A bell rang out on the walls of many hallways, the ringing echoing loudly with the boom of thunder. Once, twice, thrice, then following the fourth the ringing began to lessen. Before long the ringing would be drown out by the sound of steps echoing in the halls. Many bodies, many feet, all shuffling along. That was the situation in majority of the halls of the Barracks as well as in the nearby fortress.
Outside however it was a different tale.
Out in the courtyard several hundred individuals stood at attention, most in uniform though a fair few in casual attire. Most looked ahead to a simple wooden podium, while all else were scattered in talk and observation of other events around them. In particular there were five clustered together talking among themselves.
“So Tari, how are things with Torunei and Silver?”
“They aren’t terrible Illiya. We’re ready to ace the exam this year.”586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfwIAv8G9v
“Oh really? Glad to hear things have improved.”
“How are things with you and finding a team?”
“I uh, well that is to say-”586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyETLKy9BAj
“Haha, I thought so. Still can’t find people you like to work with. Christa, how is your partnership coming along?”
“Ugh, that damn Mifune is such a pain. He thinks he’s the center of attention, a total showoff. I hate it! You know he didn’t learn to stop calling me Healer Girl until just yesterday when I hurled him through a wall but I know damn well he won’t stop. It pisses me off!”
“I mean, you are a healer though right?”
“Not the way he means it. Mifune has the attitude everyone has, that healers are these inferior nobodies that can’t help themselves in a fight, women especially. I mean, what era are we in?!”
“Why not dump him with that Corolus guy. Or Carolus? Curlolis? I can’t remember, whoops,” Tari laughed.
“Silas? Ugh, don’t even get me started. Our proctor says we actually, and that’s him and Mifune and myself, plus I guess Silas’s partner Emzoni? Whatever, he says we’re all going to make a good squad in the future. Enzo I just want to punch out for his asshole remarks quoting history for why healers aren’t fighters. Sometimes I wish I could just join your team Tari but of course your proctor says as a team of three you’re totally efficient.”
“Could always be like Illiya and not need a team.”
“Pft, I have a team, sort of.”
“Your sister and brother don’t count. Rick is a full fledged Priest and Soren is a wandering hand.”
“She prefers the term nomad. Not sure how she can do that at age fourteen but whatever. Life goals are life goals I suppose. Besides, I’m fine as a team of one. I go where they need me. Eventually I’ll become a Priest, I’m sure of it.”
“If ever they bring the exams here that is,” Silver mumbled, “By the by, speaking of the three idiots, where are they?”
“Idi- oh. Yeah good question.”
“I think I saw Mifune yelling at Silas earlier about something, then Enzo ran off to try and stop him?” Torunei replied.
“Sounds about right,” came the response of Tari, “Well hopefully they aren’t gone for too long. Supposedly this announcement is huge?”
“Uh, yeah, just look up there,” Silver said pointing.
Knights began to march in around the podium, followed then by none other than Prince Raikor and Princess Lani. Stepping onto the podium, the king and queen themselves.586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbYVWbbfid
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Two blades slammed against each other, sparks flying. Scuffling feet, rocks spraying, loud grunts from two guys. Skidding, more shuffling rocks, then a pause.
“Come on guys, we’re going to be late!” Enzo cried out.
“You just let us worry about that Enzo,” came the reply of Mifune.
“Heh heh, yeah. Mifune challenged me, I can’t just back down. Isn’t there a rule about that?” Silas chuckled.
“This won’t take much longer, not the way Silas is fighting.”
“Whoa now aren’t you getting carried away Mifune. I haven’t even begun to fight,” Silas chuckled as his left hand moved inside his coat.
Mifune’s head turned and cocked itself as Enzo took a step back, all in one instance to which Silas pulled out a small notebook. The pages flipped open, many an inscription written upon the paper. Towards the middle of the book he stopped while stabbing his sword into the ground, holding his right hand forth while reading.
“Whoa guys we’ve got a badass over here!” Mifune laughed.
“Mock me while you can. I’ll show you and later that coward Illiago why to never mock me. I’ll give you a good showing of what I can do.”
