While in the west of Kolar, under the shadow of the great Matterhorn peak, Nero and his battalion were heading towards dinner after a long day, and the other battalions were running laps, the east was filled with mayhem.
A loud explosion rocked the battlefield, throwing dirt, ash and debris in the air, its shockwave hitting even those who managed to avoid the initial blast itself. If the sounds of fighting and battle hadn’t filled the air, then the sounds of groaning and grunting soldiers would have.
There was no rest here, no peace or reprieve to be found. The scene wasn’t as tranquil as a mud pit, and the challenge wasn’t as linear. Unlike the Kolar Military Academy, which focused on training skilled and experienced officers, practiced in the art of strategic warfare, the Kolar Warrior Academy focused only on producing elite soldiers. Elite soldiers - each one a highly coveted asset, able to bring significant change on the battlefield. In another time, on another world, every one of them could have become legendary warriors, their might and prowess passed down through history for generations. Here though, in Kolar, in Niere, they were merely graduates of KWA.
Of course, that was after graduation, as not everyone who attended graduated, for the three years of education provided by KWA allowed only the best to survive. Only the best - or the ones crazy enough to endure its grueling training and come out on the other side smiling.
"Stop following me, dammit," Bael said between ragged breaths right after coughing out some blood. "This is not a teamwork exercise, and we’re not even in the same battalions!"
Anger and frustration ruled Bael’s expression, yet Lina Sorin just looked at him with the same, empty, expressionless eyes. Although, supposedly, she had recovered from whatever curse was afflicting her back in Perilith, Bael had some serious doubts - her unusual behavior not in the least a contributing factor to that conclusion!
Bael grit his teeth and frustration before turning away from her to view the battlefield. Today was his first day at KWA, and they had welcomed him and his entire session of new students with a warm welcoming exercise.
What was the exercise? Was it some kind obstacle course, like the one Nero went through in KMA? No, it was a mission to cross the border into Dolziya and plant a Kolari flag there! Apparently, this was a longstanding tradition in KWA - one that Dolziya was aware of.
So, while the attacks falling down on Bael weren’t going to decimate the entire group, as there was some understanding between the two nations, they were still very real, with every intention of harming and maiming them. After all, the ones attacking them were the trainees or cadets from Dolziya who were using this as their own practice.
The border between Kolar and Dolziya was well defined, mainly due to natural features. Just as the arm of the Aether mountain range defined the western border of Kolar, the twin rivers defined its eastern border. The first river was considered the Kolari, while the land in between both rivers was generally considered no-man’s land. The second river was thus considered the Dolziyan border. At least, as far as this exercise went, that was the deal. In reality, Kolar considered the no-man’s land as their own as well.
With no real forewarning, and no preparation, Bael could still manage to survive this battlefield due to his passive healing, but he did not see how he could cross the damned river while under fire. To make matters worse, they hadn’t even been given the flag! They had to look for the flag themselves. Where the hell-
"You are wasting time. Move to a secure location to survey the land and identify the location of the flag," Lina said, her voice eerily devoid of all emotions.
Bael groaned, rolled his eyes, but then started to move. He needed to find someplace where the enemy artillery fire could not reach him. Since they were too far for Neophytes and Initiates to typically attack, most of the incoming fire was through aether powered mortars. Since there were no buildings here, and most of the trees and greenery had been destroyed already, he could only suffice for hiding behind a hill where he wouldn’t be seen so that no one would aim in his direction.
"Now for the sake of aether, can you go and leave me be? You’re affecting my progress!" Bael exclaimed aggressively, yet no matter how he spoke there was not a single trace of emotion on Lina’s face.
"We need to practice teamwork for when the leader returns. Members of our team are already dead - if we don’t train, more will die," she stated as a matter of fact.
Bael grit his teeth till his gums started bleeding, but it wasn’t because he was frustrated at Lina for following him. It was because he knew exactly what she was referring to. When his father had told him the truth about how Noman had died, Bael was left filled with so much anger and frustration that he didn’t know what to do. The worst part was... he didn’t even have anyone to blame anymore, as the Eldruin cult was apparently destroyed.
There was so much unresolved anger left inside of him, and he didn’t know what to do with it.
"We are not a team, dammit! And Nero is not my leader. In fact, the next time we meet, I’m going to wipe the floor with him. Sure, he’s stronger than me for now, but that’s only because I hadn’t been training with my utmost. Now that I’ve started, it’s only a matter of time before I punch through his face with my fist!" Bael roared, but as always, Lina wasn’t bothered in the least.
"When you beat him, you can be the leader. For now, he is the leader. Now let’s move, you’ve given away our position," she said as her eyes started to give off a purple glow, and an eerie mix of aether and cursed energy began to radiate from her body.
"I have done no such thi-"
Bael had not even completed his words when the whistling sound of an incoming mortar gave him goosebumps. Using his utmost strength, Bael bolted from his location, not bothering to rescue or save Lina. From the start of this exercise, he had been injured many times, yet she had not suffered even a single stain on her uniform.
There was another, devastating explosion quite close to where they had been before, and Bael was forced to dive out of the path of some debris.
Lina, who had protected herself using a purple barrier, gave him a look with a flash of emotion before it disappeared. Although it was the first time she had shown any emotion so far, Bael knew exactly what she was feeling!
She was looking down on him. He had just claimed he would surpass Nero, and yet here he was rolling in the dirt, his uniform burned, his dignity shredded.
"Dammit, I’ll become the leader, just you watch! No wait, we’re not a team! There is no leader!"
No matter what Bael said, or how he complained, Lina continued to follow Bael, though in her mind it seemed more like she was watching out for him than anything else. Their welcome exercise wasn’t even close to finishing, and it would be up to them when it ended.
Until the flag was planted in Dolziyan soil, they would keep on invading!
Meanwhile, back in KMA, there was someone else who was working hard as well.
Silas was sitting in the academy library, studying up on the production of spell models. It was only after entering the academy he learned that a majority of what was taught in public schools was barely the foundation. It was more or less outdated information that was decades old already, with new cutting edge research preserved strictly for those who were qualified enough to reach it, and had attained sufficient clearance to learn. Kolar would not risk losing this knowledge to foreigners or enemy intelligence operatives.
Yet the peace of his solitude was broken by the sound of approaching footsteps. Arithmetic Perception, his innate ability, allowed him to easily discern among the mixed sounds that there were three approaching people with a steady gait.
He was also able to discern, based on how heavy those footsteps sounded, the likely identity of those coming to him, and that made him sigh.
"Well, well, well, look at that. Silas is in the library - who would have guessed?" asked a young man as he walked up behind Silas, wearing a wide smile.
"I have a lot of work to do so let’s just get on with it," said Silas, closing the book and standing up.
"Come now, Silas. Must it be like this everyday?" the young man asked, wearing a sorrowful smile, as if he was upset upon hearing him speak. "You know, for the first two years we are being evaluated. How poor would it look on your report if you lose your fights everyday? At this rate, you’ll end up at the bottom of the Crucible List, even below the new cadets."