The group sat down at a table with a chess board, after Ranvir finished devouring the food they’d brought him.

“So, how’d class go?” Ranvir asked. He noticed Esmund’s hand was wrapped in bandage, that seemed to mist lightly in the air. From the way his friend was carrying himself Ranvir didn’t think he wanted to talk about it. Judging how the others avoided even looking at it made him all the more certain.

“You wanna talk about class?” Grev asked, incredulous. “What happened with you? What happened between Ayvir, Svenar and Floki?”

“You know about Master Svenar and Floki?” Ranvir blinked.

“It’s all everybody’s talking about.” Sansir explained.

“Of course we know!” Grev added.

“I’ll tell you. I just need a little time to sort out what happened, myself. Just give me a minute, tell me about weapon class.”

Grev sighed heavily. “Fine. Play me?” He looked to Sansir. Ranvir had sat down in front of the chessboard, because he wanted to try though.

“Actually, can I play?”

Grev paused, squinting suspiciously. “Only if it doesn’t slow your story.”

“It won’t.” Ranvir waved away the accusation with a hand. “I go first.” He opened with a simple move, he’d seen both Sansir and Grev use many times previously.

“There’s not a lot to explain about weapons class.” Sansir said, as Grev made his move. “It’s all the same. Though, Master Vigo wasn’t there today nothing else changed, just a different weapon master. They’re still trying to get you comfortable with weapons, and teach the basic moves.”

“You?” Esmund inquired, watching the chess game with a half an eye.

“Sansir is actually really good.” Grev spoke up, moving one of his tall corner pieces into the field. Ranvir frowned, he’d seen Grev do it against Sansir a few times. Unfortunately, he’d never seen his bald friend come up with a satisfactory answer. Dark blue vines of consternation wrapped around him as he searched the board for a solution.

“You are?” Esmund sounded surprised.

“I’m alright. Grevor is the one who’s been training since he was a kid.” Sansir deflected.

“I’ll become a two year old if you haven’t practiced with an axe, for as long as I’ve trained with my sword.” Grev cut in.

“You’ve been training for that long? Why?” Esmund asked.

Ranvir wasn’t happy with his move, it would stall Grev a little but he had no solution. Judging from the expression on Sansir’s face he’d seen a better way. The consternation darkened further, as he concentrated on the board.

“Are you guys the best in the class, then?”

“No.” Sansir simply replied.

Grev moved another piece with an easy smile. “We’re among the best. There are a few who are naturally gifted with weaponry and have been training for as long as us, if not longer.”

“So who’s the best?” Esmund’s question made Ranvir look up from the game.

“Dovar.” Sansir didn’t comment further.

“Dovar.” Grev agreed. A shadow of the attitude he’d had during tether class passing over his face. “He’s a natural born talent, taller and bigger than most full-grown men. On top of that he’s been training for as long as he’s been able to hold a training sword.”

Ranvir bit his lip, black clouds of anger were rolling below of the blue consternation. He didn’t know enough about combat to comment, not really.

He moved another piece. He could tell it wasn’t the best, but couldn’t find a better move. It only stirred the clouds, bringing them slightly closer to the surface.

Sansir’s brows raised as he examined the board. “That’s the first outright mistake, at least that I caught.”

“I’ve been losing in small steps.” Ranvir muttered.

“That’s cool. So why were you training with the axe?” Esmund broke some of the tension. Ranvir’s tension at least.

“My father is a soldier. I’m doing this, so I can meet him.”

“That’s nice.” Esmund’s happy voice cut through Sansir’s monotone one as he clasped his shoulder.

“I think it’s your turn.” Grev said. “To explain what happened, I mean. The next move’s mine.”

Ranvir bit his lip. If Grev moved the pawn forward he might have a shot at turning the game around, otherwise he was pretty sure he’d lost.

“Master Ayvir wanted to know how far I’d progressed.”

“And something went wrong!” Grev’s excitement was unmistakable.

