“My future?” Yaric stammered.
“This is the first of two interviews,” Lloyd explained, “that will determine your full admission to the Academy. Don’t worry about this one, this is just for you to have a clearer idea of where things stand and what opportunities you might have going forward. More importantly for you, this interview is to give you time to think about certain matters before the final interview. To help you figure out what you want from the Academy.”
Yaric still looked confused, and a little worried. “What I want from the Academy?”
“Yes. Maybe hold some of your questions until I’m finished, I think most of what you want to ask will be explained anyway. At least wait until after we review your time here since you joined.
“To begin with, you started here with a severe disadvantage. We had to make a choice, let you join one of the youngest classes, help you catch up to one of the classes closer to you in age, or keep you separated from everyone else until you’d fully caught up.
“The first option was quickly dismissed. You were almost 16, and putting you in a class with predominantly 12-year-olds was viewed as damaging to your future. You would have been much larger and much stronger physically, and that would have hampered your training. Obviously making friends in a class so much less mature than you would have caused problems as well.
“The last option was carefully considered, but due to the amount of time it would have taken you to catch up, we decided against it. You would likely have ended up missing the class expedition, and you would have spent too long without proper opponents and without making friends in your own year.
“As you know, we went with the middle option. You were 16 when you joined your class, most of whom were only one or two years younger than you. Dedicating a year getting you caught up, using personal training, was not enough to put you on par with them, but it got you close enough, and you could make up the gap while part of a class. Which you’ve clearly done, as anyone can see by looking at your Solstice Tournament results. Overall, I’m happy with your progress in physical combat.”
“I’m not,” Hiawatha interrupted, looking at Lloyd.
“Go on,” Lloyd prompted.
“There’s only so much experience you can gain in any amount of time, and you haven’t had as much time as any of the others. Crucially, I didn’t have enough time to really get a handle on where your talents lie. Unfortunately, we were forced to push you to catch up with your class. It was only recently that we found how well suited you were to two specific styles of combat, and you’ve barely started learning them. I would like you to specialize in them going forward, which would mean individual lessons using your points earned. Is that something that you would consider?”
“Yes, Instructor.”
“Good!” Hiawatha gestured to Lloyd, who continued where he’d left off.
“Well, I’m still happy with your progress. If you take Hiawatha up on his offer, then that would likely make your progress even better.”
Tracy glared at Lloyd upon hearing his informal address, but visibly rolled her eyes and sighed without interrupting.
“Your tutoring results have been above average as well,” Lloyd said without pause. “That was admittedly my biggest concern, especially given your background, but Kelly Rayne has informed me that your aptitude exceeds most of your classmates. You might not be at the top of the class like Lauren, but you’re definitely one of the top students in your year. All of this bodes well for your future here.”
Yaric nodded gratefully, but still with some concern. He hadn’t expected his assessment to cover his entire time at the Academy.
“All of your teachers had good things to say about you after your expedition. There were some errors on your side, but they were happy to see you learn from them. One stand out feature of your personal performance was the special duties that you took on, as a scout for your group. I want to take a moment to talk about that.
“Overall, your performance as a scout was deemed ‘adequate’. You clearly struggled with some aspects, such as foraging for your class, but you worked hard regardless and noticeably went out of your way in attempting to correct your shortcomings.
“There were a few bumps along the road, such as when you lost focus while participating in a spear wall…” Lloyd said, looking Yaric in the eye and grinning widely, “that was embarrassing.”
Lloyd smirked when Yaric’s ears started turning red, but he chose to continue without teasing his student any further. That he would do privately.
“You made up for it later when your class was once again hit by two hordes, and this time you not only responded properly to the surprise attack, but you pulled one of your injured classmates to safety and got him medical attention, before jumping right back in.
“The more important role you fulfilled as a scout, was in screening your class and finding new campsites, and here you did much better. Several events were made note of, particularly of how you always joined the fighting after warning your group. There is also the occasion when kobolds launched a rare nighttime assault on your camp, where you raised the alarm just in time, despite the danger to yourself and the injuries you had already received. Also of note was how you were the first to take the opportunity provided by the Duke’s 1st Regiment, where you were personally trained by a squad of scouts.
“The scouts also gave a report, and, uh…” Lloyd paused, checking some papers that Yaric only now noticed were laid out in front of Lloyd, “Corporal Ilves, he reported back that you had a high aptitude for scouting. He is of the opinion that such an aptitude is rare, considering how you need to move into danger, often while alone, and how much responsibility the role carries with regards to keeping your friends safe. He had some high praise for you, even though you spent so little time together. I want you to keep this in mind for later on in this interview.
