Blade just in time managed to get back to the sandbox. The shock of Minister Ashfar coming for a 'friendly' visit still rattling in her bones, 'Cutting it way too close… damn it.' She tensed her hand around the tool she had just gotten from her room. She barely caught sight of Nebula who had an intense stare as did the other Fairies, who had scrambled away from the entrance, once the Minister had turned to leave, before a big Hawk from Red Fountain made a sharp turn before landing next to the Sandbox.
Red sleek metal gleamed – freshly cleaned. The ship's arrowhead shape flared into a wide hangar at the rear, creating a lean slope toward the nose. Docked at the front, an Owl served as the main bridge. Its windshields wrapped around, giving it a clear three-sixty view. The second bridge in the midsection of the Hawk had triangular windshields, reinforcing its command capabilities.
"Wow," Alyssa held on to her purple hood as she whistled impressed up close those were a lot bigger than one would think, "Boys bringing the gadgets big time…"
"Nice," Steela's hair bashed in the engine's wake, "Let's use that one and blow that noble away. Surely it posses big guns under that shiny hull…" She could smell a Desertain noble a mile away. The entire Coup had left a bad aftertaste with her, not just specifically because of Jewels, but because her uncle's farm was still struggling to get back on its feet. The drought had left its marks beyond the entire political battles.
"Do not even joke about such things!" Tasu warned her sternly raising a hand in admonishment. "It was bad enough that you were stuck in your kingdom's prison for treason once." Sometimes she just wished she could smack them, however, that was unseemly for a Crown Princess of Streama.
"I was exonerated!" Steela hissed back. Just the thought of that anti-magic cell. "Not that I was guilty in the first place!" Jewels's pardon had been a life savour truly.
Amber placed a soothing hand on Tasu and shook her head, "Let it go. They don't understand and it's in the past." She sighed heavily. The Sorceresses had all made great strides in understanding high society politics. However, they still were commoners. Justice – right or wrong; truth or lie – to them was a lot simpler than courts ever made it out to be.
"Hey, ho!" Kai waved from the back of the hangar as he sprinted towards them. "Can you believe it! We got a Hawk for this mission! This will be grand," He painted a rainbow between his hands, dreaming of grandiose missions. "Saving a Princess, surely!" He declared.
Julius shook his head, "Will you stop… we barely make the curves. The only ones rescuing will be our babysitters. That hunk of firepower is hard to stir." He scratched the back of his neck.
Lion stepped up behind him, "Hey sweetheart, need rescuing?" He looked at Rise who squeaked happily and slung herself around his neck.
"Hey! No screwing around!" Mercury had caught Marble's hands. "You little hacker menace…We're bringing it back in one piece and untampered. Is. That. Clear?" This was starting out great already. His eyes pinned on Blade who didn't look fine at all. He knew that dark look that tried to hide behind her eyes. "What happened?..."
"It's nothing," Gilliana waved her hand dismissively. "Just some Desertain retard came by to say hello." She sorted out her blue scarf which was currently an utter mess.
"Desertia?" Seth looked at Blade his heart skipping a beat. His breath got caught. Quickly he quieted down the slight tremble that rushed through his hands.
Marble rolled her eyes, "Enough politics, you told me you finally got me one!" She turned to face Blade her eyes searching and surely saw the tool her hands clawed around. "YES!" She reached out with her magic to pull it from her grasp.
Just before she caught it a flash of purple shot down from above and blew every kid off their feet. Fane snatched the tool mid-air. "What are you fletchlings up to now…?" She turned it around. Inspecting the tool shortly. "Hmm, that's not on the market." She glared at Blade.
Blade raised her hands in defence, "It's a prototype ready for field testing. Lunarsteel asked it to be delivered to Marble of the Joined Track for student and amateur assessment. Headmistress Griffin got the papers safely stored away. It's by the books."
