“None, I’ve finished for the day,” said Taija, looking dejected. Brooke hated seeing her like that, but she thought of something that might cheer her up.
“Hey Evan, why don’t you let Taija look after Danx whilst you’re in class?”
“Sure.” Evan looked at her gratefully. “The dopey thing only waits outside my lessons for me anyway. You could play fetch with him if you want. Just don’t let him eat too much, he’ll take anything and everything.”
Taija chuckled softly. “Okay, that sounds like fun.”
“Go on Danx, go with Taija.” Evan gestured to his sister and Danx dutifully trotted to her side, his tongue lolling.
“I hope she starts to fit in better soon,” Evan said.
“She’s getting there,” said Emi. “Her and I have had some good chats the past couple of weeks, about Sarume and our similar childhoods. Taija’s still grieving over someone, although I got the idea the person has been gone for a while.”
“Really?” By his expression, Brooke knew this was news to Evan.
He shook his head. “I still don’t know much about her. I’m really bad at talking to people in general.”
“Oh, you aren’t so bad,” Brooke nudged him. “Once you get past your utter awkwardness.”
“Wow, thanks.” Evan chuckled as they filed into Veneseron’s colossal library.
The group navigated through the mass maze of bookcases, ducking a few flying books as they went, until they reached the heart of the chamber, where desks were set out for their class.
Master Gettelung hadn’t yet arrived, but many of their fellow trainees were already present, chatting loudly.
“Did you see it on the news earlier?” Porgree was shouting over to Blake Silcorn. “Some wizard group caused an infestation of in America and now the country has a cake shortage. Imagine not being able to eat cake.”
Elijah shook his head derisively. “The news should be reporting what’s really happening out there.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Many of the realms are in chaos, apparently,” Elijah said. “The Rakarn army have continued to spread, taking over world after world. Usually, we Realmers have managed to drive them back, reclaim some of the realms they’ve conquered. There was never a winning side, per say, but we certainly weren’t using. But now,” Elijah lowered his voice, “I fear we’re the ones losing badly.”
As they took their seats for Archives training, Elijah continued, “Something big is happening out there, something Veneseron is keeping from us.”
“And how would you know?” Jed raised an eyebrow.
Elijah bent low over his desk, whispering. “I heard Taretta speaking to Padrake last night. She’s worried Vanderain is taking way too long at Del-O-Reth. The Republic are probably taking ages to agree on what to do.”
Brooke frowned. She’d wondered herself why Vanderain wasn’t back yet. She needed to tell him about what Selina saw, after all, but what Elijah said made sense.
“Why can’t they agree?” Emi asked. “Isn’t it simple, we fight Velkarath and any other demon army, like Realmers always have.”
“Yes,” said Elijah, “but when there’s multiple armies and several wars being fought on many worlds, the Republic has to choose where to place their forces, which war is most vital, all of that political stuff. I’ve always heard the High-Council never agrees.”
Brooke was about to ask more when Gettelung arrived, forcing them to drop the conversation.
“Hello, High-Realmers. Now, today is a very serious lesson.”
“Oh, will we be learning about how all the Venators got high after someone smuggled fairy dust into the kitchens again?” Jed called out.
“No, Jagger.” Gettelung’s expression was uncharacteristically grim. “Today, we need to talk about Velkarath.”
The normal ever-present murmur between Venators cut off at once.
Gettelung continued. “I’m sure you’ve heard lately how the Rakarn have been interrupting more of our missions than usual. And of course, the tragic incident several weeks ago, where some of our number perished.”
An uncomfortable quiet filled the room now. Trainee Venators had died before, falling in battle or on accidentally on a mission, but a team of Rakarn hadn’t slain so many Venators at once in decades. Out of those who’d died, she’d only known Tyrell and Jimmy, but she suspected many in the room had some sort of connection to the others as well. In fact, Brooke was sure Jimmy Revlin would’ve been in this very class had the Rakarn never struck.
