Burning Battlion: A War of Earth and Steel [M]

[HoboJOE]

A metallic click echoed throughout the empty hallways of the Training Stronghold of the Famus Arcanic Artillery Battlion. A long silver haired, fairly young, slender brown skinned gentleman walked the hallways with a light limp, assisted with a silver cane in his right hand. Dressed in his formal Arcanist uniform of the Kingdom of Fam, a maroon dress suit with gold piping on the stitching, complimented by dignified embrodiery on the collar. On his back was a large crest, signifying his Arcanist status. His kind are invaluable members of both Famus and Grandus armies, often treated with the highest of respect just under generals for they played key parts in victories in battles the last decade. They recieve the best living quarters, dine on the finest of cuisines and payed the most generous of wages...if they are cooperative with their service that is.
Making his way to the courtyard, Xavier limped towards the steps that lead up into the building and took a seat on the steps with some slight difficulty. Often teased for his aged demanor on a young fellow, he would either ignore the taunts or play along depending on his mood. His bad leg was the result of a childhood injury that never quite healed right and he's learned how to live with it over the years.
Watching as the summer sun slowly rose, he closed his eyes, breathing in the morning air with ease as the sunlight graced his skinned with warmth. Today was the last day he was going to spend here and he was going to miss the peace...

[Moonlit_Fae]

Spoiler: Hestia 

The sun came blazing over the hill among the horizon. Bursts of pink, oranges, and reds welcomed the new day. Hestia was already hard at work, damp sweat beads clinging to her pearly skin. Her cheeks flushed with determination. This lean and tall woman was doing flips and twirls from target to target and releasing fire balls. Each one hit dead center on the target. Hestia believed in never letting her magical abilities go to waste. That was why every morning even before the dawn she would do target practice to hone her already perfected talents.
Her glasses were strapped to hear head to prevent them from falling off. She would never let her imperfect vision prevent her from being a valuable flame mage. She was made fun of as a kid, but that only strengthen her and made her who she was today. In fact she only ever had one real friend that never looked down on her. Instead Xavier helped to train her so she would no longer be a victim.
As she finished her practice Hestia went over to the fountain and cupped her hands and pushed the water into her face, happily guzzling down the liquid refreshment. Her vermilion tresses were pulled up into a messy bun with loose, unruly curls springing free. Hestia's emerald cat -like eyes scanned the area to see if any of the other Arcanists were coming out to practice. The liquid gold of the day's sun reflected the inner flame that burned inside of her. Hestia could not wait to hear what her new assignment would be. She would head to the High Arcanist's office after she was done practicing.

[Yggdrasil_Hugger]

Otto glared at his tutor. They had been doing this for hours. Otto was covered in sweat, his shirt gripping tightly to his chest. His black hair hung in strings, plastered to his forehead. His tutor, a rodently man by the name of Klaas stared back at him.
"Again." With a twitch, Otto repeated his exercises. He flexed his hand, and the steel band around his arm slithered into a sword. He advanced toward Klaas and swung his sword. Klaas's own sword clanged against his, spraying sparks into the air.
"You are an Earth Arcanist, not a Fire. I do not wish to see sparks here." Otto growled, then swung again. Once more, Klaas parried it with little effort. He couldn't even see where Klaas kept his blade. It didn't matter. With a swing of his arm, the earth beneath Klaas's feet erupted into the air. A pillar of stone rocketed Klaas skyward.
Otto focused his energy on the ground beneath himself, and his own pillar of earth followed Klaas's. They stood on an equal level, 60 feet above the ground on pillars of rock 5 feet in diameter. They lunged.
Klaas leaped towards Otto, his blade flashing dully in what little light made it through the smog-filled sky. This time, Otto parried Klaas's blade. Klaas leaned too far to the left. With a grunt, Otto body-checked Klaas. It served him right. His balance was off. Balance was key. You must be solid as the stone you walk on, as Klaas was so fond of saying. Otto watched his tutor fall. Externally, he remained emotionless, using the same practiced mask of indifference. Internally, he was glad that Klaas was falling. For a moment, he thought... but no. Just before Klaas hit the stone floor, the Air Arcanist slowed his fall, gently stepping to the ground as if doing nothing more than stepping off a stair.
The two pillars groaned as they slid back into the earth. Otto stepped over to Klaas, who was studying him. Damn. he must have let his guard slip.
"You are improving. Get cleaned up. That is all for today." Klaas turned and lifted into the air, rocketing off into The Citadel. He wasn't flying exactly, but rather riding winds across the sky. Otto's blade slithered back into the bracer form. He left the arena, grabbing his coat on the way out. He walked through the streets back to his housing sector. As he walked, the clouds blanketing the sky turned slightly darker. He reached his home just as the rain started. He waved the steel wall to open into an archway as he stepped through, then closed it once more.
He walked upstairs to take a bath. He removed his clothes, slipping into a tub of lukewarm water. He sat in silence as two servants washed him. After his bath, he walked to his room. His bedroom was the only room in the house with a balcony. He dressed in the same uniform he always wore, the patch above his heart dictating that he was an Earth Arcanist. He walked out to his balcony, leaning against the rail. The slanted tin above the balcony kept the rain off. He looked at the slums his room had a view of. Most nobles' rooms looked at slums. Slums, it seemed, were everywhere in The Citadel. A knock at his door made him turn back to face it.
"What is it?"
"A message for you, sir. From the Crown, sir."
"Bring it here."
"Yes, sir." The servant brought him the letter, sealed with the crest of the Crown: An owl holding a spear in one talon and a scroll in the other. He opened the letter, his eyes scanning the page. He grunted.
"Pack my bags and call a vehicle. I am going to the Capitol."
"Right away, sir." He stepped from his room and walked down the stairs. He was going to see the king in person, it seemed.

