Things quickly quietened down again. Andrew was very rarely seen in the dorms. Artur and John followed him as well, leaving Rikard sitting awkwardly by himself. His friendship with Andrew was very clearly over, but he still seemed embarrassed by the association. Sven eventually pulled him into a game, and soon after started introducing him to different groups.

When Andrew was around, he didn’t talk to anyone, and he also developed a habit of going where he pleased and forcing others to move. Yaric found that it really drove home how much closer the whole class had become since the end of the competition. Everyone mixed far more freely and became much closer with a large number of friends.

Yaric also found himself trying to think of ways to thank Lauren. He knew why she had challenged Andrew in the first place, even if she refused to hear it when he tried to thank her later that evening. Classes started again before he could think of anything.

Their magic class was first, but it was disappointingly just more of the same. Emil didn’t seem to think so, however, as he was unjustifiably excited.

“Your class is the luckiest class I’ve ever taught. As I’ve said many times, this year is your foundation year. So much of what you will achieve in the future will be built upon the foundations that you lay this year that I am sure each of you would study night and day if you truly understood. But this year, each of you will have over 2 months extra. Extra months to build deep and firm foundations to build your future upon!” Emil gave a small shudder, getting excited just at the prospect.

Yaric had to suppress his smile at the diminutive dwarf getting so worked up over a few extra months of study. Many of his classmates were the same, with some trying to stifle a giggle.

“We work with what we have, and it would be a crime to let this gift go to waste. As such, I will be updating the 6th year syllabus just for this class, to add additional patterns and exercises to be completed before the end of the year.”

Giggles turned to groans. No one was smiling anymore.

“Just a few more months and most of you will be learning real magic. Actual spells! Who here doesn’t want to levitate that book that’s just out of reach, or dry themselves after being caught in the rain? Who wouldn’t like to reheat their drink in winter or blow a gust of chilled air between classes today?”

Nothing Emil mentioned sounded particularly difficult or impressive, but Yaric had to acknowledge that he didn’t often think of magic that way, even if it was only to himself. His first thoughts were always of lifting giant boulders or throwing lances of flame. Emil’s suggestions did sound far more practical though.

“To that end,” Emil continued, “we will be pushing to finish the syllabus at least 2 months before the Summer Solstice Tournament. From there I aim to push each of you as far as you can go. Every additional step is another pillar to build your future upon. Every extra skill you develop will be another boost to the wind in your sails.

“I am very pleased for the victory and records your year has claimed with that fun little competition, but magic is the heart of any wizard or mage. The records you could still set this year will take you far further than any war game. Reach the goals I set before you and there will be no finer spellcasters at your age.

“Before you get too excited, however, let us review your previous lessons and see how much you’ve forgotten while camping out in the woods and playing games. We will begin with the Sink…”

Emil went around studying each student’s spell patterns, pointing out errors and assessing their changes. Yaric and his friends had never intentionally practiced any of their patterns, but the exercises Lloyd had taught Yaric, which Yaric had passed on to Lauren and the others, all needed existing patterns to perform, resulting in unintended practice. They were almost flawless in their execution, something that Emil noticed.

“Excellent! Despite winning your game you still found time to focus on the important things. Perhaps that played a role in such a record-breaking victory, hmmm?”

The entire lesson was devoted to revision and assessment, but Emil was not unhappy despite his continual commentary. Apparently the usual three months away led to a far greater backsliding in ability. Unfortunately for his students, that also meant that Emil could change his plans. With less time needed to get back to where they were, Emil could now move the goalposts even further.

Their next lesson was much the same. While they wouldn’t be learning about new areas in their geography lessons, they would be going into greater detail. Flora, Fauna, and Fiends confirmed the pattern, with their lessons being expanded to go both wider and deeper.

Chemistry was one of the few exceptions. Wizard Golding made it very clear that while they would be able to spend extra time on each topic, he would be dedicating most of the additional lessons to practical experiments. He was of the opinion that practical experience would be far more beneficial than additional studies.

Law was the only other exception, though it was also easy to understand why.

“For most of you,” High Wizard Sniders began, “your extra time here this year will be an opportunity to deepen your familiarity with your responsibilities and the laws that govern our Kingdom. The rest of you have been given a true gift.

“Those that failed their exam last week can retake the test anytime. We are not concerned with your results in the same way that a school would be, we only need to be confident that you have a good understanding of the law and can safely represent our Academy. Therefore, you can take the test once a month. So long as you can show your understanding of law before the end of the year, you will have the opportunity to move on. The extra time only improves your chances.”

For those who had passed, High Wizard Sniders enjoyed creating scenarios that forced her students to think hard about their responses. It was usually the motivations for their decisions that she truly evaluated them on, not the decisions themselves, though many students quickly noticed that her scenarios often left one choosing from multiple bad choices.

“Don’t assume that there will always be a way out. There will often be no good choice, forcing you to evaluate which options are bad and which are worse. In such situations, the ability to make a decision and follow through is often the real test of success, and I intend for each of you to become fine representatives of our great Academy.”

Their second day of classes started with combat training, and Yaric got to continue developing his skills with the long sword. The whole class finally got through the last of the speeches involving how important it was to use their extra time in class wisely. By the end of the second day, Li Na was walking past every classmate who had not been in Team Shadow and graciously bowed her head with a pretentious, “You’re welcome.”

The few who were dumb enough to ask why were quickly informed about the debts owed, due to how Team Shadow had ‘gifted them all with such a marvelous opportunity’.

By the third day, it was like they had never left. Everyone fell into such a familiar routine that the camps and days off were already long forgotten. All focus was on their lessons and the pressure to get further than before, though the students actually felt like the pressure had dropped. They all knew that they were so far ahead that these extra lessons were just bonuses.

