The Skyhome Academy

Along the exterior of the Skyhome Spire were several large sets of metal doors. Each hid either a hangar for flying machines, or a roost for magical beasts. From within one of the roosts, Rose watched its doors slide apart. Her father and Simon stood beside her. Outside, the sun shown as brightly as it could this late in the year. And for once there was hardly a cloud in the sky.

Both the cadets wore gloves and winter caps in addition to their standard uniforms. They also had wrist bands that were attached to their wands by cords—this was to prevent the loss of a wand while flying.

Around Rose the usual creatures stood in stalls, as a few serfs cared for the fliers and cleaned. Emma approached, leading the Spellshields’ pegasus by the reins. She wore one of her servant dresses. “I’ve finished the examination spell, My Lord,” she told Rose’s father. “April is healthy.”

“Thank you.”

“I hope you enjoy your flying, My Lady,” Emma added. “You too, Simon.”

“Thanks!” Rose answered as she petted April.

“Have a good day,” Simon told the serf.

An older castle servant some distance off shouted. “Emma, get back to cleaning!”

“Right away!” She hurried off. Rose regretted that Emma was stuck with such dreadful work on a weekend, but there was nothing for it.

Another servant arrived with a parachute, and helped Rose put it on as her father spoke. “I want you both back before sundown.”

“Yes, Sir,” Simon said, while Rose nodded.

“Take these nexus crystals for the day,” her father said as he handed the devices to the pair. “Make sure they’re properly secured—the replacement cost is ruinous.” Both cadets affixed the crystals to the correct location on their belts.

Once her parachute was in place, Rose climbed into April’s saddle and buckled in. “Bye, Dad!” There was a flash of light as she cast her shielding spell around herself and the pegasus.

He waved to her before turning to Simon. “I’ll take you down to the hangar.”

A servant gave Rose a baton signal, indicating that she was cleared to takeoff. She snapped the reins, and missed her friend’s reply as April galloped forward. The pegasus spread her wings and leaped beyond the roost, gliding away from the spire. The aspiring mage gave a cry of excitement.

As always, April was completely responsive to the subtle signals Rose gave via her legs and the reins. The winged horse and her rider next flew through the academy’s arcane shield, which only stopped objects from passing in one direction. They gave wide berth to an approaching supply ship, which passed through the open castle gate. Then they floated lazily in front of the academy. Some distance away, guards flew by on their usual patrols.

A couple minutes later, Simon approached in a flying machine. The small metal craft had a propeller on each wing, and also made use of levitation magic. The vehicle had an open-air cockpit—as with magical beasts, one was expected to repel attacks and wind with a shielding spell.

They flew together away from the castle until they were safely clear of the patrols. Rose mentally activating her crystal’s telepathic function. “Ready to get started?” she thought at Simon. “We can each try to take and hold positional advantage, and fire minimum strength bolts.”

She then heard his voice in her head. “Sounds good.”

Rose properly gripped her wand—she had learned to cast her shield without it, but still struggled with other spells. “Begin!”

For the next hour, the pair practiced aerial combat. In these “dog fights” it was much easier to shoot at a target in front rather than one that was behind, so maneuvers were focused on attempting to gain a position behind an adversary. An attacker was the one who held this rear position, while a defender struggled to evade attacks and turn the tables on the attacker. A defender escaped that role by either getting far enough from the attacker to obtain a neutral position, or making sudden adjustments to speed and course that caused the attacker to overshoot or lose the ability to follow the defender.

As all this was happening, both sides did their best to barrage the other with offensive spells. Rose and Simon were not trying to enervate each other, but only score hits. Because of this they cast the weakest arcane bolts possible, which were simply points of light.

Rose was the stronger flier, maintaining the attacker’s position most of the time and scoring far more hits as a result. Both cadets playfully teased each other and laughed as they fought.

Eventually Rose noticed her mount beginning to slow. She sent another thought to Simon. “April’s tired. Let’s stop for now and head to Stonebrook. We can go again this afternoon.”

“I could use a break too—keeping my shield up this long is exhausting. Please lead the way, My Lady.”

