“But, enough about that for now. We should head back to the dorms and celebrate your accomplishment today,” Bernar flicked the back of his hand on my chest. “It's colder than a witch's tit out here, and pissing more than the sea goddess herself can muster,” he grinned. “Yeah, and I’ve been standing out here waiting for you since lunchtime,” I added, prompting him to roll his eyes at my sarcasm.

“We still have some time before supper, so we should change our clothes before the Master rips us both a new one,” he continued. “I guess you’re right,” I agreed reluctantly because I loved the rain and cold. “I’m always right, fuck-ass,” Bernar flicked me again.

“Not always…” I said, grinning slyly. “If you’re going to mention that incident with the Dawn Nymph…” he trailed off, his arm rearing to punch my shoulder again. “I didn’t say anything,” I raised my hands placatingly. When we both started chuckling, I shook my head in disbelief as I recalled the story he’d told me. “Alright, let’s get back inside. I’ve had enough rain for one day,” he glanced upward.

I brought my new horse into the stall and removed the saddle. Thankfully, the treated leather didn’t absorb much water, but I still struggled under its weight.

It truly is a beautiful horse. I wonder what I should call it, I thought as I closed the gate behind me, patting its neck before I left.

“I suppose we could try this again, or perhaps spar with each other tomorrow?” I asked expectantly. Bernar shrugged and displayed a one-sided smile “I suppose we could do some sparring tomorrow, but we'll have to deal with whatever the Master has planned first. I hear he wants to give us his version of a surprise test tomorrow,” he replied.

I held a pensive expression for a few seconds, but quickly dismissed any ideas that came to mind. “You don’t happen to know what that might be, do you?” I raised an eyebrow, hoping to get more information from him.

“I do, actually, but I’m not allowed to talk about anything coming from the Master that he doesn’t clearly state himself,” he groaned. “Ah, damn. I'd rather like a challenge,” I said, blissfully unaware of the reality outside the fortress. “I’m sure you would,” he grinned.

I had no idea just how much of a challenge we would all be facing in the coming weeks.

A half hour and a change of clothes later, we arrived at the mess hall. A long wooden house, with well-thatched roofing where two massive pillars supported the front of the roof above the main entrance, both engraved with tales of past Synners and their heroic actions. We walked under the tall doorway and were relieved at seeing the feast before us.

Typically, the food we would eat during our days at Codrean tasted little better than watered-down nasal mucus, which held all of the necessary nutritional value we needed. However, the feast that awaited us was certainly a surprise to be remembered for the next few months.

There were slaughtered pigs on the tables with apples in their mouths amid platters of deer and lamb haunches. There was more than enough vodka and ale to go around, and the Synners, seniors and juniors alike, were just going in for their second round when we walked in. The New Bloods, as we called the youngest members, weren’t allowed to drink for obvious reasons.

Many of those sitting at the tables acknowledged our presence, since Bernar was one of the few there whom the Master had recognized at eighteen.

I never told him back then, but I’d always hoped to match it.

Since our daily training often consisted of various different types of exercises, sword and spell drills were modified to fit each Synner's style, while still honing the core basics. Some preferred more flashy styles, whereas others preferred the more conservative movement types.

Bernar was one of the few who had mastered four styles of blade-and-spell work, which led him to be recognized as a prodigy by the Master.

Although we would all spend hours each day, training, polishing and perfecting our techniques for our preferred weapon systems, we would also have to face the rigorous physical conditioning part of it all; league-long runs in minimal amounts of time, lifting and tossing tree trunks, and endless weapon swing repetitions to name a few.

This all had to be done in full gear so that there wouldn't be a difference in performance when the time came to fight. In turn, it made us formidable warriors who were nearly unmatched in our physical capabilities.

Usually, there was no such feast waiting for us at the end of a long training day. The habitual gruel we would eat sufficed to supply their bodies with nutrients. However, today was a day unlike the rest, as our eyes glistened at the sight of the feast before us.

We walked towards the long hearth running down the center of the barracks, which heated the general area to a fair temperature, and chose some empty seats that our comrades had saved for us.

“Ah! There you are,” the Master, who now stood at the far end of the hearth, exclaimed. His voice rang across the mess hall like a tidal wave of sound. Everyone’s hearts skipped a beat, and they sat still with eyes peeled, but the scariest part was that no one had seen him enter the hall.

He was not a man any of them would have liked to have annoyed or anything of the sort. Rumor had it that he had killed a Synner long ago for insubordination in the mess hall. At other times, he was known to beat future Synners, or new bloods as we called them, for being even a single minute late.

“I’m glad to see you're all enjoying yourselves, and you aren’t wrong to do so,” he said in a voice much warmer than most were used to. His audience was quiet and attentive, holding their breath as our white haired, glowing-eyed master spoke.

“I believe everyone present heard the sound of a single thunderbolt strike near our home this afternoon. I thought the thunder god would have brought more with him. Disappointing, really, given the amount of rainfall we’ve had today,” his piercing gaze fell upon the two of us.

Oh, fuck! We’re dead, I glanced at Bernar, who raised both his eyebrows and shifted his gaze away from me.

Surprisingly, the Master didn't dally on the subject, but a thin-lipped grin managed to escape the corner of his mouth, wrinkling the scar on his cheek. He waved his hand and decided moving on to what was most important was better.

“I digress. I expect you all know that at the end of every day, we have our briefing for the following day. Now, I know that many of you have more than obviously noticed that something is very different from any other day up until now,” he leaned forward, interlocking his fingers.

Here it comes, I anxiously elbowed my brother’s rib cage.

