《Soul Mage - Heart of Fire and Stone [Fantasy/Romance]》 Prologue - General Ashe Treigha The world is on fire and there is nothing I can do to stop it. Explosions ring in my ears, soldiers shout and the dying scream. My eyes close as I try to block it all out. Try to forget what has already happened. But I can¡¯t because this is war. A terrible thing that threatens the living. A primal, destructive power. Unfettered chaos that threatens the very threads that tie us together, that give us life. Now darkness has fallen and what was living only a few hours before, are now corpses. The smell of their rotting flesh wafts up with the stagnant air to where I remain crouching. I gag and nearly vomit at the putridness. It tastes of iron and death, ashes and char. A smell that when this is over, I will never forget. A shrill scream erupts from somewhere nearby and my head jerks in that direction. I squint my eyes, trying to see through the waning daylight. All I can make out are the silhouettes of things hidden in shadow. Something moves in the field of corpses. I watch as the bipedal creature sniffs one corpse and then another. It lifts its snout to the air. My breath catches as I try to remain as quiet as possible, but damn this beating heart! Thrumming in my chest, faster and faster. The creature lowers its head and sniffs around the corpses again. I let out a long breath. ¡°N-no-no-noaaaaaaaa!¡± The creature finds a poor soldier who had been hiding among the dead. Its maw grabs the soldier¡¯s arm and tears the arm away! Bones crunch. The man screams as he is eaten alive. That scream turns into a gurgle as his throat is ripped out and then¡­ silence once again. My lungs burn as I hold in a breath. Any sound might alert the creature to my presence. Slowly it meanders its way through the field and wanders off when no more food can be found. My breath escapes my lungs. Footfalls echo on the wooden path behind me. I twist in place, turning to the man who now marches in my direction. The man with hair the color of a bright red sunrise, visible even in the darkness of the darkest night, crouches beside me. He looks at me with pale blue eyes. There is terror plastered on his face as I¡¯m sure there is on mine. ¡°General Ashe Treigha,¡± he says with an accented voice. ¡°It¡¯s not looking good.¡± I stare at him. Well no shit! After what I had just witnessed and what I¡¯m absolutely sure he heard unless somehow he had gone deaf since the last time I saw him, of course this wasn¡¯t good! Though I could breathe easier now, my heart had not slowed. To prevent myself from going into the panic attack I was sure I was close to, I force myself to focus on that forest green uniform he wore. Sewn onto his left shoulder were three red and blue stripes. They signified his rank. ¡°General Ashe Treigha?¡± he says again. ¡°Are you alright?¡± My throat closes up and my voice comes out hoarse. ¡°Yeah,¡± I say. In training they told us that if we were ever about to panic, if we felt ourselves starting to hesitate or freeze, we should breathe in and out while counting or doing math. So I did just that. It took me to the count of ten to get my heart to slow and then my breathing became easier after that. I look into his eyes once more. ¡°I told you never to call me that.¡± He frowns. ¡°I know,¡± he says. ¡°But¡­ not using formal titles here, just doesn¡¯t sit right with me.¡± ¡°Of course it doesn¡¯t,¡± I say as I let out a long breath. A moment of silence stretches between us as we look around the palisade. I don¡¯t know why I bothered, his eyes might be good in the dark, but mine? Those silhouettes were almost completely gone now as the shadow of night has almost taken over everything. ¡°Malik?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± he says. ¡°Do you have any children?¡± I know it was a strange question to ask, especially with us fighting to stay alive, but I needed something¡­ anything to get my mind off of what was happening. Malik moves from his crouch to a sitting position, with his legs stretched out in front of him, his back against the palisade and his head tilted toward the sky. I suppose if all we were doing here was waiting, then we could both get comfortable. But I chose to remain in my crouch. I wanted to be damned sure that I could react in an instant, if anything were to happen. ¡°I¡­ wouldn''t exactly call them children anymore,¡± he says. Malik turns his gaze back to me. ¡°I have two sons.¡± Silence falls between us again. An unnerving, unwavering silence that threatens to take us both in its grips and swallow us whole. It lasts for a small eternity and I begin to think he might not continue, but then it gets too unnerving, even for him. ¡°One is fighting on the front lines. I¡­ haven¡¯t seen him for a few months now.¡± He didn''t elaborate, but I knew what it meant. It was possible that the two had just been separated because their duties took them apart. It was more likely that Malik''s oldest son had gone missing. ¡°What about your other son?¡± Malik sighs. ¡°The other,¡± he says. ¡°Is somewhere I wouldn¡¯t wish even my worst enemy to be¡­ well¡­ maybe that¡¯s an exaggeration but¡­ the place isn¡¯t good.¡± I want to ask, I really do, but I feel like that might be pushing a little too much for something he probably doesn¡¯t want to talk about. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve tried to get him out many times over the years.¡± ¡°Where is he that he can¡¯t return home?¡± Malik looks at me. ¡°Ever heard of Aurys Academy?¡± My heart stutters. ¡°Yes,¡± I say dryly. ¡°That is where your son is?¡± Malik nods. ¡°H¡­how¡­?¡± ¡°For eight years. He should be¡­ nineteen now,¡± he says. ¡°What about you? Do you have any children?¡± I hesitate, unsure about how I should actually feel. ¡°Do¡­ you think it would be wrong of me to say that even though I have several¡­ there is only one I actually care about?¡± and that was true. For starters, the other four were not actually mine. Not by blood anyways and they were all grown. ¡°No,¡± Malik says. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s inherently wrong.¡± ¡°My youngest should be turning eighteen in a couple of months,¡± I say. ¡°So your youngest is becoming an adult? Soon to step out into the world and make their own path.¡± ¡°Only if I survive,¡± I say. For a moment, Malik seems to be at a loss for words. ¡°First of all,¡± He says. ¡°You¡­ we will survive this chaos and return home to our loved ones and secondly¡­ what do you mean?¡± I shake my head unsure if I should answer that. Eventually my need for conversation overrides my want to stay silent. ¡°My husband¡­ if I don¡¯t survive this battle¡­ Sairya will be taken to Aurys Academy. She is¡­ special¡­¡± Malik is a kind man. Almost always cheerful, always looks at the glass as being half full rather than half empty and in all the time I have worked with him, never once have I seen him scowl. Until now. ¡°That fucking bastard,¡± he says. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he know what that¡­ school is like?¡± ¡°He does,¡± I say. ¡°I don¡¯t think he cares. He only wants to make a super weapon..¡± ¡°Our children are not weapons to be used in a fucking war that shouldn¡¯t be happening in the first place.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I say. An owl coos from somewhere above us and then there is the flapping of wings. Malik extends a hand and in the center of his palm a small ball of flame forms, lighting the area and allowing me to actually see. ¡°Ashe,¡± Malik says, saying my actual name for the first time in¡­ well¡­ ever. ¡°In that small duffle beside you, there should be a thin blanket or towel.¡± I nod and open the little bag while also keeping an eye on the small barn owl that landed before us. It begins to shift. The owl¡¯s body becoming longer, the feathers receding, wings becoming arms and the owl¡¯s bird legs turning into human legs. I throw the thin blanket at the man who now stands there, his dark olive skin bare and out there for the whole world to see. And his co¡­ I turn my head away. ¡°Thank you,¡± he says as he wraps the blanket around himself. ¡°Honestly,¡± I say. ¡°In all the time I¡¯ve known you, I will never get used to that.¡± Malik beside me snickers. I elbow him hard and cause him to wince. ¡°Careful Ashe,¡± he says in a mocking tone. ¡°I¡¯m holding fire.¡± I roll my eyes. As if I didn¡¯t know that already. ¡°What have you found Nail?¡± I ask. He runs a hand through his long, dark hair and breathes heavily. ¡°I¡­ I found them.¡± Malik is on his feet in an instant. ¡°Really?¡± he asks. ¡°Where are they? Are they still alive? How many are there? Is my son¡­?