Heimdallr up the northern line. From there they’d head toward Roer, and transfer onto a freight line to Nord. For the moment, Alisa intended to enjoy the train ride, the company, and the snacks that Sharon made. If nothing else, she knew that they would be exquisite.

Judging by how quickly she and the rest of her friends finished the food inside, her assumption was right on the mark. “That was incredible.” Gaius said, punctuating the fact, “The ingredients were simple, but they were prepared in a perfect marriage of flavour.”

“You have a talented maid on your staff, Alisa.” Jusis nodded, offering his praise as well.

She shook her head and deflected. “Well it’s not like I hired her, mother did. She handles the cooking and cleaning of course, but she also handles her schedule as well, along with various other things. It’s a wonder my mother is getting along without her aid.”

“I take back my previous compliment. I mean extremely talented.” Jusis corrected, “There really are some incredible people out there.”

“Absolutely.” Emma beamed, “Is your mother getting along well without her?”

“How would I know?” She said, perhaps with a bit too much venom in her voice. She was trying to control that, really, but it just slipped out whenever her mother became a point of discussion. “I mean, she tends to get along well enough, but without Sharon to force her to eat healthy, she’s probably living off of the business woman's breakfast of protein bars and about thirty cups of coffee.”

“That sounds… rough.” Rean added, before changing the topic. Sadly for her, the topic was another bit of a sore point for her. “It’s got to be a bit awkward coming back to Roer after running away, right?”

“A bit, but at least I won’t need to leave the station.” She admitted, “and it’s not like I have to feel guilty about it or anything…”

“I’ve been to Roer a few times myself, but it was mostly just to transfer to other places.” Rean mentioned, “I’ve only been to the city proper a couple of times, but the view at night is something else.”

“Ah that’s right, you’d have to go to Roer if you wanted to leave Ymir by train. So you must have taken the same train as Gaius and I on our first day! I’d really love to see Ymir again soon, myself.”

“That’s right.” He rubbed the back of his head, “Wait, you’ve been to Ymir, Alisa?”

“Just once as a kid, but I had an amazing time up there! The snow was so pretty, and the hot springs felt so good! There was even a little fountain in the centre of town where you could dip your feet! I was really young back then, but I had a lot of fun when I was there.”

While she was gushing about the place, Rean looked a bit forlorn. “Heh, yeah it’s a lovely place. Way too nice of a place for a guy like me.”

“Hmph.” Jusis snorted, “Don’t tell me you’re still letting what that nitwit said bother you? You shouldn’t waste your time and effort paying attention to Hyarms’ third son.”

“I bet he regretted what he said once he calmed down.” Emma added, “I don’t think he really meant those awful things he said. At least, I hope he didn't.”

“And regardless, it doesn’t matter what he thinks. I know all of us think you’re a swell guy, Rean. I’m proud to call you a classmate, and a friend.”

“Exactly, Rean! So push that stuff out of your mind! Did you know Ferris apologized to me during our last lacrosse practice? Everyone knows he went over the line, and you don’t deserve any of that crap he was spewing!”

A sheepish smile crept up on his features, and it made him feel so much softer. “Thanks guys, hearing that from all of you, it means a lot.”

It meant a lot to her too. No matter how bad they felt, she knew she could rely on her friends to help support them. Being with them all now, it really reminded her of what a family was supposed to be like. Maybe she was premature in thinking like that, they had only known each other for a few months after all, but in a dangerous situation she knew she could place her trust in everyone in their class.

“So, Gaius… I’m really curious about what Nord is like. We’re still a few hours away of course, but I really want to know about your homeland.” Emma asked, cutting to the heart of the matter. Alisa had to admit that her own knowledge of the area was sorely lacking, but she felt the same way about places in the empire before and after their field studies.

“Well, words aren’t enough to describe the beauty of the highlands, but it’s quite a bit different from the empire. Once we pass through the tunnels of the Eisengard Range, we’ll be there. It’s surrounded by mountains on all sides, almost untouched by orbal technology. Aside from a few military bases on the border, the people live in settlements. Most of us are nomadic, and travel with the seasons but there are a few larger settlements that stay in a single area year-round. I belong to a more nomadic tribe and we’ve settled into our usual summer spot. We'll be there until the winter comes, when we move further north.”

“Fascinating.” Jusis added, “I wonder if the nomadic lifestyle is the reason why your stock of horses is so coveted across the continent.”

“Perhaps. I’d like to think it’s a mixture of the environment, the care we put into our horses, and our way of life. They’re essential for getting around, and everyone learns how to ride them at a young age. The horses we raise are vital to our way of life, and the ones that we sell to the empire provide a significant boost to our economy as well.” He elaborated, saying far more in this train ride than he would usually say in a whole day. She supposed that even he couldn’t hide his excitement at going home.

“Well I’m definitely looking forward to the experience.” Jusis crossed his arms, “Riding across the highlands on a high quality horse makes this sound more like a vacation than a field study.”

“Haha, yeah…” Emma looked down, “Um, unfortunately, I never had a chance to learn how to ride a horse. I’m worried that I’ll just drag you guys down.”

“Oh, that won’t be a concern at all.” Gaius said, “You could always ride behind one of us. I know our instructor was worried about the same thing, but our horses are strong enough to handle two fully grown adults on their back. Although if we’re keeping that in mind, it might be best for you to ride with Alisa, if that’s alright with you two?”

“Hmm? I suppose it’s fine with me, but wouldn’t you rather have her ride with you, Gaius?”

“A-Alisa!” Emma turned bright red, and Alisa cracked a smile that her little joke went over so well.

“Well I wouldn’t be opposed or anything…” He averted his eyes and looked out the window, “but I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable by suggesting it.”

“Heh.” Jusis smirked, “I know I said it earlier, but it would be wise to remember that this is a field study and not a honeymoon.”

“Uh right!” Emma squeaked, “So if you don’t mind, Alisa. Can I ride with you?”

“That’s fine by me, Emma. And who knows, maybe you can get Gaius to teach you how to ride afterward.”

He rubbed the back of the head. “Well, I can show you the basics. I don’t know if three days is enough to pick it up from scratch, but I’d be happy to help you try.”

She was practically beaming as she answered back, “That would be great!”

Their conversation continued well throughout the morning, chatting about this and that until finally the sights of Roer came into view. Power converters shot up into the sky holding and storing energy for the factories to utilize. A multitude of mines carved into the mountainside, extracting the earth’s bounties, ready to be transported by rail and converted into all of the tools and weapons Erebonia could ever need. If Heimdallr was the country’s brain, then Roer was its beating iron heart, dictating the country’s pace.

“We’re almost here…” Alisa trailed off, glancing outside the window. She felt a hand give her palm a gentle squeeze, and Emma’s reassuring smile caught her eye.

“The ministry of railways would like to thank you for your patronage. The last stop on this express line is… Roer… Roer… Please remember to collect all of your belongings before disembarking the train.” The standard announcement rang out over the loudspeaker and Alisa prepared herself for her short layover at home. It would only last a few minutes, but it was still a homecoming in a sense.

“And so marks the halfway point of our trip.” Jusis said, “Come on, let’s make sure we have everything before we go.”

They took their things and headed out onto the platform, Emma and Gaius’ eyes darting back and forth as they took in the unfamiliar sights, while Rean and Jusis were more measured. Rean had been to Roer a few times apparently, and while this was Jusis’ first time, he didn’t seem all that interested in a train station. After all, you couldn’t really see any of the skyscrapers or mountain views from a tunnel underground. “So if we’re transferring onto a freight liner for the next leg of our trip, we’ll need to go to platform four.” She said, checking her voucher. “That means we just have to go up the stairs over there to transfer over. It should be here in about fifteen minutes or so, so if we want to purchase some snacks, now is probably the best time to.”

“That might be a good idea.” Gaius said, still holding onto the now empty basket that Sharon gave them. “Sharon’s sandwiches were just so good that we couldn’t make them last, and considering we’ll be riding again before dinner, having another meal would be a good idea.”

“Right, so let’s go back to the reception first. There’s a place where we can buy lunches to go there.” She said, taking the lead. “I know this place like the back of my hand, so follow me, everyone!” She couldn’t help but put a smile on her face as she moved forward.

“I wonder what kind of lunches they have?” Emma asked, “Will there be any Roer specialties perhaps?”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary.” A voice rang out. A voice Alisa knew all too well, but that should have been impossible. There was no way. Her neck clenched tight as she struggled to turn her head in the direction of it. As soon as she came into view all of Alisa’s fears were justified. Of course Sharon was planning something like this, of course she was. And once again, she was caught off guard by her maid’s audacity! Ugh, it made her want to scream, but she wouldn’t dare make a scene in public. Especially here where people knew exactly who she was. Sharon tilted her head slightly, and all of her attempts to stay quiet spurted out in a frothy rage.

“W-W-What are you doing here, Sharon?! And how did you get here before us?”

“I thought it’d make for a lovely surprise, Lady Alisa. And judging by that expression on your face, it seems like it was a great success.”

“Clever. You took an airship from the capital, am I right?” Jusis chimed in with the simplest solution.

“Oh, that makes a lot of sense. You could cut your travel time in half if you took an airship from Heimdallr to Roer.”

“Indeed, Master Rean.” She curtsied again, “I also took the opportunity to make use of the airship’s kitchen along the way to provide you an even better lunch.” She handed this basket to Rean, while taking the empty one away from Gaius without a moment’s hesitation.

“Ugh, don’t tell me you’re going to follow us to Nord too! This is supposed to be an independent field study!”

“While I would love to, I’m afraid I have some business of my own to attend to. I may not be returning back to the dorms before you either.” She stated politely. Alisa almost spent a second wondering why, but she recognized the familiar clacking of heels that was approaching them. Of course, she would show herself exactly at the worst possible time!

“That is because she’ll be taking care of some work for me.” Her mother said, responding as if this was just another business meeting for her. Never mind that she hadn’t seen or talked to her in over three months. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances, Class VII. I appreciate you all putting up with my obstinate daughter. I am Irina Reinford, current chairman of the Reinford Group, and a sitting member of Thors’ board of directors.”

The rest of her class introduced themselves politely, falling into her pace just as naturally. It was just like her mother to do something so manipulative, using this chance to get on her friends’ good side while simultaneously demeaning her own daughter to make herself look cool and responsible. It made her want to throw up.

“Unfortunately I can’t stay to chat, but it was nice meeting all of you. Come along Sharon.”

“Yes, Madam Chairman.” Sharon bowed and took her leave.

“W-wha…” She couldn’t help from blurting out. “Seriously?! You show up like this, and that’s all you have to say?!” She could feel her knuckles going white as her hands clenched into tight balls. “It’s always work with you, isn’t it? You probably didn’t even notice I left home, and now it’s just ‘nice to meet you, everyone?’ like I don’t even exist?!”

“My lady…” Sharon said, with a pang of sympathy. She wished she wouldn’t look at her like that while still standing right beside her mother.

For the first time, she actually met her gaze. “What you do with your life is up to you. I have no intention of forcing the company onto you. Even if you decide to abandon your responsibilities like a certain someone, that choice is entirely up to you.”

She just didn’t get it! That’s not what this is about at all! She just wanted her to take care of herself, to stop burying herself in work for once and go back to how she used to be!

“Well, I still understand the general going-ons of your academic life, thanks to the monthly reports I receive from Thors.” She glanced over at Emma, “Your reports on the orbal staff in particular have been a great boon for our weapons development team, Miss Millstein. If you’re ever looking for future employment, the Reinford Group would love to have someone with your capabilities. We also appreciate the information all of you have given us on the ARCUS battle orbment units. I am looking forward to seeing what happens in your field study as well, I do hope you give me some good reading.”

With those words, she stepped out again, leaving Alisa with nothing to retort back. She was certain Sharon was reporting back to her mother, but the academy itself? She wanted to kick herself for not putting two and two together, of course the Reinford group was heavily involved in Thors, the prototype orbments and weaponry should have been proof enough of that fact! She felt the strength leave her legs as she slumped down to the ground. What the hell was wrong with her!

“A-Alisa, are you alright?!” Rean exclaimed, reaching out to her.

“I’m fine.” She growled, “Let’s just get on the train, if we miss it then we won’t be making it to Nord until the dead of night.” She dragged herself up and forced herself forward. I can do what I want, huh? Then why are you choosing now to step in and butt into my life?

Thankfully the freight train had a cabin for passengers to ride in, so even if they were sharing a train with iron and other materials, they wouldn’t be sharing a car with them. And after that little meeting, she wanted nothing to do with Roer or her mother for a few weeks at least. Once they had gotten settled in, and the train started moving, the inevitable questions came. She knew she’d have to face this eventually, especially after that little outburst.

“So I take it that your relationship with your parents isn’t very good.” Rean said, pointing out the obvious.

“Yeah, that should be abundantly clear. I left home because I couldn’t put up with her attitude any longer. But how was I supposed to know I signed up for the very school that she happened to be on the board of directors of?! It’s not like it was public knowledge when I was gathering information for where I was going to go!”

