Section D was a part of the air craft Daniel frequented a lot. He did so with Ven most of the time and that was no surprise to the rest of the team. The entire section was given over to three massive rooms. If anyone was being honest, these three rooms were the major reason the aircraft was as massive as it was.

Daniel stood on one side of the largest of the three rooms, separated from it by nothing but a thick glass. The glass was nothing like other glasses. It was not just thick; it was capable of stopping a lot of things. Terent from HQ had once made the mistake of calling it a bullet proof glass the first time he’d seen it and the people present had been more than happy to laugh at him.

A sad smile creeped onto Daniel’s lips at the thought of the young rune mage. Of all the rune mages Daniel knew within the VHF, Terent was the only one who didn’t walk around with a stick up his ass. The young mage would be broken to learn of Ven’s passing.

Daniel’s muscles tensed at the thought before he caught himself and forced his muscles to relax. Terent’s grief would be handled when he stood before Terent. For now, he had other tasks to attend to.

On the side of the training room where Daniel stood, he was not alone. There were seats behind him, placed specifically for spectators. Currently, most of them were occupied. Ash, Chris and Oliver, sat casually, the only members of the team the Watchman had sent to confirm the mana surge. Among them, Ronda sat with Kid and Jennifer, while Eitri sat comfortably at the back of the room. Daniel didn’t have to look behind him to know that Jennifer was chewing a gum with her mouth open.

Normally, Jennifer’s chewing would’ve bothered him but it didn’t. Today, he had most of his attention focused on one thing.

Beside him, in a frail old man’s body, Festus stood, staring at the training room with folded arms.

“What’s taking them so long?” he said with a frown.

“I know I have asked before,” Daniel said after a while, “but are you sure about this. In my opinion, by virtue of being a student to someone such as yourself, he should already qualify. He shouldn’t have to go through this.”

“That’s very nice of you,” Festus replied, eyes still focused on the training room. “But I would like you to know that I am not that kind of mage.”

“Pardon?”

“I am not the kind of mage that throws his power around. Had Zed not been in critical condition and had I not needed time to save him, you all would have continued in your ignorance of my rank. Personally, I prefer when people treat me like just anybody else.”

“Understood, sir.”

Festus frowned. “My name is Festus, not sir. I find I enjoy being addressed by my name.”

Daniel fought back the urge to squirm. He hadn’t spent any significant amount of time around Knight rank mages. Not knowing what could tick them off at any moment, obedience was always advised as the best course of action. So obey he did.

“Yes, Festus.”

A small silence stretched through the room. It was awkward and heavy. When Festus broke it, Daniel was happy to hear the words he used.

“On second thought,” Festus said with a touch of awkwardness. “Let’s keep it at sir. For some reason it sounds too personal when you use my name.”

Daniel nodded in agreement.

As if waiting politely for their conversation to end. The door on one side of the training room slid open. Daniel frowned as he turned his attention to it. He remembered the room they had placed Zed in, as such, it was unreasonable for him to be entering the training room through the door that had opened.

As if mocking him. Zed strolled casually into the training room. He had his hands in his pockets and walked with the generous aplomb of a jester in court. He had an impish grin on his face that looked more than satisfied and moved with a skip in his step. Behind him Andre and Donny walked with slumped shoulders.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Daniel couldn’t remember the last time he had seen both men look so tired.

Zed came to a stop at the center of the room, then turned to face the glass abruptly. He fired off a mock salute, executing it so poorly that Daniel knew it had to have been intentional.

“Anyone willing to tell me why I’m on this side while the rest of you are on the other side?” Zed asked.

“Your team mates have chosen to come with us for a short part of our journey,” Daniel explained. There was no button to press to turn on one microphone or the other but his voice carried through and filled the training room easily. “Some of my teammates have also confirmed your desire to join us on our journey.”

Zed nodded sagely, a hand rubbing his jaw. “That is correct.”

“On that note. It is imperative that we confirm each new member’s ability in order to ascertain their strengths and weaknesses.”

“Does that mean we get to watch you fight, too?”

Daniel paused. Behind him, Ronda chuckled. He had been expecting different responses from Zed and had even been advised to expect hostility. This response had not been one of the ones he had been warned against.