"Mmmh," Fane spun it between her fingers and tossed it back to the Zenith Sorceress. "How very kind. Guinea pig, get in line. Playtime's over." She hissed. Magic pressure irradiated from her. The entire Joined Track snapped to attention lining up straight and narrow. Her arms folded behind her back a smirk flitted over her lips. She bathed in the fact that not even the most unruly Sorceresses fooled around in her presence. Although the lust for a rematch was like the smell of blood in the air. Not that the outcome would change - at all. "Well, call yourself lucky, you got a mission that even you can pass with a three minus." She poked the bear just a tiny bit. She couldn't help but prance around it was just irresistible.
Professor Palladium facepalmied. Professor Avalon could only raise his eyebrows. They were under a magic cloaking spell, so the kids wouldn't see them. It had taken days to get Fane to submit to the schools' guidelines. She saw many as a hindrance to growth or granting a false sense of security. Nonetheless, eventually, Fane had composed something that was acceptable. Her delivery on the other hand…
"Oh, great… wrestling with the Army of Darkness…" Dahlia moaned with that Vampire it always was about fighting. Nervously she picked a her dark hair's pink tips.
Fane noticed instantly and cleared her throat, "That was my first proposition… sadly it got declined… 'Too much royalty'," Fane grumbled half-loud, giving the Professors a 'See- look' in her next eye-bat, which only earned her yet another disapproving head shake from Palladium. in the next moment she stifled her annoyance. "Well, since true training was not an option." She left out how many other ideas she had pitched. "You'll prove to me and yourselves that you can actually do something right," She let out a breath. "You're going to wrestle with Drago-"
"DRAGONS?!" The entire class shouted wide-eyed some already getting pale. The only one itching for this was Kitty, adding a dragon to her arsenal would be a major upgrade.
"QUIET!" Fane hollored and everyone got drowned out. "Dragon BABIES." She paused, saw the confusion in their eyes and heard their released mumbles. "You almost look sad. I can go off scrip-" An anticipating undertone which ended in another hard cough. That death glare of Avalon's was enough to smother her flash of inspiration. "Fine…" She groaned to herself before she refocused on the class that nearly had fallen out of their boots. "Right, original plan then. Red Fountain is due to receive new White Dragons. You're to pick them."
"Okay… but that doesn't take thirty-three people… normally…. So what does other things mean?" Michael asked as he ruffled through his red hair. The entire Joined Track had been called to join this mission. Fane didn't seem to hold much value to their skills, yet even for her, that choice would be excessive. "At least not from what I heard from the third-years…" He looked to Julius and Mercury.
Fane stood there impatiently as ever, "Oh, really? Do you always talk that much during assignments?" She inspected her Red Jade tattoos unimpressed. The class quieted down on their own again. Once she had their full attention she continued, "Indeed. Even you don't need thirty-three people. Precisely the reason why we asked around what else needed to be done at the dragon hort. There's a list and I expect you to finish it in time." She glared at them. The quests were way too easy for her taste. So, acing them was what she expected, yet not what she should demand, Faragonda's final words on the matter. "You'll be split into smaller teams. When called step forward and group up. I'll only say this once." Her black eyes narrowed at least this time the two Professors had nothing to nag about. "Wild beast in the forest. Blade, Kitty, Mercury, Kai." Proudly she had picked a heavy hitter team. "Some are lurking around the hort that make problems, you'll find them, fight them and either have to kill or catch them depending on endangered status. Team Leader, Blade. Second in command, Mercury."
Kitty jumped high into the air, "YEAH! Finally, punching stuff!"
"EH?" Balde blinked confused as she looked to Mercury that had come out of the blue.
Mercury smiled at her, "You'll be fine. I got your back." His amber eyes set on fire to get this right, he had no doubts about her. And this time it wouldn't be like on Laciport.
"Great…" Kai pouted, "I wanted to see baby dragons…" He let his head hang.
"Quiet, move to the side already, you take way too long for this. If this were a battle five soldiers would already have died for nothing…" Fane sighed. She didn't even dare look at the Professors she could already imagine how they felt about her comment. "Michael, Dean. Some guy lost an heirloom in the forest. Something about a teleportation spell gone wrong. Figure it out."
