The McCloud School for Adventurers. A floating academy for the training of the men and women who will be the heroes of the future. Freshman students begin learning their chosen craft, be it shooter, swordsman, white or black mage, the four parts of the quadrupe. They will learn the purpose of their class, their strengths and weaknesses. They will become intimately familiar with the tools of their trade and learn skills and techniques that will serve them well in their futures. This is also the phase in which discipline is instilled in the students. There will be many sleepless nights and disciplinary actions are common for even minor infractions. Upon completion of their freshman year, the students are considered apprentices to their craft class. They have earned the right to wear and/or use the garments or equipment associated with their class on a day-to-day basis, as well as being promoted to level 2.
The sophomore year will find the students dormed together into the parties selected by the Council of the Quadrupe. The dorm will house one student of each class. The parties they are assigned to will be their parties for the remainder of their time at McCloud School, and often much longer than that. The focus of this year is learning to work as a group, utilizing the special skills presented by each member, as well as minimizing each member's unique weaknesses. Their graduation to Juniors is dependant on their completion of 'the Gauntlet', an obstacle course requiring the unique skills of each class to be used together, the students must not only be proficient with their own skills, but also work together with absolute harmony. Beginning in their sophomore year, the students will be assigned field tasks in semi-supervised environments, the exercises growing more and more difficult to match their growing skill levels, culminating their senior year in an approximately one month-long exercise at N.E.S. Field, a massive simulation range based just below the school on solid earth.
Their junior year is mainly a study of history and advanced theories and tactics. The students will learn the rich histories and tales of past adventurer/heros, ranging from the Chosen One to the School's founder, Dean McCloud. The students will be required to retain much of this information, and will be tested on it in their Junior Final, also known by the students as 'the Beast'. 'The Beast' is a forty page, three hundred question multiple-choice and short answer test, with one essay question, drawing from all three years of their training.
The senior year is spent sharpening skills and practicing party tactics, mainly a preparation for N.E.S. Field. The number of field problems during this year will be less than in the previous two years, usually limited to two or less. This is to allow them time to prepare themselves for 'the field'. Much time is spent studying bestiaries, mixing potions, practicing spells, and maintaining weapons. Black mages tend to spend long periods of time meditating in silence in their rooms, creating and practicing new spells. White mages will usually be very busy mixing potions and praying for the safety of the party. The shooter will be finishing customizing his weapons and zeroing in any new optics, as well as spending large amounts of time at the range. The swordsman will spend time in either one of two places, the smithy or the enchantment room. Part of his senior curriculum requires him to manufacture his own sword, as well as have it enchanted (the student providing any required supplies, of course).
The N.E.S. Field exercise will pit them against almost any problem they will find as adventurers. Finding keys and/or items, bartering for food and goods, rescuing damsels in distress, destroying goblin infestations, among other things, and will culminate with the defeat of a dragon.
Room 556
The dorm consisted of a common room with a large TV and DVD player, two couches, a coffee table, several chairs and a chess board, as well as a large storage cabinet for generic supplies. The bathroom opened to the right side, a bath/shower combo, a toilet and a simple sink with a mirror over it. The kitchen was pushed to the left side, just a sink, refrigerator, pantry, coffee maker, stove and microwave. Four doors, one for each of the students opened into the common room. All had several things in common, a small bed, a dresser, a computer, a desk and chair. But each classes' room contained different equipment. For the shooter, it was a weapons rack and a secure cabinet. For the black mage, a stand for his spell book, candle nooks along the walls, as well as a large bookshelf for his arcane tomes. The white mage had a large table covered with various alchemical tools and equipment. And the swordsman had a grind wheel and a small training dummy.
The three sophomore students walked into their new dorm, met with the sound of snores as soon as they entered.
"What the fuck is that?" Mike asked.
Mike was a medium height, medium built male with black hair and dark eyes. He wore the traditional black robe that he had just earned after the completion of his freshman year. The robe was held together at the waist by a small black leather belt, hung with pouches containing scrolls and spell components.
