Aether's Guard

by Schinhofen, Daniel

  “But there is no dispute,” Gregory said.

  “Then there’s no way for us to favor someone,” Sarinia replied.

  “We’re sorry for taking your time,” Yukiko said. “I was wrong in my estimation, and I apologize for even suggesting such.”

  “Thank you. Accusations of that nature are damaging,” Sarinia said. “Here, we only aim to assist those interested in learning to grow.”

  “We thank you for your time,” Yukiko said, bowing in her seat. “Your staff is polite, helpful, and knowledgeable. We’ve grown faster than we would have because of them finding the right books for us.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. May you learn and grow. If you will excuse me, Novices, I have an appointment with Blade Keeper Damon to attend.”

  “Thank you for your time, Chief Archivist,” Gregory said, bowing.

  “Thank you,” Yukiko echoed him.

  Giving them a bow in return, Sarinia rose before slipping away on soundless feet. The two of them watched her go, then sighed.

  “She’s helping us, but can’t admit it,” Yukiko said. “I feel bad for asking now. It might have gotten her in trouble if someone overheard it.”

  “Yeah. We still have a bit more time. Study or walk?”

  Yukiko thought about it. “Let’s take a stroll. The fresh air will help clear our minds before class.”

  “As my heart wishes,” Gregory smiled.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Aether introduction found Gregory again sitting and taking notes while watching the others. The crafters were a bit more distant to him, which Gregory chalked up to jealousy over weapons class. Yukiko practiced with the shadows while keeping an eye on the novices with Eternal Flame emblems.

  “Excuse me, Adept Dunn? I would like to speak with Novice Pettit,” Damon said, stepping under the awning of the class area.

  “Master Damon? I trust it pertains to his magic?” Dunn asked.

  “It does. Pettit, come with me,” Damon said.

  “Go ahead, Pettit,” Dunn said, excusing him.

  Putting his stuff back into his bag, Gregory got to his feet and followed Damon. They didn’t go far, maybe fifty yards away from the closest novices, before Damon stopped.

  “Pettit, I had a visitor today that put together a hypothesis. I want to see if it’s true. Can you see into the future?”

  Gregory didn’t reply right away as he tried to put his thoughts in order.

  “You were able to dodge the barrage of fireballs during the final four matches. That’s something most would never be able to do, but you made it look like you knew where and when the fire was going to land. There was also your expertly timed dodge to avoid the earth spike.”

  Gregory sighed. “I’ve had it happen a couple of times, but never when I’ve been actively trying to have it happen, and only a few seconds at a time.”

  Damon nodded sagely. “Yes, it would be that way. There are fragments of hints of such magic. What I need you to do is document the next few times it happens. That way, I can record it and we can mark the ryuite as a known, and which magic it’s tagged with. It figures he would know what it was.”

  “Yes, sir. I wasn’t sure it was magic, since I couldn’t manifest it myself.”

  “That will come with time and growing in power. The moment you can force a glimpse into the future, make sure to inform me.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Very well, Pettit. You may return to class. I’ll make my preliminary findings known to the academy.”

  “Sir, thank you,” Gregory said, bowing deeply.

  “I’m just glad that I don’t have to try tracking down where your mother came from anymore,” Damon said as he walked away.

  Gregory watched him go. Must have been Lightshield who gave him the idea. I can ask later, but if it was, does he know more about me? Or was he just guessing? Returning to the classroom with a thoughtful expression on his face, Gregory took his seat, as class was almost over with.

  “Pettit,” Dunn said, coming over to sit with him, “did Master Damon have anything to say?”

  “He has a theory, sir. I’m not sure he wants me to say more until he can verify it.”

  “That makes a certain amount of sense. Until it’s verified, it’s mere speculation. I’ll speak with him later and see if I can help him verify it.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Gregory said.

  “Greg? Is everything okay?” Yukiko asked, coming over to join him.

  “I’ll explain on the way to our next class,” Gregory replied. “It’s speculation right now.”

  “Very we—” Yukiko began, but got cut off by the chime of the hour.

  “Class dismissed,” Dunn said when the chimes stopped.

  Picking up their bags, Gregory and Yukiko were the first ones out the door and walked quickly to the arenas. Once Gregory was certain that they weren’t going to be overheard, he relayed what had transpired with Damon.

  “Well, that should shift the focus off anything else,” Yukiko said. “I agree that it was likely Lightshield who nudged him that way.”

  “We can ask him discreetly at dinner.”

  “Do you think he’ll give you an answer?”

  “One can hope?”

  They were approaching the bulletin board when they slowed their pace. An argument was taking place just in front of it. Fureno was seething and yelling at Laozi, who just stood there, smiling at the young man.

  “Move, old man!” Fureno snapped. “This is the last time I’m telling you.”

  “Novice, again I must ask you not to tamper with papers on the board. It’s to be kept clean and in order.”

