A Warden's Purpose (Wardens of Issalia Book 1)

by Jeffrey L. Kohanek

  The following round took place at a hundred paces. While Percy’s and Chuli’s shooting remained constant, each with eight bullseyes and two others on-target, the other cadets scored much worse. Among the eight who advanced to the third round were four girls and four boys - Quinn, Chuli, Hirna, Yvette, Iko, Boykin, Oliver, and Percy.

  The archery assistants removed the eight targets and began hanging new targets from a rope that ran across the field.

  Hammerton strolled onto the field and turned toward the stands, shouting as she addressed them. “Now down to eight, we will challenge these cadets to determine their true skill. Rarely does a target remain still in the real world. Accordingly, they are now tasked with shooting a target that moves.”

  She turned toward the remaining eight with a heavy gaze. “When your name is called, stand at the center mark. You will shoot at fifty paces, like the first round. However, this time you must launch at will. The target will only pass you once.”

  Hirna’s name was the first called. She took position, and Hammerton called out. The assistant at the far end began to crank a wheel, winding the rope in and taking the target with it. Hirna began to loose arrows in a slow and steady rhythm. When the target passed the midpoint, she still had seven arrows in her quiver and only one in the target. Realizing her dilemma, she began to release arrows faster, but none hit the mark. Dejected, her head hung heavy as she returned to stand with the others.

  Percy was the next called. As Quinn expected, he fared much better with nine arrows in the target, six of them bullseyes. Yvette, Boykin, and Oliver each took turns. While Yvette was able to get four arrows to stick, Boykin and Oliver both failed to hit the mark more than twice.

  Quinn turned toward Chuli and Iko as she realized that they were the last three to shoot. Iko’s name was called first. Quinn felt anxiety twisting her insides as she watched him shoot, striking the target four times with one bullseye. Hers was the next name called.

  She approached her mark and drew three arrows, nocking one as she held the other two between other fingers. The move was difficult to execute, but she decided to chance it in hope of getting more arrows launched while the target was in range.

  Hammerton shouted and the target began to move at a steady pace from left to right. Quinn took aim and considered the wind and movement speed, leading the target just a bit. She released the first arrow and nocked the next before it struck. The second launched, followed by the third. She then drew one arrow at a time, loosing them the moment her sight was set. When the target faded behind the wooden panel at the far end, she found her final arrow in her hand. She had shot nine with five striking the target, two in the center. The response from the crowd filled Quinn’s heart. A smile forced itself upon her face as she retreated.

  A pat on the shoulder awaited her as Chuli gave her a nod. “Impressive shooting, Quinn. Your skill is much improved.”

  “Thank you,” Quinn replied as Chuli slipped past her. “Good luck, Chuli.”

  The Tantarri girl turned and smirked. “Luck is not needed when skill will suffice. Regardless, I thank you for the sentiment.”

  As Quinn expected, Chuli was correct. Not only was she able to shoot all ten arrows, but nine struck the target with five in the center ring. The crowd cheered voraciously, clearly impressed by Chuli’s skill.

  The final four, Quinn, Chuli, Iko, and Percy, moved to the hundred-pace mark as fresh targets were attached to the rope. While Quinn had made it to the final four, at longer range, her shortbow left her at a disadvantage to the longbows used by her competitors. She was able to strike the target three times with one in the center, beating Iko’s score of three, but landing far behind the two leaders. Chuli hit eight times with four bullseyes. Yet, Percy edged past her, striking the target nine times and landing five bullseyes.

  The four finalists joined Goren and Hammerton on a small platform before the crowd, with each receiving a medal. Percy was awarded four points for first place, Chuli three for second, Quinn two for third, and Iko one for fourth.

  As the applause faded, Goren made a final announcement. “We now conclude the first round of the TACT Games. Join us here tomorrow for our horsemanship competition.”

  Quinn put her plate on the table and sat on the bench. A groan slipped out, driven by the pain in her back.