“After your return to Lekton, you began your first so called ‘magic’ classes.”
Yaric screwed up his face upon hearing that, causing Lloyd to laugh, along with his three colleagues as well. That, more than anything else, confused Yaric, as even the serious looking member of the Council joined in.
“Relax. It technically is your first spell, but what you’ve learned so far is really just a component of a proper spell, even if it is one that can be utilized on its own. Wait until you’re learning proper spells, then you’ll see what I mean!” Lloyd added, sounding excited.
“I was also informed that you were the first in your class to activate your token. Now you did have an advantage, given your frequent rehabilitation exercises, but the speed with which you were able to adapt your channeling was still impressive. You were also judged ‘above average’ in the obstacle courses. What is truly remarkable there is how you received the same rating across every aspect tested, which is very unusual. Not many arcanists are equally adept across every facet of augmentation.
“Before we continue, do you have any questions on your evaluation so far?” Lloyd asked, giving Yaric a friendly smile.
“Are there going to be any tests on the subjects that we’ve been learning?”
“No,” Lloyd replied, smiling wider, “that’s not how it works here. You will have everything you need made available to you, but it’s up to you to take advantage of those resources. Put in the work, and you will keep up, slack off, and you will fall behind. Exams are only done for others to evaluate your knowledge, but you are the only one who needs to evaluate your shortcomings.”
“How will I know what I need to focus on if we don’t do any tests?” Yaric asked.
“Do you really not know what areas you are struggling with?” countered Lloyd.
“I do,” Yaric conceded.
“We expect you to have a very good idea of where you struggle, and don’t forget, your teachers are available after classes should you have any questions about your progress. If you really want feedback, make sure you ask. Was that everything you wanted to know?”
“No, I also don’t know about using the points I’ve been banking. If I take those lessons with Battle Mage Trokhym, what will happen when I run out of points?”
“Ha!” Hiawatha snorted, answering for Lloyd. “You won’t. Specialization happens from your 7th year anyway; I’m only recommending that you start now. There are two styles of unarmed combat that you really should focus on, and I would like to test you with a longer sword. A hand-and-a-half sword would let you keep your shield, which you’re obviously more comfortable with, while also allowing you to learn some two-handed techniques for when you don’t have a shield. You can’t learn these things yet without booking special lessons.”
“But I will learn them later anyway?”
“Yes,” Hiawatha admitted, “but you can also specialize now and get a head start. Even better, that will give you some extra time in your regular classes for practicing with other weapons, like your bow. I’ve noticed that you seem quite attached to that particular weapon.”
“Also, you spend a lot less time with physical training once you get accepted into the 7th year,” Lloyd added. “You will focus far more on magical training and any trades or crafts that you take up, so don’t forget that you will only have 2-3 hours a day of combat lessons. Booking private instruction now will give you more practice than your entire 7th year would.”
“Ok, I think that will be best then,” Yaric acknowledged, nodding to Hiawatha.
“Good! We can discuss the schedule during your time off!” he exclaimed excitedly, always eager for more training.
“Anything else?” Lloyd asked, smirking.
Yaric shook his head, feeling embarrassed with the close attention that everyone was paying him.
“Alright, then I am going to continue. Next up, we have the competition that you just finished. We won’t be looking at your team’s performance for now, only your own contributions.
“Everyone involved gave a similar assessment. Right from the beginning, you took an active role with your team. You were vocal in the naming discussions, and in the plans for defending your camp. You also worked just as hard as anyone else when it came to implementing those plans.
“Where you began to stand out is with your unorthodox approaches to some problems… and some opportunities,” Lloyd added after a moment of consideration.
“Your tunnel idea caused a slight stir. It’s rare, but over the centuries there have been others who’ve made tunnels. Your method of construction was a first, however, and allowed your team to build the longest tunnel we’ve ever seen over the entire history of the competition. There were errors made, but very little can be laid at your feet. Ideally you would have tested the tunnel out, and made accommodations for the downhill portion, but overall, your escape plan was excellent. Using it to create an opening for your own assault was even better!
“I’m aware of the role you played when your team decided to abandon a fixed location and go into hiding, but it was after this, where you helped with the offensive campaign, that really stood out to your instructors.
