The professor stepped forward, scanning the new tars with dramatic silence. The four Faction Heads, now behind him, glanced at each other montarily before looking into the crowds of tars, scoping the ones they planned to add to their separate Factions.
"Welco, New Tars," the professor began, montarily stroking his silver beard. "My na is Professor Saggitaru. I am in charge of Factions as overseer. These," he gestured regally to the four figures behind him, "are your Faction Leaders."
"I may not need to introduce them. Most of you are already very familiar with all of them. But for those that do not..."
"Lance Orchid of Knight Faction." Professor Saggitaru gestured to the tall blond in tiger-striped armor. Lance stood ramrod straight, his rigid face didn’t move as he assessed the crowd.
"Viktor Smiths of Gilded Faction." The red-haired leader with the massive gauntlet adjusted his posture, like the armored hand weighed on him.
"Dara Kyle of Ravelin Faction." The girl in snakeskin gear offered a small smile, her eyes sharp as flint.
"And Fenris Harkson of House Faction." The raven-haired girl remained impassive. That intense expression still plastered on her otherwise beautiful face.
"These individuals," Saggitaru continued, "were once where you sat. Now, they are amongst Nebulon’s finest Riftwalkers. They head the four Factions, leading you in inter-faction competitions, Faction tournants and possible Rift Clearing missions."
"As you know, Factions are especially important to succeed here at Beastcorp Academy. Your Faction is your crucible, your support network, and the very ground where you will prove yourselves."
He launched into an explanation mirroring Kekius’s earlier one: rit Points, resource allocation based on Faction performance, inter-faction challenges. Jethro half-listened, his mind already dissecting future plans.
Resources were the key, and points were the currency.
That was all he cared about.
After he was done with the explanation, Saggitaru paused, lifting his gaze to declare: "The Draft will now comnce. Leaders have reviewed your Hatching Ceremony results, your preliminary Rift Clearing scores, and crucially, your submitted Faction preferences."
He emphasized the last point. "This ensures a asure of alignnt between ambition and opportunity. Higher-ranked Factions, by virtue of past performance, will have selection priority for the most sought-after recruits. Knight Faction will select first, followed by House, Gilded, and finally Ravelin."
’Preferences.’Jethro hadn’t submitted any. He wanted to say he hadn’t cared enough to submit any, but he didn’t even know that that was happening. Although now, it still didn’t matter.
Still, the whole preference thing was kind of unfortunate for the underdog Factions. Even though it made sense, coldly. Why would a tar with high ranking chbeasts like Jessamine or Eryn end up anywhere but Knight or House?
The system was designed to keep the strong together.
"Knight Faction," Professor Saggitaru announced. "Leader Lance, you have the floor."
Lance Orchid stepped forward, his presence commanding the vast space. He looked at the data-slate in his palm before lifting his gaze. "Knight Faction selects... Skarion Zentara."
A collective gasp rippled through the hall, followed by a wave of intense murmuring. Heads swiveled, searching. Near the front, a raven-haired boy sat, undisturbed by the sudden attention.
Jethro recognized him imdiately as the boy from the Hatching Ceremony who had hatched the first Black Rank chbeast: a Shadowfiend Raven.
"He’s the first Draft Pick," soone muttered.
"First he gets gifted a Black Rank Egg and now he’s the first pick of the Draft?"
"Damn. I’m jealous."
Skarion wore a gear not too dissimilar to the one he wore on the Ceremony. His expression was just as impassive, completely detached from the frenzy around him. Perched on his shoulder, nearly blending with his hair, was his chbird, the Shadowfiend Raven, which was already in the Juvenile Stage.
Everyone watched as one of the n in academy greys moved efficiently through the rows, and handed Skarion a badge with the Knight Faction logo on it.
Lance Orchid’s selection solidified Knight’s position as the apex predator.
"House Faction," Saggitaru called. "Leader Fenris Harkson."
Fenris stepped forward, her short cape billowing for a mont behind her. She consulted her slate before making her pick. "House Faction selects Padva Darlstarc."
A ripple of surprise, quieter this ti, followed. Padva, seated alone, didn’t react beyond a slight tightening of her jaw.
"She’s the second Draft Pick? Hmm. Isn’t she a daughter of an ordinary Sector Twelve governor?"
"I don’t know. I heard that she’s a prodigy and she is bonded with a Deathclaw."