Emma placed her hand on top of hers. “I’m not sure what to say, but you have my sympathies, Alisa.”

“Maybe I'm missing something but is it really such a bad thing that she’s on the board of directors?” Gaius asked.

“Ugh, it’s complicated.” Her shoulders slumped, “There were a lot of reasons I left, but one of them was that I wanted to prove I could make it on my own without her help. I should have known I was dancing on her palm the entire time. She’s so focused on work that she can’t even spare the time of day to say hello, but suddenly when it’s convenient for her she has enough time to talk down to me for the choices I make?! Seriously? Sometimes she just makes me want to pull my hair out and scream!”

“I don’t understand what you’re grousing about.” Jusis said, “Most people would be grateful to have a parent display that much interest in their lives.”

“W-What?”

“She took time out of her day to greet you, even if she was busy with her own work. At least she took the slightest interest in you and your classmates.”

It dawned on her that even though she had her problems, hers weren’t the worst in her own group of classmates. Jusis lost his mother at a young age, and his father didn’t seem to care one whit about him if the field study in Bareahard was any indication. He was probably lonelier than she ever was when it came to this sort of thing. “Oh…”

“Forget it, I spoke out of turn.” He said quickly, “I don’t mean to diminish your own problems.”

“No, it’s fine. You make a fair point. And I’m sorry.”

He tilted his chin up, indicating that he’d rather talk about something else. Thankfully for them, Emma was there to provide the perfect topic of discussion.

“So Jusis, I heard that you had some courtship meetings last week. How did that go?”

“Marginally well.” He said, trying to keep quiet about the discussion, but unfortunately he just piqued everyone’s interest with his non-committal response. "Oh brother, is this your idea of a distraction?"

“Marginally well, huh? I heard Laura was there too. You sure you couldn’t tell us a bit about it? Are you and Laura going to be a thing?” Alisa goaded him. If his current family wasn’t there to support him, maybe a fiancée would be instead?

“That’s not happening. Laura deserves a family who could accept her for who she is… and are we seriously doing this right now?”

“Now is the perfect time to, we’ve got plenty of time before we arrive on the highlands.” Gaius chimed in, “And I have to admit, I’m curious as to what these courtship meetings entail.”

He placed his hand to his head and groaned, “Not you too, Gaius. C’mon Rean, help me out here! Surely you know what sort of hell these courtship meetings are, don't you?”

Rean rubbed the back of his head, and offered an apologetic shrug “Sorry Jusis. Even if I am a noble, I’m not exactly ‘desirable’ in those circles. I’ve never been to one myself, and my parents aren’t forcing me to make any decisions in that regard.”

“Is that so?” He paused for a moment, as if he was surprised by that. With four sets of eyes eagerly hanging on his next words, he sighed deeply. “Very well, I’ll tell you what I can. But for their sake, I’m not telling you the names of the women I met. Aidios knows how insufferable you'd all be if you knew who they were.”

Well Alisa was definitely invested now. This kind of gossip was exactly what she needed to flush the rest of this day out of her memory banks. She was all ears as he described his lunch with Laura, the daughter of a baron from the Nortia Province, and the daughter of a count from the Lamarre Province. Even if he was bashful about telling the story, he made it sound so much more interesting than it probably was for him. And as they gossiped about his love life, his potential future fiancée, and all sorts of things under the sun, it finally felt like their field study had begun.

This is what being with a family was supposed to feel like, not whatever the hell her mother was trying to do to her. Even if today shook her up, she was still ready to press forward, and that was a level of progress she wouldn’t have reached if she was still all on her own. Knowing that put a smile on her face, and gave her the strength to keep pushing forward. She wasn’t alone anymore, and she never needed to be ever again. She was finding her own strength, and her own way, regardless of how much credit her mother wanted for it.

Chapter Text

The sound of metal squealing as the freight train hit its brakes was growing to become a familiar sound today, as Group A’s destination was within reach. The train slowed to a crawl as it pulled into the Zender Gate station, the end of the line, and the border between Erebonia and Nord.

“We’re finally here.” Alisa said, pulling herself off the bench with a long exaggerated stretch. “That was quite the journey.”

Gaius chuckled, “We aren’t done yet, we still have to make it to the settlement. Luckily it’s not too far to go.”

“Is that right?” Jusis said, stifling a yawn. “I’ll admit, I’m eager to see the place where you grew up.”

“Same here.” Rean smiled, “Let’s make sure we’ve got everything before we go. We’ll probably have to check in with the border guard, right?”

“That’s right.” Gaius nodded, taking his first steps off the train, “I believe Lieutenant General Vander and the 3rd Armoured Division are still stationed here.”

“He was the one who wrote your recommendation letter, right?” Emma asked, just as she disembarked from the cabin.

“That’s also the case.” Gaius checked over everyone one last time before taking his last step off. As far as he could tell, nothing was missing, and everyone looked to be in good spirits. “I’m sure you’ll get a chance to meet with him shortly... Ah, I spoke too soon.”

His eyes caught the movement of purple uniforms descending the staircase into the below ground tunnel where the station resided. Even among military men with chiseled physiques, Zechs Vander stood out, his very presence demanding attention and respect. His brown hair was cut short, his mustache was cut to an angular precision and his uniform was ordained with a few stars to signify his higher rank in the military, but the most noticeable thing about him was the black eyepatch he wore over his right eye. The sound of army boots clapping together drew everyone’s attention to the military man, only catching a breath once he signaled for them to be at ease.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Lieutenant General.”

“Likewise, it’s been a few months since your school year started.” He replied, glancing over at his classmates, “it seems almost surreal to see you standing here in a military academy uniform, but it suits you well, though I’ve never seen the Thors uniform in red until now.”

“Well, these are the colours they’ve chosen for our Class VII. Speaking of, these are my classmates.”

All of them introduced themselves, showing a high level of reverence for the man. Rean and Jusis knew him well for his family name and martial prowess, which gave them some common ground to get to know each other. Though despite his lofty title and lineage, he still remained humble, and to his point, a military man through and through.

“I’d love to get to know you all better and hear all about your excursion to the highlands, but I’m afraid we don’t have the time for a leisurely chat. If you want to make it to the settlement before the sun sets, you should depart ASAP.”

Gaius nodded, “I concur. Were the arrangements taken care of?”

“Yes, they were. Your younger brother was a huge help in making this possible. Be sure to send him and your father my regards once you arrive.”

A small smile crossed his cheeks, hearing that Thoma was taking an increased responsibility while he was gone. “I’ll be sure to do so, Lieutenant General.” He looked over at his excited classmates, and nodded his head. “Well then, shall we get going?”

“Wait, what arrangements are you talking about?” Emma asked.

“Well we need to hurry to arrive at Gaius’ settlement, so I’d assume it would be about transportation, right?” Alisa chimed in.

“Why don’t you follow me and find out?” Zechs said with a cheeky grin. Gaius did his best not to spoil the surprise, he wanted to see the look on his classmate’s faces once they found out what they had planned. They followed him through the base, Rean and the others making a few hushed whispers about the size of the base and all of the guards within. It wasn’t surprising to Gaius, at least not anymore it wasn’t. They were a country driven by their military, it only made sense that their fortresses were top of the line structures with sufficient staff in place. Though, their surprise was magnified the second they stepped outside the base.

“W-Wow…” Rean’s voice caught in his throat as he adjusted to the majestic beauty of the highlands. Whether he was enthralled by the waves of grass, the craggy peaks and beautiful rock formations, or the way the wind danced and sung through the valleys, he couldn’t say. However, after spending a few months away from home, the beauty of those very things filled him with a sense of pride and belonging. This was the Nord Highlands, the place he was proud to call his home.

“It’s breathtaking…” Emma’s eyes widened like saucers as she took it all in.

“Who knew that there was such beauty at the far end of the railway? Honestly, I don’t think a master poet could craft words beautiful enough to describe such majesty…” Jusis trailed off, losing himself in the moment just the same. Just hearing those words from his dear friends filled him with elation, like he could just float away on clouds made of happiness.

“I’m happy to hear you say so.” He smiled, letting the moment soak in for just a moment longer, before turning toward the gate’s stables.

“Horses?” Rean exclaimed as the guards brought four beautiful creatures out of the stables. A larger black stallion, one bay and one chestnut gelding who were about a hand smaller, and a white mare. Naturally it went without saying that they were all well bred horses, but the fact that they were familiar gave Gaius a reason to smile. His family really didn’t need to send out these ones, but he was beyond excited that they did.

“So we’re traveling on horseback, then?”

“That’s right. I mentioned that the settlement wasn’t too far away, but that was with the fact that we’d be riding there. The highlands are way too vast to cover them on foot in any reasonable amount of time.” His friends were mostly excited, but Emma seemed to express some apprehension.

“Well I’ve done it before, so I think I can manage…” Alisa said, trying to pump herself up.

“And as long as we aren’t doing any trick jumps I think I’ll be fine as well.” Rean nodded.

Emma's eyes were glued to the ground, “Uh… I’m sorry, but I don’t have any experience riding. Will that be an issue?”

“It’s nothing to worry about, these horses are strong enough to let two people ride on them. I think if we’re considering balance, Alisa would probably be the best choice.” Hopefully that would assuage her doubts. All she would need to do was hang on tight, and let Alisa handle the control.

“Well I can do that, but wouldn’t you rather ride behind Gaius?” Alisa teased, and Emma turned a bright shade of pink. He could feel his own face grow flush as well, as the thought didn’t even occur to him until now.

“A-Alisa?!” She glanced down at the ground and started mumbling something under her breath that he couldn’t quite catch. While he would definitely be excited if she chose to ride behind him, he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by suggesting it himself.

Although, it seemed like Alisa had some other ideas in mind, as she giggled at her friend’s dismay. “I’m only kidding, Emma. Gaius might get a little ‘distracted’ if you’re on board.”

Her giggling made Emma bury her face in her hands, leaving her to quietly speak out her intention. “Um, then I think I’ll ride with you after all, Alisa.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Jusis said, doing his best to ignore Emma’s plight. “Now let’s mount up.” His eyes were immediately drawn to the roan horse, as he brushed his hand against his coat. “Does he have a name?”

“Roland.” Gaius filled him in, as he got on top of the largest of the horses. “The one I’m riding on is Serenoa, the white one is Frederica, and the chestnut is Benedict.”

“Interesting choice of names…” Alisa said as she got onto Frederica first. She extended her hand to Emma and helped pull her up. “Whoa now, hold on tight, Emma.” It took the girls a few seconds, but they managed to get on without too much trouble. Rean and Jusis managed to mount without any issue, and with their extra items stowed in the saddlebags, they were ready to ride.

“Everyone ready?” He asked, just to make sure. With three reassuring nods behind him, he shouted out and spurred Serenoa to action. “Yah!” He moved at a steady gallop, not fast enough to really push the horses, but quick enough for them to arrive in just under an hour. If he was going at top speed, and running with his mount’s health in mind, he could make this trip in under thirty minutes. But with less experienced riders behind him, and one mount carrying two people, the more leisurely pace was appropriate. Plus it gave his classmates an opportunity to truly experience the beauty of the highlands.

“It’s so different from the hustle and bustle of the city…” Rean remarked as he brought Benedict to a steady pace at his flank.

“I know! I feel like I’m one with the wind!” Alisa exclaimed with such joy in her voice that it reminded him of the first time he rode with his father. The way the wind whipped against his face and shook his core made him feel like he was truly at one with the winds and the world.

“I agree… but if you didn’t go too fast that would be great!” Emma replied from behind, as Frederica brought up the rear.

“It’ll start to feel natural in time, Emma.” Jusis remarked, carrying himself with remarkable poise. He wasn’t a member of the riding club for nothing, after all. “I’m sure my club would be writhing in envy if they could see us now.”

“Haha, I’ll bet.” Rean laughed, as he glanced over at him. “So which way are we heading?”

“We’re due northeast, and at this pace we should arrive before the sun sets. If we had more time I’d love to show you the landmarks around here, but I don’t think we’ll be able to make any detours today.” He glanced back over his shoulder to make sure Emma and Alisa were still doing alright. “Just let me know if the pace is too much for you, alright?”

“We’ll be fine!” Alisa said, “Don’t worry so much, and just ride! WOO HOO!” Her voice was loud enough to bounce off the rocky outcroppings and respond with an echo in turn, sending little ‘woo hoos’ back at them.

Alisa’s little outburst put a smile on Emma’s face, as she remarked just how much she was acting like a kid. It was good to see that they were all enjoying themselves as they continued their steady gallop to their destination.

“So, about your naming sense…” Jusis asked, “Why are these horses named after characters from the Saltiron Chronicles?”

He couldn’t help but chuckle at the expected question, “I was really big into the series a couple of years ago, so when dad gave me the chance to name these ones, I just went with naming them after the heroes of the tale. I imagine Thoma brought them over precisely because they’re so good with strangers. I can ride most horses without any trouble, but for new or inexperienced riders, it’s better to have them familiar with friendlier horses to start, rather than the more excitable ones.”