  “Still hurting?” Iko asked with a grin.

  “Yes.”

  He snorted and glanced toward Percy. “Well, you made it further than I did.”

  Chuli sat beside Quinn. “I still don’t understand why you people behave as if horses are foreign to you. It is nothing to guide them so.”

  Quinn sighed. “I realize that things are different with the Tantarri. However, most of us cannot afford a horse of any kind. Tantarri horses cost as much as a house.”

  “That is so sad.” Chuli shook her head. “I don’t know how you can put a price on a horse.”

  Percy and Iko chuckled at the comment, earning them a frown from Quinn. “I think you misunderstand my meaning. What I intended was…”

  “I know what you intended.” Chuli smiled. “I was casting a joke.”

  The boys laughed harder.

  “I think you meant that you were making a joke,” Quinn offered.

  Chuli tilted her head as she considered Quinn’s words. “No. I like casting better. It is as if I were fishing for laughs.”

  That earned Chuli laughter from the entire group. When the laughter subsided, Quinn recovered the lost topic.

  “Anyway, I’m glad that the riding competition is through and that I didn’t crack my head open on that fall.”

  Percy grinned. “Your fall was quite spectacular.”

  Iko nudged him. “Stop it.” He took Quinn’s hand, his face reflecting overacted sympathy. “I was concerned that you had been seriously hurt.”

  Quinn snorted again. “I wasn’t the only one who fell. Both of you took a spill as well. In fact, I think only three cadets did not fall.”

  Iko shared a knowing smirk. “At least I made it over the fence and the wall. It was the river crossing that caused me trouble.”

  Quinn arched a brow. “As I recall, your horse stopped dead before it, and you almost crossed by yourself.”

  The comment left Percy and Chuli chuckling.

  Iko’s expression appeared pained. “That landing hurt, you know…and that water was cold. Weren’t you concerned for me?”

  Quinn reached across the table and patted his hand. “I’m sure your ego is quite damaged. However, it was perhaps a bit too bright and shiny before. A few dents and blemishes should balance things out.”

  Percy burst into hard laughter and clapped Iko on the back. “Ha! Your ego is now beyond repair!”

  Iko elbowed his friend again, this time hard enough to earn a heavy grunt. Quinn gave Chuli a sidelong glance.

  “You appear to be the girl to beat, Chuli. With nobody else collecting more than four points after two events, you have a three-point lead.”

  Chuli shook her head. “Such is not the case. While I do have a lead, the first two events are the ones at which I excel the most.” She sighed. “For the others, I’m afraid, my skill is average.”

  Iko leaned closer. “Tomorrow, we move indoors for the agility challenge, and the next day will be filled with duels.” Iko glanced at Percy. “The last event is hunting. Goren said that it was a team event. Percy spent much of his life in the forest and is an able tracker. The four of us are the best with a bow. Perhaps we should combine as a team. We would surely win.”

  Quinn looked at Chuli as she considered the idea.

  “You don’t have to answer now.” Iko stood, as did Percy. “Think on it.”

  Quinn watched Iko as the two boys walked away. His suggestion made sense – his reasoning sound. Yet, something nagged at her, refusing to allow her to relax.

  37

  A Memorable Win

  Cheering students filled the stands, eager to see how the competitors would fare. Quinn looked up in awe,
amazed at the transformation that had occurred in recent weeks.

  A new wall had been constructed inside of the wall that led to the changing rooms. Similar to the escarpment, this wall included oddly spaced rocks that jutted out from the others, providing foot and hand holds. Looming with an ominous presence, the wall ran nearly to the ceiling, forty-feet above. Climbing the wall was just the beginning of their next challenge.

  When Captain Goren took to the center of the Coliseum floor, he presented Sergeant Jasmine as the event host. The woman took Goren’s place and explained the rules.

  “What you see before you is a course constructed to test the strength, speed, and agility of our contestants. Beyond that, it shall test their courage. We will run a series of heats, with the winner of each advancing.”

