Page 47 of Black Wing and Shadows
“And if they aren’t, I can walk up to them and cause harm as long as I don’t actually kill them?” He came with another question, and everyone directed their attention to him.
“Technically… Yes…”
“Good—”
“But some branches have truces to preserve their cadets. These truces are as sacred as any Code of Ethics we have. As you can see, some branches are much larger than others. For instance, the Sorcerers have a truce with all the other branches to protect their decreasing numbers. Furthermore, remember, when you take a life without merited cause, a mark is made on your soul. You also might find yourself with another set of enemies.” She cut him off before he could continue.
“Noted.” He said, then looked over as if he was directly looking at me. I swallowed a lump in my throat. I stared back with my fierce, emerald-green eyes because I would not back down. He had blue eyes, light brown hair, and lightly tanned skin. He seemed to be of average height, but it was hard to tell.
“Any other questions?” She paused and looked around before continuing. “This year, we've decided to add a few more courses. We haven't finalized the details yet. Once it's complete, you'll receive an updated schedule. One significant change is that more courses will now include multiple branches. Over time, the gap among the branches has widened, and we aim to bridge it. This is the third year that basic platoons included all branches instead of being separated by declared branches, andit has been successful. We plan to extend this approach beyond the basic level. In the military, teamwork across all branches is essential to defend our borders, not division among ourselves. We have two branches that conduct air patrols, but they sometimes fail to coordinate effectively. I’ll be honest, there’s chatter about a coming war with Rudemont, the predominantly human continent. The king might be trying some power move…”
I felt a sudden dread in my stomach. This was new to me. My dad never shared any concerns about this. But why would he—he never bothered to tell me about the politics of our continent. Historically, students in their third and fourth years were enlisted into service earlier than others. This also explains why branches were calling truces among themselves—to build larger armies instead of killing each other off.
“Now, if you are a second, third, or fourth-year cadet, you are dismissed. All first-year cadets will stay here.”
Cadets in the upper rows stood up and started moving toward the various doors to exit the stadium. I sat in the first row, nearest to the stage. I pulled my legs in as the cadets moved past me. I felt a hand on my shoulder, looked up, and saw Lili. She gave me a little smile. It wasn’t her usual cheerful smile but more like her sympathetic smile. She often gave me that when we got into trouble, and I got a tongue-lashing from my father. A moment later, Alex walked past me and shot me a look of disgust. I knew that look—it was the one I’d get after I hooked up with someone during one of our many breaks. Fuck. That meant he knew. I was sure I’d get the cold shoulder for a while. The difference was that I wouldn’t take him back when he came back, begging and crying, saying he was sorry.
I felt a tingle down my spine and looked to the left. I saw Zane walking down the first row toward me. He stopped right in front of me, gave me a sweet, tender kiss on the forehead, and smiled. When he stood, he turned his attention to the Shapeshifter who was eyeing me earlier.
“Oh, so you saw him giving me a death glare earlier,”I asked him.
“I think everyone saw it. Don’t worry about him, love.”He told me before walking towards one of the exits and leaving.
Sadie did a slight cough next to me. “Damn, Auriella.”
I shot her a look and gave her a smile.
“By the way Alex looked at me, I take it you guys talked, and it didn’t go well.”
“Eh, nothing we can’t handle. He will get over it, or he won’t.”
The room got quiet as all the upperclassmen left. Professor Melamora looked all around at all the first-years, giving us a small smile.
“I like to review some general education with each group of first-years and have an open discussion. I understand that some of you may not be as familiar with the military as others, and some of you might know a little but not be familiar with all the details. If your parents were in or are still in the military, raise your hand.”
The majority of us raised our hands.
“Look around and take stock of whose hands are raised and whose aren’t.”
Every Drusearon, Shapeshifter, and Sorcerer had their hands up. Infantry, Healers, and Historians were a little over half. Three-quarters of us in the Riders’ group had our hands up.
“As you can see, there are three groups where every cadet has their hands raised. One can’t join a Drusearon without having wings. However, a Drusearon can choose to join another branch, though that rarely happens. If a child is born a half-Drusearon, most are born with wings, but sometimes fate says otherwise, leading them to join a different branch. Statistically, they tend to choose to be a Rider to enjoy the freedom of flying like their ancestors. Like the former, you can’t be in the Shapeshifter branch without the ability to transform. Unlike the former, they are not allowed to join the other forces. Could you imagine someone shifting into a wolf on the back of a phoenix? Well, really, a flier wouldn’t entertain them as a Rider anyway because of that. To join the Sorcerer branch, you must be able to wield magic without channeling, which means that technically a Drusearon could join this branch if they were born of High Fae, meaning they have greater magical abilities without relying on runes. Sorcerers were often called witches in many other cultures. As a witch, I speak for all of us—most of us don’t care either way. Any questions so far?”
It was dead quiet. We were all utterly staring at her, taking everything in.
“Good, let’s continue. Infantry, Historians, Healers, and Riders are open branches. The conscripted cadets could have chosen those branches, minus the Shapeshifters, if they wanted, and some of you did. Some of you may not have a military background and joined because you wanted to make a difference. Some of you have parents who are considered High Fae, which means you will more than likely be able to learn and use magic. If you were born to regular Fae, you won’t be able to use magic without runes, and even then, it will only be simple magic. The last branch, the Riders, often has a mixed group—some of you have parents who are Riders. Some of you come from a line of witches and choose differently. Some of you were born to regular Fae and want to be different, riding a flier. If you were born to a High Fae, a witch, or a dragon Rider, you will be able to learn and use magic, if you haven’t already. If not, once you bond, your dragon will channel magic to you, but your unique abilities are usually ordinary.”
A couple of the Riders near me snickered.
“What are runes used for?” she asked the group.
“It is a type of stone that magic is placed in that allows lesser Fae to yield basic magic,” a quiet girl sitting in the Sorcerer’s group said.
“Less Fae, huh?” Professor Melamora sighed, “Yes, that’s essentially correct.”
“It can also amplify a Higher Fae’s magical abilities,” Atlas said, who sat next to the quiet girl.
“Yes, also that. To imbue a rune, you generally have to spend some years practicing your abilities. In the military, one task the witches do is imbue runes for other branches.” Melamora stated.
