“Smart girl,” Jenn said softly. “She’s a good leader for them.”
“I agree,” Baylyss smiled. “Let me show you to the courtyard. They should have had time to get there.”
“Thank you, Baylyss,” Yukiko said. “Is there anything we can do for you?”
“Nothing. I am well cared for. Thank you for asking. Please, follow me.”
~*~*~
With the training over, the children were tired, but happy.
“We have some bad news,” Gregory said. “Our apprentice year will be different from our novice year. We won’t be getting a day off every week.”
The kids all looked sad and upset, but they stood there, staring at him and waiting to hear if there was more to be said.
“We’re supposed to get a week off here or there, but we don’t know if they will be with each other, or spread out separately,” Yukiko said. “We will come by when we can, but we want you to know why we aren’t showing up as often.”
“We understand,” Elsa said, her voice firm. “You must do as you are required to do, as we will. When you are able to return here, you will find that we have continued to do our best.”
A chorus of agreement came from the others, who stood up a little straighter.
“You should know,” Baylyss said, coming into view from the door, “that they will be leaving next year. Initiates go to join their guards and train with them. Adepts then get posted to various places in the empire. This year might be the last you see them for some time.”
All of the children, even Elsa, looked upset at that news.
Elsa took a deep breath and looked at the three apprentices, who looked saddened, as well. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the other children. “That will not stop us, will it? We won’t fail just because they aren’t here to check on us, will we? We will do as they have taught us and continue to grow. That way, when our time comes, we can enter the academy.”
The children wiped at their eyes and straightened up. “We will do our best,” they said in a rough echo.
Elsa turned back to the trio. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, but she stood straight. “We will be waiting for your return. Until we see you again, we will continue to follow the path you have shown us.”
“We’ll be back as often as we can,” Gregory said. “We would like to spend time training with you, too, but that’s not what the academy will allow. Magi are even more constrained than others on when and how we can do things.”
“Baylyss, will you please keep us informed?” Jenn asked.
“Of course. My charges are as important to me as they are to you. I will tell you of the good and bad.”
“If everything is good, then maybe special gifts can be arranged,” Yukiko said. “They won’t happen often, but hard work should be celebrated. Do your best, and we’ll send word in return to all of you.”
“Children, it is time,” Baylyss said. “Go on with your work. I will see them out.”
The children bowed to the three magi before they left. Elsa was the only one who stayed.
“Baylyss, may I show them out?” Elsa asked.
“Yes. Find me when they are gone,” Baylyss told her.
“I will.”
With Baylyss gone, Elsa sighed. “I knew it would happen. I’d heard Cal and the others talk about it when you weren’t here. I had secretly hoped they were wrong, though...” Swallowing, she met their eyes. “I will do my best to keep them moving forward. We will make you proud.”
“You already do,” Gregory said. “Look at how much you’ve already done for those you care for. That above everything else is something to treasure.”
Elsa’s lips trembled, and she bowed her head. “Thank you... all of you... for giving me and them a chance to be more than our families were willing to let us be.” She sniffled and looked up, and this time, no more tears were welling up. “Let me show you out.”
“We will follow,” Yukiko said softly.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Gregory was wearing a large grin as he followed Yukiko and Jenn downstairs. Best way to wake up ever. Maybe I can return that favor to them both in turn in the future?
Dia and Bishop were having tea while Steva cooked breakfast, and Dia gave them a smile when they entered the room. “Ready for your first day of tactics class?”
All three of them nodded and agreed that they were.
“I remember my tactics teacher,” Bishop said with a shake of her head. “She was a horrid woman.”
“My class had a member of the Hardened Fist as our instructor,” Dia mused. “He was very shouty.”
“Good morning,” Steva greeted the trio. “Breakfast as usual?”
“Please,” Yukiko said. “Maybe with a touch more aether behind it?”
“I can do that,” Steva nodded, shifting to get their food started while also finishing Dia’s and Bishop’s.
“I’ll be looking forward to working with you today, Jenn,” Bishop said. “I spoke with Master Chen yesterday, so I have a good idea of where you are. You’re further along than I’d thought. That’s good, because it means I can push you harder.”
Jenn’s smile froze for a moment as she considered what that might mean for her. “I’m eager to learn, Bishop. I’ll give everything I gave Master Chen.”
“Good. A student who will strive is for the best.”
“Your breakfast,” Steva said, bringing over plates for the two older women.
“Thank you, Steva,” Dia smiled.
“My thanks,” Bishop added.
“We all strive with everything we have,” Yukiko said. “We push each other to do more.”
Bishop paused as she held her first piece of food in her chopsticks. “And you stayed friends... Joining the same clan might have been the difference.” Shaking her head, she began to eat.