"I think someone's using a chainsaw." David replied.
David was slightly taller than normal, brown hair and blue eyes, he wore a loose tunic and pants, a large sword sheathed on his back. He too wore a belt with pouches hold his various gear.
"It's our new room mate! Yay!" Jen yelled happily.
Jen was an attractive looking young woman. Her dark hair and blue eyes going nicely with her slightly short stature and slight build that was never the less well filled out. She had also just recently earned the right to wear her class's defining garment, the white robe. Her belt had several pouches along the sides and a large one on the left side, all filled to the bulging point with herbs, potions, balms, salves and various other healing supplies.
She ran into the shooter's room. He was laying straight with his arms at his sides, completely dressed, on top of his bed, which had been made to military standards, right down to the hospital corners. And he was sound asleep.
"Hi new roomie!" she yelled as she poked him.
He yelled a death cry as he reached for the empty holster on his right thigh.
He patted his thigh several times searching for the pistol that wasn't there. He looked down at it as his hand came up empty. He suddenly looked around remembering where he was and grinned almost sheepishly.
"Hi. I'm Eric, but my buddies call me Gunner." he said as he stood up and got out of bed.
Gunner was a nominally tall and lanky individual, the tallest of the four. Brown-haired and hazel eyed, he radiated an air of mischief and probably slightly misplaced confidence. His hair was cut in a high-and-tight, and he was dressed in camouflaged pants, boots and a brown Underarmour t-shirt. He wore a load-bearing vest and pistol belt over his t-shirt. The majority of the pockets and pouches, as well of both of his holsters and his sheath were empty. The only things that were full were the canteens in their pouches on his belt.
The other three had been watching the happenings closely.
"What was this?" David asked, miming Gunner's search for his missing pistol.
"Oh, yeah. When I was freshman, they took up my weapons and only issued them to me when I needed them. I miss them. I'm going to pick them up later today. Since I'm a sophomore now I can carry them around with me or lock them up in my 'rack." he said happily, pointing to his weapons rack.
"Right. Well, we're just gonna move our stuff in, so if you could, please avoid shooting us." Mike said.
"Meh." Gunner said as he left the dorm.
"He seems nice!" Jen said.
The next day, Cafeteria
Gunner, Jen, Mike and David walked into the cafeteria and went their separate ways to sit their classes. The shooters were discussing the new AMS-12 laser rifle and the latest first-person shooter. The black mages sat in almost complete silence, floating food to themselves from the buffet. The swordsman used their weapons to chop up their food as they ate, debating fighting styles. The White mages just...gossiped. A lot. All the would-be adventurers sat in the huge hall, eating until the bell rang, signaling the five minute period before the beginning of class. All the students stood up and began to exit, except for the shooters. All but three or four of them remained in place. Jen was almost to the door, when she suddenly turned around.
"What is he doing!" Jen said.
"They always do that. My shooter hasn't been to his next class since school started." another white mage said as she passed Jen.
"Yeah well, Gunner's not."
"Suit yourself." the other white mage said and shrugged.
Jen walked over to the table. The shooters were mostly male, but a few females were mixed in with them. They were dressed in an assortment of camouflages, body armour, bandoliers and load-bearing gear. As she walked up, they were having an argument about which was the best weapon system, plasma, laser or hard-round.
"Look, all I'm saying is that plasma is a very volatile system. One good hit, and you're vapor. And not even good smelling vapor." Gunner said, gesturing with his hands.
"Yeah but still, if you consider-" another began.
"Gunner!" Jen yelled.
"What?"
"You need to go to class."
"I will."
"NOW."
"Why? I'm just gonna sleep anyway."
"What! Do you sleep in all your classes?"
"No, that's stupid. Sometimes I daydream or doodle. I got a wicked picture of Ms. Carlisle getting assimilated by the Borg. Wanna see?"
"No. Do you pay attention in any of your classes?"
"In my shooter class. It's fun."
"How the hell did you pass your first year?"