The boys were left standing in utter confusion. There wasn't much to go on at all. But Fane already moved to the next team assignment.
"Alyssa, Polarissa, the hort is behind in harvest since many of their workers got sick. You'll pick up the slack," Fane declared next, ready to move on.
Polarissa stomped her foot, "What?! Why me, I understand Plant Face, but I do magnet stuff!" Her short stubby ponytails swished around.
"Oh, you! I can plant your face-," Alyssa flared up some magic in Cloud Tower manner. Promptly she spat as a punch landed in her stomach and she got hurled into Polarissa.
Nobody could even follow Fane's speed. "Start a fight, I'll end it." Not one hair out of place she was right back where she had stood before. Only her Order's coat waving slightly gave it away. "You can fool around in other classes. Not. Mine. This is work. Important jobs we 'stole' from higher grades so you get some actual experience. Do not make me regret this," She was so pissed. "Fairies, Specialists, Sorceresses. You all are nothing but tags and hot air to anyone half-decent. So, stop complaining and get something done without Master Nerroacean and Goldylocks holding your hands every step of the way." A rebuke, they were kids, and they had the luxury to slack off at times – to learn. She knew how fast these five years would pass in the blink fo an eye. And then there were no safeguards. They weren't bad for amateurs. But many slacked behind, missing crucial battlefield experience. The run-in with the reapers for example had rattled some out of their student daze. 'Why do they keep forgetting the stakes?... Fooling around like – kids…..' She wouldn't need to explain herself to any Scout of her Order. Those who fooled around didn't even make the cut for Scout in the first place. Fane really had no clue how to work with kids. She couldn't throw them out like the useless batches of wanna-bees applying for the Hunter Division. She was stuck with them if she liked it or not.
Professor Avalon made a hand motion for her to go on. Speaking was not an option being cloaked. He had told her though that kids, most of the time, simply needed explanations then rinse and repeat.
"I chose the teams and tasks cause they either fit you. Or you can learn something. So, again - figure it out. I'll not chew your food for you. Independence and evaluation of situations are two of the core skills you'll need to survive. When shit gets real, anything not internalised leads to avoidable deaths." She was dead serious. This wasn't some philosophy lesson like Avalon held them occasionally. "I hate heroes who die, I want warriors to survive." She had an intensity to herself that seemed for a moment otherworldly. Just to swap back to that somewhat condescending self. "So, if I say. You plough fields. You - WILL."
Polarissa pushed Alyssa off herself cursing under her breath. Both weren't so happy. Harvesting… it made no sense. But Fane never lied, so if there was something to be learned. It would get them one step closer to beating her.
"Dusk, There is some sort of dispute between villagers. You'll resolve the problem. Focus on mediation," Fane gave her another second to move to the sidelines where the other teams gathered.
Dusk already nodded, this made a lot of sense for her as a Queen to learn. 'Mediation…' She had left Tourmaline, her Luna Fennec Dark Fairy animal, back home on Eventide. It was important for the little guy to build up a bigger magic pool for now. And Kitty besides her distaste for her choice gave her some insights on how to maximise results.
Fane smirked happy that at least one saw the obvious, "Marble, you'll be supported by Detlev. Yes, Team Memphis is at the dragon hort as well. You better not make a fool out of yourselves. Be bad if you look worse than the Chaos squad. Your job is to run a maintenance update on their MagicWeb Tower. Don't screw that up. And no, unapproved 'improving' of any kind."
"Detlev? He won't hold me back, or?!" She looked to the boys but they awkwardly looked away. She knew of Memphis of course but his squad not so much.
"Excuse me," Misery stepped forward. "I'd like to learn that too. I mean understand those Towers they are so important for our safety it would be beneficial for more than one of us to go…"
Fane tilted her head. Now that was somewhat of a weird request for a magic poison user.
Palladium basically made half a charade gesturing around in the background.
"Fine…" Fane agreed. She saw no point in allowing this. Misery wasn't a tech person, but it would make the Professor happy. 'And they wonder why these kids lack progress…'
Polarissa roared from the sidelines, "What?! Why is she-" She gulped as the vampire's shadow fell on her. Fane was towering above her. Her black eyes burned into her soul.
