by Phoebe Brown
“Regardless,” he said, “you’re too young. All those to be chosen will be well beyond eighteen. You’ve only just turned sixteen.”
“But you know I’m good.” She whispered stepping further into the room.
The master’s room was large enough to hold a few men but not comfortably so. Behind him hanging from both ends of the wall was his cot, and lining the walls were shelves of holy books that personally belonged to him. The others were kept in the main hall of the High Temple.
He opened his mouth for a moment to say something but then shut it.
“I have no doubt you are the best,” he said after some time, “but my decision remains, you will not be participating.”
Before she could say anything, he was on his feet and out of the tent. His movements were so fast that she almost missed his exit. As she stood there in the single room alone, she felt the weight of her disappointment crashing into her. It wasn’t like her to be sad or even cry, but at that moment, she wanted to cry. She wanted to flood the valley with her tears.
Chapter 2
The village was awash with lights when Gaia left the temple grounds. The night was chilly and so she had tugged her green hunter’s cloak over her shoulders. She was heading into the village to visit her only friend. The announcement had been made earlier in the day that the king would be arriving and so the students were to prepare for his visit and the resulting showcase. He would be choosing three and she wasn’t even allowed to be a part of the ones who would go up to be chosen.
As she walked down the narrow path, she saw a few of the other students who were heading into the town to spread the good news walking briskly. No doubt the town folk would be filled with excitement at the news of the king’s arrival. She wiped a stray tear from her cheek and pressed on through the mix of emotions that felt foreign to her.
The roads began to widen, and she knew she would soon be in the town. Their civilization was simple. People had gathered to live near the temple for the spiritual enlightenment, but instead of clearing the trees, many had built their homes around the massive oaks that were prevalent in the valleys.
She looked up at some of the tree-houses with lights in them and frowned. Many students lived in these homes with their families. In her mind she could almost picture what it would be like to have a mom and dad; almost. She manoeuvred the horse-drawn carriages dragging through the muddy streets and soon she was at the little hut where Cettie lived. The woman had raised her along with the Templers. She was the closest thing to a mother Gaia knew.
“Child!” Cettie exclaimed as she walked into the ground level hut.
She rushed over to Gaia and pulled her into an enveloping hug that would have crushed a smaller girl.
Cettie was shorter than Gaia but taller than most of the women in the village. Her figure always reminded Gaia of a warrior who had decided to stop fighting but still kept active. Cettie had a few muscles to prove it. Her golden-brown eyes had always struck Gaia as piercing and mischievous. She was beautiful and fierce but still managed to look carefree whenever Gaia saw her.
What Gaia knew of her was that she had come from the land of Elkyre to find a job as the temple seamstress. The villagers had loved her so much that they had asked her to stay. When the Templars found Gaia, Cettie had insisted on helping to raise her. She had to be at least twice Gaia’s age but Cettie would never tell her how old she was.
“Look at you.” Cettie said stepping back, “I think you might have grown since the last time I saw you!”
Gaia shrugged and walked over to the mat in the corner of the room and folded her legs as she sat. Cettie’s home was much bigger than the master’s quarters but it was still small and sparse; this was the way of their people. Material things tended to corrupt and so they chose to surround themselves with as little of it as possible.
“I don’t think so.” Gaia replied, “I think I’ve stopped growing by now.”
“How would you know?” She asked, “When was the last time you saw yourself?”
Gaia smiled at the woman’s wise words. It was true that she had only ever seen herself in the reflection of puddles. She didn’t give much thought to her appearance except that she knew she didn’t look like anyone here. Black hair and green eyes coupled with her towering figure contrasted with the tiny, red-headed, and blue-eyed beauties in the valley. It was rare to find a man who was as tall as she was.
“Oh, you’re pouting now.” Cettie said flashing her a knowing smile, “Why the sad face Child.”
“The king’s coming,” she whispered ready to spill her feelings.
“So I’ve heard.” Cettie answered, “If I had a choice, he wouldn’t be allowed to come.”
Gaia was surprised to hear that.
“Why?” she asked as her curiosity grew.
Her master had also been hesitant to have the king at the Temple and she wanted to know why they were all so against the king’s arrival.
“There is never good when the king comes.” She replied with a faraway look in her eyes.
Gaia was puzzled. She had never seen the king in their lands before, but it seemed that Cettie had. The woman’s expression betrayed her distrust of the man.
“When was he here?” She asked.
Cettie turned to her and shook her head.
“That’s a long story,” she replied, “You’re not here to talk about things in the past, are you? How are your lessons?”
“I want to present for the king.” She said ignoring Cettie’s attempt to change the subject.
The way her friend’s eyes widened was enough to make her laugh but there was terror there. It stopped Gaia in her tracks.
“What?” She asked, “You can’t. The master would never.”
“I want to,” Gaia replied, “but he won’t let me.”
