“Like cobalt?” he asked.
Vaust nodded. “Yes, although they are not nearly as valuable as they only store rather small amounts, but they can hold dozens of different types of Mana at the same time. So you merely need to connect your Mana with one stored inside and you can communicate with that user.”
“Amazing.” Devol gasped, impressed and a little envious.
His companion nodded. “Should you decide to join us, I’ll make sure you get one.”
“Truly?” The boy grinned. “That would be wonderful.”
“It’s something to consider. And as for who that was…” A loud clang issued from the castle, and both looked up as the drawbridge began to lower. “Well, it appears you are about to meet him.”
When it settled, a man appeared and the boy’s eyes widened. He was certainly larger than any man he had ever encountered, easily over seven feet with large shoulders with a span that was easily as wide as Devol’s body was tall. A large blond beard was perfectly matched with long, unruly hair with several braids woven into it.
He wore an eyepatch that did not quite cover a noticeable scar on his right eye. The other showed a deep-set eye of a dark color and its gaze drifted from Vaust to the visitor. His large arms folded, he strode across the bridge. He wore a long brown jacket that reached his ankles, below which black boots with metal tips were visible. Beneath the jacket, some kind of gray or dirty silver armor could be seen when he moved but was mostly obscured by the garment.
The wind whipped at the giant of a man and his jacket was tossed and tugged at relentlessly, but his approach seemed unstoppable. The young Magi stood a little straighter with his arms at his side.
“You don’t need to be so formal,” the mori told him and folded his arms to mirror the man, who was now only a few yards away. “Despite appearances, he is quite a gentle giant. Well, make sure you do not do anything to make him your enemy. Start on the right foot.”
Right foot? What would that be? Devol had been very casual with Vaust. Was that the right approach? Should he offer a handshake or a bow? He had grown up around the royal guard thanks to his father and his mother had instilled proper manners. Although he admittedly might not have used them to the best of his ability, now would be a good time to recall those lessons.
The man stopped a few feet from the arrivals. The boy lowered his head—less of a bow and more of a polite nod that lasted far too long—and awaited the response.
“Damn, does it always have to be so bloody cold out here?” the giant protested. Devol pursed his lips, confused by this. It was a little chill with the wind but it didn’t seem that bad. He raised his head cautiously. The large Templar tightened his jacket before he slapped his comrade on the back. The mori seemed unmoved. “How have you been, Vaust? Took you longer to finish those gigs than I thought!”
Gigs? He was only aware of the one the older Magi had in the woods. Were they all like that? Vaust nodded and smiled at his friend. “It was mostly the travel. I don’t get to enjoy the realm that much when I’m here, so I took a slower pace. Also…” He moved his arm and gestured with his hand toward Devol as if presenting him. “This is Devol Alouest, the young Magi here to train with the Templars.”
The man looked at the youngster and noted his stiff demeanor. “You all right, kid? Nervous about being in the presence of the Templars, are ya?”
That might have been a factor but it was mostly this so-called gentle giant he was worried about. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir,” he blurted, straightened, and thrust a hand toward him.
“He wasn’t so nervous around me.” Vaust chuckled and glanced at his friend. “And he had never seen a mori before. Perhaps you should think about your appearance, my friend. You could be scaring potential recruits away.”
The man returned his gaze with a crooked smile, and Devol noted sharp canines amongst his teeth. “I should look into finding a jacket with some bunnies in it, then?”
“Designs or hides?” Vaust asked.
The man frowned and scratched his beard. “Does it matter?”
The mori sighed. “Yes, but let us not dwell on that or we will be out here for quite a while.” He placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Devol, I would like you to meet Captain Baioh Wulfsun, my friend and one of the commanders of the Templar Order.”
Wulfsun waved a large hand dismissively before he immediately brought it back to hold his jacket tightly against him. “I don’t need that title crap. Not much use for it nowadays. You can call me Wulfsun, lad.”