It was during meals and in the evenings that things truly felt different. Yaric had already felt that their whole class had gotten closer, but now he had no doubt. People who were friendly but hardly ever spoke to each other now mixed freely, small tight-knit groups expanded and shuffled around, and anytime someone felt like they hadn’t caught up recently, they did.

Lauren’s games had suddenly become a hit as well. There were far too many people for everyone to get a turn on any particular night, but people quickly organized themselves into queues and called whoever was next in line when they were done. Only Cormac and Chelsea played the game every night, challenging each other to see who would last the longest with the loser required to take the other out for dinner. Yaric thought it was rather pointless, as they all ate in the food hall and everyone ate for free, but the loser still made a big show of taking the winner out, even if it was with the rest of the class and just like any other night.

They also teamed up to beat anyone who challenged their times. They were fiercely competitive with each other, but the moment a third person passed the best time, Chelsea and Cormac pushed each other to get back into the lead.

Chris also made very obvious attempts to be friendly toward Yaric and his friends. His only real issue had been Yaric, but he seemed to think that being friendly toward the others would help as well. He wasn’t wrong. Yaric eventually reciprocated, inviting Chris to join them in one of the larger tabletop games that allowed five players to compete at once. Chris was very happy to join them, and Yaric found himself enjoying the game.

The biggest surprise was Sven. He became deeply immersed in the tabletop games and spent most of his free time challenging others. He was very good too, winning most of his games. But the biggest surprise was how much time he spent with the other three. They had always been his closest friends, but Sven usually did a lot of things on his own or made efforts to spend time with others in their class. Now he joined them almost all the time, with the group of three often four becoming a firm group of four.

Despite how well things were going, Yaric still had one problem on his mind every day. It wasn’t until he saw Healer Faruk Bell for the first time since the competition that he finally started seeing possible solutions.

“The triumphant fighter returns!” Faruk exclaimed jokingly when Yaric arrived for their session.

“Good evening,” he replied, embarrassed after being singled out without his team around.

“Come, sit. Tell me about the competition, and please, how did your assessment go afterward?”

Yaric did not doubt that the healer had already received a firsthand report on his assessment, but he still went through the motions, explaining the feedback he’d received and his thoughts on each. Faruk was full of praise for the results, though he went to great pains to stress that the suggestions he’d received were just that and that he should keep his mind open to other possibilities as well. He put enough emphasis on the subject that Yaric began to suspect that the old healer did not particularly agree with Lloyd’s suggestions, though he didn’t comment on it.

It was only right at the end, with just a few minutes left, that Yaric asked for advice on how to solve his problem. Faruk was startled but collected himself very quickly. In all the years they’d spoken, Yaric had never before approached him directly for help. He eagerly prompted Yaric to explain the issue, which Yaric was able to do very quickly.

“So you see, she went through that whole challenge just to help me. And it wasn’t even like the other times when I first joined the class. She knew he was better than her, and Sven’s fight attracted hundreds of people to watch. I know she expected to lose in front of everyone. But she did it anyway.”

“I think next week we certainly need to come back to this Andrew fellow, but your current problem should be easy to resolve. You want to find some way to thank her when she refuses to hear it? Then don’t try to tell her.”

“Just forget about it?” Yaric asked incredulously.

“No. I mean, show her. You’ve been friends for long enough that you must know something that she would like. Perhaps she’s had her eye on something in town, or has a favorite hobby? I won’t tell you what to do, but I’m sure you can think of something if you put your mind to it.”

Yaric spent the rest of the evening trying to come up with something, but nothing came to him. Not until he was already lying in bed and about to fall asleep, the idea ripping him from sleep's embrace with a jolt, just as he began to fall.

The morning classes were difficult. Yaric found it difficult to focus on their lessons, though he was far enough ahead that it didn’t trouble him. The others still noticed, however, and they quickly became concerned. There hadn’t been any problem when he’d left to see the healer, but he was clearly distracted now.

“Is everything okay?” Lauren asked for the second time. “You didn’t get bad news last night, did you?”

“No, nothing like that. Faruk just suggested something, and I need to have a look during lunch today. I’ll be back in time for the next class though.”

“Something secret?” Lauren asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Ohhh… sneaky, suspicious, secretive, scout…”

“I’ll explain later, I just need to see if anything is possible first. I’m going to tell you, promise.”

Lauren and the others let it go after that, but they still stared after him when he sprinted off at the end of the lesson.

Yaric had a long way to go. He ran through the campus, heading deeper along a route that he’d only once traveled before. His ID got him through the final barrier, and Yaric made sure to stick to the path while running up to the building that was his destination.

Nils wasn’t there. It was blindingly obvious in hindsight, but Nils had gone to lunch. Where else would he be at lunchtime? There was an Apprentice on duty, however, and Yaric quickly explained who he was and how he had been there a few days earlier. Then he explained his request.

“So you want to come back here in two days? It can’t be any other day?”

“No, it’s the only time that we don’t have classes all day. Otherwise, we won’t have time to get here and go back.”

“OK, I think I understand. I’ll let the Keeper know but I can’t promise anything. Two days from now, four passes, and you’re requesting an interaction opportunity. You understand that you might come all the way here only to find that the Keeper declined your request?”

“We can just look around then, but I’d really appreciate it if we’re also able to get close, maybe even touch one.”

The Apprentice looked smug. “Oh, if the Keeper agrees, you’ll probably get much more than that.”

He refused to elaborate any further, only laughing and telling Yaric that he would see if it happened, but Yaric was out of time. Left with no choice, Yaric left things as they were and started the long run back.

The next couple of lessons were uncomfortable. The weather was still very hot, the sky was clear, and the sun was high. Yaric’s clothes stuck to him into the second lesson of the afternoon, but he was still happy. Nothing was certain, and they might end up disappointed, but he’d done everything he could.

