Quinten squinted into the early morning sun as he and Cedric walked through the streets of Gremelda. The Mage Core Headquarters, located a short distance away from the academy’s campus, was close enough that both boys would rather walk than wait for a carriage.

Neither were too keen on sitting in a small enclosed box after their time spent in a cage.

Walking side by side down the cobblestone streets, the pair took it all in. The bustling city was already showing its life. With vendors shouting to advertise their wares, the sounds of carriages and carts rolling along the smooth stone streets, and the faint sound of distant laughter coming through open tavern windows.

Untethered from the Mage Academy, Quinten felt an odd sense of weightlessness that he knew wouldn’t last. Choosing to enjoy it while he could, he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. The scent of freshly baked bread reached his nose, making his stomach growl.

“Celeste came to see me last night.”

Quinten's eyes snapped open and his head whipped around at the news. Giving his friend a look of disapproval, he asked. “What did that trollop want?”

Grinning, Cedric stared off into space as if in recollection. “I have no idea. I’m not even sure she knew. But I can say she was none too happy when Helena slipped past her and out of my room.”

Quinten stared at his friend, his brows lowering. “We’ll come back to what Helena was doing in your room last night.” Side-eying Cedric, he asked. “What did Celeste actually say?”

Cedric returned Quinten's frown with a scowl of his own. “Don’t frown at me. It wasn’t like that.” But a moment later, a grin fought its way to the surface, making his face brighten. “Not that I let Celeste know nothing happened.”

The grin continued to spread and Cedric shook his head, saying. “Once she got over her jealousy? Not much. Like I said, I’m not sure that she even knew why she was there. She made some excuses, how the match with Oliver was her father’s doing, that she didn’t know how to tell me they were in talks. She didn’t really say anything worth the air she wasted.”

Quinten sighed. Taking advantage as they turned a corner, he swayed closer. Bumping the other boy’s shoulder with his own, he said. “I’m sorry, you know that, right? I may have never liked her, but that doesn’t mean I wanted you to get hurt.” Cedric nodded, and Quinten changed the subject. “Good. Now—Helena… How’d that happen?”

Scowling once more, Cedric shouldered Quinten in return and with a little more force behind it. “I told you it wasn’t like that.” Pausing, he amended. “Not that it couldn’t have been. I’m not stupid. I know she’s interested in me. It’s not like she hid it well…” Looking at Quinten, he worried his lower lip. “I just… couldn’t? I think I’d have only ended up hurting her, and I don’t want her feeling how I am now.”

Reaching over, Quinten gripped his shoulder. “You’re a good man. No matter what people say about you.”

A smirk slowly spread across Cedric’s face as he quirked an eyebrow. “What they say about me, huh? Maybe you should be more worried about what they say about you—Did Izzy give you a proper send off last night?”

Quinten's face flushed and his cheeks burned as Cedric laughed, stumbling back to his side after Quinten shoved him away.

Wiping away imagined tears, Cedric wheezed. “You probably shouldn’t have let your privacy barrier drop like that. I get it though… it sounded like the two of you were focused on other things.”

Stepping to the side to make room for a passing cart, Quinten glared at his friend. His embarrassment turning to irritation. “Are you finished?”

*****

The headquarters for the Mage Core turned out to be a series of interconnected buildings built around one large and imposing structure, like a village built at the foot of a mountain. Made of the same pale mage stone used on most government buildings, this one glowed faintly of imbued magic and protection.

Quinten stopped a passing footman wearing the livery of the Mage Core, a mage’s staff overlaying a kite shield accented with stars, and asked for directions to where they needed to go for registration. With a thank you to the man for his assistance, the pair headed toward the third building on the left. A smooth portion of stone containing the word Administration, helpfully etched above the door.

They froze upon entry. It wasn’t due to the high vaulted ceilings or the polished wood shining in the room’s crystal light of the receiving room. No, it was the young man leaning on the chest-high counter that grabbed their attention.

“Good!” Ronan said with a wide smile. “You made it. You were almost late. Miss Alice here was getting worried she’d have to call the guards to go and fetch you.”

Quinten turned and saw a young woman, a little older than the three of them, standing behind the wide counter. Looking between the trio, her gaze returning to Ronan with a slight blush coloring her full cheeks.

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“Lord Hastings, I would never—”

“My apologies, Miss Alice. I am only kidding. But now that they are here, you will be able to finish all three of our registrations?”

She nodded, her tight braid swinging as her head moved up and down. Scooping up the stack of papers before her, she said. “Of course, my lord. I don’t know how they forgot to send your paperwork over with theirs, but I will get them processed.” Turning to Cedric and Quinten, she continued, “I just need to go over these with the two of you and you’ll be all set.”

“Perfect,” said Ronan with a charming grin that made the young lady duck her head.

Quinten stared at his friend in wonder. By the stars. I wasn’t even aware the man knew how to flirt. Eyeing Miss Alice and her rose-tinted complexion, Quinten almost felt bad. Turning his gaze back to Ronan, he wondered if his friend knew what he was getting himself into by coming with them.