Devol nodded. “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wulfsun!”
“Just Wulfsun. Come on now.” A sheepish grin appeared on his face. “All Templars are brothers and sisters here, and we will be soon enough if you’ve come to join us.”
“He’s merely here to train,” Vaust interjected. “He hasn’t made his mind up about whether he will join us or not.”
The giant frowned and stroked his beard as he studied the young Magi. “Is that so? Only to train? There are many academies and guilds to look into for that. What made you seek us out, then, boyo, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Devol took his pack off. “No, it’s all right.” He retrieved the map and handed it to Wulfsun. “I was told to come here by my father and Mr. Lebatt helped me on the way.”
“Is that so?” The man’s smile widened and he darted a glance at the mori as he took the map and unfolded it. “It’s not like you to take strays in, Vaust.”
“I saw him in action and he’s hardly incompetent if that’s what you are implying,” the other man countered. “In fact, he was able to draw his Anima out in one night.”
Wulfsun whistled, clearly impressed. “That’s quite a feat!” He scrutinized the map. “And I wasn’t saying nothing bad, only that—” His eye widened and he stopped in mid-sentence and darted a glance at Vaust, who responded with a nod. “Huh, ain’t that like him,” the giant muttered, folded the map, and handed it to Devol. “Tell me, lad…that blade on your back wouldn’t happen to be a majestic, would it?”
He nodded and drew his shining blade “I’m not sure what it does, but it’s a big reason why I’m here.” He held it aloft and let his Mana flow through it and in moments, it shone with the ethereal light.
The Templar commander observed it with astonishment, his mouth agape. “That looks exactly like—”
“Something you’ve seen before?” Vaust asked and cut him off. His comrade looked at him in bewilderment, but when he caught his gaze, he merely nodded slightly.
“Aye, something like it.” He gestured to Devol. “You can put that away now, brother,” he stated as he turned. “Let me welcome you to the Templar Order hall. I can tell things are about to get quite interesting today.”
Chapter Eight
The entrance hall of the main building was adorned with several paintings, large and small. They all seemed to capture vital moments—battles, victories, armies standing ready, or a lone warrior preparing to fight a monster. Devol guessed that they were historical pictures and noted that many of them also bore the circular Templar insignia that he had seen on the castle entrance and Vaust’s arm.
Wulfsun pushed a pair of large doors open. The room within was large and two curved staircases at the end led to two separate floors. A large desk stood near the stairs. No one was seated there, but he was surprised at how ornate it was. In fact, much of what he had seen of the castle had a sense of splendor to it.
He saw a few more large canvas paintings, and when he looked at the ceiling, a large version of the insignia was inscribed there in gold. He was not too familiar with architecture or any type of building design, but he could tell this structure was quite old yet remarkably well-maintained.
“So then, where should we head to first?” the captain asked and placed his fists on his waist as he looked at Vaust.
“I’ll leave that to you,” the mori replied as he gestured to one of the staircases and walked toward it. “It would appear that the madame isn’t here,
so I’ll have to search for her.”
Wulfsun snorted. “You simply gonna head off, then?”
His comrade waved dismissively. “You are in charge of the new trainees, aren’t you? And you are capable.” He stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked over his shoulder. “I’ll catch up. I need to drop my bounties off and report. For now, get to know the boy. I think you two will get along famously.” With that, he began to ascend the stairs and left the two of them alone.
“Always shifty, that one,” the giant muttered with a scowl. “It took quite a while for the two of us to see eye-to-eye, even when I had both of them.” He turned and looked at Devol. “He didn’t give ya too much grief on the way here, did he?”
The boy shook his head. “Mr. Lebatt was quite helpful. He traveled with me, showed me Anima, and even helped me with the first test.”
“First test? What test?”
“The one to open the anchor,” he said cheerfully. “You know, to get in?”
Wulfson folded his arms and uttered a surprisingly soft chuckle for a man of his stature. “Heh, that was no test, boy. At least not one for the order.”
