Avalon Boot Camp
The second week of boot camp dawned with a thunderstorm that turned the Avalon Forest floor into a muddy quagmire. Rain lashed down through the silver-barked trees as the six officers huddled under their hastily reinforced shelters. They had been ordered to remain in the field overnight, with only the materials they could gather and the minimal supplies in their packs.
"This is deliberate," Leonidas grumbled, watching water seep through a weak point in their shelter. "Grimm probably has some weather-control artifact from Father's collection."
Aurelia shook her head, wringing water from her silver braid. "Father wouldn't waste such power on a training exercise." Despite her words, doubt crept into her voice. The past week had revealed a harsher side of Father's methods than any of them had anticipated.
Julian had taken charge of their shelter construction, applying survival techniques that were now proving invaluable. "The rain will pass," he said calmly, reinforcing a support beam with flexible green wood. "Everything is a test. Even this."
The first week had broken them down physically; endless runs, obstacle courses, strength training that pushed even the sturdy Dwarves to their limits. They had collapsed into exhausted sleep each night, only to be awakened before dawn by Grimm's bellowing voice or the jarring blast of a horn.
But something had changed by the seventh day. Their bodies had begun to adapt, muscles hardening, reflexes sharpening. Even Damian, who had struggled most with the physical demands, found himself completing courses that would have been impossible just days before.
"They're coming," Lucius said suddenly, his keen Elven hearing picking up footsteps approaching through the downpour. Silver growled softly beside him, the dire wolf's fur matted with rain and mud.
Instructor Grimm appeared through the curtain of rain, accompanied by two other trainers. Unlike the bedraggled officers, they appeared completely dry despite the downpour.
"On your feet!" Grimm barked. "Week two begins now!"
They scrambled to attention, standing in the mud as rain pelted their faces.
"Week one tested your bodies," Grimm announced. "Week two tests your minds. From this moment forward, you are at war. The enemy is all around you. Trust no one except your team."
He tossed a sealed scroll to Aurelia. "Your orders, Commander. Complete your mission by sunset tomorrow or face consequences."
Before any questions could be asked, the instructors vanished into the rain as suddenly as they had appeared.
Aurelia broke the seal and unrolled the scroll, shielding it from the rain. Her expression darkened as she read.
"What is it?" Iris asked, adjusting the MR1 strapped across her back. The Desert Dwarf had barely complained despite the rain being particularly miserable for someone accustomed to the dry heat of Erebus.
"We're to infiltrate an enemy encampment ten miles north," Aurelia explained. "Retrieve a red banner and return to this position without being detected."
"That doesn't sound too difficult," Leonidas said. "We've done similar exercises in the Dungeons."
"There's more," Aurelia continued. "The encampment is guarded by senior officers using 'human tactics.' Any officer 'killed' during the mission will be removed from the program."
A heavy silence fell over the group, broken only by the drumming of rain on leaves.
"They can't be serious," Damian said finally. "Removed from the program? After everything we've accomplished?"
"Father is deadly serious about preparing us," Julian said quietly. "This isn't about fairness. It's about survival."
Aurelia rolled up the scroll and tucked it into her pack. "We move in one hour. Julian, you'll scout ahead. Leonidas, I need you to create a diversion if necessary. Iris, your MR1 will be crucial if we need to engage at distance."
"What about me?" Damian asked, trying to keep the anxiety from his voice.
Aurelia studied him thoughtfully. "Your mana reserves are our secret weapon. If they're using detection artifacts, you'll sense them before we trigger them."
The Dwelf nodded, relieved to have a crucial role despite his physical limitations.
"And me?" Lucius asked, one hand resting on Silver's head.
"You and Silver will be our escape route," Aurelia decided. "Find us a path that keeps us concealed, especially during withdrawal when they'll be pursuing."
As they gathered their gear, the rain began to ease, though the forest remained shrouded in mist. They moved out in formation, Julian taking point with Lucius and Silver flanking. Aurelia led the main group with Leonidas and Iris, while Damian focused his mana senses outward, scanning for threats.
The forest grew denser as they traveled north, the terrain becoming increasingly difficult. Julian signaled for stops frequently, identifying trip wires and alarm mechanisms hidden among the undergrowth.