Yukiko felt a twinge of regret for saying that, recalling what Bishop had told them about Harrison once being her friend. Jenn looked at Yukiko, who shook her head. Jenn nodded and stayed silent.
~*~*~
“That’s what we know of it,” Yukiko said, finishing her explanation of Harrison and Bishop’s relationship for Jenn.
“I’m glad we all joined the same clan,” Jenn smiled. “I hate thinking that I could have ended up that way with you both.”
“It was a possibility,” Gregory said. “Remember when I invited you to dinner with Elder Lightshield? I saw a glimpse of what might be.” Both women looked at him, and Gregory exhaled. “If I didn’t invite you, you would have hated us both and joined the Iron Hand, going after us as often as you could. In the branch that had you joining us, you were wearing a lavender kimono and smiling.”
“An elder?” Jenn asked with a wide smile. “That’s amazing.”
“That might not have factored in what came after it, though,” Gregory said.
“Her training with us and marrying us?” Yukiko asked.
“Yeah, besides it being a distant future, which makes it more susceptible to change,” Gregory said, tempering Jenn’s happiness. “I’ve learned that the future is malleable. We can’t just expect the visions to come true.”
“I’ll work for it,” Jenn said. “If I make it, then you both will, as well.”
“Or more,” Yukiko added, “for him, at least.”
“Well, there is that,” Jenn laughed.
“There they are,” Daciana’s voice came from just ahead near the archive. Victoria, Nessa, and Daciana were on the path that came from the mess hall to the archive. “Morning.”
“Good morning, Daciana,” Gregory replied. “To you two, as well, Nessa and Victoria.”
“Good morning,” they replied to him before bowing their heads to Yukiko and Jenn.
“Daciana has been all but bouncing off the walls this morning,” Nessa grinned.
“This is it,” Daciana said, turning to Nessa. “We’re officially novices today with classes beginning. We’re one step closer to our goals.”
Victoria w
ore a bemused smile. “Excitable and confident. Those two words personify you, Daciana.”
“I accept!” Daciana grinned.
“Are you all ready for classes?” Jenn asked.
“Yes,” Daciana said quickly.
“I believe so,” Nessa replied.
“I don’t think so, but with my friends, I will be okay,” Victoria said. “The last week has taught me many new things, such as falling.”
“You’ll do fine if you have these two to help you. Yuki had to help me with economics,” Gregory said.
“Help us with economics,” Jenn corrected him. “Magus Han had me confused until Yuki helped me understand.”
“And Greg helped me beyond the start of conditioning,” Yukiko said. “That might be the hardest part for you, Victoria. These two have been drilled for half a year, but you’ve barely had a week.”
“We have our snacks already,” Daciana said. “We listened to your story. We’ll meditate and eat before conditioning, then go for food after bathing.”
“We’ll be here to help you, as you will be helping us,” Nessa told Victoria. “It doesn’t matter if I have eurtik blood or if you’re from the fringe. Our seniors have proven that we can rise above the others if we push ourselves.”
“You only fail if you don’t give everything you have,” Jenn said. “Truthfully, you might still fail, but not doing everything you can will haunt you.”
“I will give everything,” Victoria said. “I just know I’m not ready, yet. Knowing your limitations is good.”
“Overcoming them is better,” Yukiko smiled. “I have a feeling you will, given time and effort.”
Victoria met Yukiko’s gaze before she bowed formally. “I will give everything I have. I will show those who matter that I am worthy.”
“Good. We have studying to do before classes begin,” Yukiko smiled. “Shall we?”
“Yes,” Daciana said, the first one to enter the archive.
~*~*~
Approaching their tactics class, Gregory took in the building with a curious gaze. It was three stories tall and had more windows than any other building on the grounds. The stone was a dark gray, and had obviously been built after the other important structures of the academy.
“Pettit, Bean, and Warlin. Good day,” a firm voice greeted them.
“Magus,” Gregory smiled when he saw Magus Paul Erichson standing beside one of the columns that adorned the front of the structure. “A good day to you, as well. Are you not teaching physical conditioning?”
“Not this year. This year, a member of the Hardened Fist is doing that. I am here to assist Egil Magi-killer, along with a few others.”
“We heard that Magus Harrison was going to be an assistant,” Yukiko said.
“Along with Magus Elkit and Magus Klim,” Paul nodded.
“Elkit?” Gregory asked with a touch of hesitation. “The one who leads the Eternal Flame inside the academy walls?”
“That same one,” Paul agreed. “Go on inside. Class will begin on the sixth bell.”
“Thank you, Magus,” the three bowed.
