3P POV
"Alright, alright. Please be quite, it isn't healthy for an old man like me to raise his voice so much." The old professor said as he set down in his chair.
"Now, I know that your all are excited for this field trip but you should never forget that it still are the Beast Glades we will be visiting. Danger lurks in every corner. For the posibility that we will dive into a dungeon you all require proper training. In this class we will going over everything you should now in terms of theory. For the practic, with the permission of the director, you are allowed to participat in the team fighting mechanics class 1 until the end of the month. Fortunately professor Glory also intented to teach her class team fighting formations, so we aren't really interfering her class." Professor Hunt explained pulling a stack of paper out of his storage-ring.
One of the students, a girl with a small stature, rose her hand to asked a question.
"Yes, Lena." The professor said noticing her raised hand.
"Are we allowed to choose our groups alone or will they be decided by you professor." She asked in a polite tone.
"For now, you are allowed to choose your group on your own. I might adjust them a littel if needed at the end of the week. So if you want to stay in your chosen group better give it your all in practice." He answered. "Those papers I'm handing out now contain the most important information you will need for this trip. From general infos about the location we will be staying at to what you should bring with you. Ofcourse we will go over each point in more details in the following month." He explained as he walked through the class, giving each student a paper.
"But for today we will return to our last topic." He added as he wrote a few things on the blackboard.
For the rest of the class the students were taught more about dungeon's with elemantal affinities. Nothing Lucas had to foucus on, he instead talked with Fraener most of the time.
As the school bell rang everyone stood up an made their way to the exit but got interupted by the professor.
"Alright everyone, enjoy your lunch break and I will see you all afterwards on the training fields." He said dismissing his class.
"I'm so excited for this field trip. I have never been to the Beast Glades. Do you think we will go into a dungeon?" Caera asked Lucas as they walked together to the cafeteria, something that became common for them in their everyday life.
"I think that is possible. Professor Hunt is not only a strong mage, he is also a veteran adventurer with many years of wisdom in regards of the Beast Glades. It shouldn't be much of a problem for him to get the premission to enter a low level dungeon with us." Lucas replied greeting some of the students that walked passt them.
"That would be so awesome. I always wanted to dive into a dungeon but my mentor didn't allow me to become a adventurer. She always said that it would be to dangerous and that I easily could die. I get it that she cares about me but sometimes I just feel like that I'm not allowed to do anything and that I'm somewhat trapped in a cage." Caera said, getting a little frustrated at the end due to the strictness of her mentor.
"I can see were your mentor is comming from. People wish to keep what they care about as save as possible. The possibility to lose something or someone we love scares us, so we tend to attempt to prevent anything that could take them from us." He responded.
"Its easy for you to say that. You already are an adventurer and you spend three years in the Beast Glades." Caera retorted.
"If you belive that I was able to just decide to become an adventurer, then you are further from the truth then it is even possible. It took me a lot to convince my mother to allow me to go and only after my brother offered to accompany me did she finaly allowed it. But I had to follow strict rules otherwise she wouldn't let me go." Lucas explained. "Anyway, when we find our selfs in the position of the one being loved, the only thing we can do is to show the one loving us that we are capable enough to protect ourselfs. This trip could be such an opportunity for you to prove your strength to your mentor. And if she is hesitant to let you go then you can tell her that you will be in competent hands. Professor Hunt is an excellent adventurer, who truly knows what he dose and I also will be there. If needed I will protect you." He added giving her a big smile.
Her cheeks slightly turning red, Caera averted her gaze to the ground. She only gave him a silent nodd as an answer.
They soon arrived at the cafeteria and quickly got their food. On their search for open seats they found a completly empty table. They took seats next to each other and continued their talk about the field trip as they got called out by Tessia followed by Arthur.
"Hey you two." Tessia greeted as she and Arthur took the seats opposite to them.
"Hey, how was your day?" Caera asked smiling.
"Great, there wasn't much work to do in the student council so I could for once just relax up until now." Tessia replied, beaming with happiness. "And how was yours? Did something intresting happend?"
"Actually yes. Professor Hunt announced today that we will go on a field trip to the Beast Glades at the end of the month and if we are lucky we might even dive into a dungeon." Caera said cheerfuly.