¡± he chokes up before he can finish the thought. ¡°Only one still lives¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know if he is your son but¡­ he does have the same kind of red hair.¡± Malik does not wait as he starts gathering our things. ¡°Listen man!¡± Nail says. ¡°I think we should proceed with caution.¡± ¡°But he¡­ if he¡¯s my son. I need to¡­¡± I stand and walk over to my friend and place a hand on his shoulder. He snaps his head towards me and our eyes meet once more. Before, I knew he was scared. Hell¡­ I was scared. But now¡­ in the depths of his gaze, all I can see is terror. ¡°Malik,¡± I say. ¡°It¡¯s hard, gods I know that first hand. But Nail is right.¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°I¡­ I haven¡¯t seen him since¡­ he was missing and they thought¡­¡± Military law states that all who go missing in action, should always be treated as dead unless they are somehow found. I understood that. Understood his turmoil. This would be Malik¡¯s oldest son and the one he was the closest to. I squeeze his shoulder and pull him towards me in an embrace. ¡°I know,¡± I whisper. ¡°I know you want to find him alive and¡­ if that isn¡¯t him¡­ if he¡¯s somewhere out there among the dead, you want closure. We¡¯ll find that together, alright? But we have to be careful.¡± any misstep could result in all five of us perishing. As their commander, I would not allow that to happen. Malik squeezes me back and though I can¡¯t see his face right now, I know there are tears streaming down his face. ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispers. ¡°Sorry to break up this heartfelt embrace,¡± Nail says. ¡°But we really don¡¯t have much time here.¡± ¡°Right,¡± I say as I step away from Malik. ¡°You good?¡± ¡°I think so,¡± he says. ¡°You just¡­ ya need a good cry once in a while, you know?¡± I did know that. Though most of my tears happen when I am alone. I turned to Nail. ¡°We don¡¯t have much here, just our duffles. Lead the way.¡± Nail shifted back into an owl and took to the air once more. I winced with every footfall we took because the wood we walked upon, creaked and groaned under our weight. In hindsight, wood was probably not the best material to use for our pathways, when we had to deal with creatures who had super hearing. Malik stops abruptly in front of me and I nearly crash into him in the darkness. He puts up a hand. ¡°I think it¡¯s¡­ Reynne.¡± ¡°Where?¡± I ask, squinting my eyes. No good. I still can¡¯t see. ¡°He¡¯s a wolf right now,¡± Malik says. ¡°Down there, heading towards us.¡± There were advantages to having two shifters in your squad. They were both good for scouting and could do so in different ways and in different directions. A light appears in Malik¡¯s hand, revealing a small tawny wolf sitting right in front of him. I gently shove Malik aside and go to kneel before my eldest son. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± I ask in a whisper. The wolf immediately begins to shift, but it happens differently from the way Nail shifted. A light breeze picks up around us. Wind we can actually see, white and translucent. It swirls around Reynne. Faster and faster. Rising into the air, up and up until it is at the height he would normally stand. Enveloping the wolf and then¡­ it falls away. I stand up to look at the man who was once a boy. He is a foot taller than I am with long, auburn hair tied in a bun above his head. A pair of dark green eyes stare back at me and unlike Nail, Reynne is actually able to keep his clothes when he shifts. The forest green uniform stands out amidst the flame and on his left shoulder, is one red and blue stripe. He looks at me and a soft smile appears on his face. ¡°Hello mother,¡± he says. I bring a hand to my mouth as I gasp and then a wave of relief floods my very soul. ¡°Reynne,¡± I whisper. ¡°Yeah,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯m here and I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on things.¡± ¡°What have you found?¡± Malik asks, because even though I likely haven¡¯t seen Reynne for about as long as Malik hasn¡¯t seen his own son, there is no time for pleasant reunions. Reynne shrugs and it is so like him to do so. ¡°Nothing,¡± he says. ¡°Just been keeping an eye on the guy. But listen I¡­ I don¡¯t think he should even be alive. Something bad and I mean bad happened here to wipe out his entire battalion. As a wolf, I could still sniff it in the air.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize your abilities worked like that,¡± Malik says. My son could shift, but unlike Nail he wasn¡¯t actually a shifter. It was the reason he was able to keep his clothes. Reynne was a druid. So his shift is more like an illusion than anything else. Honestly, because of that I also had no idea they would gain animal traits upon shifting. Reynne nodded. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s complicated.¡± he raised an arm and Nail comes swooping down to land on it. ¡°I also have to warn you¡­ the man we think is still alive, smells of death. It could be because we are literally surrounded by it, but it felt wrong to me.¡± Malik visibly shudders. ¡°So,¡± he says. ¡°Proceed with caution.¡± Reynne nods. ¡°He¡¯s this way.¡± An even narrower walkway splits off from the main path we had been taking and into a deep trench. One that I¡¯m sure had been carved out by a team of geomancers who were in a hurry. Some sections were wide enough for all three of us to stand side by side, while other sections would suddenly appear so narrow that we had no choice but to squeeze in sideways. The occasional dead body littered the ground, causing us to cover our noses and step around them. They say that you will eventually get used to death after seeing it happen enough times. For nearly a decade, I have been on the front lines fighting this war. More people, both soldiers and civilians, have died to my hand more than I care to admit. I have seen a lot of death, whether it be from someone stabbed, suffocated due to chemical weaponry, blown apart because of a mage¡¯s elemental magic or ripped to shreds because of a lycanthrope. Never will I get used to this. We come into a small alcove. Four dead soldiers in total are in the room. Two are sprawled about on the floor, one is sitting, leaning against a wall still holding his bayonet and the last man is still sitting in a chair, seated at a table. Judging from the smell, they have all been dead for a while but¡­ I walk over to the table which has a cup with what appears to have been coffee and a plate of rotting food. Maggots now infested the rations. I close my eyes at the sight and cover my nose. ¡°They¡­ it looks like they didn¡¯t even have time to react to whatever¡­ took them out,¡± Malik says. ¡°He¡¯s over there,¡± Reynne says. Crouching in a dark corner of the room, is a man. His arms are around his legs and his head between them. I watch as the man rocks back and forth, back and forth, but other than that rocking, he doesn¡¯t make a sound. ¡°It¡­ is him,¡± Malik says as he steps forward. ¡°Careful man!¡± Reynne warns. ¡°But¡­ that is him! That¡¯s my son!¡± Malik continues his approach. I take his arm in a firm hold and pull him towards me. ¡°Reynne is right,¡± I say. ¡°This seems wrong.¡± A low snarl echoes down the corridor we had come from. Claws scrape against the wooden walls and we hear it splinter. Reynne and I both turn towards the sound, while Nail, still as an owl, takes flight down another, branching corridor. I wince when his agonized cry finds its way back to us and I swear, I could hear the crunching of feathers and bone. The man we now know is Malik¡¯s son, moves and the sound that comes out of his mouth is not human. I don¡¯t think it was even a sound the living could make. Malik tenses beside me as he stumbles towards us. ¡°Damnit!¡± Reynne says. ¡°We have to get out of here, he¡¯s already dea-¡± Malik steps back, his eyes still trained on the person who used to be his son. He stumbles over one of the corpses on the floor. ¡°Malik,¡± I say as I extend a hand. ¡°We need to leave now. Take my hand and we¡¯ll deal with this shit later!¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Reynne says. ¡°I-if you don¡¯t mind General, I¡­ I think I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± I say, not caring whether my voice is loud enough to carry. ¡°We cannot split up. You heard Nail¡¯s cry, right?¡± Reynne nods. ¡°Good, then stay with us and we¡¯ll get out of here together.¡± Malik clasps my hand and I pull him to his feet. In his hand another fireball forms, but this one is not just for light. ¡°I¡¯m going to blast him,¡± he says. His momentary fear of what we¡¯ve found, gone. ¡°Then, we all need to make a run for it!