Jethro watched Padva quietly as she accepted the badge and then continued stroking her Panther. ’Just how good is she to be the second Draft Pick?’ he wondered, the surprise pick adding another layer to her enigma.
The draft continued, swiftly and theatrically. Jessamine’s na was called for Knight Faction; she accepted with a proud smile. Eryn Fenlor was next for Knight, his Dual-Bond status earning approving nods; he preened visibly, flashing a royal smile.
His cousins, however, Dash and Ben, ended up in two different Factions. Dash was added to Knight Faction, likely on Eryn’s coattails. But Ben ended up in Ravelin Faction. He appeared utterly betrayed and confused, but Dash said nothing to him as he proudly clipped his Knight Faction badge on his collar.
Kekius practically levitated off his seat when Fenris called his na for House Faction. "? *House*?" he whispered, eyes wide with stunned joy. "Yes!" He clutched his silver badge like a sacred talisman.
Oand was selected by Dara Kyle for Ravelin, and he accepted his badge with a nervous but grateful smile
The Draft went on and on, and Jethro was amongst the few that hadn’t been selected yet.
Wasn’t surprising, honestly. A boy bonded with the lowest-ranked chbeast wasn’t exactly a hot commodity. Jethro could wait. He knew he would eventually be selected, regardless of the Faction.
However, when it was the House Faction’s ti again to make a pick, Fenris’s eyes scanned her slate for a short mont before she called;
"House Faction selects Jethro rrick."
The reaction wasn’t a gasp this ti. It was a stunned, disbelieving silence, followed by an explosion of confused whispers.
"What?"
"Did I just hear that right? Isn’t Jethro rrick the Gutterling guy?"
"Yeah, the pest control boy."
"House Faction is the second biggest Faction in the Academy. How do they seriously plan to compete with Knight if they have a scrap feeder on their team?"
"This must be a mistake. No way Fenris picked the lizard boy?"
But Fenris Harkson’s face didn’t look at all like she was mistaken. In fact, she appeared more serious and intense than before.
Ben’s jaw hung open. Dash looked like he’d swallowed sothing sour. Eryn Fenlor’s handso face twisted into a montary scowl of pure bewildernt before he smoothed it. Jessamine turned to look at Jethro, surprised, intrigued, and a little bit annoyed.
Jethro himself was just as shocked. His eyes narrowed, locking onto Fenris Harkson. What was going on now? First Jessamine offered to get him into Knight Faction and now Fenris Harkson was picking him, the tar with the lowest-ranked chbeast, for the second most prestigious Faction?
It made no strategic sense. Was it pity? So obscure political play? Or did she know sothing?
Kekius, beside him, was only excited. "Woah! You and I are in the sa Faction! That’s aweso. It will help us stay closer to each other."
He glanced at Oand, realizing how insensitive that sounded. "Don’t worry, Oand. Being in different Factions won’t break our friendship one bit."
Oand smiled nervously.
One of the academy attendants handed Jethro his badge which he numbly accepted. On it was an insignia resembling a fortified chtower – the sigil of House Faction.
As the Draft ca to an end and the last badges were distributed, Fenris’s gaze swept the hall one final ti. It paused, just for a fraction of a second, on Jethro. Her expression remained impassive, but the intensity of that brief look was undeniable.
It wasn’t a look of warmth or of disdain. She was assessing him. And when she was done, she turned and walked away.
Jethro frowned. ’What the hell is her problem?’
Professor Saggitaru stepped forward again, reclaiming the focus. "The Draft is concluded. You are now bound to your Factions. Rember this: you are no longer rely individuals. Every action you take, every victory you secure, every lapse you suffer, reflects upon your Faction and contributes to its standing. Strive for excellence. Support your comrades.
"Your journey as representatives of Beastcorp and its Academy, and potentially as defenders of Nebulon, begins now. Proceed to your designated class halls for your first lessons."
The hall erupted into a wave of movent and renewed chatter as hundreds of students began to flow towards the exits, grouped now by the colors and emblems on their badges.
Knight was gold.
House was silver.
Gilded was bronze, and
Ravelin was copper.
Conversations concerning the dramatic Draft filled the air as Jethro followed beside Kekius and Oand.
"A boy who isn’t a noble-born was the First Draft Pick?"
"A princess from a lower Sector in House Faction?"
"A scrap feeder as well?"
This academy year sure was going to be sothing. Though all Jethro wanted it to be was a chance to get resources to evolve his Red Lizard into a Dragon.
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