"Heh. I almost didn't first semester. My second semester there was this white mage who had the hots for me. You guys remember Hannah?"
Several of the other shooters laughed.
She helped me out."
"Do I even want to know what happened to her?"
"Yeah. It turns out she was emotionally unstable. She got real possessive, hit another white mage because she thought 'she was looking at me too much'. It was kinda creepy. So I dumped her. Then she freaked out and threatened to kill me, and I had to spend a couple days hiding out 'til she was taken away. The boiler room's actually pretty nice, and the mold adds a splash of color. She's in one of those institutes now, I think."
"Well that doesn't matter. You're coming to class right NOW."
"Make me-oooowwwwwwwww!"
Jen grabbed Gunner by the ear and began dragging him to class, much to the amusement of his fellow shooters.
Adventuring 201 Classroom
"And so, when confronted with a-" Professor McGee stopped.
"Student Gunner, would you please read rule number five of my classroom?" he said.
"Uhh, sure. No animals in the classroom."
"Is there something you would like to show the class?" the instructor asked, pointing to Gunner's backpack, which was heaving next to his desk.
"I don't know what you're talking about, sir." he said, trying hard to keep a straight face.
Gunner's bag suddenly let out a loud "HONK!"
"A goose? Open the bag RIGHT now, student."
Gunner sighed and opened his bag. A very angry goose flew from the opening, made a beeline for, and landing on the professor's desk.
"Student, why do you have my golden-egg laying goose?" he asked with a tinge of amusement at the audacity of the student's prank.
"She looked uhh...lonely. And I was just gonna take her out to see some of the male geese by the pond. Maybe get a little jiggy with it, you know sir."
At this point the class broke out in laughter.
"Student Gunner, stay after class for your punishment. The rest of you are free to go."
Three hours later, Room 556
"So what did he make you do?" Mike asked with a smile.
"He said that since I cared so much about the goose, I could clean her cage. I'm going to take a shower." he said as he opened the door to the bathroom.
"No Gunner! Don't-" David began, but he was too late.
"EEEEEEK! PERVERT!" Jen's voice came from the bathroom.
The sound of a hammer striking flesh and bone followed.
"OW! What the hell!" Gunner yelled, staggering back through the door, holding his head with both hands.
"You can lock the fucking door you know!" he yelled as he slammed it shut.
"The lock doesn't work. We tried to warn you." David stated.
"Heh heh. No we didn't." Mike said.
"Well, I tried to warn you."
Gunner went and rummaged through the freezer, pulling out a bag of frozen peas.
"You're a load of help, Mike."
"I try."
"And where did the hammer come from?"
Jen came out of the bathroom fully dressed several minutes later, running over to Gunner.
"Oh my God! Did I do that!" she asked, seeing the large bump on his noggin.
"Yes."
"Ohhhh, lemme fix it! She said, suddenly switching into mother mode and reaching into one of her pouches.
"No." Gunner said.
"But I-"
"No. You've done enough already. Leave me alone."
"But-"
"No." Gunner said as he got up and went into the bathroom.
The Next Day, Room 556
"Whaddaya mean 'we have to go to the field'!" Mike yelled.
"I mean I volunteered for an extra credit assignment and I need some rare herbs. So we're going to Red Field."
"Man, but that's all the way across the 'island' from here." Mike said.
"Alright! Our first field exercise! When do we leave!" Gunner said.
"Uhmm, tomorrow, we need to be at the main gates at 10 in the morning." Jen replied.
"What are we gettin'?" Gunner asked, a tone of excitement akin to that of a small child in his voice.
"Wolfsbane."
"Man, when am I gonna study?" Mike asked.
"Hey Jen, I need a copy of the assignment." Gunner said.
"What?"
"I need a copy of the assignment so I can draw munitions to avoid using stuff from my stash."
"He gave me four copies. Here you go." she said as she pulled a sheet of paper out of her backpack.
"Woohoo!" Gunner practically yelled and ran out of the room.
"He worries me. A little." Jen said.