[HoboJOE]

Running through the training grounds, a young lad scurried passed the many training dummies used by the enlisted Arcanist during morning physical/magical training. Approaching Xavier holding a parchment in his hand.
"Sir Farrus! Sir Farrus! I-I hav-...", the young man started in a exhausted huff, but Xavier held up a hand to stop him mid-speech.
"First, get your bearings lad...take a deep breathe",he instructed the young man.
Confused, the young fellow relaxed himself and steadied his breathing; nodding at this, Xavier then asked,"Now can I get you're name? You must be thirsty."
Getting to his feet with a grunt, Xavier went into his coat pocket and produced a silver flask and handed to the fellow. Starry eyed, he took the flask and said,"T-Thank you sir, I'm Sebastian...Sebastian Krission. Pardon me sir."
Taking a good, quick sip from the flask he was giving, Sebastian continued,"I was sent here to give you...oh...umm...I believe I have gotten a head rush...may I ask what's in the flask?"
Taking the flask from Sebastian, Xavier gave him a sly smile and simple said,"Whiskey..."
Face reddening from embarrassment, Sebastian squeaked,"SIR! I'm not allowed to be drinking such beverages...it's...it's only daybreak!"
Xavier gave a good healthy laugh as he took the parchment from his young acquaintance somewhere,"Relax lad, it's just a calm the nerves, trust me you'll thank me later. Now let's see what this poor, dead piece of oak tells me what I have to do..."
Quickly reading the message, he already guess it was just an order to be summoned to the High Arcanist Office...he was already heading there anyway, the parchment was nothing more than a silly formality.
Digging in his pocket, get grab a silver and tossed it to Sebastian for his troubles and for being a good sport.
"Be sure to use that later tonight, Sebastian. The women will be quite lonely tonight with all of us filthy Arcanist out of the bars and brothels and out into the battlefield..."
And with a wink and a smile, Xavier disappeared in a white and blue flash, zooming through the Stronghold and arriving at the Office door in mere seconds.
Before he could tap on the door, a voice boomed from behind it,"I know it's you Lieutenent, the smell of burnt rubber and smug arrogance always fill the air..."
Smiling, he opened the door with a smile,"Argonance? Is a crime to not have pride in one's self?"
"It is when you stop zip-zapping through these damn hall like some child, I know you heard of this new thing that the young ones are doing, it's called WALKING DAMN IT"
The High Arcanist, a grey man, built like a bull in a Crimson Formal suit with a gross scar that went over both eyes. Effectively he was blind due being a victim of torture from the Grandus army, he was a former Arcanist General after all, but it took a lot to kill the "Raging Bull" of Famus.
Taking a seat, Xavier noticed that there was another empty chair next to him.
"Are you expecting any more guest, Sir?"