“Like we Realmers with our many Strongholds,” said Gettelung, “Velkarath also has many allies and sometimes whole races dedicated to their cause. Armies of Onlekks serve them, as do the winged valorcs. Asharon generals often lead these armies, as well as Dread Lords. And of course, Rakarn and countless demons are main body of their armies.”
Perhaps Taretta’s conversation with Gettelung that Elijah overheard was playing on his mind, Brooke thought, and that’s why Gettelung’s lecture was far more seriuous today.
“And one day,” Gettelung paused, “you shall all face these armies.”
The Mid-Realmers around the room turned to look at each other, every face pale.
“I don’t say this to scare you,” said Gettelung. “Only to prepare you. Now, today we shall learn the weaknesses of these races. Turn and read page six-hundred of your book, Dealing with the Dark Races.”
“Crikey,” Jed muttered to her. “Personally, I’m praying I never have to face those valorcs, give me an Onlekk any day.”
After the uncharaterically sombre Archives lesson, it was at last time for the try-outs.
Brooke hurried through the corridors in front of everybody else, unable to stop smiling, even though she was a ball of nerves.
“C’mon then, we’ll be late for Evan’s date with Nova.” Brooke laughed.
Evan merely shook his head as they set off.
“Hey, imagine if we all make Nova’s team, except Evan.” Jed chuckled.
As soon as they left the warmth of the castles, ferocious winds and a light drizzle greeted them. Hundreds of dried leaves skittered across the courtyards, or else clung to the teenagers walking past, as if their legs would save them from the ground.
Brooke looked back at Titantower castle as they left, marvelling at the moss creeping up its walls that autumn had turned red, as if the castle had been wounded and the moss was a spreading bloodstain.
As they started across Veneseron’s fields, Brooke noticed a lot of her fellow Venators were heading the same way they were, possibly over two hundred or so. Nerves started to take hold, making her mouth try and her body tense. She hadn’t expected this many people.
Xavier and Zeke fell in to step beside them, coming from the opposite castle.
“Alright besties,” Xavier grinned. “We just saw Joelle off at the rink. She and all the other Jewelball players were heading into the city. Unlike the other sports, the Jewelball try-outs are in Dante’s Hollow itself.”
“How come?” she asked.
“Well, Jewelball includes flying beasts and needs to be monitored by professionals.” Xavier shrugged. “In my opinion all three sports are rather gelastic.”
Zeke shook his head. “You and your big words.”
“Hush, you philistine,” said Xavier. “Hey Evan, pets aren’t allowed at the try-outs by the way. Not after so many of them have wreaked havoc getting involved themselves. Thinking their owners are in danger et cetera.”
“Oh yeah. Hold on, look how smart he is.” Evan kneeled down to talk to Danx. “Danxy, go back to the kitchens and have your dinner. I’ll come get you soon.”
Danx yapped back at him happily, before turning and trotting back to the Fortress.
“What if none of us make the team?” Emi started to worry, her expression mirroring Brooke’s own mounting nerves. “I almost definitely won’t.”
“Hey, if Joelle can make it to vice-captain on her Jewelball team, I’ll make it easy.” Jed beamed.
Brooke was fascinated by the idea of Jewelball herself, but flying dragons and manticores was a bit too much for her.
“I don’t even want to audition,” Xavier grumbled. “As I declared earlier, sports are for those of lesser-intellect. No offence. I’m only here because Zeke insisted I try out with him.”
“Just give it a try,” Zeke muttered.
“Easy for you to say,” replied Xavier. “You’re a monstrous specimen.”
As they crested the line of hills at the end of their field, a congregation of Venators came into view, surrounding the next field.
Nova and the other Arengi team captains stood before the crowd, whilst the Twinsphere try-outs took place on the next field along.
Brooke knew the Arengi championship league was fought between twelve teams, six from Veneseron’s Fortress, and six more teams from the city.
She knew Nova was a captain, and Lok had also mentioned captaining a team, but she saw now that Eric Adara, and two High-Realmers she only knew by name, Wang Lao and Priyanka Singh, were the other three. It appeared the captain of the sixth team was Sypher Stray.