¡± I nod. ¡°Down the same tunnel Nail went.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Reynne asks. ¡°We know there¡¯s at least one lycan down that tunnel.¡± ¡°Yes, but there is one down the other tunnel as well. What other choice do we have?¡± ¡°You can summon Keiva?¡± Malik asks. ¡°I can,¡± I say. ¡°But it will drain what little magic I have left.¡± ¡°That is fine,¡± Malik says. The zombie stumbles closer to us and in the light of his fireball, I can see the resemblance. That olive skin, albeit extremely pale, that red hair and those eyes which are an even paler shade of blue than the man standing before me. Malik sets him on fire and then everything happens at once. We sidestep the burning zombie as a lycan crashes through the tunnel we had come. Malik kicks the burning flesh into the lycan! He moves towards the branching path with Reynne on his heel. ¡°Keiva!¡± I shout. A dark mist swirls around the floor, our ankles vanishing beneath it and a loud his echoes through the small chamber. ¡°Ashe!¡± Malik calls. ¡°This way!¡± He reaches out a hand and I grab it before being led away. My shadow cat Keiva appears in the mist behind me, facing off with the lycan still in the room. I breathe in. There¡¯s no need to worry, lycans cannot affect most magical creatures. Keiva will be fine with her teeth and claws against the beast. We run! Behind us there is a flurry of teeth and claws. Hisses and snarls. The table splinters apart and then so does the chair. We hear the growl of a cat and then her teeth snap and bones break. A howl rings out, sending shivers down my spine. Our footfalls thrum like heavy drum beats on the bare ground and then on wood as we race down the widening corridor. Light trickles down from an exit ahead. Day must have risen while we were underground. Down here, time had a way of getting away from a person. Malik reaches the stairs with me in toe, Reynne behind and we take them two at a time. We exit to the early rays of dawn, the air cool with morning dew. ¡°Shite!¡± Malik shouts as he shoves me away. ¡°Mom!¡± Reynne shouts. We are in the military, but in our small group, all titles vanish. I land on my as but am otherwise fine, my eyes land back on Malik. A lycan¡¯s maw was clamped tightly to his right forearm. ¡°No¡­¡± I say as my stomach drops. ¡°M-Malik.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Listen¡­¡± he says, his voice in agony. ¡°Y-you and Reynne need to leave.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t leaving you,¡± Reynne says as he crouches beside me. ¡°Don¡¯t be idiots please. I¡¯ve¡­ already been bitten¡­ and look,¡± he raises a hand to presumably form a ball of fire which was something that came so naturally to him. Nothing appears. Reynne grinds his teeth together. ¡°No, I¡¯ll shift and-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Malik shouts as he shoves the lycan aside. He turns towards the creature which was now leaning against a wooden wall, panting and doesn¡¯t dare turn his back on it. ¡°If you get bitten or clawed, even as a wolf¡­¡± ¡°That thing is going to tear you to shreds if I don¡¯t help you!¡± I stand and draw a sword from my belt. It might not be very effective against the creature but¡­ we¡¯ve already lost so many friends in this war, I was not willing to lose Malik. The lycan leaps as Malik side steps it. He draws a dagger with a black stone embedded in the hilt and thrusts it into the lycan¡¯s exposed back. It screams as it turns back to Malik and snaps with its razor sharp teeth, but Malik is able to keep his distance. ¡°Reynne don¡¯t!¡± Malik yells. My eyes go to the tawny colored wolf standing beside me. His hackles up, his teeth bared. Reynne rushes forward, clamping down hard on the lycan¡¯s arm. Even if the lycan hadn¡¯t bit down upon Reynne¡¯s left side, even if the lycan¡¯s claws hadn¡¯t pierce through his soft skin, I knew it was already too late. Because the lycan¡¯s curse isn¡¯t passed through a bite or through sharp, piercing claws. It is passed through saliva or in Reynne¡¯s case¡­ blood. The lycan rips him off of its arm and with the shake of the lycan¡¯s head, Reynne is thrown across the room. ¡°No¡­¡± I say as I find myself unable to tear my gaze away from the limp form of my oldest son. ¡°Reynne¡­¡± time has slowed and I cannot move. My whole body frozen in place. I try to move my legs, but they do not respond to my legs. ¡°Ashe¡­¡± I hear his voice, but it doesn¡¯t register in my mind. My ears have closed off, my eyes focused on Reynne¡¯s now bloody, form. ¡°Ashe!¡± Malik yells. His voice snaps something in my and I look in his direction. Malik¡¯s eyebrows are furrowed and he is holding the bloody arm which has been bitten. It is too late for him too. ¡°Good, you¡¯re looking at me at least,¡± he says. ¡°Listen to me Ashe. I know you don¡¯t want to think this way, but you are the last one. Only you can escape here and let them know what happened.¡± I shake my head. No! I don¡¯t want to believe it. I¡­ Malik will not die this day, nor will he turn into one of those. He looks straight into my eyes and I swear I see his features relax a little. Is that¡­ resolve on his face? ¡°Listen to me Ashe,¡± he says. Malik¡¯s voice is calm for someone who had been bitten by a cursed creature. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving this place. I can¡¯t. If I leave here, they will kill me.¡± ¡°No¡­ Malik I ca-¡± ¡°You need to seek cover!¡± ¡°What?¡± I ask. Malik kicks the lycan into one of the wooden walls, that dagger still protruding from its back. Some of the lycan¡¯s fur had receded, showing bare skin and the snout was now becoming smaller, reforming into a human¡¯s face. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Malik says. ¡°Seek cover!¡± Seconds after the disembodied voice, a hissing erupts around us. Not of any organic creature but¡­ ¡°Ashe!¡± Malik shouts. The next thing I know is that I¡¯m lying prone on the ground with my friend lying above me. All precautions aside, his body is protecting mine, but from what? ¡°Malik?¡± ¡°Shhh!¡± he says. ¡°Hold your breath!¡± There was no time to react as a thick, dark green mist envelops us. Covers us and the surrounding area. It lasts so long I begin to think it will never vanish. My lungs begin to burn, tears rain from my eyes. My vision blurs¡­ everything grows fainter¡­ I can barely feel Malik¡¯s weight upon me now¡­ everything grows dark¡­ and then¡­ I feel nothing¡­ Chapter 1 - Sairya Treigha Red, blue and green candle lit lanterns drift in the night sky. Under the twinkling stars, under rays of silver moonlight. They follow the wind, to the place where lost souls go. A place where the gods reside, a world called Elyaiseum. Each color representing something different. Red for perished soldiers, green for civilians lost in the war and blue for anyone who is missing but we presume dead. Despite the frigid, mountain air, I stand still, my eyes watching as those lanterns pass over us. War was a terrible thing. I knew that it was. I knew that many often died in battle, most soldiers whether they mage, infantry or one of the Viarenne. I knew that many would never return home to the people who love them, to their waiting family or friends. But I¡­ this many? It was almost too much for me to bear. I clench my fists beside me and close my eyes. There was no way this was what awaited me. ¡°You alright?¡± I opened my eyes and glanced to the small otter, clinging to my left shoulder. His voice sounded disembodied, inside my own head. I was the only one who could hear him. ¡°Yeah,¡± I think back, but it wasn¡¯t true. I was very far from being alright. ¡°Sai?¡± Beside me on one side stood Bran. My older brother¡­ now the oldest sibling in our family since Reynne¡­ I shook my head, ridding myself of that thought. Unclenching my fists, I reached over and took the blue lantern he was handing me. We would be lighting two tonight. One for both of our loved ones. For Ashe Treigha, my mother and one for the oldest of us, Reynne Treigha. ¡°Thank you,¡± I say as I take the lantern. My voice is quiet and subdued, I find it hard to speak. Any louder and my emotions might betray me. ¡°Do you know what to do?