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Both fursons exited the Dining Hall, the pair creating an atmosphere that would make hard to approach for anyone. The komodo looked calm and composed, but his expression was kind of unfriendly; the effect was just increased by his hard features. The white tiger was clearly gloomy, worry and anxiety on his face and ears flat against his skull. The few students at the porch glanced with curiosity and caution, and wondered what could have happened to the two.

Breakfast had been awkward, Héctor knew it, but he had allowed himself to immerse in his thoughts, ignoring his companion, to consider the situation. He didn't want to accept it, but Arcem attending the same Academy was a fact. Actually, he believed crossing paths with anyone from his hometown could be a problem for him; it was improbable that what had occurred during the Festival hadn't spread. But Arcem was one of the worst outcomes, one of the three fursons that stood with him on that platform, one of the three that saw his eyes clearly.

"Hello again, Héctor" Victor said as he unexpectedly walked towards the pair, his tal amiably hanging behind him. His subtle smile turned into a curious gesture when he perceived the other's mood. "Did something happen?"

"..." Héctor lifted his sight up from the tiled floor to look at the white tiger, yet he looked as if he hadn't understand a word; it took him a moment to comprehend that he had been asked a question. "Huh? No, nothing" he responded unconvincingly.

Victor's face showed he didn't believe that answer and his inquiring stare strengthened. His tail swished once as his affable smile returned.

"Sorry if I have to say it, but you're a terrible liar." He folded his arms, just to unfold his right one and present it towards Héctor as he offered his words. "It's obvious you're troubled. You know, our offer was valid from the moment we presented it, so if you have a problem the White Tiger Association would be glad to assist you. I think this is the perfect opportunity for you to see the benefits being a member carries."

At the side the komodo's eyes narrowed, but this went unnoticed. He glanced over Héctor's way and saw that a frown had formed on the tiger's face. The feline didn't want someone to remind him of what had happened, nor to talk about it.

"I'm fine" he said.

"You don't look like it."

"I do not need your help." His tone had hardened a little.

"Is that so?" Victor smile disappeared and he retrieved his arm, but he remained unfazed. "Then, should I assume your companion here will give you his support?" He faced the lizard, and his expression became a tad amused. "Hah, pardon my rudeness. I didn't realize at first. Though we have never exchanged greetings, I've see you plenty of times. Glad to finally have a word with you, Heir of the Sangemm House. But I must say I'm rather surprised, to see you close to another furson."

"There's nothing surprising in working on an assignment with a classmate" the komodo responded politely and aloof, though his factions showed he was being leery.

"You..." then Victor's eyes widened as he was overcome with astonishment; his sight fell on Héctor, who had been looking at them apprehensively. "You're a student from the Knight Class?!"

Héctor immediately narrowed his eyes and his lips parted to show his fangs; he clenched his fist as to not let his claws come out. He averted his eyes from the two and stepped forward.

"It's none of your concern!" he growled as he began to stride away from them.

"Wait!" Victor hurried. "I'm being serious here. If someone is bothering you, the White Tiger Association can help. No furson can understand you better than someone of the same variety!" That made Héctor halt and look behind.

"I don't need help from anyone, and even less from such weird club!" Then he left.

"That..." Victor began, his face had turned grim. "That was uncalled for." He then turned completely, preparing to also take his leave.

"Why would you say 'someone'?" The komodo stopped him.

The white tiger looked behind. The look on the lizard's eyes told him what the other was implying. Victor faced the komodo; his expression was again calm, full of civility, as well as his voice.

"Certainly, I happened to oversee the earlier incident, and considered it was an opportunity to offer our support. We can't deny the fact, that the white tiger is a variation, and not a truthful variety. Problems with other fursons are bound to surge, and that's why the White Tiger Association was created for."

"Do you truly believe that?"

The question had been asked with an aloof tone, just like it was usual for the lizard, but Victor face went vacant for a moment. Next, his tail lashed violently and, though he refrained himself from clearly displaying it, his expression was filled with a subtle hint of disgust.

"Don't cage us all in your own vision of the world. I've heard plenty about you, Sangemm. That mistake was yours alone."

And with that he walked away. The komodo was left behind, apparently unfazed, but he had been taken aback by the white tiger's words.

"Yes, sorry. I phrased my question wrong." he muttered before he decided to go and look for the one he was supposed to work with.