“Huh?” Devol shook his head in confusion. “But there were instructions and everything on the map. How was I supposed to get in without using the anchor?”
His protest met with another chuckle. “I saw the instructions and I assume you didn’t read them through properly.” He held his hand out and spread his fingers. “You were supposed to place your hand on the anchor and let your Mana flow into it. Someone would have come through eventually.”
“But I did that when I was trying to open it,” he stated.
“For how long?” Wulfsun asked.
“I tried it multiple times and I poured a lot in!” he confessed.
The man shook his head again. “Ah, I can’t tell if he was honestly trying to test you or merely having a laugh. You simply had to position your hand and let your Mana flow for about one full minute. It is a signal that someone is looking for us—like ringing a bell. Most guilds that use rifts do something like this. Otherwise, how would potential clients and recruits make contact? It’s not an easy feat to open an anchor.” He clicked his tongue in thought. “So how did you get here, then? Did he eventually take pity on ya?”
Devol shook his head and pointed at his blade. “No, I eventually worked it out. I had to use my sword.”
“Your majestic?” Wulfsun asked and raised an eyebrow. “You used your majestic to open the portal?”
“That’s right.” He smiled. “I feel a little embarrassed that it took me so long to discover it. Mr. Lebatt even demonstrated how to do it.”
The commander was intrigued. Opening an anchor had nothing to do with a majestic. While some had abilities that affected portals, that wasn’t the norm. Was this boy’s power something like that? That would be a hell of a find. He was quite thankful that Vaust saw fit to bring him there. It could be a dangerous thing for others to find out.
“I see. It’s something to think about,” Wulfsun mused.
“What’s that?” he asked.
After a moment, the man turned and approached another pair of doors in the lobby that led to the west wing of the castle. “Nothing for now. Come along.”
“Where to?” He ran behind the Templar, who held them open. The two slipped inside and the doors shut with a loud clang behind them. Now that he thought of it, almost all of them made the same sound when they shut.
“I’m gonna show you the training hall,” Wulfsun stated. “It’s the closest thing we got to an academy here.”
“There is a Templar academy?” he asked. He had never heard of such a thing and might have gone there first if he had known.
“Not an official one,” his guide admitted as they walked down a narrow hall with many doors on either side. “We haven’t had one of those in more than a couple of centuries.”
Devol nodded and glanced at the man. “Oh yeah, I wanted to ask—what does a Templar do, exactly?”
The giant stopped in his tracks. He was a few steps ahead of the man before he did as well and looked over his shoulder. Wulfsun caught him by the back of his coat and lifted him so they were eye to eye. “You came here knowing nothing about the Templars?”
“Um…not really,” he admitted. “I know my father respects you and that Templars are skilled Magi warriors. But compared to other Magi guilds like hunters, knights, and sorcerers, I can’t say I know much. I don’t think I ever met a Templar before you and Mr. Lebatt.”
Silence followed for a short moment while the man considered that. Finally, he nodded, put him down, and patted his shoulder. “You’re a trusting lad, I’ll give you that. I’m not sure I would ever go to a place I didn’t know anything about, much less search it out.”
“As I said, my father respects you,” the boy repeated. “And both my parents said this would be the best place to learn about my new weapon. That’s all I need.”
“Is that right?” Wulfsun’s frown turned to a smile as he continued to walk. “Best not let your pappy and mummy down then. In here.” They reached another set of doors, these etched with a sword on one and a fist on the other. “Most of those other rooms are for individual training and meditation, but this is where many of us get real work done.” He pushed them open.
Inside was a massive open domed area that contained about a dozen round arenas, each themed differently. Some contained large trees and shrubbery akin to a forest. Another had rockier terrain with cliffsides and spikes on the ground. One was filled with water and a platform in the middle was only a few inches above the surface. The water flowed around it like it was an ocean tide and splashed onto it periodically.