¡± another person asks. His voice is more mature and much deeper than Bran¡¯s I nod to our father as I set the lantern down in the snow. The candle is held in a small, blue box and on the side of that box is a name plate. I take the golden strip I hold in one hand and slip it into the indentation. On it, is the name of my mom. Ashe Treigha. Then I flip the lanturn so that it is sitting flat and with a small lighter, I light the candle. It takes a minute, but the paper balloon connected to the box, gradually fills with hot air. My eyes go to Bran who is doing the same thing for our brother. When both balloons are full, we lift them up and let them fly. Sorrow fills the air around us as we stand in silence, watching those lanterns drift. Even the mountain wind seems to understand and calms down to a cool breeze. My red, braided hair gently flutters, dancing. My winter cloak moves and flaps around to the unheard music of the dead, to Elyaiseum¡¯s tune. A hand lands gently on my shoulder. ¡°This will not be your fate,¡± Kazine says. I look away. How would he know that? Kazine was the person who sent her out there and now he¡¯s telling me that I have to join as well? If I even survive my¡­ education, I will be sent to the front lines. The magic I am capable of producing, is too important for that to not be the case. ¡°I know this is hard to understand right now,¡± he continues. ¡°But one day you will.¡± ¡°Oh horse¡¯s ass!¡± Bran shouts as he turns to our father. ¡°You¡¯re sending Sai here, to satiate your own god''s damn ego!¡± ¡°My ego?¡± Kazine says in a raised voice. ¡°These boy¡­ are the god¡¯s damn rules!¡± Yeah they were rules, but rules he himself had come up with. And Bran was no boy. My brother was reaching his twenty-fourth birthday, well into his adult years. I sigh, knowing that if I don¡¯t say something soon, this argument will undoubtedly escalate, as it usually did. I take Bran¡¯s clenched fist in my own hand and he relaxes a little, though his glare is still on our father. ¡°Thank you!¡± I say. Bran looks down at me. ¡°For what?¡± he asks. ¡°For coming.¡± he would never know how important him coming to say farewell, was for me. ¡°It means a lot.¡± His expression softens. ¡°I¡­ I know the others wanted to come but¡­¡± I force a small smile. ¡°They have other duties, I know.¡± ¡°Then¡­ you¡¯re welcome,¡± he says and I know he means it. ¡°We may not see each other for a long time.¡± ¡°If¡­ ever again,¡± I say as I avert my gaze. ¡°Hey¡­ hey don¡¯t talk like that,¡± he says as he cups my chin between his fingers and pulls my gaze back to his. ¡°You should hurry this up,¡± Kazine says. I look over to see he now has his arms crossed. Our father is as impatient as always. ¡°One moment,¡± Bran says with gritted teeth. He pulls me into a tight squeeze and we stand like that for several moments that begin to feel both like an eternity and a moment that is too quick to end. I step back to stand beside Kazine. ¡°I love you,¡± I say as I smile. Unlike my previous smile, this one was genuine. I do love my brother. I love all my siblings and I want them to know. But¡­ this would probably be my last one for a while. I don¡¯t see how I could possibly be happy again, after everything that has happened. ¡°You will feel happiness again Sai,¡± Senza says. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ right now it¡¯s like your entire world has fallen apart, but I know it will get better. Just give it time.¡± Just give it time¡­ right¡­ spoken by someone who has never actually experienced any loss. ¡°We should¡­ I¡­ I need to go,¡± I say. A lump forms in my throat and my eyes begin to sting. ¡°I¡¯ll see you back at home Bran,¡± Kazine says. ¡°Wait,¡± Bran says. ¡°Why can¡¯t it be one of us?¡± Kazine takes my hand and begins leading me towards the tall building in the distance. The castle¡­ or fortress is enormous with four towers and a giant cathedral in the center. On the roof and leading to each of the towers there appears to be parapets, looking over the mountains and the valley below them. At least, that is what I can see from where we stand. It¡¯s so big there might be more, hidden behind the structures I can see. ¡°We¡¯ve been through this Bran,¡± Kazine says without looking back. ¡°You''re useless with magic, compared to your younger sister.¡± Of course he speaks about me as if I weren¡¯t standing right next to him. I yank my hand away from his and stop to glare. ¡°I¡¯m right here you know,¡± I say. Kazine turns to me and glares right back. ¡°Start walking,¡± he says. ¡°I will not be asking again.¡± His way of telling me that if I don¡¯t comply, he¡¯ll take something important away. In this case, that important thing would be Senza and that would be¡­ devastating. Senza is the only friend I have and the only person I have to talk to. I needed him to help me survive through this grief. To help prevent it from creeping up on me, like a snake to a mouse. I need him going into this school¡­ if it can even be called that. ¡°More like a torture chamber for the learning,¡± Senza says. I hold in a chuckle. ¡°Yeah.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Fine,¡± I say and start marching towards Aurys Academy. I turn and walk backwards for a few steps, waving to my older brother. ¡°Bye Bran!¡± He waves back and though my brother isn¡¯t one to ever show this kind of emotion, I think I see a little bit of wetness in his eyes. Tiny drops of water break away and flow with the wind, reflecting under the moonlight. A wolf howls somewhere nearby. ¡°I¡¯ll see you when I see you, Sai!¡± he shouts back. I smile at the reminder. What that mantra means to me. That was what I told my mother and Reynne the day they left. It was the phrase she always used before going on a long trip to who knows where? Because good-byes were just too painful. ¡°Hurry up,¡± my father says, his impatience wearing thin. I sigh and turn around. ¡°I know your good ol¡¯ dad wants you to hurry,¡± Senza says with sarcasm etched in his tone. ¡°But look to your right. Up on that ridge.¡± Ahead of us there is a long bridge, leading over a chasm. Before the bridge is a large hill of snow. Squinting, I can barely make out what it is that Senza wants me to see. They blend in so well with the untouched, untainted whiteness of the newly fallen snow, that I almost miss them. An enormous wolf with golden eyes stands there, his gaze on me as I walk passed him. Beside the wolf, a small, white fox sits. Head tilted as if curious about something, but also watching us intently. ¡°Do you think the rumours are true?¡± I ask. ¡°Do Viarenne actually go to this school?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ but don¡¯t call them that Sai,¡± Senza says. ¡°That name is just something your father came up with to lump all those races together. It¡¯s¡­ well¡­ they find it extremely offensive.¡± Noted. I promised myself right then and there, that I would remove that word from my vocabulary. I tighten my grip on the satchel I carry, slung over one shoulder and run to catch up to Kazine. His legs are longer of course, so his strides are also much longer than mine. Together we cross the long bridge and¡­ I freeze in front of the large, arched doors. My eyes lock onto the entrance and I begin to feel a tightness in my chest. My hands both begin to shake, but they are not shivering because of the cold. I take in a breath, but it¡¯s hard and ragged. I¡­ I don¡¯t know if¡­ ¡°Remember what I told you?¡± Senza says. His voice is gentle and kind. ¡°B-breath,¡± I say, not caring whether or not Kazine can hear me. ¡°Yes,¡± Senza says. ¡°Count every breath.¡± I do as he says. ¡°That¡¯s it. Breath in and out. One¡­ two¡­ three¡­¡± By the time we got to ten, my heart had slowed and I¡­ I close my eyes. That reminds me so much of her. She would often have attacks like these as well. Mine didn¡¯t start until she had been declared missing. ¡°Sairya!¡± Kazine shouts. ¡°Hesitating out there is only going to prolong this, not prevent it. Now get your ass in here.¡± I let out a long breath and shake my head. Better do as he says, or my situation will become worse. So I walk forwards through the snow, up the steps and into the door Kazine is holding open for me. The warm air inside nearly knocks me from my feet and is a complete contrast to the frigid, mountain temperatures. ¡°Wait here,¡± Kazine says as he moves across the marble floor. Without saying another word, he climbs one of the curved staircases leading up to the second floor and disappears into what appears to be an elevator. He told me to wait but¡­ did I really want to do as he said? Or did I want to explore? I smile and choose the latter option, walking forward to the room¡¯s centerpiece. An enormous statue depicting some kind of feathered dragon with an elven leaning against it, playing a harp. Water sprays out of the dragon¡¯s mouth and into a small pool below. ¡°This is a little pretentious? Don¡¯t you think?¡± I ask. ¡°Yeah.