230 The Knight's Academy

"Keep up," General Von Trike urged as he led the class away from the platform. They went down a cold dirt path, their wet footwear coagulating into mud. Most students preferred to walk on the parts of the flat mountaintop laden with rock, cracked from long dead and dried out weeds.

"What are you reading?" Elero asked, looking at the note in Thomas's hands.

"Oh nothing," Thomas folded the note up and put it back into his pocket. "I don't know why it was in my pocket but it read: 'Beware inhaling the smoke'."

"Sounds hot." Elero said before facepalming.

Thomas tilted his head to the side. "Was that supposed to be a pun?"

"Because there's smoke." Elero said, still hiding her face.

"I don't get it." Frey shrugged as Thomas let out a sigh, as if his will to go on had deflated.