“We're having this lovely feast for one reason: tomorrow we're going on an expedition,” he observed carefully as some of the younger Synners shifted in their seats. “I expect all of you to be looking sharp as ever at first light. We'll head southeast to Coltend Castle to participate in a war council,” he said, making me wonder if this was the surprise test.

“We have received an invitation from King Truls himself to attend, but only a handful of representatives of our section will be present at the meeting. If you have any questions, now would be the best and only time to ask them. Otherwise keep your shit to yourselves,” the Master glanced around the room for any raised hands.

A few of the young ones grew uneasy, some anxious to go on their first expedition, while others out of pure fear. There was no way of knowing what they might encounter on the road that could make some seniors shake in their hardened leather boots.

However, this would be my first time being so far from the fortress I called home.

I abruptly raised my hand, and in the same instant, the Master raised an eyebrow. “Yes? What is it, young Thoma?” his gaze snapped to me. “I've never been to Coltend, Master, and I was just wondering what sort of beasts or monsters we could encounter on our way there,” I said with a slight tremble.

I know others have similar questions, but hopefully I can get enough out of him right now to help them out, I assured myself I hadn’t just made a mistake.

The Master must have sensed that I was as nervous as a whore in church, and wrinkled the scar on his cheek once more. “I've only ever been there a few times myself, and I still don't know every monster or beast that lies on the path towards it,” the Master replied nicer than usual, giving me a slight sense of relief.

“However, the one thing I can tell you is that if we do encounter any threats along the way, you'll need all the skills you've learned until now,” he said with an air of caution.

“Does that mean there’s a high chance of that happening, Master?” I asked the moment the last word left the Master's mouth. He looked at me with a warm stare I could only assume was a nostalgic one; eager to get into a battle and show my prowess as a Synner. He chuckled lightly through his nose in response to whatever he was thinking.

“I’m not saying it’s not unlikely,” he grinned. “In case any of you forgot, the creatures we have long since trained to deal with are rarely ever alone. I wouldn't count on there not being in a skirmish at some point along the way,” he looked around the Hall.

“Just be prepared and remember your training. You'll do well enough from what I’ve heard, Thoma,” he said, prompting everyone to stare or scowl at me.

Shit, now I’ve got another target painted on my back, I curled into myself, as even some of the seniors glared at me.

Thankfully, Bernar glared back at them, nearly making me laugh as I watched them buckle beneath his intense glare.

The reason for the glares was relatively simple. The Master rarely complimented anyone above the rank of New Blood, and while I couldn’t read minds, their expressions showed the jealousy stirring within them.

“Thank you, Master. I'll do my best,” I said with more excitement than I had initially intended. “I know you will,” the Master said calmly, and sent a small chill down everyone's spine.

However, I froze solid.

“W-What do you think he meant by that?” I quietly asked Bernar after we’d left the mess hall as we headed back to the dorm that was in the main fortress of Codrean. “Fucked if I know,” he shrugged. “The Master's been awfully strange these days and I'm not too anxious to find out what’s been eating him,” he sighed as I eyed him curiously.

That’s because you already know, don’t you? I raised an eyebrow, but he never noticed.

“Besides, it's not like he'd let us figure it out anyway, right? I mean, the bastard's creepy as hell, smart as can be, and meaner than my friend's ex-wife when she's on those days of the month,” he chuckled, scratching the back of his head with a shit-eating grin across his face.

I smiled and felt a little calmer at the last comment, knowing it was aimed to cheer me up and remove the chill that still rolled down my spine from dinner.

“Ah, screw it,” he blurted out. “At least we'll get to truly see what you're made of if we do face any creatures along the way,” he said excitedly. “I'm sure that if you can prove yourself to the Master, then you'll soar up the ranks,” he said confidently. “I sure hope so,” I muttered, averting my gaze slightly.

“Well, we should get some sleep, little brother. Got a long day tomorrow, and not enough time to sleep or women to keep us company through the night,” he sighed. “I have to review the spell I've created. It's best to always keep it fresh in mind,” I shrugged.

“Oh, you practice that thing every night?” his eyebrows raised in surprise. “You were the one who taught me not to neglect practicing it,” I scoffed. “I did, but not at the cost of sleep,” Bernar sighed as we reached the entrance to the large, stone fortress.

“Just don't stay up too late, you mischievous little turd,” he said, pushing the wooden door open and scuffing up my hair. “Alright, alright! I won’t,” I replied with a smile from ear to ear.

My brother tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, obviously expecting me to add something I’d forgotten. “Okay, I promise I won't,” I groaned. “Better not,” he scoffed. “Otherwise, I'll make you drink a bowl of goat's piss,” he brought his finger to the tip of my nose.

Nooooo, thank you, I smiled nervously.

“Rest well, brother. Tomorrow's a big day… for both of us,” he continued, patting me on the shoulder, and turned down one of the stone hallways that led towards his own quarters.

I proceeded down the opposing hallway, reaching one of the rooms where I found the others drunkenly snoring in their beds. I removed my clothes, avoiding a bucket of someone’s piss along the way, and got into my sleeping attire.

I did my best to stay quiet as I tucked myself under the covers and lay awake, staring into the dark shadows of the thatched roof above me, and wondering what sort of things I might encounter the next day.

As my imagination ran freely, I pictured myself in the middle of a flat, grassy meadow at twilight to review my new spell, calculating how powerful it might be, and how much mana I would need to cast it.

Obviously, I knew of the dangers of casting an untested spell in battle, as they were frequently addressed during training. I just hoped that whatever happened the next day wouldn’t force my hand to use it.

However, that answer would only come the next day when I’d depart on my very first expedition at first light.