“To begin with – well done!” Lloyd said, loudly and enthusiastically proclaiming the last part. “Very few of us can say we have sponsored a capture the flag winner, and only forty-nine others can say they sponsored a record holder. You and your team went above and beyond.
“So let’s start with a broad overview, and then we will look at your performance from an individual perspective and work our way up.
“Team Shadow won the competition, and did so in record time. What I think goes unmentioned, however, is how this was no accident. You made plans for winning and followed them. Even if you adjusted them along the way, your win was as a direct result of those plans. Even more remarkable was the opposition you faced.
"You didn’t win against a significantly less capable group of opponents. Many of the opposition teams were exceptionally competent. I know that several members from the other teams are receiving glowing reviews right now. Never forget that your victory is no reflection on just how well some of your classmates performed,” Lloyd added, receiving an enthusiastic nod in response and causing his smile to widen.
“That includes the 5th year teams, who were all competent. Prospect Simon Dijo was particularly good and consistently stood toe to toe with your year. All of which only serves to elevate your accomplishments – you didn’t just win the competition, you did so against very tough competitors.
“At an individual level, I was pleased with your adequate performance,” Lloyd continued, his perpetual smirk growing wider. “You switched to the longer sword throughout the competition, even when you were scouting. I take it you have adapted to Hiawatha’s lessons?”
The large Battle Mage leaned forward slightly, focusing on Yaric.
“Yes, it seems to fit better, especially when I don’t have a shield.”
“You aren’t bothered by the extra length and weight?” Lloyd asked, looking curious.
“It doesn’t bother me. It is slightly heavier, but that isn’t even noticeable when I’m augmenting. The extra length is useful as well, but mostly I like how maneuverable it is,” Yaric explained, earning an approving nod from Hiawatha. “With two hands I can use my upper hand as a fulcrum to move the sword in any way I want. It’s actually nimbler than the short sword.”
“Good,” Hiawatha added. “You’ve started to understand the individual characteristics. The most important thing is to find the weapon that fits you, and it seems to me that you have found one.”
“Yes sir,” Yaric acknowledged, nodding once.
“And you do seem to have improved with a bow as well,” Lloyd said, moving the conversation along. “Some of your shots were under pressure and in difficult circumstances for someone with your experience, but you pulled many of them off. Even that ridiculous jump off the wall somehow worked, though I doubt your instructor is so happy about that.”
“Nonsense!” Ivan interrupted. “He recognized his vulnerability and moved to a better position. He even turned his movement to the new position into a platform as well. Up in the air he was invulnerable to retaliation, and he used this brief period to remove two more enemy combatants. Not many students can focus on accurate fire while falling to the ground. And don’t forget that hitting a stationary target while you are the one moving is a very different experience, yet Prospect Miller pulled it off the first time he tried.”
Ivan placed both hands on the table and sat up straighter, giving Yaric the impression that he had been waiting for his chance to talk.
“I admit that Prospect Miller did not show much talent for archery when I took him on,” he said, catching Yaric by surprise and causing his stomach to drop. “He appeared to be adequate, but ahead of most of his peers due to spending more time with practice. It was only after several months of specialized training that his talents were teased out, and now I can confidently assess his talents as ‘high’.
“There is no doubt that there is a high degree of skill required for melee combat,” Ivan said, nodding respectfully toward Hiawatha. Yaric and Lloyd both smiled slightly, sensing the ‘but’, while Hiawatha’s initial smile at Ivan’s words quickly turned into a slight frown. “But,” he continued, causing Yaric and Lloyd to smile wider at Hiawatha’s expression, “there is even more to ranged combat. Melee requires you to fight who you face with what you have, for the most part anyway. Ranged combatants have far more choice. You can often choose who to target, or where to fire from. Often you will even get to choose whether or not you want to engage in the first place. There are many things to consider before you even begin the fight. And yes, begin the fight, not begin to fight.
“Prospect Miller pulled off many impressive shots, such was knocking out an attacker just in front of the door to their fort, from one of the most difficult positions and angles possible. We can spend half an hour discussing his proficiency, but that would be irrelevant. A lot of archers are capable of the same, yet they will never be anything more than archery contest winners or trick shooters. Where Prospect Miller shows his real talent is with his mind. With what he did, and with what he didn’t do.
“First, he took several actions that few would think of. In one ambush in a riverbed, Prospect Miller had his archers switch targets to those furthest from them, with both sides firing across the middle. He did the same last year when he had a field trapped and ambushed two combined teams, and I would like to point out, that is why I agreed to take him on for private lessons in the first place.