¡± I whirl around to see a young man, maybe my age or a year or two older, leaning on one of the building¡¯s support pillars, with his arms crossed and his gaze fixed on me. Where my hair is a dark shade of red, his is a red I would describe as being able to see in the clouds upon our sun¡¯s arrival or departure. Those eyes of his are a beautiful, pale shade of blue. ¡°I always thought that statue was a bit¡­ much,¡± he says as he lifts his head. Our eyes meet and I swear I can see something hidden within that gaze of his. My mother always said that the eyes were the gateways into someone¡¯s soul, maybe this was what she meant. ¡°Wh-who are you?¡± I ask, my voice unsteady. Pale eyes tilts his head and gives me a questioning look. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be asking that of you?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ maybe,¡± I say. ¡°But¡­ if I tell you my name, will you tell me yours?¡± The look he gives me is piercing. We stare at each other for what seems like forever and he averts his gaze. ¡°Nah!¡± he says as he pushes himself away from the pillar. He turns to leave down one of the wide corridors connected to this room, but then turns back before he does. ¡°Can I give you a piece of advice?¡± I furrow my brow. ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess.¡± ¡°You should leave,¡± he says. My eyes open wide and I stare at him blankly. ¡°What?¡± I ask. ¡°Trust me, you don¡¯t want to go to school here. You should get out while you still can.¡± If only I had that choice. It, along with a lot of other things, was taken away from me the day Ashe Treigha was declared missing. ¡°I know you mean well,¡± I say. I make sure to keep my voice steady and calm, but also serious. ¡°But I don¡¯t really have a choice.¡± He arches an eyebrow. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°Daxton!¡± someone, another male shouts from the second floor balcony. ¡°Stop picking on the new girl and get back to your room.¡± Pale eyes whose name is actually Daxton, looks to where the other voice had come from. ¡°Remmy, I wasn¡¯t-¡± ¡°Sure you weren¡¯t,¡± he says. I walk around the statue to possibly get a look at the other person who is talking. He appears to be about Daxton¡¯s age and wears what I know to be a military uniform, but also what the school will probably have me wear. It¡¯s a red military suit with a crest sewn onto the left shoulder, where someone¡¯s rank might be. The crest is of a stony dragon engulfed in flames and beneath are the words, Fire and Stone. Remmy¡¯s hair is black and his eyes are crimson. Daxton sighs and walks towards the staircases. ¡°Fine, fine,¡± he says as he raises a hand to wave. ¡°Just needed some air, Remmy. No need to get your briefs in a twist.¡± One side of Remmy¡¯s mouth twitches as he waits for Daxton to go down the corridor on the right. Then he descends the staircase and approaches me. ¡°I¡¯ve been asked to retrieve you,¡± he says as he reaches over and takes my satchel. ¡°Wait¡­ what are you¡­?¡± ¡°Just helping you out. Honestly, you look exhausted. The journey here couldn¡¯t have been easy.¡± No, it really wasn¡¯t. ¡°T-thank you,¡± I say. ¡°Follow me,¡± Remmy says as he starts towards the staircases again. He hesitates at the foot of one staircase and looks over his shoulder. ¡°Cute familiar by the way.¡± Remmy begins to climb the stairs. ¡°Thank you,¡± I say as I start climbing behind him. For such a place that was feared by my mother, I can¡¯t help but think about how beautiful the school was. The architecture was a piece of art, everything from those arched doorways which appeared to have carvings of ancient feathered dragons, vampires attacking humans and depictions of wolves shifting to humans and humans to wolves, to even the banisters which followed that same theme but with paintings instead of carvings. We reached the elevator Kazine had initially entered. Remmy presses a button and a light above the elevator flickers. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been through,¡± he says. ¡°But sorry it¡¯s what ended you up here.¡± I nod, not trusting me to say anything. ¡°Sai,¡± Senza says. ¡°Everything will turn out fine. I mean¡­ what if this place isn¡¯t actually as evil as your mom said it would be?¡± Truthfully, I haven¡¯t seen her since I was eight years old. We would write letters to each other everyday however, and send them by the end of the week. Our correspondence was how I had an idea about what this school was like. And then my research on it. ¡°Sometimes the most beautiful things, can be the deadliest,¡± I say. ¡°What?¡± ¡°That was something she sometimes said to me.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he says, his disembodied voice quiet and solemn. The elevator dings and the doors open. Remmy steps inside and I follow behind him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what house they¡¯ll put you in but¡­ even so, if you need any help, you can ask me,¡± he says. ¡°Do you have a phone?¡± ¡°I¡­ do,¡± I say. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you my number. Just send me a message if you need help with anything.¡± I nod again. When the elevator dings again, the doors open and I step out. I turn to Remmy who is still on the elevator, holding my satchel out. I take it and force a little smile. ¡°Thank you,¡± I say. ¡°You are a kind person.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Remmy says. ¡°Your father and the headmaster are through that door.¡± Behind me are another set of arched doors, smaller and less grand than the ones at the entrance. I nod once again and watch as Remmy allows the elevator doors to close and then I find myself alone, in the hallway, in a strange, unfamiliar place. Not for long, I remind myself as I take in a deep breath. I turn to the doors and use the knocker to get their attention and then I push them open. ¡°Your days will get better,¡± Senza says. I feel like that¡¯s something he will keep saying, until it turns out to be true. He¡¯ll be waiting a long time for that, because with my heart breaking as it was¡­ I don¡¯t see how it could ever become a reality. I step inside. Chapter 2 Soft, silver moonlight streams in from the large, gilded windows on the other side of an ornate desk. Despite the frigid, mountain air outside, one of them is slightly ajar. A cold breeze enters through it, causing the transparent white curtains to flutter. My eyes go to Kazine who stands half turned towards me, with one hand on the desk. Sitting in a large chair on the other side with his elbows propped up on it, fingers crossed, with his chin resting on top of them, is another man. Like Kazine, he has dark green eyes and auburn hair. It¡¯s kept shorter than my father¡¯s, but I can¡¯t help but notice how unkempt it is. Did the man just get out of bed? He stares at me with a flat, vacant expression. ¡°Sairya, meet your uncle, Taithon,¡± Kazine says as he stands up straight and motions towards the man. ¡°Hello,¡± I say in greeting and tilt my head slightly down in a bow and acknowledgement. Though I had never seen him before, I¡­ we all knew we had an uncle somewhere out there in the world. Kazine had said as much, many times over the years, as I was growing up. But here? I thought that uncle Taithon was a lot further away, not literally right on the border of our kingdom and as the headmaster of¡­ a school which still remains unknown to most people in the magic world. Kazine frowns at me. ¡°Were you raised by peasants girl? Stand up straight and eyes forward!¡± Senza rolls his eyes. I can¡¯t actually see him do that, but I feel like he did so it must be true. ¡°Damned straight it is,¡± he says. ¡°Where does he get off on telling you to fix your own posture when he won¡¯t even fix his?¡± Wanting to get this over as soon as possible, I choose not to say anything and instead, drop my satchel on the floor, straighten my back and look at the man who is apparently my uncle and the headmaster of this school. He doesn¡¯t say anything and continues to give me that dead eye stare. I shift from one foot and then the other without breaking eye contact. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have to ask,¡± he says after a long moment of very uncomfortable silence. Even his tone sounds bored. ¡°But do you know why you are here?¡± That dreaded lump forms in my throat once again. I swallow it down and give him a curt nod. ¡°It was¡­ part of an agreement,¡± I say, keeping my own voice steady. ¡°My mom, Ashe Treigha, went missing. They believe she¡¯s¡­ gone and I was to come here to replace her.¡± ¡°Good,¡± he says. ¡°You know that once you adorn this armband¡­¡± Taithon lifts a small circlet of fabric which appears to have symbols woven into it and sets it on the desk in front of me. ¡°There will be no leaving here, right? Well¡­ at least not until you graduate or¡­¡± he graciously left that last part unsaid. Kazine snaps his gaze back to my uncle. ¡°You¡¯re speaking to her as if she actually has a choice.