AN: The only thing that aids the plot is the first segment. After that, it's all just funny little scenes I had rattling around in my head but haven't been able to properly incorporate. All of these things canonically happened, though, all sometime between their first mission and the next chapter.

A smoldering fire shined through the leaves as a little campsite was set a bit off the road. The teens huddled all around it, safe between its flames and their dragons around them. As promised, Colonel Warven had sent them to investigate another tampered location somewhere close to the Froshrinra border.

Only the stars shone above them, the moon a thin crescent, as Nagan and Milora lay awake. Where they settled for the night wasn't unsafe, per se, but it was oddly close to where the boys were attacked in the raid. Even with the dragons, they still thought it best to have a night watch.

"Why does Az always cover his face when he sleeps?" Milora asked, nodding her head to where the aforementioned slept.

Nagan shrugged, shifting the embers with a stick. "He doesn't sleep well when he's not in total darkness. Not that you've ever seen it, but he always has a thick curtain around his bed."

He then stood, going to the small log pile they had collected before nightfall and tossing another one in. With a small burst of magic, he ignited the log.

"You know, Nagan," Milora began as Nagan sat back down, "I've always heard people mention that you have a magic affinity, but I never really asked you how that's supposed to work."

"It doesn't make me better at magic, that's for sure," Nagan said, leaning back on his hands. "Instead, I can see everyone's magical presence. It's easier to see indoors, though, since it's a contained area."

"Really? What does it look like?"

"Little balls of light that like to float and circulate near the ceiling. The stronger a person's magical presence is, the faster the light flows. It's fascinating to see them in Carvolier since you have a mixture of all types. You have the grey orbs of those just developing their magic, the typical magic-type colors, and then the teachers' orbs that shine the brightest with all the other orbs orbiting around them. When we sit in the Great Hall, the light turns into a big ball of white light." Nagan paused as a thought occurred to him. "How did you discover your affinity? At first, we thought Az had a nature affinity, but that hasn't really been calling to him. Now, we suspect it's light. Different from your affinity, but still of the same element."

"Huh..." Milora furrowed her brow. "He's training to be an Infiniti but hasn't found his affinity yet? Have you been looking in the right places?"

"That's why we moved on from nature. We really thought it was that since his magic seemed to react pretty well in the woods. He reacted to light, too, however, so we think it could be that."

"Well, it was the little things, I guess..." Milora didn't think Az's affinity was light, but she continued on. "All my life, I've always woken up at dawn. It didn't matter when I fell asleep or if I was still tired, it was always dawn. I was always notoriously bad at taking naps when I was a kid as well, but that didn't really affect me. It was as if the sun energized me."

"Ah, so staying awake like this must be torture."

Milora smiled. "I'll live. What about you? According to Carvolier students, you were also always up with the sun. Why is that?"

"Nothing like your story, it's pretty much because our dorm window faces east, and sunrise always woke me up. The Arclovens tried putting curtains around my bed as well, but I thought it felt too constricting. I ended up giving them to Florine, Az's younger sister, and just formed the habit of waking up early." He looked at Milora. "You know, Az is almost opposite to you. It's a pain getting him up in the morning, and he hates being in the sun for too long."

A look of clarity suddenly washed over Milora's face. "Wait, you said his magic reacted in the woods, correct?"

Nagan blinked. "Yes?"

"And that he doesn't like being in the sun?"

"Yeah."

"Nagan, what if Az is a dark affinity?"

Silence hung in the air as they both stared at each other wide-eyed, the cogs in their brains moving in sync. Without another word, they both scrambled to their feet and nearly ran over to where Az was sleeping.

"Az!" Nagan hissed, trying not to wake the others but also needing to use enough force to wake up the heavy sleeper. He shook the taller for good measure. "Az! You need to wake up right now!"

"What?" Az started, flinging his cloak from his face and nearly bumping foreheads with Nagan as he sat up. "What's going on? Is something wrong?"

"Shhh!" Nagan covered Az's mouth. "Not so loud! Everything's fine."

Az ripped Nagan's hand away from his face, now looking rather annoyed. "Then why did you wake me up!"

"Because Milora is the smartest person in the world."

"...Did you just wake me up to gush about your girlfriend?" Az asked incredulously. "Are you drunk?"

"Why would I be—never mind. The point is, I need you to start meditating right now and reach out for your affinity, the dark specifically."

Az's face changed to bewilderment. "What?"

"You heard me—Milly, can you put out the fire? Thanks—We have reasonable cause to believe your affinity is actually the dark. One, you're a prick when you wake up, you don't like being out in the sun for too long, and maybe it wasn't the nature part that your magic reacted to in the woods but the shade itself. Do you see what I'm saying?"

Az has already begun arranging himself into a meditative position. "By the gods, why haven't we thought of this sooner?"

Nagan was practically bristling with excitement. "Shut up and start meditating."

Nagan and Milora held their breaths as they watched Az. His eyes were shut and his brow pinched in concentration. He held his palms open in front of him, inviting affinity magic to come to him. At first, it looked as if nothing was happening, and Nagan's stomach dropped, but that was when he realized Az's hands were beginning to fade.

"He's doing it," Milora breathed.

