Chapter 197 - Cycling Roles

It was when they took their place in the arena, standing on the hot sand in the southeastern corner that the other three units turned their attention to the group of ten. They only looked for a few moments but their gazes were appraising, trying to understand how a unit that looked so mixed came to be, but also if such a unit would be comparable to their own. It was more curiosity than hubris, since their units consisted of a majority from the same groups, often those that had already worked together rather extensively.After seeing Jien pull his unit into a huddle against the stands of the arena instead of starting immediately the other groups chose to refocus instead. They were bound to see what this new group had to show regardless so they felt no rush, instead returning to their own routines. This of course didn't stop the occasional wandering eye from peeking over to see if Jien's unit would show anything even before starting.Once they had arrived by the stands Jien leaned casually against the wall while looking at the others with a calm gaze. "So, we are going to be cycling through different roles to see who fits which role best. Just a refresher of the roles; there are Scouts, As the name implies they are responsible for scouting ahead, stealth, tracking and to a certain extent ambushes. Next would Vanguards, the front line defensive and offensive force followed by Knights who represent secondary offensive force. This covers what could be considered the front half of a battle formation."Jien paused here, waiting to see if anyone had questions. It appeared that his explanation had been clear enough for the moment because nobody responded, only nodding along lightly. "The other three positions are Controllers, those responsible for directing a force. In larger battle scenarios they are often connected to other higher ranking controllers. Then there are Healers. This is an all purpose term, though having someone that can cast more than the simplest of healing spells is a boon. For the most part a healer would be in charge of healing minor wounds and applying basic first aid. The last of the roles is Rearguard. As the title suggests they are those responsible for protecting the back of the battle formation from being snuck up on. However, it is also a decent location for those who are better at the arcane arts than melee or for those using long range weapons, allowing them to assist the Vanguard and Knights from a distance."After his pause this time around Julie spoke with a simple question. "How does a controller guide the formation, especially at a distance?" Jien smiled at her question, glad that she was taking the topic seriously. "The answer varies depending on those that are in the unit and what they specialize in." Jien stroked his chin lightly as he thought for a few moments. "In my case I led using simple hand signals and in some cases combinations of sound signals. For now as we test things out I would suggest sticking to simple pre-planning and verbal communication. As we get more familiar with what works best we can create different methods of communication and work to perfect it."The explanation was quickly accepted by everyone. Even Julie didn't find issues with the approach since rushing into a certain method could hurt them later on if they were forced to change their approach. It was Rosalind who spoke up at this point, her excitement obvious in her tone. "And how are we going to test out the different roles. Without an opponent it will be harder to determine if a role feels right. Drills only get you so far."Her question brought everyone's gazes back to their chosen leader, at least for now. He sighed before giving his answer, knowing that this would be the start of determining if the strategy he brought up to Julie would work. "We split the unit in two, assign roles and then have sparring matches as groups of five. After one sparring match we rotate role and will continue to do so until we either run out of time or we understand what each of us feels more comfortable doing."The answer received nods of approval from Jien's friends, a large smile from Robyn and a slightly vicious smile from Julie, it was Alys that seemed the odd one out, bearing a slight frown. "That sounds great except for the role of Healer. Not all of us have experience in first aid or healing spells." With that statement she directed her eyes toward Julie, causing the latter to scowl, looking just about ready to retort in anger. Jien however was faster with his response, pulling a small pack from his bag. The pack was a medium size leather bag, which he promptly opened, displaying a large quantity of vials."The answer is simple." Jien responded with the same calm tone. "The healer will hold onto two of these potions that will assist with healing. If needed they will administer them and if not they will be passed to those that take the role of Healer in the next sparring match." He passed his eyes over everyone before his words became a touch firmer. "Just remember that this is indeed a sparring match. We want to avoid more trips to the academy healers if we can."