¡± Taithon spares Kazine a mere glance, before eyeing me once again. ¡°Because Sairya Treigha is the heir apparent to your throne. You should know that¡­ brother,¡± he spat that last word out, like he was disgusted by the very thought of them being related. ¡°You named her as such and that makes Sai here, special.¡± I raise an eyebrow. There were only a few select people who actually shortened my name like that. Three to be exact and they were all very close and near and dear to my heart, so why was he¡­? ¡°I don¡¯t see how that is relevant,¡± Kazine says. ¡°A deal was made and therefore, must be kept.¡± ¡°It is relevant because given the circumstance, this deal¡­ oath¡­ promise or whatever you want to call it, can in fact be broken,¡± Taithon says. ¡°She is neither a shifter, nor a vampire¡­ Sairya is not a gargoyle¡­¡± ¡°A Vaerenne you mean?¡± Taithon turned to my father then and gave him the coldest look I have ever seen anyone give. ¡°While under this roof, you will call them by what they actually are,¡± he says. ¡°Wow¡­ is he defending¡­?¡± Senza asks. ¡°Looks that way,¡± I think back. Kazine raises a hand and relents the point. ¡°Fair enough Taithon. But not taking Sairya in, would be a mistake.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Taithon asks. ¡°What can she do?¡± Kazine nods at me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead and show him¡­ daughter? Call Keiva¡± I try to ignore the way he paused before saying what I actually am to him. I nod. Unlike most of the other magics within our world, there were no special actions I needed to take in order to summon a creature. The only thing I had to do, was to call their name and they would appear before me, ready for whatever task I had ready for them. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Keiva!¡± I call out. In one corner of the room, leaning against a wall is a large mirror with a golden frame and more of those strange carvings. Inside the mirror, a large, grey cat appears. She paces the length of the room within the mirrored dimension and without warning, leaps through, into our reality. Keiva positions herself in front of me, hackles raised and snarls at the two men. This would be the first time I¡¯ve actually seen Taithon interested. He lowers his arms and stares at the cat with wide eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a summoner?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I say. ¡°I am.¡± Taithon returns his chin to his hands. ¡°Just like your mother,¡± he says. ¡°Well?¡± Kazine says. ¡°You are going to take her?¡± ¡°Only¡­ if that is what she wants.¡± Both of them look towards me. I wasn¡¯t sure. I didn¡¯t think I would even have a choice in coming here¡­ but¡­ The rules stated that all soldiers, whether they be a part of the special groups, mages or foot soldiers, needed to be replaced. Family members, especially ones who possessed the same abilities, or similar abilities, or members who were extremely skilled in their own, unique thing, always made good candidates. My mother was a summoner¡­ and so am I. ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of you staying here, Sai,¡± Senza says. ¡°But I like the idea of going back with that man, even less.¡± He has a point. The years after my mother had left us were extremely hard. I don¡¯t remember a lot of things, but some of what I do remember, still gives me nightmares. I look at Kazine and then I turn my gaze to Taithon. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is what I want,¡± I say. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see my father¡¯s face turning red. ¡°But, I don¡¯t want to go back there.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Taithon asks. ¡°Did something happen at home to make you feel this way?¡± ¡°A lot of things,¡± I say. ¡°They are things I don¡¯t care to talk about however.¡± I didn¡¯t think Kazine¡¯s face could become even redder than it was before, but somehow it did. This is probably wrong of me, but I gain a little satisfaction, knowing I could grate on his nerves this much. ¡°You¡­ you fucking bitch!¡± Kazine shouts and steps towards me. He never really was good at keeping his anger under control. Taithon stands up and two tendrils of light and shadow begin weaving up his legs, entwining his arms. They hold him in place. ¡°While you are here brother, you will not lay a hand on any of my students. Gods knows they do enough of that one their own.¡± ¡°I¡­ I got it¡­ let¡­ me go!¡± The tendrils vanish suddenly and he can move once more. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that Sairya,¡± Taithon says. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go back with him,¡± he gives Kazine a side eyed glance. ¡°Then staying here is probably your only option. I have to warn you however¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± I say, not caring whether or not I¡¯ve interrupted him. ¡°A lot of bad¡­ situations occur at this school between students.¡± ¡°I know that you know that,¡± he says. ¡°I can see it on your face.¡± Am I that obvious? ¡°Yes,¡± Senza says. ¡°Shut up¡­¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not talking about the other students,¡± Taithon continues. ¡°I¡¯m talking about this circlet and you. Once you put it on, the runes will start their magic and it¡¯s going to be literal hell for you until they finish. You¡¯re going to wish this mountain would open and wide and swallow you whole.¡± I nod. Taithon sighs. ¡°Alright then. We will need to do your assessment first, to see which house you will fit into best.¡± Keiva, the grey feline I had pretty much forgotten about, snarls once again and paces the length to the desk, before returning back to my side. Unfazed by that, Taithon just looks at me and points to the cat. ¡°Sorry to ask this of you,¡± he says. ¡°But¡­ do you mind?¡± I do, but I nod my head anyway. ¡°Release,¡± I say as I wave a hand over Keiva. She vanishes in a puff of white smoke. ¡°I¡¯ll explain what the assessment is, once we get down there,¡± Taithon says. He walks around the desk and for the first time, I notice his black shirt and pants. It¡¯s rather plain and nothing like what I thought a headmaster would be wearing. He turns to Kazine as if in after thought. ¡°Oh and brother, this assessment is not something you need to be around for.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± Kazine asks dryly. ¡°I am saying, get the hell out!¡± Taithon says. ¡°It will not be good for you if you are still here by the time I return.¡± Kazine scowls and then pushes right passed me. I know I made him angry, but Taithon just took that to a whole nother level! The door slams when he exits. The two of us wait for a few moments in silence, listening to the breeze coming in through the window and the curtains flap gently against the glass. ¡°I¡¯m glad he¡¯s gone,¡± Taithon says when we are both sure Kazine is far enough away. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go get this over with.¡± I pick up my satchel. ¡°You can leave that here. Once your house is decided and your quarters retrieved, I¡¯ll have either Shue or Remmy deliver it.¡± ¡°O-Okay,¡± I say as I put it on the floor next to his desk. Taithon takes the circlet from his desk and leads me back into the hallway. So this is it then. I don¡¯t want to be forced to join a school that is training us for the sole purpose of joining the war, but if I went back home¡­ I close my eyes and allow a small tremor to travel through my body. Out of the two bad options, this one was probably the best one. I allow myself to take the first deep breath since entering this room and I step into the hallway. Chapter 3 A young boy who looks to be about ten or eleven years old, sits on the bench located on the right side of the office doors. His legs are too short for his feet to reach the floor and he is swinging them back and forth. The boy¡¯s hair is short and silver. As I look more closely, I find myself unable to pull my gaze away. There is something about him. Something familiar. But I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen him before. ¡°Shue,¡± Taithon says. The boy raises his head, looking directly at me and not at the headmaster. It takes him a moment, then he blinks. ¡°Cute familiar,¡± he says. Senza squirms on my shoulder. ¡°Shue,¡± Taithon says again. This time Shue looks at the person who is actually speaking to him. ¡°Y-yes?¡± Taithon sighs. ¡°Well, since I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be returning to your quarters any time soon, maybe you can assist us?¡± Shue snaps the book closed and hops off the bench. ¡°Sure,¡± he says. ¡°What do you need?