"Alright, rookies. I think that's enough practice for today." Wyvet made sure her voice carried well over the flapping of wings. "Everyone back to the ground. Remember to glide, not dive!"

No one made much of a fuss at this, all clearly feeling some level of exhaustion. Flying wasn't particularly taxing, yet the process of communicating with their dragons took a bit of mental effort, especially since the dragons were still considered babies. It was a miracle that they were large enough to ride in the first place.

Nagan was especially glad to finally set foot on stable ground. Flying was the best feeling in the world, but after a couple hours of dealing with Ravi's awkward movements, he couldn't help but feel a bit queasy. Milora seemed to share the same sentiment as she joined him on the ground, both stumbling off their dragons and lying back onto the dirt.

"That was fun," Milora commented, her eyes still fixated on the sky. Nagan only snorted humorlessly in reply.

Yet their relief was short-lived as heavy footsteps marched up to them.

"This is a sorry sight," drawled a voice, and Nagan and Milora immediately scrambled to their feet to stand in attention, as did everyone else. A few paces away from them stood General Byteron with a furious scowl.

"Don't let me catch you lot in such a state again," he barked, glaring down each of the young mages before him. "Behavior like this will get you killed out in the field. What have I told you about letting your guard down? Are your skulls so thick that nothing gets through? Are your heads so stuck in books that you don't hear? Answer me!"

There was a quick murmur of uncertain 'no, sir's. Nagan refused to speak at all. The general didn't seem to notice as he continued on.

"And to think this is what our last defense has come to," he nearly spat. "Listen up, brats. Get your heads out of the dirt and start working harder. By order of the Council of Thirds, every combat-related class you have will be doubled while some of you will be doing that full time." He sneered, settling his gaze on Nagan. "Congratulations. Some of you have been called to war, and the rest of you will join them later on."

Nagan felt dread pool into his stomach, and others let out muffled whimpers. He knew the general's look meant he was one of the first to be summoned. Of course he was. Yet...he never expected it to be so soon. He was thirteen, after all. Ravi nudged him lightly with her snout, sensing her master's unease to which Nagan replied with a grateful pulse through their just-forming mental connection.

"Those chosen were originally told to be ready by the end of the week," Byteron continued, "but seeing that feat is near impossible, your Professor Fai talked them into giving you three weeks. Use your generous weeks given or die quicker on the battlefield."

He turned his gaze to his lieutenants. "Wyvet, Qentor, break time's over. Get their sorry carcasses back in the air to run more drills. I want them able to complete basic maneuvers in their sleep by tomorrow. Got it?"

"Loud and clear, sir," Wyvet saluted. For once, she wasn't smiling.

"Good." General Byteron evaluated the students one last time before scoffing, turning on his heel, and marching back inside the castle.

"Well, you heard him," Wyvet said after a beat of silence. "Can't disobey direct orders. Back onto your dragons, and let's start the drills from the top."

"That was brutal," Gath groaned as they walked to the library to rest before dinner. "But what the general said was pretty scary. Who do you think was chosen?"

"Me, of course," Nagan replied tiredly. "He was looking directly at me while he said it."

Milora and Az shared an uneasy glance before Milora turned to Nagan. "What if the general had something to do with it? Like a plot to get rid of you?"

"I doubt it," he said with a snort. "It's not like the Council doesn't know my name already. They were always interested in my time magic."

"It's as if you're more of a weapon to them than an actual person," Milora declared hotly before shaking her head and muttering, "No one deserves to be treated that way."

A wave of guilt washed over Nagan as he remembered his words before the flight lesson. "About that..." he began. "I've been meaning to tell you—"

"No need." She bumped him with her shoulder and smiled up at him. "But if it happens too many more times, I'll send Dockard on you. I don't like it when you talk as if you deserved everything that happened."

He returned the smile, but soon the moment was disrupted by a chanting voice in the background.

"Nagan and Milora, sitting in a tree—"

Nagan glared incredulously at Gath. "Are you serious?" His head whipped back to Milora as she began to laugh, soon joined by Az. "Don't encourage him!"

"You know he's just trying to get a row out of you," Milora said while trying to hide her giggling behind her hand. Az, on the other hand, made no move to muffle his guffaws.

"And he's about to learn what it feels like for his eyes to be stuck in between his toes."

Gath quickly backpedaled as Nagan stepped towards him, moving to hide behind Az, yet he refused to cease his chanting. Milora held onto Nagan's arm and pulled him away to continue walking, leaving the other two laughing behind them.

"Just leave them," she hummed. "If anything, they're embarrassing themselves."

"You hear that?" Nagan called back to the stragglers. "You're both an embarrassment to society."

"The only one embarrassed here is you," Az called back with a grin, dragging Gath behind him as they caught up. Another laugh burst from Milora at that.

"I hate you all, and I hope you know that."

This only caused his friends to laugh harder, but Nagan found himself smiling despite the redness of his cheeks.

They found a corner of the library upon arrival and continued to chat for nearly an hour. Milora and Gath sat in armchairs, Nagan laid across the couch, and Az was sprawled on the rug face down. No one questioned it.

They were just about to head to the Great Hall to line up when Nagan felt a familiar magic presence approaching. Glancing to the side from where he stared at the ceiling, he spotted Professor Fai lumbering towards them, feet dragging slightly. He barely had time to move his legs before the professor sat heavily on the other end of the couch.