Az then opened his eyes, concentrating on his hands as he slowly condensed the darkness into light, wispy tendrils. It was almost as if smoke danced across his fingers. Glancing at the smothered fire, he muttered an incantation, and with a whoosh a thin bolt of green and shadow rushed to the logs, instantly reigniting the fire into a mini inferno. Az's jaw dropped in shock at the power behind it.

Nagan could no longer contain his excitement as he whooped and nearly tackled Az in a hug. Milora was quick to join.

"What are you yelling about," Carth's voice snapped, and Nagan could hear the rustling of the others waking up. Without an ounce of remorse for waking them all up, Nagan turned to them with a grin.

"Az found his affinity, that's what I'm yelling about!"

The response was almost immediate, all realizing what a monumental moment this was for their friend. They all knew how long Az had been trying to connect to an affinity, and now, he had finally found it. Az soon found himself showered in congratulations and general excitement at the achievement, and Nagan couldn't help but feel proud that his best friend's efforts had finally paid off.

In theory, Nagan should have had no problem crossing the shallow creek. If you could even call it that. It was only a little stream of water that barely covered the top of their boots.

So how in the universe did Nagan find himself flat on his back with water soaking into his clothes?

Carth stood above him, looking torn between asking if he was ok and laughing.

"...Are you ok?"

"Yeah, fine, fine. I just decided to test out my new water bed."

Aitor let out a snort further ahead.

This time, it was Fai's turn to be torn between asking if Nagan was ok and laughing.

He was heading to the training field he heard his kids were spending their free time, Meixong strolling behind him, when he was presented with a chaotic scene. First, he saw Gath and Aitor practically falling all over each other laughing their lungs out. Next, he saw a concerned—if not embarrassed—Milora. And finally, his eyes landed on the main attraction.

Nagan sat on the ground with a once-white cloth pressed to his nose with blood splatters down the front of his shirt. Az knelt in front of him, a healing spell directed towards the former's nose while Carth stood behind him, transferring. Carth and Az weren't laughing, but it definitely looked like they wanted to.

"What happened here?" Fai asked even though the answer was fairly obvious.

"I didn't mean to—I didn't think—" Milora began, "I was sparring against Nagan, and I didn't think it'd hit, but I swung my elbow back and—well..."

"She got him good and properly broke his nose," Az said a little too gleefully. "I already set the bone, but he's going to have a black eye after this."

Gath and Aitor cackled even louder. Fai wanted to join them, honestly, but if Carth and Az could keep a straight face, so could he. Meixong, on the other hand, had no qualms about keeping appearances, letting out a hefty wheeze.

"You know, I feel like I have the unfair reputation of wandering into odd places around Carvolier," Nagan ranted as they headed to their next assignment. "Seriously, aren't we ever gonna start keeping an eye on Carth and Silvina considering they make out at every dark corner imaginable?"

Carth was quick to shoot him a glare. "I thought we agreed to never speak of it again."

"After it happened four times? Even Silvina said we might as well—"

"Finish that sentence, and I'm morally allowed to end you!"

Thankfully, they all made it intact to their next location, now having settled in an inn.

"What were your first impressions of each other, anyway?" Gath asked after Nagan and Az explained the meaning behind their earrings.

Az glanced at Nagan who only looked back at him expectantly. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Honestly? I felt a lot of pity towards him."

Nagan made an offended noise.

"What else was I supposed to think? First I see you appear out of thin air, retching at the ground with scrapes and bruises covering you, and then the next time I see you your whole abdomen was covered in bandages. Not to mention, you were skin and bones."

"Mmm ok, you're right about that," Nagan admitted. "I was probably the definition of a sorry sight. And I guess my first impression of you was that you were intimidating—you and your family—Aunt Cilara especially."

Az's eyes widened. "You were scared of me?"

"I said intimidated, but maybe a little bit scared. It wasn't exactly within my expectation to be caught stealing bread, running from said baker who pulled a knife on me, getting teleported through the whirling pits of hell from a fae, and then suddenly is told I'm gonna go to school at Carvolier and then practically be adopted all in the same day."

Az snorted. "Fair enough, I suppose that was a pretty life-changing day for you. And then you proved to be the reason why my blood pressure spikes every time I hear the phrase, 'I have an idea.'"

"You love me," Nagan grinned.

"Begrudgingly."

Gath chuckled at their banter. "I've always found it fascinating how people find each other. I mean, look at all of us! Maybe fighting in a war isn't the most ideal circumstance, but I'm still glad we're all here together. I honestly wouldn't have it any other way."

All of them agreed in their own way, either through hums or verbal affirmation. However, Carth only smiled, his chest filling with warmth at the sentiments. Of course, he wished one more person was here, but he was at peace with the arrangement as long as Silvina waited at Carvolier, safe.

They all eventually settled into their beds, lulled to sleep by Nagan's peaceful humming.

•___________________________•

Nagan and Az are Slytherins
Carth is a Gryffindor
Milora is a Ravenclaw
Gath and Aitor are Hufflepuffs

No, I will not be taking constructive criticism at this time, only cash or credit—

(Jk, tell me if you agree or why I'm wrong in the comments XD)