¡± ¡°I need you to go get three of the house heads,¡± Taithon says. ¡°Aye aye Sir!¡± Shue says with a mock salute. He disappears into the office we had just come from. Curious, I walk over to the open doors and peer inside. It was just an empty room. Where had he gone? Maybe out the open window? I turn to Taithon and give him a questioning glance, hoping for some answers. Here merely shrugs and nods towards the elevator. I tug on my braid and follow him in. ¡°I hate that man,¡± Taithon says as the elevator doors close. He presses the button for the main floor and leans against one of the walls, crossing his arms. ¡°How long?¡± ¡°I¡­ what do you mean?¡± I ask. ¡°How long has he given you to grieve?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± I look away. Kazine hadn¡¯t given me any time at all. We had received a letter of their disappearance and then we were here. ¡°Why do you care?¡± I ask. Taithon sighs and turns his gaze towards the floor. ¡°Believe it or not, a lot of other students are going through what you are right now. I just¡­ obviously don¡¯t tell Kazine I said this, but things should¡­ no they need to be handled differently.¡± He cared. I have to admit that this¡­ caught me off guard. Aurys Academy was a place where magic users and a multitude of different races were put up against each other. Every day here will be a struggle and that is something I am most definitely sure of. Professors are not allowed to step in, or even the headmaster himself, if a fight should break out among my peers. Even if they are as young as Shue is. Though, I came here thinking all the students would be my age or older. A question occurs to me and I look up at the man who is apparently my uncle. ¡°You spoke to me as if I actually had a choice,¡± I say. ¡°Was it true? Did I?¡± He shakes his head. ¡°The only person to ever be allowed to freely leave after entering those doors, is Kazine.¡± Taithon surprises me then, by raising his left wrist. He wears the same kind of black band he had shown me, on his own wrist. Silver runes are sewn into the fabric. ¡°Not even I am allowed to leave.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Because that man¡­ let¡¯s just say, outsiders are required to treat my students with respect. That unfortunately, is not something Kazine is any good at.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Okay.¡± The elevator dings and the door opens. I follow Taithon in silence, down a corridor on the left. We walk until we reach a small, plain door which appears to lead into the basement. Taithon opens it and I follow him down a small, spiral staircase until we reach the landing. He walks forward, until we come to a long line of glass walls. The room on the other side is huge, with several blue mats laid out on the floor, creating what appears to be five fighting rings. Five figures are standing and sitting on the other side of the room. Four of them I recognize almost immediately. Shue is sitting on a chair, reading presumably the same book he was before. Remmy stands with his head down and arms crossed. Daxton, like when I had first seen him, is leaning against a wall with his arms crossed and the fourth person¡­ I drop my hands to my sides. ¡°Emri¡­?¡± I whisper. Emri was a good friend of mine who I had known since we were both barely old enough to walk. But he vanished almost two years ago. No goodbyes, no letters. He was just gone. I push my way passed Taithon and into the room. I needed to know the reason why he had left, why he didn¡¯t tell me. On my approach, Emri the brunette with short well kept hair and a grey uniform not unlike the one Remmy wore, looks up at me. He freezes then, his emerald gaze locking with my ocean blue. ¡°Sai?¡± he asks. I stop before him and nod. Emri places his hands on both of my shoulders, his face a mixture of longing, confusion and sorrow. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he asks. ¡°You know this place is dangerous right? You could¡­¡± ¡°Die,¡± I finish for him. ¡°I know and so does Kazine. He doesn¡¯t care though, if he did he would have never¡­¡± my voice breaks and I stop myself before I can completely lose control. His expression softens. ¡°Right¡­¡± he says. ¡°What happened then? Did your mother¡­?¡± ¡°She, along with Reynne, were both declared MIA.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days,¡± I say. ¡°Less than a week.¡± ¡°Gease¡­¡± he says. Emri takes in a long breath and pulls me against his chest. ¡°That man doesn¡¯t waste any time, does he?¡± Someone clears their throat and I pull away from Emri. Taithon stands there, tapping his foot impatiently. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind Emri,¡± he says. ¡°I do believe everyone else here¡­¡± he pauses and looks at Shue. ¡°Everyone except for Shue, would like to go to bed some time tonight.¡± ¡°Sorry Sir,¡± Emri says as he takes a step back and places a fist on his heart. That I knew to be our military salute. ¡°And Daxton,¡± he says. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Same reason as Shue,¡± he says. ¡°I want to see where she lands.¡± ¡°Alright fine,¡± Taithon says. ¡°You can stay and watch.¡± Taithon turns to the a fifth person who was currently sitting on the floor. ¡°Kieran, you¡¯re up first.¡± Kieran, though he was short, appeared to be the same age as I was. His hair was short and unkempt, a dirty blonde and his eyes a striking gold. The uniform he wore was blue, with the sleeves missing. He looks up at me from where he is sitting. ¡°So I guess we¡¯re doing your assessment to find where you fit in?¡± he asks. ¡°I¡­ yeah, I think so,¡± I say. Though I had absolutely no idea what that entailed, because Taithon had not explained any of it on the way here. ¡°You will not be fighting to kill, to maim or even incapacitate,¡± Taithon says. ¡°This will just be to see where she is at magic wise. If Sairya shows that she is stronger in one element than another, that house is probably where she belongs but¡­ Sairya is also not a normal mage. She is a summoner, so I believe this assessment will be a bit different.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Kieran says as he steps onto one of the mats. ¡°How are you in hand to hand?¡± ¡°Hand to hand?¡± I ask. ¡°There might be times when for some reason, you are unable to use magic,¡± Senza says. ¡°Learning how to fight physically, might be useful to you.¡± He did have a point there but¡­ yeah¡­ I didn¡¯t know a thing about fighting with just your hands and your feet. I look at Taithon. ¡°I can¡¯t take Senza up onto the mat,¡± I say. ¡°I¡¯ll take him,¡± Emri says as he gently lifts my little otter friend off my shoulder. He walks to the wall where the others are watching and waiting. I give Emri a grateful smile and then I step onto the mat, facing Kieran. ¡°Not good,¡± I say. Chapter 4 At the place I used to call home, there was a man. He was my friend, my mentor, someone I could always talk to. He was someone who would listen, no matter what my troubles were. This man would never talk about the things I¡¯ve told him, to others, especially if it were me complaining about my father or the limitations I was allowed because I was the daughter, princess, heir apparent to his throne. I trusted him deeply with my very heart and soul and my respect for him went even deeper than that. If it weren¡¯t for Nahaile, I would have never learned how to summon. I would have always been helpless against men who sought to take advantage, because he also taught me how to fight with my fists and feet. I shake my head. ¡°No,¡± I say. ¡°I can do a little, but not much.¡± Kieren tilts his head to the side. The action reminds me of a curious bird. ¡°Alright,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ go easy on you then.¡± ¡°Not too easy,¡± Taithon says. ¡°Yeah yeah,¡± Kieren says. He balls up his fists and cracks them one at a time. ¡°No magic.¡± I nod. ¡°I can¡¯t use magic like everyone else, the only thing I¡¯m capable of is shifting. So to keep this fair, I won¡¯t shift either.¡± I turn my gaze towards Taithon. ¡°How is this supposed to help you place me in a house?¡± ¡°Magic isn¡¯t the only thing you will have to practice when going to school here,¡± he explains. ¡°That is only a very small part of it. Being able to defend yourself without magic whether it be with a weapon or without, is fairly important.¡± His explanation was good, but that didn¡¯t really answer the question. ¡°Can you be a bit more clear?¡± Kieran stares at me with wide eyes and drops his hands. ¡°I thought he was being pretty clear.¡± ¡°Sairya,¡± Remmy says from the side. ¡°This alone isn¡¯t going to help us choose the house you are to be placed in.