Lucas had been staying in that hospital room for a week or so, Evelyn and Aaron were both getting worried. Especially since they were told he was so tired he couldn’t see a soul. They weren’t sure that was true, Lucas was strong and the council probably didn’t want him to talk about whatever secret mission he was sent on. Yet they found themselves organizing shifts in front of his room, missing classes and practice alike hoping they could get a chance to see him at least.

What they did know was that Brand and Kard returned with a couple of mages, and that they were all injured. And whispers flowed among the mages, rumors of war and worse, of the king abandoning them. Immediately both their mentors told them this was a tense time, and that the council had sent a messenger to the church for some reason. A feeling of panic was spreading just as fast as literature classes turned to bending the elements and self defense.

Aaron had known about it in theory, mages could throw rocks that far outweigh their size or spin water into spheres in their hands and shoot it at their enemies. Some ancient mages could even deflect swords and arrows with their magic. But it had not been taught at the academy in maybe two hundred years. Both the church and the army wing had decreed it too dangerous and without much use. That’s what the books Berg had given him said, at least.

Yet he wondered if that was true as he sat in one of these new classes. Berg had brought in a bowl of water and demonstrated creating whirlpools inside it after creating artificial movement in the water. He said the same could be done easily with a source of naturally flowing water as well. Like a river or even rain. That caused Aaron to wonder, how could such an ability, to move water as we moved the weapons of war be useless in such pursuits.

‘Perhaps there’s another reason… Although I can’t believe Berg would hide it for me, I am his apprentice after all,’ Aaron wondered to himself, but was interrupted when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Evelyn, showing greater restraint than he expected, whispered in his ear excitedly.

“Aaron, he’s awake! One of the caretakers told me we could see him,” she sounded as if she had just ran.

“Excuse us Berg, Lucas is awake,” Aaron didn’t hesitate and left the classroom immediately without even waiting for his mentor’s permission. Evelyn followed closely behind, a look of half awe on her face.

“Wow, you’re brave Aaron! Hope Berg won’t be too mad about that,” she almost laughed, only to stop herself as her friend walked even faster.

“It is our duty to make sure Lucas has not missed any lessons and classwork. Well, that’s what I’ll tell him later,” he laughed too, but sped up his pace.

“I swear I’m fine, I’m not sure how much I can tell…” Lucas grunted as he spoke, his side still hurt when he stood up. All of his body ached after the battle, but most of it had healed with rest and nourishment.

“You are clearly not fine,” Evelyn tried helping him, “and you have to tell us, we are the only ones you can. After all, all three of us are going to that council meeting, right Aaron,” she looked to him with a hopeful expression.

“That is what Berg said, yes,” he agreed reluctantly, but Lucas could see the flash of curiosity in his eyes.

“Fine, just let me get back to bed then,” he sat himself in the same bed he had been in for twelve days. The room he was in was entirely barren, only the bed and a small table nearby with what was left of his breakfast and a jug of water that was left by the caretakers of the Academy. Mages who specialized in healing and nursing others.

“Well, Brand took me on a mission, a very important one,” Lucas told them about being sent as an envoy to the northern kingdom, and how they were captured and the battle that followed. Aaron was shocked, and Evelyn hung on to his every word, but spoke with conviction when he was finished.

“You’re an idiot for using that much power Lucas,” she said in a tone of seriousness he didn’t expect.

“What do you mean Evelyn, Brand should never have brought him there in the first place?!” Aaron for the first time since they knew him, sounded angry.

“There’s a war coming, this is only proof. And it’s not like we didn’t handle something like this easily before. We took half a band of bandits on our own Aaron,” she looked at him, her blue eyes piercing through him.

“Evelyn’s right, I chose to come with Brand and he knew he could keep me safe at all times. It was my fault he even had to use his energy up before we escaped,” Lucas had thought about it the whole last few days.

“You both are insane, but what the hell does a war coming even mean? No kingdom is powerful enough to challenge the king, especially with us and the levies in his service,” Aaron shook his head.

“The king’s marshal left after what we saw in the village, and reappeared in the east with a rebellion around him. Of the same heretics as the eastern rebellion ten years ago,” Evelyn sounded authoritative, as if quoting one of Aaron’s old books.

“Did he tell you all that?” Aaron questioned?

“Yes, Falko told me it all, and if he’s right then this won’t be the last time we have to fight like that. Nobody is safe Lucas, and maybe we’re all that’s left to defend them,” she looked at them both with a knowing expression.

A couple days later, when Lucas was well enough to come to class, Brand came to him. He told his apprentice a council meeting was upcoming, and that each apprentice would be joining them.

“Just be ready, and make sure Aaron and Evelyn are too, maybe you all are the only ones who can stop this from getting worse,” he shook his head in frustration, “Falko wants to go to war. And Berg can’t stop sending letters to the king and the church asking about every little thing,” Brand whispered under his breath.

“But Brand, if we do need to go to war, the three of us are ready, I’m ready!” Lucas responded, Evelyn had been right, and so perhaps was her mentor.

“Lucas,” he touched the young man’s shoulder, “nobody is ready for war, and I will not let the peace of the last century collapse while I’m still around,” he laughed but it was only punctuated by tones of sorrow. He left a short time later, citing preparations.

For a few days Lucas waited eagerly for the council, hoping he could convince Brand otherwise. His family would be in danger if a war would come, just as much as every other person in the kingdom. And he wished no one would have to suffer that. If he could save them, just by fighting it, then he would. Yet as he got used to the classes and studying once more that enthusiasm turned to dread.