  She turned toward the cadets, addressing them. “We shall begin with the girls, four competing at a time.

  “Quinn, Chuli, Jinny, and Hirna, you are up first. When you reach the top of the wall, choose a track. The first to cross the finish line wins.”

  Quinn lined up beside the other girls and took a calming breath, trying to settle a stomach that twisted like a loose rope in the wind. She stared at the wall just a dozen strides away and sought out her first gripping point. Time seemed to slow, the moment stretching as she waited for the signal. And suddenly, it happened.

  “Go!”

  She and the other girls darted forward and began their ascent. After racing up the Escarp twice a month, Quinn knew she was the fastest climber among the girls, and she counted on gaining an early lead. As the wall sped past her, she worried about the remainder of the course.

  Her fingers found a grip of the ledge atop the wall, and she glanced to the side as she pulled herself up. Hirna was five feet behind her, matched with Chuli while Jinny was slightly past half way. Quinn shuffled to the side, grabbed ahold of the handles, and jumped.

  The pulley above her squeaked rapidly as it sped down the rope, across the building to a platform two hundred feet away. She found herself laughing at the thrill – the speed, the height, the sense of freedom. The pulley slowed when it neared the other end, but Quinn still had to lift her legs and brace herself as she collided with the wall atop the platform.

  Turning about, she released the handles and found Chuli and Hirna speeding toward her. Not wishing to lose her lead, she scrambled down to the next platform, twelve feet above the floor. Without hesitation, she ran across a narrow beam, twenty feet long, and jumped when she reached the end.

  In her haste, she almost missed the rope that dangled from above, but she was able to grip it and swing to the next beam. Her foot slipped and she teetered, her arms waving as she tried to maintain balance. Once set, she again hurried across the beam and began scaling down the ladder at the far end.

  There, another platform waited for her, with a pit of mud below and metal rungs above, each rung spaced a stride apart. With a jump, she grabbed the first rung, and then the second, allowing her momentum to carry her from rung to rung until she cleared the mud. When she dropped to the ground, she heard the crowd growing louder. A backward glance showed Hirna at the middle rung and just seconds behind her.

  Quinn darted forward and stumbled, her palms skidding across the dirt, her face through a cloud of dust. Rather than standing, she crawled forward the last ten feet and entered the hollow log. The fit was tight, but Quinn lacked the bulk that some of the girls and most of the boys carried, so she was able to squirm through quickly. When she regained her footing, she spotted the finish line fifty feet away. Sprinting with all her energy, she crossed it first. When she looked back, she found Hirna struggling to escape the log. By the time the girl cleared it and began to run, both Chuli and Jinny had emerged. Jinny crossed the line second, followed by Chuli, with Hirna last and appearing quite upset.

  With a pat on the shoulder, Quinn gave Chuli a nod. The Tantarri girl gave her a grin and returned the favor.

  “You can win this, Quinn. You have skill in this area.”

  “Thanks.” Quinn said between gasps for air.

  Hirna’s face appeared a storm as she stomped past. Jinny shrugged.

  Quinn had done it. She had advanced to round two, but the competition was sure to grow more difficult.

  The second round found Quinn matched against three boys, including Percy. While the boys had an advantage in strength, their added weight and size worked against them. One fell from a beam and broke his arm, only to be healed by an awaiting ecclesiast. Percy’s hand slipped, and he fell from a rung into the mud pit for an instant disqualification. The last competitor, a short boy named Evran, proved to be a true challenge. Although she had a lead going into the rungs, the boy caught up and almost beat her to the finish with Quinn edging him by a half step.

  The other group from the second round followed, consisting of two girls and two boys. The round was competitive, with Iko doing well despite his size. Nonetheless, he could not compete with Yvette, who ran the beams as if they were ten feet wide and slid through the tube as if it had been greased. She won by three strides, leaving Iko second and the other two an obstacle behind.