“Your contributions to information gathering and integration were noted, as were your suggestions when making decisions on what to do with that information. Personally, I see your performance in the competition as divided into two phases. There’s the beginning phase, which lasts up until your team’s destruction of The Ravens fort, and there’s the rest of the competition after that.
“It was your idea to ambush the Ravens when they returned, an idea that you had to fight for. Then you single handedly set the ambush up, from finding the location to planning the force disposition. Saying that your ambush was successful would be an understatement.
“You then went on to ambush The Mighty Dragons, playing an above average role, before once again taking charge to arrange the ambush of two teams who had joined forces. I don’t think you’ve noticed, but by that point your teammates were willing to go along with just about anything that you suggested. You had earned enough respect that they were even willing to attack two 6th year teams at once, with a plan that few of them understood.”
Yaric felt his face heat up, and he focused as much as he could on keeping his gaze steady. One corner of Lloyd’s mouth gave an involuntary twitch, but that was the only indication he gave that he’d noticed Yaric’s embarrassment.
“This was another ambush that succeeded far above all expectations. You bogged down your opponents and virtually immobilized them, leaving them in a very vulnerable position, while your team picked them off one by one. They were utterly unable to respond for almost the entire battle, only attacking once when they made it to one of your two archer groups. This ambush, and the one outside the Raven’s fort, needs to be broken down.
“Against the Ravens, you chose a location that forced them into a narrow path. You took advantage of their eagerness to get back to their fort, and used the tunnel vision that created against them. The initial force was placed with a slight height advantage, using the hillside to make them harder to attack. Not only were they the initial ambushers, but they served to distract from the second part of the ambush, which stuck their rear and pincered them between your forces.
“Placing your archers in the thick brush enabled you to use them without needing to pull melee fighters from the other line to defend your archers. There was no way for the Ravens to force their way into melee range, not with your own melee fighters placed on the other side. You and the archers devastated their lines before they even noticed the second stage of the ambush, and they had no effective reply.
“It’s worth noting that we were very impressed with The Ravens and how they responded initially. The entire team responded admirably, turning to face the ambush and forming a proper line in just seconds. Unfortunately for them, your ambush was put together in such a way that there was very little they could have done. We assessed that their only reasonable chance of success would have been if they’d continued down the path, and only turned around to face you once your entire team was behind them. That would have required knowing about your archers though, and by the time you showed yourself, it was already too late. I’m telling you this to make it clear, your ambush was not successful because of any mistake by your opponents, on the contrary, they responded very well. Your ambush was overwhelmingly successful despite their reaction.
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“Your other ambush was similar in many respects. You planned a small defensive wall to compensate slightly for your lower numbers, then you littered the battleground with traps. With your opponent’s mobility hampered, they were never able to bring their superior numbers to bear. The initial attack was broken up so effectively that your melee force managed to defeat the first wave in detail, and by the time they realized what was happening, you sprung the second part of your trap.
“Archers had easy targets, with your opponents moving very slowly and spread out below you. Adding a few bows to your initial force prevented them from ever setting up a truly effective defense, but your response to their two lines again shone through.
“Your team would have had to face far more opponents in melee if you hadn’t switched the targets to those on the other side, again striking the undefended rear. That also freed up your melee fighters to move around and merge again, preventing your own team from being defeated in detail.
“Overall, both ambushes shared many features. You chose the site each time. You used the terrain to your advantage, for hiding, attacking, and defending. Both ambushes featured more than one phase, and both pincered your opponents. The first ambush used the destruction of a fort to distract them, the second used the forces behind the berm.
“Remarkably, both also pinned the enemy team in place, once because the terrain constrained them, and once because you had prepared the ground to keep them from moving easily. And most impressively, both were resounding successes despite being against superior forces.”
Yaric’s face still felt hot, but he tried to nod graciously anyway.
“Now you don’t have the experience needed to put this into perspective, so I’m going to try and use an example you should know well,” Lloyd continued, leaning forward with a slight frown on his face. “Just go along for now.
“You ran a mill for several years. Almost anyone would know what a mill does, and most of them also have some idea how…” Lloyd paused at Yaric’s snort of amusement, smiling before he continued, “and many of them think it’s simple. You’re just grinding grain, after all.
“So tell me, if you needed to take the day off, and one of your friends arrived that morning and offered to take over for you, how well do you think he would do?” Lloyd asked, looking curious.