"Really? That sounds so exciting. I wish I could go to." Tessia replied.
"Did your professor said what typ of dungeon you might dive into?" Arthur asked whiles defending his meat from Sylvie.
"No and its still not clear whether we will or will not dive into the dungeon." Lucas replied, giving sylvie half of his meat. "But knowing professor Hunt he will put us through rough training to prepare us for the possibility that we will. For that he even got permission from the director for our class to participat in the team fighting mechanics class 1 for this month." He added.
"So you will join our class." Tessia said.
"Yeah, apparently you would have practiced team fighting formations anyway so we wouldn't really bother your class with our presence." Caera explained.
They chatted until the end of their lunch break and quickly made their way to the team fighting mechanics field.
As they walked Caera failed to contain her excitement wish earned her a bunch of giggles from her friends, much to her embarrassment.
"Hey guys!" Curtis yelled as her run over to them. "Aren't there more students then usual? Oh hey Caera what brings you here. Aren't your classes over already?" He asked as he arrived next to them.
"Well, why I'm here answers both your question." Caera said. She went on and explained why she and all those other students are here to which Curtis gave an understanding nod.
"Man, why can't we go to the Beast Glades. I would love to dive into a dungeon atleast once, even if it is a low ranking one." Curtis complained.
"We will get our chance some day. Maybe not during our school years but after we graduated for sure." Claire, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere, said as she slapped Curtis on the back.
"That might be possible for you but not for me. My father wants me to avoid any danger so that I could take over his role in the council one day and my mother is scared that I might die when I dive into a dungeon." He retorted with a hint of annoyance.
"Do you even want to be in the council? I mean he can't really force you to take over for him, right?" Caera asked curiously.
"Well, your not wrong but that dosen't stop him from trying." Curtis answer, his head held low.
"Don't be so demotivated. When they don't allow you to go even after you graduated then I will just take you with me for a dive." Lucas offered.
"Really? Your such a good friend." Curtis yelled as he tried to hug Lucas but got stopped with Lucas' hand in his face. Causing the others to laugh at him.
Just like usual the small group gained lots of gazes as they walked on the field, some of admiration, some of respect and also some of envy. The later mostly directed towards Arthur and Tessia.
"Good afternoon students. As you all might have realized already, something is different then usual." Professor Glory's voice boomed through the field. "From today untill the end of the month will we be practicing team fighting formations along side the students from the Beast Glades class." She explained.
"But why do they have to learn formations in practice? Isn't their class a theoretical one?" One of the team fighting students asked.
"Thats corect." An elderly man next to professor Glory said. "Normaly my class is mostly about theory but we will go on a field trip to the Beast Glades at the end of the month and for the posibility that we enter a dungeon they need to be prepared." He explained.
This announcement caused several gasps. Some said it wasn't fair that they can't go diving into a dungeon.
"Silence everyone." Professor Glory said with a slight giggle. "Let me introduce professor Hunt, a veteran adventurer, to you all." She added gesturing towards the old man.
After some further explaination the group of students split up into two separat groups. Professor Hunt's class moved to the eastside of the arena.
"Alright, you now have 10 minutes to form your groups of five and decided a team leader." Hunt announced.
The students moved quickly, already forming several smaller groups.
"Do you want to form a group with me?" Lucas asked looking at Caera.
"Ofcourse, your the only friend I have in this class. It would be weird to form a team without someone I know." She replied with a smile.
"Now we only need three more. A conjurer and two augmenter would be nice." Lucas said, his gaze moving through the small crowd of students.
"But who? Do you know anyone else in this class?" Caera asked.
"Not really. I don't really talk that much with most of the students, mostly just small talk." Lucas confessed.
"Then lets wait until they approch us." Caera suggested.
"That would probably be for the best." Lucas replied.
Not long after did someone approch them. Lucas foucus on the young girl, trying to remember her name. As she came closer he finaly remembered her. It was Lena, the one that asked if they are allowed to choose their groups on their own.
"Do you two still need team members?" She asked in a cheerfuly tone.
"Yes, we would appreciated it if you would join us." Caera replied.
