"I can't believe they made us sit in separate carriages! It's utterly ridiculous!"
Taron was quite evidently fuming.
It wasn't his usual theatrical outrage, either, where his typical self would complain about something for a couple of minutes before getting distracted by the shape of a cloud or an opportunity to tell another terrible joke.
No, this was different.
This felt real.
The carriages had stopped several minutes ago, ending our journey, and the ABT class had already begun gathering outside the entrance to the Academy's wilderness reservoir for magical beasts. Taron, however, was still pacing beside me, as if Professor Anlor's transportation system had personally stabbed him in the back.
"I know," I said. "I thought it was a bit much, but I guess that's just the way things are."
"And I had so much material to go through during the carriage journey as well!"
We spoke at almost exactly the same time.
I stopped.
Slowly, I turned toward him.
Taron stopped pacing.
We stared at each other.
"Wait."
His expression immediately became suspicious.
"Are you upset because you couldn't tell any more of your bad jokes to me on the way to the assignment site?"
"Hey!" Taron pointed at me. "They were good jokes! You don't understand how hard it was for me, Kael. The people in my carriage had no sense of humour!"
I stared at him in disgust.
"Right. Of course that was your problem. Never mind what I was talking about."
Taron scrunched his face, his eyebrows raised, and tilted his head slightly. He somehow looked like a confused puppy wearing an expensive, luxurious school uniform.
"Huh? Why? What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
As I walked away from Taron, I couldn't help but think about what Ryn would do in my situation.
'Probably best not to tell Ryn what happens today. It might just reaffirm his doom for all nobles.'
Honestly, the carriage arrangement was exactly what I'd expect from Aetherion.
All the noble students in one, all the commoners in another.
There were a few higher-status students from wealthy non-Great-House families scattered between them, depending on whatever complicated social classification the Academy had decided mattered that morning.
Taron had objected almost immediately, and he was quite loud about it.
Apparently, being told that his assigned carriage was different from mine had personally offended him. At first, I thought it was because our pairing made the arrangement inconvenient, but then he spent nearly five minutes arguing with a faculty staff member about why assigned partners should travel together.
The faculty member clearly didn't care, but Taron made it clear he cared enough for both of them.
Even now, beneath the stupid jokes and the complaints, I could still see his genuine irritation, and that part was harder to dismiss.
I couldn't tell whether he was angry because the Academy had treated a commoner differently... or because the commoner was me.
Perhaps it was both.
'Friends.'
The word still felt strange. Not bad, but unfamiliar.
'Still not quite used to that, but I guess it's better than him being a hostile enemy like Darius has been.'
That was setting the bar painfully low.
Still, for all I had said about Taron, and I'd said a lot, he had been a good person to me.
Consistently so. Annoyingly so, and sometimes too loudly, but still good.
And now probably wasn't the time to jeopardise that relationship, considering we were about to enter a forest populated by potentially dangerous magical beasts together.
Professor Anlor's voice cut through the clearing.
"All the pairs, gather here now." Students began to huddle around him.
As I took in the scene around me, I noticed the reservoir was much larger than I'd imagined.
Dense woodland extended beyond a reinforced gate that was just in front of us, trees towering just enough that their upper branches formed a near-endless canopy. Structures of archaic stone lined the perimeter at intervals. I assumed they were pylons or monuments, each carved with layers of runes that periodically flashed faint green.
Past the gate, the ground was sloping downward into a thicker forest. It was clear that the Academy had modified the location, yet somehow they managed to keep it from feeling artificial.
'I don't know whether to be amazed or uncomfortable at their brilliance.'
There were no labelled zones or visible fences that separated the supposed sectors of the reservoir. It was just the everlasting greenery in front of me.
And somewhere inside it were dozens of Aethren.
Some we were expected to walk near without bothering them.
Professor Anlor stood beside a long folding table unloaded from one of the supply carriages, with several Academy faculty assistants helping unload the equipment.
The table held signal crystals, map cases, examination bands, writing tablets, and field kits fitted into small, compact boxes.
Professor Anlor waited until everyone settled down. "Listen carefully. I will only explain this once. Each pair will receive two examination bands, a crystal to signal with, a partial map and a notebook that contains your assigned token objectives."
One of Professor Anlor's assistants started handing down the items in a line.
"When I call out your pair, receive your equipment, confirm your route and enter through the designated gate."
