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

Cadet Gustav Oel." A large, strong young man walked up to the Admiral. He was almost as tall and wide as Darian Smith, the brick of a man I had met in healing magic. When he was standing in front of the admiral, I saw that he was a Master Adept Nutrition Wizard. The ribbons were as well visible from the back as from the front, after all. Given my experiences with that color I suddenly respected First Cadet Oel immensely. He had to bow deep for the admiral to reach over his head and put the medal around his neck.
     
    When he turned and walked back to his spot, the medal dangling at its bright green band (as opposed to the rather dark green of healing), he looked happy. His future was clear: with that much magical skill he was as sure to pass the academy after the advanced part as I was.
     
    "Next, Sensors. Prime Cadet Xandrian Stone." I clinked to the Admiral, who hung the medal on its nice bright yellow band around my neck. Walking back, I held the medals to avoid their clinking and was becoming conscious of the many colors around my neck. A bit rainbow-like.
     
    "Next, Shields. Prime Cadet Xandrian Stone. This is the first time ever that any academy class had an inconclusive wizard." I started walking up to the Admiral, quite self-conscious, when suddenly cheering erupted among the cadets. The other shields were voicing their support of me, the healers joined in after a moment. The painful disciplines were showing their connection, they understood.
     
    The instructors had some trouble getting order re-established, but they were not trying as hard as they might have. After a couple of moments things quieted down again, and the Admiral hung the medal around my neck and whispered: "Don't you dare bowing now." I winked while we shook hands, straightened my face and clinked back, allowing the shield medal to dangle freely on its beautiful, dark orange band along the others. The faces of the cadets were like night and day: All the shields and healers were grinning widely, most of the others were keeping a straight face and a group of the weapons were glaring. Most of the weapons, however, were also grinning.
     
    In the last half a year I had formed some friendships amongst the weapons. They had ample ammunition to make fun of me, as a weapon I truly sucked. But my strongest colors - healing and shields - were beneficial to weapons, directly or indirectly - so they also respected me. That mixture of respect and making fun was the perfect ground for friendships to grow.
     
    Knowing that my strong colors were through I settled in to watch the rest of the ceremony.
     
    "Next, Storage. First Cadet Stephanie Dyson." A Master Adept Storage Wizard walked up and received her medal on its bland, gray band. When she turned around, it became obvious that she was a storage wizard with heart and soul. She kept a straight, controlled, business-like face and walked back in that swift but not hurrying speed that indicated that she had things to do and places to be, but was in perfect control over her schedule. I was impressed.
     
    "Next, Weapons. Cadet Hector Johnson."
     
    It would have been a total disappointment if Hector had not been the strongest weapon, given that he was an Omni-Wizard and focusing on weapons only. It was a disappointment that he was not a Master Adept Weapons Wizard, but I held the hope up that after advanced training he would achieve that.
     
    In fact, that he was still only cadet and not at least first cadet was a disappointment in and on itself. He evidently thought that he was the greatest, as always. He strutted to the admiral, chest puffed up and a haughty expression in his face. The Admiral hung the medal around his neck, at its nice, purple band, and shook Johnson's hand. Johnson strutted back and to his position.
     
    The Admiral looked over us all. "That concludes this part. The best 60 Cadets will go on a round-trip in 3 Bricks, 20 Cadets in each. You will be supporting the crews of those Bricks, under