“I guess so,” he replied.

“Oh goody,” Zed chirped, giddy. He turned to Andre and Donny. “You guys hear that. We get to see the big guy square up with one of you.”

“Zed,” Festus said, cutting into the conversation.

“I’ll need you to use more words before we continue this conversation.”

“Why?”

“Curiosity?”

Festus sighed and didn’t oblige. “Daniel will not be facing anyone. At least not today. The purpose of this exercise is for me to see how far you’ve gone as a mage in the time you’ve been away.”

“You saw me fight in the forest, though,” Zed pointed out.

“True,” Festus agreed. “But that was against monsters. We will be traveling with the Olympians, which means, we will be going to a place where monsters will not be the only things we face. I want to know that you can stand your ground against other mages.”

Zed chuckled. “You say it like mages are deadlier than monsters.”

“They are.” Festus’ words were straight and abrupt. “A monster merely wants to kill you. It is instinctual. A monster does not hate you. It does not care for you. It simply wishes to kill you. It is not vindictive or cruel and does not care for how you go. A mage is not the same.”

Daniel was surprised at how easily Festus’ tone snapped Zed out of his joviality. The switch he watched Zed go through from jovial jester to almost alert soldier was almost impressive.

“What you’re saying,” Zed said in a serious tone, “is that you want to see if I can kill another human.”

Daniel thought of Abed and how they were yet to find the man’s body even though Zed had already taken credit for the mage’s death. Somehow he doubted Zed had a problem killing a fellow mage.

Festus’ response to Zed was simple.

“No. I want to see if you can take down another mage without killing them.”

“Alright,” Zed conceded. “As long as I don’t fight someone who has a bone to pick with me. I guess it will be safe to go up against Oliver, right?”

“Wrong. Oliver is your friend and is liable to pull his punches. He is also significantly stronger than you. No, you will be fighting against someone of the same level as yourself.”

“Ash?”

Festus looked behind him at Ash before shaking his head. “No. She will not be the one facing you, either. She is a part of your team and is liable to pull her punches as well.”

“I assure you she will not pull her punches.”

There was a look on Zed’s face when he said it that led Daniel to think he truly believed his words. It was all Daniel could do not to ask why.

“Notwithstanding, you will not be facing her,” Festus said. “Instead, with the help of our Olympian here, I have chosen someone that does not know you and thus, has no emotional opinion of you.”

“I feel as if this isn’t going to end well,” Zed muttered loud enough to be heard. “I’m of the opinion that whatever option you have right now you should go for the exact opposite.”

For the first time since Daniel had met Festus, the old man laughed.

“Unfortunately for you, kiddo, that will not be happening. I want you to face someone you haven’t had the chance to offend or befriend. You will be facing one of the two men who brought you along with them.”

Zed’s lips puckered in discomfort as he turned to Andre and Donny who were yet to move away from the entrance to the room. Both men shared a more than happy look and Daniel sighed.

“Again,” Zed said hurriedly. “I will like to advice against this course of action.”

“You will be facing one of the men you have arrived with, kiddo,” Festus said, unbothered.

In response, Zed sighed in resignation and looked at both men. Andre and Donny took a moment to exchange words before Andre stepped forward. He pulled the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbow as he approached Zed.

“You know we’ve bonded in the short time we’ve known each other,” Zed told him. “You should tell them. We already have a bond.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about Mr. Nyborn,” Andre said casually. “We’ve only spent a few minutes together. There is no bond.”

“Wait,” Zed said. “How do you know my name?” He turned back to the glass. “How does he know my name? Are we dropping names now? Are we name dropping?”

No one paid him much attention.

“Do you think he’s already done something to make an enemy of my teammate in that short amount of time?” Danel asked with a touch of worry. “It’s not possible, right?”

He looked around and no one was saying anything. So he tried again.

“Right?”

“You really underestimate Bloodbath’s ability to make enemies,” Chris said in a smug tone. “Those guys are category three, right?”

“Right,” Daniel confirmed.

Chris smiled something feral and leaned forward on her chair.

“This is going to be fun.”