“He also created nests that dominated the flanks of their camp, allowing just three bows to completely deny the possibility of climbing the cliffs on the flanks. The hoardings that he built anchored the defense of their wall. Just knowing about them impressed me, but their effectiveness was undeniable, and enabled only ten archers to decimate far superior numbers. It didn’t escape my notice that other members of his team also started firing at targets that were further away but provided a better angle. No one ever used this strategy until after Prospect Miller started directing them to use the tactic in earlier ambushes.”
It didn’t escape Yaric’s notice that Ivan was talking directly to Yaric, but speaking as if he were talking about a third person. It felt more like he was talking to the others that sat on his side of the table, not Yaric himself.
“Prospect Miller directed fire at the point where attackers were forced to jump down into a ditch, leaving those behind them exposed. He did the same when siege bows knocked down the front line of shields, and again instructed his archers to fire at random holes in the shield wall. Most archers would naturally target the hole opposite themselves, causing mostly direct fire into each gap. Prospect Miller’s instruction ensured that each gap faced fire directly into the gaps but also at angles that targets students along the sides, who were still covered by shields directly in front.
“What he didn’t do was just as important. He didn’t fire at the first opportunity, but waited until he had the best opportunity, even if that meant moving to a better location. He didn’t have his archers target the opposing archers at the far end, hidden amongst the trees, but focused their fire on the real threat. That in itself negated the other archers, whose primary purpose would be to suppress the defenders.
“More than anything else, he didn’t station his defenders on the roof of the fort during their final defense as most would have done. That would have guaranteed their failure, and we would be having a very different discussion right now.”
Yaric suppressed the urge to sit up straighter, realizing that he had simply never thought of it. If he had, there was every possibility that he might have made that decision, though he already recognized the issues. But was that hindsight? Or would he have made the connection on the day?
“Sitting on the wall allowed the archers to fire down at the base, where the assault force was pinned and highly exposed. It was impossible for them to gather and coordinate under those circumstances. On the contrary, if his archers had been on the roof of the fort, that same position would have been sheltered. It would naturally become a point to pause and gather together, leading to a coordinated assault with their full numbers brought to bear at the same time.
“My personal recommendation would be for you to continue with archery no matter what you decide to do with your future. Even if it has no connection at all, we are all required to fight in times of war, and I cannot see how you could be more effective in any other role. Or more likely to survive,” he added, almost as an afterthought, before leaning back to signal that he was finished.
Yaric also realized that the last part had been directed at him, unlike the rest. It seemed like Ivan was making a direct appeal for Yaric to continue with his archery lessons. While the reasoning seemed sound, it was also more of an argument to convince Yaric to continue than an open assessment.
“Thank you, Ivan,” Lloyd said, taking control of the discussion once again. “It’s a lot for you to take in at once, but you need to understand the foundations for what we will discuss shortly. Don’t hesitate to ask questions. Personally, I agree with everything that has been said so far, they have all been fair assessments,” Lloyd noted, looking sideways at Ivan while stressing the word ‘fair’. “The facts mentioned are all accurate, so please take them into consideration during the rest of your assessment.
“Let’s move on, shall we?” Lloyd glanced down at his notes, placing his finger over one part of the page before looking up and continuing. “Your scouting has also improved. I don’t want you to have any misunderstanding here, your abilities and knowledge are extremely basic, but they are actually far ahead of the training you’ve received. I personally feel that this is one area where your aptitude is not just high but exceptional. You’ve even managed to do some research on the subject in the libraries and somehow use some of what you’ve learnt, despite never being taught properly. There’s no point in going into detail considering how basic your understanding is, you’d learn more in a week of proper lessons and look back and laugh. I just want you to keep in mind that your aptitude is readily apparent even now.
“One thing we definitely need to note in more detail is your infiltration of The Bulwarks and subsequent claiming of their flag. Here you have no training whatsoever, but there are multiple reasons that others have taken note of your actions. First, simply conceiving of the idea. The very fact that the thought occurred to you, and that you then carried it out, is very significant. I doubt someone at your age will realize just how noteworthy it is for someone to both realize the opportunity and have the nerve to follow through. With no training or experience at all, you made the connection and figured out a path inside. You managed to make your way into the heart of their camp and leave with their flag. Just having the guts to try it is impressive. Unfortunately you don’t have the knowledge necessary to appreciate just how impressive your decision to leave the guards alone was, nor your method of escape. Nonetheless, several staff members have commented on it, and many have mentioned your initiative. For now, I will just ask you to trust me when I say that your actions that night have opened many doors for you. New paths are available that few ever have the opportunity to tread.