“He wouldn’t do anything. There’s no chance he would even figure out how to start,” Yaric replied derisively.
“Alright, but what if you had another friend come to you the day before? What if you spent the entire day teaching him how to run the mill? Surely he would know how to start?”
Yaric gave another snort. “Maybe. But he would make lots of mistakes. And he has no chance of getting a consistent grind, or keeping track of volumes. And he’d also be stuck as soon as anything went wrong!”
Lloyd held up his palms placatingly. “No one is insinuating that it’s easy, that’s actually the point. You spent just a single day getting lessons in scouting, mostly on ambushes. That’s it. You’re effectively like the friend who came the day before, while your team is like the first friend who never had any training at all. The second friend is significantly better than the first. So much better that he can fumble his way through while the first friend doesn’t even know where to start.
“But even the second friend is far inferior to someone who’s worked in a mill for as long as you have. Look at what you did with a single day spent learning about how to identify or set up ambushes! Now imagine you had months of experience and training. How much better would you have been then?
“You don’t even know how many ambushes you protected your team from. The other teams repeatedly split up, and while you followed the teams with the flag, the other team would go and set up elaborate ambushes. Then the next day they would use the flag to lead your team into the ambush, only to have you get uncomfortable with the area and push your team into going around. Even the fact that your team agreed to go around says a lot! But none of you even realized that you avoided eleven ambushes!”
Lloyd paused to let that sink in. Yaric’s mind was racing. His perception had been that they were silently stalking their prey, undetected, but never found a good opportunity to attack. They all knew that the other teams were hunting them, but had believed that their opponents had been unaware that they were really the ones being hunted. He’d had no idea that it was actually the reverse.
After giving Yaric a few minutes to think everything over, Lloyd went on to explain the situation more clearly. “Yaric, this interview is always conducted by a student’s sponsor, and is intended to help the student to understand where they stand, as well as to give guidance for the future. Your performance over the years has made clear that you have very high combat potential in battle, and things so far also look very good for spellcasting in general. You’re well respected within your class, and especially those who were in the same team as you.
“But you are particularly talented when it comes to unorthodox methods. That obviously includes asymmetrical warfare, but you show a high aptitude for identifying a weakness and working out how to exploit it. You always hit hard and fast, in completely unexpected ways, and often using methods that never occurred to anyone else.
“Now combine that with your affinities – you’re still struggling with two, fire and lightning. Both have some crafting uses but are generally used in offensive combat spells. Your other two affinities, shadow and space, are far more uncommon. And both lend themselves very well to ambushes, espionage, and maybe unsettlingly, to diplomacy. I myself have a shadow affinity, and it is exceptionally flexible if you’re able to put it to good use.
“Many of the spells that these affinities specialize in involve stealth, sending messages, infiltration, or laying traps. Or countering any of the above.
“You’re not in any way limited to these options, but you do have the aptitude and talent for these, and the affinities to go along with it. Those options are also far wider than they sound, but please keep this in mind while you study and train over the next year.
“My job here is to give you formal counseling for your future. That gives you time to consider my suggestions and put together your own thoughts. The next time we sit down like this, it will be the Council member who leads the interview, with far more questioning, and the first goal will be to determine your eligibility to continue studying here as a formal student. Keep in mind though that the other goal will be to help you decide on a direction.
“You will be able to pursue a myriad different crafts, combat roles, diplomatic positions, management positions or supporting roles both inside the Academy and within the Kingdom at large. You have time, so give it some thought. We will have informal discussions before then as well.
“Now I have another question I need to ask you before we continue. Do you consent to your friends being informed about some of our findings in this assessment?”
“Friends?” Yaric asked, not sure if Lloyd was referring to his whole team.
“In this case, specifically Prospects Sven, Lauren and Li Na,” Lloyd replied.
“OK.” Yaric was unsure of why Lloyd would ask, but he didn’t have any issues with any of those three knowing. It was almost certain that sharing the results would be the first thing they did after the interviews anyway.
“Great!” Lloyd was already raising his hand before he finished giving his one-word reply, palm up and hand cupped as if he were holding a handful of water. A glowing white orb formed almost instantly, pulsed three times, then disappeared.
Then Lloyd just smiled at Yaric, while an awkward silence fell over the room. Just seconds later, Lloyd got a far away look in his eyes, his mouth moving as if he were reading to himself. Then he focused back on Yaric.
“Your friends gave their consent too. Great, that makes this easier. The gist of it is, I want you to keep being friends with them.”
