Chapter 2 - Training Day
Valascaa, a rich and fertile land, is the only remaining capital upon the Exodon, the exiles continent. Its solid stone roads ran rich with history, the city having been rebuilt long ago after a long war. Centuries later, the city still stands as a sanctuary to those graced by Aneira's love. Once, two other powers existed, Highmooria and the long lost country that has now become the Scar.
No one remembers what the Scar was once called but it is said that it was once a cradle of life, lush and green. With the refugees of Highmooria now dwelling within Valascaana, the capital city of Valascaa had become rather overpopulated. Outside of its inner wall, lie the expanded common district, where mass numbers of the under privileged live.
For some Highmoorians, such as Alec, they were given the opportunity to mingle with others within the noble's district as a sort of social experiment proposed by the Imperial council and it was these chosen individuals who were ostracized the most severely. As much as they might try, and as much as they might endure and overcome, it was to their extreme disadvantage to allow anyone know of their heritage. The nobles of Highmooria of course were welcomed into Valascaa with open arms, though given the rights of second class nobles. Their numbers however, now only consisted of the elderly. All of their heirs lost in the fall.
With himself as an exception, the majority of the Highmoorian lower class, lived in the run down northern sector, which had previously been inhabited by the dredges of the city. Banding together, the new residents had made the best of it and were able to enjoy their lives in minimal comfort. For the few children that had been born after the fall, an orphanage had been set up at the heart of the district. Alec often frequented the district to play with the children who had never once seen the place of their birth.
There were others however, who had been welcomed in by nobles and allowed residence in some of their less luxurious homes, as was the case with Alec. The family of his best friend Eliza took him in and it was thanks to them that he was admitted into the knight's college as the council's latest social experiment. Should he prove himself a strong, noble and dependable knight then his people would be given a chance to join their ranks and finally, after eleven years earn their place among the people.
Alec stood within the center of the training grounds, which lie within the noble's district of Valascaa. The knight's college sat towards the back off to the western side of the district, enveloped on all sides by walls. To the south lie a residential area, to the north by the Valascaan cathedral and the labyrinth, a strange illusionary place which served as the final test of worthiness for the knights.
To the east of the college, one could see the palace, though for some time now, the throne had sat empty and instead Valascaa turned to its Imperial council for guidance and leadership.
Alec stood staring off into space within the middle of the training grounds as another of the knight squires launched blow upon blow unto Alec's shield. Alec continued to block the blows with little attention to his opponent until Eliza snapped him back to reality with an angry yell.
"Alec what are you doing, you idiot? Quit wasting everyone's time and fight back." Alec startled looked around in time to see another blow veering toward his ribs. With a quick parry, Alec caught the blade with the hilt of his sword and with a simple twist and flick of his wrist sent the blade flying through the air. Before the blade had touched the ground, Alec began to walk from the dueling circle, leaving his opponent bewildered. As Alec passed through the crowd of onlookers, Eliza reached out and touched Alec's shoulder, mouthing the words. "What is wrong?" Alec shook his head and shrugged before waiting for the next contender.
"Alec, good form but you need to pay more attention," Keagen, the knight's second in command chided. "I want you to run another round." Alec dropped his head slightly as he walked forward, catching the eye of Mariah Aetrian, a friend from his days in Highmoore. Unlike him, Mariah hailed from a Valascaan noble family, her father having married a Highmoorian woman. As such, after the fall, Mariah returned to the estate of her aunt and uncle. Having lost both of her parents during the fall, she was raised as an Aetrian and had disregarded her heritage as a Highmoorian.
"As Alec entered the ring once more, his opponent, another cadet one year older charged at him. Alec held his shield up to cover his chest as his adversary slashed. Alec tipped his shield and propelled the sword away from his body with little effort as he stepped forward and twisted his body. Alec's change in momentum atop of his opponent throwing himself off balance allowed Alec to easily press into him as he lazily tapped him on the ribs.
"Much better, Alec! The battlefield is no place to grow complacent" Keagen spoke as Alec again turned his back and walked from the circle, everyone's' eyes upon him once more. After depositing his shield on the weapon rack, Alec pressed pass the onlookers and assumed stance behind the group where he folded his arms and leaned against the wall. Eliza, wanting to duel next, walked into the dueling circle.
Searching the weapon rack Eliza pulled from it a scimitar, curved blades being her preferred melee weapons. She was one of the few women who had chosen to contend for the knights but as each of them had proven their battle prowess against their fellow students, no special quarter was granted and her opponent was a much larger, male candidate.
