Chapter 919: Begin (1)

Sheila and Edith stood back before the gathered second-years while the large magical task screen remained suspended above the Southern District courtyard. The smaller commander screen in front of Sheila had changed after she pressed the option. The word ACCEPTED now glowed beneath the task details, and below it a new timer had appeared.

Fifteen minutes.

Preparation time before the six-hour countdown began.

Sheila did not wait for the courtyard to start talking again. "The task has been accepted," she said, her voice firm enough to cut through the first wave of murmurs before they could grow. "We have fifteen minutes before the task countdown begins, so I will keep this brief."

The students quieted, though not comfortably. Eyes kept flicking between her and the task screen. The anchor zones remained visible above them, each location a reminder that the academy had placed danger outside their walls and dressed it as an opportunity.

"This task will be handled by Liam Hunter, Asher Hawthorne, and Celia Roanne," Sheila said. "The hunting party volunteers from earlier will accompany them only to the western forest line, since one of the anchors is there. Their role is still food gathering, not full task completion. Further details for the hunting party will be given by Liam before departure."

Confusion moved through the courtyard almost immediately. It did not erupt, but it showed in turned heads, furrowed brows, and quiet exchanges between students who had expected three full teams to form. The task screen listed three different locations. Sheila had named only three main students and one temporary hunting group.

Some accepted it because they trusted there was reasoning behind the decision. Others looked unconvinced but unwilling to challenge her while the timer was active. A few seemed relieved that they were not the ones being sent back outside the walls.

Sheila continued before uncertainty turned into noise. "Everyone else continues with the duties assigned before the task appeared. Reservoir restoration, control-system work, perimeter defense, scouting, patrols, records, medical preparation, logistics, and structural support all remain active. This task does not stop the work inside Veyrhold."

Chris could not keep still.

He had stood rigid during the announcement, anger tightening with each sentence until it finally broke through his control. "You are sending three students to handle a task across three separate locations?" he asked, voice sharp enough to carry. "That is your decision?"

The courtyard stilled again, attention swinging toward him.

Chris stepped half a pace forward, not enough to look reckless, but enough to make his objection visible. "A six-hour task across the western forest line, northern collapsed road, and eastern ravine path should be divided. Three separate teams could cover the zones more efficiently. Sending one small group risks delay, exhaustion, and failure. If they are intercepted, we lose the entire task instead of only one part."

It was not a stupid complaint.

That made it more dangerous.

Sheila looked at him without surprise. "Now is not the time for a debate."

Chris’s jaw flexed. "This affects the whole year."

"I know." Her voice remained calm, but there was no gap in it. "If you want the reasoning, you can come speak to me later. Right now, Liam, his group, and the hunting party have less than ten minutes to prepare. The decision is made."

Several students looked from Sheila to Chris, waiting to see if he would push harder. Chris clearly wanted to. His eyes held that bright, controlled fury that came from being denied an opening in front of an audience. But Sheila had framed the moment well. Arguing now would look like obstruction, not leadership.

She did not wait for him to find a cleaner angle.

"Move to your assigned duties," she ordered. "Restoration teams gather near Ariana and Dylan. Control-system support near Maxwell and Brindlequast. Perimeter teams report to Chris after this. Hunting volunteers to Liam. Medical and logistics continue preparations. Go."

That broke the courtyard apart.

Students scattered into motion, not smoothly, but with enough structure to prevent chaos. The central-structure teams began forming near Ariana, Dylan, Maxwell, and Quenivarius. Patrol students moved toward Chris’s exterior group despite his visible irritation. Felix opened the Command Log again, already writing the accepted-task entry. Edith began redirecting students who lingered too close to the task group out of curiosity.

Chris turned away sharply, teeth clenched. "Later, then," he muttered under his breath, though not so quietly that Liam missed it. "She can explain it later."

Liam did not bother reacting.

Asher did.

"Someone is going to complain himself into becoming a structural hazard," he said.

Chris’s head turned slightly.

Asher smiled at him. "Keep walking, peacock. Your feathers are blocking the path."

Chris’s expression sharpened, but one of his own students called for him near the perimeter group, and the moment passed before it could become anything useful.