“What?” Yaric blurted, taken by surprise. Lloyd just smirked as usual.
“I’m sure they’re going to tell you everything anyway, so I’m just going to give you the important parts. Sven was assessed to have very high leadership skills, and a natural talent for it as well. Obviously his childhood would mean that he received a formal education on the subject, but his display far exceeds that. He was also judged as one of the top two fighters in your year, not surprising considering his Tournament performances each solstice.
“Lauren also scored highly for leadership, just not as high as Sven. She excelled in her organization skills however, and her decision making was exemplary. I doubt you need to be told that she was the other top fighter in your year.
“The two of them together made for an interesting leadership team. Sven generally led the teams and often started discussions on the overall strategy, but Lauren filled in his weakness for overlooking details. She also tended to be the more decisive leader. Where Sven would put multiple options together, Lauren would identify the best one and immediately begin implementing it.
“Li Na had several notes made about how positively she affected team dynamics, even in your own team after you had joined forces. She also fell rather naturally into the role of second in command, much like you.”
Yaric sat straighter at the last comment, having never thought of himself that way.
“It was her impact on the battlefield where she really shone, however. She seems to have a natural talent for knowing exactly where she needs to be and when. Every fight you had saw Li Na shift her position to wherever she could have the biggest impact. If there was a weakness somewhere, she always found it, no matter how far away. If there wasn’t, she created one. Then she smashed it.
“It’s hard to notice in the middle of a fight, but your instructors all noted how Li Na’s actions repeatedly caused your opponent’s lines to collapse. Li Na almost always played a disproportionate role in bringing about victories in less time and with fewer casualties. She played a similar role in open battles to the role you play in irregular battles.
“The four of you all have your own talents and aptitudes, but together you have an unusual synergy that creates more impact than four students should have. I can’t say more than this, but you also guide each other in positive ways…”
Council Member Strongbow cleared her throat loudly, glancing disapprovingly at Lloyd.
“Yes, well, as I was saying… actually, I was saying that I can’t say more than that. Just remember my advice, if the four of you stick together, you won’t go wrong. I have nothing more to add.”
Lloyd looked at Tracy innocently. “Anything from your side, Council Member?”
Tracy couldn’t hide her eyeroll. “Perhaps just his, ah, peculiarity?”
Lloyd looked down and sighed deeply. “I was going to discuss this informally. Sorry Yaric, it looks like the Council wants this on record…” Lloyd paused, trying to think of the best way to approach the subject. “There is one other… advantage, that you possess. Whatever it is that protects your mind is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. I would like to suggest that we look into it further. How it works, what its limitations are. Just some simple tests. There is a strong possibility that this could open doors for you in the future. Someone who appears to be effectively immune to mind magic could have unique advantages. Almost immune, anyway, I’m not discounting what Virgo did,” he added gently.
Yaric was deeply uncomfortable with the subject, but all four staff members were looking at him expectantly, especially the Council Member.
“Can I think about it?”
“Of course!” Lloyd replied quickly. “These are all suggestions, what you do with them is up to you. We can discuss the subject later,” he said, to Yaric’s great relief.
“Anything else?” Lloyd asked, looking first to Tracy, then to the two mages. All three shook their heads.
“Great, then we are done. Yaric, if I could ask you to meet me at the gates the day after tomorrow, after you’ve had your breakfast? Your friends are welcome to join us.”
Yaric nodded in acknowledgement.
“All right, then this interview is officially over. You are all dismissed.”
Yaric stood, then hesitated. The others were all watching him, and no one else made any move to stand.
“Go ahead,” Lloyd said, waving to the door behind Yaric.
Walking out, Yaric heard the Council Member begin talking behind him as he closed the door.
“This was an official meeting, I had to insert the proper forms of address…”
“That will just look suspicious…” Lloyd replied cutting her off, before his own voice was cut off by the closing door.
Yaric couldn’t help but wonder if the others had been given similar advice to what he had, as all three were waiting for him in the courtyard. They were all discussing their own interviews, but with the smiles on their faces they must have all done well. No one noticed him until he’d walked right next to them.
“How did it go?” Lauren asked.
“It was ok,” Yaric replied with a shrug. “There’s a lot to think about.”
“I know, right?” Li Na said, gently punching his shoulder.
“Come on, lets go find somewhere to eat,” Lauren suggested, already turning to the exit. Seeing their looks of confusion, she quickly added, “Look at your passes, they are valid for today as well. We can eat out in the city.”
