Habbad turned his head away. “Already I am limited to options.”
“Your doom is not as grim as you think. If you choose, you can turn around right now and brave both the elements and the war on your own. From here I could even provide you with quick transport back to your home, where you would be safe, for now…” Chiron stood, setting a hand on Cole’s shoulder. “Another option is for you to do as Cole has done and enlist in our military. You will receive training in various schools of magic. You will be roomed, fed, clothed, and your free time is yours to do with as you please. Eventually, when you are ready, you shall be given missions to accomplish with your unit. Yes, these missions will likely be dangerous. We will do what we can to ensure that you are not given a task too difficult; however, war is utter chaos by its very nature. No one is your master here, and should you at any point decide this option is not right for you, no one will stop you from leaving. You may consider the education you receive as a parting gift. I only ask that you use your power to help others from time to time.”
Habbad’s eyebrows curled with suspicion. “There is no such thing as a free meal. Someone somewhere is paying for it sooner or later. I have a funny feeling that someone will be me, though you won’t admit to it now.” Habbad pulled a piece of his tattered wrappings off, tossing it aside.
“Feel free to look for the viper in the grass, but I assure you there is none. Unless your morals are vastly different from our common law, then I foresee no issue. Cole is an upstanding and trustworthy person and he vouches for you, so I trust you to act decent and trustworthy as well. Be warned however. Should you leave here and ally yourself with The Three, or cause harm to anyone in my charge, you will answer directly and decisively to me.” Standing at his full height, Chiron brought his gaze down upon Habbad, giving him a moment of silence to ponder his words.
Habbad didn’t blink or back down, but stared right back into Chiron, who loomed over him like an ancient tree.
Placing a hand on Habbad’s shoulder, Cole broke the silence. “Think about it, it all makes sense. Costas is a miserable place and there’s nothing there for you. Kreed’s after you anyway. I’m growing stronger every day, and if the two of us train as hard as we can I know we can save Lexy before the Devotion. We’ll bring her back here and they’ll remove Kreed’s spells from her. Then if we want, the three of us can go make a new life for ourselves.” Goran snorted and punched one of his cinder block fists into the soil. “Sorry, I mean the four of us. We can make it here in The Sill or go out and help fight The Three, but it will be our choice.”
Habbad faltered at the mention of his sister. For a split second his wrinkled face twisted as his eyes searched the ground, crazed and pleading. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it and shook his head. He took a steadying breath and became robotic once again, as if he were never capable of anything other than cold logic. He glared at Chiron. “I can leave whenever I want? You said it, give me your word.”
“I have made my intentions crystal clear, my friend. I will not repeat them. Do with my words what you will.” Chiron spoke with a firm finality that settled the matter.
“I trust Cole. I will go with him,” Habbad said.
“Very well then. Cole, as Storn was your guide you will be Habbad’s. I hold you responsible for both his well-being and his actions. Now, I must be off. We have spent too much time with heavy talk. I suggest you both get some rest, I hear Roth has a particularly savage day for you tomorrow.” Chiron set off through the gate, gratia stones blazing to life as he passed them.
Cole said his farewell to Lileth, who remained behind to talk with Whind. Though elated to have his friends back, his thoughts wandered amongst the Arts District, reliving the time he spent with Lileth.
The trio arrived at the barracks and entered his room. An additional bed even smaller than his own had somehow appeared in a newly carved-out section. After a broken table and shattered window it became apparent that Goran was entirely too large for the dorm. Goran snagged some food off the table before squeezing himself through the door.
“Where’s he going?” Habbad asked.
Cole’s eyes followed the cracking noises traveling up the tree. “Judging by the tree’s shaking, I’m guessing he’s gone to find a nice spot up top to sleep in.” Cole closed his eyes and checked his connection with Goran just to be sure.
“Are you finished with your adolescence?” Habbad asked, giving Cole a suspicious look.
Cole paused, his hand halfway to hanging his jacket in the dresser. “That’s the strangest question I’ve been asked in a while, and that’s saying something. I’m just about done with it now that you mention it, fully grown and everything. Would you like to have my adolescence when I’m through with it? You’ll love the pimples and mood swings.” Cole finished hanging his jacket and undressing himself.