Cettie let out a laboured breath.
“Oh, thank the Gods,” she whispered.
“Would it be so bad if I left?” She asked, “I want to see the world, I want to go to the palace and see things beyond these borders.”
Cettie had a worried look in her eyes.
“The master knows best,” she said, “plus if you left, who would come and see this old woman here in the trees.”
Gaia knew she meant to sound loving, but she hadn’t considered that leaving with the king meant she would be away from the only family she knew.
“Gaia,” Cettie called as she sunk into herself.
“I don’t want to leave,” she said softly, “but I need to. I feel I must go.”
She looked at her friend and pleaded with her eyes for her to understand but the woman avoided her gaze.
“You’ve been with us since you were a tiny baby.” Cettie said brushing her hair away from her face, “I know you won’t stop until you get what you want, but for every decision we make love, there are consequences.”
Cettie was no soothsayer. In fact, the woman mostly spent her days weaving to make cloaks and tunics for the students at the temple. Her words struck Gaia as out of character.
“What do you mean.” She asked.
Cettie grabbed both her hands and rubbed them with her thumbs.
“I know you, child.” She said, “I know you jump off those cliffs with that beast at least twice a week. I know you’ll find a way to get chosen but I also know you don’t understand the consequences of your actions.”
“I would if someone told me.” She replied wondering where all this was coming from.
“I confess to not knowing either,” Cettie replied sadly.
Gaia looked into her eyes and realised she was telling the truth. Her fear was that she knew there would be consequences, but she had no idea what they would be.
“And you think I should do nothing?” she asked.
“I think that you should obey your master.” Cettie replied, “Whomever that may be.”
“I know you’re worried,” she said, “but there’s a new king, surely he can’t be as bad.”
Cettie rais
ed her brow sceptically and smiled.
“An omen is an omen, my love.” Cettie said reaching up and stroking her chin gently, “Power corrupts, remember that.”
Gaia thought on it for a moment, and although she understood that there would be consequences, she wasn’t convinced they would be bad enough to dissuade her.
They sat and talked about her lessons and her most recent observations of the stranger who had come to the temple. By the time she was ready to go back, darkness had enveloped the valley. All the lamps had burned out and a heavy fog began to settle.
As she walked, she took in the sounds of the forest and inhaled the scent of moistened dirt. She decided to take a faster route back to the temple and summoned Roc. With just a thought, she called out to him and he swooped to the ground next to her. His massive form dwarfed the empty streets, yet he disturbed nothing.
As she climbed onto the saddle, she thought for a moment that she saw someone watching them through the window in the inn. The shadow moved, and she urged Roc to rise. He cut through the air and as he went higher, a plan began to form in her mind. It was risky, but she would do it and get her chance at impressing the king.
Morning came swiftly, and a strange twinge of excitement sizzled in the air. She looked out the window of her tent and to her surprise, the fog had fallen heavily the night before. From her vantage point, the mountains were completely covered in heavy unrelenting clouds of it.
The last time this had happened, a storm had battered the mountains. She dressed quickly and went out to the main courtyard where the other students were gathering. They all looked excited to catch a glimpse of the king. He had arrived while they had been asleep.
She didn’t have to struggle to see over their heads, but she held her head down. She was determined to keep a low profile until it was time for her to be revealed. She didn’t want to give any indication that she planned to do something dangerous. A student nudged her.
“Strange that they left you out,” the girl said.
She was a young girl about twelve with bright blue eyes and tiny features. Gaia remembered her as one of them who didn’t openly scorn her. The comment gave her a little extra courage to do what she had planned; even though butterflies filled her stomach.
“The trials will begin in the yard in fifteen minutes.” She heard Master Morrel saying aloud to the crowd of students.
His eyes were scanning the crowd and she held her head down.
“All students who are not participating are being asked to remain on the upper walls while the demonstrations are being done.”
The courtyard where the trials would be held was dug out deep inside the earth so that those entering would have to descend several steps just to get to the base. Above, there were levelled standing areas with barriers behind which students could look down at what was happening. This was where they were taught to fight. It was the place she had learnt the hardest lessons, but it was where she had become one of the Cenobyte’s greatest warriors.
Exhilaration filled her as she streamed out of the main hall with the other students. She wanted to give the appearance that she was obeying and so she lowered her head and plastered her face with a disappointed look. There would be Templars all around watching and she wanted them to be convinced of her defeat.
Soon all the students were in position and she stood towards the back of the crowd. Through the fog, she could see the king stepping forward out of Master Morrel’s tent. He was a massive man. Although she couldn’t see much of him, he towered over everyone, even her and she was easily the tallest person here. He had a handsome face and a beard that showed early signs of greying. His hair was dark brown and atop his head was a thin gleaming crown that captured every flicker of sunlight. He wore a massive fur coat that made her shudder. The thought of the animals who had died to create such a massive coat chilled her.