  “I’ve had enough of you!” Fureno snarled, his fists balling up.

  “You might want to look to your left first,” Laozi said.

  Fureno glanced over at where Gregory and Yukiko were standing. Jaw clenching, he turned and stormed off, leaving the two of them standing there. They glanced at each other before stepping around the hedge that had blocked them from Laozi’s line of sight.

  “Afternoon, Novices,” Laozi said as he started to sweep again. “I hope you have a good day.”

  “Thank you,” Gregory said, bowing his head.

  “We appreciate you for keeping the correct paper on the board,” Yukiko added.

  “My task is to keep things flowing as they should,” Laozi replied as he kept sweeping down the path.

  ~*~*~

  Gregory was surprised when Jenn showed up a couple of minutes after they sat down to eat their snack. Jenn gave him a smile, but took a seat on the far side of Yukiko.

  “Thanks for telling me about this,” Jenn said. “Getting the snack early and eating it here before class is better than standing in line at the mess hall right now.”

  “You’re welcome,” Yukiko replied. “You were kind enough to warn us when Nick and his lackeys showed up.”

  “I dislike them a great deal,” Jenn said. “I’m sorry I thought you were part of their group before the tournament.”

  “We were trying to stay out of trouble,” Gregory said.

  “Yukiko explained it to me,” Jenn said. “I’m also glad she’s in my weapons group. Otherwise, I’d be dealing with Michelle and Gina alone.”

  “Or I would be,” Yukiko replied. “Maybe you would have had polearms with Gregory, instead.”

  “No, polearms are best suited for…” Jenn trailed off.

  “For those who need the reach to stay alive,” Gregory said. “Like the crafters, I don’t have any magic to help me in combat.”

  Jenn nodded. “I didn’t want to say it.”

  “It’s true, even if the truth hurts sometimes.”

  “Yes, it does,” Jenn agreed.

  “We might not be in class for much longer,” Yukiko told Jenn. “We’ll be joining a clan tonight.”

  Jenn’s hand paused with her jerky halfway to her mouth. “You are?”

  “Yes.”

  “Which clan?” Jenn asked, finally taking a bite.


  “Keep it a secret until tomorrow?” Yukiko asked, getting a nod from Jenn. “Aether’s Guard.”

  Jenn’s eyebrows rose. She clearly wanted to say something, but also didn’t want to talk with her mouth full. Swallowing sooner than she should, Jenn coughed for a moment before she was able to speak again. “They’re gone, aren’t they?”

  “No. They’re vastly reduced, though,” Gregory corrected her. “They were the parent clan to the Iron Hand.”

  Jenn’s lips pursed and she sat there for a few minutes, nibbling her snack. “Will they accept others?”

  Gregory and Yukiko exchanged a look, and Yukiko replied, “The person who is arranging things has hinted that the clan will start accepting people again. Why do you want to join them?”

  Jenn looked away, chewing her last bite of jerky. “They don’t look down on people with eurtik blood like most others, do they? I mean, it would be hard to believe if you’re both joining them.”

  “I don’t believe so,” Yukiko replied.

  Jenn took a slow breath. “My father was half-dwarven... My size is because of that heritage. I want to be part of a clan that won’t care about it. The Iron Hand only cares about your ability to fight, and one of their best commanders is a dwarf. It was one of the reasons I was going to join them.”

  “But...?” Gregory prompted her. She didn’t seem like she was done speaking, but she had stopped.

  “They don’t want to change things, either,” Jenn sighed. “They want to preserve the empire, even in its flawed state, which means the slaves, servants, and bigotry will all stay the same. I had thought I’d have to join them. A novice without a clan… it isn’t pretty, from everything I’ve heard. Being in the top eight of the tournament made it better, but worse, too.”

  “Because now, even more of them want you, but you see the flaws in them easier,” Yukiko nodded.

  “Yeah... Then, I see you two, clearly not caring about what others say or think. Strong enough to win the tournament and not joining a clan? I thought maybe it was because…” Jenn trailed off before coughing and changing the topic. “Any clan you’d join would have to be a good one.”

  Yukiko stared at her for a long moment. “Did you have many friends?”

  Jenn shrugged. “Friends? I had people who didn’t say terrible things about my family around me, but I was never asked to their home and they never came to mine, even when asked. I’m not so sure what a friend really is.”

  “Neither do I,” Yukiko said. “I would like one.”

  Jenn gave her a small smile. “So would I.”

  Gregory felt paths appearing in front of him, a single split that branched a thousand more times down each trunk. The divide stood with Jenn. One branch had her in a lavender kimono, bearing the burning shield of Aether’s Guard with a broad smile on her lips. On the second branch, she wore a cold, flat expression of hatred, displaying the Iron Hand emblem on her cobalt kimono.

  “Have dinner with us tonight,” Gregory said as the image vanished.

