Hoisting the flag from its post, Arthur and Angela made their way back to the rest of the group, the two of them keeping to themselves.
Stepping back into the fallen ruin they found the other three waiting. The rest of Harold's group were on the ground, bound and out cold. Vines had been threaded through their wrists and ankles, thick enough that none of them were getting loose without help.
Mars was seated on top of one of the unconscious men like he was a piece of furniture, legs crossed, picking something out of his teeth with a look of complete satisfaction.
Garrett was against the far wall, he had a hand pressed to his ribs, the other resting on his knee. His breathing was steady but you could tell he was worn out, especially as if his ribs were bruised.
Amy was crouched beside him, palm hovering just above his side, the faint green light of her Nature bloodline threading quietly through the bruise forming under his uniform. She was focused on the work, not looking at his face.
"Arr, Captain!" Mars was on his feet the moment he spotted the flag, full pirate voice, arm swept wide. "I see ye've plundered the enemy's colors!"
"Don't celebrate yet." Arthur looked at the group over once, taking stock. "We still need to carry it back to our flag." He glanced briefly at Garrett's knuckles. "I don't think we'll have any trouble with that. What I'm more worried about is how Ashveil grades our performance." A beat. "But winners make sacrifices."
He turned and walked.
The rest of the group fell in behind him.
Mars, completely unbothered, grabbed the bound ankle of the man he'd been sitting on and dragged him two feet to the left so he wasn't blocking the path.
"After you," he said to no one in particular.
Placing the flag down near their flag pole a bell rings out signaling the end of the game.
They hadn't made it more then three steps toward the stands before Ashveil's voice stopped them.
"Hold."
They turned.
She stood with her arms crossed, gold eyes moving over the group with the same unhurried assessment she gave everything.
"Angela." She started there. "D-minus. And I would have failed you outright if your captain hadn't pulled you out of that snare." Angela's expression stayed composed. Her hands at her sides told a different story, fingers curling slowly into a fist. "Next time your captain puts a plan together, you follow it. The moment you go off alone you become readable. Today it cost you your mobility. Next time it costs you more than that."
Angela gave a short nod.
Ashveil turned to Arthur and didn't move on nearly as fast.
"Arthur C+." Her voice didn't rise but the weight behind it did. "You read the situation well and keep your cool when it counts." She let a beat pass. "And then you left your post to go rescue someone who walked into a trap because she ignored the plan you put together."
Arthur said nothing.
"I understand the instinct but I'm telling you your instinct is wrong." Her gold eyes didn't leave him. "You are the captain and the moment you chase after one problem you leave every other problem unattended. Your back line while having numbers advantage could have ran into a trap of their own if the enemy had set up more. That's a gamble you took on their behalf without asking them." A pause. "You got lucky today, luck is not a strategy. Next time you feel the urge to go save a fool from their own decisions, ask yourself what it costs everyone else. Then make the right call."
The words landed on Arthur who took them in stride.
Arthur held her gaze and nodded once.
She moved on.
"Garrett B. You held your position and absorbed what you needed to. You were a bit sloppy in places as your damage control needs some work, but the foundation is solid. Good bones for a tank and a defense specialist."
"Yes ma'am." Garrett took it without fuss.
Ashveil's eyes shifted to Amy and something in them sharpened.
"Amy B-. You supported your teammates well and listened to your captain. Solid work overall." The pause that followed had an edge to it. "However I stated clearly that only mana-based spells were permitted in this exercise. Your bloodline was forbidden."
Amy's face went pale.
"The only reason I'm not marking you down anymore for it is that the opposing team was already incapacitated by the time it became relevant." Her gaze didn't move off Amy. "But I will not make that allowance twice. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am." Amy bowed sharply. "It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't."
She turned to Mars last.
"Mars A. Strong performance. You held your position, fought well, and followed your captain without hesitation." She held his gaze. "Though that last part is what I want to address."
Mars blinked.
"Growing up in the Pyke family I imagine following orders without question was drilled into you early. That discipline has value." She said it like she was stating a fact. "But if your captain makes a bad call it is not your job to follow him off a cliff. It is your job to stop him. A squad is not just muscle behind a leader. Every member is responsible for the outcome. Understood?"
Mars brought his hand up in a clean salute. "Yes ma'am!"
Ashveil held the group with one last look, then dropped her arms.
"Dismissed."
Taking their seats, the rest of class played out with the remaining groups finishing their respective tasks.
When the last bell rang Ashveil stepped back to the center of the floor one final time.
"Good work to everybody." Her voice carried without effort across the amphitheater. "I'm sure some of you are walking away from today feeling confident in what you can do. And I'm sure others are walking away feeling like they're behind the curve."
She let both of those sit for a moment.
"For the confident ones good. Hold onto that, but don't let it make you lazy." Her gold eyes moved across the stands. "To the ones who feel behind you probably are. That's fine, that won't always be the case."
She clasped her hands behind her back.
"Every year there are dark horses. Take my time at this academy a student from House Virtues ranked 425th in his class was matched against the rank 100 of his year." A few murmurs moved through the stands. She didn't wait for them to settle. "He was ridiculed by everyone, treated as if he was nothing, an insect to be stepped on. But on that fateful day he proved why those hungry always eat the complacent. As he won the fight overturning the whole academy he took that momentum through the rest of the year and finished the year 73rd overall." Her gold eyes moved across the amphitheater without settling on anyone in particular. "Nobody him to close the distance they wrote him off the second they saw his rank. But nobody saw the steps he took to close that gap. The countless nights staying up late searching for the answers to his problems. No one. Until that day he won. So don't think your steps are mingliness every step is a step forward."
She dropped her arms to her sides.
"That's all for today."
She turned and walked without waiting for a response.
The amphitheater broke apart slowly after that, students peeling off in clusters, the weight of the session bleeding into ordinary afternoon noise.
'She got passion…' Arthur can't help but note as he stands grabbing his things as then turns to see the rest of his group gathering their things as well.
Though Angela was already leaving, seemingly not wanting to spend even another second here.
Mars was already talking with Amy seemingly talking about how she would benefit by taking some martial arts class so that way she can support him by being by his side. Amy, clearly not used to such energy, tries to calm down Mars while being nice.
Garrett rolled his shoulder and winced quietly as he put off his things watching Mars and Amy.
'Good enough.'
Arthur picked up his bag.
—--
Later that night.
"Wait Mira we..I..i don't."
"Sssh." Putting her finger on Garrett's face Mira silences him.
"It's ok I'm just thanking you that's all." Mira smiles as she pulls herself in.
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