Goeden Military Academy was once again holding its annual recruitment. It was the most prestigious military academy on the Havencinque islands, producing elite military personnel. One such example was Fleet General Keifre Kraden of the Azure Trails, defender and hero of the United Races who repelled the Horde invasion five years ago. He was what male military students aspired to be and what female military students aspired to wed.
The recruitment was composed of two phases and was now on its second. The first phase was a test on theoretical knowledge and the second was on practical skills. Every recruitment was held in a different location, and this time it was held in an open field beside Crescent Lake. Tents surrounded the field, housing not only the examiners but also the participants and their companions.
Arovin Fragor exited his tent. He raised his arms to stretch as he yawned. It was still quite early and he could see only a handful of people awake. Most of them were servants preparing their masters’ morning necessities. Arovin smirked at the thought. He also came from a noble lineage, but he looked down on these young masters who were pampered at their age.
The participants allowed in the recruitment must be 15 to 18 years of age. Arovin just turned sixteen. He had been planning on participating the recruitment the previous year, but his father believed that he still lacked training, and thus he waited another year.
Allotted with enough time to prepare, the second phase of the recruitment began just as the morning fog dissipated. It was a bright sunny day, a perfect weather for the exam.
The test-takers were called in pairs to appear in the center of the field where grass was cut and the ground flattened. The pairs were then pitted against each other in hand to hand combat. Arovin watched as some of the combatants wildly flailed in a futile attempt to bring down their foe. They forgot that the judging was not based on who won and lost but on the skills performed. Every now and then, a skilled examinee would appear, but it did not impress Arovin much.
It was already afternoon when Arovin’s name was called. This caused quite a commotion. The Fragor lineage was well-known for their military contributions. Furthermore, all previous heads of the house were graduates of Goeden Military Academy. They were not just ordinary graduates either. They were all awarded with the Wing Token, a medal given to the academy’s top four graduates.
With head raised high, Arovin walked to the center of the field to meet his opponent. As soon as he laid eyes on the other examinee, he couldn’t help but exclaim in anger.
“What’s the meaning of this?!”
In front of him stood a girl. She had short dark brown hair and eyes of the same color. Her slender frame was not hidden at all by her clothes. It was not that she was a girl that angered Arovin. Although, there were only few successful female military leaders, the fact they do exist was a testament to the fact that women should not be looked down upon. What angered him was his opponent’s left arm.
Or lack thereof.
“Is there a problem, Mr. Fragor?” one of the judges asked at his outburst.
“Did my father set this up?” he asked the judge as he pointed at his opponent.
“I don’t know what you are talking about, but if you further delay the testing we would be forced to disqualify you.” The judge’s words caused a hubbub in the crowd. A Fragor being disqualified from the Goeden recruitment would become a huge scandal.
Arovin turned to face his opponent and resumed his calm. He looked at her disdainfully and said, “If you think I will show mercy just because you’re a girl and a cripple, then you better put your hopes down.”
The girl didn’t respond but took a combat stance instead. Her raised fist blocked the lower part of her face from his sight, and he thought that she was smirking at him.
He readied his stance while thinking of how to punish this insolent cripple. He knew of many ways to deal pain in combat without causing too much damage in the opposing party. That should be enough to teach her a lesson.
The judges signaled the fight to start.
Arovin dashed forward a few steps before switching to the right. He planned on taking advantage of his opponent’s disability. In war, there is no room for mercy. He aimed on circling her around her defenseless side. He would then rain her open side with attacks.
All his planning was for naught as his it was easily read by his opponent. She had taken a few steps back while keeping her right side facing him. This did not mean that she had no other weaknesses for him to prey on, though.
A person with a missing arm had disadvantages other than just being defenseless on one side. A walking or running person would sway their arms to keep their balance, so without one arm, their balance would be upset and their actions limited.
The cunning young man had a good grasp on her flaws and continued his pursuit. Even if she could defend from his head on attacks, she would have a hard time recovering.
He closed the distance and prepared to land a heavy blow on her one-armed guard. Suddenly, an open palm appeared in front of his eyes. Caught off guard, his punch missed. The palm shifted to the side and held his outstretched arm. He saw swaying brown hair on the back of his opponent’s head before a blow landed on his gut, launching him a good few inches off the ground and a short distance away. During his painful flight, he saw her recovering from a stance that could not be anything but a spinning back kick.
He landed painfully on his back and immediately tried to get up. Instead, he ended up on his hands and knees on the ground. The field was silent except for the sound of his shameful retching.
Arovin Fragor would never forget this day for the rest of his life.
It took three days for the second phase of the recruitment to finish. Over a thousand participated in the first phase where less than two hundred passed. In the second phase, only 21 passed. Those with potential but didn’t make it were either recommended to try again next year or given referrals for other academies. Goeden was not the only academy around. It was also not the only one that specialized in military training.
All those that passed were given five days to prepare for their stay in the academy. It was a boarding school, and students must stay within campus grounds unless given leave or under special instruction.
Arovin Fragor was in a sour mood. Despite his loss, he was given a pass by the judges for his well established foundation on combat tactics and application. What aggravated his mood further was that his father was not disappointed at all by his defeat in the match after hearing about it. Instead, he laughed it off and said, “The world is big. You shouldn’t think too highly of yourself.”
Arovin was currently at Port 7 of Havencinque Capital, the meeting point for the passers as well as their transport and escort. All 21 passers were already there. While waiting, some of the passers talked to their family and friends who went with them in the port. Some were crying while others were excited. Only two people did not come with anyone. Arovin and the girl he swore he would make suffer.