“No, actually. I told him I couldn’t sense the pressure…”

There was a moment of pause. Ranvir didn’t know how well his friends did in class, but he had a good guess. Esmund was performing in the top of his class, maybe even top of the year. He’d guess Grev was similar. Sansir was a harder read.

“I couldn’t find the pressure seeking to escape.” Ranvir added.

“Ohhhh…” Grev let out a long noise as he leaned back, before shooting over the table again. “Wait. No, why were you searching for that pressure? You’re a manipulator.”

“You were taught by Master Floki, the space teacher…” Sansir started to say. “He must’ve slacked off, that actually explains it pretty well.”

“I don’t get it.” Esmund said.

“Manipulators and generators sense the world with their power differently, I think.” Ranvir explained, making another bad move. At this point the game was already a loss. “Generators feel pressure from inside them, while manipulators feel pressure from outside.”

“And you were looking for the wrong pressure!” Esmund exclaimed snapping the fingers on his good hand.

“So did it work?” Sansir asked. “Searching for the right pressure?”

Ranvir nodded. “I think so. Honestly, the entire event is a little confusing. I’m not entirely sure everything is as I remember it…”

“Tells us the good parts!” Grev positioned his diagonal moving tall piece, as he spoke.

“Master Ayvir was furious after he realized I’d been taught wrong. Just being close to him felt dangerous.” Ranvir swallowed at the memory, the dark clouds and blue consternation rippling with white nervousness. “When he found Floki, he freaked out even further and started threatening him.”

“Threatening?” Grev asked. Ranvir couldn’t tell if he was excited by Master Ayvir’s actions, or outraged by them. Only that it really riled him up.

“Yeah, things got a little out of hand and then Teacher Svenar showed up.” Ranvir winced, as he lost another of his pieces to Grev’s inevitable move forwards.

“Then what happened?” Esmund was definitely excited for the story.

Ranvir shrugged. “I’m uhhh… I’m honestly not sure. Ayvir helped me up and sent me to the dorms.”

Sansir let out a grunt as he leaned back in the couch, while the other two groaned at the anti-climactic ending. “That’s so boring! I think Master Ayvir probably attacked Floki.” Esmund exclaimed.

“Yeah! He attacked Teacher Floki, because of his mistreatment of a student!” Ranvir watched as Grev and Esmund spun the tale way out of proportion.

“Master Svenar had to stop them!”

“All because they were fighting over Ranvir!” Grev exclaimed.

The person in question winced, light-red embarrassment swirling to the surface. He exchanged a glance with Sansir, then he tipped over his king and got out of his chair.

“I’m going to get some air.” He explained, getting vague motions affirmation from his story-telling friends.

“I’ll come too.” Sansir replied. Getting around Esmund wildly flailing arms proved too difficult and he had to go all the way around instead.

Together they walked out of the dorms, strolling onto the fields. There were a few others out. It was approaching summer so the sun hadn’t fully set despite the late hour, yet. Though, Ranvir noted, My definition of late hour has changed after coming here. Normally, he’d only be finishing up work, or sitting down for dinner at this hour.

He hadn’t realized how much getting up earlier affected his sense of time.

“Are you okay?” Sansir asked.

“I’m not hurt.” Ranvir replied. He shifted as he walked feeling for soreness, but finding none.

“Not like that.” His tall friend continued, running a hand over his bare scalp. “There are stories of soldiers caught too close to tethered fighting and being nearly incoherent for days afterwards.”

“Yeah, but I am a tethered.” Ranvir reminded him. “I might not have a lot of talent, but I’m still one of you.”

“Not what I was saying.” He raised a finger. “We don’t know how talented you are. I don’t even know if there’s a way to measure it, like with the other elements.” Lifting another finger, he continued. “The soldiers affected have all gone through the ritual. We’re all tethered to the Goddess in this way.” He raised his other hand in the acknowledgment of the two moons hovering low in the sky. “You never see these symptoms in the very weakly tethered. They don’t have the senses to even tell what is happening, let alone have it affect them.”

Ranvir cocked his head but decided against speaking up. A bit of blue curiosity bubbling up.