Gunner returned about fifteen minutes later, carrying a ruck full of stuff, as well as a large ammo can in each hand. Despite the weight he was carrying, he ran quickly into his room and put down the supplies. He ran back to the general supplies cabinet and started rummaging around, throwing gear on the floor.
"Lemme see, flares, map and compass, rope, of course, sunscreen-"
"Gunner, we know what we need. Don't worry." David said.
"Ok." Gunner said, grabbing several of the items and scampering back to his room.
"What an odd little man." David said.
"You mean a freak." Mike said.
"I heard that!" Gunner yelled over the various metallic clicks and clacks coming from his room.
The Next Morning, Main Gates
"This is sweet! I wonder how we're gettin' there! Airship, magic carpet, teleportation!" Gunner said.
Just then a beaten-up crew cab pick-up truck drove up to them.
"Oh." Gunner said.
The four piled in. Gunner rode in the bed and pulled security, something that he insisted was necessary. The truck drove for almost an hour, before stopping at the edge of a forest. The four piled out, and Gunner shouldered his ruck.
"Alright kiddies, just call the main office when your done! Bye!" Prof. McGee yelled as he drove away.
"Well, what now?" David asked.
"I have a map to where it's supposed to be."
"Lemme see." Gunner said, producing a compass with one hand and grabbing the map with the other.
Gunner started muttering and pointing at the map.
"Lemme see, Arroyo road is...here. So we're...here. Objective's...there. Which means we go..." Gunner said handing her back the map and turning to his compass.
He looked at it for several seconds.
"That way." he said, pointing.
"You sure?" Jen asked.
"Yeah."
"I thought you didn't pay attention in class."
"Alright, first of all I never said that. Second, I learned this back in my time in the 'Scouts. I can land-nav in my sleep." Gunner said as he started to walk through the woods. They moved through the woods for several uneventful hours before they stopped for lunch. David passed out bread, hard cheese and summer sausage, all sliced personally. Mike started to sit down.
"I wouldn't sit.there."
"I wouldn't sit there." he said in a mocking tone.
"Why not?"
"Because that's poison ivy." Gunner said as he took a bite.
He looked around and seemed to be listening intently as he finished his meal.
"I'm uh..I'm gonna go use the green latrine." Gunner said as he went back into the woods, moving silently through the foliage. He returned several minutes later.
"I think we should start moving soon." he said in a matter-of-fact voice.
"Ok, we're done anyway." David said.
"Let's move."
The four continued to walk for about an hour, Gunner looking around or checking his compass every couple of minutes. The sky began to prematurely darken, and Gunner began to become slightly antsy. He looked around as they walked, until they came to a location Gunner liked. The area was a clearing, about thirty feet across, with low grass and a tree line that was thin on the edges, gradually thickening to the same density as the rest of the woods. A position he considered relatively easily defendable.
"Let's camp for the night here."
"Ok!" Jen said, plopping down and pulling out her bedroll.
"Hey Mike, you wanna make a fire pit? Me and David are gonna go get some firewood.
"Whatever." Mike said as he leaved against a tree and began to float rocks to make a ring.
David and Gunner walked out to the wood line and began to pick-up sticks and branches.
"David, I need you to help me, and keep it quiet." he said as he continued gathering.
"Yeah?"
"Since before lunch we've been being followed."
"What?"
"Yeah, I had my suspicions for a while. Remember when I went to piss? I went and confirmed it.. Goblins."
"But they're cowards. They won't do anything."
"Maybe while we're awake. I'm gonna take first and last shift. Will you take the second?"
"Uh yeah, what do I do?"
"Just keep the fire going and stay awake. Like you said, they won't attack if someone's awake."
"Cool." David said.
By now they were each loaded to the max with fire wood, and trundled back to the campsite. The two dropped their loads near the fire ring, and threw a few pieces in the ring.
"Mike?"
"Yeah, yeah." Mike said as he shot a small fireball at the dry wood, igniting it instantly.
By this point, it was almost pitch dark, and cloudy.
"Wow, it got dark fast." Jen said.