All Yaric told the others was that instead of telling them about it, he would show them, they just had to wait for two days. Yaric soon discovered that none of his friends were particularly patient, not in every situation anyway. Li Na pestered him unceasingly, only stopping when she realized that he was starting to enjoy keeping the secret. Yaric was too scared to tell them anyway, just in case Nils wasn’t able to help.

The next day he discovered that he wouldn’t be disappointed. Not only had Nils agreed, but he’d sent Yaric a message to let him know, adding that there would be an additional surprise. Seeing the reversal of his mood didn’t make it easier for the others.

Early morning combat classes were followed by history. There were no other lessons until after lunch, leaving a period that was meant to be used for study. Yaric and his friends made their way to the food hall instead, using their ribbon privileges to collect a packed lunch. Then they set off, following Yaric.

Yaric was both surprised and relieved when they got more than halfway before anyone realized where they were going.

“Ohhh, ohhh, we’re going to the bestiary! Whyyyy?”

“I just wanted something to be a surprise.”

“Whyyy?”

“Yes, and what does this have to do with your appointments with Healer Bell?” Sven asked.

“Nothing, I just wasn’t sure I could arrange this, and he gave me some advice.”

“Ok, but…. Whyyyy?”

All three were looking at him expectantly. Feeling trapped, Yaric shrugged his shoulders in defeat and exhaled loudly.

“I wanted to say thank you after Lauren challenged Andrew.”

“Yaric, I’ve told you, there’s no reason to thank me,” Lauren said, sounding conflicted. She somehow managed to pull off looking both happy and annoyed at the same time.

“No,” Yaric said firmly. “There is.”

“We’re friends, of course I would challenge him. It was my choice, and I chose…”

“And this is my choice, and I’ve chosen to do this. We’re friends, of course I want to do this,” Yaric said, throwing Lauren's words back at her. Li Na and Sven both looked amused and watched the other two as they continued to walk in silence for a few uncomfortable moments.

…

…

…

“Thank you,” Lauren said softly.

The rest of the walk was quiet. No one said much except to point out something that they had missed on the first journey, but it still seemed like only minutes had passed and they were already at the bestiary.

“Ah, Lloyd’s student. You got my message?”

“Yes sir.”

“Don’t you sir me. I spent years picking up dung and chopping up animal feed, and even now I wrestle fierce beasts into submission to give them their physical.”

Yaric tried to keep the disbelief as he looked at Nils dubiously. He was certainly the roundest elf he’d ever met.

“Yes sir.” Yaric’s eyes grew wide as his face turned red, realizing his slip-up as the words left his mouth.

“Ha ha! Took you a whole two seconds. I hope you do better next time. Now come along, I know you four don’t have much time, and I’ve been keeping Slasher and Princess tethered since morning.

“Slasher and Princess?” Li Na mouthed silently at the others, her eyes wide with excitement.

They all put on their lanyards and followed Nils out the back.

“So how big are Slasher and Princess?” Li Na asked casually, fishing for information.

Nils turned to answer. Looking from Li Na to Lauren and Sven and seeing their curious expressions, Nils’s smile grew wider, and he winked at Yaric. “Just you wait and see.”

Despite Nils pointing out the time constraints, he still took them on a slightly circular route. He showed them many of the aquatic creatures that they cared for, most of them harmless, with the rest unable to survive far from the water. Any other aquatic creature would be kept in the Cut.

They took a quick break outside an enclosure for crustaceans for everyone to eat their lunch, before carrying on to aquatic reptiles,

Then he led them to a stable beside a large open field.

“Horses!” Li Na exclaimed excitedly, rushing ahead only to have Nils put a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t spook them now…” he warned gently.

Yaric and his friends followed Nils into the stables, blinking in the sudden darkness after spending so much time under the bright summer sun.

There were no horses.

Two magnificent griffons were tethered to a post, waiting calmly and preening themselves without a care in the world. They were both sitting on their haunches, their heads at eye level with Sven.

Lauren’s eyes were wide.

“Prospect Yaric asked if you could touch these griffons today, but why stop there? Some mutton is on the way for you four to feed them, then I’m going to show you how to groom these animals and have you do my job for me. Come, let me introduce you while we wait.”

Lauren stepped forward eagerly, and Nils slowly led each of them forward, one at a time, first to Slasher, then to Princess. After they’d stroked the fur on their necks and felt the feathers on their wings, everyone started to relax and become more comfortable, though they still moved slowly and deliberately, taking care to speak gently.

Neither griffon seemed concerned no matter what anyone did.

They did perk up shortly, staring intently at the door several seconds before the meat was delivered. Nils showed them how to hold up the meat and toss it the last meter, being careful to keep their hands back when the griffons snapped the chunks of meat out of the air.

Once they were done, Nils opened one of the cupboards against the wall and started pulling out various brushes and combs. Then Nils began teaching them how to care for the griffons, leaving them to carefully brush the fur and comb out the feathers.

Both griffons soaked up the attention. Slasher particularly liked having his neck brushed, especially when Lauren began giving him extra attention, while Princess kept holding out a wing for it to be combed. All four students spend half an hour brushing and combing, deliberately going back to the areas that the griffons most enjoyed to repeat their actions.

Slasher was rubbing his neck against Lauren by the time they were done, while Princess stood and stretched her back luxuriously like a cat.

Nils had one more surprise for them.

“These are for you, one each,” he said, holding up four large flight feathers from a griffon.

Nils handed them out and turned to Yaric. “I mentioned this trip to Lloyd, and he asked if I could get you all something before you left. He said he knew what you were doing and that you’d need help.”