The captains stood at intervals, waiting for the crowd to finish gathering, all except Lok, who sprawled across the grass, smoking his pipe.
He noticed Brooke arrive and flashed his crooked smile at her whilst inclining his head. She waved back, feeling butterflies stir inside her.
“Rueda, what does that freak think she’s doing?” someone said.
Brooke turned to see that someone was Scarletta, speaking to Lyella. She was one of three girls swarmed around Lyella.
“I know right, desperate much.” Dionne giggled.
“Don’t worry about it, Ly,” said Cleo. “That Brooke’s a proper bliak.”
“What did you say?” Brooke called over, unable to force herself to ignore them.
“Don’t worry girls,” Lyella said, smiling acidly. “No need to berate the poor girl. Seeing her fail miserably at making an Arengi team will be all the fun I need.”
“But what if she makes Lok’s team?” Cleo persisted. “I’m not going to play alongside her, and I doubt you would either.”
“Lok would never choose her.” Lyella let out a fake laugh.
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” said a new voice as Tag Domnican moved to stand beside Lyella and her adoring fans. Domnican’s blond hair was as pale as his skin, whilst his eyes were a pewter grey, and currently focused on her. “I’d say she stands a good chance,” he continued, “what with how athletic she looks. I mean, that body…”
Brooke didn’t know Domnican very well, only that he was a friend of Lok’s, but that didn’t mean she was going to let him talk about her like that.
“Oi, don’t be a creep.”
Brooke turned in surprise to see it was Evan who’d spoken out before she could.
“Heh, chill out, kid,” Domnican drawled. “I’m only making an observation.”
“Well, I don’t like being observed by you, thanks,” she replied with an icy smile.
“That’s time!” Sypher said loudly, causing the crowd chatter to die down. “I say we start now, fellow captains. Venators arriving any later aren’t worthy of our teams.”
“Quite right,” said Adara. “We must commence. Now, the try-outs are open to everyone, but we captains will only choose those of you we want to add to our team.”
“What if more than one captain wants me?” asked Jed. “I’d wager at least four of you will all be desperate to have me once you see me in action.”
“Yes, I myself was wanted by every captain the year I tried out,” said Adara, “I…”
“Get on with it, chosen one,” Priyanka interrupted him.
“Right then, boys and girls,” Nova cried, striding down the line of Venators. “Unlike the other Realmer sports, Arengi is rather simple. The first team to have all their combatants eliminated, loses. Eliminations occur after a player is struck directly by a spell three times. At that point, their armour breaks and they’re unable to compete. The only other way to win a game is if one team retrieves the Arengi stone inside the arena and places it inside their team’s holder before the opposition can stop them. What makes Arengi the awesomely insane delight it is are the constantly different arenas it takes place in. That, plus weapon and potions drops, as well as surprise traps.”
“You’re right Evan,” she heard Jed whisper. “Something about a female authority figure certainly is attractive.”
Evan swiftly replied with an elbow to the ribs and she tried not to giggle, considering Nova was still talking.
“So, for the first test, we’re going to play a budget version of Arengi, just without the arena or the battle, but wearing three tags each. You’ll be eliminated when all your tags have been ripped off. Now, you’ll be divided into teams. First team to lose all their tags is out. The team and I will be watching, and we’ll choose roughly half of you for the second test.”
The Venators muttered excitedly as the triangular orange flags were handed out and they stuck them on their shirts. Now, the buzz of chatter was tinged with the air of competition.
All of the audtionees were split into groups of seven and pitted against one another.
Evan gathered with his friends, Brooke, Jed, Emi, Elijah, Zeke and Xavier, whilst they faced off against a team which was practically all from the Silcorn Venator family.
“Prepare to get your flags royally snatched,” Jed yelled over to Sabine.
“Try it, mate,” Blake Silcorn called back.
It was a mad scramble as they ran toward each other, then a madder scrum as the two teams met and promptly ran the other way, trying to tear other people’s flags off, whilst keeping their own. Brooke used her soccer and track background to bob and weave her way through the opposition, snatching several flags and managing to keep two of her own.
