[@deia876lat] sorry, just a minor correction regarding this bit:

[quote]He could tell Leo was tapping into the Aether[/quote]

The Aether is the name of the force keeping all the islands floating in the air. Mages can interact with this force due to their connection with Gaia, but ki users lack this connection, so the only thing they can control is the power of their own soul, their ki. It's not related to the Aether. Hope that clears things up.

[@Omni5876] it depends on the nature of their assignment. Sometimes it's following the nearest guy in charge. Other times, the mage has full authority to the point of commanding an entire airship if necessary. It's really all up to what the Archmage and King decides, and sometimes that means working with knights.