Lloyd had obviously left Nils confused because he continued to look questioningly at Yaric as if waiting for an explanation. The four friends looked at each other in confusion as well.

Yaric had already turned back to Nils when his eyes went wide and the blood drained from his face, only to return moments later with a vengeance. He quickly led the others out, insisting that they would be late if they didn’t hurry, with his ears burning hotly the entire time.

They really were running late. By the time Nils had escorted them back and retrieved his lanyards, Yaric and the others were forced to jog to get back in time for their next lesson. It was a long run back, especially with Li Na’s blow-by-blow account of how much the griffons had enjoyed her attention, but though Lauren was quiet, she was smiling during the entire trip, rolling the shaft of her feather between her fingers and watching the feather spin.

 

---

 

Curious looks followed them when others noticed their feathers, followed by dozens of questions when everyone heard about the griffons. The questions were cut off by the start of their lesson, but they continued between each class and even after. Everyone was amazed by the descriptions of the bestiary, and even more so by their interaction with the griffons. For once, Lauren didn’t seem to mind being the center of attention.

Sven was forced to explain that the others wouldn’t be able to get in yet, telling them only that they had received special access as part of their competition rewards, which was entirely accurate even if it left out much of the story. They were disappointed to find out that they couldn’t go as well, but everyone was happy to discover that they would also get access once they moved into the 7th year. Interest in the subject shot up drastically.

Yaric didn’t think things could get much better, and he was right.

The next morning followed the usual routine. Yaric and Sven met Lauren and Li Na early, before the sun had started to rise, and went to get breakfast while it was still quiet. There was still so much to talk about that they ended up staying later than usual. It was still close enough to summer that the sun was above the horizon when they eventually started making their way back, rushing to get their armor for the morning combat training.

Sven led them through one of the many parks, using the shortcut that they always took. They followed a trail that cut through a line of bushes, exiting into a secluded clearing ringed and shaded by trees, one of their favorite places during the hot summers. It was unusual for anyone else to be there.

“We need to have a conversation,” Andrew said, standing in the middle of the clearing, flanked by Artur and John.

No one had any doubts that he’d been waiting for them.

“No problem,” Sven said reasonably, stepping forward as he did. Yaric took a couple of steps to the side and followed, keeping slightly back. No one would be stupid enough to actually try anything, but he felt things might go better if Sven had support. Lauren and Li Na did the same on the other side.

“Can this wait until after the morning training? We don’t have much time left.”

“No, this can’t wait. Not when I already have you right in front of me.”

Sven frowned. “What would you like to discuss?”

“You need to come clean. The competition, the ribbon challenge, all of it!”

“I don’t understand.”

“Yes, you do! Don’t play dumb. You know full well that those flags were placed in my stand, inside my camp. And I already know all about the challenge match.”

“It wasn’t your camp or your stand, not once we had claimed them for ourselves. You must know this. And of course you know about the challenge match, you were there.”

“On your ass!”

Lauren nudged Li Na to keep her quiet.

Andrew continued looking at Sven, but pointed his finger accusingly at Li Na while he did. “You used her mace. I already know how the Council Head gifted her a weapon with runes. You used a magic weapon to beat me.”

“Her mace can adjust the length and weight, that’s all. And it can’t be used during a fight without setting off the sensors, you of all people should know that.”

Andrew’s eye twitched. “Look, I’m trying to be civil here, but you’re not going anywhere until we sort this out. You keep saying that taking things from others is unfair, even when it’s something that’s intended to be taken. That I should consider how it affects others.

“Well, you’ve stolen my competition trophy, my record, and now you’re messing up my ribbon streak as well. Do you never take your own advice? How about looking at how you are affecting me? None of those things are something that anyone should take. Do you have any idea how much you are screwing up my life? My future?”

“I haven’t taken anything from you. We competed fair and square. You lost. Do you know that how someone takes their losses can say just as much about them as their victories? It often reveals even more.”

“I’ve never lost!” Andrew snarled, furious at the implication. “I’m the best in my year!”

Sven’s tone was calm and gentle, yet his words were spoken firmly when he replied. “No Andrew, you’re not.”

It was the wrong thing to say.

Andrew stepped forward in the blink of an eye, driving his fist up into Sven’s solar plexus. Yaric might have thought Andrew had augmented the similar strike he’d used against Lauren, but he was certain that Andrew had this time. Sven was caught completely by surprise, the punch lifting him slightly and sending him back over a meter.

He crumpled to the ground like a sack of flour.

Lauren’s hands were covering her mouth while Li Na stared with wide eyes.

Stepping forward, Yaric moved to help Sven, in shock and still unsure about whether Andrew intended to press his assault. Andrew was standing with his fists clenched at his sides, breathing deeply through his nose with his jaw clenched tightly.

A small blonde demon hurtled into Yaric’s line of vision, flinging itself up at Andrew's head. Yaric was halfway to Sven, still prone on the ground and curled into a ball, when Artur moved into view at his side.

“We aren’t looking to…”

Yaric was cut off by Artur’s punch. He still managed to block, but Artur’s arm didn’t budge, it just continued as if Yaric were made of paper. Despite his shock and undecisive actions until then, Yaric managed to start moving back and tilt his head down, taking the punch on the crown of his head and nullifying some of the impact.

He staggered back a couple of steps, struggling to regain his focus. Artur was already in his space, but Yaric started using the momentum of his strikes to turn them aside, just as he’d been taught. His return strike did very little though.

Breaking contact and risking a glance to the side, Yaric saw Lauren engaged with John. He was also augmenting himself, but Lauren’s skill was far superior, and she managed to hold him off, even delivering a few lightning-quick punches that struck before John could use the spell.