After a while, a pair of newcomers arrived. One of them was a tall young man with dark brown skin and shaved head. The other was a short girl with her blond hair tied in a ponytail. Both were wearing Goeden’s official military uniform, fatigue green with white accents.
“Goeden fourth year student, Jay Marvis,” saluted the young man.
“Goeden third year student, Nina Nonalin,” saluted the girl.
The group of passers tried to return the salute which elicited a wry smile from Nina. Out of the twenty-one, only two got it right.
“You don’t need to return the salute, yet,” she apologized. “You will be taught how on your first year in the academy.” She then elbowed the taller youth beside her and whispered, “I told you we shouldn’t do the salute!” which the passers heard clearly.
Jay cleared his throat and said, “We are your seniors in the academy, which is quite obvious. Don’t worry too much about the strict forms and conducts you see in the army. It will be disciplined into you only during the fifth year. For now, rest easy. We are all fellow students. Respect is expected from you since you are currently lowest in terms of rank. As cadets, we expect you—” An elbow jutted into his side cutting him off.
“Well, Jay tends to be long winded when he's excited. For now, let’s board the ship!” Nina said as she turned around and pulled the other with her while they left the port’s waiting area. The passers bade their families goodbye and followed after their academy seniors. They were led to the docks where their eyes feasted on the many different medium sized airships.
“Any of you taken a ride on an airship before?” Nina asked the crowd.
“My father had brought me on the Sterling when I was younger,” Arovin answered.
“You must be General Fragor’s son, then. He did good work in the defense against the invasion,” Jay said.
“Not as good as a certain other fleet general,” Arovin muttered.
“You shouldn’t discredit your father. Holding the line was also a crucial role,” Jay said.
The crowd finally stopped walking in front of a small and battered airship, which left the passers mouth agape in disbelief.
“Meet Monica!” Nina introduced as she pointed her hands toward the airship. “She is the baby of the Ship Engineering club which is headed by yours truly. If you are interested in joining, don’t be shy to hand in your application form to me.”
“Can this thing even fly?” Arovin asked.
“It can! How did you think we made it here?” Nina answered proudly, which furthered the doubt among the crowd. “Anyways, time for roll call! When your name is called, enter the ship.”
One by one, the passers’ names were called out. The last to be called out was the girl with a missing left arm.
“You must be Morielle,” Jay said as he marked her name on the list. There was something else in his tone as he observed the girl enter the ship.
Arovin watched her as she entered the cabin and took a seat. He still hated her, but there was some curiosity mixed in. After his defeat, he had used his family resources to research her background. All he got was her first name and that she was the only survivor of an island that fell in the Horde invasion.
“Alright, everyone! Buckle in your seats, we’re about to blast off!” Nina declared as she entered the pilot’s cockpit. Jay was left to watch over them in the passenger cabin.
“Uh…” one of the passers raised his hand and said, “there’s nothing to buckle with.” Jay’s response was a small mishcievous smile.
The ship rumbled as its engine went on. It floated off the dock and unsteadily made its way out of Port 7. Through the windows, they could see capital gradually going smaller.
“May I ask on which island the academy is on?” another passer asked. By his clothes, it was easy to tell that he was not from any noble families. The other nobles in the cabin laughed at his question.
“The academy is not on any island,” Arovin explained. “Goeden Military Academy is in itself an airship carrier.”
Havencinque’s main island could be seen in its entirety from the windows. It was dotted by various landscapes. Crescent Lake could be seen clearly, as well as the reason for its name. The airship had already steadied and the youths left their seats to look closely from the windows. Even the children of nobles can’t help but be amazed at the sight. They pointed at their territories and made fun of those of their rival houses.
Havencinque was a group of sky islands resting on a sea of clouds. The biggest island was in the center surrounded by much smaller ones. Some of the islands that were near each other were connected by hanging bridges. Airships traveled between islands, ferrying passengers and cargo.
This was a common sight for Arovin so he had no interest in the sights. Instead, his focus was completely on the girl called Morielle.
“Hey, you!” he called out to her, which she promptly ignored. He grinded his teeth as he called out again.
She turned her head to him with a scowl and said, “I have a name.”
“I don’t care about your name. I know you’re a survivor from five years ago. Is that how you lost your arm?” he asked. Instead of answering, she only gave him a burning glare as if trying to bore his face out. If looks could kill, he would be dead ten times over.
She looked away from him and out the window.
“I lost more than just an arm that night,” she growled quietly, but just loud enough for Arovin to hear.
The cockpit’s door burst open as Nina walked out. She was met with stares from the crowd.
“Don’t worry. We’re on autopilot!” she said. The crowd sighed in relief until they heard Jay’s following words.
“This ship doesn’t have an autopilot setting.”
It took a while for Nina to placate the crowd. The airship did not have an autopilot setting but it can go straight without a need for a pilot to remain on the handles unless they are met with turbulence.
“So, what do you think of my baby?” Nina asked with a proud look. The youths were now all seated and none dared to answer her question.
Arovin heard a small voice nearby, “It’s shabby, but not so bad.” He turned his head to the speaker and saw Morielle looking out the window while resting her head on her good hand.
He knew that his anger was misplaced, but he still hated her. At the same time, he couldn't help but be curious about her; her past, her strength, and the emotions that hid behind her eyes as she looked out at the endless sky.