Gregory stopped a few feet away and turned back to Paul. “Sir, so you are aware, both Yukiko and Jenn now bear the name ‘Pettit.’”
Paul stared at him for a second, then shook his head. “I didn’t see that coming. Very well. I shall remember.”
Entering the building, Gregory was surprised at the layout. The first floor was nearly wide open, with only a few pillars to help support the floors above. The room was made up of concentric rings, each sunken lower than the one above it. In the very middle of the slow descent was an Empire’s Gambit table with shelving under it. Each of the rings held desks for the students to sit at, with the way the room descended, everyone would be able to see the table unobstructed, even if the room was full.
No one else was there yet, so they took the table on the far side of the room to make sure their backs wouldn’t be to the door. Taking out paper and ink, they were nearly set up when the other apprentices began to arrive.
Hayworth and his group gave them a friendly nod and took the closest table to them. Other clans and the clanless apprentices trickled in after them. As sixth bell began to ring, Nick and the Eternal Flame apprentices came striding into the room with Magus Elkit behind them.
As soon as the last chime sounded, Paul, Klim, Harrison, and Egil entered the building, shutting the doors behind them. The four of them, along with Elkit, went to the center of the room. The only one not in a magus kimono was Egil, who wore a simple gray kimono.
“Greetings, Apprentices,” Egil said. “I am your instructor for this class, Armsmaster Egil Magi-killer. Yes, I have slain magi in duels. Even when aether was allowed, I still prevailed. More than that, though, I have served for the Han clan during several wars and border skirmishes against all three neighboring nations. Inside the walls of the academy, there would be few who have seen more combat than I.”
There was a small commotion as the apprentices exclaimed excitedly over who their teacher was. Egil gave them a few seconds before he boomed out a single word with the tone of a commander, “Silence!”
The room went silent and Egil looked over the assembled apprentices. “You will speak only when you are called on by myself or one of my assistants. Let me introduce them; Magus Guthrie Harrison of the Swift Wind clan, Magus Mona Klim and Magus Paul Erichson of the Iron Hand clan, and Magus Evan Elkit of the Eternal Flame clan. Normally, there would be a magus teaching the class and four adepts to assist, but the council thought it better to have more experienced magi assist me. Did any of you wish to add anything?” He looked toward the four assistants.
“It is an honor to work alongside you,” Harrison said. “You’ve been decorated by the empire numerous times for your actions in war, and even once by the emperor himself.”
Egil bowed his head. “That is a memory I still treasure all these years later.”
“It’ll be good for the apprentices to learn from a man who’s been in the thick of the fight,” Paul said. “It’s something I have long asked the academy to consider. To have an armsmaster of your caliber teach here is an honor for them.”
“I am honored,” Klim said simply, bowing formally to Egil.
All eyes went to Elkit, who looked bored. “I have nothing to add,” he finally said.
“What we will be teaching you,” Egil said, moving smoothly on with the class, “is the most advanced war game the empire has— Empire’s Gambit. This game was first made by Lionel Lighthand, and has been adapted and added to since then. The interesting thing is that our neighbors have all adopted it for their own purposes. It is a complex study of strategy and troop control. It is mandated for one simple reason. Who knows what that is?”
Nick’s hand went up, and Elkit was quick to call on him, “Apprentice Shun.”
“War is inevitable,” Nick said. “Even if our civilized neighbors don’t go to war with us, we still have the northern wilds to deal with. The remnant of the eurtik there are savages who have not yet been brought to heel.” His eyes went to Yukiko, and his lips twitched. “Someone has to remind the animals of their place.”
Egil grunted. “War never changes. The weapons and tactics might, but war itself... the maneuvering and coin needed to support it never changes. Who can tell me why war is inevitable?”
Harrison called on Hayworth, who said, “Because someone will always want something they don’t have. The way most nations deal with that is to wage war to take what they want.”
“Pettit,” Paul called out, as Gregory still had his hand up.
“I believe Lighthand said it best, sir. ‘Let he who wishes for peace prepare for war.’ Even if the empire was never the aggressor, we must be ready. To not be ready is to invite it even more readily.”
Egil nodded. “Lighthand is attributed with that quote, yes, and it is roundly true. All three of you have raised good points. Now, a show of hands— who has played Empire’s Gambit before?”
Most of Nick’s and Hayworth’s groups raised their hands. A few other scattered hands went up. Gregory, Yukiko, and Jenn all had their hands raised, and were the only clan that had all members with hands raised.
“Aether’s Guard,” Egil said, turning to them. “When did your clan mandate this?”
“It hasn’t, sir,” Gregory replied. “We started studying it after the winter solstice. It wasn’t mandated by our clan at all.”
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