Li Na was visible just to the side of Artur. Andrew was on the ground before her, his feet pointing toward Yaric and his head just in front of Li Na, who now stood facing Yaric as she repeatedly stomped on his head. Andrew had his arms up to try and protect his head, but just as Yaric glanced their way he saw Andrew twist to try and get up, his head turned to the side.

Li Na’s heel connected with his temple, and Andrew’s arms dropped almost to the ground before he managed to get control of them again.

Yaric tried to emulate Lauren, attempting to land quick strikes before Artur could augment that area. Thankfully he didn’t have Li Na’s skill and couldn’t augment his entire body at once. Several strikes landed, but Yaric had already taken one heavy, augmented strike as well, leaving his left pectoral feeling like on big bruise.

Li Na started moving to see to Sven, but she saw Yaric still fighting and having some difficulty, so she quickly changed direction. Coming up behind Artur, Li Na grabbed his elbow and spun him partially around.

Yaric had no compunction with fighting Artur two-on-one. He swung his forearm in a flat arc, striking Artur in the throat while Li Na delivered a sharp punch to his kidney. Artur was far too slow to be able to protect himself with magic when being struck from both sides and by two people, and he quickly started to collapse. Yaric drove his shoulder into Artur’s chest, knocking him off his feet and away from Sven’s prone form. Li Na gave chase.

Yaric would never be able to tell if he’d heard the crunch or felt it, but something struck the side of his knee just as Yaric started to follow, sending a blinding pain up his leg. Literally. Everything went black for a moment before coming back into focus just in time to see Andrew’s fist speed up his trip to the ground.

The next thing Yaric knew, he was on his back, pain lancing up his leg while he took deep breaths, desperately trying to keep his breakfast down. He felt dizzy and lightheaded, and his whole body tingled with pins and needles. He heard Andrew snarl at his feet.

Sven was close by, inhaling desperately with a loud wheeze only to immediately start coughing, forcing him to struggle for another lung full of air. Lauren was still holding her own, and she even had the edge.

Yaric rolled to the side, holding his breath through the stabbing pain. Li Na had pinned Artur’s shoulders with her knees and was furiously raining punches on his face, but Andrew was just behind her and reaching for the back of her collar.

“Look…”

He was too late. Andrew gripped Li Na’s top just below the collar and lifted her with one arm, pulling her back and raising her high above his head. The sudden stop when Andrew’s arm reached its maximum extension caused Li Na’s feet to rise slightly above her head, leaving Li Na staring up at the sky in an almost horizontal position with Andrew grasping her clothes underneath, right between her shoulder blades.

Andrew jerked his arm down.

Yaric’s breath caught as Li Na plummeted, landing hard on her upper back. He could hear her breath driven out of her lungs even over the sickening sound of the impact with the ground. Desperate, Yaric fought against the fresh wave of dizziness that struck when he started trying to stand.

Andrew placed his knee on Li Na’s stomach and started up a steady rhythm, punching down with his right fist repeatedly, every punch landing on Li Na’s face. He looked incensed. Yaric was almost standing when Andrew paused briefly to check his handy work.

Li Na’s fist found his cheekbone.

Snarling, Andrew gripped Li Na by the shoulders and raised her half a meter off the ground, only to slam her right back down. His right fist came down again, once, twice, three times. Li Na lay still.

But her much smaller fist still rose to strike Andrew in the mouth.

Shifting down, Andrew leaned closer and started pummeling her midsection, rocking Li Na’s body with every strike. Yaric was halfway to them by then, holding his breath forcefully to fight through the nausea that threatened to overwhelm him and doing his best to ignore the agony in his leg. He focused on Li Na with everything he had, leaving the rest of the world to continue shifting wildly in his peripheral vision.

Andrew paused. Li Na’s elbow struck his temple, this time barely even making it far enough to make contact and far too weak to do any damage at all.

‘It’s too late to use magic, my knee is screwed. But maybe I can jump far enough? Using magic in self-defense shouldn’t mean expulsion?’

The whole world shifted again, leaving Yaric feeling like he was looking down and hovering a meter off the ground, just as his breakfast finally came up.

“What is the meaning of this?!” an angry voice shouted. “You should all be ashamed!”

Yaric managed to regain control of his stomach. Looking around, he saw that he really was hovering over the ground, held in the air by an angry-looking wizard. Everyone else was in the air as well. Well, Artur was out of sight behind him, but Yaric assumed he was as well.

Lauren and John were in the air on the far side. Yaric was proud to see that Lauren had nothing more than a split lip. John looked like shit.

Sven was in the air too, but he was struggling to raise his head and focus on what was happening. On the other side, Andrew had gone back to clenching his jaw and breathing deeply through his nose. Li Na looked far worse than John. Her eyes were half closed and she was taking very shallow breaths. She somehow managed to accumulate five black eyes, which shouldn’t have been possible. Blood ran down her face and horizontally across both cheeks, having dribbled down the side of her face when she was on her back. She was almost unrecognizable.

“Sir, they’re hurt,” Yaric gasped out, gesturing toward Li Na and then to Sven on the other side.

“I see that. Funny how fighting can do that… When I put you down, hand over your ID cards and stay silent. You’re all in enough trouble as it is.”

They were all lowered at once, but Sven’s legs were barely able to hold him up. Li Na was hunched over and swaying, but she somehow stayed standing and was already staggering over toward them. Yaric hissed when his weight settled back onto his feet.

Pulling out his ID, Yaric hopped over to help Li Na, leading her over to Sven. He was struggling to get his card out but managed when Yaric helped him to stand properly. Lauren ran up to the wizard and handed her card over without a word, then immediately rushed to help Li Na with her own card. Her hand was going all over the place.

Flashed of light shot from the wizard every time he read a card.