At the command to start, the man lifted his sword above his head and swung at Eliza. Eliza the creature of grace that she was sidestepped the blow with little effort and the man's blade struck the ground causing him to stumble forward. With a laugh, Eliza readied herself as the man swung his weapon again, this time with more promising skill.
Opposed to attempting to parry the blow, Eliza simply back stepped and swiped her scimitar across the blade, propelling her opponent's claymore forward unbalancing the man where she simply tapped him on either shoulder and quite simply announced, "dead."
The man, feeling ashamed, walked away from the circle his head hanging low. Eliza approached Alec, who was otherwise, involved staring at the statue of Sidonis across the courtyard. He was studying the strong masculine features of the fabled paladin. He was tall and noble, a lightly filled out and dark beard which ran from ear to ear. His body was broad and muscular, the icon for what young men aspired to become.
"You didn't even wait to see how I performed?" Eliza asked annoyed. Without taking his eyes away from the statue, Alec answered in a seemingly bored monotone.
"I knew the outcome before I knew who your opponent was Eliza. There are few who can compete with you." Eliza smiled accepting the compliment as Zelus approached from behind.
"Alec, I challenge you to a duel of blades, do you accept or do you cower?" Alec gripped his right hand tightly causing the knuckles to pop and a smug grin to cross his face.
"I was hoping for some entertainment. I accept, unless your senses have returned and you wish to repeal the challenge?" Zelus smiled as well, pulling his weapon from its sheath and waving it through a few mock slashes before walking towards the center of the dueling circle. Eliza looked to Alec for a moment and shook her head in disbelief.
"You know I swear you two are perfect for one another." She giggled as Alec's expression changed from excitement to horror. "Alec, after the two of you are finished how about you and I walk over to the archery range, I would greatly enjoy the opportunity to work on my bow arm today I think."
"As if you needed the work, Eliza. You were practically born with a bow in hand."
"Regardless of what talents we possess, an accomplished warrior never lets their skill diminish, lest they be caught off guard and raw talent fails them."
"Your dad?" She smiled at Alec's guess.
"My mother." She triumphantly clarified. "My father may be the knight's commander but my abilities come from my mother's side of the family." Her smile persisted as Alec drew his sword and matching Zelus's approach grabbed a buckler and stared at his rival.
"Are you ready to lose?" Zelus taunted Alec as his friends smirked and laughed at Alec from outside of the ring. Alec eyed Zelus' entourage and smiled as each of them averted a direct gaze from him. Zelus was noble born, his mother died when he was young and his father was gone overseas tending to personal matters of the council, serving as an ambassador to a friendly country far to the west. It was Zelus who was the favorite among the cadets and though Alec suspected that he was indeed Zelus' only friend, he had managed to gain quite a few followers eager to ride his coattails. Alec turned his eyes back to Zelus and began to taunt him.
"Unless you awoke this morning an accomplished swordsman, then I think that your pride is sorely overdrawn." Alec raised his shield to his chest so that his neck and torso were protected and slid the tip of his sword over the top of the buckler.
"I am twice the swordsman that you are."
"Even with all of your lackeys to aid you, you are not nearly enough the swordsman."
Zelus was the first to strike, roaring out as he brought his sword down at an angle in an attempt to knock away Alec's shield. Alec retaliated by tipping his shield against the blow deflecting the weapon and countering with a thrust, which Zelus blocked with his shield.
"Come on Alec, wipe that smirk off Zelus' face." Eliza cheered jumping up and down excitedly. Alec paid little attention to the spectators but saw that Eliza, Mariah and several of the other cadets his age had swarmed around to see who would be the winner. Everyone was eager to see just who the best of the elite was.
"You can do it Zelus, you have been practicing night and day for this." Alec raised an eyebrow. It had not occurred to him that Zelus had been putting time outside of their duels in preparation for their fights. Alec smiled, hopeful that Zelus would be a more competent match for him.
The two of them let into one another, their blades dancing in a manic exchange of blows, blocks and ripostes, until their shields began to crumble and their arms grew weary. Sweat poured from their brows as they continued their plight. They both smiled at one another, as they bounded back and forth neither one gaining a decent enough advantage over the other to finish the fight. A commotion stirred from behind them as they fought but neither paid attention to their onlookers walking away as their swords began to chip and crack.
"I said fall into attention!" These were the only words that Alec and Zelus heard before a massive set of hands captured both of their blades and propelled the two of them through the air where they landed hard on their backs. Gasping for air Alec rose to a seated position and saw The Lion standing where they had just been.
