13. There You Are
A fter Master Ember escorted Aeden back to his bunkhouse, Aeden did not sleep a wink for the remainder of the night, his mind whirling with everything they had talked about.
Master Ember was adamant that he had somehow started the bonding process, but that didn’t make sense, and neither of them had any answers.
The morning passed in a blur. Aeden simply went through the motions as he attended breakfast in the hall and then headed to a lesson on cartography. It wasn’t the most enthralling class, but it was one of the key parts of learning for Aer-Kin riders.
The teacher, Master Aldous Walker, was an older gentleman who liked to take things at a slow pace, which more than suited Aeden in his state of tiredness.
He still couldn’t shift the feeling of nausea. It was driving him mad, along with the hot flushes that came in waves, nearly causing him to vomit. He hadn’t eaten much that morning, but he’d had his fill of water and freshly squeezed orange juice. He just didn’t have the stomach for food.
Still, he managed to get through the lesson without any drama from the students. By now, he was already getting used to the whispers and prying eyes when he walked down the Gothic corridors.
Talk of what had happened between him and Kael had quietly spread like wildfire. Luckily, Kael was nowhere to be seen that morning.
Aeden had missed a full day of classes while in recovery. Worried about already falling behind, he put his head down and worked hard throughout the lesson to prove his worth, to show that he was strong enough to be at the academy, and that Supports could keep up with the rest of the students, too.
Physically as well as mentally.
By the time their second class came along, Aeden found himself standing at the training field, in his training gear and ready for his next lesson. Unfortunately, Aeden had discovered that Master Storme didn’t only teach combat skills at the academy.
All the students stood around in clusters, staring out at the open field where they had met Master Storme’s Aer-Kin a couple days before.
That seemed like such a long time ago. Most of the students had fearful expressions on their faces as they waited for Master Storme to arrive.
It wasn’t just the Supports here today; according to Cassian and Rowan, students from the Scout class were joining them as well for this one.
Cassian had been more than descriptive about what he would gladly do to Kael if he saw him, and Rowan had tried her best to calm him down. It would seem that everyone at the academy now knew what had happened to Aeden, what Kael had done to him, and Aeden’s frustration was beginning to bubble.
He had a point to prove. He wasn’t weak. He could look after himself, and he would do whatever he needed to prove this to all the other students. His determination was more fired up than ever.
“Line up,” Master Storme’s voice boomed over the open field, sounding more like a crack of thunder than a man’s voice.
The students scurried around like rats on the deck of a ship as they rushed to line up in formation.
Aeden stood straight, facing forward with his arms by his sides.
“Well, at least you’re all in the correct uniform,” Master Storme said as he approached from the rear.
He walked past the students on the outside and to the front of the class.
“I believe some of you have made quite the impression on your first day.” His eyes fixed onto Aeden, who wanted the ground to swallow him up.
Instead he swallowed down his pride and remained focused on the turf in front of them.
“And I do not mean that in a good way.” Master Storme’s arms were placed in the small of his back as he started walking up and down the line of students, inspecting them.
“Now, endurance is something that the Guardian and Offence classes are expected to excel in. Apparently the expectations are not as high for Support and Scout classes.”
He stopped to eye up Harrison, who, despite his best efforts to stand tall, remained significantly shorter than the two taller, more strongly built students on either side of him .
“Bullshit, is what I say. I expect every single one of you to train just as hard and show me exactly what it is you’re made of. Those that are not strong enough know where the exit is.”
Master Storme stopped for a moment, either for dramatic effect or to put the fear of the gods into the students. He managed to do both.
Aeden was pretty sure he heard a whimper from one of the students.
“This is an endurance class, meaning I need to push you to see where your levels are at right now.” He raised his hand to his side, around knee-level.
“This is where most of you will be now,” he said.
He then raised his hand to his shoulder height.
“And this is where you will need to be when you leave the academy to be posted, when I am finally done with you.”