[Moonlit_Fae]

Hestia had remained in practice for another hour. She had spent the time sparring with other Arcanists. The new recruits always seemed to admire her, but more for her notoriety than her ability. The rumor always spread that she was Hera's daughter, the elite officer who sacrificed herself during a battle in Grandus to save her squadron. Hera had acted as a human bomb, blowing herself to small pieces to close off the access point Grandus easily would have claimed. Her battle mates had returned and spread the story of her heroism. But deep down, Hestia was angry and hurt by her mother's actions. The military had always come before family, but would that be the same for Hestia? She felt deep down one day her loyalty might be tested and she wasn't sure where she would stand. All she really wanted was peace and to start a family of her own. When that day came, she vowed to be different than her mother. She would put her flesh and blood before military loyalty. Who knew how fate could play her in this aspect. What if she fell for someone on the opposing side, what would happen then?
Now Hestia stood cleaned and primed in her military gear and chose a simpler and humbling outfit rather than the red flamboyant outfits her peers chose to parade around in. All of her clothing was the color of the deep earth and inner laid with a dark brown. She wore a slightly fitted suit that was light material for easy maneuvering. Atop of her suit was a pea-coat with multiple pockets to hide multiple weapons in. The deep v-neck of her suit top had a simple button-up shirt underneath to make sure none of her skin was exposed. Her dainty hands were covered with pristine white gloves. Upon her legs and hips were belts to hold her guns and ammo. A dark green bandanna was wrapped atop her head to keep her tight-bun in place and her curls were set in perfect position compared to earlier when they were unruly. Even her bangs were perfectly combed to frame her face but not cover her eyes. Lastly her goggles sat atop her head. She only wore those during combat, otherwise she could see fine.
Hestia was on her way to the High Arcanist's office for her new assignment. However, she stopped to pay a visit to the statue of her mother that was in the center of the courtyard between the buildings.
"Hello mother." , she said with slight sarcasm in her tone knowing no one was around to observe her.
"Funny how my memories of you have faded and this is all I have now. I hope your sacrificial victory was worth it. Here I am to keep our family lineage going. Hopefully I won't die before continuing the line of Flame Arcanists." She scoffed before turning on her heel and entering into the elite building where the high ranking officers were stationed. Always decorated and sending the others out to do their bidding.
Within a matter of moments Hestia was outside of the office door of the High Arcanist. She gave one curt knock before entering and then saluting the "Raging Bull". After she saw herself to her seat and tried to suppress her smile at seeing Xavier already present. It was rare they went on assignments together anymore. I wonder what this could be about, she reflected inwardly.
"Sir, what is my new assignment?" Hestia kept an even tone, she was always business and never dilly dallied on small talk when it came to the military. However, this was never her normal demeanor when off duty. Everything was smoke and mirrors when called upon for active duty.

[Yggdrasil_Hugger]