“Don’t get a big head,” Lloyd advised, noticing the smile on Yaric’s face. A smile that disappeared instantly at his words, only to reappear on Lloyd’s face instead.
“Moving on to the bigger picture, you also played a significant role in your team, playing a major role in planning a strategy and researching proper methods. It was you who realized that porters could be taken prisoner, further denying supplies to your opponents without the need to expose yourselves more than once, all while adding significant labor resources to your team.
“You were the one who found the mesa, and it was you who recognized the advantages it could give in staying hidden and defending your position if found. You also managed to convince your entire team of the idea and get them behind you.
“Just as significantly, you were behind several of the ideas utilized in your defensive preparations. I feel that there were two aspects that were most impressive. First, you made use of layers. Not the typical fallback positions that many others thought of, with many consecutive layers, but overlapping layers that reinforced each other. Attacking teams were under pressure from multiple layers while still trying to overcome the first, and that stayed true throughout. You even turned your defensive escape tunnel from last year into an offensive feature, using it to launch a surprise attack from the rear.
“The platforms on the flanks of the mesa were effectively impenetrable. They made the cliff impossible to scale, and there isn’t really anything available to students that could destroy or suppress them from the ground. Only large-scale construction could feasibly get an assault force up the cliff with those platforms in place.
“Second, you consistently looked at your structures from an attacker’s point of view and adjusted or added to the defense accordingly. You developed countermeasures against incendiaries, built shelters against archers, worked out methods to effectively defend the base of your wall – you even worked out strategies to retake your wall in the event that it was captured.
“Several notes were made about your leadership as well,” Lloyd continued, before pausing when he saw Yaric’s expression. “You disagree?”
“Lauren and Sven were the leaders, not me,” Yaric protested.
Lloyd was about to reply when he noticed how Yaric had worded his response, and realization suddenly dawned, clearing up his earlier confusion. He had to suppress his smile before he replied.
“There are a lot of ways to answer that. I was planning to mention most of this anyway, so let’s get down to it. You took charge of the first line of defenders on the wall, running the entire thing. I know…” Lloyd quickly added, interrupting Yaric before he could protest. “Wait until I’m finished. Prospect Sven was in charge, but you not only coordinated the front line, you also made the call for every part of the defense. Prospect Sven merely relayed your decisions and helped to coordinate the others for you.
“You led any small groups you were a part of, whether you look at the times that you collected your supplies, ambushed the supplies of others, or made the final last stand that led to your victory. No one nominated you either, because no one had to.”
Yaric realized that Lloyd was right, but the last part made him particularly uncomfortable. ‘I just assumed I was in charge without even asking anyone.’
“Every ambush was planned by you, and you always led at least part of an ambush element as well. Then, as already mentioned, you led the entire defense in the final minutes of the competition, quite competently I might add. You’re simply blinded by the fact that you aren’t comfortable with being in charge. Not all that different to Prospect Lauren,” Lloyd pointed out with a wide smirk on his face.
“You’re actually a good leader,” Hiawatha interjected, leaning forward once again. “Your decisions were well thought out and tactically sound. Just as importantly, your team followed you unquestioningly. No one followed your instructions because of formal ranks, but simply because they believed in you.
“I personally believe that you’ve taken note of the merits of others as well. It was noted last year that Prospect McDavids often took advice from his team, tried to involve everyone, and left people to do their jobs without micromanaging. Prospect Silver was noted to be very decisive and well organized, while Prospect Jakobson moved around to wherever she would have the most impact. All things you’ve started displaying in your own leadership style.”
“That’s more important than you might think,” Lloyd stated, “much of this assessment is based on improvements you’ve made since your first assessment last year, and how you’ve incorporated advice and suggestions. You’ve gone as far as incorporating points from your friends. That’s commendable.”
Lloyd looked pointedly at Yaric for a few seconds, before repeating his earlier statement. “Don’t get a big head.”
This time Yaric narrowed his eyes in response, as he felt they were over exaggerating his leadership abilities, not reinforcing them. Lloyd simply ignored him.
