Alaric was sitting in his chair, enjoying the first light of the morning sun. There was a fresh cup of coffee in his hand, a croissant in the other, and a juvenile delinquent waiting for him to be done standing in front of him.
Ciaran's morning meditation was interrupted and he was sent to the old man's office without any explanation. He was wondering what the old man wanted, but seeing the sparks flying off his beard the kid could tell things were serious.
The old man always joked around, but he hadn't said anything for ten minutes straight after calling him in.
"Do you know what you have done?" The old man asked, without a hint of humor in his voice.
"You made a mess. The teachers? Worthless, and replaceable. It would have been a chore for the Empire, but nothing too serious. The students tho, that's where you crossed a line. Every injury, every horror you inflicted on them, had them wishing for strength. Now they have become more hard-working than ever." He said, his tone grave.
Ciaran looked at him and didn't know where he was going with this.
"Isn't that a good thing? Better students do equal a better Empire." Ciaran asked.
The headmaster slammed his hands on his desk and broke it. The sparks coming out of him started to put pressure on the kid.
"Better? BETTER? Yes, it does, but do you know who has to approve all the paperwork for the extra missions? Who has to write the reports? Who has to present said reports before the most boring individuals have ever been born? ME! You made me work. Your grandfather is like a brother to me kid, you played on my lap when you were just a baby, and you are forcing me to actually do my job now." There were real genuine tears in the eyes of the old man.
The boy didn't find his behavior strange, as he understood. Burocrasy was the truest of all evils, no matter your age or your status.
"Why didn't you just say you want to train your replacement domestically, slap the title of Vice Principle to some poor soul, and dump your work on them?" Ciaran asked.
The old man was about to shout at him but then sat back defeated. He was swapped with work, and adding to the fact that technically no such position existed in the Academy, the thought never crossed his mind.
"You take after your mother for sure. There is no way you got a hint of intelligence from that overgrown mole." The old man said, the electricity now has a very low current.
He then kneeled and picked through the rubble that was his former desk. Then he handed the boy three folders.
"Chose your punishment. You are probably one of the most protected people in our nation right now, but you went too far this time. Jokes aside, students almost died, and the Academy does not let such a thing go… in Year Three." He said with a slight pause at the end.
The boy opened the first folder. It was a military document. He would be enrolled in a military camp for the rest of the year. If he got through that training he would pass the year, if he didn't, then that led to expulsion.
Ciaran discarded that option, the boy would never tie himself to anything so stuffy as the military.
'Definitely takes after his father as well.' The headmaster laughed in his head at his friend's expense. The Colonel pulled some strings so his grandson could be placed inside an elite training regime as a punishment, but the kid couldn't be bothered.
Ciaran then opened the second folder and was stunned. It was a diplomatic mission to the Desert.
"Why would anyone send a kid to a foreign country to bargain for benefits?" He asked.
"Because your mom's family wants to meet you and your brother. They can't get their hands on little Ray so they will settle for you. Don't pick that one, or you are never coming back." The Alaric said, and this time the tone of his voice was cold and emotionless.
The kid didn't ask questions, and even after the old man knew his mentors he said that there was no reason to take the risk.
He took the third folder and opened it. It was a mission. A genuine mission, that an Academy student could take in their Seventh Year.
"A squire to a ranger. What does that even mean, and where the hell is it even located?"
The old man sighted. The boy was asking questions, but there was no anger in his voice, just excitement.
"Can't you at least make it a little interesting here kid, do you really have to choose right off the bat like that? Fine, fine, it's Northeast of the Empire. It's a joint, unexplored region we share with Auroria. And a squire is basically an errand boy with a fancy title." The old man explained with a hint of annoyance.
He was expecting a circus performance out of the boy, but just like his dad, it appears he only gave those out when he found it convenient for him.
"You leave in three days. Good luck, those animals are quite fierce." Alaric warned him.
The boy shrugged, bend down, and gave him back the two unnecessary files.
"I have hunted before. I can deal with beasts."
The old man picked them up and shook his head.
"I was talking about the Rangers, kid, they are as bad if not even worse than mages. And some even double dip in the madness." He said as he laughed menacingly.
Ciaran left the room and was about to head out when he felt a surge of heat coming in front of him. He quickly turned around and ran. But before he got far he felt someone lift him up by the backside of the collar of his shirt.
"Ciaran, why are there a bunch of injured kids laying in the medical bay?" Elizabeth asked him. Her eyes burned with orange light.
He thought about it, and answering with 'They weren't ours, why does it even matter' was a bad idea.
"It was a necessary sacrifice, don't worry I am being exiled for it. Again. Seriously, the Empire should come up with a more diverse set of punishments." He said as he handed her the file.
She just stared at him, but Fia picked it up.
"Crazy motherfuckers! Who does this to a child? FUCK!" Her response slightly worried him.
Elizabeth was startled and dropped him to the ground. She took the file and her face went pale.
"For once Fia, we agree on something. Fuck indeed." She leaned into a wall and used it as a support.
Now the boy was panicking, what had he gotten himself into? Was that place really so bad?
"Um? Can you elaborate on that, please? Maybe you can give me some tips and tricks." He asked, in the most polite voice he could muster.
They looked at him, and the fact Elizabeth wasn't even mad anymore scared him more than anything. The old woman was fiercely protective of all children, even if she had a bias for her own. Her lack of anger was not a good sign.
"Forget about the zone, it's who you will be with that's the problem. Look at the family name, it's Hemperyngs. You will be under a royal kid, that's never a good thing. And this one is crazy enough to be a ranger, who works near an enemy kingdom." Fia said, not bothering 'to hide her 'your screwed' tone.
The boy was startled, but remembering the alternatives, he still preferred this mission.
Then, since he didn't even need to go to class today, he went to have breakfast. Apparently, they served croissants today, and if his nose didn't deceive him, they were quite good.
When he had his fill he went back into the Maze and told his mentors.
"You aren't going anywhere before you reach Rank One, and they can shove their punishment up theirs until then," Eleftherios said.
Verdania looked at her brother and then at the kid. She then looked at the spider and then sighed.
"That can be worked out, but is Ariadne going with him, because I believe she shouldn't. Her progress into Fire Magic is going steady, and with that woman's methods, it would take years before she can reach the Apprentice level. I vote you go alone on this one." She said, and all three protested at her idea.
"Do you want to hinder her growth, just because you have separation anxiety kid, I don't think you do. It would be sacrificing long-term gains for short-lasting benefits. It's not like we won't be looking out for you. If you are ever in mortal danger, we will save you, all you would lose is your place in the Academy."
She paused, seeing them ponder her words, then she sat her brother down and told him not to overreact.
The man was confused, she just suggested they trough their kid in the damn tundra, no familiar, hardcore style, and NOW she sat him down.
"We can get him to Rank One in three days. He is close as it is, he just needs a push. Please don't overreact ok? But I think we have to call Mother."