“Even if you’re a meager talent compared to the rest of the students at the academy. You’re still superior to all other tethered in Elusria, other than those studying in the Royal School.” Sansir reminded him. “You obviously experienced something difficult, being that close to so many Masters pushing their power. I’m just telling you to be conscious of that, make sure that you’re actually alright.”

Ranvir bit his lip, the purple worry mixing in with the blue curiosity, taking it over completely in moments. “How would it affect me?”

“It might not. There’s no guarantee that it’ll affect you beyond what has already happened today.” Sansir bumped against his shoulder. “Take it a day at a time. If you’re not feeling well, don’t push it. Progress is done in minutes and hours, but is measured in months and years.”

Ranvir paused, looking intently at his friend. “That’s really comforting, actually.” Sansir nodded in return, his face stolid. “How do you know all of this?”

“I wanted to become a soldier when I grew up.”

Ranvir stopped walking, standing in the middle of the field. “You do realize that’s not an explanation?”

Sansir stopped too, a bit of a frown creeping onto his face. Ranvir knew Sansir was bigger than him, but standing that close he realized just how far Sansir towered over him. Still he wasn’t bigger than Ranvir’s father neither in height nor width—or gut. He readily met his tall friend’s eyes. Ranvir’s brown eyes, clashing with Sansir’s green, an unusual color for the people in Elusria.

Or anywhere really.

“I did my preparations.” Sansir replied. “I knew I was going to join the army when I grew up. I did my best to prepare for it.”

“Like training with the axe? And the chess? And all your knowledge?”

“Yes.”

Breaking the staring competition, Ranvir stepped away from Sansir. Rubbing his hands across his face. Why would a simple soldier need to train their mind towards strategies and tactics? He let out a low groan.

“Then why all the extra work? If you’re a soldier then you follow orders, right?”

“That’s the attitude of the dying and the lucky.” Sansir sounded amused, but his voice was tinged with relief? Ranvir wasn’t certain. He turned to look at his friend, and found his demeanor calm.

“Dying and lucky?” He asked. Yellow had crept forwards, tinting Ranvir with suspicion.

“Consider it like this. You were training for a trade, right?”

“Metalsmith under my mother, primarily jewelry.”

“Wait, really?” Sansir paused. “Isn’t your father a lumberjack?” He sounded disappointed.

“When I was a kid I didn’t have the size go with him. By the time I was old enough I was already studying under mom.”

Sansir shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. You’re a jewel worker.” Ranvir nodded. “So you only follow your mother’s orders? Do as she says? Hit the metal like she tells you? Taps with the uhh…” He mimed hitting a chisel stamp with one hand and hammering it with the other.

“I would need to learn why, eventually.” Ranvir bit his lip. “Is that what you’re saying? You’d need to understand it at some point? So you might as well know from the beginning?”

“Something like that. The alliance’s armies are ruled by the tethered, very few officers aren’t ‘blessed by the Triplet Goddess’. The more you know the easier it is to survive. A tethered could send a troop of soldiers to die, because of a poorly thought out order. I wanted to know if my life was being thrown away.”

Ranvir cocked his head. That made a lot of sense actually. His mother used to say that productivity in the shop dropped by half after he joined, simply due to all the questions she’d have to answer. If his life had depended on getting enough answers, he would have halted production entirely with his curiosity alone.

“I think Esmund told me you were a carpenter’s apprentice.”

“Old Master Tore. I did study under him, and I know some carpentry, but we both knew that I was never going to remain after the ritual. I was either joining the academy as a tethered or joining the army. I did some work, mostly to keep him company when I was younger and to pay back as much of his generosity as I could.”

Sansir had said his father was related to the army. Ranvir didn’t know why he didn’t mention his mother, but could be understanding on the subject of family.

“It’s getting a little chill, let’s head back.” Ranvir said. It was in fact not getting cold, it was spring and the weather seemed to vacillate between warm and cripplingly hot, with no space on either side for variety.

Sansir had enough sense to detect a distraction without bringing focus on it. “Let’s.” Together they turned and headed back to their dorms.