“The last thing I want to mention about your past performance is your ability to analyze individual situations. That is something I can very confidently say is one of your greatest talents. Simply observing The Behemoths camp was all it took for you to figure out that they’d hidden their supplies, and even where. You were able to realize the opportunity to infiltrate their camp when no one else did. Even with your whole team watching the assault on The Titans, you were the only one to work out that they had built a tunnel and were in the process of escaping, based on very little evidence. You even found their hiding place based entirely on deduction.
“Similarly, you used lighting stones to blind your opponents, used a mesh to protect the top of your wall from incendiaries, and devised an absurd rope net to neutralize spear wielders who might threaten that same wall. I don’t know what was more embarrassing, that stupid net, or the fact that it worked.”
Hiawatha shook his head in an overexaggerated manner, leaving Yaric feeling concerned for his classmates. He was also feeling proud of his assessment, however, even if the leadership aspect was overstated.
“And that leads me to the biggest issue I have with your performance so far,” Lloyd concluded. “You.”
This time Yaric sat up straight, slightly taken aback. Lloyd wasn’t even smirking like he usually did.
“Your biggest problem by far is how you constantly get stuck inside your own head. When you’re put in a position where you have a lot of time to plan, such as devising your defensive structures, your performance is exemplary. Whenever you have to respond immediately, such as when the other teams started jumping your fire pit, your reactions are exceptional. But put you in a position where you have some time to plan, but very little, and you get so stuck in your own head that you almost become a liability.
“Your ambush against Team Unyielding is a great example of that. You had all night to plan an ambush, and you did so very well. The use of ropes to create barriers was also mentioned by others, despite never being used. But then Team Unyielding left earlier than anticipated, forcing you to change plans. You didn’t have to respond right that second, but the situation was urgent, and suddenly you found yourself frozen and ineffective.”
“But I did come up with a plan,” Yaric protested. “And it worked! You even mentioned the lighting stones a minute ago.”
“Yes,” Lloyd acknowledged patiently, “you did. But only after the rest of your team pushed you to. You were unable to make any decisive contribution until everyone else turned to and backed you up. What would have happened if Prospect Lauren hadn’t encouraged you?” Lloyd asked, now smiling knowingly.
Yaric could feel his face heat up slightly as he searched Lloyd’s eyes, but Lloyd just smiled back with no sign of his thoughts.
“I would have left it to the others,” Yaric eventually admitted, if a little grudgingly.
“See? I told you!” Ivan suddenly exclaimed, looking at Lloyd and Hiawatha.
“Neither of us disagreed with you Ivan,” Lloyd replied calmly.
Yaric looked back and forth between them, trying to figure out what they were talking about. All three of them ignored him this time, choosing to continue instead.
“My point is that you need to have confidence in yourself. You have the ability and the talent. Sadly, others have more confidence in you than you have in yourself. They can all see and recognize your abilities while your own insecurities blind you. Don’t think I haven’t noticed that the situations where you have problems all involve your friends.
“Infiltrating the Behemoths had similar urgency and time to plan, yet you performed very well. On your own. But any time your friends are watching or are in danger, everything falls apart. The first time you landed a blow in a Solstice Tournament you froze, losing a fight you should have won. Hearing kobolds attack from behind during your expedition led to you faltering and becoming a weak point in the line. Finding yourself wounded just as you captured the eighth flag last year led to you sitting uselessly on the floor. Having everyone look to you for every ambush this year led to hasty decisions and poor execution. Over and over again, you get inside your own head when friends are involved and trip yourself up. As soon as we remove that issue, whether by making it a hypothetical event in the future, like when you helped design the defensive structures, or remove the opportunity to get inside your head, like when the other teams started jumping over the fire, your performance truly is exceptional.
“I know I said this last year, but I want you to spend more time with your friends. Each of them recognizes your talents, and they all trust you implicitly. I need you to become accepting of that.”
Yaric looked down at the table, deep in contemplation. Nothing Lloyd had said made any sense objectively, but maybe he was the one that didn’t see it? Lloyd was seldom so serious about any particular topic.
“Maybe Prospect Lauren can help encourage you?” Lloyd suggested helpfully, causing Yaric to look up sharply. They stared at each other for several moments, until Hiawatha cleared his throat.
“Right, moving on. That concluded your performance assessment to date. We quickly need to go over a few points unrelated to your performance, and then we can get on with discussing your future here at Lekton Academy.”
Yaric swallowed nervously.
“We need to quickly review your affinities, as they can potentially have a big impact on any decisions you make. They’re far from crucial, but it is certainly wise to take them into account.