"And soon. That's weird." Mike said.
Mike, Jen, and David settled into their bedrolls. Gunner just sat with his back facing the firepit.
"Aren't you gonna go to bed, Gunner?"
"Nah, I'm not tired yet. Y'all go ahead." he said as he quietly checked the action on his rifle, starring into the wood line.
He could occasionally hear the slightest movement, barely see them moving at the edge of his vision. Gunner watched for three hours before he woke up David.
"Let's go."
"Alright, alright." he said groggily as he crawled from his bedroll.
"Try not to look at the fire. It'll ruin your night attenuation." Gunner said as he patted David on the back as he passed him on the way to his bedroll. Gunner set his watch to wake him in three hours and went to sleep.
Three Hours Later, Observation Room at McCloud Academy
"The events you requested have been set in order, Dean McCloud."
"Excellent. This batch has the potential to be one of the best we've turned out. But they seem to be unable to work together. Especially the shooter and black mage."
"Well, let's see how they do left with only each other."
Red Field
Gunner's watch beeped, waking him from dreams of things best not discussed in mixed company. He crawled from his bedroll, and noticed Jen wasn't there.
'Probably had to use the wood line.' he thought.
Then he realized David was missing. He looked for several minutes, all he found was a sword and a pile of cloths with a frog sitting on it. As he turned to keep looking, the frog followed him. Gunner suddenly had a bad feeling.
"David?"
"Ribbit!" the frog croaked.
"Fuck! Well, come on." Gunner said as he grabbed his cloths and sword.
"Mike! We have a problem!"
"You're damn right we do, wakin' me up in the middle of the friggin' night!"
"This is serious! I think the goblins got Jen!" Gunner said as he examined the area around her bedroll with a red-lensed flashlight.
"Goblins?" Mike said, not believing a word of it.
"Here, check out the foot prints. They carried her off."
"And we didn't hear it why?"
"They transmogrified David. They've got a mage. Probably a sleep spell."
"We've got to go get help."
"I agree." Gunner said as he pulled out his cell phone.
"That won't work. This whole forest is blocked. I can feel it." Mike said.
"Then we go get her." Gunner said, beginning to check all his weapons.
"What? There's just two of us! Against-do you even know how many there are!"
"Nope."
"Do you know where they are?"
"Yeah. I'm gonna assume they went back to the goblin fort."
"Uh-huh. And that's just marked on a map, for everyone to find."
"Actually, yeah." Gunner said, digging through Jen's bag and pulling out her map.
He put David's cloths in her nearly empty pack, carefully placing David in on top of them and then closed up her pack. He stuffed in into his pack and strapped David's sword to the side. The cloudy sky suddenly began to rain.
"Let's go." he said.
"Fuck you! I'm goin' for help."
"Then you're going alone." Gunner said.
"You're fuckin' crazy!"
"We can't leave her! We can't wait for reinforcements either! We don't know what they're doin' to her; how long she's got!" he yelled, the rain dripping from his boonie hat, far from making him look wretched and pathetic, added a subtle intensity to his demeanor.
"Nobody get's left behind." he said more quietly.
"You're crazy. Goodbye." Mike said as he walked away.
Gunner began his slow, stealthy, five mile movement to the goblin fort. He evaded the sentries (by sneaking up behind them and slitting their throat), and began his recon of the fort. He found two ways in, the main gate, which was closed, barred and locked, and a sewage trench leading under one of the walls..
'Damnit. I KNEW I should've brought demolitions.' he thought was he stuck a condom, which he just happened to have, over the barrel of his rifle. He quickly pulled the pair of goggles set over the brim of his hat down to cover his eyes before lowering himself into the trench.
Gunner held his breath as he ducked his head beneath the surface to pass under the wall. Gunner 'swam' through the foul-smelling sludge. He surfaced, just in time to catch a goblin using the trench, his stream landing on Gunner's face. The goblin began screaming his head off as Gunner raised the barrel of his rifle above the sludge and fired, the force knocking the small creature back several meters. Gunner pulled himself up and out of the trench, and began running for the nearest building. As he opened the door, he realized just what the building was. A barracks. The goblins squealed with delight as they picked up their swords and hatches and ran at him. Gunner smiled as he flicked his selector switch to auto and emptied the magazine into the advancing horde, the sound of gunfire echoing across the fort.