¡± ¡°Then what¡­?¡± ¡°Shue was told to gather three of the house heads, and he did just that. The reason is because after seeing what you are able to do, the three of us will discuss which of our houses you will join,¡± Remmy says. ¡°Yeah¡­ the rules here are strange,¡± Kieran says. ¡°Whichever house you are placed in now, might not be permanent. Like¡­ if we see you need improvement with hand to hand, we might place you in one house versus another. If you are especially strong with one thing, the same applies. You¡­ understand now?¡± I nod. ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± I say. That also meant that if I improved enough with one thing, they might transfer me to a different house in order to improve in something else. ¡°Good,¡± Kieran says. ¡°Now ready?¡± a wide grin spreads across his face as he turns slightly sideways, bends his knees and clenches his fist in a classic fighting stance. ¡°Mhmm,¡± I say as I do something similar. My fighting stance however, is a lot lower to the ground with my fists down to my sides, rather than up in front. It was the stance my mentor Nahaile taught me to use. Most of the people who have witnessed this stance, have equated it to being like how a cat crouches right before they pounce on their prey. ¡°You can go whenever,¡± Taithon says in his bored tone. If I took my eyes off of Kieran even for a second, or blinked, I would have missed when he moved. One moment he was standing about ten feet away, and the next he was crouching in front of me, preparing for a punch. He swung. I twisted as my mentor taught me, causing Kieran to miss. ¡°Give yourself some credit,¡± Daxton says. ¡°There¡¯s not many of us who could have dodged one of Kieran¡¯s famous, right hooks.¡± ¡°What are you doing here Daxton?¡± Remmy asks. ¡°He asked for the house heads, which you are not one of.¡± I don¡¯t hear Daxton¡¯s response as I twist again and with one hand on the mat, aim a kick for Kieran¡¯s middle. He leaps over with ease, pivots on a heel and manages to get me instead. I go flying across, landing on my stomach. Kieran is on me then as I try to stand. He wraps one arm around my throat, in a quick choke hold. ¡°Daxton is right, Sairya,¡± he says. ¡°While you are far from perfect, whomever trained you did an excellent jo-¡± I choose not to wait for him to finish that thought. Using his arm as leverage, I lift both feet up and kick him hard in the stomach. Kieran lets me go and I land back in my crouch, facing Kieran. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He climbs back to his feet, but this time doesn¡¯t go after me again. ¡°That enough?¡± Kieran asks. Taithon yawns. Was he bored already? ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll do. Remmy or Emri, one of you can come up here and start your test.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Daxton says. ¡°What about me?¡± Taithon shakes his head as if this was a common occurrence and he was simply annoyed by it. ¡°You are not a house head Daxton.¡± ¡°I know that, but Remmy here,¡± he points a thumb over his shoulder. ¡°Can¡¯t do much more than to shake up the earth a bit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to Remmy then,¡± Taithon says. All of us look towards the house head. Remmy shrugs and then nods. ¡°I can¡¯t do much more than Kieran can. I think Daxton is the better choice.¡± Oh wonderful. And unlike Kieran, Daxton actually looked lethal. I watch as he steps on the mat in front of me. Still¡­ I can¡¯t get over how striking that red hair is and those pale blue eyes with¡­ are those streaks of silver? There is no time to figure that out however, because Daxton blinks and then they are gone. Daxton¡¯s eyes go wide for a moment and then they return to normal. He furrows his brow. ¡°Are you¡­?¡± ¡°What?¡± I ask. ¡°N-nothing,¡± Daxton says. ¡°Nevermind.¡± Daxton raises a hand palm up and a small flame appears within it. I watch it flicker, mesmerized by how it dances back and forth. The flame in the center of his palm, reminds me about someone my mother mentioned in one of her letters. A man in her squad who was an expert when it came to using fire magic. Could he be related to that man somehow? ¡°My talents are as a battle mage and mostly in hand to hand, with the use of an element,¡± Daxton says. ¡°But for this, it will be magic only. I will attack and you need to either avoid or defend.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± I say. There is no warning as Daxton throws that little ball of fire right at me! Most summoners only have the ability to summon the creatures they have a contract with. Very rarely can they do what I can. As the fire approaches me with great speed, I call upon one of the abilities possessed by a summon. A transparent shield appears in front of me and the fireball bounces harmlessly off. He throws some ice spears, moves the earth and calls upon lightning. I block the ice spears with a shield of wind. With a wave of my hand, a shield of ice forms around me, blocking both the earth and lightning. Those two elements were courtesy of Kieva and Geruta, and the defensive shield or barrier was Nyx¡¯s doing. Daxton stops attacking and steps back. He looks at Taithon who nods. ¡°We¡¯ve seen enough,¡± he says. He turns to go back to the others, but glances over his shoulder and throws me a thumbs up. ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°Emri,¡± Taithon says. ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡± Emri nods and gently hands Senza over to Remmy. He then steps onto the mat. ¡°Again,¡± he says. ¡°I¡¯m sorry this has happened to you. You¡­ if your father had any sense at all, he would have never even considered bringing you here.¡± I look at him and shrug. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore,¡± I say. ¡°It¡¯s already happened, I¡¯m here and¡­ there is no leaving.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he says. ¡°Well anyway, prepare yourself.¡± I watch as a tendril of light appears near Emri¡¯s feet, snaking across the floor. It is slow at first, but gains momentum with each inch it travels and then before I realize what¡¯s even happening, it wraps around my ankles and I hit the ground hard! ¡°Nyx!¡± I call out, because that is all I need to do in order to call forth a contracted creature. A black dot appears in the mat. It grows wider and wider, until it¡¯s about the width of an adult human¡¯s body. An endlessly deep hole with a void of nothingness within. Two paws grab onto the mat from within the hole and then a medium sized, black cat climbs out. Nyx is no normal cat however. For starters, his tail is forked two thirds of the way near the end and embedded into his forehead is what appears to be a large, red ruby. Nyx looks back at me with enormous, amber eyes. He hops forward and cuts the bindings of light with his claws. He meows and then turns back to Emri as I climb back to my feet. ¡°Cool¡­¡± Emri says, his eyes are wide, his expression one of awe. And then I remember, this is something I gained shortly after he vanished. Emri had never actually seen me summon and because summoners were rare¡­ well, I was probably the only summoner here. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Taithon says. ¡°Have you decided which house yet?¡± Both Remmy and Daxton raise their hands. Remmy looks over at Daxton and gives him the look that says, ¡®we¡¯ll be talking about why you came here later.¡¯ ¡°I think Sairya might benefit the most from the House of Fire and Stone,¡± Remmy says. ¡°Do either of you have any objections?¡± ¡°Nah,¡± Kieran says. ¡°I¡¯m only good with hand to hand, because of that house.¡± Remmy nods. ¡°Sai would definitely help the House of Sun and Shadow, but I¡¯m not sure we could do the same for her.¡± ¡°Then I guess your house has been chosen,¡± Taithon says. ¡°Take this and¡­ I recommend waiting till you are alone in your room before slipping it on. These bands can¡­ let¡¯s just say they bring both physical and emotional pain. They tie your magic to the school so you are unable to leave without the proper key.¡± I take the band from him and nod. ¡°Shue,¡± Taithon says. The boy runs to stand in front of Taithon again and gives him another mock salute, hand to forehead. ¡°Yes?¡± he asks. ¡°Go get her bag and take it to this room,¡± Taithon hands him a key. He then turns to me and hands me a key as well. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Once his task is done, Shue will return the key I gave him. Anyway, follow Remmy and he¡¯ll take you there.¡± I nod as I turn to pick Senza back up and rest him on my shoulder. Remmy leads me out of the training room and we start walking to the school¡¯s east wing.