Aldona and Azuloas had been warned that the first year of the Academy would be dull for them, they had been warned by Karlis and then by the heir of the Ēnu. It was dull enough that they and Bednar Ēnu would nap in most of their classes, none of their teachers would bother them and the twins didn’t have parents for them to talk to.

None of their teachers hated them, but at the same time, Aldona knew most of them were conflicted. Azuloas knew the others were confused, they didn’t hate them, but they didn’t want to teach the demon children. The carriers for the Dragon of Wrath and the Fox of Greed, the same creatures that tore nearly half the village and killed off dozens of their closet friends and family.

Bednar was left to nap because the Ēnu Clan was known for their high IQ’s, and since it wasn’t war time, none of them could skip grades to finish the Academy early. So they would take their Kareivis exams at sixteen, and Bednar regularly embarrassed their teachers by correcting their answers, sitting back with a bored look on his face.

Like that time, he corrected Mrs Dziedātājs when she asked what the difference between the Kareivis, Apsauga and Sekti Units were. Mrs Dziedātājs told them that the difference was the level of missions they could take; Kareivis taking missions that were D – A rank; Apsauga took missions B – SS rank and finally people in Sekti took ranks A – SSS missions.

Whilst Bednar just looked at her before telling that was basic. That the real difference was the type missions each unit; Kareivis Unit took escort missions, protection detail and most missions that involved protecting clients. While the Apsauga Unit took missions about the village’s security and protection detail of high-ranking clients; such as member of the council or officials from the King’s council. The Sekti Unit did undercover and information missions, when in the village they oversaw getting information from anyone threatening the village’s safety. By any means necessary.

Instead of starting basic stances for their fighting styles, they ran laps and did basic physical exercises, never pushing them into improving their abilities. Aldona and Azuloas, along with most of the Clan children would usually finish early and watch the civilian children struggle with things they had been able to do since the age of four.

Dvesma could so most of it at three, since she had started training at that age. So, it showed that the Academy was more interested in getting civilian students onto the same level as Clan children without pushing them too hard.

The Academy was meant to be preparing them, but instead, they seemed more interested in pushing as many students through the doors as they could. A thought process that Aldona thought was only around during wars, not for normal missions.

Azuloas was glad that the Paslėpta liepsna and Clan half of the council would be charge of setting the Academy’s guidelines and lesson plans for the next group. Along with how they arranged who went into what lesson and class.

The system they had currently, didn’t prepare anyone who didn’t have clan training or had to fight to survive for most of their lives. Most new Kareivis members died within the first two years and a lot of them died on their first C-rank mission.

It was hard to be killed painting fences and pulling weeds out of farming fields.

Aldona and Azuloas continued to train with Dvesma and Bellerophon, once a week all four of them would train together. See how had made the most improvement in their weaker areas, then they’d then help each other improve them, as the year went Bednar started joining them and soon his best friend, Lodoiska Dzintara, had joined as well.

Even through Azuloas, Aldona and Bednar never paid attention in class. Mrs Nowak had been surprised that they continued to sit in the middle of the class, it might have been closer to the bottom half then the top half, but Mrs Nowak had told them that she thought they were going to be changing the dead last spot between the three.

Most of their pranks could be turned deadly by replacing a few things, paint for poison or acid or feathers for daggers and sharp needles. No one looked at them, barely anyone thought they were smart enough to pull any of the pranks.

That was their loss.

None of their friends or their parents understood the reason that Azuloas and Aldona wore bright colours. After explaining that ‘if they could get away with what they did wearing bright colours, then imagine what they could get away with wearing darker colours?’.

Azuloas wore a bright blue sleeveless jacket, with a long-sleeved black shirt. A pair of baggy black pants, with the same bright blue tapped at the end, leather bracelet’s around his wrists and a leather choker around his neck.

Aldona on the other hand brought her clothing from a traveling band of merchants, telling her that they never stayed in one place. That they didn’t belong to a country or village, went where they wanted and knew the laws of any country they wanted to trade with. The woman of the cavern had been happy to answer her and Azuloas’ questions.

And both had asked quite a few questions. Too the point that the woman just patted Aldona on the head, before letting her buy some of their books. Giving her some that weren’t available to the general public.

Aldona had fallen in love with their clothing and had planned to wear a darker version when she passed her Kareivis exam. Aldona even took a pack of cards and a book on how to read them, she had a feeling that she could use the idea for her seals, she had been thinking about it since she brought them.

That didn’t stop Aldona from adoring her bright red shirt, and the matching layered skirt. Over that she’d weak a black jacket, sometimes she wished she had her brother’s dark blond hair. Since her pale blonde locks made her skin paler than it really is. Neither wore shoes, no matter how many times Markuss asked them, Anyuta would just giggle at their antics before asking them to wash their feet before entering the building.

The two were making good process on the Vitkus scrolls, even though they were surprised to find information about the Kazlauskas and Gintaro Clans. Already their handwriting was better then most of their peers, even Aldona’s was a bit neater and Azuloas was a bit faster at completing a stack of seals.

Like in their fighting styles; Aldona was more flexible and Azuloas was stronger. Other than that, both their fighting styles relied on speed and accuracy, a mixture of stances taught and observed through the years. Aldona and Azuloas were always willing to get a new style to their mix-match fighting style.

Aldona and Azuloas had planned some pranks, harmless ones. But still, could be turned deadly if a few things were replaced. Replacing paints with poisons or acids; soft strings with sharp wires or trip wires attached to a bomb.