The rain was pouring as he stepped outside. The transport vehicle sat there idling, the driver picking his teeth. The driver looked skinny, too skinny. Otto knew what that was like. He had hooded eyes that never left Otto's. Otto scowled as the driver stepped out and opened the door for him. He slid into the vehicle's rough seating. It smelled like cigarette smoke and sweat in here. Like piss, too. He grunted as the driver slid into his seat. Behind him, his servants packed his bags into the cargo area of the vehicle. With a lurch, the vehicle started. It made a guttural roar, which quieted into a growling as they went. The roads of The Citadel were far from perfect, and with every pothole or missing brick, the vehicle jumped and squealed.
Otto reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small notebook. He sat in silence, scrawling notes in his journal for the entire trip, Only once did he look up from his notebook. After two hours, the vehicle lurched and squeaked to a stop. He put his notebook back into his pocket. The driver opened the door for Otto. Otto stepped from the vehicle, shaking his right leg ever so much. It had fallen asleep during the trip. The driver stuck out a hand. Grease caked under his fingernails, which were chipped or sometimes missing. Otto gave him a single coin. The driver gestured for more, and Otto shot him a nasty look. He nodded and went back to his vehicle. After a moment, it lurched and roared away. A trail of oily smoke followed behind, filling Otto's nostrils with an acrid stench.
Otto stood on the steps of a great metal building, with four spires reaching into the heavens. From Otto's perspective, they seemed to reach up forever, swallowed by the clouds. He strode up the steps, nodding to the doorman. The building split into three parts then, one wing splitting to the east, one to the west, and one to the north. Otto continued into the building, ignoring the bustling workers. At one point, he was met by a set of large metal doors, flanked by two guards bearing the purple and silver sashes of those that protected the royal family. He showed them his letters, along with his patch declaring him an Earth Arcanist. After a moment's deliberation, they opened the gates and let him through.
To say the throne room was impressive would be an understatement. Hell, it would a lie. The walls were carved with intricate depictions of ancient victories. Paintings of long-dead kings stared down at Otto. Behind the throne, stained glass depicted the first victory of the Grandus army against the savage, tyrannical Famus forces. It showed King König I holding the decapitated head of the Famus ruler.
In the middle of the room was the throne. It stretched nearly 15 feet into the air, carved to look like a castle of old. On the throne sat the King. King Werner II gazed at Otto with interest. The king was a fat man, with ruddy skin and many wrinkles on his face. His hair was falling out, but what little left of it was grey edging on silver. The king looked like a jolly man. In his plump fingers he held a bottle of a mysterious red liquid. To his left stood the queen. Otto was talked aback at her beauty. The queen was a quiet, cold woman. Her features were severe, sharp, angular. She wore rimmed glasses and her rapidly greying hair in a tight bun. Her dress was silver. To his right stood the Royal Advisor, High Mage of Grandus, Officer of War, and the one with the real power. The Royal Advisor was a tall man, thin and wiry. His skin was yellowed like old parchment. His eyes were striking blue, assessing everything about Otto. His hair was long and white, draping over his shoulders and neck regally. His robes were charcoal grey.
"Otto Von Schmidt!" The King bellowed.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I hear you were top of your class at the Academy!"
"I was, You Highness."
"You are by far the most talented Arcanist in The Citadel, perhaps in the nation."
"I wouldn't say that, Your Majesty."
"You are calling your king a liar?" The Royal Advisor spoke then, his voice oily and dripping with malicious ooze.
"N-no, I was simply saying-"
"Saying what, boy?" The Royal Advisor smiled, and Otto hated him. He realized that the Royal Advisor had snake lips, that is to say, none. The smile was fake, a mask just like the one Otto used to hide his emotions. Except, the Royal Advisor wasn't simply using a neutral aloofness, but rather, feigning hospitality. Otto saw through his lies, and the Royal Advisor knew it.
"I was simply stating that you are obviously more talented and powerful than me, My Lord."
"Fah! Stop fighting. I have something to tell Otto." The King smiled too, but this was a real one. The king was an idiot. Otto was starting to fear for his country's sake. "Otto?"
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"You are a talented mage." The King shot a look at the Royal Advisor. "That is no question. We suspect that Famus is sending more and more Arcanists into our great nation to rot it from the inside. You will be tasked with finding these and eliminating them. In exchange, your current living quarters will be upgraded to more modern ones here in The Capitol. Additionally, you will be given a higher security badge, and your monthly salary increased. Any questions?"
"Just one, your majesty. I am no spy. How will I know how to spot the Famus infiltrators?"
"You will be tutored in the art of espionage. My Royal Advisor has picked a tutor himself."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Otto bowed and walked from the room. He didn't even wait for the guards to open the doors this time, he swung them open himself. As he strode from the throne room, he nearly bumped into several people. At one point, he slammed into an orderly carrying papers. He ignored it. As he left, papers were put into his hand. He strode out the doors. It had stopped raining, but by the look of it, it would pick up again in a moment. He slid into the first transport vehicle that rolled up. Mechanically, he gave the driver his new address.
Once the vehicle stopped, he swung the door open himself, stepping out and towards his new house. He flipped a coin to the driver, who thanked him and sped off. Once inside, he sat down on his new bed. His stuff was already in his room. He went to the balcony outside his room. This balcony also had a view of slums. Some things never change.