They flew to the town closest to the Skyhome, landing in a small airport that combined a stable, roost, and hangar. The flying machine had adjustable wings that allowed it to takeoff and land vertically. Simon insisted on paying to have the pegasus cared for and the flying machine’s mana restored. The cadets then left their fliers and parachutes behind.

The temperature was not too far above freezing, and now that she had allowed her shield to lapse Rose finally felt it. There were a few signs of melting snow as they walked through the town with its humble buildings. Riders on horses occasionally passed by. The pair came across a bulletin board. A few posters caught Rose’s attention—one was a warning from law enforcement about necromancer activity in the area, and the others were war propaganda. Donate blood today, ordered one, while another read Loose lips crash ships! The latter showed an image of a warship falling out of the sky and striking the earth.

“You know, I think you’re improving at aerial maneuvers,” Rose said to Simon as they wandered.

“That’s a relief. I appreciate the help.”

“I’m pretty sure we’ll both be able to pass all the combat tests at the end of the semester. If we do them without wands, we can skip into some second year classes.”

“You’ll need to fight without a wand to enter the tournament preliminaries, won’t you?”

Rose nodded. “They start after the break. But I’ve already scouted the competition, and they’re all mediocre or not practicing at all. Unless I’m unlucky I’ll make it to the tournament—but then I have to face Margas in my first match.”

“You beat him in that practice duel.”

“I can’t rely on that trick again, and we’re pretty evenly matched. If I do get past him, I’ll be in it with the second and third years. They’ll have stronger magic, so I’ll have to beat them on accuracy and tactics.”

“I’m not worried. I plan to make a wager on you taking the whole thing.”

Rose laughed. “Don’t bet too much—I don’t need that kind of pressure.”

The pair walked in silence for a time before Simon spoke. “I forgot to ask, how’s your father’s investigation coming?”

“I sat in on his interviews with the academy staff, trying to recognize the voice we heard. But no luck. And treasonous talk isn’t a legal justification for telepathic loyalty tests, so he’s not holding out much hope.”

“That’s too bad. I wouldn’t call myself a fan of Prince Robert, but it’s not like I want him in danger.”

“Maybe the intendent’s right about it being just talk. But if not, at least the prince has bodyguards.”

Simon nodded before Rose continued. “There’s a tavern up ahead. Want to get out of this cold and have an early lunch?”

“Good idea.”

The tavern proved to be a cozy establishment with a big fireplace, a bar, round wooden tables, and comfortable chairs. The lamps were kerosene rather than magical—but then, most peasants could not afford a mana generator. Only a handful of other patrons were present. Once inside, the pair ordered their meals and some non-alcoholic ciders. They discussed their classes and various gossip as they ate at one of the tables.

“…⁠Oh, so get this,” Rose complained after they had finished their meals. “Avice is all upset that Emma gets to go on rounds and she doesn’t. I told her ‘Emma tested ahead of you, what do you expect?’ But apparently it’s some ‘outrage’ that a serf gets to do something she doesn’t. She’s unbelievable…”

A barmaid came by and dropped off the check. “Thank you,” Simon told her before she left. Rose was surprised when he immediately took the bill and started drawing his wallet.

“You should let me get this—you paid for our fliers,” Rose objected.

“I really don’t mind. I’d like today to be my treat—and we should do whatever you want.”

“…⁠Wait. Are we on a date?”

Simon grinned sheepishly. “This was Emma’s idea, but I think that’s what she had in mind.”

“I had no idea she could be so sneaky.”

“There’s something I’ve wanted to say for a while now, if that’s okay?” She nodded to him. “Lady Rose…I really like you. You’re brave, smart, funny, and gorgeous. Will you go to the Winter Formal with me?”

Rose looked away briefly. “…⁠I’m still hoping Prince Robert will ask me.”

“I know I don’t compete with Johnny Jawline in terms of looks or charm⁠—”

“It’s not that,” she interrupted, shaking her head. “I mean, you’re pretty good-looking yourself, but…Prince Robert is a hero. He’s been to the front lines and fought against the traitors. His family has sacrificed so much.”