Liam stood where he was as the courtyard rearranged itself around the accepted task. Asher remained beside him, arms folded, eyes on the screen.

"You dragged me into an academy errand before breakfast," Asher said.

"You walked."

"You tricked me into walking."

"I used your personality against you."

"That is worse."

"It was available."

Asher clicked his tongue. "Three anchors, confirmed Realm-Touched, and we have to babysit hunters for the first part."

"Only until the western forest line."

"Still babysitting."

"They gather food. We avoid starvation."

"I understand the concept. I dislike the accessories."

Before Liam could answer, the four hunting volunteers approached. Their steps varied in confidence. The broad-shouldered spear user came first, trying to look steady under the weight of being part of a group connected to the main task. Beside him, the nature-affinity girl kept her eyes moving between Liam, Asher, and the outer gate, already thinking about the forest rather than the courtyard. The archer from Kara’s rotation held her bow with practiced discipline, though her grip tightened when she came too close to Asher. The water-affinity boy carried his hunting knife at his hip and looked less nervous than the others, which meant he either had decent sense or very little imagination.

Celia Roanne approached behind them.

She did not look uncertain. Quiet, yes, but not shy. She had a composed stillness that made her stand apart from the surrounding urgency. Her field uniform was neat and practical, fitted without unnecessary decoration, the straps secured properly and her gear arranged with careful economy. She had strong features, a calm mouth, and a wavy bob cut that framed her face without softening the guarded sharpness in her expression. Her eyes settled on Liam for only a moment before shifting away, then returned with deliberate control.

The group stopped before him and Asher. The hunting volunteers looked as if they expected instructions. Celia looked as if she expected to endure them.

Liam addressed the hunters first. "You are not following us for the full task."

The spear user blinked. "We are not?"

"No. Your purpose is hunting. You travel with us to the western forest line because one anchor is there. You help secure food, avoid unnecessary risks, and stay inside the limits I give you. Asher, Celia, and I handle the anchors beyond that. If a Realm-Touched threat appears during the hunt, Asher or I will prevent it from becoming your problem if possible. Your value is food. Remember that."

The wording was almost kind by his standards.

Almost.

The archer swallowed once and nodded. "Understood."

The nature-affinity girl looked relieved to have the boundary made clear. The water-affinity boy glanced toward the western side of Veyrhold. "What if game runs beyond the limit?"

"Then it lives."

That settled that.

Liam looked down at his own shadow. "Also, I am leaving you support."

The shadow beneath his boots widened.

Smoke emerged from it without sound.

The wolf unfolded out of darkness in full size, his massive body rising until his shoulders stood nearly as high as a grown horse. Spiked shadow fur shifted like black flame along his back and neck. Four glowing eyes opened one after another, fixed first on Liam, then on the hunting volunteers.

Smoke’s paws spread over the stone with predatory weight, each claw forming and dissolving at the edge as if the courtyard itself had become something he could tear through. Intelligence rested in his stare, colder and more unsettling than simple animal obedience.

The hunting party tried to remain composed.

They failed in different ways.

The spear user took half a step back before catching himself. The nature-affinity girl went still, her face losing color. The archer’s hand tightened on her bowstring before she forced it to relax. The water-affinity boy stared openly, then seemed to remember breathing. Seeing Smoke through an academy projection during the Nalim assessment had been one thing. Standing in front of him while his shadowed breath rolled across their boots was different.

Liam ignored their reactions. "Smoke is excellent for hunting. He can track game, catch game, carry game, warn you of danger, and fight off lesser threats."

Smoke’s ears shifted faintly at the list, as if deciding whether being described as useful was tolerable.

"He obeys me," Liam continued. "His cooperation with others depends on clarity. He works best when a group has a clear leader. If you do not decide who leads the hunting party, Smoke may decide he is the alpha. You do not want that."

Smoke huffed shadow mist through his nose.

The spear user looked at the others with sudden urgency.

Liam glanced up at the wolf. "Behave while I am gone."

Smoke’s four eyes moved toward him, and the beast’s ears flattened by the smallest amount. Offended. Definitely offended.