"These aren't Dungeon traps," he whispered during one such pause. "They're designed to maim, not just detect."
"Human tactics," Aurelia replied grimly. "Remember what Father taught us about their wars."
By midday, they had covered seven miles, moving slowly but avoiding detection. Julian held up a closed fist, signaling everyone to freeze. Ahead, through the trees, they caught glimpses of a palisade wall.
"The encampment," Leonidas murmured. "Sooner than expected."
Julian crawled forward to reconnoiter, returning fifteen minutes later with dirt smudged across his face for camouflage.
"It's heavily guarded," he reported. "At least twenty senior officers in rotation. The banner is in the central tent, but there's no clear approach. They've cleared the ground around the entire perimeter."
"Any sign of Father?" Aurelia asked.
Julian shook his head. "No, but Grimm is there, watching everything."
They retreated to a small hollow to plan their approach. Leonidas sketched a rough map in the dirt based on Julian's observations.
"A frontal approach is suicide," he concluded. "Even with Iris providing covering fire."
"What about underground?" Damian suggested. "I can use earth manipulation to create a small tunnel."
Iris shook her head. "Too slow, and the mana signature would be detected immediately."
"We need a distraction," Aurelia decided. "Something big enough to draw their attention while a small team infiltrates from the opposite side."
Lucius, who had been quiet during the planning, suddenly spoke up. "What if we don't fight at all?"
All eyes turned to him.
"Explain," Aurelia prompted.
"Father said we're being tested on human tactics, but we're not humans. We're Fae." Lucius stroked Silver's fur thoughtfully. "What if instead of fighting their way, we fight our way?"
A slow smile spread across Aurelia's face. "Illusion magic."
"Exactly," Lucius nodded. "Iris can create a mana-signature that mimics a large force approaching from the south. Meanwhile, I can use Silver to retrieve the banner."
"They'll detect any Fae who crosses the perimeter," Julian warned.
"Not Silver," Lucius countered. "He's not Fae. He's a dire wolf with enough intelligence to understand the mission."
The plan took shape quickly. As dusk approached, they moved into position. Iris prepared her MR1, modifying it to emit a dispersed mana signature that would register as multiple approaching combatants. Damian added his own considerable mana to strengthen the illusion, while Julian and Leonidas prepared to create physical distractions if needed.
Aurelia gave the signal, and Iris activated her modified MR1. The effect was immediate; alarms sounded in the encampment, and half the guards rushed to the southern perimeter.
"Now," Lucius whispered to Silver, showing the dire wolf a scrap of red fabric similar to the banner. "Find and retrieve."
Silver darted away, a gray shadow in the gathering darkness, slipping between patrols with supernatural stealth. The remaining officers watched anxiously as minutes ticked by.
"They're beginning to realize it's a feint," Julian warned, noting the guards' movements. "We don't have much time."
Just as tension reached its peak, Silver reappeared, a red banner clutched gently in his jaws. The dire wolf looked immensely pleased with himself.
"Good boy," Lucius whispered, taking the banner and examining it. "It's genuine."
"Retreat," Aurelia ordered. "Same formation, maximum stealth."
They withdrew as carefully as they had approached, using the continued confusion in the camp to mask their departure. Two miles south, they finally paused to rest, the mission seemingly accomplished.
"That was almost too easy," Leonidas said suspiciously, examining the banner.
"It's not over yet," Julian reminded them. "We still have to make it back to the starting point by sunset tomorrow."
As if summoned by his words, they heard horns blowing in the distance; the alarm had been raised, and pursuit was beginning.
"They'll track us," Iris said, checking her MR1's remaining charge. "Standard pursuit formation, if they're using human tactics."
"Then we don't use standard evasion," Aurelia decided. "Lucius, can Silver find us a route they wouldn't expect?"
The dire wolf seemed to understand, leading them off the subtle game trails and into the densest part of the forest. They traveled through the night, taking turns carrying the banner, which seemed to grow heavier with each passing hour.
Dawn broke with no sign of pursuit, but their relief was short-lived. As they crossed a narrow ravine, arrows suddenly thudded into the ground around them.