“It’s not as if my family aren’t helping—we contribute a lot to the war effort. My father runs himself and everyone around him ragged, and we supply the Crown with everything from medicines to mana generators. And my oldest sister…”

“What happened?” Rose asked in concern.

“Before the war started, she had a fight with my parents and ran away from home. She went west and got stuck in rebel territory. We haven’t heard from her since.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m not old enough to remember her well. And since she’s a peasant she’s probably still alive—unless she openly sided with the loyalists.”

“I think I understand how you feel. I never met them, but my mother lost her parents to the bandits who became the Peasant Army.”

“That’s awful.”

They both sat in silence for a time before Simon spoke again. “I think we might have gotten off-topic,” he said with a weak smile.

“You’re right.” Rose paused to gather her thoughts. “I didn’t mean to belittle your family’s contribution. But I’ve wanted to be a mage for a long time. And once I got older I decided that if I was going to be involved with someone, I’d want him to share that dream. So…I’m sorry.”

“I understand,” Simon said miserably. “I hope this won’t make things weird between us. I like hanging out with you and Emma.”

Rose smiled comfortingly. “If it is weird, we’ll work through it. …⁠Anyway, why don’t you let me get the check?”

After she paid, they walked quietly back to the airport. She felt conflicted—how could she know for certain that she had made the right decision? And though she had failed to mention it, the fact that Simon was a peasant also had to be considered. Not that Rose intended to let her parents’ approval dictate her life—but she was not eager to upset them either.

The cadets eventually reached their destination, retrieved their fliers and parachutes, and took to the sky. They were about to leave Stonebrook’s airspace when another flying machine shot by above them. Pamphlets began falling out.

“What the hell, another traitor?” Rose thought to Simon in disbelief. She watched one of the leaflets drift by, and once again was confronted by the same treason she had seen her first day at the academy. “Okay, this guy is going down!”

She changed course to pursue, and Simon followed as he replied. “I don’t know if we should break the rules again.”

“But if we catch him everyone will be too impressed to care about that.”

“Pretty sure it doesn’t work that way.”

Rose could sense Simon’s apprehension in his thoughts, and that gave her pause. “I don’t want to do this if we’re not on the same page. Do we back down?”

She heard him sigh inside her head. “…⁠I guess we could follow him until the authorities arrive, so he can’t hide.”

“That’s the spirit!”

The cadets continued their pursuit northwest from Stonebrook. At first they followed at a moderate distance, content to avoid combat and wait for help. But then the enemy pilot raised his arm and pointed back toward Rose.

“Incoming!” she warned Simon as she juked her pegasus side-to-side. Her evasions caused the enemy’s arcane bolts to miss. She forced herself to remain calm and stick to her training—even though she had never had someone try to kill her before! Despite herself, she was a little excited as well. “Looks like we don’t have any choice. Return fire!”

Both cadets raised their wands and attacked. Rose was surprised that her arcane bolts were larger and brighter than they had ever been—but then she recalled that this was her first time casting at normal strength without a limiter.

The traitor attempted evasive maneuvers, and managed to dodge some of their attacks. But his arcane shield glowed around his vehicle with each hit. Beneath the three fliers, farmland passed by at a brisk pace—Rose put their speed at about seventy miles per hour.

For several minutes the battle continued in this fashion. Given their advantageous position the cadets landed more hits than their adversary. He could not escape from the defender’s role without turning to attack—but if he did so, loyalist reinforcements from Stonebrook or the Skyhome might catch up. Escape was the smarter tactical choice for him.

The traitor soon stopped firing and increased velocity. “He’s using his telekinetics to speed up his propellers,” Simon informed Rose.

“How are you at that trick?”

“I can do it…but I can’t attack at same time yet.”

Rose considered this as she pushed April to fly faster. “Stop attacking and match his speed. I’ll handle the offense for now.”

The noble kept the pressure on with her bolts, while the mountains to the north loomed ever larger. Occasionally the traitor attacked to force her to back off, but he was primarily focused on fleeing as quickly as possible.