“Well I think it’s cute.” Emma smiled, as her apprehension seemed to fade away. Once you got used to riding, it was a lot of fun, and he was glad that Emma was getting to experience that joy for herself. “They’re such beautiful horses too…”

“I’ve never actually read that series, is it any good?” Rean asked, as Benedict tried to trail in a more northern direction. “Whoa, easy there, we’re following Gaius, alright?” he said, as if his horse would understand what he was saying. They did sometimes, but gestures and tones were more persuasive to horses than words would ever be.

Gaius smiled, “It’s quite enjoyable. I’ll have to lend you my copies sometime if you’re interested.” The sounds of the hawks trailing overhead, and the wide open expanse past them made the others slow down instinctually, as if waiting for his guidance.

“So uh… where to from here?” With all of them slowing down, he eased Serenoa into a stop. Of course, the highlands would be confusing for people who had never been here before. To him, every formation of rock was familiar, the way the light bounced off in the late afternoon, the shapes and sounds they made when horses rode past were intimately ingrained inside his consciousness. Without missing a beat, he reached into his saddlebag, and pulled out a map, showing them the product of the empire’s survey corps' hard work.

“This is quite detailed…” Jusis remarked, “Is this the entirety of the highlands?”

Gaius shook his head, “Just the parts that are relevant for our field study, there’s quite a bit more out to the north and east that aren’t covered, along with the territory that’s closer to Calvard’s borders.”

“That makes sense.” Emma said, glancing over at the finer details, once the map made its way to the girls. “You’re right that it’s due northeast, but it’s really easy to lose your sense of direction on the highlands. And there aren’t any roads or sign markers or anything.”

“Well, you can always use the natural landmarks to help you get around. For instance, we just came from Zender Gate, and that’s at the southwestern edge of the map.” He glanced over his shoulder and pointed it out, the imposing military fortress still visible from this distance. He drew their attention from the southwest, to the south, where a large triangular rock towered up into the skies. “And this is the triangular rock, the sort of middle point of this open area of the highlands.”

“I would have thought it’d have a cooler name than that.” Alisa pouted, as her eyes turned to the building just past that rock. “What is that tower doing there?”

“It’s something the imperial army put up a couple of years ago.” He explained, “Given the fact that the Calvardian border is so close by, they needed a way to survey their actions.” He wasn’t a fan of the arrangement, but it wasn’t like the council of elders could just tell the Erebonians no to that sort of thing. “We might end up stopping there for our field study tasks, so that’s a good one to keep in mind as well.” He turned his head forward pointing out the mountains in front of him, “It’s a bit hard to see from here, but there’s a valley ahead where our settlement is. As long as you travel in a northeasterly direction from here, you won’t miss it. Keep the watchtower to your right and the stone circle to your left and you’ll arrive just fine at our settlement.”

“Stone circle?” Emma asked, “What’s that?”

“It’s an ancient rock formation that’s existed for thousands of years. Due to its strange shape, people think it might be related to the ancient Neolithic civilizations of ages past. It’s hard to get a good look at it from here, but as we keep moving you should be able to see it better on your left.” His classmates nodded at his succinct explanation, and readied themselves to keep riding. “Now, we really should hurry. The highlands aren’t as safe once the sun goes down.”

Taking his warning to heart, the five of them got back on the saddle, running against the sun. A few more minutes of galloping put the stone circle into view, a sight that made all of his classmates gasp. It truly was a mysterious place, and it was somewhere he hoped he had a chance to show them all up close. He didn’t know what tasks his father had in mind for the field study, but he was sure the beauty of Nord would be made evident for all of his friends once they were done. While the majestic rock formations and natural beauty made his heart soar, nothing brought him comfort quite like the sight of home, as the familiar sight of yurts in the distance drew ever closer with each step their horses took.

“Not long now!” He said with glee, and without hesitation, he went just a little bit faster, urging his friends to follow his lead. Jusis and Rean smiled and rose to the challenge, and Alisa didn’t wait long to catch up, though she slowed down a bit when Emma begged her to. It was probably a good thing she wasn’t riding with him for her first time on a horse. “The stables are just up ahead!”

Jusis and Rean tried their best to overtake him, but they couldn’t do it before they got to the settlement, and at his request, they brought their speed down to a trot as they entered the village. Now they could clearly see everything the settlement had to offer, the few wooden fixtures standing out amongst the portable yurts that dotted the landscape. There were enclosures for the sheep and the donkeys they took care of, and vast wooden stables for the horses to rest under after their long treks across the highlands. Though he had fun riding with Serenoa again, it was time to return his friend to the stablemaster. He disembarked from his companion, and rubbed his muzzle before returning him to the stables where he slept with all of his friends. When he last left the village, they had around three hundred horses in the settlement, now according to the stablemaster, the number had increased to three hundred and fifty, about one for every two people in the settlement. A little bit more than they needed, except when it was time to move the settlement. But that wouldn’t be for another three months or so. He managed to settle things with the stablemaster quickly enough, and before long he joined his friends outside.

“It’s so… nostalgic here. It’s strange, since I’ve never been here before.” Emma said, taking in the sights and sounds of the settlement.

“Indeed, there’s a certain… wistfulness about this settlement.” Jusis agreed, clearly more taken by the bevy of horses in the stable.

“It’s utterly breathtaking…” Rean said, clearly lost for words. “I’ve never seen those strange tents before, and there’s even a well here…”

“We have some fixtures, but because we move to a different hunting ground in the fall, we live in these yurts. They’re made with thick cloth to keep us safe from the elements, but they’re easy enough to take down and put back up when we need to move.”

Rean nodded, clearly impressed by the smile on his face. “Guess that’s why they call you nomads, huh? Is this the only settlement on the highlands?”

“No, this is one of five major settlements, but it is one of the smaller ones, all things considered. Still, I trust that it’ll be a warm and hospitable place for you all during your stay here. I’ll show you where my family lives, I’m sure after all of that hard riding, you’ll want to settle down for the night.”

With no disagreements to his suggestion, Gaius showed them the way to his home, embracing the earthy smells of the land around him, and the wafting aromas of the open stoves preparing dinner. If there was one thing he missed the most about his homeland, it would have to be his mother’s cooking. His throat watered with anticipation, as he opened up the fabric of his family’s yurt. The words came naturally, as his long awaited homecoming finally came to fruition. “Dad? Mom? I’m home!”

Not even a second after he spoke was he tackled to the ground by his younger siblings, knocking him back outside with his brother and sisters keeping him pinned to the ground. He wrapped his arms around them and squeezed them tight, elated beyond words to see them all doing so well. Thoma had grown so much, but he was still just a kid deep down, and he was never as stoic as he or his father were, tending to get overwhelmed with his emotions from time to time. Lily and Sheeda had both grown as well, though they still weren’t tall enough to reach his face, even if they stood up on the tips of their toes. He couldn’t express how happy he was to see them all again.

“Lily, Sheeda, you’re crushing me…” He said, and they quickly took their body weight off of him. “Thoma, I heard you helped deliver our horses to Zender Gate today. Thank you so much. Lieutenant General Vander was proud of you as well.”

“It was nothing, bro…” He said bashfully, gently coaxing his siblings away from the door. “C’mon you two, you’ll have plenty of time to chat with big bro later, okay?”

“Aww…” Emma smiled, “These must be your siblings. They’re so cute!”

“Kinda makes me want a little brother or sister of my own~”

“Hehe, I remember when Elise was that clingy…”

“Now, now kids, at least give your older brother a chance to stand up, I want to give him a hug too, you know.” His mother said, poking her head out of the yurt to see all of the commotion. A second later, his father came out, draping his arm across his mother’s shoulder while having a hearty laugh at the situation. He forced himself off the ground and dusted himself off, glad to be back with his family once again.

“My son! You’re looking well!” Lacan Worzel was a man of few words, but he always spoke with warmth and sincerity. His face may have been chiseled by the winds of the highlands, but his eyes were always warm and proud. He was the kind of man who Gaius aspired to be like, warm, stoic, and strong enough to face any danger presented to him. “And I see you’ve brought your friends as well. It's a pleasure to meet you all.”

His family spent some time introducing themselves to his friends, and the utter shock on their faces when they found out his mother was not in fact his older sister was good for a laugh or two. While his time in Erebonia was blessed by his great friends, there was nothing quite like the warmth he felt now that he was surrounded by his loved ones.

“Come, and let me show you to your lodgings. We have plenty to discuss of course, but we can do that once you’re settled in, and we’re all gathered for our evening meal. I imagine you all must be getting pretty hungry now.”

As if on cue, a pair of rumbling stomachs made themselves known. While he would pretend he didn’t notice who those rumblings belonged to, it would definitely be a good idea to discuss everything over a nice meal. He volunteered to show them the way, but his father refused, urging him to have a seat and catch up with his younger siblings. Honestly, after not seeing them for so long, he found the idea desirable.

They gathered around the stove, and Lily and Sheeda immediately peppered him with questions. “Are all Erebonians so pretty?” “Is Erebonia fun?” “Are the lessons hard?” and all sorts of things. Gaius knew that one answer would just lead to a dozen more questions, but he was more than happy to answer each and everyone of them. Although, the smell of the lamb and distinct spices just made it harder for him to resist his urge to dig in right this instant.

It wasn’t long before his father returned with the rest of his classmates, and his mother officially called a start to dinner, a moment he had been waiting for for a long time. The meat was cooked perfectly, and given a level of spice most Erebonians would balk at. But for him and his family, it was just right, the mix of oil, salt and pepper was utterly sublime. And the spread was even more extravagant than usual, his mom was really going all out to impress her guests. Naan bread, spicy noodle soups, there were even dumplings to sup on. The hunt must have gone really well this week if they had so much food to share.

He wasn’t the only ravenous eater, as despite there being a boatload of food on the table, it was soon reduced to just a few stray pieces as everyone rubbed their stomachs in satisfaction. There was nothing quite like a large meal after a long trip, and the sated smiles and slightly swollen bellies only confirmed that thought further.

“I almost feel bad that the rest of our class wasn’t here to enjoy this.” Jusis said. “This might have been the best dinner I’ve ever had.”

“That’s good to hear. I was a bit worried that our food might not agree with you.” He smiled, as Jusis wiped a stain from the corner of his mouth.

“Ehe, that’s because mommy’s cooking is the best.” Lily said, echoing what everyone in the Worzel household already knew.

“No doubt you’re all tired from your long trip.” His father said, drawing their attention as if it was nothing. “Our cuisine is effective at easing fatigue, which is vital when you travel as much as we do. I hope that this has helped rejuvenate you.”

“Oh definitely!” Rean said, “I feel like I could run for miles… once my stomach starts to settle that is.”

“Here, try this tea.” Sheeda said, passing a cup to his friend, “It’s made with medicinal herbs that help with digestion.”

Rean gladly accepted, and once the drink hit his lips, his words of praise were enough to get the rest of his class to try some. As they took to his younger sister’s tea making skills, his father turned to the topic at hand. His mom took the other kids away to help with the chores and the cleanup, though that didn’t stop the ever curious Lily and Sheeda from trying to overhear their conversation.

“The land of Nord is nothing, if not free. You might find unique struggles here compared to your other field studies, but I believe the experiences you gain here will become important to you in the future. Life here is not without its challenges, but I hope you can grow to learn about our land, and about our ties to Erebonia along the way.”

Rean nodded, “That’s right. We’ve learned in class about how Emperor Driechels first started raising his army here in Nord, after all.”

“That’s right. Emperor Driechels is an important figure in our history as well, along with the seventeen brave men and women who joined him in his conquest. After his victory in the war, he swore a pact of friendship with our land and our people, a pact that I hope will continue in the years to come.”

“While the people of Nord may not be Erebonians, they are still our neighbours and closest allies.” Jusis said, crossing his arms. "I certainly hope that our government will not forget our debt to your people."

“That’s correct. Although recently, the Republic has also made attempts at courting friendship with our people.” His father explained, “and that has led to some increased tension between us and Erebonia in the process.”

Alisa clicked her tongue, “That doesn’t surprise me. The empire and the republic have been at each other’s throats for centuries.”

“At least we haven’t had any armed conflicts break out in the past few years…” Emma said, a hint of unease appearing on her fair features. “But it is true that relations have been growing worse over time, financially and politically…”

“Be that as it may, to both Erebonia and Calvard, Nord is relatively unimportant. While there may be a military presence on the highlands, it shouldn’t be anything you have to worry about during your stay here.” His father soothed their doubts, far better than he ever could. But while his classmates didn’t have to worry about it, this escalation was a powder keg just waiting to be ignited. And once it did, who knew what would happen to the beautiful highlands? He bit his lip, and just listened to the rest of the conversation.