"It would be an honor to team up with the two Disciplinary Committee officers. I will probably be save with you two on my side when we go into a dungeon. Ahh I- I will ofcourse do my best aswell." She said, turning red in embarrassment.
Caera and Lucas just laughed it of in understanding. But something was wrong with her. Lucas couldn't describe what it is but she feels different, foreign even. Her lack of runes indicat that she isn't from Alacrya. Might she be an Asura? No, if she was Lucas would be able to tell that she is one. Nomatter what she is Lucas decided to keep an eye on her.
It didn't took to long to find the last two members for their team. The fourth member is a dwarven boy that goes by the name of Gorm Balrock. Small but muscular stature with short black hair and brown eyes. A wild personality and pretty loud.
The last to join was Celebron Grephin, a rather handsome noble elven boy. A bit taller then Lucas, mint green, shoulder length hair that is tied in a ponytail and blue eyes. He is calm and polite.
"Grephin? As in Aya Grephin, the Lance?" Caera asked in admiration.
"Yes, she is my cousin." Celebron replied.
Before anyone had the chance to asked more question Lena intervened.
"Now that we are five, who is going to be the leader?" Lena asked noone in particular.
"Sir Lucas has the most experience, so it would be logical for him to be our leader." Celebron proposed.
"Sir." Caera mumbled, failing to hold in her giggles.
"Please, do not adresse me like that. I am your age, so it would be weird to be call something like that by you." Lucas said with a smile that left no room for discussion.
"I will not call you that but I aswell belive that you would be the best choice for a leader." Grom said, giving Celebron a weird look.
"I give Lucas my vote aswell." Caera announced.
"Looks like its decided." Lena said.
"Thank you for trusting me. I will do my best to not disappoint you." Lucas replied with a smile. "We still have a few minutes until we need to gather with the others. How about we introduce ourselfs to each other. I will go first. As you already know I'm Lucas Wykes. A light orange fire, water and wind conjurer. I'm also able to use plant magic."
"You're a tri-elemental?" Grom asked in shock.
"Yes I am. But I'm not that special. A friend of mine is a quadra-elemental." Lucas replied nonchalant.
"Do you mean Arthur Leywin? So its true that he is the first quadra-elemental. What about the rumor that he has two deviants?" Celebron asked, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"Yeah, thats him." Lucas responded.
"Anyway I'm Caera Blacklock. A dark yellow fire and wind augmenter."
"I am Celebron Grephin. A solid orangen wind and water conjurer."
"I'm Grom Belrock. A dark orange earth and magma augmenter. But I lack in skills with my deviant."
"I'm Lena Harlod. A light orange water augmenter."
"The time is up! Please gather together." Professor Hunt called out.
"For the remaining time of the class you will fight against each other in a game of capture the flag." The old professor announced.
He gave each team a number and those teams procceded to fight against each other in various pairings and formations.
After over an hour the professor dismissed the class. Satisfied with what he saw today.
"Finally! I don't think I could have gone for another round." Grom groaned.
"I second that. How can you two seem so unfazed after so many fights?" Celebron asked Caera and Lucas.
"After three years in the Beast Glades you learn how to minimize your mana output." Lucas replied.
"My mentor made it a priority in my training to teach me good mana control." Caera responded, showing pity for her teammates.
"But I have to say I'm really impressed. Not to be rude but I thought you would perform not as well as you did today. Ofcourse we still need to work alot for us to work perfect together but I'm certain that we wouldn't have any problems in a dungeon at the end of the month." Lucas praised. "You should take the rest of the day to rest and to replenish your mana." He adviced.
"Thats exactly what I intented to do." Grom replied, earning approving nodds from the rest of the group.
"Then we will see you tomorrow." Lucas said.
The team split up with Grom, Celebron and Lena walking to the dorms and Lucas and Caera patrolling the school grounds.
Like usual they didn't encounter any troublemaker or so it seemed at first. Seconds before they would have parted ways did their DC daggers glow in a green light.
"Its Fayrith, he needs our help." Caera said concerned.
Without wasting any time they dashed towards Fayrith location, which luckily wasn't to far away.