"Gilliana, Max, Tyson, stable cleaning. Amber, you're on Dragon baby duty with the rest of Team Memphis. They know the robes. We have one caravan that needs to get through the mountains safely. Snow, Nebula, Tessa, Vulcano, Breeze, Damon and Alex. Get it done. Aircraft doesn't work there due to magical climate havoc. – Next up are Dhalia, Sienna, Julius and Lion. You got roads to clear down the mountain and do fix them up while you're at it, yes?" She'd not throw over her entire mission plans just because everyone wanted something easy.
"Of course!" The two boys rejoiced that was an awesome team-up. Dhalia and Sienna already celebrated quietly as well.
"Seth, Serina, you'll throw a kid's birthday party. I want to see happy smiles," Fane turned away from Polarissa to face the next fuming Sorceress.
"WHAT?! I don't do birthday parties! Who do you think you are? I am a Sorceress, not a babysitter!" She was ready to headbutt with her. This was below her. Below anyone here.
Fane smirked and crossed her arms unimpressed by the outburst. "Vampire, Marksman. Stronger than you and, oh, I am your teacher." She leaned in closer and closer to face her head on. "And you could have fooled me, Illusionist, 'cause last time I checked you chickened out of the mock battle against me and left your comrades to 'die' on the battlefield." She yawned as she straightened up again. "You think highly of your magic skills, they could be powerful. Yet, they aren't. A sword in a coward's hand makes no be honest, I'm amazed you weren't kicked out yet." She gestured dismissively. "I know plenty of Sorceresses, you're not one." She poked the girl's forehead and pushed her slightly backwards and off balance. "You couldn't even join your classmates in a mock battle and give it your all, you didn't even try. You're dead weight. Therefore placing you anywhere with importance is a liability. I do not endanger the forces under my command."
"That…. You-" Serina stuttered. It had been a few weeks months since the evaluation had been held in Red Fountain. The match against Fane where she had simply stayed down on the ground had no impact on her till this moment. No one had said anything.
"Lazy," Fane repeated her evaluation evenly from back when she had grabbed Serina by the throat, "If you can't even put in the effort to make one child happy, you better pack your things and get out of my sight and stop dragging down the entire Joined Track. Let-downs have no place on the battlefield. You want a 'worthy' mission? Earn it."
Serina ground her teeth, her pink eyes piercing into the Marksman, "Screw you!" It escaped her she went pale and skitted back. Afraid.
Fane didn't move waiting for a punch any move. Nothing. "Again, nothing but hot air not even worth taking note of. A tragedy, illusions are such powerful assets and that potential you utterly wasted. Coward."
"I'm not a-" The Sorceress raised her voice just to stop. Serina was still scared of the power Fane eradicated. Of course, Fane dimmed it down when not in use, but that Vampire Lady was one scary monster. Serina wouldn't survive a flick of her fingers. "I don't fight lost battles. And you can't tell me that you'd use your magic for some kids' show." She mumbled half-loud.
"A child's smile is priceless," Fane answered the accusation without hesitation. Her features turned hard as ever. "Either disillusion your attitude or get lost. If you fail this mission, you're kicked out of the Joined Track. – Last chance." She said it so plainly. Matter-of-fact. It wasn't her decision alone in the end. Nonetheless, a failure here wouldn't bode well for the assessment of other Professors and teachers either.
"…" Seth stepped towards Serina. 'I'm her babysitter…' Still even he was a bit speechless about how Serina could dismiss a birthday party so easily. Her magic was a perfect fit. He had done plenty of parties in the orphanage on Desertia. "You'll do fine." He tried to encourage her.
Serina tensed up, "This is bullshit." She bared her teeth. Her fist trembled. "Other Professors respect me." She hissed. 'Who is that smug Vampire to spout this crap?'
