Free Xandrian Stone 4: The Academy Part 3 by Christian Alex Breitenstein

Chapter 1: THE CEREMONY OF RECOGNITION
     
    This was the morning I had been waiting for the second most. The end of basic training! The first half a year of the academy was over, today would be the first Ceremony of Recognition. I felt a bit weird, honestly - I had gotten used to rotating all over the place, mostly getting my ass kicked in close combat training - but also training the other colors. Hector Johnson still focused on weapons only, though after being made Adept Weapons Wizard his hatred for me seemed to have cooled off a little. He had his pip, so he was sure to make it into advanced training. Being an Omni-Wizard, he was going to have to look into the other colors as well, mostly because it was mandatory but also because his uncle had put down his foot and told him so.
     
    But before that, there was the round-trip for the best 60. We were all gathered on the parade ground, facing the training wing, standing still and looking quite soldierly honestly. I felt the weight of my ribbons on my shoulders - a total of 25 pips across all 9 colors were a comfortable pressure on my shoulders. It honestly felt like shoulder-guards - almost like armor. Well, 20 pips and a large plate really - that I was of inconclusive strength in shield magic got my shield ribbon stared at all the time. By myself as well, honestly - but most likely for other reasons than the other people had. But the Prophecy would start coming true soon enough - let's focus on the matter of the day, shall we?
     
    The Admiral came out of his office and walked up to his position on a small stage right in front of us. The instructors that were also standing there, facing us, went into an "at attention" position. The Drill-Lieutenant filled the air with his overwhelming voice: "Cadets! OFFICER ON THE DECK!" We all snapped to attention like one. We had been training this for two weeks now, and it was showing.
     
    The admiral, standing at his position, looked over us. "Cadets! Basic training is over. The instructors have submitted the best cadet they had in their respective colors. I will name them, not to make them special - but to motivate the rest of you to do better and be named after advanced training."
     
    "We will go through the colors alphabetically. Healing: Prime Cadet Xandrian Stone." They had small, silver medals that could be hung around your neck by a soft band. They were not official medals or orders, but the best cadet of his class would get the Order of Recognition after the full training. The Order of Recognition was a silver medal inlaid in a golden one, making it look like a silver medal with a thick golden rim.
     
    I walked up to the Admiral, which was not a long walk. Being the highest ranking cadet I was at the front of us after all. The Admiral hung the medal on its nice dark green band, corresponding to the color of healing magic, around my neck and shook my hand. "Congratulations, Prime Cadet."
     
    "Thank you, sir." I walked back.
     
    "Next, Communication: Cadet Andriin Gordon." A short, wiry young man walked up to the Admiral, who hung the medal on its brownish-yellow band around the Cadet's neck. Gordon thanked the Admiral, turned and walked back to his spot.
     
    "Next, Engines: Prime Cadet Xandrian Stone." I walked up to him, and he hung the medal at its blood-red band around my neck. Personally, if I could have chosen, I would have picked blood-red to be the weapons color. But that's just me. Why the colors were as they were nobody knew and this is a mystery to this day.
     
    I turned and walked back. the two medals clinked slightly on my chest.
     
    "Next, Navigation. Prime Cadet Xandrian Stone." In the past few weeks I had been able to increase two colors by a pip compared to the first week I described in the last diary: Navigation, I was Adept there now, and Sensors to Adept as well. So I walked right back up and received my medal no its yellow-green band. Walking back, I clinked a bit more.
     
    "Next, Nutrition. First