The entire valley was silent, and she realised she had been holding her breath. Next to him came a boy. She was so startled to see him that she almost said something out loud. The boy couldn’t have been much older than her, but he too was massive. Not much like his father but much more than the boys here in Tyre. He didn’t have a beard like his father and his hair was full and thick and cut into a short stylish trim. He didn’t wear a gaudy coat but strapped to his waist was a sheath containing a massive sword.
“Children of Ceno, I am here today to select the three best Cenobyte students to take to the Palace Basque with me.” The king said in a deep powerful voice that resonated in the forest around them, “bring forward your best.”
With that, he began his descent into the courtyard. The students who had been chosen advanced and stood awaiting his arrival. Gaia looked at them with admiration. They were the best but even so, none of them compared to her. She looked around ensuring that all eyes were on the spectacle before breaking away. She walked to the old temple and took several deep breaths.
After calming herself, she began to run, she bounded up into the trees surrounding the temple and soon she was going from tree to tree with record speed. When she knew she was a way off, she stopped and summoned Roc with a thought. She knew she didn’t have much time and she needed to make maximum impact upon landing.
Roc came, and she climbed on urging him back towards the temple. He protested as much as he could but then he turned, soaring above the fog towards the spires of the main temple. She urged him forward stroking his glistening scales.
As they got closer to the temple she urged him to swing low and get her into the courtyard. Roc tried to protest but he was totally under her control. She felt him struggling against her will and she knew that Master Morrel must have anticipated her plans and banned him from entering using some magic she couldn’t decipher.
As they neared, Roc began to screech, and she felt her plan failing. He suddenly swung, and she lost her grip. Gaia went falling through the fog. Unsure of where she’d been before being thrown off, she spun around quickly and prepared herself to land. She fell to the ground in a crouch that sunk the earth below her feet.
As she stood trying to figure out what had happened, she realised that she had landed in the middle of the students who were demonstrating. The Templars all looked on with shock and embarrassment.
“What is this!” The messenger from the previous day asked stepping forward.
“Ugh, I don’t know,” Master Morrel said coming to block the king’s vision. “I’ll have her removed.”
Master Morrel was about to move when the king held up a hand and stood from his chair.
“Fascinating,” he whispered.
Master Morrel turned to look at her with terror and shame in his eyes.
“She remains.” The king declared.
There was a collective gasp all around as the king gave his final command. The look of horror on her master’s face intensified but she was too elated to care. She could tell that the other students were furious with her, but she didn’t care. The king had chosen for her to stay and she intended on making it count.
Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and then opened her eyes. Because she had been so focused on the king before, she hadn’t realised that the prince was staring at her with curious eyes. He was handsome, much more handsome than his father. Where his father had piercing eyes, his seemed more mischievous.
She focused her energy and tried to push the intrusion from her mind. It was the first time in all her life that she had ever seen a man and felt this strange attraction.
“Begin.”
The command came from the king and she didn’t hesitate. She was swift to begin as she performed the first of many trials she knew as surely as she knew how to breathe.
Chapter 3
It was now six hours since the demonstration and Gaia sat facing angry Templars who had chided her several times for her inappropriate conduct. She took it boldly knowing that she had prepared herself for these consequences. The other students sat next to her and they too were angry. They were ten in
total. For most of the demonstration, she had outmatched them; even with skills she hadn’t yet learnt. It had surprised them, but she had observed a knowing look on Master Morrel’s face. He had known she would do well all along.
There was movement outside the tent and Master Morrel stepped in. He whispered something to his second in command and the man escorted everyone out of the tent; everyone except her. For a moment she steeled herself for her master’s reprimand but when he said nothing, she observed his face. He looked as if a hundred years had passed between this morning and now. He walked over to the far wall and leaned against it. It was the first she had ever seen him so weary.
“Master,” she whispered unsure of what to do.
“Gaia,” he replied in a whisper.
“I’m sorry,” she replied.
He shook his head and raised his hand to stop her.
“There’s no more time for apologies.” He said, “You’ve been chosen.”
It was clear from the expression on his face that the revelation pained him. She was so giddy that she almost ran over to where he stood and hugged him. When he opened his eyes, she knew that that would have been a mistake.
“What’s wrong?” She asked suddenly worried about the man who had raised her.
He didn’t say anything. He simply walked over to where she stood and grabbed her shoulders. His actions were urgent.
“You won’t understand.” He said in a low whisper, his eyes darted to the window before turning back to her, “You should have stayed away.”
With that, he released her and then walked towards the exit. Before he stepped out into the open, he turned to look at her.
“Go to your tent and get ready, there’s a ceremony.”
She stayed there for what felt like hours watching the empty doorway. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. The master had never spoken to her like that and she had never seen him so broken. In fact, he looked delirious as if he had been chewing the Chigga weeds that grew at the base of the mountains that they used to charm bears.