It was a week and a half later, in the middle of the night, when Aaron woke him up and pulled him into the hall. Evelyn was standing nearby, dressed in the colors of the war wing, a crimson cloak and the badge of a phoenix bathed in crimson fire attached to her chest.

“This is for you Lucas,” Aaron handed him a small badge, scales balanced by a stone and a book, “Brand refuses to use the gold colors of the research wing, so Berg told me to at least give you this,” he continued.

Lucas back at Aaron, confused at the significance and wearing of the small piece of metal he was now holding.

“Wait, what is this, and how do I wear it?” he asked, confused but curious.

“Oh, right, let’s ask someone to weave it into his cloak Aaron,” Evelyn responded, “When I first got here I had no idea either, but I guess Brand didn’t tell you about them. These badges are the symbols of our wings, they’re reserved for the heads and their apprentices on specific occasions. They show you have the full authority of the council with you,” she explained, but Lucas still felt lost.

“Anyways, we need to go,” Aaron hurried the two, and once he was sure they were ready he led them towards the center of the academy. Once they got to the entrance he took a corridor, then another, and yet another, until Lucas had no idea where they were anymore. Finally, Aaron stopped when they had reached a grand door, half the size of the entrance to the academy itself. When he knocked lightly, it seemed to open on its own until it revealed Brand standing behind it.

The inside of the room was smaller than Lucas expected, there was just enough space to be comfortable while sitting on one of the sides of the strange triangular wooden table. Each side had two marble chairs that were built into the floor of the room, and the table itself had a carving of the badge of each wing.

Berg and Falko were already sitting on the other side of the table, and Aaron and Evelyn took their seats next to them. In front of them lay an assortment of documents. Brand took his time to sit down, and only when he did he waved Lucas to do the same. Soon enough, he spoke as well.

“Now let’s get to the topic of this council meeting. It might be news to the three of our apprentices, but Falko, Berg and I believe a war may be upcoming. Heinrich has been unable to subdue rebellions within and without the eastern provinces and the king’s marshal, Kard Lightwatcher, who was supposed to remedy this in the last year seems to have thrown his lot with the rebels themselves. While Berg has lodged requests to deploy us to both Heinrich and the church, the king refuses and the church is far too busy chasing some heretic grand priest named Francis. So we are here to discuss what to do next. Given our attempt to negotiate for help from the northern kingdoms resulted in what the king now considers a border skirmish. We are closer to all out civil war than ever before.”

“You already know my opinion, Brand,” Falko’s voice was cold and smooth, in a way that made Lucas’ skin crawl, “we should take matters into our own hands and send a detachment led by the war wing to destroy the eastern rebellion. Just the same as during Jan’s original uprising.”

“We were given by the church ten years ago, we can not act as we wish! That is beyond our purview as Crimson Mages,” Berg stated decisively.

“And what of our duty to the people of the kingdom?” Brand asked back, “we must act to curb the chance of civil war, not to start it or wait for permission from those who refuse to acknowledge.”

“Our duty is first to the church and the king,” the academy wing head answered.

“No, our duty is to the survival of this kingdom, and that requires decisive action,” Falko, stretched his legs as if uncomfortable in the stone chair. Despite Berg's large bones, he was the biggest of the three council heads, with what seemed to Lucas like pure muscle filling up the man’s form.

“This is not the time for petty disagreements. We must act, that I agree with Falko,” Brand nodded, “but as for the manner of our actions, I think we must find some advice in our apprentices,” he said to the other two. They both hesitated for a second, looks of calculation crossing their faces before Falko smiled and Berg lightly agreed.

“Do we truly know a war is coming, if both the king and the church are refusing to act they must have a reason,” Aaron began without caring for the possibility of repercussions.

“I would tend to agree with you Aaron but the attack on me and Lucas was spearheaded by those claiming to follow Jan. Clearly they have more support than anyone thought. Especially given recent reports that we have obtained which believe they are also responsible for the incident near the capital you were involved in,” Brand spoke calmly.

“Or in other words, we are fairly certain a widespread rebellion is happening without anyone even knowing, and they have support from outside the kingdom,” Falko almost spat, his tone furious.

“Then we have to act, we need to maintain the kingdom’s stability for the people of it as well!” Lucas said, sad to disagree with Brand. But for once he didn’t understand his mentor’s perspective.

“Ha, your apprentice is making some sense Brand,” Falko laughed.

“While that is all well and good, this doesn’t help our conundrum. You must understand that if we act without the king’s or church’s permission we are no better than those heretics,” Berg decreed.

“If you believe that acting in the best interest of the king and church makes us rebels and heretics, then I would be proud to be both,” Evelyn almost laughed. A smile on her face that told Lucas she had wanted to act this way towards the man for some time. When Lucas looked at Aaron for a split second he saw a smile on his face as well.

“Despite my apprentice’s agreement I can not help but disagree. We must not let the peace of this kingdom fail because of our actions if we can help it,” Brand reiterated.

“And yet you agree we can break our duty to the king and church Brand?” Berg asked.

“Well I already knew this was a waste of time but this is clearly going nowhere. If you wish to keep arguing you can, but I will act to stem this danger within my authority as head of the war wing,” Falko got up and a second later so did Evelyn.

“Fine, but I will continue trying to get the approval of the king. And know I do not condone this behavior,” Berg puffed up his chest as Falko and Evelyn left the room.

Brand mumbled under his breath then spoke loudly, “we will not go to war while I’m still around!” and stormed out of the room as well, taking Lucas with him.

“I will not let you see war, do you understand me?” he said to his apprentice as he dragged him by the shoulder.