[HoboJOE]

Xavier smiled at his younger friend as she sat down next to him, she was always so uptight with the formalities and saluting, he leaned over and whispered,"You know just saluted a blind man, right?"
The High Arcanist loudly cleared his voice to clear the room,"That would be enough Lietentant, this is Senior 1st Class' first time in my office after all."
Gathering up some files on his desk, he open a dossier and faced the both of them,"So let me ask you, what is your experience with espinoge?"
"Zero...", Xavier quickly answered with a bored tone. "I've been on the front lines for 13 years, Sir, my powers aren't exactly the cloak and dagger kind...more of a shock and awe fellow myself."
The High Arcanist shot a mean glare at Xavier, it was eerie how a blind man could appear to be looking right at you, nonetheless, the Raging Bull made Xavier flinch in surprise and continued in a huff,"Regardless of your skillset, it seem that Grandus have been cracking down on our forces that are behind enemy lines, and we're going to try a different approach..."
Curious now, Xavier then asked,"Different in what way, both me an Senior Cauld are combative Arcanists, without proper training in infilitration, we'll be killed on sight once spotted."
Nodding, the High Arcanist went into his dossier and brought out two particular pieces of papers, it was his and Hestia's military files stamped DEAD in red ink.
Instantly spooked and confused on how did the High Arcanist was able to see these pieces of paper in the first.
Before he could ask, the High Arcanist spoke,"You two will deployed with the forces this afternoon to Lomtia, a abandoned town just outside of the Grandus border that we have some forces there, of course Grandus doesn't like us being that close to it's backyard so their's a counter offensive that SHOULD have a good amount of casualties..."
"So in the midst of the fog of war, we both get 'killed' and you put out those form to confirm that we're KIA and...then what? We both still aren't magically spies just because of a bait and switch...Sir..."
Nodding in agreement with Xavier, the High Arcanist then said,"Quick on the uptake as always Lieutenant but you and Senior here would be only 'Spies' in name, right now were under investigation of some spies within Famus, giving them some false intel on you're death while you're be behind enemy lines is a great way to smoke out the leaks and prevent further men and women being found out by Grandus and killed...their also another assignment...I'm sure you're familiar with this person here-..."
Xavier raised a hand to stop the High Arcanist, and said"Okay before you continue...I need to know...how exactly do you-"
"My eyesight isn't as non-existent as many would like to believe, I see some basics shapes and whatnot but for precise details, like which page I need to know since I'm sure that's what you're wondering Lieutenant, these pages are tailor made for me to read through my sense of touch..."
Starely blankly at the Old man, he shook his head and said dismissively,"You could have just said 'Magic'..."
"PLEASE FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND LIEUTENTANT FARRUS", the High Arcanist erupted, patience wearing thin at this point, pulling out the paper that he wanted Xavier to see, he pushed it in front of him. The paper had a photo of a person that made Xavier's hair on his neck stand on end with shock.
"He was taken in by Grandus forces yesterday, I'm sure he'll have a couple days before they execute your brother...this isn't just an infiltration...it's a rescue mission..."

[Moonlit_Fae]

When Xavier made the smug remark about the Raging Bull being blind she elbowed him hard in the side. She was not one to back down when her intelligence was questioned. Even if he was blind, the gesture mattered. She believed in following rank when in active duty. Even if her friend was her senior and a higher ranking class, once they were alone she would give him a piece of her mind. He knew how important keeping face with the military meant to her and she did not like to be teased over it. She was still an enlisted officer and held rankings over others. This showed she had come a long way in her military career, even if it was not to her choosing. Respect would be had.
Her temper was cut short when the Raging Bull mentioned espionage. Me a spy? I don't know if I am stealthy enough for that...I am a bit of firecracker after all.... Even though she was taken aback she kept an even face and a calmer tone when she addressed this matter. "I also agree with the Lieutenant in this situation", she kept out his first name. She was not on an informal basis with Xavier at the moment, "I tend to be hot-headed on the battlefield and let my fire magic speak for itself. I am not too sure I could pull off being a quiet observer. Not to mention...", she paused her speaking once she saw her file with the giant red marks of KIA across her face. Her heart fluttered with hope. A new start possibly? If everyone thinks I am dead then my life could be my own.... She stopped those thoughts right in their tracks. This was still a mission after all. There would be no way she would be able to sneak away freely just like that. After all this was all a ploy to fool Grandus, she was still alive and active in Famus.
When the true matter came to light Hestia wanted to reach for Xavier's hand to comfort him. She knew of Xavier's past of coming from a large family and how he displayed his powers late in life. Not to mention his father easily sold him off to ease the burden upon his family. So it is no surprise others in his family could display latent powers and become a part of the continuous cog of Arcanists being used for their power to fight in an endless war. I wonder if his brother is also a lightening mage.. The genealogy was not a science with powers. It seemed people with no lineage of the arcane within their blood line could birth someone with potential abilities. Not to mention if two arcanists of differing power came together, who knew the power the child could have. It could be completely different from family lineage. Hestia was just lucky her family linage held fire mages, but not all generations had the ability. There was a chance she could not have had any powers at all and instead of being here in this moment, she could be mopping up blood in the back of a butcher shop.
Any rebuttal or reserves she had before did not matter at this point. Xavier was her family and she would do anything to help him. Once someone was close to Hestia, she would put their needs first. She did not care for her own self-preservation.
"All right Sir after we are declared dead, how will we infiltrate into Grandus? Even if we are dead we still have our images to worry about. If we are dead on paper but recognizable and walking around we will easily be spotted. I am sure Grandus spies have intel on us and what we look like. How do you propose we disguise ourselves and where will we be placed exactly to hide out sniffing noses?"