“For the first chunk of your field study, I’ll have you focus on the southwestern portion of the highlands, where you traveled in from earlier. You probably didn’t get much of a chance to explore it, so these tasks should help you grow a sense of familiarity with the area.”

He nodded his head, “There’s more to explore to the north, but I think it makes sense to start small to begin with.”

“Sounds good to me.” Rean said, “Though the area looked pretty vast, I don't know about calling ‘that’ small to start.”

Alisa chuckled, “So we’ll have tasks in the area to the southwest, I assume that include Zender Gate and the watchtower we passed by?”

“Exactly. Try to be back for the midday meal, Gaius, and if things are going well, we can do some tasks in the area north of the settlement for the afternoon” He nodded in response to his father’s request, and got a faint smile out of him. “Good. Now I must apologize for talking your ear off all this time. You must be tired after all of your travels, and we have an early start in the morning. I’d like you all to be well rested for your field study tasks.”

“Oooh, ooh, I can escort them to their yurt!” Lily said with glee, “I wanna hear all about Erebonia!”

“Now, now, Lily, Gaius can handle that part.” Thoma chimed in, “You’ll have plenty of time to talk with them tomorrow and the day after that. Let them get their rest for now.”

“And besides, I’ve got plenty of stories to share with you today as well.” He smiled at his little sister, who lit up like a candle when she heard the good news. “I hope you guys don’t mind that I’ll be staying in my family’s yurt for this field study?”

“Not at all.” They all agreed simultaneously. After sharing a laugh at their surprising synchronicity, Jusis added, “You’re such a long way from home normally, what kind of friends would we be if we deprived you of your time with your family?”

“Jusis is right. Plus I’d feel bad saying no to your cute little sisters and brother.” Alisa smiled, and steadily rose to her feet. “Thank you so much the dinner Mrs. Worzel, it was incredible.”

“You’re too kind, Miss Alisa. I hope all of you kids enjoy your stay here, and I hope you’ll enjoy breakfast just as much.”

“We’re getting breakfast too? It sounds too good to be true.” Rean said with a beaming smile, being the last one to pull himself off the floor. “Let’s head back to our lodgings then, I’m sure Gaius has a lot he wants to talk about his family, and I’d feel rude keeping him.”

His classmates nodded, and Gaius made sure to escort them out, but not after spending a few minutes reassuring Lily he’d be right back. She was still pretty clingy, but Thoma and Sheeda were setting a good example for her. He let her know he’d be right back, and then they could talk all the way until it was time for bed.

It was a short walk to their guest lodgings, but it made them a little more familiar with the settlement as they got used to how it looked at night. Aside from a few guards at the edges of the settlement, there wasn’t any hustle or bustle at night, like there would be in a place like Saint-Arkh, or the capital. A few tents were illuminated with either natural fire light, or the artificial glow of orbal lamps, but other than that, the night sky provided most of the illumination, as a sea of stars and a vast blue moon shone down above them.

Their yurt was simple, with just a few beds inside separated by a long thick curtain, with orbal lamps set up beside each bedside. “Sorry, I know you girls probably would have preferred to have a separate yurt set up, but… this is what we have.”

“It’s alright, Gaius. Besides, Rean and Jusis are gentlemen so we don’t have anything to worry about.” Emma said, still marveling over the bright colours of the fabrics inside.

“Well, that’s good then.” He smiled, “Well I won’t keep you all too much longer. We’ve got an early start in the morning, so make sure you get your rest.” He racked his brain, trying to think if anything else came to mind, “Oh! If you need to use the bathroom, there is an outhouse outside, just make sure to knock first.”

“Don’t let us keep you any longer, Gaius.” Jusis said, “We can figure out the rest. Try and get some rest yourself, I imagine your siblings are going to bombard you with questions for the nwxt few hours.”

Gaius smiled as he imagined that exact situation happening, “Haha, alright. Pleasant dreams everyone. I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”

“Good night, Gaius. Sleep well.” Rean added with a charming smile. Seeing his friends so happy about his homeland filled him with such a sense of relief that he couldn’t help but smile as he walked out of their yurt. He was worried that they might think this place boring, but all of them seemed to find something to love about the place he called home. Whether it was just relief or joy, knowing that his friends were enjoying their field study made him happy beyond words.

He would do everything he could to make sure they enjoyed everything that this beautiful land had to offer.

Chapter Text

Emma stirred awake as a loud noise pushed her out of her restless sleep. Her legs were still sore from all the riding she did in the afternoon, keeping balance on that beautiful mare took using some muscles she didn’t even know she had. The land of Nord was absolutely picturesque, but the sleeping conditions were a bit more challenging to get used to. The fabric that comprised their yurt was strong, but it was nothing compared to a brick or wooden wall. And the sounds of nature were so much louder in a place like this than they ever were in Eryn or Trista. Most of all, she was feeling incredibly nervous about finally seeing Gaius’ homeland for the first time, and meeting his family.

It was no wonder he turned out as handsome as he did when his mother and father looked like that! Not to mention his siblings were absolutely adorable, and full of the most precocious questions they could think of. His family was so warm and kind, and their hospitality was top notch. The only thing she could complain about was the sounds of wildlife in the distance, a lone whinny or baa would knock her out of her sleep just before she could succumb to it. Casting a spell could work in this situation, but if she was going to be awake early in the morning, the spell might knock her out well past that point. Using magic so readily to solve her problems would only draw suspicion, and it would go against her grandmother’s teachings.

She sat up, and lifted the sheets off. With sleep eluding her, she decided it might be a good idea to get some fresh air for a little while. She tried to be quiet, but her stirring nudged Alisa awake, as she made a tired groan.

“Huhnn? Emma?” She was still half out of it, as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

“Sorry, did I wake you?” She spoke softly, trying not to wake everyone else up, “I’m just going out for a bit of fresh air. I’ll be back soon.”

“Mhm…” She nodded, and turned her head again, “Don’t stay out too late… and don’t get into trouble…” She mumbled before drifting off again.

Even when she wasn’t completely awake, she still worried about her friends. Alisa really was a sweet girl when her family wasn’t part of the picture. She’d make sure to take her advice, as she crept outside, making sure to be extra quiet as she passed through the boy’s side of the yurt. Both Rean and Jusis were out like lights, which made it easier for her to get by without accidentally waking the rest of her classmates up. She slid her shoes on, and made one last look around before heading outside.

She pushed the felt flap open, and embraced the sudden chill of the night time air. It was the early days of summer, but up in the mountains, it was a lot colder here than it would be in most of Erebonia right now. Still, the slight breeze was just what she needed as she looked up at the starry sky. It really was beautiful here, she wouldn’t be able to see these kinds of sights from the hidden village, and the constellations were so much clearer here than they ever would be in a larger city. It wasn’t just the sky that was pretty either, the yurts that dotted the settlement had their own charms as well, dyed in such fascinating colours and patterns that she had never really seen before. The next time she went to the library in Trista she’d check to see if there were meanings to all of these patterns, and try to learn more about their history if she could. Of course, she wouldn’t neglect the opportunity to ask about that history while she was here, but she’d need to save that for tomorrow.

She wasn’t heading toward anywhere in particular as she walked around, but subconsciously she was trying to get a better view of her surroundings. The settlement had some natural protection from the elements, and even though it was mostly a blast from the past, there were a few modern conveniences scattered around, including orbal lights at the settlement’s exits, and she did see an orbal car when they first arrived. There were only a few things scattered about but it seemed that even a place as isolated as Nord was embracing the orbal revolution.

As she took another step, she heard a pair of voices coming from the direction of Gaius’ yurt. According to the clock on her ARCUS it was just after midnight, so it was pretty late for people to still be awake. She looked around, trying to hone in on the sound before finding the source. It appeared that Gaius and his father were both still awake, and they were having a conversation, taking a seat on a rocky outcropping just outside of their family yurt. Emma couldn’t quite make out the words from here, and she didn’t want to intrude on their conversation so she utilized a tiny spell of her own. Touching the lobes of her ear, she focused on the wind that rustled through the settlement and used her mana to guide the sound to her ears. “Augeo! [Enhance!]”

It worked like a charm, as she could eavesdrop on their conversation perfectly now. If it turned out to be something personal, she’d shut off the spell right away, but for now, she found a nice rock to sit on, close her eyes, and just listen in to what they were saying.

—

“So that’s the decision the council made?” Gaius repeated, his brow furrowing, “I’m not sure what they’re thinking trying to appeal to both the republic and the empire.”

“They’re thinking about their survival. Calvard and Erebonia are always looking for ways to put pressure on one another, and their most effective tactic is through pressuring buffer states such as ourselves.” His father had more conviction in his voice, no doubt due to his life experience.

“Wouldn’t it be better just to ally with the nation we’ve sworn a pact of friendship with, rather than try to serve two masters?”

Lacan let out a heavy breath and rested his hand on Gaius’ shoulder. “The council doesn’t believe it would be that simple, and I share their opinion on that matter. Our relationship with Erebonia hasn’t changed in the past decade, but their political stance has greatly shifted since then. Expansionism, increased trade, the growth of their railway networks, it’s not right for us to assume that things will always stay the same between our nations. We are allies now, but we never know how long that will last.”

“So the elders decided that it would be a safer option to allow their cold war to expand into our borders?” Gaius was practically biting his tongue to stop from shouting. “How could letting Erebonia and Calvard build military constructions in our territory be acceptable?”

“It’s something Elder Ivan and I had a hard time explaining to the other villagers as well. It was not an easy choice to make, but one we had to make in this ever expanding world of ours.” Lacan sighed, “I’m sure you’ve experienced it in your time away from us. Both now, and five years ago. There were plenty of unfair things that you had no choice but to accept, right?”

What could he possibly mean? Emma wondered to herself as she perked up just a little bit more. She had felt bad at first, but now her curiosity compelled her to learn everything she could as she lurched forward.

Gaius reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver pocket watch, its faint glint catching Emma’s eye from all the way where she was sitting. It wasn’t his ARCUS, but it bore some similarities to the combat orbment he possessed. “Is this just another case of us being powerless?” He whispered, glaring down at the object in his hands. “Being unable to do anything but follow their lead?”

“It’s not as if we could raise an army to change our fates. Neither Erebonia nor Calvard would allow that to happen under their watch. Not to mention our people don’t seek out war either. We fight monsters and we hunt animals to protect our land, but we never raise arms against our fellow man. We haven’t needed to in a long time. And sure, our people may get into arguments with the other settlements from time to time, but we always try to settle those disputes with diplomacy, rather than violence.”

“Because the wounds we inflict on each other only hurt our people’s survival as a whole.” Gaius finished his thought. “I’m aware of that, I know I am, but… I just can’t accept that to be the only way. In order to survive, must we live like parasites, like second-class Erebonians, rather than equals?”

“My son…” Emma didn’t need to see his face clearly to feel the pain in his father’s voice. What’s more, she had never seen Gaius so open about anything before. He was usually so guarded, and so calm, that it seemed like nothing ever fazed him. “No matter what anyone might think, we still have our pride. And as long as we remember our connection to the wind and the boundless sky, we will never lose it. We are not just parasites living thanks to the good graces of our larger neighbours.”

She could see Gaius’ taking a deep breath, calming himself with each slow exhalation that escaped his lips. “I’m sorry for lashing out, father. It appears my frustrations got the better of me.”

Lacan just shook his head, rubbing his son’s shoulder with gentle encouragement. “I’m always willing to listen to your frustrations, my son. It sounds as if your days at school have been even more eventful than I could have imagined, and I know I would not have taken it as well as you have at your age.”

“Really? I find that hard to believe. You’re always so calm under pressure, father. I can’t help but want to live up to the example that you set for me and my siblings.”

Lacan laughed from the bottom of his heart, “Believe it or not, I was quite the hothead back in my youth. It wasn’t until I met your mother that I started to settle down.” He glanced back with a measured calm, settling down instantly. “But you have far more on your shoulders than I ever did, so the fact that you can still face forward so bravely fills me with an immense pride.”

“Dad?”

He rubbed his son’s head and smiled, “You are my pride and joy, Gaius. No matter what trials may stand in your way, I know that you’ll face them with bravery and dignity.” His hand brushed against the scar on his face, and a palpable warmth exuded from him. “Even if the whole world was your enemy, our family would have your back. And while I know you haven’t had the opportunity to make many friends your age at the settlement, I think you’ve met plenty of people worthy of that distinction during your travels. Like, perhaps the young woman over there who is taking this opportunity to watch the night sky.”

Emma gasped, and immediately turned off her enchantment as she felt the eyes of the two Worzel men narrow in on her. She wasn’t exactly concealing her presence, so it was only a matter of time before someone noticed her, but she wasn't really planning on listening in for so long!

Lacan patted his shoulder and smiled. “I’m going to get some rest. Don’t stay up too late now, I’d like your help putting the sheep out to pasture in the morning.”