Near the base of the mountain range, rolling fields gave way to steep hills, canyons, caves, and evergreen trees. The enemy turned west and flew dangerously low among the obstacles.

“We’ll have to follow him,” Rose sent.

“Couldn’t we track him from above?”

“If he gets too far from us in this terrain he could ditch his flier and hide.” She dove after the traitor, and Simon followed.

All three combatants weaved back and forth to avoid trees and ridges, while Rose and fleeing pilot exchanged arcane bolts. One wrong move and I’m dead, she thought, but did not send. Simon began falling behind. They all passed through a twisting canyon with several tunnels, at the end of which was a sharp turn that led suddenly into a large evergreen.

Rose barely pulled April aside in time to avoid the obstacle…but Simon was not as fortunate. His wing clipped the tree as he tried to avoid it, causing him to lose control of his craft. The noble felt panic grip her as she watched. Thankfully, Simon soon steadied his flying machine.

“Are you okay?” Rose sent urgently.

“The hit drained a lot of mana, but my shield held. No damage indicators.”

It belatedly occurred to her that this type of flying was too difficult for her friend. She regretted that she had been so focused on the pursuit that she had forgotten this. “Gain altitude and follow above us. You should minimize your shield strength to help recover your mana. I’ll stay on his tail so he can’t ditch.”

“Right.” Simon did as she asked, while she continued her potentially lethal chase.

Eventually the traitor’s western course brought them away from the obstacles beneath the mountain. Most likely driven to desperation by his inability to lose his pursuers, he finally turned to fight. Rose was fearful of the outcome—though they had the advantage in numbers, the traitor’s spells hit harder.

“Get your shield to full strength again,” Rose sent to Simon. “If he focuses his attacks on you, back off.” She wanted to minimize the danger he faced.

Though her enemy did his best to trick her into overshooting him, she managed to stay on his tail. Her mana was running low, so she picked her shots more carefully. Simon fell back to a longer range when attacked, but then pursued more closely when she was targeted.

Just as Rose worried that she would have to give the order to flee, the traitor’s shield took on an unstable glow. “He’s enervated, give him everything you’ve got!” The cadets fired their most powerful clusters of bolts. The traitor’s shield failed after multiple hits, and one of Rose’s attacks blasted through a propeller.

The enemy lost altitude and was soon sliding across the ground in a controlled crash. Rose landed her pegasus behind the wreck. As the pilot climbed out of his vehicle and tried to run, she pointed her wand and concentrated. A blast of lightning jumped from her weapon and struck her target. He collapsed, and there was a whiff of ozone in the aftermath of the spell. April was a little startled by the thunder, but she had been trained as a mage’s flier and quickly settled down.

The wings of Simon’s craft shifted for vertical landing, and he came down not far from her and cut his engine. “We did it!” he shouted in amazement as he ran to her.

Rose dismounted. “I was a little worried back there. But it turns out we’re amazing!”

“The traitor…?”

“It was a non-lethal bolt. He should be out for at least ten minutes, but keep your eye on him. …⁠There’s probably already soldiers on the way, but we should signal for help.”

“Not a problem,” he told her. He raised his wand and launched a small fireball into the air. It gave a bright explosion that lingered a hundred yards up.

Less than a minute later, four loyalist soldiers on pegasi arrived. A mage dismounted with his peasant subordinates before he addressed the cadets. “What happened here?”

“That traitor dropped Peasant Army pamphlets on Stonebrook, Sir,” Rose explained. “We brought him down.”

“That’s impressive…but it was foolish of you to pursue in the first place. You’re only cadets!” Rose’s face fell as the mage turned to his men. “Secure the prisoner and bring him back to base. I’ll escort these two to the academy.”

“Yes, Sir,” the soldiers acknowledged in unison before going to the traitor.

“That wasn’t quite the reaction I was hoping for,” Rose sent to Simon.

“I tried to warn you,” he teased. “I can’t imagine Baron Tessel will go easy on us twice.”

Rose’s feelings of triumph quickly turned to concern. “Sorry,” she sent in embarrassment.