“You two are fine,” the wizard said dismissively, waving off Lauren and John. “Your abdomen has a lot of swelling and bruising,” he said, examining Sven. “My medical knowledge and healing are rudimentary at best; you will need to get looked at by a professional. Preferably before you’re expelled.”

The wizard moved over to Li Na and Yaric. “Hmmm… you have a lot of swelling and bruises as well. That’s a nasty concussion, this should help.” The wizard’s hand didn’t glow like Hiawatha’s usually did, but Li Na’s eyes instantly gained more focus. She was still swaying and struggling to follow movement of people, however.

“You also have a concussion, but it isn’t bad. Your knee is a bigger problem, I can only help so much.” The wizard leaned down to place his hand gently against Yaric’s knee. The pain immediately dimmed, and he felt some shifting around, but the pain was still there.

Everyone watched in silence as the wizard moved from student to student.

A ball of light streaked through the trees and straight to the wizard, who turned his attention to it as if listening attentively.

“Right, unfortunately, things have just got a lot worse for you lot. Council Head Sandy Ivers has taken a direct interest in these events and will personally handle your hearing. Which is to be held right away. Follow me.”

Sven was still hunched over but was okay to walk. Li Na swayed all over the place and needed help, but Lauren gently pushed Yaric aside and took his place, pointing to Yaric’s leg. Everyone followed the wizard in silence.

They’d been walking for several minutes before Yaric realized that he’d gotten sick down the front of his combat robes. Even then it was only due to the constant stares and occasional giggling that Yaric noticed anything. His limbs were visibly still, but he felt like his whole body was trembling. Yaric felt weak and lightheaded as they walked through the campus grounds.

The room they entered was some sort of administrative hall. The far wall had a raised counter with highchairs behind them, reminding Yaric of the Council Chambers and the semicircular table that they all sat behind. That image was only reinforced by Sandy, sitting at the center of the counter just as she did in the Council Chamber. She just watched them impassively as they slowly made their way across the room. Two other Council members flanked her on each side.

All the other tables, chairs, and desks had been pushed up against the walls.

“Have you checked their physical condition?” Sandy asked brusquely once they had lined up in front of her counter.

“I have, though as you’re aware, I’m no expert.”

“Send for a healer at once,” Sandy instructed curtly, turning to one of the Council Members beside her.

“Now, explain to us what you saw when you found these students fighting.”

The wizard went on to describe the scene while Sandy listened impassively. The only sign of emotion was a twitching eyebrow when the wizard used the word ‘brutal’ in his description of how Andrew was punching Li Na. Andrew had an oddly similar reaction.

“And what do you have to say for yourselves?”

“They ambushed us, ma’am,” Andrew immediately said. “We were just trying to get to breakfast.”

“That’s not…” Lauren spoke up, cutting herself off when Sandy raised her palm to silence her.

“Why?”

“Two of them recently challenged me back-to-back. They arranged for a large crowd to watch. They even brought magical weapons to ensure they would win. Just like they used magic earlier today. This is of course after they cheated in the capture the flag competition and…”

This time it was Andrew who Sandy cut off.

“I’m aware of your previous accusations, it was my understanding that you’d been disciplined and understood the reality of the situation.”

Sandy didn’t give Andrew a chance to reply, turning instead to face Lauren.

“Explain.”

Lauren began at the beginning, explaining how Andrew had tried to steal their flags after the competition ended, his false accusations, and even his argument with a member of staff. She had already moved on to Andrew’s class list and his rotation system when another wizard walked into the room, his face tense.

Sandy ignored him while he moved to stand to the side. She did the same when Jerold arrived, whose eyes immediately locked onto Lauren and stayed there even as he moved to join the wizard who’d entered before him.

Lloyd arrived next, when Lauren was finishing her description of her own challenge match with Andrew and how he’d used magic to augment himself, forfeiting a point.

The last person to arrive immediately made his way to the students. This time Sandy took a moment to incline her head, receiving a muttered ‘I’ll need to ask them questions’ in response. Sandy simply nodded and turned her attention back to Lauren.

The healer moved in front of the line, putting his back to Sandy and the other Council Members. Unfortunately, Yaric was standing at the far end, so the healer came to him first.

“Sir, some of the others are worse, they…”

“Quiet, boy, don’t tell me how to do my job. If you can’t tell me who needs urgent attention and why, stay silent.”

Yaric swallowed his frustration and waited impatiently.

“This was a terrible job.”

A loud crunch echoed throughout the hall when the healer fixed Yaric’s knee, and his glowing hand quickly soothed the headache and brought things back into clearer focus.

“You still need to come to the ward,” he added briskly, already moving to Lauren. He moved around her while she spoke before quickly moving on.

Sven was next. He’d overheard Yaric already, so he said nothing, hoping that it would speed the process up.

“Ridiculous. Were you hit by a club? Even your liver is bruised,” the healer whispered loudly, not even waiting for a response. Sven’s breath hitched, and then he let out a long breath, his relief evident. He also stood up straight. “You need to come to the ward as well.”

Lauren had just finished describing Andrew’s argument and how he’d struck Sven when the healer swore loudly, pulling everyone’s attention.

“You stupid, silly little girl!”

Sandy was halfway out of her seat in an instant, glaring down at the healer with anger coloring her face. She’d just opened her mouth to speak when the healer continued.

“How are you doing this?!” he demanded angrily.

“Doin’ what?” Li Na whispered in reply, trying to find the face of the man she’d heard talking right in front of her.

"Standing for one! What spell are you using?"

"Basic augmension spell from lasht year,” she slurred.

“See! She admits it!”

“SILENCE! What’s wrong with her?” Sandy asked, the color draining from her face despite the heat in her tone when she turned back to address the healer.