“Of course, father. I’ll be back soon.” He smiled and waved him off, taking the opportunity to rise from his seat, and walk straight toward her. She was panicking on the inside, but didn’t dare move for fear of causing unnecessary worry. She took a deep breath, and did her best to play it cool. “Are you alright, Emma?” He was definitely cooler than she was at this moment, his genuine concern causing her face to heat up like a fire had just been lit under her seat.

“I’m fine! I just had a hard time sleeping, that's all. I thought getting some air might help with that.”

He smiled and took a seat next to her, his presence alone providing a bit of warmth to the night. “It’s probably a bit different sleeping without solid walls, huh?”

“Just a bit, When I first saw these yurts, I didn’t think they’d be as warm as they were, but the wool they’re made of must really lock in heat!”

Gaius chuckled, and a warm smile spread across his face. “Yes, the fabric is stitched to keep heat in, which is especially important when the winter comes around. We don’t get a lot of snow, but the air gets real chilly, especially at night.”

“Is that right? I kind of want to see what the highlands look like with a layer of snow now…” She trailed off from her thoughts as she glanced at him again. The tension had washed from his face, but his hands were still balled up at his sides. “Gaius, are you feeling okay?”

His ears perked up, and just for a second his stoic countenance was broken, proving Emma’s doubts to be true. “To be honest, I’ve been better.”

“Are you not excited about returning home?”

He shook his head vigorously. “It’s not that! I’m really glad to be back with my family, it’s just…” He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts, once again taking slow deep breaths as he did. “Seeing what I’ve seen throughout our field studies, it only makes me worry about what lies ahead.”

“I understand.” She tried to reassure him, “At least to some extent. Even though it’s not talked about very much, Nord is wedged between Calvard and Erebonia, just like Liberl and Crossbell. I thought the Non-Aggression Pact signed two years ago would reduce that tension somewhat, but it kind of feels like the opposite…”

Gaius nodded. “It’s hard, watching your homeland slowly see more and more military personnel pass through its borders. That’s part of the reason why I decided to take up Lieutenant General Vander’s offer to join Thors, because I wanted to understand more of the world around Nord.” His shoulders slumped, “if only ignorance was an option, then I wouldn’t have to fret about it so much.”

It seemed to be a curious turn of phrase to Emma, but he probably meant that his sense of responsibility made ignorance impossible. Her curiosity was continuing to get the better of her, as she asked a question that had been bubbling up to the forefront of her mind. “Was this… the first time you left Nord?”

Gaius flinched, and then rubbed the back of his head. “Did you happen to overhear my conversation with my father?”

“Just a bit…” She admitted, “Not intentionally or anything, though! I just happened to overhear some things. Your dad really cares about you a lot, doesn’t he?”

He smiled and shook his head. “He always says how proud he is of me, but I’m even more proud to be his son. And yes, this wasn’t the first time I’ve left Nord, though it’s hard for me to talk about why.”

“I apologize if I touched on something you don’t want to talk about.” She tried to give him an out. She was just curious, but she didn’t want to cause him any harm.

“No, it’s fine.” He crossed his arms and sighed, a pensive expression drawn on his beautiful features. “A lot of our classmates have brought up details of their past with one another, and while I’d like to do the same, I don’t think I can talk about everything with them.” He let out another deep breath, “but I don’t mind telling you a little about it.”

“Y-you don’t have to if you don’t want to!” She waved her hands in front of her face, “From what I can see this must be difficult to talk about!” She had never seen him so distraught and confused before, whenever he did something, he did it with confidence. It was rare to see him so troubled.

“No, I want to.” He proclaimed, meeting her eyes with a quiet resolution. Ah, this was the Gaius she knew, the one who always believed in himself, the one she couldn’t help but fall head over heels for. “Would you mind hearing me out?”

“I’d be happy to!” She nodded her head, and let him speak his mind. It was a rare occurrence, and she didn’t want to deny him the chance that he almost never took.

A wistful smile escaped his lips, his shoulders arched back as he gazed upward at the night sky. It really was a beautiful sight, one she’d engrave onto her memories, like a stone carving in the Heimdallr Museum.

“It was five years ago when it happened. Lily had just been born, so we were all pretty busy when it came to looking after her and Sheeda, who was still just a toddler herself. I had been doing a lot for the family, but I was starting to feel pretty stressed out about the fact that I couldn’t just ride wherever I wanted to while we were looking after my younger siblings. So one day, a few friends and I decided it’d be a fun idea to just ride off and explore on our own.”

Emma nodded her head, wondering where he was going with this. His shoulders tensed up a bit as he continued his tale. “There’s an abandoned quarry to the north of here, and I thought it’d be a good idea to go exploring. It’s one of the places we were forbidden from exploring as children, though if they were more transparent with the reason, I’d understand why. When we got close, my friends decided that they would rather not go with me, they were afraid of getting in trouble with their families, but I… I was curious to learn more. Perhaps a bit too curious.”

She gulped, “Were there monsters inside?”

He nodded his head. “Powerful ones at that. I think we could probably take care of them if we all went together, but as a thirteen year old kid all by himself? I barely knew how to use the spear I carried with me, and I quickly got into a situation that I couldn’t easily escape from.”

Emma listened with bated breath as he explained how his friends running off actually managed to save his life, as his father came charging in to save him from the monsters. But he was badly hurt in the process, and the medicine in Nord wasn’t enough to cure his injuries.”

“If it wasn’t for father Barkhorn flying me to Arteria, I never would have made it.” He admitted. “That’s the traveling priest that comes by once a month to teach Sunday School. I happened to be fortunate enough that he was traveling through the highlands when this happened.”

It sounded believable, but she couldn’t help but feel like he wasn’t telling the whole story, leaving some details purposely vague as he said it. It would be one thing if she was forcing this story out of him, but he said he wanted to tell her the truth. So why was he lying now? The only thing she could think of, was that there was another reason why that quarry was considered taboo.

“Gaius…” her voice was but a whisper now, just barely loud enough for him to hear her. “What really happened?”

His face twisted in confusion, “I’m not sure what you mean, I-”

“Gaius.” Her voice inflected, and he jumped a little at her tone. “What’s really going on? I understand if you don’t want to tell me everything, but why would you lie to me?”

“I’m not…” He bit his lip, even he couldn’t double down on his deception. His shoulders sagged as the words escaped his lips. “How did you know?”

“During our first field study you said that you don’t have many people your age in the settlement. That you didn’t have people that you could really call friends.” Emma retorted, catching him in his lie. “You’re too honest to be a good liar, Gaius. Personally I think that’s a great thing, but it hurts a lot when you try to lie to me seconds after trying to open up. I know you’re not the kind of person to do this normally, so I have to wonder why? What’s keeping you quiet? Are you being coerced? Threatened?”

“Emma…” He put his hand to his head and sighed, “I should have known I couldn’t get anything past you. I didn’t want you to worry, and now I’ve gone and made everything worse…”

“You can trust me, Gaius. I swear, I’m not out to get you or anything. Whatever it is you’re hiding, it’s clear that it’s eating you up inside.” Her hands squeezed against the pockets of her pyjama pants. “I just… want to help.”

The wind whistled through the camp, drowning out the sounds around them with the howl of nature. But it was only for a brief moment, before serenity and calm returned to the peaceful village. “You got me.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out that item from earlier. Emma tilted her head as she gazed upon it, noticing the chalice of the church engraved upon its face. It wasn’t a pocket watch like she thought, but a silver medallion. He held it in front of her eyes, letting it catch the light of the stars. It was so beautiful, like she was gazing upon a perfect jewel, free of any blemish to mar its beauty. She almost felt as if she couldn’t look away. She could see Gaius’ lips moving, but couldn’t make out any words...

—

“You’re feeling tired, right?” He offered, and she started to realize how late it was getting. She blinked, and she couldn’t help feeling like something was off. Like she had miscounted the steps in her grandmother’s atelier, and stumbled down the last one.

“Hmm? What time is it?” She reached into her pocket to pull out her ARCUS. Nearly one in the morning. It really was late. What was she even doing out here anyway? And why did her head feel so foggy as she tried to remember?

“You should probably head back to the yurt, it’s an early day tomorrow.” Gaius said, his voice having a casual reassurance about it. But that wasn’t right. Something wasn’t right here. She racked her brain to wonder what this gap in her cognition could possibly be. She took a step forward, and nearly stumbled, if not for Gaius catching her. “Riding can be pretty rough for a first timer, it’s no wonder you’re sore. I can lend my shoulder if you’d like.”

“I’m not sore at all…” Something snapped into place, like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle in her mind. The gap in her cognition, the general fuzziness, she had been put under a hypnotic spell! She snapped her fingers, and denied the haze that had been forming in her mind. “[Dispel!]”

Her memory returned in an instant, along with everything Gaius had said to her. That time he didn’t lie, but he made sure to wipe her memories with his hypnotic suggestion. It would have worked too, if she had not had practice dealing with geas and other hypnotic spells from Vita and Grandmother. After a good night’s sleep the spell would have set in, and the gap in her cognition would be filled in with some convenient excuse. Perhaps she was having strange dreams, or she just misheard something. The brain is a malleable thing after all, and can easily adjust to the power of suggestion and hypnosis. She turned around and met his eyes, still trying to play innocent. “Gaius? What did you do to me?”

“You broke the spell, huh?” He was surprised, but not shocked, his voice was still as calm as ever. “I see.”

“Isn’t there something else you’d like to say to me?” She could feel her anger bubbling up her throat as she spoke.

“Yes, there is.” He closed his eyes and gathered himself before speaking. “You remembered everything I told you, which begs the question. Just what exactly are you?" His voice quivered, "Can I… really trust you?”

Chapter Text

She was taken aback by his accusation, and he was surprised by the words that escaped his lips. Why was his first thought to accuse her after he had used the church’s thaumaturgy to hypnotize her? If he was truly committed to the lie, he wouldn’t have told her anything after he wiped her memory, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do that. She was supposed to forget everything, but with a single word his spell had been thwarted. Why should she trust him?

Her eyes widened, as if she couldn’t believe what she just heard. “Trust me? Is that really what you want to say to me?” Her voice quivered, and she took a step back, like she was looking at a monster.

His throat tightened as fear and regret vied for his heart, to see which one could squeeze it tighter. “How did you break that hypnosis? And how much do you remember?”

She was terrified of what he did to her. And to be honest with himself, his own actions made him sick. He really tried to hypnotize someone he deeply cared about. And what even for?! To protect the church and their damn secrets? On the off chance she was a member of Ouroboros, or one of their collaborators, he was ordered to keep his identity a secret. Eventually they would figure out he was one of theirs, but Carnelia told him to keep it under his hat, so that they could use it as a trump card in the future. They did the same thing with Father Graham two years ago during the Liberl Incident, and they no doubt intended to use him in a similar way when the snake’s next scheme came to light.

But it just wasn’t worth it! He held Emma in high regard, of all of their classmates, she was the kindest and sweetest out of all of them, and because of his chains, he made the biggest mistake of his life. Regret tore at his chest as her eyes looked so cold to him now. For once, he truly felt like the monster that dwelled within him. And yet words of doubt escaped his lips, as if his heart and mind were not of one single accord. If he was true to himself, he would have just told her everything! No lies, no deceptions, but he couldn’t stop his responsibility from getting in the way!

“Gaius.” Her words were ice. “You told me everything, so I understand to some extent why you did what you did. My grandmother told me that the Church has a secret wing of enforcers to do their dirty work. She also told me that they aren’t chosen, but born. That power you showed off during that duel with Miss Thorn. That was your Stigma, wasn’t it?”

He nodded, his throat squeezing itself shut with every second that passed by. “That’s right.”

“If you want to know what I am, then I’ll tell you.” She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they shone with an unnatural golden glow. “I’m a witch of the Hexen Clan. The Church and my clan haven’t always seen eye to eye, but we don’t meddle in each other’s affairs. That was the accord, anyway. Have they broken it, or did they never care to begin with?” She sighed, “I doubt you’re aware, so I shouldn’t be asking you about it to begin with. It sounds like it's just a coincidence you went to Thors, right?”

“That’s right.”

“I see…” She paused again, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

A witch? If he didn’t know better, he would have just said that she was being silly. Witches were nothing but the providence of fairy tales after all. But he did know better. The church had a long running tally on the clans connected to Aidios’ greatest treasures, and the Hexen Clan was responsible for one that existed where Erebonia is on the map. From what he was told by Father Barkhorn, their magic is that of the soul, and most closely connected to the element of fire. It would explain why her healing arts were so effective, how she broke through his hypnosis, and how she was able to hear his conversation with his father from such a long distance away. The parts about her that were just slightly off, the things he was choosing to distance himself from... they all made sense now.

“A witch of the Hexen Clan.” He let those strange words roll over his tongue, “Do they have business at Thors?”

“I wasn’t aware that this was an interrogation.” Venom laced her words, and he wondered how he could even stand to talk to him right now. He wondered how he could continue to act like this. “But yes, we do. I’m afraid I can’t share more than that, even if I wanted to. But right now, I think that’s the last thing I want to do. Good night, Gaius.”