"I wonder what that was." Jen said, before returning to filing her nails in her cell.
He threw his empty rifle to one of the goblins, who dropped his hammer and caught the rifle as a reflex. In the same fluid motion, Gunner drew his pistol and shot him in the face, the .45 caliber hollow point causing his tiny head to explode. The next goblin sung his axe at Gunner, who barely jumped back in time to dodge it. Gunner kicked his weapon out of his hand, grabbed him, and drop-kicked him into the ceiling. The goblins head penetrated the ceiling, his flailing body still sticking out. Gunner's face lit with a frightening smile as he looked around the room. The rest of the goblins had frozen, starring at him. The cowardly creatures suddenly began screaming and yelling, running out the back door. Gunner calmly holstered his pistol, picked-up his rifle, reloaded it, and shot the last goblins still trying to get out.
"I love guns." he said.
Gunner ran out of the building, met with a hail of arrows. He ran to the next building, several arrows grazing him as he ran. He dashed in the door, butt-stroking the goblin standing just inside the door in the face with a crunch. He looked around the inside of the room. He was in a long hallway lined with empty cells.
"Hey! The prison! Alright! Now according to the rules...YES!" he said after finding a ring of keys on the guard's body.
"JEN!" he yelled.
"Hi Gunner!" her voice sounded from somewhere down the hall. Gunner ran down and found her sitting in a cell near the end of the hall. Gunner tried several of the keys before finding one that unlocked the door to her cell.
"Come on, let's go." Gunner said as he led her to the door.
Gunner ran out the door and quickly ran back in, followed by several arrows.
"That way's not good." he said.
Gunner's expression suddenly changed, as though he'd remembered something. He felt his head, noticing the lack of head gear. He covertly looked out the door, and saw his boonie hat, punctured by several arrows, laying on the ground.
"Oh HELL no! And that was my good hat too!"
"So what's the plan to get out?" Jen asked.
"I dunno." Gunner said nonchalantly.
"You don't know! You mean you tracked me down, snuck inside, fought your way here, and rescued me, and you don't have a plan to get out?"
"I haven't used a plan so far, I figured why mess with what works." he said, his eyes darting around the room.
The ground suddenly shook, and the sound of an explosion filled the air. Two flaming goblins ran by the door, chittering.
"What the fuck?"
Gunner stuck his head out the door and caught a glimpse of a familiar figure floating over the wreckage of a section of wall. Suddenly he shot a fireball at Gunner. He ducked back into the prison, the fireball missing his head by inches.
"It's me Mike! Gunner!" he yelled as another fireball streaked close by.
"I know." Mike said.
Gunner inched out of the cover of the doorway. Mike didn't shoot at him this time.
"Come on Jen!" he yelled.
The two ran across the open ground to the hole in the wall, Gunner stopping only to grab his hat. Suddenly it was quiet, a hard wind blew, blowing out the torches hanging from the buildings and placed at random intervals along the paths. The sky suddenly turned the color of bruised meat, and an evil swirl began to form.
"That-that's not good." Gunner said, starring at the sky as he pulled the arrows from his hat before placing it back on his head.
Lightning flashed, and a figure suddenly appeared before them. A tall figure, in a cloak so black it seemed to be made of shadows. A pair of evil red eyes smoldered under it's hood like coals. Several small, mage-type objects were worn or hung on his robe. It seemed to be smoking as it floated, and radiated darkness and evil across the ground towards them. Suddenly it addressed them in a deep, gravelly voice.
"Welcome gentlemen, welcome...TO YOUR DEATHS!"