Of course he does, thought Quinten. He just doesn’t care.

With the young woman’s help, Cedric and Quinten went through the forms. After ensuring all their information was correct, or a variation of the truth in Ronan’s case, they officially registered with, and began, their required four years of service with the Mage Core.

Miss Alice gave them detailed directions to their next stop, the Assignments Hall. Quinten saw her stare after Ronan with a sad expression as he walked away, leading their little group through a side door and deeper into the building.

Making their way down the hallway, Quinten waved at Cedric, nodding with his head toward a door marked as storage. He pulled open the door while Cedric grabbed their Ronan. Who, let out a squawk when he was grabbed and jerked forcibly back into a small room lined with shelves, lit with only the smallest crystal from above..

Quinten shut the door and a moment later, fully illuminated the room with a ball of flame roiling in his palm.

Ronan shrunk back at the glowers on his friend’s faces. “What…?”

“Don’t act innocent.” Quinten hissed. “What were you thinking?”

The question seemed to light a fire in the older boy as his posture shifted. A flame lit his eyes to match the one in Quinten's hand.

“I was thinking—that I where you go, I go.” He said with a glower. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ronan closed his eyes, adding, “I can’t stay at that place any longer, not alone.”

Cedric and Quinten traded a look. Shrugging, the other boy was clearly uncertain about what to say.

Quinten paused to consider the situation and realized that Ronan’s decision only moved forward the inevitable. He would be graduating in a few months with a high likelihood of being sent to the front lines, anyway. At least now, he'd be going with them to watch out for each other.

A rising bit of fear had him frowning in confusion. It took him a moment to realize that the emotion wasn’t coming from him. Shifting his gaze to the older boy. Quinten noticed the thin line his friend’s mouth had become and the wringing of his hands in agitation. Putting the emotions he felt and what he was seeing before him together, it clicked.

He’s afraid of being rejected. Of having to go back to the Academy without us.

Sighing, Quinten gave in with a slump of his shoulders. Patting Ronan’s shoulder, he said, “Fair enough. Are you going to get in trouble for this? We left the Academy on the King’s orders. You are not.”

Ronan’s face split in a smile that nearly glowed with the golden light of Healing. “What are they going to do, expel me? Send me to war?” He said with a light snort. “I’m the heir to a Duchy and I’m going to take advantage of it.” Left unsaid was the for now that each of them thought silently.

That settled, they exited the supply room. Opening the door to find a young man, only a few years older than them, in workwear standing on the other side, hand extended toward the handle. The trio froze, staring at the man, giving them a wide-eyed stare in return.

“Told you that wasn’t the way to the Assignment Hall!” Cedric all but shouted, edging forward and out into the hallway.

“I’m sorry….?” Ronan said, playing along and following him out of the room. “I don’t know why you listened to me. You know I’m terrible with directions.”

Quinten smothered a laugh and shook his head. He handed the young man with curly brown hair and a confused and slightly terrified expression a silver coin, likely a week’s wages, and followed the two idiots down the hall as they bickered nonsensically.

They were getting ready to step into a world of ugliness, of pain, blood, death. Quinten was happy to see them keep their lighthearted innocence as long as they could.

*****

The Assignments Hall was done in dark marble flooring with stone pillars arranged around the room. The center of the space was filled with wooden benches arranged in rows, with several wooden counters spanning the perimeter of the room. Currently, only two stations had someone standing behind them.

Quinten picked one at random and approached, stopping in surprise when the attendant raised her hand for him to wait while she finished scribbling on a sheet of parchment. Only then did she look up with a beaming smile. “How may I help you today, my lords?”

“We just finished registration and need our initial assignments, Miss…?” Quinten asked.

Her smile widened, which was hard to believe. “It’s Lady Elaine, Mage Ashford.” Her eyes bounced to two other young men with him, causing her to frown. “I was expecting Mage Vaelmara and yourself, but not a third…”

Ronan stepped forward, “Yes, that is my fault. It appears that my paperwork was lost. Miss Alice in Registration assisted me in sorting it all out. She gave me these…” He said, handing over the stack of papers he’d been carrying. “I am Mage Hastings, and I will be joining these two.”

Elaine’s frown remained, but she nodded slowly. “We will look into that, Mage Hastings. Now, your files are missing some information, we typically receive a full report of your results in the final exams at the Academy, but your circumstances make that impossible. Now, will each of you please detail your Gifts and where you believe you would be the greatest asset to the Realm.”

As expected, all three ended up assigned to the western front and the war with the Drakovians. Ronan was assigned as a lieutenant or Lt. in the Healer Division. Quinten, due to his rank of Earl, was also placed as an Lt. but attached to a calvary unit where he would lead a platoon of 30-40 mages. Cedric found himself assigned as Battle Mage, or squad leader, in one of the units that made up Quinten's platoon.

With a set of final stamps, they were done. Lady Elaine pointed them in toward their next destination, a place Q’d been excited to visit ever since he’d learned of it.

Equipment Issue by the Quartermaster., rumored to be where a Core mage could get their first look at Manadrite.