He could feel his heart squeezing itself into a ball. Aidios, he just wanted relief from this pain! Why did he always have to make the worst possible decision? He nearly got Laura killed in that field study last month, and his actions in that quarry were the reason why his father has that scar on his face now. It’s an eternal reminder of his sin, the guilt that just keeps growing. He wanted to cast aside that reckless raging monster that didn’t trust anyone and be reborn, but it seemed like he failed at that once again.

He fell to his knees as the guilt was too much for his body to handle. “I’m sorry.” He choked out the words, as tears formed in the corner of his eyes. “I can’t believe how stupid I’ve been!”

“Gaius?” There was still some concern in her voice. Why could she still be kind to him after all this. How could she not hate him even more than he hated himself right now?

“You were the one person I trusted more than anyone at Thors. I thought if I could believe in anyone, it should have been you.” He punched at the ground, making an infinitesimal mark in the dry grass. “And yet I couldn’t even do that properly.”

Emma didn’t move from her position, keeping her eyes firmly locked on him. He could feel her distress from a mile away, and it only made him hate himself more. He could blame that artifact for awakening his stigma, but he never would have pursued it if he didn’t believe in the rumours of the magic wish granting lamp. Of course, the only wish that evil Djinn ever granted was its own wish to take over another person. In a sense, he was fortunate that he bore this curse upon his back, because without it he would have fallen victim to the curse of the Djinn instead.

But that only brought its own troubles. The rumours of the Djinn and its curse spread through the settlement like wildfire, and those rumours quickly found ears in all of the other settlements as well. Several people in his tribe already felt unease with the expansion of Erebonia’s military, so this curse was enough of an excuse to get them to move further away, or even leave the highlands entirely. It warranted an emergency meeting from the council, and they were all but set to exile him, if not for Father Barkhorn standing up in his defense, and offering to ‘cleanse the curse’ that he was afflicted by.

Naturally, there was no such thing, but that lie helped make sure he could return to a normal life, after he spent six months in Arteria of course. He learned what it meant to be a Dominion, and what he owed to the church for becoming one. The power of the Stigma is the only thing that can battle the effects of malignant artifacts, aside from other artifacts. This power is too much for humankind to control, so the most powerful people in the world are needed to retrieve and seal these artifacts. That was his role now. Any dreams he had of a peaceful life had been extinguished, all because of a reckless decision.

Naturally, his role was also to be kept a secret, due to the various malefactors who wish to use the power of artifacts for nefarious means. Whether they be crime lords, jaegers, or even businessmen and politicians in positions of power. He could never tell anyone what he truly was, lest he make the wrong enemies. And that’s why it was ingrained in him to keep the secret. To keep his mouth shut about it to people who weren’t in the fold.

“I had to lie, but it always hurt me to do so.” He said. “Some days when I look in the mirror I don’t even recognize who I am anymore.” His fingers curled around the grass in his grasp, and dug deep into the earth. “I thought maybe, if I could just tell someone I believed in about all this, it’d be alright. But I couldn’t even do that right!”

He slammed his head down on the ground, grateful that it wasn’t hard and rocky there. But perhaps the pain would have been sobering, perhaps it would have made him feel better. “I just had to be paranoid, I had to put my duty to the church before my conscience!” His fist curled up and slammed the ground again. “This isn’t the kind of person I want to be! This isn’t the kind of person I can be proud of being!”

Emma took a step forward, and knelt down in front of him. Her eyes were cold, and she didn’t speak a word, but she didn’t look away as he struggled in his anguish. She just observed him, waiting for him to make the first move.

“If you want to hate me for the rest of your life, I understand.” Gaius said, mustering the courage to speak to her. “If you never forgive me, I understand completely. I won’t make excuses for what I did, but I regret it with every fibre of my being. So I’m truly sorry!” The tears were falling from his eyes now, making small marks on the ground in front of him. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

Silence lingered, as Emma considered what to say. There wasn’t any hatred in her eyes anymore, just the clear eyes of a focused young woman who always measured her thoughts and words.

“You’re right about one thing.” She said, after what felt like an eternity. “I can’t forgive you for trying to hypnotize me. However…” She paused again, and it was clear she was struggling for words as well, “Even though you did, you still told me everything. And now that I can remember it all, I can empathize with everything that you went through.” She put her hand on his shoulder, and it felt like the heavy burden that was pushing him down had been lifted. How could her hand still feel so gentle after what he just did?

“I’m sorry about what happened to you when you were young. I’m sorry that your friends all left you when they thought you were the victim of a curse. I’m sorry that my country thinks it's a good idea to pressure your country into conflict even though your people just want to live in peace with one another!”

The indignance that welled up in her voice faded, as she looked him in the eye for the first time, urging him to lift his head off the ground with a simple touch. “And I’m even more sorry that my curiosity led to this mess. I’m sorry that I was eavesdropping on your private conversation with your father, and I’m even more sorry that I didn’t realize just how badly you were hurting all this time.”

“Emma?” He wanted to reach out, and wipe the tears that were forming in her eyes. She was so much more beautiful when she was smiling and happy. He didn’t deserve a single one of her tears, and he never wanted to see her in this much pain. His hand instinctively moved toward her, but he froze well before it could get there.

“I know just how much it must hurt to bottle it all up inside. Keeping secrets hurts a lot, and I can’t imagine how many times you’ve had to face this guilt all by yourself.” She stood up, and wiped her tears with the sleeves of her pyjamas, her face turning red from all of the tears she shed. “That’s why, when I finally forgive you, I want you to trust me. Even if you can’t talk about this with anyone else, I want you to have someone you can confide in. I won’t say anything to Rean and the others, but they’re pretty smart, and I’m sure they’ll figure some things out eventually.”

“Is that… really alright?”

“Of course it is! And if it’s alright with you, I want to be able to talk to you as well. I know what kind of person you are, and it doesn’t matter that you’re a Dominion, or a dog of the church, or whatever horrible things you called yourself. You’re an important person to me, and I know that you’re better than this. So please, let yourself open up, even just a little bit? I… I want to get to know you better. The real you. And when you're finally ready to open your heart up to me, I'll be there to listen.” She stood up, and turned on her heel, hiding her face from him entirely. He couldn’t tell what kind of expression she was making, but it was probably one he deserved after what he did to her. “Good night, Gaius.”

All he could do was respond back with a simple, “Good night, Emma.” before she left. The wind seemed to howl as it rushed by, echoing the turbulence he felt deep within himself. He glanced down at the dirt on his hands and wondered how he could possibly sleep tonight with this guilt still gnawing at his heart.

For now, he’d focus on doing what he could. His family needed him in the morning, and his classmates still needed him for their field study. Maybe if he worked hard at it, he could earn Emma’s forgiveness. He could only hope that he could be good enough to deserve it. Until then, he would bottle up all of that hatred he held for himself, so as not to worry the people he truly loved and cared for.

Chapter Text

Waking up at the crack wasn’t Alisa’s idea of a good time, but even she was surprised at how well rested she felt when Gaius made his wakeup call this morning. Whether it was the exhaustion from riding across the beautiful highlands, or the incredibly nourishing dinner his family provided, she slept incredibly well. As the rest of her classmates rose to the occasion, she could tell that they felt the same way. Though she was aware that Emma and Rean were pretty early risers themselves. It didn’t surprise her that Jusis was in a good mood as he got up. The boy was practically smiling ear to ear from the moment he got on the horse at Zender Gate, even if his actual lips had barely moved a rege. There was something warm about this place, something nostalgic that she had a hard time putting into words.

She pondered on it as they gathered around the table for a hearty breakfast. While it wasn’t nearly as much of a feast as dinner was, it still astounded her that Gaius’ mom could make all that food for them. Not just for her family, but for all of her son’s classmates as well. Trying to imagine her own mother doing something like this would be a practical impossibility. That woman was utterly incapable of thinking about anyone but herself!

But she wasn’t going to dwell on her family right now. She was going to focus on her field study, and enjoy every part of the highlands. And that included this incredible cuisine! Spiced bread, meat that just melted in your mouth, and a soothing tea with just a hint of tang to it all complimented each other perfectly, as she resisted the urge to ask for seconds. Now she knew where Gaius got that voracious appetite from. If she ate like this every day… she’d need to exercise twice as hard just to keep the extra weight off.

The five of them ate and chatted with his lovely family as their breakfast came to an end, and Alisa almost wanted to treat this like a vacation. Of course, when his father stepped into the room with a list of tasks in his hands, she knew it was time to get her game face on.

“I’m glad to see you’ve all enjoyed breakfast.” Lacan spoke with such gentle poise that the din of the family and friends talking hushed as they hung on his next word. “I have your set of tasks for this morning here. As I mentioned earlier, I’ll have some more tasks for you in the afternoon, depending on how things go.”

Rean nodded, and took the list of tasks from him. “Looks like we have three things to do this morning, seems like it’ll be pretty eventful.” He put the list on the table so everyone could see. She scooched closer to see it better only realizing after the fact that she was practically in his personal space.

Calm down girl! Just focus on the field study! She chided herself, as she turned her eyes to the sheet of paper. “Huh, this should be interesting. A delivery to the watchtower, a request from the village doctor and… a cultural exchange?”

“It sounds like one of us gets to teach the younger students about Erebonia?” Rean tilted his head, “Huh, that sounds like it might be pretty fun. But which one of us should do it?”

“Well I’m obviously out.” Gaius grinned, “I haven’t been in Erebonia nearly as long as any of you have, after all.”

Jusis cleared his throat and spared a glance toward Rean. “If you spend a moment thinking about it, it should be obvious who the best choice is for this.” Considering the rest of her classmates focused on Rean as he said it, Jusis was probably right in his assessment.

“I think your unique perspective would give the most holistic view of the country.” Emma suggested, “As someone between commoners and nobles, it makes the most sense.”

“Well, Rean? Think you’re up for teaching?”

He rubbed the back of his head, and shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, I guess I can do that. I just hope I don’t mess up.”

“I can’t imagine it’ll be anything too difficult.” Gaius patted him on the shoulder, “You might have to answer a few questions, but they should be a piece of cake for a guy like you.”

He seemed to get a bit more confidence at Gaius’ reassurance, and it wasn’t long before the five of them developed their game plan for today’s tasks. While Rean was working on teaching a special lesson for the younger children in the village, Jusis, Gaius and her would go check in with the storekeeper and the settlement doctor to get the information on their specific tasks. Emma chose to stay with Rean for the lesson, just in case he needed an extra set of hands.

She found it strange that Emma would choose to work opposite Gaius, but she pushed it out of her mind, instead focusing on the next task they had to handle. “So is your settlement doctor also a veterinarian?”

Gaius looked back over his shoulder, and gave a slight nod of his head. “That’s right. Amr handles all of the sickness and injury in our village, he’s a vital part of our community.”

“I bet.” Jusis crossed his arms, “Medical experts are always of high value, especially in less populated areas. But what happens if he gets sick, or there’s a disease that requires more help?”

“In that case we’d ride out to other settlements to ask for help, or we’d go to Zender Gate to ask for help from the medics there. Although we’d only do that as a last resort, we try to handle our problems on our own.”

Alisa nodded her head, it made a lot of sense to her why their people wouldn’t want the Erebonian military inside their village for prolonged periods of time. She had heard rumours about steam tanks being used during the orbal shutdown, so the people of Nord were wise to look out for thorns on any olive branches granted by them. Gaius seemed to hold the Lieutenant General in high regards, but even they have people they take orders from.

A lot of the yurts they had put up looked very similar to one another, but thankfully there were signposts set up to show travelers like them the way around, so finding the apothecary was pretty simple, even if they were just following Gaius around to their destination. Though they needed to stop and say hello to everyone passing by as they all welcomed Gaius back with warmth in their expressions. This village really was a gentle and warm place, she could clearly see why Gaius was so fond of his home.

The town’s doctor was just as kind. He was a young man, Alisa would have pegged him as being in his early thirties, but after seeing how youthful everyone in the village looked, she couldn’t trust her usual senses. After all, Gaius’ mom and dad looked like they could be his older siblings with how youthful and energetic they were. After exchanging what was probably their fiftieth greeting of the day to the apothecary, he gave them the rundown of what he needed.

“Epona Grass, hmm? I’ve never heard of it before.” Jusis said, furrowing his brow.

“It only grows on the highlands, but there are similar herbs in Erebonia that provide a less potent effect. Combined with a few other ingredients, this should help prevent our horses from getting sick from disease this year. It basically works as a super immune system booster, when combined correctly.”

“And if it isn’t?” Alisa asked.

“It smells really bad and doesn’t do much of anything besides adding a little fibre to their diets..” He laughed, “My old teacher would make me do it again and again until I got it right. Anyway, you just need to find me a few batches of it, Gaius you remember what they look like, right?”

“Yes, there should be yellow flowers growing inside, right?”

“Correct you are. You’ll find more of them near larger rocks, or in areas rich with septium. I don’t need too much more, but if you could find five batches for me, that would be great.”

