Heavy rain poured down on the forest bellow. Many students were training in mock combat, running in the mud and slipping. Carrying heavy armor and some leading horses, pegasus or wyverns. On a tower the professor watched as almost 2,500 students were dispersed into various classes.
The constant sound of boots moving in the mud, slipping and falling kept everyone on their toes. Horses neighed as thunderstruck, their riders calmed down the animals but hanged back from theain body of the march.
Shouts were heard as the captains scolded their troops, no pity was given only screams and orders. This was a military training and no one was going to coddle them.
Leading the front the knights who followed Lorenz. The wyverns who guarded came second Claude, the mages who followed third lysithea and so on so forth. Amongst these was a member of the swordsmen under leonie. Green hair and a frown. Mud on his face as his clothes were damaged and dirty.
He ran with his unit and stumbled, behind him a short boy slipped and pulled on his coattails. Angrily the man barked at him to let go. The boy held on and as the unit went on he stood upright and pulled the boy with one arm. Planting him on his feet the man jogged and called the boy to follow.
For hours they trained until night fell and the unit was exhausted. Relaxing inside the barracks the man from before sat down with a group from his unit. Nobody talked and they just remained silent.
The boy from before sneezed as he was catching a cold. The tall man spotted him as he raised his head and looked around. A short silhouette hiding in the corner of the barracks. With a grunt he got up and lifted the boy. Bringing him to his spot he scolded the boy and told him to stay near the fire to warm up.
As they sat down the boy looked at him and asked "what's your name mister?"
"Adler..." Replied the man as he fed the flames.
"My name's Jermaine" said the boy as they sat in silence.
Laughter erupted as the captains laughed inside the high class rooms. They had warm bedsheets, a cozy kitchen and a well maintained room while the others settled on the broken down walls the freezing floor and the vermin that lingered here.
Adler was mad as he knew this was unjust, but he remained seated as he knew all too well how one sided it would be to go against the church's orders. And so he sat down and bore the wrath of nature for his family and his future.
The flames danced before it before flickering into tiny sparks in the wind.