“You’re taller,” Habbad said. He looked Cole over one more time before climbing into his bed. He was asleep before Cole could question him.
Cole woke the next day to find Habbad reading one of his books by mushroom light. Checking his time piece, Cole decided they had enough time to shoot down to the markets and replace Habbad’s worn-out clothes before Roth’s lesson.
The gratia stones baffled Habbad, and Cole still didn’t have a good enough grasp on the concept to explain them properly. With an audible sigh, the tailor, with whom Cole had built a good rapport, stowed his Passion stone and pulled out a dusty Wisdom stone for Habbad. Habbad took to the green stone with confidence. Ignoring Cole’s protests about giving up his memories, Habbad filled the gratia stone to the brim. The tailor looked as if his birthday had come early, and he wrapped his burning hot treasure in cloth before stowing it in a safe behind the counter.
“Don’t worry,” Habbad said to Cole in an undertone. “There are some memories I am better off without.” Habbad then turned to the tailor. “That has to be worth more than what I’m getting today. I trust I will have credit with your shop in the future.” Habbad gave the tailor a shrewd look, and the man nodded dismissively and started taking his measurements. “That won’t be necessary. I’ll just take a few rolls of wrappings.”
The tailor looked as if Habbad had just insulted his mother. “Then why the blazes would you come to my shop if you are just going to walk out looking the same as when you walked in?”
“Why would a shopkeeper give a well-paying customer a hard time with such a simple order?” Habbad raised a glowing hand and four rolls of dark earthy colors flew from the shelf into his bag.
“I suppose you’ll be wrapping yourself then?” the tailor asked, lip curling.
“Very astute,” Habbad said, walking out of the shop
“Don’t forget a few extra loops around the neck!” the tailor called out as they left the shop, ignoring Cole’s apologies. “Wouldn’t want that puffed-up head of yours to fall off!”
“Did you have to be so rude?” Cole asked, running to catch up. “It helps to have a few friends around here.”
“I’m not here to make friends,” Habbad replied, hefting his bag higher on his shoulders.
Cole huffed, “Yeah, I can see that.”
They took a quick loop around the rest of the markets, enduring snide remarks and sour looks from passersby. Habbad flat out refused the cyphers, saying he had enough of other people meddling with his mind. After assembling the rest of Habbad’s basic supplies they returned to their tree, where Goran had finally woken up. The mirak dangled from a lower branch, yanking it to the ground as eggs fell into his waiting jaws.
Cole showed Habbad how to use the shower, and waited outside with Goran while he cleaned and dressed himself. Habbad emerged, wearing fresh layers of colored wrappings that made for good camouflage. The brown and greens blended well enough with the general foliage of the area and looked to provide a decent layer of armor.
Since Cole was the only one with the cartography cypher, he led the three of them towards the training grounds Roth had specified at the end of his l
ast lesson. The walk was longer than Cole had expected, reaching deep into parts of The Sill that he only knew from the cypher. After half an hour Cole spied the distant figures of Eliza’s spiked honey blond hair, and Storn’s heroic stance.
“Either the new one is small for an Underkin or Cole’s a giant amongst his people,” Storn said, and greeted Cole with a bladed fist. “And what’s that thing supposed to be?” He regarded Goran, sizing him up.
Unconcerned, Goran sniffed the air for food before slumping back on his haunches.
“That’s a mirak!” Sitra jogged up to Goran, her banded braid waggling between her shoulder blades. She placed her hand palm upwards so he could smell her. Since she had no food to offer, Goran didn’t show much interest. However, he certainly didn’t object to her scratching under his jaw. “He’s beautiful. I didn’t know they could get this big.”
“They don’t,” Eliza said, joining Sitra in scratching Goran’s brindle fur. Goran released an indulgent groan as his back leg started kicking on its own. “He and Cole have a Passion bond, which is responsible for his growth. Mirak are usually a tenth this size.” She gave a Cole a suspicious grin. “The bond is reciprocal. If the Mirak has grown this much, then our Cole has grown proportionately. I’d wager he is not the same person he was before he met his friend here.”