The mage shot bolts of lightning at the group, which scattered in every direction. Mike shot several fireballs at it, as Gunner again switched to auto and emptied a magazine. All the projectiles stopped about a foot in front of the mage, the air around him flashing red. The fireballs splashed harmlessly against the invisible shield and the bullets just fell to the ground.
"SHIT SHIT SHIT!" Gunner yelled as he rolled behind a wall and changed his magazine as a bolt of lightning blew a basketball-sized hole in the stone wall just inches from Gunner's head.
"Ideas!" he yelled to Mike, who was trading fire on the run with the mage.
"Nope."
"Awesome. You think maybe if I shoot it enough times...!"
"No! See how it's flashing red! That's high level magic!" Mike yelled back
There's gotta be a way..." Mike muttered.
Jen, who was hiding behind a pile of rubble from the wall, had somehow managed to materialize a hammer. Again. The figure slowly floated towards them, blasting lightning from both hands, laughing maniacally.
"Gunner! I'm comin' over there!" Mike yelled as he changed the direction of his movement.
It response, Gunner stood up and fired through the large hole that had been blown in the wall by their assailant. A projectile exploded near Mike, knocking him over a few feet from the ground. Gunner dashed out and grabbed Mike's arm, pulling him the last few feet into cover as a bolt grazed Gunner's arm.
"I think I have a plan." Mike said.
"I'm not much for plans, but I'll have a listen."
"His high level shield, the one we can't penetrate?" Mike said, wincing as another piece of their cover exploded.
"Yeah?"
"It draws a lot of energy. It needs a source other than the caster."
"So...?" Gunner said, firing blindly through the hole over his head.
"The crystal around his neck. Think you can hit it?"
"Think I can-what kind of a question is that! Of course I can hit it!"
"Alright, I'll draw fire for you, then you draw fire for me, good?"
"What the hell!" Gunner said as he pulled out a small 15-round magazine, stored all by itself in a pouch designed for a single magazine. He loaded the magazine, marked with black tape around the bottom, into his weapon.
"Let's rock!"
Mike dashed into the open, drawing the figure's fire. Gunner jumped from behind his cover, took aim and fired a single shot. The round flew true, striking the green crystal and shattering to pieces.
"Score!"
The figure suddenly froze, his air of superiority gone. Gunner fired as he strafed, quickly emptying the magazine of match-grade armour-piercing silver bullets. Several of them struck the figure. He jerked as each impacted, but they seemed to have no other effect. Gunner continued running, drawing his attention as far as he could from Mike. The figure shot lightning at Gunner, missing but exploding a nearby boulder, showering Gunner with shrapnel. Mike chanted an incantation, a huge fireball forming in his hands. Gunner was knocked sideways as another explosion occurred nearby.
"Can we hurry it up!" Gunner yelled as he picked himself up and resumed running for his life.
Mike suddenly threw the largest fireball Gunner had EVER seen at the figure, completely engulfing him in magical fire. The figure writhed in agony as he burned, until nothing was left, the last of him emitting a piercing screech as it burned up, leaving only a singed and tattered robe. Gunner walked over, panting and out of breath. Gunner was covered with dust and tiny bits of rock, bleeding from a dozen minor wounds, as well as still smelling of goblin excrement.
"Looks like we got'im." Gunner said, lightly kicking the robes.
"Jen suddenly sniffed.
"What's that awful smell!"
"Me." Gunner said, raising his hand.
"What did you do! Crawl through sewage!"
"It was more like swimming, actually."
"EEEWW!"
"You alright Gunner?" Mike asked.
"Nothing serious...YOW!" Gunner said as he used his Gerber to pull a shard of rock out of his arm.
"Ohh, lemme help."
"You're not gonna hit me again are you?" Gunner asked.
"No, com'ere."
Gunner cautiously walked over. Jen said several arcane words, and began to faintly glow. She placed her hands flat against Gunner's chest and began moving them over his wounds, never stopping her chant or losing contact with his body. Pieces of shrapnel lodged in his body flew out, the minor wounds healing, his flesh reknitting itself.
"Jen, we still have a problem." Mike said.
"That we do." Gunner said, dropping his pack and opening it, pulling out David.