“First, we have your atrophied affinities, fire and lightning. Those are fairly common, and any arcanist will learn many spells that can utilize those affinities whether they have them or not. They are typically used in one of two ways, either in crafting, fire in particular, or in offensive magic. As you know, I myself have a lightning affinity, and I personally find its power and speed to be devastating in a fight. Both have a wide variety of well researched spells, and almost as many applications for crafting or combat. Not many creatures have innate defenses against both, and having an affinity towards them does give you an advantage. Keep these in mind, but I don’t believe that those two should be your main focus.
“Second, you have your healthy affinities, space and shadow. These are far less common, and I personally think that you should give them much more weight when you decide on what you would like to do going forward.
“For one thing, not only are they very rare affinities, but they are both unique in their own way. Take shadow for example. Tell me, what is the opposite affinity to fire?” Lloyd asked, smiling teasingly.
Yaric noticed that the others had a similar look of amusement, making him hesitate for a moment. “Water?” he asked rather than stated. The wizards all smiled wider.
“And the opposite of earth?”
“Air?”
All three broke out into laughter, unable to hold themselves back any longer. It took them a few moments to compose themselves.
“Sorry Yaric, I couldn’t help myself. So many new students have the same weird perceptions, stemming from the unconnected no doubt.
“You already know what fire is? I’ve seen your academic assessments.”
“It’s heat energy,” Yaric answered quickly, eager to make up for whatever had everyone laughing at him. “The flames we see is the air heated up enough to form plasma, which is just a different state of matter like solid or liquid. When there’s enough heat substances can combust, releasing enough heat to keep the reaction going for as long as there is fuel.”
“More or less, yes. So tell me then, how is water, a substance, the opposite of fire?”
“Uhhh…” Yaric mumbled, unable to answer.
“I understand where it comes from. You pour water over a fire to extinguish it. It’s not an opposing substance, however. Water simply has the ability to easily smother a fire, cutting it off from oxygen, without igniting itself. And it has a great ability to syphon off heat, often leaving the burning object with too little heat energy to continue the reaction. And the air generally sits above the ground, separate and distinct. But gases and solid matter are in no way ‘opposite’.
“You can think of affinities as similar to weapons.” Hiawatha nodded firmly in confirmation. “Swords, spears and axes are all different weapons. Even if some have a particular advantage over another, they are not opposites, simply different. And affinities are the same… except when it comes to light and shadow.
“As you know, my affinities are Shadow, Light, Air, Lightning and Magnetism, creating some exceptional synergies,” Lloyd informed him, keeping a straight face the entire time. “I have both Light and Shadow, so I can tell you from experience, they are truly opposite. One tends to absorb light, while the other emits it. One tends to hide by avoiding notice, the other tends to hide by creating false images. They are opposites in so many ways, yet at the same time, light creates shadow, and shadow makes light stand out. They are inextricably linked.
“Space is also unique, as Ivan can attest. He has a space affinity and has already agreed to give you specialized lessons in the future should you so wish. Tell me, why would an arcanist create a ball of fire to project at their target, instead of simply setting their target on fire directly?”
“Because arcana comes from the fifth-dimension and starts to bleed back as soon as we release control of it. If you try to project raw arcana too far nothing will reach your target,” Yaric offered.
“Oversimplified but correct. Except, most spells involving space will travel through the fifth-dimension, ignoring the fourth-dimension space between the channeler and the destination. Meaning that space magic is the only type of magic that can directly affect a distant location. That raises all sorts of possibilities,” Lloyd pointed out, looking to Ivan.
“Yes,” he agreed, “the possibilities are endless. Imagine firing an arrow at one target, only to have space shift for the arrow to appear directly in front of someone else. Or travelling to remote locations and being able to send messages all the way back, instantaneously. And what if I were to tell you that most mage shields are essentially made of raw arcana, structured and held in place to resist anything. Where would that shield be located in reality?”
“In the fourth dimension,” he confidently answered, “it would be channeled from…” Yaric trailed off, realizing Mage Fletchers point. “You’re saying that there are spells that can go through any shield?” he asked in shock.
“No, because they don’t need to. That’s the whole point. Shields stand between the attack and the target. Space magic doesn’t go through the shield, because the spell travels through an entirely different dimension. Even if someone creates a vacuum to shield themselves from lightning, what difference does it make if the lighting starts outside the shield and ends inside, when it doesn’t travel through the shield?”