Alisa scribbled down the information in her notebook, glancing over as Gaius drew a very neat picture of them for his own reference. It seemed like his art club was really coming in handy for him, now she could pick those out if she saw them at a distance. He folded his notebook shut and smiled, “We’ll get those to you as soon as we can, Amr.”

“You’re a gem, Gaius. Thank you for the help.”

It seemed like it didn’t matter how much technology a place had, there was always a need for people to deliver and fetch things for them. The apothecary and the village store were on opposite sides of the settlement, so they decided to check in on Emma and Rean before handling their other request.

She was surprised to see just how instructor-like Rean looked up there with the younger children, as he was giving them a lecture about Erebonia’s railways. This was a subject she would have been good at too, but the children really seemed to hang on his every word. His smile was pretty infectious as he started talking about the orbal revolution, and all of the changes it brought to their country.

“Ooh, ooh, I have a question!” The young boy with Gaius’s younger sisters raised his hand.

“Yes, Cotan?” Rean spoke with a warm and soft voice.

“How fast do the trains go?”

“Well uh…” He rubbed the back of his head, stumped by the boy's question. He glanced over at Emma, but she didn’t seem to know the answer either. It was the perfect chance for an expert like her to step up to the plate. She stepped up in front of them and cleared her throat.

“The average speed of a Erebonian train is about 1200 selge/hr!” Alisa said with confidence, “But if you want to know how fast they can really go, I’ve heard some of the newest models can go all the way up to 2000 selge/hr.”

“Wow, 2000!” The boy gasped, “I can’t even count that high!”

“You know a lot about trains, don’t you miss Alisa? But how fast would that be in comparison to a horse?” Sheeda came through with a much tougher question, one she didn’t really know the answer to. Thankfully she didn’t come to this Sunday school lecture by herself, as Gaius stepped up this time.

“If you ran one of our horses to its very fastest speed, it’d go about half as fast as that train.” He explained, “But I don’t think any of you kids are ready to ride at those speeds just yet. How have your riding lessons been coming along, Cotan?”

“I can make him trot now!” He smiled, “But I’m still not nearly as good as Lily is…”

“Well, just keep practicing, and you’ll be as good as I am at it. You’ve come really far since the winter, Cotan. Your parents must be proud.”

Alisa couldn’t help but smile as the kids seemed to flock around Gaius. Even to the people he wasn’t related to around here, he was just like family to them. Whether he was the ever vigilant big brother, or the dutiful son, he fit in with this village perfectly. The elder who was overseeing this lecture couldn’t help but smile either, but she decided to get it back on track before it got derailed too much with tangential questions.

“Now children, I’m sure you have lots of questions for all of our guests, but they’re very busy people too. I know your dad needs their help as well, Cotan, so don’t hog all of their time.”

“Aww, okay Elder.”

She carried herself with a quiet dignity, even as she used a cane to shuffle forward to the front of their discussion. Alisa had never thought about holding a class just out in the open like this, but it seemed to be a natural thing in Nord. The woman cleared her throat and said, “However, if you would each like to ask one question to these fine ladies and gentlemen before we wrap up this lesson, that would be alright.”

“Yay!” Cotan smiled and tried to ask his question first, but Lily had already beaten him to the punch.

“So I was just wondering… what’s the difference between nobles and commoners anyway?” Lily tilted her head, “I know Instructor Rean mentioned it a few times when he was talking about the Orbal Revolution, but I don’t really get it.”

While the thought of ‘Instructor Rean’ had Alisa tickled pink, the question Lily asked was definitely not an easy one to answer. Nobles or Commoners, people were just people. And being in a class that was a mixture of people from all walks of life only made that fact just more apparent to her. Maybe Rean couldn’t explain it well on his own, but as a class? Well, maybe all of their perspectives could provide a better answer for her.

Jusis was actually the first one to step up, clearing his throat as he did. “The nobility come from families whose ancestors did great things in the past. Whether it was financially or militarily, these ancestors provided value to the empire, and so the emperor rewarded them with land and titles.”

“But the land is for everyone to use, isn’t it?” Sheeda asked, “Why does the emperor get to decide who has it?”

“Well just because he rewards the land to those families, doesn’t mean that those families hoard all of it. They still need people to look after the land, and all of the resources that make up their territory. In turn, the nobility have a responsibility to protect their subjects, and make decisions that benefit everyone within their territory.”

“Oh, so they’re kind of like the elders of our tribe!” Cotan nodded, seeming to have a brief understanding. Well, that was just the cliffnotes, but Jusis did paint a very idealistic picture of the relationship between nobles and commoners. But not every noble was as selfless as that, they would often seek any opportunity to enrich themselves, even if it meant impoverishing their own subjects in the process. Their so called responsibility meant nothing if there was no one to hold them accountable. She saw enough of that during her first field study in Celdic.

“Kind of.” Gaius said, “Though our elders have a much smaller flock to worry about, and they aren’t appointed by birth. They need the consensus of the village to take on that role, and all the responsibilities that come with it.” The kids nodded like they understood, but Sheeda at least seemed to still be thinking deeply about that answer.

“Did you have any more questions?” Rean asked, still moving confidently in his role, but none of the children raised their hands.

“Hmm, then I think this is a good stopping point for today. You kids can run along now, just make sure not to forget your chores.” The old lady said, and the kids got off the grass and started to run and play freely. It made her smile to know that kids in Nord were just like kids in Erebonia, they could only take so much time in a classroom before they got bored with it all. Their teacher must have known that well, just by looking at them. “And as for you, you did a wonderful job teaching our young ones, Rean. If you weren’t a student I’d love to hire you on for teaching lessons once a month or so.”

“You’re too kind, I just did what I could.” Rean blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

“Miss Jedah is right, you really connected with those children.” Emma agreed, “I think you could be an excellent teacher if you really wanted to.”

“Really?” He paused for a moment to think about it, stroking his chin, “Maybe I'll consider it…”

“You’re still young, and you have plenty of time to think about what to do in your future.” Jedah said, before handing Rean a small pouch. “Here is your payment for all of your help.”

Rean carefully unraveled the pouch to reveal a pair of matching bracelets, woven in what seemed to be a traditional Nord style. She had seen a few designs like that inside the yurts of the people who lived here, but it was a beautiful design regardless. The only difference between them was one had a blue thread woven in with the base brown, and another had a red one.

“Are these… some kind of traditional accessories?” Emma asked, “They’re quite beautiful.”

“They’re meant to give good luck on your travels, and good health for your family respectively.” Gaius explained, “Elder Jedah put a lot of thought into these gifts.”

“I see…” Emma said, her eyes lighting up for a moment, before she nervously chuckled and took a step back. If Alisa wasn’t paying so much attention to those two she might have missed it, but those two were definitely walking around eggshells with one another.

“I kind of wish I had a whole set to give to each of you…” Rean rubbed the back of his head, “I mean, we all worked together on this, it’s only fair that we all get something.”

Jusis crossed his arms, “Don’t worry so much about it. You were the one who did most of the teaching, you should hold onto them. If the worst comes to worst, you could always give one as a souvenir for your younger sister.”

“That might not be such a bad idea.” Rean said, carefully sliding both bracelets into his bag. “So, are we ready to hit the road?”

“Just about, we just need to make one more stop.”

The five of them proceeded to pick up their last request from Kilte at the town’s store. Much to her surprise, it was well stocked with tear balms of various strengths, weapons for hunting, and of course, some more of those Nord accessories. Just looking at the price tag on them made her realize just how precious a gift those bracelets were. Once she was able to tear her eyes away from all of the merchandise, she listened in to Kilte’s explanation. It seemed like a pretty simple request, just a delivery of produce to the watchtower down at the southern edge of the highlands.

With all of their tasks in the settlement complete, they stopped by the stables to get their horses, and they were off to the southern part of the highlands. The skies were blue and vast, and the breathtaking beauty of the rock formations didn’t diminish in the slightest during the day. Emma seemed to be a bit less nervous as well, no longer clutching so tightly while they galloped through the gentle winds.

“Keep an eye out for yellow flowers!” Gaius called out from the lead of the formation, “We’ll pick up any stalks of Epona Grass that we find on the way to the watchtower!”

“Got it!” They all said at roughly the same time, Emma’s voice a half-beat afterward. She was definitely distracted by something, and now was the perfect time to figure out what it was.

“Are you feeling alright, Emma?” She asked as she slowed Frederica down just a hair to trail behind the boys. “You seem a little… preoccupied today.”

“Oh… I’m fine.” She said, in the tone of voice that indicated that she clearly wasn’t, but likely wasn’t going to budge on the matter either.

“If you say so… did the food not sit right with you?”

She shook her head and squeezed a little bit tighter. “Not at all, the food has been superb, and Gaius’ family is so warm and welcoming…”

If she had to guess, her worries probably had to do with someone, rather than something. She didn’t want to believe it but… “Did you and Gaius have a fight last night?” She gasped, and desperately tried to deny it. Unfortunately for her, she never was very good at being deceptive, and all of her emotions were clear on her face and on her grip tightening around her waist. “Emma…”

“I wouldn’t say we had a fight… exactly…” She hesitated, her gaze tilting towards him. “It’s just… I don’t know. It’s hard to talk about.”

“Was it something else, then?” She wondered, vaguely remembering Emma stepping outside during the night. She had fallen asleep almost immediately afterward so she couldn’t say whether or not she was gone for long. “Something… better?”

“No, that’s not it either.” She shivered a bit, “Shouldn’t we focus on looking for those medicinal herbs, instead?”

“Urk…” She had a point, they were still on a field study after all. “We can ride and talk, can’t we?”

Emma giggled, and Alisa could catch a faint hint of a smile over her shoulder. Maybe she was just being nosy, and everything would sort itself out. She looked back at the open field ahead and saw just a hint of yellow swaying in the shade of a tall triangular rock. “Hey look, I think I found one!” She shouted out, getting the boys’ attention. After pointing toward what she saw, Gaius nodded and led his horse into a full gallop toward the rock.

The other horses neighed as they were gently steered toward Alisa’s line of sight, and to their surprise there were a whole bunch of flowers blooming in the shade of the large rock. “Good catch, Alisa.” Gaius said, dismounting from his steed. “There’s quite a lot here too, I thought we’d have to be riding for a while to find enough.”

“Under the shade of a boulder like this it must have been pretty hard to spot while moving. You really have superb eyes, Alisa!” Rean said, throwing out compliments like they were nothing.

“T-thanks…” She blushed, despite herself, and went even more red when she heard Emma giggling behind her.

“Think this will be enough for the apothecary, Gaius?” Rean said, completely ignoring her reaction.

“This should be plenty.” Gaius knelt down and started harvesting the herbs, making sure to dig around them to avoid damaging the roots. “One, two, three, four and… five.” He opened up one of his saddlebags and put the earth’s bounty inside. “That was a lot easier than I thought…” His ears perked up, and the skin on the back of his neck raised. She didn’t know what it was, but there was definitely something here.

“Everyone, get back!” Rean shouted, and all of them leapt away from the rock on instinct. It was a good thing they did, as they narrowly avoided a bolt of lightning that struck the ground.

“What? There’s no clouds in the sky!” She complained as she hastily pulled out her weapon. “What’s going on?”

“A monster.” Jusis grit his teeth, “Several, in fact.” Alisa caught what he was talking about just a moment later, as a swarm of fish monsters floated toward them. The long appendages on their heads flickered with sparks and light, and their gaping maws reeked of death. She didn’t understand how monster anatomy worked, but a real fish would have choked and died long before it ever figured out how to float in the air. Guess that’s why they were classified as monsters and not animals.

“We didn’t get any monster requests, did we?” Emma asked, still a little unsteady on her feet. Her instincts were polished though, and the orbal staff was already in her hands.

“It doesn’t matter, it’s us or them right now!” Rean said, “Everyone form up on me, get your combat links ready! Gaius, watch our backs!” His orders were clear and precise in a crisis, and the five of them were ready to go. Alisa could feel the familiar warmth of Rean’s link and the quiet calm that came with it. It didn’t matter that there were so many of these fish floating around, with this combat link they felt like easy pickings.

She nocked her first arrow and launched it into the fray. The monster's cries were as good a signal as any to the beginning of this extermination.

Chapter Text

It took a few minutes of hard combat, but eventually the last fish fell to the powerful art that Emma launched, a searing ray of heat powerful enough to give anyone close enough to it first-degree burns, and more than enough heat to fry those fish on the spot. Alisa felt the strength leave her body as she plopped down onto the grass. Surprisingly it was quite soft, despite never being trimmed or cut by human ingenuity.

“Don’t tell me you’re tired already.” Jusis said, hunched over with his hands on his thighs, “We’ve only just started our field study.”

“Give me a break, it’s way more exhausting when you’re on the other end of an ambush!”

“Well, I don’t sense any other monsters close by.” Rean said, being the last one to relax, “Should we take a few minutes to catch our breaths?”

