AN: Happy Birthday to this little fanfiction! We've been reading for a whole year now (on AO3), can you believe it? I know I was slower to start cross posting here, but we're on the same schedule now, so y'all get an extra chapter as well!

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Sy walked between Jim and Zephyr as the trio made their way down the corridor. Sunlight lit the hallway ahead. The glass doors swung open silently when Zephyr scanned his badge. It was never truly cold here, but the breeze that greeted them was enough to make Jim shiver.

Sy tugged his jacket a little closer about himself before stepping out into the sun. Zephyr took the lead now, guiding them around the outskirts of their training field. Across the way, Jim could see several structures that looked like they may have been houses. Five towers loomed over the rest of the buildings from various points in the slapped together town.

"Wonder who's doing that one," he murmured, mostly to himself.

Zephyr glanced back at him, then in the direction he was gazing. "I don't know. It's a big one, probably someone who started early in the morning. I'm glad I didn't get that mission. Large scale operations are a lot more pressure."

Sy reached forward to set a hand on Zephyr's shoulder. "You would have excelled even if you were assigned it." He smiled sweetly. "And you're going to do fantastic now." Zephyr's lips curled into a small smile at Sy's words.

Jim's stomach twisted.

"Is that yours?" Sy drew their attention to the small display before them. A large tent sheltered a variety of screens and computers atop long desks. They could just see through the tent to what appeared to be a cage on pulleys.

Zephyr drew a deep breath. "Must be. This is the right spot." He approached the tent and ducked inside.

"Good afternoon, boys." Ensign Greenstone sat upon a fold out chair beside one of the desks. "You're just a little early, good marks for time." She jolted something down on her clipboard as she spoke. "The others should be here soon, I think. I'll run you through your task once we have everyone."

"Thank you, ma'am." Zephyr bowed slightly to the woman. "Hawkins, Syleven, why don't you two take the time to look around a little? May as well familiarize yourself with the layout. If that's alright with you, ma'am."

Greenstone waved him off. "It's your command, young man. Just don't get into the elevator until I've given you your brief."

"Is that what that thing is?" Zephyr inquired, peeking past her at the strange contraption.

Sy giggled. "Yes," he answered for their officer. "Do you want me to show you how it works? I won't touch, ma'am," he was quick to reassure her, "but I can talk you through it, Zephy."

Jim stepped closer to Sy. He didn't much like the way Sy was so comfortable around 'Zephy'. De Châteaupers was about four years Sy's senior, and he'd be leaving soon anyway. They may have been family friends, but Jim didn't like the idea of there being something deeper than that. He wasn't about to sit back and watch Sy get hurt.

Oblivious, Sy led the way over to the elevator. "This one's operated by a modified hand crank. It looks to have been upgraded to automatic. You can see here where the handle would be attached so you could turn it manually. I believe….clockwise would lower the cage." Sy studied the pulley system for a moment before he nodded. "Yes. It normally would, see how here the chain is all wrapped up tightly? Well, when you turn the handle,"

As Sy explained how the old fashioned elevator worked, Jim studied the two of them. Zephyr was a good several inches taller than Sy. Taller than Jim as well, though not by much. He seemed to always be frowning. He constantly had a serious expression etched on his face. It clashed with the friendly way that Sy was always smiling.

Jim crossed his arms and frowned. Several more cadets arrived before Sy had finished his explanation. As the three trooped back into the tent the last young man arrived.

Greenstone took to her feet. "Welcome. I am assuming all of you are here to assist Zephyr de Châteaupers with his mission." Around the tent heads nodded. Greenstone marked something down on her clipboard. "Good. Alright, I shall go over your mission brief with you. De Châteaupers, you have been stationed in a small town near Nagold.

"Recently the populace has brought you concerns. They believe there is a dark mage afoot, blaming a collapsed bridge and some destroyed buildings upon this individual. Today you have been approached by the Dwarven Miners' Association. The workers are afraid to enter their tunnels, citing a recent cave-in they blame upon this mysterious mage."

Zephyr listened to his brief with his hands folded behind his back. He nodded occasionally, clearly making mental notes of the bits he found most important. The Ensign handed him a tablet. He flicked through the information upon it, his usual frown in place.

"Alright men," Wanting to show initiative, Zephyr spoke even as he looked over the information. "Who here is good with data and using detection devices."

Jim nudged Sy gently. The younger boy had gone quiet, staring at Zephyr with a wide, unblinking look. Jim prodded him again gently. "You're good at data, Sy," he whispered softly. "Do you want to volunteer for something?" Sy shook his head, though Jim wasn't sure he'd heard him. Jim grinned. Nerves had clearly started to set in.

Zephyr frowned as he looked between his cadets and his tablet again. "I want two people on the exploration task force."

Jim took the initiative. "Sir. Sy and I are the least experienced," he didn't recognize most of the other cadets, but they appeared to be older. Third years he assumed. "Why don't we go down? Everyone else likely has more experience on the machines and will be able to help you make the right call."

Zephyr glanced up at Hawkins. He sighed. "Much as I hate the idea of trusting you not to mess this up for me, I think it would be worse to pin you to a display. Alright." He returned to his data for a moment before beginning to bark orders.

Around them the third year students rushed to collect equipment and to turn on their machines. Ensign Greenstone made notes on her paper as she watched the youth. She remained quiet, except to give Zephyr additional instruction about the equipment he was selecting from.

Someone handed Jim a small device that hooked over his ear and curved down to his jaw. "There's an on off switch on the body, back behind your ear." Next he was given a helmet. "First dial turns on the headlamp. Second dial turns on the video feed. We just checked both, they work fine."

Jim adjusted the microphone so it sat more comfortably against his skin. There was a moment of static and then Zephyr's voice came through into his ear. "Headset test."

"Sounds good," Jim replied.

Zephyr approached with a small handheld device. "This is a Magical Elements and Residue Detection System. Point these prongs at something and press this button to scan. Press and hold to scan continuously. The feed will display on this screen here, so listen closely to my instructions for it, I'll tell you what I need."

Jim accepted the device and hooked it onto his front pocket. "Yes sir."

Zephyr seemed satisfied that Jim was taking something serious for once. "It's just going to be you and Syleven down there, communication is going to be key. Whatever is happening, you must keep in contact, got it? If you have questions, I want to hear them. If you see something, hear something, feel something, smell something, I need to know about it. Understand? I don't care how minor or how stupid, you will tell me."

"Yes sir."

"Good. Here is a map of the mines," Zephyr spun his tablet towards Jim. The branching tunnels looked dizzyingly easy to get lost in. "Your headsets have a gps in them, I'll be able to monitor your progress as you navigate through. You will be staring here, at the elevator," Jim thought that to be a bit obvious, but refrained from saying so. Zephyr zoomed in near the entrance and continued uninterrupted. "This path will bring you to a Y split, you'll take this branch here. The suspected cave in is not much farther past this point."

"Yes sir." Jim studied the map one more time before he took a step back to signal he was ready.

Zephyr drew in a deep breath and held it a moment. He studied the two boys before him. "I suppose this will have to do. Men, to your stations." At his command, the third years sprang to various screens and started tapping away. Jim and Sy stepped up to the small cage together. The only other second year flashed them a smile and set his hand on the lever to control it.

Zephyr opened the door for them. "Good luck, men."