"You are free to abandon your team."Fane gestured towards Cloud Tower, which was far in the distance. "And, I respect you as a person. Like anybody." Her smirk widened. "You're just not a Sorceress and I'm supposed to teach those in the Joined Track. With no drive, no respect in the entire Kingdoms can save you from flunking." With that, she refocused on the last group left. There was nothing more to be said. "Tasu, Keith, Rise, Birdy, Steela your mission is to fix the fences of the grazing grounds of the dragon hort. Besides that, you'll learn warding from one of the Black Magic Hunter Divion's wizards. Let's see how compatible you are with warding tasks."
"Warding?" Tasu pondered already recalling what the had heard in their classes about that.
Keith on the other hand shook his head, "I most certainly do not have enough magic for -"
Suddenly runes lit up next to Fane who had first flinched into activating a claw manifestation, just in case, but quickly recognised the teleportation spell, "Seriously… what's he coming for…." A deep sigh and an angry glare at Avalon and Palladium. 'So much for trust. Why did I even try so hard to please them if they…' She rolled her eyes and waited a second longer. The kids were utterly confused staring at the empty spot she had glared at. "Hello, Karim. Shoo, this is my class. – Why the heck are you here?" She crossed her arms pissed at Eroan and Tolith.
Karim gave the slightest rushed bow. "Marksman. We got to go, Vulmaro was sighted. They are your stand-ins. Votzaak wants you with us asap." The Werfox had already re-cast his teleportation spell, his furry chest bristling in Dark Magic that flared up around him again.
"What- Do you know how MANY rewrites I had to do until they accepted the damn lesson! I put work into this." She pulled out a rolled bunch of papers. "I wrote fifty pages! With notes to everyone, every haphazard and a point system. I scouted the entire area in two days in a fifty-mile radius!" It was half a tantrum while she ground her fangs together. She was damn proud of her work. 'I'll be damned to give all my work to the goldilocks.'
"You did?" Tolith and Eroan asked surprised and tilted their heads in disbelief. That made even Karim stop for a second to frown before refocusing on the spell. Tolith used his fingers like tweezers to pull the papers from her grip which she reluctantly let happen.
"Just who is that Vulmaro?" Vulcano bumped Nebula into the side. That name sometimes had come up but they never talked about it with the class. The dude definitely was going on their nerves though.
Tolith skipped through the pages. Noted that Avalon and Palladium had decloaked ready to calm the class down and give them a run down. Still, he couldn't help but whistle, "Wow. You are taking this seriously," he looked up from the sheets impressed.
"I don't half-ass things unlike you," Fane growled annoyed and caught another snack bar Avalon tossed her, "What the heck is taking you so long, Karim?" She crunched down on it.
"Nearly done. And unlike Votzaak I didn't jump from planet to planet like a teleporting maniac," Karim shook his head. It was always stunning how people underestimated how complicated it was to get to a place one hadn't been before. "Now, get your A game running we're going in hot. Probably…not sure if Nerrocean already took care of the infected Red Crystal monsters."
"Red crystal- For fuck sake. That damn scourge never ends," She cracked her knuckles and pulled her Order robes in place and close her eyes to focus. Her Red Jade tattoos lit up. Every kid took a step back one didn't see magic flaring up around her instead it was focused into the tattoos. However, the magic presence was suffocating. Giffin liked to fool around, but this was an entirely different level. "If you screw my mission up. We'll gonna have a one o' one training session," She snarled at Eroan and Tolith.
"Fane." Karim addressed her sternly and the Vampire Lady waltzed into the circle her pouty side gone replaced by intense focus. Karim nodded to the kids and Professors. With that he stepped into the circle a magic shield went up around them before in a flash of light they vanished.
"Okay… so dragon hort. I believe you got your missions already," Eroan had read over the pages Tolith had handed off to him. "Hawk's waiting. We'll be fine, Professor Palladium. This is thorough…" He waved with the papers.
Palladium noted how relieved the kids were that Fane wasn't the one leading the class. "Don't think this will be any easier. We signed off on all of it." He shook his head, not that he blamed them. Fane's first impression had been intense. 'Nonetheless, she knows what will help them grow. She was spot on. Not that they would have survived the first draft...'