It only took him some minutes to find the tiger; the feline hadn't tried to hide, but to look for a quiet place where others were unlikely to come. He stood under a tree little deep in the Academy's woods, looking up at the leaves and the sky through the gaps in the foliage. He looked calmer, yet still in thought. The komodo nonchalantly approached, and the feline turned his head to look at him silently. Héctor dropped his sight to the ground and let the lizard do. He somehow felt grateful the scalie would stick with him after all what had happened. Nevertheless, it was also awkward.

The komodo took place next to the tiger, sitting over the grass between the roots exposed from the earth. He didn't say anything; he closed his eyes and leaned against the trunk. Héctor nervously glanced towards the lizard and saw him resting, just being there. That calmed Héctor further in some way. He stared at the ground again and thought some more.

He would need to consult with either Sir Corio or Sir Deus and hope the matter wouldn't go out of paw. However, most of all, he wondered why all that was happening to him. Being a Pilar, going to Fremont Academy, those things were supposed to be some kind of 'dream come true' for most fursons, but before it had occurred to him he had never thought of those options at all. There was also his Mad Eyes; Sir Deus was like him, so he could be more at ease with them, but they would certainly be an issue with most people. Honestly, he had thought of it sometimes, of how would be to have something incredible happen to him, but now he thought that a quiet and uneventful life would have suited him better. He lifted his eyes once more, letting the sun blind him.

"Have you calmed down?" asked the lizard, startling Héctor a little.

He looked down at the komodo, whose stance had not changed the slightest. He had, so, shifting his sight to the front and staring at nothing, he answered quietly.

"Yeah."

Then a silence came between them. Héctor wasn't feeling awkward anymore, but he still felt a tad nervous. A moment passed before the komodo spoke again.

"I think you said a little too much" he commented.

Héctor ears dropped a bit, recognizing he had overreacted; it was easy to do so, because he knew it was a bad habit of his. He hummed his response, not wanting to speak it. Another pause came.

All of a sudden the komodo sprang up and took a stance, as if ready to combat, having sensed something coming towards them. He pinpointed the direction, but as soon as he turned something impacted against him. He remained motionless, a rare dumbstruck expression on his face; droplets of water fell down from his soaked face and uniform. At the side, the tiger looked over the scene inquiringly.

"Can't be helped" the lizard sighed.

"You all right?" Héctor took a step forward.

"Don't mind it." He straightened, and jutted his tongue once. "I had heard rumors about the woods inside the Academy, but I guess it's only pranks. Whoever was has already left." Then he started to take off his vest, taking in hand both flaps.

Héctor observed curiously how the apparently one-piece clothing was pulled apart; the inner claps separating, and the piece opening in two. Unlike buttons, he found that mechanism interesting, even if because he hadn't seen something like it before. Then he became aware of something else, and his attention shifted to the ground; a thin pole seemed to be emerging from the earth. The shaft grew to his height, and split in two forming a kind of perch. The komodo placed his vest on it to let it dry. The tiger was marveled; seeing another furson's magic up close remained new and thrilling for him.

"Is that earth magic?" He said, inspecting the work, evident excitement in his voice.

"I think it would be more accurate to call it ground magic."

The tiger would have liked to take a really close look, but he tried to refrain himself in front of the other furson. Another structure began to form next to the other, and he took the chance to scrutinize the process closely. The shaft was uniformly brown, like if made from rich soil without impurities or pebbles. The material seemed to surge from the material itself, something he could only perceive thanks to how slow the materialization was, compared to his. Once the perch was complete he had to withdraw himself, embarrassedly, when he noticed the komodo intending to place his shirt on it.

It was then that he became conscious of that the lizard had taken off both clothes, leaving his upper body bare. Héctor glanced; then he tried to stare at anywhere else. He also tried to not being obvious about it; he remembered an unspoken rule that said 'men were comfortable around other naked men'. That kind of statement sounded like nonsense for him, so it was more the awkward that it had come to his mind at that moment, like if he was reassuring himself.

His eyes passed over the komodo's exposed front now and then as he tried to not shift his head evidently, and Héctor wondered himself if the scalie was really someone around his age. The lizard body was bigger, broad, and defined; his scales were rough-looking, but Héctor thought his physique was impressing. He had never been near another young in a similar situation, and clothed all looked as lean as him, so he considered it had something to do with differences between varieties. Whatever it was, the situation was embarrassing. He finally found a way out when he turned to face the perches again to apparently observe them.