  Both women blinked, looking at him questioningly.

  “We’re meeting the clan leader tonight for dinner,” Gregory said. “I think he’ll accept you into the clan, if that’s what you want.”

  Jenn’s expression softened, her eyes glistening slightly. “Thank you, Gregory.”

  “Greg. His friends call him Greg,” Yukiko said as she put her hand on Gregory’s. “He’s a good man. You may call me Yuki.” She held out her other hand to Jenn. “If you’d like to be friends, that is.”

  Jenn pulled her gaze away from Gregory to Yukiko. She accepted Yukiko’s offered hand. “Thank you, Yuki. You, as well, Greg.”

  “We’re meeting the clan leader an hour after class at the mess hall,” Gregory said.

  “I’ll make sure I’m there,” Jenn said quickly.

  Conversation tapered off as the other novices began to file into the arena for class. All three of them were lost in thought when class began, each thinking about what had just transpired between them.

  ~*~*~

  Entering the empty training room, Gregory dropped his bag and waited for Yukiko to enter before shutting the door.

  “Greg, did you have another vision?” Yukiko asked as she set her bag down.

  “Yeah. It was involving Jenn and whether or not she joined us in Aether’s Guard.” Gregory took a minute to explain what he saw, and why he impulsively asked her like he had.

  “I see... I agree with you, dear one,” Yukiko said, moving over to hold him. “I was shocked by your sudden proposition. I figured it out during weapons class. Did you see what other branches were past the first split?”

  “Not really… a hint of others joining the clan? One of the people looked familiar, but I couldn’t place them at the time. I have the feeling they aren’t here yet, though.”

  “A novice next year, maybe?” Yukiko murmured. “But familiar to you?”

  “I don’t know,” Gregory said. “That’s just what my gut told me in the momentary glance.”

  “We don’t have time for our full hour of meditation,” Yukiko said, putting the oddity aside. “Fifteen minutes of meditation, shower only, and then mess hall?”

  “Probably for the best,” Gregory said and gave her a quick kiss.

  “If she’s accepted by Elder Lightshield, we might want to include her in our training after classes,” Yukiko said. “I wonder if she’d grow on different paths, too.”

  Gregory nodded slowly. “It will take away some of our chances to have moments alone, but yes, it might be a good idea.”

  Yukiko exhaled. “I want to take it back now...”

  Gregory gave her a soft smile. “We still have the morning and evening.”

  Taking the first stance of their meditation exercises, Yukiko nodded. “I know, but I want more, not less.”

  “I understand,” Gregory sighed as he shifted to the second stance.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Arriving at the mess hall, Yukiko spotted Jenn first. “Jenn, over here!” Yukiko called to her.

  Jenn smiled and made her way over to them. “Thank you for inviting me. Are you sure it’s okay?”

  “No,” Gregory said honestly. “We’ll find out shortly, though.”

  “Novices, it’s good to see you. Oh, do we have a third applicant to the clan?” Lightshield asked, having appeared behind them without making a sound.

  All three of them jumped slightly at his arrival. Yukiko was the first one to speak, “Elder Lightshield, this is Jenn Bean. She would like to join the clan with us.”

  “I ask to be accepted into your clan, Elder,” Jenn said, bowing formally to Lightshield.

  Lightshield stared at her for a long moment before the corners of his eyes crinkled and he smiled. “Novice Bean, as the clan leader, I welcome you, along with Novices Pettit and Warlin, into Aether’s Guard.”

  A small commotion was starting as people caught sight of the elder. Lightshield looked up with a bemused smile.

  “Elder Lightshield?” Marcia Han said from the balcony seating area, unable to hide her shock.

  “Goodness, I hadn’t known my twenty-year absence would be such a surprise,” Lightshield chuckled. “Novices, follow me,” he said as he took the stairs up to the second floor.

  When he reached the top of the stairs, he paused, as a number of people were standing there. Marcia was the one in front of them all. “I believed you dead, Elder,” she said.

  “Merely taking some time away for my health,” Lightshield replied. “How is your grandfather doing?”

  Marcia’s expression soured. “He’s fine. Like you, he’ll not attain sage before his time comes.”

  Lightshield nodded sadly. “Many of us spend our last few years knowing that even we are mortal.”

  “Do you still carry that delusion as a goal?” a magus asked, his kimono marking him as being with the Eternal Flame.

  “Delusion? Magus… pardon me, it has been twenty years… Elkit, right?”

  Elkit
snickered. “And your memory is going, but not entirely gone yet, it seems.”

  “My memory is as perfect as it’s always been. I just don’t remember the names of every novice or apprentice who slighted my clan. Did your limp get seen to? Bishop nearly severed your leg, as I recall.”

  Elkit’s face turned beet red. “I haven’t limped in years. The Eternal Flame provides, as any clan of standing should.”