[Yggdrasil_Hugger]

Otto spent four hours getting familiar with his home. The walls were bare metal. There were two floors. On the bottom floor were the kitchen, the den, the dining room, the library, and a bathroom. On the top floor were his bedroom, a guest bedroom, and an office. Every few feet was a gas-powered lamp. They were off, and the dark grey sky made the hallway near pitch darkness.
After four hours, a servant cleared their throat.
"The Royal Advisor wishes to speak with you, sir."
"Very well. I will be there momentarily." He turned on his heels and went to the front door. He hadn't even bothered to take off his officious coat. He strode out the door to a vehicle waiting for him. He was starting to resent these. He didn't notice the stench or the sound. Instead, he was caught up in his own mind. Today had moved so fast. Had only been this morning that he had pushed his tutor off of a stone pillar? Now he was on a mission from the king. He lived in The Capital. He was starting to feel some severe whiplash. The vehicle screeched to a stop, and he tossed a coin to the driver as he stepped out.
He strode up the stairs towards a palatial estate of white marble. He walked forward with his chin up, but inside he was trembling. This is where the Royal Advisor lived. The door opened by itself, and Otto's blood ran cold. The Royal Advisor was staring at him with cold, dead eyes. Otto bowed briefly, then continued on inside. The interior of the house was white, blinding bright. The floor was spotless. Otto could feel every molecule of smog and dirt clinging to his skin.
"Good evening, young Otto."
"Good evening, Sir."
'Welcome to my home. I have your tutor waiting."
"We wouldn't be training in my estate?"
"Nein, young Otto. I wanted to be present to measure your progress, so I could report back to the king." The Royal Advisor smiled a snake's smile, not a hint of kindness but full of venom.
"I see, my Lord."
"You don't mind?" His eyes probed Otto's face for any hints of emotion or discord, but Otto locked into his stony-faced mask. The Royal Advisor's serpent smile twitched for a split-second, and Otto wasn't even sure he saw it.
"Of course not, my Lord."
"Good. Follow me to the Garden." The Royal Advisor spun on his heels and strode into the house, Otto following close behind. They walked through the Royal Advisor's house. The wallpaper was deep green, and the walls were covered in paintings. On the left were depictions of fruit, animals, and places. On the right were paintings of people. A few Otto recognized. Warinot Volk, a brutal general that helped King König first defend from the vicious Famus raiders. Ebbe Mayer, the first Arcanist of Grandus. Ebbe was famous for smothering the flame of attacking Famus Arcanists. Avis Sauber, the general responsible for procuring The Capitol, which at that point had been a simple town by the name of Urstenvilde. And of course, King König I. The first king was a beautiful man, tall and broad, with hair the color of wheat and eyes the color of the sky. The rest of the paintings Otto didn't recognize. Perhaps they were the Royal Advisor's ancestors.
They exited the house into a large yard lush with green vegetation. It was a strange sight to see in the middle of the Industrial Capital of the Civilized World. In Grandus, everything was grey. The buildings, the streets, the sky, the people. It was an odd splash of color that shocked Otto. In the middle of the yard was a blocky man with reddish skin and thin white-blonde hair. The badge on his heart declared him an Earth Arcanist. Very well. It would be better than training with an Air Arcanist, that was certain. The Royal Advisor sat down in a chair that a servant rushed to place for him. He gestured for them to begin.
The tutor's accent was grating, foreign.
"Right lad, show me what you've got." Otto nodded, then began his spiel of skills. He levitated a huge chunk of stone, then replaced it back into the earth. He formed a wall, then a pillar, then a spike that thrust from the earth. He shaped stone over him in a dome shape, creating a bubble of rock. He opened a pit around his tutor's feet, then closed the earth around him, trapping him in place. He levitated on a chunk of rock. He manipulated his bracer into a longsword, then a rapier, then a whip, then an ax, then a scythe. He levitated chunks of rock around him, sending them flying towards his tutor. Any attack that he made towards his tutor was manipulated away. The tutor looked mildly impressed.
"Ah've got to say it lad, I expected worse. You've already exceeded my expectations. But let me see what you can do for defense." The tutor began to send hunks of stone hurtling towards Otto, who redirected them to the sides. They continued on in their exercises for hours, only stopping when it got too dark to see.