"Yes, sir," the two of them yelled in unison as they scrambled to their feet and fell into formation with their fellow cadets, many of which were attempting to hold back a violent stream of snickers. The Lion stood upright his hands behind his back and looked at his recruits with a stony face. He was a man of above average stature, with the arms, shoulders and chest of a titan. He had dark brown hair, identical to Eliza's and green eyes. His beard was thick and dark, as well, which made him appear much more deceptively menacing than he was. In this case the look he gave Alec and Zelus, was already especially menacing and so his scowl looked as though it were filled with the promise of death.
"Good, that is better. I have come before you today, to inform you that the council has decided to test all of your abilities within a fortnight's time to determine who among you has proven their worth and is ready to be granted the title of Valascaan knight." Eying the candidates ever so carefully his gaze stopped upon Alec, Zelus and Eliza. Alec and Zelus cringed slightly and did their best to find a way to appear even more at attention.
"I would like to see the three of you in the commander's quarters after you have finished today's training." The three of them saluted and confirmed that they would indeed be there.
"Good, cadets fall out." All those that were at attention funneled out to various different places where they continued their studies of combat. Just before departing, Mariah stopped before Alec and nodded her head.
"You performed marvelously today, Sir Alec." She spoke as she passed by. After thanking her, Alec turned to Eliza.
"Your dad seemed to be in a worse mood than usual. What do you think the matter is?"
"I have not the slightest idea. I am worried, however he wants us to come by later this evening let us not worry about it until then. For now how about we go work on our skill with the bow?" Alec let out a slight sigh.
"You know that you are going to win. I may be the better swordsman but you have me bested with a bow."
"You are only the better swordsman, because I'm a swords woman. For all you know I could exceed your abilities in all of the combat disciplines." Looking to Eliza, he noticed her wink after her taunt.
"Hey now, there is no need for that. You stick to what you do best and I will stick to what I do best." She clapped her hand on his shoulder as she led him onward.
"Well then we will just have to find something that you are good at." She smiled as they walked towards the archery range.
Chapter 3 - The Priestess' First Steps
Talia searched her surroundings with unease as she walked the road leading away from the grand shrine, everything around her foreign and exotic. The roads exited the grand shrine from the south, east and west then wrapped around the shrine in its entirety.
They had opted to take the west road leading towards a small outpost town in order to gather provisions. As they left the shrine, Talia looked out to the sight of endless green hills and plains that ran to the horizon. She marveled at them for some time, as it had been the first time in over a decade that she had seen a view that did not contain the sight of the wall surrounding the grand shrine.
She took in a deep breath smelling a delicate hint of salt and remembered that very near to them was the ocean. She felt the cool spring breeze blow through her hair, her cloak flapping in the wind. She clutched it closer to her body securing its warmth, as Marec approached from behind her.
"It has been sometime since milady has been outside the walls of Aneira's sanctuary. My how things must be overwhelming." Talia turned to Marec her solemn pained expression, always marring her beauty, bore into him.
"It is rather a relief to be outside of the walls able to walk about and feel the wind nip at my cheeks. I have not been outside the walls much since the disaster when it was discovered I might possess Aneira's power of foresight and when they learned of it, I was cursed to a life of tragedy and imprisonment."
"Surely milady being able to foretell misfortune cannot be too great a curse." Talia turned back to Marec and he immediately sensed the error in his words.
"I was forced to predict the inevitable deaths of both my parents and my entire village and mourned their demise long before they were gone from this world, even now Marec if fate deemed it, I would know of your final hour and would have to bear the burden of the knowledge long before we were forced to depart. Surely, you do not believe that you would be of sound mind, knowing the fate of everyone you grew close to. Would you wish for me to search your fate?" Marec dropped to a knee and bowed his head addressing Talia as royalty.
"I am sorry milady, I had not considered the full weight and depths of your pain. Please forgive me?" Talia placed a gloved hand on Marec's shoulder.
"You are forgiven, my friend. It is not my intention to chide you, merely to continue on our way to the first shrine of Aneira."
"I thank you for your forgiveness. In regards to your offer, I must humbly decline. No one should know how they are meant to leave this world before it is their time. It makes people forget how to live, which is by far, worse than death." Talia nodded her head as she allowed the comment to sink in.
Since she was young, Talia had been given glimpses into the future. Glimpses that told her of the final days of those around her. It had been such a vision that had eventually led, to her being transported behind the high walls of Highmooria, though her parents had not survived the journey. Talia shook herself free of the thought and asked a question, which had been bothering her.
"How far away do you imagine we are to travel?" She asked Marec.