Turning around the last corner the two DC officers were met with a cloud of smoke. Caera acted fast and casted a weak wind spell, dismantling the cloud to reveal a wounded Fayrith cornered by three older students. Behind Fayrith crouched two female elves, holding each other whiles crying.
Enraged by this scene they immediately jump into action.
Lucas took on the one to the left, knocking him out with a single, mana infused punch.
Caera took on the one to the right and just like Lucas knocked her opponent out with a single punch. Leaving the one in the middle on his own.
The two already defeated are weak, only red cores and that they took them by surprise, which gave the two older students no chance to defend themself, made it easier for them defeat them.
Now the one in the middle posed a greater danger. He is a light orange core. But that isn't what concerns Lucas, it is the foreign mana inside his body what is concerning.
'Fraener her is someone that took the elixir. Did he get it from Charles Ravenpor or did he get it from someone else.' Lucas transmitted mentally.
'He only could have gotten it from the Ravenpor kid. Everyone Draneeve gave the elixir had used it already except for him.' Fraener responded.
'I see, thanks.' Lucas said cutting their mental conection.
As Lucas was contemplating what he should do next his opponent already decided his next move.
Believing that Caera would be the easier target he charged at her with full speed.
To defend herself she already had her sword out augmentet in fire mana, but before either of them had the chance to deliver an attack was the older student entagled in several vines that holded him in place.
He tried to free himself using his raw physical strength but failed miserably.
Realizing that Lucas had everything under control Caera quickly run to Fayrith, checking for any serious injuries. Luckily all his wounds were minor.
'It hasn't been long since he took the elixir. The damage done to his core will leave him crippled as a mage for the rest of his life.' Lucas thought to himself as he destroyed the rest of the elixir in the student's body with Aether, hence reassuring the survival of the boy.
Lucas gave him a quick hit on the neck, knocking him out immediately. He cuffed the other two with vines aswell before he walked over to Fayrith.
"Im impressed Fayrith, holding off three opponents at once." Lucas said in a cheerfuly voice.
"Don't act so surprised. That wasn't even a warm up. I could have taken on atleast three more." Fayrith replied with a toothy grinn.
"Ofcourse you could." Caera said laughing.
Lucas shifted his foucus to the two female elves, that seemed to have calmed down a little, after he made sure that Fayrith was fine.
He walked over to them an kneeled down to be on their eye level. "Are you both okay? Do you have any injuries?" He asked in a calm tone.
"Y-Yes we are fine. Just still shocked about what just happened." One of the girls said.
"I understand." He replied with a warm smile. "Could you tell me your names? We need them so that we can call you to the SC office later, so that you can tell us what had happened before any of us came to help you." He said.
"I'm layla Granbelt."
"And I'm Alena Granbelt."
"You're sisters?" He asked. They gave him a slight nod.
"I see." He said with a smile. "Now how about you two go back to the dorms and rest for now. Caera here will escort you both back just in case." He said.
They both nodded and stood up, still holding onto each other.
"And you really don't need my help with those three?" Caera asked.
"No, I can deal with them by myself." Lucas replied.
"Okay, then I will see you later for dinner." She said before she left.
The two girls thanked them profusely for saving them before they left aswell.
"Uhh, is that a date?" Fayrith asked in a teasing tone.
"No, we are just friends." Lucas replied in his defence, getting a little red.
"Just friends, i see." Fayrith responded laughing to himself.
"Stop saying bullshit and go to the infirmary." Lucas ordered annoyed and embarrasst.
"Yeah, yeah." Fayrith replied as he walked of still laughing.
Lucas picked the three unconscious students up using his vines and walked towards the faculty building. As he did so he kept thinking about what Fayrith just said. As if he would go on a date with Caera. She still is a potential enemy. He can't develop such feelings for her, can he?
-3539 words
A/N: Hey everyone I'm back. I'm feeling alot better then last week, still not back at 100% but good enough to write again. I might upload a second chapter this week or two next week.
Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter and enjoyed it. There are alot of new characters and you can't imagen how difficult it was for me to choose their names, I just suck at that. Those character might have a bigger roll or they might never be seen again after the school arc, who knows.
Now, I wish you all a good night and we see each other in the next chapter.