By the time all the Silcorns had no flags left, Evan and Jed still had one flag each too, whilst Zeke had two like her. Xavier, Emi and Elijah, however had all been eliminated.
“See,” Xavier huffed, “sports are useless.”
Brooke turned to see Nova and a handful of her teammates using air element to levitate dozens of tyre-size metal discs into the air.
“Good job everyone, those who kept at least one of their tags can move on to the last test, target practice. You’ll have to hit moving targets with your spells to eliminate them and the arena itself adds other complications. My team with be throwing obstacles you’ll have to avoid whilst shooting at the targets. Understood.
“Obstacles?” Zeke asked.
“Yep, these,” Adara said as he and his teammates held up footballs.
“Footballs?” Jed chuckled “they aren’t gonna’ do muc…” he trailed off as the footballs burgeoned with flames. “Oh, I see.”
Nova signalled for them to start and Brooke swiftly ran forward, launching an energy blast at her nearest target. To her surprise, she hit it dead on, and then the next target too. She ducked a flaming football a second after she hit her third mark and rose up to strike a fourth. She missed the fifth target, but dodged another football before smashing an energy ball into a sixth tyre.
Her friends were almost as successful as her, although Jed had to roll across the ground when a football got him in the leg and his trousers caught briefly on fire.
“Time,” Sypher called again after several minutes of the seconds test.
She and all the other Venators ceased flinging spells and stood, breathing heavily or else putting out small flames on their clothes.
“I reckon…” Jed struggled for breath, “us four did okay.”
“Right,” said Adara, “now, each of us captains will choose those we’d like to join our teams. Those who aren’t chosen, do not lose hope, for their will be another opportunity for glory in the future.”
Xavier tittered. “He
acts like this is a major mission, not a dumb game.”
“You’re only saying that because you got eliminated,” Zeke grinned at him.
Lok surveyed the hopefuls before speaking first.
“I pick…Brooke.”
“You can’t be serious,” Lyella screeched.
“Hush Lyella,” Lok muttered. “I’m judging purely on skill and athleticism, nothing else. I want my team to win.”
“Hold on,” said Adara, “I’d like Brooke on my team too, she gets to pick if more than one captain requests her.”
“I’ll throw my name into the crown too,” Nova said. “That’s three potential teams.”
“Umm…” she hesitated, her mind racing as she weighed her options. As much as she enjoyed spending time with Lok, Lyella and all the others on his team were insufferable to her. “I’d be happy to join the Raging Squids,” she told Nova.
“Excellent choice,” Nova beckoned her over.
As Brooke shook hands with Nova and the rest of the team she saw Lok looking deeply disturbed. She hoped she hadn’t hurt his feelings, yet at the same time he shouldn’t keep doing things to wind up his girlfriend. Adara, on the other hand, looked gobsmacked that someone would choose another team over his. Brooke reckoned the chosen one didn’t have much experience with rejection.
“I’d like to invite Mr Umbra to join the Shadow Sphinxes?” Sypher said smoothly.
“No thanks,” Evan replied at once.
Sypher kept his easy grin for the crowd, but his eyes flashed venomously.
“That’s good then, because I also want you Evan.” Nova grinned.
Brooke could almost see the rush of euphoria filled Evan as he smiled back at Nova,
“Yes, I’ll join with you…I mean the team. I’ll join the Raging Squids.”
Jed mimed kissy faces at him as Evan walked to stand beside Nova and his new teammates. Brooke gave Jed a playful shove to make him stop.
To her immense surprise Nova called out her name next, as well as both Jed and Zeke.
“Yeah, that’s right,” Nova said, “don’t look so surprised. All four of you will be sitting on the bench for most of the tournament. Due to Venators always going out on missions, each Arengi team needs a healthy supply of subs. Last year I almost missed the finals, but I begged Mistress Aqenna to delay my mission by a day.”
Angels and Elves- Act I Page 12