Snippet #2407213

“I don’t know, I’d guess that they are either just now waking up or going through morning training. Everyone is really anxious right now, you know?” Seph lowered her hand after a few moments of healing and wiped her brow, “There, best I can due for the moment, try not to move that arm for at least twenty minutes so the magic can do its work.” She warned as she took up the seat across from him and rocked it back onto its rear legs with a sigh, propping her head in the palm of her hand.

Azriel nodded dutifully as he looked up through the skylight, a common feature in buildings on the Rock, and spied another dragon flying against the backdrop of the blue sky. “Thanks.” He added.

“Next time don’t do something so stupid…” she chastised as she shot him a glare as if the whole situation was his fault before returning her gaze to Sid who was chuckling again. “What’s so funny?”

“You kids, you’re always like this, so care free and self-assured. It’s a good thing.” He assured as he began cleaning his counters, “So when is graduation for you kids?”

“Not sure” Az spoke up, “we’ve still yet to finish exams… and then there are our trials.”

“You still have an exam?” Seph asked with surprise.

He looked at her with a raised brow, “Yeah, I’ve got to pass my bladed weapon exam still, I told you that yesterday.”

“What? They are actually testing you on that? Isn’t that your best class?”

“Yeah, that’s why Professor Kayle is making me use a claymore for it. It’s my worst weapon, guess she figures it will be a good experience for me.” He added as he looked at his arm, “So I’m glad you fixed this up, I’d never have passed with a broken arm.”

“So have they summoned your year to the Masters yet?” the baker questioned.

Seph and Azriel took on a more somber demeanor then as Sephera spoke, “Yes and no.”

“What?”

“See most of the teams don’t get summoned until their trials are assigned, however the most veteran teams are called in beforehand to be given a special preliminary briefing.”

Sid was puzzled, “Most veteran teams?”

Az spoke next, “Yeah, see when you are in your final year some teams are selected before their trials to go out on missions with actual knights, often those teams are the top preforming duos or have a special skill set needed or something like that. Seph and I were called in yesterday to the Masters’ hall along with four other teams because we have been on two technical deployments already.”

“See those of us who have deployed before are instructed on some basic rules and then are assigned more teams with us to do the trials with.” Seph added.

“Ah, so you are the leaders of the trials then, right?”

“Well, not really,” she said as she peeled her banana, “we aren’t actually any higher ranked or given special orders or anything like that, though typically we do act as the defacto leaders of the trial teams, you know flying at the front of formations and such.” She explained before taking a bite.

The Baker rubbed his chin in thought, “If you’re not going to be real commanders though then why call you in?”

It was Az’s turn now and he shrugged innocently, “It’s complicated, but the gist is that the Masters want the most senior teams who have been in the field to be aware of their responsibilities to the others. Since we’ve been out there before we are expected to have a better appreciations for the outer world or something.” He let that sink in before continuing, “But we aren’t supposed to take direct command or something like that. The teams who form the squadrons pass or fail by their performances in the field as a collective group. So we aren’t really given any special rights or anything.”

“Well, except for the power of Veto.” Sephera corrected him.

“Veto? As in denial of a vote?” Sid questioned

“In a way… see normally it takes a three fourths vote for a squadron to abandon a mission if it becomes too dangerous or gets out of hand. But since the trials is a test and young members like us always have something to prove the Masters give the veteran teams a Veto…” he drew a finger across his neck in a gesture of finality, “If Sehpera and I agree that the mission has become too hazardous for our squadron we have the right to order everyone back to the Citadel, no questions.”

“Jeez, big responsibility.”

“Yeah,” Sephera said, “and it comes at a cost, if we exercise the right of Veto against the will of the others we pay a heavy price. The others will eventually be given another trial if this happens but if we use the veto then we have to face that fact. We’ll be expelled from the guard if the veto is abused. And even if used properly we have to wait three years to take another trial if we exercise it.”

“You two talk WAY too much!” came a booming voice from the doorway as two more people entered. One was a lithe man, much smaller than the other and wearing soft clothing with no visible metal upon it while the other was a massive man, coated in huge leather plates with two large halberds crossed on his back.

“Ah, the Vesbern brothers!” the baker announced, both of them waving in greeting to them.”

The smaller one approached first to the counter and Az noted that each of them was carrying a heavy pack, “Morning, Mr. Sid. How goes it.”

“Fine, thanks, what can I get ya?”

“I’ll take three of my usual, Sid.” The big guy said as he came up to the counter too. The smaller brother just chuckled and looked over at Azriel and Sephera and winked to Seph who just smiled and gave a small wave. After ordering they both approached their fellow Skyguard, “’Ello ‘Ello, what have we here?”

“Good to see you too, Rupert,” Azriel said as he greeted the large vanguard who almost slapped him on the shoulder but he managed to slide his chair back to avoid it, “Watch it! Seph just mended that arm.” He commented as he glanced over. Seph had stood up and was hugging the other Vesbern tightly, prompting an eyebrow raise from Az who whistled sharply, “Oi! You two, save it for later will ya?”