“I think that’s a good idea.” Gaius added, “I’ll check on the horses, they might be a bit spooked after that.”

Jusis agreed, “Let me go with you, there are a lot of horses for one person to look after.”

“Are you sure? Well, I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” He chuckled at his joke, and the two boys walked over to check on their set of mounts.

Once they were out of earshot, Rean took a seat opposite the two girls. “So, is it just me or has Gaius been acting a little strange lately?”

Huh, so he could be sharp when he wanted to be. Alisa thought to herself, his density must be limited to just his own interactions with people. “It’s not just you,” she replied. “He’s been more… aloof than usual. I mean, he’s usually a little bit aloof, but he’s warm as well. This is…”

Emma raised her hand, “I’m sure he’ll be alright. I’m pretty sure I know the reason why he’s acting like that.”

Rean glanced over his shoulder and then back at the two of them, “Did something happen between you two last night?” She gasped, as her poor poker face gave her away. “Sorry, I overheard you leaving the tent last night, and it took a while for you to come back. I didn’t want to bring it up because…”

Emma shook her head, “It’s fine. You were just worried, right? Everything is fine, we just… had a bit of an argument last night.”

It was Alisa’s turn for her poker face to fail. She didn’t even know those two were capable of having arguments! They were always so calm and composed, unlike some of the other hotheads and fight happy members of their class. “I thought things were going really well between you two! You guys spend so much time after class with one another and all.”

She gave a very sad smile and said, “It might have just been a lie…” Before Alisa could ask what she meant by that, and reassure her friend that everything would be alright, Gaius and Jusis had come back into earshot with their horses in tow. “Forget I said anything. Shall we get going? We still need to make it to the watchtower, right?”

“Yeah…” Alisa said, swallowing her words. “But I want you to tell me everything that happened later, alright!”

She nodded her head, and the five of them got on their horses with an awkward silence hanging over them. Even if there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, it sure felt like it was going to rain.

—

That awkward silence hung like a heavy cloud even after they finished their business at the watchtower, and made their way down to Zender Gate. She, Jusis and Rean handled most of the talking as they moved the goods from the settlement into the waiting stores of the watchtower guards, each of them delighted by the bounteous gifts that were bestowed upon them.

It wasn’t until they arrived at the gate that Gaius and Emma finally said something that wasn’t a response to a probing question from either her or Rean.

“Do we need anything while we’re here?” Gaius asked, “If there’s something this base can provide that the settlement can’t, we should stock up before heading back.”

“Huh, now that you mention it, it’d probably be a good idea to get our orbments checked out while we’re here. After dealing with that monster ambush, and with those extra sepith masses we got from the lieutenant general, we might be able to upgrade them a little bit.”

Rean rubbed the back of his head, “Guess I’ll go check in with the quartermaster here, he should be able to upgrade a few slots. Mind leaving the decision on what to upgrade to me?”

“I trust you’ll make a good decision in that regard.” Jusis said, handing him orbment. One by one, the rest of the ARCUS’ ended up in Rean’s hands before long. “We’ll be waiting in the mess hall here, try not to take too long.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back shortly.” He said with a cheerful smile and carried their orbments away. The man behind the desk was more than happy to see the newest models, and certainly seemed like he would talk his ear off about it. Maybe she should have joined him to keep the orbment discourse under control… but she couldn’t help feeling like she’d just stoke the fire.

“Well, so much for a short wait.” Jusis crossed his arms as he took a seat, “I suppose while we’re here we can at least rest our feet.”

“That sounds great.” Emma said, gingerly sitting down. “I can’t help but feel sore after all that riding…”

Alisa had a brief flash of Angelica Rogner pop up in her mind, and immediately dismissed the awful things she would almost certainly say. For a noble, she certainly didn’t know what decorum meant, unlike Jusis who was wisely choosing to ignore the other meaning of those words.

“It’s good to get a break while we can, and I’m certain the horses will appreciate it as well. We haven’t been going too hard on them, but the continued riding does take a toll after a while.” Gaius remarked. “Let’s just take it easy for a spell and catch our breaths.”

“That sounds good.” Emma remarked naturally, only trailing off when she realized who she was responding to. Those conflicting feelings of hers were certainly making things hard to talk about, that’s for sure. And Jusis wasn’t helping either with his steadfast ignorance of the situation. It was like he didn’t care at all that his friends were at odds with each other!

“Um, excuse me…” Their silence was broken by a young girl, probably just hitting her teenage years. She had a gentle expression on her face, her innocent almost radiant in this drab, dreary mess hall. “You’re Thoma’s big brother, right?”

“That’s right.” Gaius said. “It’s been a while since I left for Erebonia, but you look more confident than you did a few months ago. How are you doing, Sharl?”

“I’m great!” She was positively beaming as she spoke, her nervousness cast aside to the wind. “I actually had a question for you, if that’s alright?”

“For me? Of course, I’d be happy to help you out, if I can.” He had gone into full big brother mode now, making eye contact with the much smaller girl.

“So this question might sound weird, but do you… um… happen to know what Thoma’s favourite colour is?”

“His favourite colour?” Gaius leaned back and tried to think, “Hmm, I’m not really sure if it’s his favourite, but he does gravitate toward the cooler colours, like blue and green.”

“I see…” She crossed her arms, “and your favourite colour is red right? Sheeda told me about it the other day when I visited the settlement.”

“That’s right.” He said, gesturing toward the ribbon in her hair.

Jusis spoke up, “Did your little sister give you that ribbon, Gaius?”

“She did. The red is meant to symbolize the bonds of family, which is why I treasure it so much.” He glanced over at Sharl and a small smile escaped his lips. “If you’re looking to give him a gift, I’d say go with green.”

“Why green instead of blue?” Emma asked, her interest piqued.

“Because that’s the colour of the wind, the colour that connects our people to the highlands, and to each other, no matter how far apart we are.”

Sharl blushed, “How did you know I was making a gift?”

“Just a hunch…” He smiled, “I have to imagine he’d be thrilled with whatever gift you gave him though.”

Sharl nodded her head fiercely, “Thank you so much Gaius! And all of his friends too!” She skipped away, the joy evident in her step as she continued her work sweeping up the mess hall.

Alisa couldn’t help but smile at the situation, maybe she didn’t need to do anything to get those two to make up. Because despite Emma being angry at him, it was obvious she was thinking of nothing but him as her eyes wandered to him from time to time. Just as she was thinking that, she could see Rean returning from the quartermaster, their upgraded orbments in hand. It was time to get back to work, and Alisa was more than ready now.

—

Galloping through the highlands really was starting to become second nature to her now, as she didn’t even need to refer to the map to figure out where she was going. If these tasks were designed to get them comfortable with the lay of the land, it was definitely working. Lunch was quickly approaching, and their duties in this area were now complete, all they had to do was report back to Kilte, and give the apothecary his herbs. While the boys were quick to ride ahead, Alisa chose to gallop slightly behind them, just out of earshot. There was something she wanted to say to the girl behind her, before she missed this opportunity.

“Hey, Emma?”

“Hmm? Is something the matter Alisa? We seem to be lagging behind a bit.” Her awareness didn’t seem to diminish, even when she was lost in thought.

“Mind if I ask you something personal?”

“Hmm, well as long as it isn’t anything too uncomfortable, sure.”

“Oh no, I don’t want to put you on the spot or anything!” She blushed, as her desire to be polite was fighting her desire to know more about her friend. “It’s just… you don’t talk about your family all that much. I saw your eyes light up when Gaius was talking to that cute little girl about family and what those colours meant, so I was just wondering…”

“Oh!” Emma gasped, and her grip around her stomach got just a bit tighter. “I uh… well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to talk about it. I think you know I lived with my grandmother, right?”

“Yeah. That’s why I was curious. Are your mom and dad… not in the picture anymore?”

Emma was quiet for a moment, the only reason Alisa could tell she was thinking hard was that she could feel the heartbeat of the woman pounding like a drum against her back. Alisa could feel the squeezing around her relent, as Emma took a small and steady breath. “Yeah, you could say that.”

Alisa gave her the time and space to speak, the only sounds escorting them being the hoofbeats of their horse, and the cries of the birds soaring atop the mountain peaks. Eventually, she decided to speak her mind. “My dad… well he was never really in the picture. I never got to meet him, though my mother never said a bad word about him. As for my mother… I never got to see her that much. Much like yours, she was always busy with work that would take her outside the small little village I grew up in. She would visit us maybe once a month or so for a few days at a time, but she’d never stay long, and always had another job to do somewhere else.”

“That must have been tough, living without a family.”

“I suppose, but I never considered myself unlucky. She would always tell the most vibrant stories about her adventures, they were so fantastical that it was hard to separate the reality from fiction. And not only that, she knew she couldn’t be around all the time, which is why she had me live with Grandmother. And all of the people in our village were so close, it was like I had one big family, instead of just a small, isolated one.”

“That sounds nice.” Alisa smiled, hearing Emma’s joy at describing her village almost made it feel like she was there herself. Perhaps she shared the same traits as her mother when it came to her storytelling. However, she couldn’t help but notice that she referred to her mother in the past tense.

“It was… and it still is. I’m quite fortunate to have had such a strong support system in my life, although I have to admit it got a little lonely sometimes. Doubly so when my mom passed away eight years ago.” Emma had already accepted her mother’s loss, there wasn’t anything extra in that expression, just a retelling of the facts. “The villagers were nice of course, but it was tough not being able to hear any more of her stories.”

“I can relate to that.” Alisa said, “I don’t know if you know this, but I lost my dad eight years ago as well.”

“I didn’t.” Emma said, “I suppose neither of us really talked about our family much, did we?”

“You’re right.” Alisa chuckled, “But now that I feel more comfortable around you guys, I want you to know these things about me.” A wide smile forced its way out, “Because I know that I always feel better once I get these things off my chest. I felt lonely when my dad died too. I think I went through all the stages of grief over and over in every order imaginable.”

“That must have been tough.” Emma said, “If it's alright, could you tell me more about your family? I’ve been worried about you ever since we ran into your mom in Roer, but I didn’t want to broach the subject until you were ready to talk.”

Alisa’s jaw dropped. Her situation with her mother was just business as usual, but it was rare to have someone sympathize with her point of view on the matter. Maybe it was just another part of being so lonely until now. A quiet gasp escaped her lips, “Yeah, you’re right. It's a bit of a long story, if that's alright?”

“Of course it is!”

Emma’s quiet encouragement gave Alisa the strength to talk about her family. About how her dad died in an accident, and his entire workshop went up in smoke. She told her about how her mother buried herself in her work, and forced her grandfather out of his position as head of the company. She lamented how fast her mother seemed to accelerate this war machine, even putting those weapons of mass destruction right on Crossbell’s doorstep as a ‘deterrent’. She even complained about how much her family separating made her feel like a useless child. She couldn’t share these thoughts with her mother, or Sharon, they’d just laugh her off as being a petulant child, but not Emma. Emma was kind enough to listen, to understand where she was coming from, and perhaps maybe even understand exactly why she felt so isolated and alone.

Emma didn’t need to say anything to her, She just wrapped her arms around her and held her close, in a warm and comforting embrace. If it wasn’t for the fact that they were both riding on a galloping horse she might have stopped to wipe her face completely instead of with just her sleeve. She wasn’t crying, it was just the wind in her eyes…

“Thank you for listening. I’m glad you’re my friend, Emma.” Those heartfelt words were the easiest to say right now.

“I’m always happy to help out. After all, you heard me out as well. It meant a lot to me, and I wanted to thank you.” Emma’s grip loosened, just enough for her to keep her stability on their mount. “This Class VII thing is really something else, huh? I never imagined I'd be able to open my heart up to a girl from a big city while riding across the Nord Highlands on a beautiful white horse.”

Alisa giggled, “You betcha. Although the best way you could thank me is getting you and Gaius back on the same page. I don’t know what’s going on between you two, and I won’t pry, but our class just isn’t right without our two cool beauties being on the same page.” Alisa could feel Emma burying her face in her back, the compliment must have been burning up her cheeks with the way she was shaking her head.

“I’ll try…” She could hear a faint whisper against her back, but anything else she said was obscured by the wind, and the sound of their friend.

“Hey, we’re almost at the village!” Rean called out, bringing an end to their little moment, as he slowed his horse down to match their pace. “Are you two alright back there?”

“Just fine, don’t worry so much!” Alisa’s smile reached the very edges of her cheeks, “I was just thinking about how much I was looking forward to tasting Gaius’ mom’s cooking again!”

“Haha, I have to agree.” Rean’s presence was just as calming in the moment, “I’m glad to see you’re looking better, Alisa, I was worried for a little bit.”

She still had a long way to go, if mister tall, dark and handsome over here was worrying about her. She was so happy right now that she didn’t even register that handsome was one of the first descriptors that came to mind when she thought about the core of their class. Right now, it felt like nothing could put a damper on her good mood. A heavy weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, and she now felt certain about the next steps she needed to take.