The banquet was delicious— each table was laden with food and drink. Gregory was glad his men were moderating their imbibing of the wine and ale provided. They still had a couple of mugs each, but didn’t get past tipsy. He could hear other tables farther away, and the inebriation was clear, even as distant as they were.
Gregory had been happy when he was presented with a plate of koi in addition to the other food. He figured every magi had been given koi to make sure they had aether food. Here, the meal didn’t quite live up to what he’d had in the past. He could still recall how wonderfully Brown had cooked the koi for them in Waterrock. This was good, just a step down from the best he’d had before.
As the plates were being collected, General Ruzi’s voice filled the space, “Magi and magi guards, today marks the end of your training year.”
The voices mostly quieted to hear him easier, but a few had to be forcefully shut up, as they were too drunk to realize they should be quiet.
“A few of you have failed even the basics that you should have learned, magi and guards alike. I wonder if you can correct the gaps before it costs you your lives?”
The jovial nature was killed almost instantly.
“Most of you managed to meet our minimal expectations, or even slightly exceeded them. You will still have difficulties in the coming years, but as long as you keep striving to improve, you have a solid chance of survival when war comes again.”
A distant voice shouted something that Gregory couldn’t make out.
“You’d do well to sober him up,” Ruzi said coldly before he went back to speaking normally. “Every year, we generally see a unit stand out above the rest. Not only does the magi master things he should, his men also train diligently and press into advanced subjects. This year, we have the unexpected. Five units exceeded our expectations enough to be granted the honor of being acknowledged. Before this year, the most we’d ever given medals to was three.”
That had those who’d thought they’d done well paying even more attention.
“If you are called, you and your men are to march to the head table,” Ruzi continued. “We call Jason Argon of the Eternal Flame up first.”
Gregory watched as Jason stood up, wearing a smug smile as he led his men to the head table.
Ruzi began speaking again when the unit reached him, “Magi Argon, your men showed dedication in their training. They will each be awarded the Elite Magi Guard ribbon. This will clearly indicate that your men are among the best units in the empire.”
It took time for the ribbons to be handed out and for Jason to lead his men back to his table. The dismissive smirk he shot at the three magi of Aether’s Guard was clear to any who saw him.
“Next, we call Wallace Hayworth of Swift Wind forward.”
“Sir,” Davis asked, leaning over toward Gregory, “we did enough, didn’t we?”
“We’ll find out, but I believe so… though if all three units are called up, it’ll cause some friction with the others present.”
“They could’ve trained as hard as we did,” Davis snorted.
“True, but it’s always easier to blame another, even when it isn’t logical.”
“Magi Hayworth, your men showed their aptitude during marching, but also their camaraderie during the obstacle course. You left no wounded or dead behind while still being the fourth fastest to complete the course. To add on to that, you personally showed expert horsemanship. Your men and you will receive the Elite Magi Guard ribbon, but you will also take the Elite Cavalry medal.”
Gregory grinned at Hayworth one-upping Jason. He knew Jason would be stewing again after having thought he was equal to the others who would win.
“Next, we call Yukiko Pettit of Aether’s Guard to the front.”
Gregory grinned. She gave an order and her men stood together, formed ranks, and then marched with precision. “We’ll need to match that,” Gregory murmured to Davis.
“Yes, sir,” Davis said, getting up and quickly moving to the sergeants to spread the word.
“Magi Pettit, not only did your men exceed our requirements, they went beyond all but two others during the marching drill. You were the second fastest to clear the course, and you ran it with your unit, proving your leadership. When you finished, you collected assets to be ransomed back to us. Well done on the forward thinking. To top it off, your skill with using your aether while mounted to not only dispatch your foes, but to rescue hostages, was exemplary. You and your men will collect the Elite Magi Guard ribbon. In addition, you will gain the Meritorious Leadership pin, as your leadership was clear to us. Finally, you will also be given the Elite Cavalry medal. Well done, Magi.”
Gregory was still grinning when Yukiko led her men back to their pavilion. He caught flashes of her two personal decorations, but was able to clearly see the light blue and silver ribbon that all her men wore around their necks.
“The fourth magi for us to call forward is Jenn Pettit of Aether’s Guard.”
A stir went through the banquet grounds at that announcement.
“It is rare for us to award two magi of the same clan during the same year, Pettit, but as with your wife, you outstripped almost all others this year.”
She was given the same awards as Yukiko for roughly the same reasons. When she came back to her seat, smiling as brightly as she ever had, she gave Gregory a wink.
“The last magi to be called forward breaks another milestone for us,” Ruzi said. “We have never— and I checked the records from before my time, as well— have never awarded three magi of the same clan during the same year, until today. Gregory Pettit of Aether’s Guard, present yourself and your unit.”
Gregory stood when called. “Men, assemble.” The men got into ranks, and Gregory marched with Davis to the front of them. “Forward march.”