Seph turned to Azriel with an annoyed expression, “I can hug my boyfriend whenever the hell I want, thanks.” She have the young man a kiss just to prove her point before sticking her tongue out at her vanguard who just laughed along with the larger brother. The Vesberns were a rare bunch; it was rare enough for a family to have a Sentinel, let alone twins. Of course only once, hundreds of years ago, had there ever been two sentinel twins born at the same time. The Vesbern brothers were twins but only one was a Sentinel, the other joining the guard as a Vanguard when he’d turned of age. They were the highest ranked team in the academy, currently the best of the best, with over four deployments before their trial they were easily the most experienced as well. Rupert’s dual halberd style of combat was impressive and Azriel had to admit he had never managed to win against him in armed combat, while Jerome was the foremost student of the arcane able to perform a wide variety of combat spells well beyond that of the other Sentinels. Jerome was a powerful dragon too, being a strength type, and though he lost in races in combat the duo or unmatched, able to move and fight together better than anyone else in their year. All told it was unsurprising they were there to receive a pre briefing like Azriel and Sephera were.

“Careful, Jerome,” the brother called, “she’s claimed you as her property, next she’ll put a leash on you and parade you around town.”

“What a fine idea!” Seph mentioned.

Jerome spoke up, his hand at Seph’s waist, “How about we just go for one last walk or flight around town instead?”

“One last?”

Azriel was as interested as Rupert now. Those two had seemed a good couple, was Jerome about to drop the breakup bomb. Az had warned him if he hurt Sephera he’d had to chop him up into tiny bits. Would he have to follow through? Jerome just gestured to his backpack, “Didn’t you two notice?”

Both looked quizzically for a moment before Sephera spoke up in surprise, “You got your trial already?”

“Yep, called us in this morning before most of the dorms were even awake, there were three other teams waiting for us when we got to the Masters’ Hall.” Rupert explained.

“Where are you headed? Or can you not say?” Seph asked.

“Well, uh,” Jerome thought for a moment, no doubt determining if he should say or not but the worried look in Sephera’s eyes got to him, “It’s just a small hop into Kalium to retrieve some property of the Kalium family left over after the coup. The current government is finally allowing some of the more personal items of the family to be returned.”

“A lot of bad blood between the Guard and Kalium,” Az practically growled, “don’t let your guard down ever for a second.” He advised. Kalium was a place that few members of the Skyguard ventured in recent years. Ever since the military coup the Skyguard has been at best an unwelcome guest at their whim and at worst the Guard had to evacuate several teams form the nation when the Regime turned hostile. Typically only the most senior already oath bound Knights were sent into that nations. Finding out that the first team sent into that nation for a trial in twenty years was going to be led by the Vesberns was of little surprise to him. Azriel was glad it wasn’t him being sent there, he had a rather poor opinion of that nation since his father had told him about the coup, most in the High Guard had a low image of the Military Regime of Kalium.

Seph rubbed her upper arms as if stave off a chill that was in truth a sign of concern, “When…when do you leave?” she asked.

“Tomorrow morning.” Jerome answered with a solemn look to the floor, “It will take a few weeks to get everything situated, we probably won’t be back before you head off on your own trial.”

“Oh.” She said with clear disappointment.

Azriel couldn’t’ stand it any long as he rocked is chair back before springing to his feet with a stern expression, “Right! You two, get going.” He said, pointing to Seph and Jerome, Rupert nodding in the background. “You’ve got one more day, now go spend it wisely!” he demanded.

“Wha-but, uh, I, I mean, we’ve still got to prepare for the journey!” Jerome insisted but Rupert waved a finger at his brother.

“Now none of that, you two get going, I can handle the preparations by myself brother!”

Sephera shook her head, “We can’t make you do that, Rupert.”

“Oh just get going already!” Az demanded, “I’ll give Rupert a hand with the packing. My exam isn’t until later in the day so it will be fine.” It took a bit more to convince them but at last the two left the bakery, changing form and soaring away into the clouds together. Azriel sighed, “Jeez, they’re both stubborn as a dragon.”

“I think it’s an inherent trait for Sentinels.” Rupert proposed as they head into town to get the preparations going. It would be an uneventful day, as the two dragons went about the city having one more day together before the trials and the two Vanguards did all the heavy lifting. The Vesbern Brothers and company would leave the next morning with little delay, Jerome kissing Sephera goodbye tenderly before morphing and flying away with the others and his brother.

That would be the last they’d see of each other, for a long, long time.

OOC: Notes*: Okay, so as you may have guessed this is the point where I’ve set up a time skip. NO PLAYER IS IN THE GROUP THAT WAS CALLED THIS MORNING though you can make an NPC to interact with if you’d so like. As for the teams summoned earlier to be given a pre briefing unless you were SPECIFICALLY sent a PM about it by me do not be one such group. The purpose of that is so that we can drive the story and it will come up later. My next post will be a time skip forward to when the gang is summoned for their Trial. Please wrap up any first day or morning business soon. Thank you.