"It is not my intention to pry on your matters" the komodo spoke, "nor to tell you how to act, but I do think there is no reason for you to be that troubled." His tone was not his aloof one; it was more complex, like wanting to tease, yet meant to soothe. "I know this wolf is a stranger to me, and I have no idea of what occurred between the two of you. But if you are to talk it over, then is okay, isn't it? Until the Placement Test ends, you have plenty of time to prepare yourself. And if it is personal subject, a student from the Iron Division cannot be the type of furson that spreads it around. He must be a furson of word, am I wrong?"

Héctor had turned his head to see the komodo speak, entranced in the words.

"Sorry, but I simply couldn't keep quiet after seeing you like that. Don't worry. I'll speak just this one time, and won't interfere further."

The tiger stared at the lizard's solemn expression for a moment, and then returned to watch over the perches and clothes. His face grimaced, but the reason for that was more complicated than what he could even understand himself.

"Ah, but I guess I shouldn't be speaking like this when I technically remain a stranger." The komodo raised his right arm and offered his hand, a friendly expression on his face for the first time. "I am Terran Sangemm."

"..." Héctor side-glanced the hand befuddled. He was still reflecting over the lizard's speech, so engrossed, that he forgot what the gesture meant. It took him a moment to realize it, and recall what how he was supposed to respond. "Ah" he turned completely and, a tad clumsily, clutched the hand with his paw, "yes, Héctor Furor."

He thought of shaking it, but had no chance of doing it once he felt the limb pulling. Quickly he was drawn closer at the same time as Terran covered the rest of the distance between them. Héctor stiffened when the komodo trapped him in a friendly hug, two pats on the back included, which made him remember that the lizard was shirtless. He was freed soon and, looking at the ground, tried to think of what to do next; because he was feeling pretty embarrassed.

"It seems you're the shy type, huh?" Terran said, eyeing the tiger's reaction.

Héctor instinctively put a paw over his muzzle to prevent his lips from twisting strangely due his fluster, and his left ear twitched frenziedly. Somehow, hearing that from the lizard embarrassed him even further. Terran, on his own, was a little surprised by Héctor's unanticipated response; over the top, maybe, but it made him finally feel the awkward atmosphere that had formed. In the end he had to avert his eyes a bit embarrassed and simply allow time to calm down the situation, and his tiger companion.

The rest of the morning passed, and some minutes before midday the two of them made their way to the lecture hall. When they arrived, the others were already there, seated very much alike the day of the propaedeutics; most of them taking the front rows, save for Egon who was in the seventh one. The instructor, Mr. Hortz, was standing behind the podium; he stared at the newcomers, and waited for them to come in. From the entryway Héctor noticed Arlen gesturing him to enter and, probably, sit next to him like before.

Terran stepped in first, and walked to the first row, taking seat near the lion, but leaving an empty chair between them. This earned him a curious glance from the feline and the others. Héctor was doubtful of what to do after that, of whether to take that vacant seat or maybe another; and he had to decide quickly since he couldn't stand there for long. A look from the komodo told him to pick the first option, or at least he thought it did. The tiger walked towards them, and sat meekly. Hortz watched the entire scene with a gentle smile, also amused.

"Good afternoon!" The doberman greeted his students, "and sorry about this morning, but something really important came up unexpectedly. Anyways, I hope you all had a good night of rest after last week's because, from now on, the real challenge begins" he said with a grin and teasing tone. "Well, actually, the start is pretty slow, so use that time to get used to your new environment. Okay?

"As of now you're all students from the Advanced Studies Course, a curse specialized on forming full-fledged knight class warriors. Thus, we are known as the Knight Class. You were all accepted because your academic performance is praiseworthy, but more importantly, because your physical ability and magic skill is far above average. As you know, not everyone can aspire to be a knight, the shield and blade of this country, so be proud of yourselves."

He made a pause to take in the response of the students; proud, nervous, excited, calm, expectant, uninterested, those were the reactions he could make off, and he was satisfied with what he saw.

"So let's make it official. Welcome you all to the Knight Class!" He exclaimed excitedly, striking a pose. Next orange petal started to fall from the ceiling, like rain that came out of nowhere, which bewildered some of the students. "Well then, this class is Advisory, and we will be discussing several issues here regarding your student life and career. The first point is... This might seem rather sudden, but there's an important event this week."

Héctor felt his insides clench a little at those words.