It didn't take too long for them to reach their first camp; they had ridden their dragons for longer in training. Either way, it still left them sore and wanting to actually walk for a change. They were glad (for now) to hear that they'll be walking for the rest of the journey.

"So, what are we doing with the dragons?" Gath asked as they moved from the landing area to where a caravan was being formed. There was an oddly dark yet luxurious carriage amidst the carts, they noticed, but none piped up to question it.

"It depends." Professor Fai shrugged before elaborating. "While on the path, it'll be too narrow for the larger dragons to fly up through the trees, so more than likely they'll be pulling the carts. The smaller dragons will be sent on lookout with at least one experienced scout with them. That's not including you guys. You'll be staying on the ground. Refer to the distance procedures."

Nagan grimaced. "Ravi and I haven't gotten the hang of that yet."

Ravi warbled in agreement.

"You can't be a prodigy in everything, Nagan," Carthadeus noted mildly.

Nagan only rolled his eyes. "I'm aware, thank you very much, but I meant that as a segway into asking what Ravi should be doing, then."

"Wait, that's not what I..." No one seemed to hear the words die in Carthadeus' throat.

"P-p-protec—tion?"

"Precisely," Professor Fai said, nodding his head to Aitor. "Amphitheres have excellent mobility, so she'll be helpful enough on the ground and may be able to carry smaller loads."

By this time, they had reached the caravan, trying to stay out of the way of bustling workers and soldiers. Cart upon cart was filled with supplies, from food to bandages to weapons. There weren't as many dragons as the teens expected, but that made sense since most Dragonmages were sent to the front along the Sa'aremak border. They were simply students, and Professor Fai was there to make sure they didn't die.

A grim thought, but very true, Nagan commented internally, only watching silently as a man approached the professor.

"Captain Fai," the man saluted, "it's good to see you've returned to your position."

Captain? the teens thought.

"No thanks to a certain general. I would rather be where I'm needed." The professor sighed. "But I'm needed here now, I suppose. Status report."

"We are almost ready to set off. Just a few more things need to be loaded, sir."

"Excellent. Who's in charge?"

"Besides you, that will be me." The man held out his hand. "Lieutenant Kipp Larksong, at your service."

Professor Fai shook Larksong's hand firmly before motioning to the teens behind him. "Let me introduce you to your new Dragonmages: Sergeant Carthadeus Honoria, Second Sergeant Nagan Elvar and Privates Icarion Arcloven, Gathen Farvell, and Aitor Raumalaude. They've recently completed their training in Carvolier."

Larksong nodded his head at the teens. "Younger than I thought, but I heard some big family names in there. I trust you're ready for duty?"

"Yes, sir," the teens chorused.

"Good." Larksong gave one last nod and a salute to Professor Fai. "I'll be around making last checks, but I'm sure you've already been given your assignments?"

The teens gave Professor Fai curious looks--they have not been told exactly what they're doing--but the professor only nodded and waved Larksong off. With that, the man disappeared amongst the carts.

"Should...we be addressing you the same, professor? Or captain?" Az asked.

"I don't mind you still calling me professor--that's what I am to you--but you should call the rest of your superiors by their appropriate titles. You remember the symbols, correct?"

The teens nodded, tentatively glancing down at the patch just above the Dragonmage symbol that specified their rank. Professor Fai's cloak lacked that patch, however.

"Well, I suppose you're dying to know why you're here," Professor Fai continued while leading them to the strange carriage in the middle.

Nagan heard Aitor quip something along the lines of, "I wouldn't say dying, but..." and he barely suppressed a snort. No one was laughing, however, as they came closer to the carriage.

"Where are my honeyed biscuits! I demanded honeyed biscuits almost five minutes ago!"

The teens nearly stopped dead in their tracks, shooting perturbed glances at each other.

Was that a child?!

Professor Fai, however, remained undisturbed. In fact, Nagan was sure he saw a smug smile on the professor's face.

"Pardon me, is this a bad time?" he asked as he rounded the carriage to its opened door, the confused teens in tow.

"No, apologies, I'll be with you in a moment."

They all watched rather awkwardly as a frazzled young man hastily unwrapped a package, presumably the honeyed biscuits the little boy demanded. The young man wore fine clothes, round specs, and had his ash brown hair neatly tied in a low ponytail. A deep blue ribbon held it in place. The young man, who had successfully unwrapped the package with one hand, held out a few golden cookies to the boy before him. The boy snatched them and began scarfing them without a single thanks.