He raised an examination band.
It resembled a narrow strip of white metal lined with thin black runes.
"These bands will track your position, physical condition, and whether you move into a restricted sector. Do NOT remove them."
A student near the front raised a hand.
Professor Anlor immediately looked tired.
"What?"
"Is it possible for them to be removed?"
There was a pause.
"Yes."
The student seemed relieved.
Professor Anlor continued.
"If you want to fail."
The hand went down.
Taron whispered beside me.
"Oooh, that sounded kind of cool, didn't it?"
"Please be quiet."
"I know you agree."
"Please just stop."
Professor Anlor lifted the signal crystal next.
"If you encounter a situation beyond your ability, break the outer seal and channel Aether into the crystal. Even the tiniest bit of Aether will set the signal off, and a faculty member or one of my assistants will be notified immediately."
He placed it down.
"Remember the assignment criteria."
His finger tapped the table once.
"Identification."
Again.
"Prediction."
Again.
"Execution."
Again.
"Restraint."
His eyes travelled over the students.
"Your target is not necessarily your enemy. Observe the surroundings first, then act on them. If you switch those priorities, I will deduct marks before you have even finished making the mistake."
Professor Anlor seemed to aim that "advice" at several people within the area. Probably everyone.
Soon after Professor Anlor's closing remarks, pairs began to be released into the reservoir, one by one.
A noble pair disappeared through the eastern gate.
Two commoners followed a minute later through another route.
Another pair.
Then another.
Taron rocked slightly on his heels beside me.
"I can't wait any longer; I'm excited."
"I can see that."
"What do you think we're getting?"
"Hopefully something that doesn't breathe fire or shoot lightning bolts out of its eyes."
"Why? That sounds fun."
I looked at him.
"Your definition of fun concerns me sometimes."
"Thank you."
"I wasn't praising you."
"Well, considering how you said sometimes, that can only mean that you agree with me at other times."
"..."
Several more names were called during my temporary silence with Taron, but eventually they called our names.
"Taron Caelvarin. Kael Arin. Please make your way to the entrance of the reservoir."
Together, Taron and I stepped forward.
Professor Anlor glanced at Taron first, tilting his head so his glasses would drop to the bridge of his nose.
Then he looked at me. His expression was far too neutral.
An assistant beside him handed us our examination bands.
I fastened mine around my wrist; the metal band seemed to tighten automatically.
[EXTERNAL MONITORING DEVICE DETECTED]
[FUNCTION: BIOLOGICAL/POSITIONAL TRACKING]
[THREAT LEVEL: MINIMAL]
'Good to know, I guess.'
As Taron fitted his own examination band, I noticed Professor Anlor looking down at a thin rectangular tablet resting on the table with all the students' equipment. His finger swiped across its surface not once, but twice, and the second swipe led to a different screen.
I couldn't fully see what he was doing from where I stood, though for half a second I swear I saw what looked like a route line disappear and another replace it.
Moments after, the display disappeared, and Professor Anlor handed our map case to Taron.
"You're taking route twenty-three."
"Twenty-three?" Taron grabbed the tablet.
"Yes."
"Any chance that's your lucky number?"
"No."
"Please tell me it's not your unlucky number."
Professor Anlor stared at Taron with disdain, prompting a quick nod. "Right. Route twenty-three. Off we go, Kael."
I almost smiled at their exchange, but it was cut short as one of Professor Anlor's assistants handed me the signal crystal and field notebook, which contained our assignment sheet with our three objectives marked.
The first was observational.
"To be expected," I mumbled.
The second— SUNSET JACKAL — E-RANK
I paused.
Taron leaned over.
"Oh...."
"That's not a reassuring sound."
"A Sunset Jackal."
"I know, I can read."
"It's an E-rank as well."
"Another thing I can read."
"So, it seems to have a territorial temperament. Interesting."
"Yes, Taron."
"Oh, and it has an aggressive response to territory intrusion."
I folded the book shut. "You can stop reading now."
"But I'm creating an academic environment."
Professor Anlor looked at us. "Are you two planning on starting the assignment today?"
"Yes, Professor," I said.
Taron added. "Eventually. Hey, Kael, let's read more of that book about the Sunset Jackal."
I could see a vein on Professor Anlor's forehead begin to bulge as his eyes narrowed.
"Go."
And so we went.