"Ambush!" Leonidas shouted, pulling Iris behind a boulder as more arrows followed.
Julian analyzed the trajectory. "Three archers, northeast ridge-line."
"I can take them," Iris said, raising her MR1.
"No," Aurelia countermanded. "Non-lethal only. These are still our fellow Fae."
Damian closed his eyes, concentrating. With a surge of mana, he created a thick fog bank that enveloped the ravine, obscuring them from the archers.
"This way," Lucius urged, Silver having found a hidden path up the opposite slope.
They escaped the ambush, but it was only the first of many. Throughout the day, they encountered traps, patrols, and magical barriers that tested every skill they possessed. By mid-afternoon, they were exhausted, their uniforms torn and muddied, but the banner remained secure.
"Two miles to the rendezvous point," Julian announced after climbing a tall tree to get his bearings.
"And three hours until sunset," Leonidas added, checking the position of the sun.
"We can make it," Aurelia said with determination, though her voice betrayed her fatigue.
As they approached the final stretch, the forest fell ominously silent. No birds sang, no insects buzzed.
"It's too quiet," Damian whispered, his mana senses tingling with warning.
They emerged into a small clearing, the same one where they had built their shelters at the beginning of the week. But it wasn't empty. Father himself stood in the center, flanked by Grimm and a dozen senior officers.
"Congratulations on retrieving the banner," Father said, his voice neither pleased nor displeased. "Now you must defend it."
The senior officers spread out, forming a circle around the clearing. Each held a weapon at ready; swords, bows, mana staffs.
"This wasn't part of the mission," Leonidas protested.
"In war, the mission changes," Father replied simply. "Humans adapt. So must you."
Aurelia stepped forward, the banner clutched in her hand. "We'll defend it together."
The six officers formed a tight circle, back to back. Iris raised her MR1, its charge nearly depleted. Leonidas drew a short Dwarven axe, while Julian and Lucius unsheathed their blades. Damian gathered his remaining mana, ready to cast whatever protection he could muster. Silver growled, hackles raised.
"Begin," Father commanded, stepping back to observe.
The senior officers attacked from all sides, their movements coordinated and relentless. Despite their exhaustion, the six graduates responded with everything they had learned; not just during boot camp, but throughout their years of training.
Aurelia moved with fluid grace, the banner becoming an extension of herself as she parried and dodged. Leonidas fought with Dwarven tenacity, his stocky frame an immovable bulwark. Julian anticipated attacks before they came, his survival instincts guiding his blade. Lucius and Silver moved as one, the Elf and dire wolf protecting each other's flanks. Iris made each remaining MR1 shot count, targeting pressure points rather than lethal zones. Damian wove protective wards, his hybrid nature allowing him to channel mana in ways pure Elves or Dwarves could not.
For ten minutes that felt like hours, they held their ground. Then, just as their strength began to fail, Father raised his hand.
"Enough," he called, and the senior officers immediately withdrew.
The six graduates remained in their defensive formation, breathing heavily, unwilling to lower their guard.
"At ease," Father said more gently. "The test is complete."
Slowly, they relaxed their stances, though Aurelia kept a firm grip on the banner.
Father approached them, his expression solemn. "Week one tested your bodies. Week two tested your minds and your ability to work as a unit. You've passed both tests."
Relief washed over them, but it was short-lived.
"However," Father continued, "war is not about passing tests. It's about survival and victory, often at terrible cost." He looked at each of them in turn. "Week three will test your hearts. Are you prepared for that?"
None of them knew how to answer, but their silence was response enough.
"Rest tonight," Father instructed. "Tomorrow, you learn what it truly means to be at war."
As Father departed with the senior officers, the six graduates collapsed onto the forest floor, the red banner planted in their midst. They had survived week two, but the look in Father's eyes told them the real challenges were yet to come.
"What do you think he means by testing our hearts?" Damian asked quietly.
Aurelia stared at the banner, its red fabric reminiscent of blood in the fading light. "I think we're about to find out what makes humans different from Fae; not just in body or mind, but in soul."
As night fell over Avalon Forest, none of them slept easily, each wondering what Father had planned for week three, and whether they were truly ready to become the officers who would lead the Fae against Alexander's humans.