While the young man was dressed nicely, the boy in the carriage dressed even more lavishly, who had yet lost the baby fat in his cheeks. The teens may have occasionally joked about how Nagan still had a bit of roundness to his face, making it look more feminine, but it was nothing compared to the little boy's pudginess. What the boy wore could only be described as vaguely travel-worthy with high-grade silk and cotton, all embroidered with gold. What topped it off was the high and mighty glare the boy gave them as he continued to stuff his face.

This feels familiar, Nagan thought, stealing a glance at Carthadeus.

"Apologies once again," the young man said, opening one of the many, many, trunks attached to the carriage to put away the treats. He then gave them a formal bow before gesturing to the boy. "May I introduce his highness, Prince Georgivus Pactivian, third son of our gracious majesty, King Emblar Pactivian the Fourth, may he live forever."

Professor Fai, to his credit, didn't falter under the long introduction. Instead, he nodded his head in respect, but that wasn't enough for the prince.

"You didn't bow!" the prince shouted angrily, crumbs spilling out of his mouth. "How dare you! You're supposed to show me respect by bowing!"

"Pardon them, your highness, but they aren't part of our society," the young man hastily tried to remedy, throwing in a few short bows. "They are the Dragonmages your King Father told you about. They're here to protect you."

"The boys behind me are here to protect you specifically," Professor Fai said. "I am Captain Fai, and these are your personal bodyguards, all having completed their Dragonmage training in Carvolier at the top of their classes. You'll have the chance to get to know them presently. If you'll excuse me, er..."

"Oh!" The young man bowed again. Nagan couldn't help but wonder if the poor man had frequent headaches. "My name is Blaine. I'm merely the prince's attendant, nothing more."

"Blaine," the professor repeated, holding out his hand. Blaine shook it timidly. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well. We should be ready to begin our journey soon, so just send one of the boys to find me if you need me."

Nagan had never seen the professor make an exit so quickly. Typical, he grumbled to himself.

Everything was quiet between them after that, only the sound of the prince slurping down water. Carthadeus rolled his eyes, stepping forward while muttering to them, "We were taught in manners, as well, if you forgot."

Thus began their introductions to Blaine and, by extension, Georgivus, but it didn't seem like the prince had any interest in them at all. In fact, Georgivus ignored any attempt at engaging with him. Not that they minded, they simply moved on with their names and their specialties, giving Blaine a rundown of what was to be expected.

"It's a blessing that you're all here, though," Blaine said, making some final adjustments before putting a foot upon the carriage's step. "Two Dragonmages are impressive enough, but with eight dragons surrounding us, I'm sure any ruffians or bandits would think twice before attacking."

"We—we'll d-do our-r-r b-best-t-t," Aitor grinned, albeit a bit timidly.

Nagan bumped shoulders with him to reassure the other, knowing that Aitor's stutter became worse when he was nervous. Aitor gave him a small smile in return.

"What's wrong with you?" Georgivus interjected with a look of disgust. "We, we, d-d-d-oo our—our best-t-t-t-t. You sound stupid."

Aitor barely caught Nagan's wrist to keep the other in place, gripping hard enough for Nagan to grunt in pain. Thankfully, it at least kept Nagan's mouth shut. While that happened, from the corner of his eye, he could see Gath nearly using his entire body weight to keep Carthadeus in place. Az, with the most self-control of the group, merely kept a very tight smile on his face. While Aitor sighed exasperatedly at his friend's actions, he couldn't help but feel a little touched. Poor Blaine only stood aghast at what had just happened.

Aitor took a deep breath. "As l-long as I-I-I c-can sp-peak, I d-d-don't m—mind."

"...Yes, that's a good mentality to have," Blaine managed to say after collecting his composure, letting out a nervous chuckle with a gulp. "I think we're getting ready to move."

With that, Blaine rose into the carriage, shutting the door swiftly behind him.

Aitor turned to the rest of them, pulling a face that clearly meant, "Not this again," making Nagan snort and Gath let out a quiet wheeze. The tension around the teens dissipated soon after, but not without a collective thought:

What a brat!