The Academy: I kinda like BB guns myself

The clouds opened up with a loud rumble, the heavens shaking with the resonating vocals of such monstrosities of fluff. The rain came tumbling down with a soft sound of pitters and patters, turning the world into a speckled thing, and then dark and wet. It became cold, and steam curled around the noses of the horses walking and talking beneath the rain. Huyana laughed, her eyes shivering with joy at the rain, her element embracing it like lovers long lost. Huyana’s head tilted towards the mare at her side, her smile deep and warm as it twisted her lips towards the sky. ”Yes.” And with another giggle she drew the falling rain into a ribbon, twisting it from the sky and twirling it around the fellow scholar.

”Do you mind the rain? I can keep it from you, if you like.” Huyana’s amber eyes queried through a haze of droplet sprinkled forelock, the black hairs growing heavier as they soaked up the water. Her hide had turned mostly black in color now beneath the wet and the weight. But Huyana did not mind the rain, she lived for it, adored it, hoped for it. She shook her black head through, sending up a brief shower of small droplets.

”And yes, you will be able to read minds and do many wonderful things. It seems… frightening, strange, impressive, chaotic – all of those, at first. But it fits within you so well, melding into you, becoming a part of you. Before long it seems more strange to have lived without it.” Huyana mused thoughtfully, tail flicking a spray of water. ”But you must work on controlling the rush of new abilities you’ll encounter, least they get the better of you. Supers, specifically, can be incredibly deadly.” Huyana’s ‘brow furrowed briefly before she shook away the ominous air. ”But I will get to those soon… there is still ranks to learn, as less interesting as they may be they are the foundation, and the key to a scholar’s work for a herd. We are a herd’s diplomatic, their ambassadors. We must learn all we can to be better prepared, even if what we learn has nothing to do with us.” Huyana hummed softly, ears twitching at the rain’s whispers. ”And of course… I am sorry it slipped my mind that you were a viper, so rare is it to find an earth element in their dunes. But it will be good for them, and for you. This place is better with variety and exchange.” She stopped briefly, content to abandon their walk to stand in the rain, a tree close to them now if Indira should so desire to slip beneath its boughs. ”I cannot answer your question entirely… I’m not sure why it is earth is less often seen. Water and fire are the most common, I think because they are better understood, easier elements to apply to individual personalities. But earth, she is around in many here, lurking in various hybrid elements.” Huyana simpered, dropping her head to itch her leg. ”But again, I’m getting ahead of myself.”

”The warrior class fights their way to the top. From unranked, they win two battles to gain bronze, which gives them a new skill on the battlefield in which their can combine attacks. Another two fights and they become a silver, earning the skill to defend with an attack. And from there, they achieve gold by determining which silver has the greatest victory count at the time. With gold they become legends and gain the ability to return a stolen member to their herd.” Huyana turned her head, exhaling heavily so the steam rushed free. ”They are a brutal class, defined by their skills. But each class is useful, and everyone should at least know how to battle.” Huyana had killed a mare once, but that was long ago and earned no place in this world. This new, strange world. She closed her thoughts to those knocking memories.

”The final class is that of espionage. An unranked spy becomes a scout when they have to steal from another herd and block a steal from theirs. After scout they can become a mercenary status with a record of three steals and three blocks. Then mercenary to shadow with five steals and four blocks. At each level they earn the ability to steal more often, and with shadow the skill to steal a member from a herd immediately.” Huyana did not know much about spies, Solira was not in abundance of them and Huyana had never been involved with steals of any sort. But she knew the basics enough. ”Spies are a difficult class, but they are perhaps the most useful to a herd, and to you even. Spies know much about members of their herd, to keep them from being stolen, and much about those outside, to steal them. If ever you have a question on specific horses, I’d ask a spy before anyone else.”

Huyana sighed softly, knowing she was going on for a while but wanting to be done with ranks. Courage had never finished their lecture on ranks and Huyana had struggled to fill in the blanks later. She didn’t wish the same for her students. She held her tongue, swallowing the rain for a bit. ”Shadow, Gold, Oracle these are the pinnacle of achievement for each class, the titles which earn their bearers a place in history as a Legend. A legend is powerful, respectable, and mighty. So recognizable and strong, they earn a second name.” Huyana simpered coyly. ”I have already considered my second name, if I can dare to dream so high.” Not that she would tell it, not yet. She had not earned it, so no one should know if it, not yet. She let silence fill between them for a moment, before she glanced over to the mare. ”What ails your leg?”

Water II - Bullet Rain - Apprentice - Solira