“Both shadow and space magic are very conceptual,” Lloyd reiterated. “You already know that intent and vision are fundamental to magic, especially the more complex spells. Well, space and shadow magic are amongst the more extreme in that regard. Your understanding of the various concepts will play an outsized role in how you perform your spells. Simply perceiving the ability of shadow related spells to mask perceptions is required for spells that avoid detection. The kinds of spells you can learn would enable you to walk right through a crowded room without being noticed, or to send an arrow straight at someone’s eyes without any reaction.
“The possibilities offered by both affinities would take centuries to explore, and when combined with other spells, you would never run out of ideas to delve into. But even more than that, we’ve already repeatedly stressed how unique your approaches often are. I have no doubt that given enough time, you will create new spells entirely unique to yourself. I cannot overemphasize just how powerful that could be.”
Lloyd paused, looking into the distance over Yaric’s head.
“Sorry Yaric, we’re running out of time. We can discuss all of this in detail over lunch, but I need to get your career advice on record before we finish. Do you have any questions so far?”
“Lots,” Yaric stated with a deadpan look. “But I doubt they are things you can answer right now.”
Lloyd was completely shameless with his reply, “Right you are, so moving on. I need to have on record that any future career is open to you. If you want to study administration, you absolutely can. I can’t promise that you would be a good administrator, but you can certainly become one. These suggestions are simply based around a mixture of what roles you could excel in, and what I believe you would enjoy doing.
“And nothing is final. You can spend centuries studying something new if you feel the need to change occupations. Don’t forget that you can also be interested in something as a hobby. If you want to learn to become a healer, but have always been interested in making runes, there’s nothing stopping you from studying runes out of interest. Actually, are there any hobbies you’ve found?”
“Maybe music. I’d like to try learning how to play an instrument,” Yaric responded hesitantly.
“Huh. I had no idea. It’s certainly a good idea though. I’d recommend that you look into it, credits won’t be an issue for something like that.
“Whatever you decide, and whatever you think of my suggestions, keep in mind that you will have your own priorities. For example, every suggestion I have for you involves some measure of danger. As an arcanist, you could effectively live forever. And if you choose to become a healer or sit at a hub transporting items across the kingdom, you could live a relatively safe and comfortable life. I’m sure Hiawatha would argue that you would be less prepared whenever war finds us again and therefore more likely to fall during battle, increasing your chances of dying. Others, and I believe Ivan would be one, would argue that every dangerous situation you face is another roll of the dice.”
Hiawatha grunted in confirmation, while Ivan glared across at him, confirming Lloyd’s speculations.
“Danger might not even be part of your decision-making process, or it might not be high on your list of priorities. Maybe wealth is your goal? Maybe comfort or an easy job? There’s nothing wrong with that. And the same could be said for the impact you could make on others. If you want to benefit society at large, helping crops grow or healing the sick and injured would go a long way, without much danger. Whereas eradicating dangerous beasts or hunting down criminals can have the same positive outcome, but at far more danger to yourself.
“Those aren’t random examples. I have four suggestions for you, each of which can be narrowed into more specific fields. As they all involve danger, I’m going to split them by location.
“The first relates to eradicating dangerous creatures. I know you’ve shown an interest in monsters that roam in wilderness areas, and outlying communities are often in danger. Lekton sends arcanists out to keep those communities safe. Scouting like skills are vital, as you would need to track down the creature in question and kill it, without scaring it off to threaten a different community.
“The dangerous entities often require magic to defeat. You will have particular advantages with space and shadow related magic assisting in travel and stealth, while fire and lightning spells can kill off almost anything if you’re powerful enough. Space and shadow spells can even assist. Long term you might find yourself protecting the kingdom from the things that migrate out of the Abyssal Fields.”
“There are things that try to leave the Abyss?” Yaric asked, alarmed.
“Oh yes. All levels of creatures can be found near the edges of the fields. In fact, the only duty an Arch Mage or Wizard still has is to help keep the more powerful creatures at bay. Sometimes it takes several of them to do the job.”
“They’re that powerful?”
“Powerful enough that dragons used to get involved. Every kingdom worked with dragons to contain the threat.”
Yaric was sitting bold upright at the news. Everyone knew of the Abyssal Fields, but no one had ever mentioned creatures migrating out before.
“What do you mean, ‘used to’?”
“There were a series of incidents involving their ambassadors, which led to the dragons leaving the problem to us. You’ll learn about these things in class, we need to move on. Focus on the things pertaining to yourself.