Everyone perked up at that revelation, and they had to walking quickly to keep up with Li Na when she started skipping ahead.
It was a long way to the gates, but no one cared. Not even the turning weather was able to cool their excitement, even if they did make a short detour to get jackets. Everyone had so much to tell the others, and even more questions to ask.
It quickly became clear that Lloyd had known most of the details around each of their assessments.
Sven’s assessment had spent a lot of time focusing on how he had led his team. They went into far more detail, and discussed things such as how Sven had taken feedback from everyone, included the whole team in many discussions, and how he’d been open to differing ideas and opinions.
Lauren’s sponsor had focused a lot on her organizational skills, spending time discussing how she had assigned duties and who she assigned them to. Her foresight and planning had received a lot of attention as well, particularly when it came to making contingency plans. Lauren’s decision-making skills had also earned her a lot of praise.
Li Na was still elated over her own feedback. Sandy was very happy with Li Na’s performance, and spent a lot of time discussing how she influenced her team and helped everyone to work better. Then she had repeatedly praised Li Na’s performance in battle, and how she had consistently disrupted her opponents and turned the fight in her favor. They had also had a similar discussion to the one Yaric experienced, only Li Na’s focused on her special training with the shock unit. Apparently, their report had been particularly complimentary, and they had been very insistent on Li Na’s continued training.
Despite the distance, they had already found a place to eat by the time Li Na finished recounting her own interview. Normally, they looked for a quieter place to eat. This time, however, all four were happier with a loud, rowdy tavern on the corner, sitting at the intersection of two main roads. The tavern had a second floor, but the entire place was still packed.
After spending so many months hiding in a forest, the crowds and noise were a very welcome break.
Yaric had to talk loudly to let the others know what had happened in his own interview, and again, everyone seemed to have a very good idea about what it had entailed.
The most interesting detail had been one that he had overlooked. All three of his friends leaned forward excitedly when he described how Lloyd and the others had laughed about the magic they had learned so far. Their excitement only grew when he recounted how Lloyd had explained that the spell they all knew was not actually a spell, but just a component of one. One that happened to be usable on its own.
“Did he say when we get to learn proper magic?” Lauren asked eagerly.
“No, he just said that I would understand what he meant when I do.”
“Maybe that’s what we are going to start learning next week!” Lauren enthused.
“I don’t think so,” Yaric replied, looking apologetic. “We keep getting told that we only learn proper magic when we become proper members of the academy. That’s only after we finish our 6th year.”
Lauren was slightly more subdued, but not by much. “It still has to be something exciting! I know we learn new things. What else can it be?”
“Well, we can ask Lloyd in a couple of days. He told me to meet him after breakfast, and he said you guys could come with if you want to.”
“Did he say what it’s about?” Sven asked curiously.
“Nope. He just gave me a time and place.”
“My sponsor also wanted to arrange a meeting, but he hasn’t set the time yet,” Sven explained. “I wonder if they’re related?”
“I guess we’ll find out, I’m meeting my sponsor on the last day,” Lauren added. “You were all invited as well.”
“And I’m meeting Council Head Sandy sometime soon as well, she said she would send me a message. I don’t think any of you are invited,” she said smugly, earning a shove from Lauren.
Yaric drank deeply before putting his now empty glass on the table. “Well, we have five-day passes, mysterious meetings with our sponsors, and new magic to start learning when classes start. Who's missing that damn forest now?”
Three bread rolls hit Yaric on the head, just in time for their food to arrive. An hour later and the four friends were no longer sitting in a tavern surrounded by loud patrons, they were some of the loudest patrons themselves, and they only got louder when several of their classmates unexpectedly bumped into them.
Word somehow got out to members of their teams, who all started arriving in small groups. Soon it was a full-on party, with half the upper floor being taken over by almost one hundred students. The celebrations went on far into the next morning, the excitement from their overwhelmingly positive assessments keeping everyone going for hours. Each flag they had earned received its own toast. Repeatedly.
Everyone in the tavern had long since realized that they were students from the Academy, but even hours later, when small knots of students finally started making their way back to their dorm rooms, the various patrons still had one unanswered question. A question that they had discussed all night, while listening futilely for an answer from the party above them. A party that repeatedly taunted them with that single, unknown word, to loud cheers and stomping feet that shook the upper level and made the tables rattle.
What the hell is a flag storm?