Gregory kept his eyes forward and his face impassive, but he still caught a glimpse of the shock, surprise, and hatred on others’ faces when he went by them. It was a lengthy march to the head table where the three judges sat. Behind them, a full staff stood by, waiting to help with the awards.
“Magi Pettit,” Ruzi said. He was speaking into a glowing metal disk that told Gregory how the general had been audible clear back where he had been. “Rarely have we been given demonstrations of the skill and grace we had from your unit this year. You joined your men in the marching, including the advanced ones, where not a single error occurred. Your men are commended for that dedication. For horsemanship, you not only killed your foes, but we went further by having you fired at by crossbowmen. Foresight is truly frightening for your opponents, as not a single bolt struck you during the entire ride. Few magi will ever be able to say they can weather such an onslaught.”
A couple of grumbles came from the banquet area, and Ruzi’s eyes went from Gregory to the assembled crowd. Gregory stood at attention, as did all his men behind him, waiting patiently.
“We even deprived your men of your guidance for the obstacle course, where they put on a display of competence that shamed every other unit who ran without their magi. Their tactics during the course were well-executed. For that, we will also be awarding Lieutenant Davis Williams with an extra award tonight.”
The crowd was quiet, as they’d all thought Gregory had used his foresight to best the course. A few still thought he’d just done it before his men had gone to run.
“Lieutenant Davis,” Ruzi said, shifting his gaze to the other man, “we took your magi from you days before your unit ran the course. We can only point to your leadership as the reason his unit did as well as it did.”
“No, sir!” Davis said with his chin lifted.
“No?” Ruzi asked.
“I did lead the men, sir, but they went above and beyond for our commander. Pettit has molded our unit into the best they can be. I might help guide them, but he is the one who deserves the credit, sir.”
“I see. You will still be awarded the Meritorious Leadership pin, in addition to the Elite Magi Guard ribbon.”
“Yes, sir,” Davis replied.
“Pettit will also be given that pin, since you attribute his leadership as the reason why. But in addition to him collecting the same honors as both of his wives, we are going to bestow another honor upon him,” Ruzi said. “This is an award only given to a handful of magi in the entire history of the empire. Most magi would not bother training as vigorously as needed to earn this honor, but Pettit managed it.”
Silence fell as everyone waited to hear what it was.
“Armsmaster Gin Watashi, Armsmaster Egil Magi-killer, and I have all tested Pettit’s skill in combat with the naginata. Since he has bested three armsmasters with their preferred weapons, it is time to grant him the title and medal to attest his own mastery. Armsmaster Pettit, I will personally pin this award on your kimono. While most magi will look down on it, others will see it for the honor it is.”
“Thank you, sir,” Gregory said as Ruzi stood with a medal in his hand.
The staff hurried around the table, placing the ribbons around the necks of the unit, also pinning the other awards on Davis and Gregory. The only exception to that was Ruzi leaning forward to pin the armsmaster medal on Gregory’s chest.
Gregory glanced down to see them all once the staff were done. The light blue ribbon trimmed in silver held a silver disk with words embossed above and below an aether flame. The upper words clearly stated ‘Elite Magi Guard,’ while the lower words were spaced apart to make them legible. ‘Honor. Duty. Death’ were spelled out with small embossed dots to break them up.
The Meritorious Leadership pin was a light blue bar with five silver vertical lines on it. It was simple and understated. Gregory saw the one that Ruzi wore that held four silver aether flames, denoting he’d been granted the award multiple times. The Elite Cavalry medal was a two-inch depiction of a horse rearing up on its hind legs; the medal sat on a light blue backing while the horse was silver.
The last award he looked at was nearly as simple as the Meritorious Leadership pin. It was a rectangular black pin with the word ‘Armsmaster’ above a golden naginata. Gregory’s fingers touched the awards briefly before he drew himself up and saluted the judges, his men copying him.
“Dismissed,” Ruzi said without the disk raised.
“Company, about face!” Gregory commanded.
The entire unit turned sharply around. Gregory and Davis split apart, going to either side of the columns. When they got to the front, Gregory ordered them forward.
His wives were beaming at him as he went past them to his seat. He’d barely sat when Ruzi’s voice again filled the air.
“The banquet is over, but it is time to explain what comes next for you. Tomorrow, you will be given your adept orders, and you are to switch your kimonos to reflect your new rank. The quartermaster will be around to make sure you are supplied for the first leg of your trips. The day after that, you will be leaving in reverse order of arrival. Tomorrow, as long as people are civil, you may speak with friends, say goodbyes to acquaintances, and leave your encampments. If— and it had better not happen— you or any of your men end up causing an issue, your whole unit will be brought before me for judgment. Dismissed!”
Gregory got to his feet, his men doing the same. “Back to the camp. Tomorrow, you can see friends again. I trust you all to be on your best behavior. Mind the jealous ones who might try to cause an incident. Now form up.”