“The next suggestion is almost at the other extreme. Instead of working out in the middle of nowhere, you would spend much of your time in urban environments. Spying and diplomacy. And no, I’m not really talking about two different things. The focus of each might be different, but they are frequently the same thing.
“Here again your affinities will give you an edge. Shadow and space in particular could help make you extremely effective with covert operations. Whether gathering intelligence, ferreting out spies, sabotaging an enemy or getting hold of an item, being able to avoid notice and get into places are vital. The abilities you’ve displayed so far also indicate an aptitude for things like this.
“Keep in mind that both of these suggestions also tend to be lonely, and carry a measure of uncertainty. Hunting down creatures could sometimes take you far into untouched wilderness, and will sometimes take a lot of time to complete. The other suggestion will mostly put you in towns or cities, but some of those operations can take years, and you will be severely limited in how much time you spend back here, or really anywhere that isn’t work.
“Your unique mind defenses are certain to be an asset hunting, but I suspect it might be a danger for anything covert. My initial thoughts were that it would protect any secrets you have, but it’s since been pointed out to me that such an effective shield may draw attention in the first place. We really need to know if it can be turned off or not.
“No matter what decisions you make going forward, I strongly suggest allowing some tests to be done. Nothing will be done without your permission and understanding,” Lloyd hurriedly added, seeing Yaric leaning forward to object. “It’s no different to a medical exam. If there’s something unusual going on, you see a professional to determine the cause. Well, here you have professionals who are highly interested in how your mind ended up being so well shielded.
“Knowing how Virgo got in would also help, especially since all evidence points to him not even knowing that there was a shield at all, or that you were even an arcanist to begin with. No Mind Mage would ever have the power to get past your shield, yet he didn’t seem to have any inkling that there was anything there at all. There’s nothing to suggest that he ever studied you, and you lived a normal life outside of the crimes we already know he committed.
“And you’re in a position where you don’t know how it works or what it can do. All findings would be shared with you to help you learn about yourself, and you’d actually earn credits along the way. A lot of credits.”
Lloyd paused when he noticed the expression on Yaric’s face. “Don’t even think about this for now. It was just something to keep in mind when considering your future, but there is absolutely zero pressure or expectations on you. I promise, we can discuss this individually sometime soon. For now, just assume that we never run any tests.”
Yaric still looked stressed, almost afraid, and he noticed that he was sweating slightly. His clothes were already starting to stick to his back. Cold drops slid down his temples while his heart beat furiously in his chest.
“Moving on to my third suggestion, I’d like you to consider something more in the middle, somewhat in between the other two options. There is always a need for quality investigators. Don’t get me wrong, there are usually quite a few, but the differences in skill can be quite extreme.”
“Aren’t you an investigator?” Yaric asked, grateful to be moving on.
Lloyd’s smirk only grew wider. “I’m more of a problem solver. If it requires me to act the part of investigator, then yes. I never trained to be an investigator though, it’s just a role I naturally fall into.”
Yaric noted the dramatic eyeroll Hiawatha gave in response, while Mage Fletcher squinted accusingly at Lloyd as well.
“Investigators will seldom travel outside of towns or cities, but often work in both outlying villages, and major towns or cities. You would need to be able to hunt down criminals as well as a wide range of creatures. The creatures that prey on population centers are often the most difficult to eradicate. They hide or blend in easily and are adapted to hunting people. Sometimes they specifically target humans, sometimes elves or dwarves, sometimes they make no distinction, but they are always well equipped to hunt as they do. You will hardly ever know what it is you’re hunting when you first arrive. Much of what you would learn with my first suggestion would be relevant here too.
“Criminals are in many ways simpler. And here the espionage related abilities from my second are predominant in this case. You would need to identify culprits, collect evidence and make arrests. I’m always surprised by how often the criminals are known to everyone, but the evidence doesn’t exist for an arrest to be made. This is where information gathering abilities come into play. Most of the time the people involved will be unconnected, but there’s nothing you can do without building a case against them. Don’t forget that spies are also considered criminals, so you might even find yourself conducting counter espionage operations.
“This role will likely leave you based here, requiring you to travel where and when and issue arises. Any questions so far?”
Yaric started shaking his head but paused almost immediately. “Yes, for later.”
Lloyd just smiled in response.