"Is he alright?" The professor vaguely motioned to Az on the floor.

Nagan shrugged. "He's fine."

"But are you alright, Professor?" Milora asked in concern. "You look...well..."

Gath, "Tired."

Nagan, "Irritated."

Az, without looking up, "Like death?"

Professor Fai grimaced. "Geez, none of you like to mince your words, do you?"

The students collectively shrugged, except for Az who propped himself up on his elbows to properly look at the professor.

"Is it because of students being called to war?" he asked carefully and watched as Professor Fai's frown deepened.

"Ah, so you already know then." Their apprehensive looks were all the confirmation he needed. He sighed. "Suppose that spares me the time to explain it myself. Who told you?"

"General Byteron," replied Nagan.

"He showed up at the end of our flight class and said something like—" Gath puffed up his chest and continued with a poor imitation of the general's voice, "—'I want them to run drills until they can do them in their sleep.'"

Professor Fai barely refrained from rolling his eyes. "He must take pleasure in barging into my classes, even if I'm not there. But moving past that, how was flying?"

Gath bolted forward with a broad grin. "It was amazing!"

"Lieutenant Wyvet and Lieutenant Qentor were great mentors as well," Milora added, "even if Qentor didn't say anything. But he kept a good eye on the ones who were more unstable than the rest."

"He's always been a quiet person," Professor Fai said with a small smile.

"And you want to hear the best part of the whole session?" Az finally sat up and crossed his legs, shooting a sly grin in Nagan's direction. Nagan narrowed his eyes in return, and Professor Fai couldn't help but let out a faint snort.

"What antics did Nagan get into this time?"

"In my defense, it wasn't really my fault," Nagan interjected.

"No, but it was still your dragon," Az noted before turning his attention back to the professor. "Ravi kidnapped Nagan when he was trying to put the saddle on and ended up taking him above the clouds."

"And this was all before we were given actual flight instructions," Milora grinned. "Good thing we were given the flight masks first."

Professor Fai shook his head and chuckled. "I'm not surprised."

Nagan only huffed indignantly at this before muttering, "It's not like I purposefully get myself into these situations."

"I'm sure you don't, you just have either the best luck or the worst luck," Professor Fai said before standing, prompting his students to do the same. "You all better start heading to line up, now."

There was a series of groans as they all begrudgingly stood to follow the professor, all wishing they had more time for their sore muscles to settle.

"Professor Fai?" Nagan asked as they neared the Great Hall. "Who are the ones being called first?"

The professor didn't reply right away. Instead, he turned to face them with a somber expression. His students stopped before him.

"All four of you were, as well as others. By the time you return to your dorms for the night, there should be a scroll waiting for you with your new schedule." He made sure each of them was paying attention to his words with a grim look. What he told them next, he hoped they would take with them for the battles ahead. "For the next three weeks, there will be no room for inattention. Listen to what your instructors have to say, and absorb any sort of advice they give you. Even if it's Byteron. I don't agree with him on many fronts, but I can't deny his experience. Anything you hear and do could be a matter of life or death."

He paused and sighed heavily. "Although I'd prefer that none of you were here in the first place, I'm afraid there isn't much of a choice anymore. Just...promise me you all won't go off trying to act as heroes. Don't do anything reckless."

None of them wanted to go against their professor, and they each promised with sincerity.

"We know this isn't a game," Milora said wisely, "so we'll make sure to do all we can."

"Without dying," Gath added.

"We'll do all we can without adding more unnecessary risk to the best of our abilities," Nagan summarized.

"You better remember your own words, Nagan," Az warned. "I'll hold you to them."

Professor Fai watched as Nagan and Az began to bicker — Milora and Gath occasionally adding their own input without supporting any side in particular — and didn't know whether he should be exasperated or laugh. In the end, he simply smiled and crossed his arms. They were still kids, after all. He could let them be so until they were forced to grow up.

"Alright," he said finally, raising his hand to get them to quiet down. "Get into your lines before you're late."

He could have laughed at their dawning realization, and they all bid him farewell before rushing past him into the Great Hall.

They're children, do you hear me? His words to the councilmen echoed in his mind as he entered behind them, watching as they squeezed into their lines before General Byteron began talking. Am I the only one who understands this?

•________________________•

*stumbles in, glasses slightly askew* I can explain my sudden absence. Kinda. Anyways, I had a crazy 3(?) weeks, lol.

First week: I work in a grocery store for context, and my shipment was literally late every time for that whole week, so I was going in everyday instead of the usual MWF. It's amazing how an additional 10 hours can mess up your week XD

Second week: Boss went on vacation, so again, I was working the entire week, heh.

Third week: Sometime in the middle of the second week I caught something, cause by the weekend I was sick. Like coughing, headache, sore throat, congestion, all that jazz. So by the time Monday rolled around, I actually got told by my work to not show up until I got tested for covid. I was negative (thankfully), but I'm glad I still pretty much got the week off, cause it's probably at least a respiratory flu or something, lol.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this semi-fun chapter (had a lot of ups and downs honestly XD) cause it might be the last fun chapter you read for awhile *insert upside down smiley face*

Also a heads up, I might not get another chapter out by next week since I got a research paper that's due which I have been putting off till last minute soooooooo...wish me luck XD