There was a growl in his voice, which gave Aeden the impression that Master Storme hated each and every one of them. Whenever his eyes glanced upon Aeden, he couldn’t help but feel that Master Storme hated him more than anyone else.
“Today is a simple endurance test so that I can see your markers and make note of your capabilities,” he explained, continuing to walk up and down the line of students as he addressed them.
He spoke as if he were about to lead them into battle, and Aeden wondered if Master Storme cared that it was only their fourth day of a minimum of three years’ training.
“Today, you’re all going to run.” He turned and pointed out at the field ahead of them.
“Across the field and into the forest, I have hung markers on the trees. You don’t go beyond the boundaries that I set.
This is the safest route, and I don’t want to lose a student in class.
Trust me, it isn’t worth the paperwork and the letters I’d have to send to your families.
When you’re finished, you will come out of the far side and make your way back to this point.
If you fail to complete this exercise within the allotted time, you will be asked to leave the academy, with immediate effect. No excuses.”
The tension in the air was palpable as Master Storme turned back to face the students.
“As I figured you might be off the pace, I invited some of the other students to act as pacesetters for you, having already completed this session.”
Four students sauntered past, lining up on either side of Master Storme.
Aeden’s blood ran cold.
Suddenly the temptation to throw up increased tenfold, but Aeden suppressed the urge as he stared into the smug face of Kael Blackthorn and three of the other students that had jumped him the other night.
“Consider this your extra credit for your misdemeanours,” Master Storme said to them.
Kael and the others stood with their arms behind their backs, in the same uniforms as the rest of them except for a red flag bound around each of their left arms. Kael’s head was raised like he had caught a bad smell.
Aeden’s chest thundered as he contemplated lunging forward and showing Kael exactly what he thought of him. If he had a dislike of him before, he hated him now. There was so much anger flooding into him that it was almost dizzying.
“These students will be the pacesetters for today’s session. You fall behind them and you’re out. There will be two at the front and two at the back. For the purpose of this exercise, you will treat them with the same respect that you would afford your teachers.”
Great, Aeden thought, not that Kael needed any encouragement to think himself better than everyone else at the academy. He just hoped Kael was at the front, as he simply did not want him running behind him. He didn’t trust him one bit.
“Get into position,” Master Storme barked. “And remember, I know how long this exercise should take you. If I find out that anyone has cheated or cut corners, then you have my assurance that I’ll be dealing with you when you return. Don’t give me more of a reason to kick your asses.”
The students readied themselves to set off. Cassian, who was standing behind Aeden, leaned forward and whispered, “Just say the word. We could easily take him. I’d happily take a beating from Storme.”
“I appreciate that,” Aeden said. “Let’s focus on the test, though. I’ve had a shit enough start as it is. I really don’t want to end up being kicked out inside the first few days of enrolling.”
“Spoilsport,” Cassian said in a playful tone.
“Cass!” Rowan nudged him. “Focus.”
“I am focused.”
“Go!” Master Storme shouted without warming, his voice startling all of the students into action.
With a deep breath, Aeden set off quickly.
He couldn’t fail. With all the training and getting into fights and attending class, he’d had no time to investigate his parents’ deaths.
If he failed at the academy now, he might never get the chance.
But beyond that, a small part of Aeden wanted to prove that he could succeed at the academy for real. That he was good enough to be here.
The ground quickly passed underfoot as he set off at a fast pace across the field.
Kael and another pacesetter – a woman with long, flowing blond hair that Aeden thought he recognised – had taken to the front.
As fast as Aeden had set off, Kael and the woman were faster, demonstrating their fitness straight away.
Aeden remembered that he had bumped into the young woman’s father on the way to register a few days ago.
Judging by how he had responded to Aeden, he assumed his daughter, Isolde, would be exactly the same.
“The Offence class are real assholes,” Harrison said as he sprinted to keep up with Aeden.