"Well milady, our first priority should be to head down to the stables and secure a couple of horses for ourselves so as to make our journey progress all the faster. I do not wish to tarry about when the matter of your safety is at hand. Surely, you understand the weight of my responsibility to protect milady?"
"Marec, if you please, refer to me as Talia for I fear that your sense of formality may expose us to more attention than we desire. As for your burden, I truly wish that you had not made the blood oath for my sake." Marec held out his hand to stop her.
"Please milady, you do me a most unfit service to imply that my life be of comparable value as yours. I have sworn my oath not for just your sake but for mine own and for the sake of all blessed by Aneira's love. To do anything less would have been to forsake my duty and name me among the unhonored dead." Talia took in a deep breath and deeming the venture fruitless, stared off into the distance for a time. Marec rose to his feet, eased forward and stood beside his charge.
"Are you certain that it is you that must undergo this ordeal? Why not leave the task to myself or one of the other warriors? Any one of us would lay down our lives for your sake!"
"And that Marec is exactly what I do not want. Only I will be able to learn the purpose of these visions but I must seek consort amongst the sages and pray to the statues of Aneira. The nymphs have grown silent; none have made contact save Aurora, whom stills ferries the deceased. I must know why I receive these whispers and for that, I must seek out the shrines. Only then, will the answers become clear to me and I will learn of what is in store for us." Marec remained silent for several moments, as did Talia. They continued their trek towards the village for nearly an hour and not one word was spoken. Finally, they came upon the tall wooden wall that served to keep out any unwanted visitors. The gates were open at this time of day as many travelers came in and out on their way to and from various places, from the grand shrine, to the capitol and anywhere else that people may have need to travel to.
They continued their stride through the village as Talia looked about from side to side, paying notice to the many different food stalls. She could see a large variety of fruits and herbs that she recognized and many other things that she did not. It had been made clear to her that she was not allowed to enter the kitchens of the grand shrine and so many of the raw materials that she saw before her were alien.
The few places Talia had been granted access to; her private room, the library, sanctuary and bath house, all under supervision. Her newfound freedom began to sink in deeper as nearly everything she bore witness to, proved to be a first experience for her. She was glad to have Marec by her side for this as well, fearful of the overwhelming number of things she was soon to face.
She thought to herself about how different life would be on the outside and she was eager to embrace it. Ever since she was a child, she had been doted and waited on every moment of her life. She could not help but feel that the change in pace would prove most exhilarating. They carried on towards the heart of the town until Marec addressed the stable master and requested two horses, after Talia refused to ride about within the confines of a carriage.
Talia turned away from the men as they discussed business and continued examining the small town. The town was not much to look at in comparison to the grand shrine, but it was everything that she so longed for in life. This life, the one that the people here lived was simple, quiet. She could not even fathom how much she would love simply to be able to live, as she wanted. As she continued to think about the freedom she longed for, she remembered her duty to these people and the overwhelming responsibility that came along with it.
As Marec continued to bargain with the merchant, Talia walked over to a nearby fountain where she sat along its stone border and looked upon the water. Reaching out, she danced her finger across the surface of the water distorting her own reflection until something presented itself within the ripples. Pulling her finger away, she stared intently at what she saw. The image she bore down upon was so heavily distorted the most that she could make out was wavy brown hair and what she could guess were piercing emerald green eyes, resting on a handsome face. She saw before her the literal man of her dreams. She had been having visions of the same boy for nearly a year and it was with him that her dreams lit up her heart. She only hoped that one day she could meet this boy, the beautiful boy with the emerald green eyes that matched her own.
She neared closer to the surface as the water settled more, when the sound of Marec's voice broke her concentration. Startled, she looked away for only a second and when she turned back, the man's face had vanished.
"Yes, Marec?" she spoke to him trying not to allow irritation to accompany her voice.
"I am sorry milady. Have I disturbed you?"
"No Marec, of course not. Please do not refer to me as milady any longer."
"Of course, my apologies, it will take some getting used to milady." Talia closed her eyes and accepted that Marec would try. The mare that Marec presented to Talia was indeed beautiful. She was a chestnut horse with white on her flanks and up the middle of her snout. The horse looked at her with her large watery eyes and sniffed her hand as she held it out to her.
"What is her name?" She looked to Marec as she accepted the reins.
"The man named herWindsong. He says that she is a fine mare and that she will serve you well."Talia began to climb onto Windsong as Marec, to her irritation insisted on aidingher. After Marec mounted his steed, a red stallion by the name of Rinak, namedafter an old warhorse, he and Talia turned their horses and steered themthrough the town where they would gather supplies and then truly head out ontheir voyage.