50. Support Class
“ T he bonding ceremony is just over a week away, which means it’s time for us to start focusing more on your roles as Supports rather than building up your connection to the Weave, so that you are strong enough to survive the bonding.
” Master Sorrel’s voice was shrill, like chalk on a board.
He had a whistle that escaped him when he pronounced his s’s which made it hard for Aeden to focus at times without laughing.
That said, it was a subject he was inherently interested in, so he knew he needed to pay attention to what the old master was saying.
Master Sorrel wasn’t the tallest of masters.
His robes draped over him loosely, like he was an empty sack of potatoes.
His arms and legs were skinny enough that you could see his bones, and the top of his back was hunched.
His bald head, long, wispy white beard, and squinted black eyes made it obvious that Master Sorrel must have been the oldest master at the academy.
He certainly looked far older than both of Aeden’s grandparents.
The old master stood in front of the class, his right hand clutching a cane that he pressed into the ground as he paced backwards and forwards in front of the class at an alarmingly slow pace, a slight wheeze escaping his lungs as he breathed in and out.
“Today we are in the ruins of the old archives,” he said, raising his cane to point at a crumbling stone wall that was to the lefthand side of the class. Only a small section of the wall remained, with stone piled up on either side of it, coated in moss and grime.
The ruins sat on the north westerly wing of Aviara academy, some distance away from the academy’s main building.
“These archives,” Master Sorrel said, “were destroyed in the last attack on these grounds, seven hundred and twelve years ago. You can read about that in the archives situated at the library. I am not here to bore you with a history lesson, however.” He stopped in the centre of the class.
Aeden and the others were lined up in formation three people deep. This was the class that Aeden had actually been interested in. He was surrounded by his peers, which was every other student in the Support class.
Harrison stood to his right, with Vivienne not far away in the row behind Aeden. Serene, however, was on the far side.
“Now, each and every one of you are here today because you are all Supports, and as such, it is about time you are taught more about your role, what it entails, and your responsibilities on the battlefield,” Master Sorrel continued to lean on his cane, his hands trembling in such a way that Aeden worried he would keel over at any moment.
“I have taught at Aviara Academy for nearly fifty-five years.” He paused for a moment, counting numbers to himself.
“Make that fifty-six years. It is safe to say that my expertise lies in the Support class and our duties as supporters. Does anyone care to share what they think our role is?” His beady eyes analysed the students.
Aeden felt it was a stupid question given that their class name pretty much explained what their role was overall.
When no one answered, Aeden figured it was due to it being such a simplistic question. He remained quiet alongside everyone else.
“Quiet bunch, are we?” Master Sorrel said as he adjusted his feet and settled into a new position. “Our role is to support.”
Aeden felt a collective sigh from everyone.
If this was the wisdom of the Support class Master, then Aeden felt this entire class was screwed.
Master Sorrel raised his hand and shook his head before laughing to himself.
“Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But there is so much to being a Support, so much that each and every one of you must learn, especially when you all start to develop powers.
” He continued to scan the students one at a time, his small eyes darting between everyone like a fly trapped in a room, uncoordinated and chaotic.
“It is my opinion that the Support class is the most crucial class out of all. Not only do we have the most complex and varied of powers as a collective, but we have the power to assist and enhance all of the other classes. Who here is familiar with the sub-classes that form under the Support class tree?”
A few hands were raised into the air, around one-third of the class. Even though Aeden felt confident of the answer, he kept his arm lowered.
“I’d have thought there would be more of you that already knew this, but listen up, as there is a lot to take in here, and I am not the kind of master who likes to repeat myself.
Pay attention or fall behind, those are your options.
It is in your best interest to understand each role so you know where you fit once your powers start to manifest themselves.
” He let out an exhale of air before taking in a deep, whistling breath.
“There are six main sub-classes in the Support class tree. Think of each sub-class as a branch, stretching out from the trunk of a tree. Each branch then forms more branches and so on, creating a whole network of skills and abilities that make up the overall structure or canopy of the Support class.”
Aeden appreciated the analogy. It helped him visualise what Master Sorrel was saying more clearly.
Master Sorrel drew a line in the dirt at his feet using his cane.
“Healer, the ability to restore and mend injuries and ailments.” He continued to step to the side and repeat the action as he recited each of the sub-classes and what they meant.
“Anchor, bolster and strengthen the magical energy and power that we draw from the Weave. Warder, the ability to form protective barriers and shields, or wards as we like to call them, against threats. Relay, the ability to create ways to manipulate a person’s positions, or portalling as some may call it.
Controller, your ability to control the elements of a battlefield, whether that be individuals, power, or the environment itself.
And finally, Binder, or Trapper as I like to call it.
Not to be confused with the defence class, this sub-class’s skills are rarer.
It’s the ability to create a targeted zone where people’s connections to the Weave can become stronger.
This is a rare enough sub-class that I would be surprised if any of you develop an ability of this type.
In fact, I can’t remember the last time I trained anybody with this skill type. ”
“Surprised he remembered all that,” Harrison whispered, drawing suppressed laughter from Aeden. He elbowed Harrison in the ribs.
“Something funny?” Master Sorrel stopped, his head snapping towards Aeden. There was a firmness in his voice.
“No,” Aeden said, “sorry, I didn’t mean to?—”
“Name?” he asked, an air of irritation in his voice.
“Aeden, Aeden Harrington.”
“Harrington, you’re the rider already bonded to an Aer-Kin, if I recall.”
Aeden wanted the ground to swallow him up. Why did they always have to focus on him? For once he just wanted to be like everyone else in the class.
Master Sorrel’s eyes fell upon him as he looked him up and down.
“You’re a strong-looking student. Tell me, have your powers started to manifest?
You should have had signs by now given the time that has passed since you bonded with” – he paused, as if waiting awkwardly for Aeden to finish his sentence.
It took Aeden longer than it should have for him to realise.
“Nyra,” he eventually said, “her name is Nyra.”
“Such a sweet name.” Master Sorrel’s eyes flittered around as he started mumbling to himself and pointing his long, bony finger in the air as if he was drawing a picture in the air in front of him.
“One I recall . . . I remember,” he mumbled.
“No, that wasn’t it.” He continued this process for while before stopping and saying, “Nyra Lazure.”
Suddenly Master Sorrel had Aeden’s full, undivided attention. He nodded and said, “That was my mother’s name, before she married my father and took his name. I felt it fitting to give the name when I bonded with Nyra. ”
“She was disruptive, like you,” Master Sorrel said.
“Always had an opinion about everything that I tried to teach her. It was a terrible loss when I learned she had not made it out of the Battle of Weir, as was the same for so many others.” He shook his head.
“Forgive me, I am getting sidetracked from my point. Let’s break down your power as an example to better explain the sub-classes. ”
That wasn’t what Aeden wanted, not when Master Sorrel seemed to have memories of his mother. Aeden wanted to hear stories, for Master Sorrel to tell him more about what his mother was like.
She was disruptive, like you .
The words brought him more comfort than Master Sorrel had probably intended.
“As I asked, have your powers started to manifest?”
“They have,” Harrison said, interrupting the conversation. “You should have seen him in action in the dining hall. Cassian had taken a right beating from Kael, but thanks to Aeden, you wouldn’t have guessed he had been in a fight at all.”