Feeling Lileth’s eyes upon him, Cole dropped his gaze to the ground. “I don’t know about all that. Goran’s bigger but he’s definitely the same crazy bundle of fur and teeth. He might be a bit lazier though.” Cole walked up and kicked Goran in the hindquarters. “I don’t believe it, he’s actually asleep. Definitely lazier.” He could still feel Lileth’s eyes scouring him.
“Who’s your other friend?” Eliza asked, giving Goran one final pat on the belly.
“This is Habbad. He and I grew up together in Costas.” Cole gave Habbad a serious look, though he didn’t really seem to care. “Habbad already has some skill with Wisdom and saved my life a few times. He can be trusted.”
He then introduced each of his unit to Habbad. They were polite except for Valen, but that was to be expected. Eliza actually bent down and hugged him with her hands, as he was too small to hug with her arms. Cole could tell that she put every ounce of Passion into the gesture, though Habbad looked as if he’d just been presented with a gift-wrapped pile of steaming manure.
“If you’re all through gushing over monkeys and cattle, I suggest you prepare for the task at hand,” Valen interjected. “Has anyone heard more on what Roth has in store for us today?”
“I believe the words that Master Chiron used were ‘particularly savage’,” Lileth sighed as she removed her boots and rolled her sleeves. “I’m sure it will be dreadful.”
“It can’t be any worse than the time Sitra drew some of his blood,” Storn said, drawing munisica from his hands and feet. “It’s a good thing Alvani showed up early that day. I don’t think my left buttock has been the same since.”
Cole remembered the incident all too well, running his hands over his recently healed shoulder bones. They were supposed to be fighting Roth as a unit that day. Lileth had created a phantom image of Sitra, while Valen had made the real Sitra invisible. While Roth was explaining the rules of their impending skirmish, Sitra had dropped from the branch above and struck a fierce blow to Roth’s unarmored neck. Cole couldn’t remember the rest of the lesson, other than it being short and terrifying. He’d woken up to Alvani’s glowing hands and crushing pain in his shoulder.
Sitra laughed with brutal pleasure. “If he were actually angry I don’t think any of us would be here to talk about it. If anything I’d say he’s never been more proud of us. Too bad I forgot how sharp his hair is. Might have gotten more than a scratch on the old mountain if his hair didn’t gut me right from the start.”
“You’d be dead before you knew it.” Roth’s voice thundered from down the trail, startling Cole. He wondered how Roth could hear their conversation from such a distance. Cole thought the Rage must sharpen his ears as much as it did his hair.
“Indeed,” Sitra said, swallowing hard.
As Roth approached, the nearby gratia stones illuminated a heavy chain that he dragged over his shoulder. The chain ran straight back towards a sturdy wagon not unlike the ones that had delivered Goran and Habbad, except this one was as large as a building. Sitting atop the wagon was a heavy metal shipping container with barred windows running along the sides. Apprehension infused Cole’s imagination as he heard the feral cries of several large animals from the container. The wagon came to a creaking halt as Roth dropped the chain, shaking the ground at their feet.
Without a word Roth stomped over to Habbad, scooping him up in one massive claw and bringing him nose to nose. Habbad looked shaken, but did not struggle. He forced a look of disinterest, pursing his lips and peering off in the distance as if Roth bored him.
“Look at me,” Roth growled.
Habbad moved his gaze into Roth’s eyes.
“Are you dangerous?” Roth demanded.
“Anyone can be dangerous if properly motivated,” Habbad replied. In a flash of movement, Habbad snatched a lock of Roth’s hair, placing the point under his chin.
A half-grin pulled across Roth’s face as he gave Habbad a squeeze in warning. The air squeaked out from Habbad’s little lungs as he dropped the blade of hair and squirmed against Roth’s munisica.