The two stood at odds, each staring down the other at the ready.
“INCOMING!”
A shout from the West, a girl’s shout. All at once brush flew off into the air as a solid mass flew straight at Mifune.
“What the fyuu- FAFAFAAA-” he began, cut off with a gag as the object flew straight into his gut.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAIYEAYAYAAAFLAKAAA-” he wailed flying off crashing through a brick wall as the object crashed into a bunch of brush next to the wall.
“Whoa ho ho, wipe out,” Silas chuckled.
“Dude, he could be hurt!” Enzo spat.
“What, Mifune? Nah. He’s been hit harder in the grapes by Christa before for his sexist jokes. He’s fine.”
“Sexist jokes?”
“Yeah. He apparently likes pissing Christa off. I don’t know why but eh… to each their own.”
“AM I the only one around here that’s actually intelligent?!”
“Enzo, hush.”
“Cheese of the Sun, what the hell hit me!” Mifune barked slowly pushing himself out of the rubble.
The brush alongside the hole moved as slowly a woman stood covered in ash, dressed rather casual. She looked around with her hair flopping, a slight magic dust around her, “Dammit, it blew up again.”
“Uh, who the what are you?” Mifune grumbled.
“Hello there,” Silas chuckled.
“Oh uh, hey there,” the girl coughed, “Sorry sorry, I was practicing a spell and it totally didn’t just blow up. I was uh, practicing with someone and they countered pretty hard.”
Silas and Enzo looked to each other, the silence interrupted seconds later by the laugh of Mifune, “HAHA! Where is this guy who countered you? I’ll totally jump in for the heck of it!”
“They left.”
“Oh, then I’ll totally fight you!”
“Wait what-?!”
“You hit me, you declared war. I have a right to fight you now don’t I?” Mifune chuckled taking stance.
“Y-you actually want to fight me?”
“Yeah why not. Silas, Enzo, you want in on this?”
“Hey now, three on one might be overboard Mifune. Tone it back a step.”
“Heck, whatever Silas. This should be fun. Come on then girl, give it your best shot!”
“Well, alright. If you insist.”586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAN3AkKeBEt
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“-and so that brings us to the discussion of pushing for this class’s exams to come early. You will be broken down into teams of no more than four and assigned a mission relatively higher than what we allow rangers to handle. Knight level assignments. These will determine if you are truly ready for what is to come. Once we have determined who is and who is not ready, we will begin the exams. Know that as per usual, only a handful of you will actually move on to the position of a knight. Of the hundreds of you, only several dozen will even be granted the opportunity. From there, we will finalize our selection with the exams.”
“A question your majesty,” came a call from the crowd, “What are the failing points of the first part of this test?”
“Simple. If any of your squad members are killed or if you are unable to complete the mission within expectations.”
Chatter kicked up immediately at the response, many heads shifting and turning.
“Your proctors have already been handed the assignments. For some of you, it might be a mission you are currently working on. For others, it will be completely different. Exercise caution with these upcoming missions for they will most certainly be life and death important. Please, be on guard and do your-”
Solaris was immediately cut off by the sound of an explosion, then yelling. All heads turned to the North, all watching as three individuals flew up into the air. Three men coated in ash being thrown clear through yelling as they went crashing down into a building.
“Ya-hoo! I got ‘em. I win!” came the shout of a woman.
“Holy cow, that was Mifune and Silas just now wasn’t it?” one individual called out.
“No way, who the heck sent those two jokers flying?” replied another.
“Don’t know but congrats to them!”
Solaris let out a sigh, a hand to her head as Raikor let out a chuckle. Zeke held back a laugh of his own, his expression scrunched.
“Oh Dawn, always causing trouble,” Lani murmured.
“Well I have to give her credit. She certainly reminds me of your mother when she was younger,” Zeke laughed.
Christa’s face began to turn red, stress marks popping up all along her forehead as Tari simply laughed. The red turned boiling as she growled, “And I have to work with idiots like those three? We have to pass a mission together? Ugh. I’m doomed.”
“Well you might be right about that one Christa, haha,” Illiya laughed.
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