"What's that?" she asked.
"David." Mike and Gunner said at the same time.
"Oh well, it's not THAT big a deal."
"Whaddaya mean? Transmog spells require A LOT of work to undo!" Mike said.
"Normally yes, but David's a prince."
"So?"
"That's even worst! Now we gotta find his find his true love!" Gunner yelled.
"No we don't! That's a fairy tale thing!" Jen said.
"I thought so! True love doesn't exist!"
Jen hits Gunner with a large hammer.
"OW! What about that whole Hippocratic Oath thing!"
"Anyway, all we gotta do is find a beautiful woman to kiss him. Any woman will do."
Gunner and Mike look at Jen.
"Oh no. I'm not gonna do it."
"That's nice. You don't have a choice." Gunner said.
"Think about how bad it'll look when you come back with a transmogrified prince who you haven't aided. What would your white mage instructor say?" Mike finished.
"But-"
"Come on Jen." Gunner said.
"You gotta do it." Mike added.
Jen pouted.
"Ooohh, fine."
Jen picked up David and kissed him before setting him down. There was a flash of light and David suddenly appeared in front of them. Gunner reached into his ruck and threw him his clothes. He waited until David was fully dressed to hand him his sword, also giving Jen her pack.
"Time to go home?" Gunner said.
"Time to go home." Mike said.
"Last thing I remember, I was guarding and I was really tired, then I was naked? What happened?"
"We'll tell you on the way back." Gunner said.
And so the four began the long trek back to the pick-up area. The jamming bubble has disappeared with the defeat of the mage, and Gunner called for their pick-up.
Several Hours Later, Arroyo Road
"Hey! The truck's already here!" David yelled.
"I get first shower." Gunner said.
"But-" Jen started.
"No! You did not swim through sewage today. Therefore, I get the first shower."
"Oh shoot!" Jen yelled.
"What?" Gunner said irritated.
"I never got my wolfsbane!"
"Here." Gunner said, reaching into his pocket and throwing her a small handful of plants.
"Where'd you get these!"
"In our campsite."
"Why didn't you tell me!"
"It was YOUR assignment. I wanted to see if you'd notice."
"But you'd have said something before we left, right? So we didn't keep tromping all over the forest looking for it?"
Gunner shrugged.
"Maybe."
The four loaded into the truck, taking their same seats.
"So, anything unusual happen, kiddies?" Prof. McGee asked, already knowing the answer.
They all began talking at once.
"I got kidnapped-"
"They turned me into a frog-"
"And then Gunner shot the crystal and I used the mega-fireball-
"First I had to swim through sewage-"
"SLOW down, children, one at a time."
The professor listened to their story, though he was already familiar with the details.
"My, sounds like we'll have to talk to your type heads about this. And WHAT is that smell?"
ME!" Gunner yelled proudly from the truck bed.
"Well, you just stay back there." the Professor said.
Four Hours Later, Office of the Quadrupe
The four students stood in the round waiting room connecting the offices of type head, Gunner at parade rest. The doors opened all together, their respective heads walking out and stopping in front of them. Gunner snapped to attention, his bearing perfect.
"Students, after reviewing your report-" the Chosen One started.
"We are impressed with your abilities." Link added.
"That's why we are proud to make you the first-" said Merlin.
"Level three sophomore students this year." Yuna finished .
"Gunner and David-" the Chosen One told them.
"You will be allowed access to better weapons." Link said.
"Mike and Jen-" Merlin began.
"You will be taught additional spells." finished Yuna.
Professor McGee suddenly appeared beside them.
"You should ask your professors about it after class. Now, these type heads are very busy. Come with me, students."
Later That Night
Gunner runs down the hall, closely followed by Mike. The shooter has a goose under one arm and is laughing happily, an angry Prof. McGee chasing them, yelling for them to stop, followed by threats. Gunner pops smoke as they come to an intersection and turns down a random hallway.
"Why are we doing this again?" Mike asked between breaths.
"Shut-up and run!"