Roth licked his teeth, as if tasting the words before he spoke them. “Not bad, Underkin.” He released Habbad, who fell into a half-crumpled heap from twice his height. “Were you briefed on what’s expected of you here?”
Habbad rose, unable to hide his grimace. “I am to train and learn your ways so that one day I can aid in the war.”
“In a broad stroke, yes. To put a finer point to it, during my lessons I expect nothing less than everything you have. Every bone, every drop of blood and sweat, all of it. Don’t hesitate or relent, or I’ll take something from you that you’ll sorely miss. Easy enough to understand?” Roth’s grin stretched to reveal more teeth, as if challenging Habbad to say something churlish.
Habbad straightened his back. “Yes.”
Roth considered him for a moment longer before returning to the wagon and pulling something out of a side compartment. “Gather ‘round.”
The unit formed a circle around him, moving with a bit more haste than usual. No one wanted to be made an example of in front of their newest member. He planted the device between his legs. The thing appeared to be a bronze barrel lined with buttons and knobs. It started buzzing softly after Roth twisted the top off. “Hold out your arms and roll your sleeves unless you want me to ruin your pretty fineries.”
Those who had not yet done so rolled their sleeves up to their elbows and held their arms out. A small wave of nausea crashed against Cole’s stomach as he remembered the last time Roth had touched Valen’s arm. To his relief, Roth walked around the circle and used a separate bladed finger to make a quick dash across each of their naked arms. Concern woke Goran as the mirak shot to his feet and stalked closer.
“Is that thing going to be a problem?” Roth demanded, giving Cole an annoyed look.
Cole opened his link with Goran, impressing upon his friend that they were in no real danger.
“No, I don’t think so. He’s just curious,” Cole lied.
“If he gets a too curious I’ll make sure he and I come to an understanding,” Roth said offhandedly as he approached the wagon.
Worry gripped Cole. He wasn’t sure who was more deadly, but he didn’t want to find out. “Master Roth, please don’t hurt him. He’s my friend and doesn’t know any better,” Cole pleaded.
“I had a mirak as a pet growing up,” Roth said without looking at him. One at a time, he placed each of his seven blood-stained claws through the gaps in the bars. The things behind the bars snapped and thrashed, as if fighting to be the first to clean the blood off. “Your mirak is a tad bigger than mine was, but lucky for you I know how to humble him without hurting
him.”
Cole still wasn’t convinced. He held his arm out as Eliza did a quick loop around the unit, healing everyone’s cuts with a rosy finger. She looked sullen, and Cole’s scratch did not fully heal as he expected. It was very much unlike Eliza to make a mistake with such a simple task. Deekus’s death must have hindered her Passion.
Roth came back to the humming barrel, picking it up and passing it to Storn. “Dump a mouthful down your gullet and pass it around.”
Without hesitation, Storn tipped the barrel back and handed it off. He smacked his lips, doing a poor job of hiding his confusion and worry. Cole cupped his hands and took his share. It tasted like warm metal. When everyone had their dose Roth took a seat next to Goran, who backed away, snorting as if offended.
Roth tossed a rock at the metal container, causing the beasts within to writhe and snarl. “There are seven bog angels in the wagon. Your task is to evade them for as long as you can. Each one has tasted the blood of one of you. They will track you down and attempt to kill you. Something funny Storn?”
Storn’s chest rose and fell with a haughty laugh. “The day a bog angel catches me is the day I become a dancer for the Arts District. They’re so slow I could run away with two broken legs.”
“That’s enough, Storn!” Valen shot him a warning glare, looking cautiously back to Roth as though afraid Storn had just submitted a great idea for the lesson.
“The thought crossed my mind, but for the sake of magical diversity I thought I’d ask Chiron to craft this device for me,” Roth said, kicking the humming barrel before him. “By now the elixir should be in every tissue of your bodies. Just as you are each bound to an angel, you are also bound to this thing. When we start I’ll make adjustments to the machine which will…” Roth paused, thinking for a moment before shaking his head dismissively. “You’ll find out soon enough what the machine does.”
Saving The Dark Side: Book 1: The Devotion Page 33