“This student shouldn’t be conscious, let alone standing!” The healer raised Li Na into the air, her whole body held immobile, while one of the large tables against the wall began sliding toward his outstretched hand with a horrible squeal. It was slowly accelerating, but it was painfully awkward to watch.

Lloyd waved his hand lazily, flinging the table through the air and toward the healer. He snapped his wrist at the last second, bringing it to an instant stop right before him. Li Na was gently lowered onto the table.

“What is her condition?” Sandy was talking far more quietly now.

“She has a serious concussion, that much should be obvious to anyone.” The healer placed one hand over Li Na’s forehead and the other over her stomach. He closed his eyes and stayed silent for a moment.

“Along with a fractured skull, three cracked vertebrae, a fractured scapula…”

Yaric’s blood ran cold. He clenched his fist while he listened, now genuinely trembling. Lauren reached back to grab his arm.

“…and she’s ruptured her spleen, causing internal bleeding. I can’t even begin to understand how such a simple spell can keep her conscious, or how she’s managing to channel in this state.”

“I’ma mace’n,” Li Na replied, barely whispering but still easily heard in the utterly silent room. Her slurring had gotten worse.

“Who did this to you?” Sandy asked. “Li Na?”

“Hmmm?”

“I asked who did this to you?”

“A’rew an otha one.”

“They augmented themselves?”

“Of course they did!” the healer retorted. “Do you have any idea how much force it takes to crack a skull or scapula?”

“Li Na?” Sandy asked again, wanting to hear it directly.

“Yesh.”

“Yes, they augmented themselves or yes you heard me?”

“Bo'fff.”

“So they fought while using magic?”

“Yesh. An’rew."

"Who did they use magic against?"

"Me. Du’in ma’er.”

“Doesn’t matter? Why?”

“I goh ‘im goo’.”

Lauren choked back a laugh while Sven had a weird look on his face. More than anything, he looked proud.

"Me, me, me, me, me..." Li Na began chanting, almost deliriously.

“I would like to request a full investigation as the sponsor of one of the students involved,” Lloyd said, stepping forward from the wall.

“We will of course be investigating this, it’s procedure.”

“No, I mean I want an actual investigator to look into it, using any spells at his disposal. My student was assaulted, and his attacker refuses to confess.”

Andrew began spluttering indignantly.

“The evidence certainly appears to indicate that, but we can not rule out that these students didn’t break the rules after they were attacked first. There would be severe consequences for the guilty party if we elevate the investigation to that level, I would have no choice but to press charges. There could be no leniency, no negotiation.”

Lloyd turned to Yaric. “Yes or no, did they attack first?”

“Yes.”

“Did they channel while assaulting you or your friends?”

“Yes.”

“And did you or your friends use your augmentation spell at any point, even to defend yourselves?”

“No.”

Lloyd turned back to Sandy. “I accept full responsibility and formally request a proper investigator be assigned.”

“He’s lying! This one just admitted that she’s been augmenting!”

“Only after the fight!” Yaric shouted back.

“SILENCE!” The whole room stilled instantly.

“Li Na?” Sandy asked gently. “Were you channeling during the fight?”

“Nah. Di’in nee to. I ha’ ‘em wifou’ mag’c.”

“Do you three understand what would happen if we established that you are lying?”

“We aren’t. We only augmented when they did!”

“Ah, so now you did augment yourselves,” Lloyd pointed out calmly.

“Perhaps I could help,” a voice asked from just over his shoulder. Yaric would always swear that he was still full of adrenaline from the fight, but his feet had completely left the ground by ‘perhaps’.

Arch Wizard Jaxxon Phelps stood there, leaning dramatically on a tall staff as if he could barely stand.

Sandy and the others immediately stood and inclined their heads, even Lloyd. Yaric rushed to copy them. The corners of the Arch Wizard’s mouth twitched upward at Yaric’s attempt.

“Would you be intending to take over, Arch Wizard?” Sandy asked respectfully.

“Bah… I’m just here to throw a copper into the pot. I believe I can offer some unique insight. What you do with it is entirely up to you.”

“I would be honored.”

“First, is there a reason that this young lady is still incoherent?” Jaxxon asked, turning to face the healer.

“My apologies Arch Wizard, too much time has passed between receiving her injuries and receiving treatment. The swelling is extensive and prevents immediate healing.”

“What would you suggest?”

“I’ve healed the worst of it, and there’s more I can do for the concussion, but she will need to stay in a ward. I would estimate she would need a week. I will be able to heal her fully, but only gradually as the swelling goes down.”

“Am I to take it that you can’t simply remove the swelling?”

“I could,” the healer acknowledged. “But there is much at play with such a response and there is some risk. I would be far more comfortable with someone helping me get her to the ward. I will take care of her there.”

“Forgive me, I’ve never had much focus on healing. It’s always been mysterious and miraculous what you healers do.”

The healer inclined his head, only to disappear. Yaric was shocked to see that Li Na was gone as well.

“They are in the emergency ward, I’m sure the young woman will receive excellent care. Now, let’s have a look at recent events, shall we?”

A large orb of water manifested in the air, 2 meters across and high above everyone’s heads. The outside seemed to constantly flow down, but nothing dripped, and the orb never changed shape, keeping its mostly mirror surface. The thin flow of crystal-clear water did nothing to distract from the image within.

Andrew could be seen clearly in the center, but it wasn’t an image of him in the park. Andrew was in a dorm room, sitting on a bed and facing John and Artur.

“If we can get Sven on his own you could have a real fight. I bet once the others see what you do to him, they’ll realize that Sven only won because he had a runed weapon. If the Council Head hadn’t bent the rules for her favorite student, he would never have won.”

Andrew looked at John like he was an idiot. “I don’t want to catch him alone. His bitch did worse,” Andrew added, rubbing at his chest while the real Andrew joined his friends in looking nervously toward Sandy.