“This is incredible,” Devol said as he studied the area in awe. Long walkways led to each arena and bronzed archways above them were roofed to block the sunlight. About thirty men and women either walked around or sparred with one another. Both human and wildkin were present, along with another mori like Vaust, although he was black with red eyes and a few white marks. He chatted to another realmer with pale golden eyes and smoother features who looked less haunting and more gentle than his companion did. Was he a mori too?
Another humanoid appeared to be female and stood almost as tall as Wulfsun with deep-red skin. Coarse gray hair almost like straw flowed down her back. She had large glowing red eyes and curved horns and was dressed in dark armor with the Templar crest in the center of the chest plate. She was in conversation with another humanoid with sleek light-purple skin and large, round black eyes, fish-like in appearance. Devol could see webbed hands and some kind of device around its neck that flowed with water. He was dressed in blue robes with the Templar insignia on the left of his chest.
“More realmers,” he whispered, enchanted. “That’s a daemoni and tsuna, right?”
“Indeed.” Wulfsun nodded. “Our order welcomes people from all realms and ways of life as long as they hold to our values.” He pointed to an arena in the distance. “There are a few more.”
The boy narrowed his eyes and studied a slim figure dressed in leather with scaly green skin and large round eyes that could move in every direction and a large fin on its head. He was in a battle with two others, a shorter, stocky figure that looked a little like Wulfsun but with fiery, short, and well-kept red hair instead of blond and a braided beard.
When the man smiled, he revealed stone-like teeth and he held two large axes aloft, one in each hand. The third figure—who observed the other two—had bronze-colored flesh, a slanted face with pretty green almond-shaped eyes, flowing green locks, and a single horn on her head. She was dressed in pale-green robes with browns and blues woven in.
“Those are…a squama, dwarf, and dryad?” Devol asked.
“Aye. They are more impressive in person than as pictures, eh?” the captain commented. “We’ve got realmers from all nine of the known realms, although not all are here today.”
“I wanted to ask…” the boy began but trailed off for a moment
as he considered his question.
“What is it?” Wulfson responded encouragingly.
“This castle is huge and there are so many people here.” He turned to look at the Templar. “But given the size, it feels like there should be more.”
The giant nodded and gestured for him to follow him to a stone bench near the forest arena. “Aye, and there are, but not all are here in the arena. I’d bet you a splint most are in the tavern right now, while others are off on missions.” He sat and folded his arms as the boy put the bag of food down and sat next to him. “But even if we had every Templar here, you would still be right. The order is somewhat light on bodies. It has been for a while.”
“But why?” Devol asked. “My father spoke so highly of you and from what I saw of Mr. Lebatt, you are amazing.”
“We certainly can be,” Wulfsun said with a smile. “But that doesn’t mean that many are flocking to our gates. I won’t bore you with all the details given that you don’t know what you want to do yet. But I’ll say that our order is ancient—hells, all other guildhalls were based on our example. But with that long history comes some dark times, and those can overshadow all the good you do, unfortunately.”
“What happened?” He felt sorrowful as he sensed the commander’s forlorn demeanor.
The Templar forced a grin, straightened, and clapped him on the back. The friendly blow almost knocked him off the bench. “Ah, don’t worry about it for now. The thing is, that incident is old news but it caused some shake-ups in the order. That and the establishment of the guilds meant we lost esteem, but we still remain. We have a duty to.”
“Establishment of the guilds?” the boy repeated. “So does that mean the Templars aren’t a guild?”
“We aren’t but most people call us that since those are the norm nowadays,” Wulfsun replied. “The Templars are an order. It might be a minor difference to most but it’s a statement to us. We are an order connecting to all realms. There is no other Templar order but ours, and although some tried previously, they didn’t last.” He leaned forward and peered skyward. “We have a duty to defend the realms from evil, and it isn’t a matter of philosophy. Anything that seeks to destroy or corrupt is our foe.”
A New Light (The Astral Wanderer Book 1) Page 7