“My lasts suggestion is very straightforward. You’ve shown a high aptitude for unconventional warfare, and an interest in dangerous creatures and monsters. So why not consider going all in? You have the option to join special scouting and irregular units. That would be a full military occupation that would likely allow you to hunt monsters as well. I’m fairly confident that it is what you would be tasked with in the case of war anyway, but this way you would be well trained in advance, and the time until then would be yours outside of that training. I don’t think it’s something that would naturally appeal to you, but I do think you should consider it in light of how you would likely do the same things during war anyway.
“And that’s it from me. To quickly summarize, I have four broad suggestions for you to continue your studies, which you should decide on before you officially start your 7th year. And you can make any choice for your studies.
“You can become a hunter, which would require you to study all manner of subjects on the natural world. You would have to become proficient in managing wilderness areas as well. Then there’s tracking, hunting and survival skills, offensive magic, and weapons such as the bow and spear. You would travel a lot and get to see much of the kingdom while doing your job, all while protecting the most vulnerable communities in Malvec.
“You can also study diplomacy and espionage. You would have a wide range of subjects. Some of the requirements are language and customs of different nations, the ability to fill common occupations such as cooks, servants, or stable hands. You’d need to learn how to gather intelligence, establish contacts, infiltrate any manner of building or residence, negotiate deals, and avoid notice. Communication and stealth magic are vital, and you’d even have an advantage in hiding the use of offensive magic, while throwing weapons and knives would be added to your martial studies.”
“What? Why knives?”
“This is a subject that I pursued, and knives were surprisingly useful. It’s one of the simplest and easiest weapons to carry concealed, and the use of a knife in a fight is in no way remarkable. I was once compromised when my back story fell apart, forcing me to fight my way out. Using magic would have immediately alerted the entire operation to the fact that they were exposed, but by fighting my way out with something as mundane as knives, no one suspected that I was anything but a liar. And finding a criminal that lied about his identity is like seeing the sun rise in the morning. It’s not a surprise, it’s something you can count on.
“My third suggestion was becoming an investigator. You would need to study much of the same subjects that the other two required, though not to the same extent. Then you would have to learn how to collect evidence and build a case. Investigation requires a unique set of skills.
“And lastly, you could simply look at the roles you would fulfil during times of war and choose to train for that full time. Joining the military is an entirely viable option.
“Do any of these suggestions strike a chord with you?”
“I was already thinking about something that involved creatures. The first and third options sound interesting, especially the first one.”
“I thought that one would be your favorite,” Lloyd said, smiling kindly. “But those aren’t options, just suggestions. Any job you are capable of performing is an option. Please don’t forget that.”
“I won’t.”
“Alright then. I’d suggest that you also consider a basic education that covers more than one for now. Having the basics across every subject can only benefit you long term, and you can always decide to specialize later. You’d also make a great investigator or spy,” Lloyd added suggestively.
“I mostly want to help other people. Keeping dangerous creatures away from towns sounds like something I want to do.”
Lloyd just smiled gently for a moment, seemingly considering his reply. “Each of those options help people in their own way. But enough about this, your interview is over, you have a lot of time to consider these things, and we will certainly have several more conversations on the subject before the Summer Solstice Tournament. There’s no pressure, just opportunity. Now come, Sandy is taking Prospect Li Na to lunch near her residence, and she’s invited both of us, Prospect Sven and his sponsor, High Wizard Jerold, and of course, the student he sponsored, Prospect Lauren Silver.”
Now Yaric was certain that Lloyd was being deliberate in his choice of words, which for some reason left him fuming. With nothing he could do, Yaric just glared in response, which only made Lloyd smile wider as he stood and walked around the table. He was clearly enjoying himself.
“Hiawatha, could you escort Yaric here to the Bubbling Brook? You can tell Sandy that I will be there shortly.”
“You’re not going with him?” a shocked looking Battle Mage asked.
“Of course I am, I just have something else that I need to do first. It won’t take long.”
“Something else that you have to do now?” Hiawatha asked, incredulous. “Surely you can do whatever you need to do at a better time?”
“No, now is the perfect time,” Lloyd replied firmly, his eyes glinting. Then he turned on his heel and strode purposefully outside, disappearing around the corner.
“Well, come on,” Hiawatha said awkwardly. “I’ll show you where to go, and you can deliver the message.”
Hiawatha led the rest of them out of the room, with Ivan going back toward the weapons range while Hiawatha turned to head deeper into the campus grounds, with Yaric trailing close behind.
‘What is Lloyd doing now? He only has one other student, surely he has time for my assessment. We just won the competition and set a new record! And since when is Lloyd late to lunch?’