Yaric’s fists were clenched.

“Now they’re running around with feathers after getting special tours in restricted areas. I can’t believe how deep the favoritism runs.”

“We can catch them tomorrow. They always leave early. If we get them on the way back, then everyone else will still be eating. There will be four though,” Artur pointed out nervously.

“The other two are useless. We only need to worry about the two I fought. I could probably kick the little one over the roof.” All three were laughing when the image faded, changing to show Andrew and John sitting on the ground, pulling up blades of grass and breaking them into pieces before flicking them into the early morning air.

Artur came running into the picture. “They’re coming!” he hissed loudly.

Andrew scrambled to his feet and moved into the middle of the clearing, shifting John slightly to have him stand further to the side. A few seconds later they could hear Sven talking, only for it to cut off abruptly.

“We need to have a conversation,” Andrew declared.

Everyone watched the discussion unfold. They saw how the talking ended when Andrew assaulted Sven.

Yaric’s breath caught when he saw his friends’ reactions. Lauren looked shocked, but Li Na seemed terrified. Her pupils seemed to fill her wide eyes as she charged toward Andrew. Her expression was one of terror, but her actions were swift and hard. Yaric was embarrassed to see how he hesitated, unsure, while Li Na reacted almost instantly. Even Lauren had paused for a few seconds.

Li Na hadn’t simply tackled Andrew like Yaric had believed, instead she’d leaped up to his shoulders and swung herself around, using her momentum and the leverage his height gave her to toss him back.

The fight only got worse from there. Each of the adults pointed out multiple instances of obvious magical reinforcement, always performed by Andrew or his friends.

Sandy was visibly upset when Li Na was slammed down the first time. The description of the wizard who’d caught them didn’t do the beating justice, ‘brutal’ just wasn’t strong enough to describe what they could see above them. The image kept shifting to the perfect angle, showing Yaric things that he’d never noticed.

Li Na had blood all over her face the first time Andrew paused, but her eyes were open, and she struck hard. The second time Andrew paused Li Na’s eyes were already swollen closed, but she struck blindly when she punched Andrew in the mouth, drawing more than one gasp from those who witnessed her defiance. Sandy was trembling by the time Li Na attempted her last, feeble elbow strike.

At some point, Lauren had shifted from holding Yaric’s arm to hugging it, but he hadn’t even noticed until the footage ended when they were all lifted into the air.

“That young woman did nothing but try to defend her friends, and you put her in an emergency ward!”

Even Sandy turned to stare at Jerold, her mouth open in surprise. No one had ever expected him to have an outburst like that.

“She did more than try…”

The words were quiet, but they might as well have been shouted in the silence that had descended.

This time it was Yaric who stared with his mouth open, taken by surprise when he realized that it had been Sven.

“Yes,” Jaxxon said approvingly, “yes, I suppose she did.”

“I think the evidence here is clear. There were multiple breaches of Academy rules. These three students clearly channeled throughout the fight – a fight they instigated.”

“I had to augment myself, she wouldn’t stay down!”

That was probably the worst possible statement Andrew could have made. Every single person in the room stared coldly at him, even the Arch Wizard. The usually unflappable Sven looked like he was struggling to hold himself back.

“Your possessions will be brought to you outside the gates. I will arrange for an escort to…”

“If I may, Miss Ivers,” Jaxxon said quietly, interrupting Sandy. “I believe there could be two choices available.”

“I would greatly appreciate your input.”

“The rewards we give have always been a concern of mine. Those who perform well certainly deserve them, but what of the students who come to expect them? How much blame do we bear when a student of ours begins to assume that the top prizes will always be his? I would suggest that the option to have these three students perform a penance of sorts be considered. If they wish to redeem themselves and stay here, of course. It would be a shame to lose such fine talents. Two or more years working in service of the unconnected could do wonders.”

“You are suggesting that they do hard labor?”

“I am suggesting that we give them the opportunity to learn humility, no matter what form their service takes. Pride and arrogance can turn even the wisest amongst us into blind fools.”

“If I may ask, do you have any recommendations for how I should take each option into consideration?”

“I would suggest that you do not. No one can be forced to learn. If these students would like the chance to earn back your trust, by all means, give it to them. If they yet remain too proud to seize their chance at redemption, well, they would be a poison to our Academy no matter how talented they are, and we would all be better off without them.”

“Thank you, Arch Wizard, your council is appreciated as always.”

“My my, giving council to the Council Head? I am sure I was merely voicing my thoughts.” Jaxxon turned to face Yaric, Lauren, and Sven. “I am afraid that I have sent your friend off without giving you a chance to say goodbye. But I do believe that you were instructed to report to the ward in any case, and I notice that two of you have the wizard who sponsored you present. Perhaps they could escort you there while our esteemed Council settles this matter privately? It is unlikely that you will need to attend classes today, it is more likely that your friend could use your support right now.”

Only Lloyd would dare snort when an Arch Wizard describes his Academy’s council as esteemed, but Jaxxon’s mouth just twitched once again, the barest hint of a smile teasing at the corners of his mouth.

“Oh, and please accept my belated congratulations on your splendid victory. You set quite the record.”

With that the Arch Wizard was gone, simply vanishing as if he’d never been there to begin with. Yaric hoped that Andrew would follow his example.

Sven hurriedly excused himself, followed closely by Lauren and Yaric. All three went straight for the door. The ward wasn’t far, but there were ways to get there more quickly. Yaric channeled arcana for the first time that day, his legs pumping as he kept pace with Sven and Lauren.

Only then, with the wind in his face and his robes pressed against his body, did Yaric finally remember. 'Crap! I threw up all over my clothes!'