[HoboJOE]

The world around Xavier was muted as he studied the details of his youngest brother's face, how many years has it been since he's left the farm? His brother was no older than three years of age, he'd probably wouldn't remember him now, he'd be a perfect stranger to him...so why is so fixated on this picture of him.
Xavier's been fighting for a long, long time for Famus, the years made him jaded. His patronic pride has left him long ago after his first days on the battlefield. He was a sixteen year old boy, haplessly promoted because some big wig said he had "talent"...he saw a lot of men and women die that day and the sad part about it was, it wasn't the most he seen, it was just the first time he seen bloodshed of that magnitude, the first time he seen death...the first time he smelt it...
That day left a scar on him, he faced death as he stared at him and he had no choice but to stare back, it was basic animalistic survival and it didn't take him long for him to adapt to it, and not much longer he took his first life for himself. After that it became a blur, it didn't take him long to kill off the innocence of childhood, he soon forgot about the green pastures that covered his quaint little farm as he memorized the firing range of standard issue rifle, the sunny summer days turned into the dull gray of the fog of war in his mind's eye and fateful rainy day from long ago just meshed in with all of the other rainy days where he did his "best work" on the battlefield...but now looking at the face of a young man that belonged to his baby brother, he felt all of the memories rushing back, like the sun was shining on him once again.
"Is he...does he...",Xavier said, voice noticeably rasbier, and the High Arcanist shook his head and answered,"No signs of any powers, he joined on his own volition..."
The Arcanist sighed in relief, thankful that his brother wouldn't have to see the face of horror from his mother. Taking a moment to get his bearings from that tidal wave of emotions, he then cleared his throat and said,"So as Senior 1st Class ask, we'll be undercover right?"
The High Arcanist nodded at the both of them,"Yes, when you two arrived, you'll both will be assuming new identities until the mission is a success. The only one who know of your true whereabouts will be myself, and once we finish with "fumagating" everything will be square for you all to return safely without any leaks of your infilitration."
Taking out two new sets of papers, he moved them across his desk. They were roughly drawing portraits of him and Hestia, except remarkly different in appearance, Xavier's portrait had his long hair cut down into a mess of hair, apparently any lower and he'd be a deadringer for someone in the military, and is had the name "Quinton Maxwell" words "Occupation: Bar Chef" the portrait, looks like it was the identity he was going under, he wondered what Hestia got.
"As you set out with the troops, and arrive at Lomtia, you'll be taking in by the handlers to change both of your appearances there, as long as there is word that you'll both are 'at' the battle that is predicted to go down. Once the first alarm is sounded from Grandus first attack, you'll both find some...how I say...'doubles' to give the opposition some chase for some time, it won't be too long before they figure out that what they'll find isn't exactly what their looking for, so once inside don't waste anytime with the rescue..."
Sitting back in his chair as a shadow casted over his face, the High Arcanist then shifted his tone,"Now for the extraction...I'm afraid it won't be immediate, like I said, there is a rat hunt here that needs to happen so it will take some time before we are able to get you out from behind enemy lines...maybe a couple days...or a couple weeks even. The reason why your brother was captured because he apart of our espinoge unit, trusted to infiltrated Grandus' Capitol but somehow he lost his cover...don't know how but I'm sure you can ask him yourself once you get to him. I have reason to believe he may have uncover something...something big perhaps, not sure. The one thing I'm sure of is that you, Lieutentant, will not stop until he's in the loving embrace of Mother Famus once again."
Standing up, the High Arcanist gave them both a salute and said in a dignified boom"You are both DISMISSED!"