  While Iko and Evran raced to decide third and fourth place, Quinn took a drink from her waterskin and glanced toward Yvette.

  The short dark-skinned girl climbed like a spider and could balance like a bird on a clothesline. Yet, Quinn could find no animosity in her heart for Yvette. Despite how badly Quinn wanted to win, she decided that having Yvette win was something she could accept.

  She walked over to the girl, attracting Yvette’s attention.

  “I wanted you to know that I am proud of us making it to the finals.” Quinn said. “I also wish you luck.”

  Yvette’s eyes narrowed, her tone accusing. “Are you trying to get into my head?”

  Quinn shook her head. “Not at all.”

  Rebuffed, Quinn turned and walked away. As she neared Chuli, the girl gave her a nod. “You show honor, Quinn. It makes me proud. Sometimes, I almost think you are Tantarri.”

  Quinn was taken aback and considered how to respond but was interrupted by the cheering crowd. Evran crossed the line two steps ahead of Iko, and the crowd roared with applause. The pulleys were towed back into position at the other end of the Coliseum and Sergeant Jasmine returned to the center of the floor.

  “With third and fourth place settled, we now turn to our final two contestants, who will vie to become champion of the agility challenge. Quinn Gulagas and Yvette Bumburro, take position at the line!”

  Quinn took a deep breath as she strode to the line. A glance to the side showed Yvette standing three strides away with a hard gleam in her eyes. That look of determination stirred something inside Quinn. She pressed her lips together and turned toward the wall she was to climb. Her nerves settled, her focus attuned to the task before her.

  “Go!”

  With rapid and fluid movement, not one motion wasted, the way Quinn scaled the wall would have made a lizard proud. She reached the top and grabbed the pulley handles with a thrust, her legs swinging wildly out as her momentum carried her down the long rope. She reached the end, spun and scrambled to the platform below with Yvette a breath behind.

  Without regard for safety, she sprinted across the first beam and dove for the rope, swinging to the next beam before resuming a run. When she flipped down to the next platform, she found herself in lockstep with Yvette, both of them flipping from rung to rung in sync as if they were performing a rehearsed dance.

  Landing, they each dove into their hollowed log, with Quinn scrambling through as if her feet were on fire. As she exited the log, Quinn found Yvette doing the same. Quinn sprinted toward the finish line with everything she had when an image coalesced in her head – one of Everson hanging on the edge of a cliff, his fingers slipping as he screamed for Quinn to save him. The threat to her brother provided added urgency and she ran faster than ever before.

  Quinn suddenly came upon the Coliseum wall, slowing too late to avoid colliding with it
. The impact drove the wind from her lungs and she heard a hollow thump as her vision went black. Pain flared in her forehead and a rolling chime rang in her ears. Struggling to inhale, she found only resistance as her lungs refused to acquiesce. She rolled on her side and coughed before sweet air entered her body and she blinked at the blur surrounding her.

  Within the haze, a face surfaced, grinning. “You or your brother,” Torney said. “I’m not sure who is worse.”

  His hand gripped her arm and a shock of cold swept through her, forcing a chill and leaving her gasping for air. She blinked and realized that her head no longer hurt.

  Torney put his hand out. “Here. Let me help you up.”

  Still confused about what had happened, Quinn allowed him to help her stand. She looked toward the cheering crowd and found them clapping and shouting her name.

  With a pat on the shoulder, Torney flashed her a grin “Congratulations. When you win, you make it memorable.”

  “What?”

  Jasmine approached her and grabbed Quinn’s hand, holding it high as she turned toward the crowd.

  “Next time, you can stop running when you cross the line.”

  Quinn looked down at the finish line, thirty feet from the wall. Realizing what had happened, she felt her cheeks grow flush. The entire school had seen her folly.

  “Impressive win, though.” Jasmine said as she lowered Quinn’s hand. “I would have bet on Yvette, but there’s something in you. Something I can’t quite define. We shall see if it happens again tomorrow.”

  Quinn turned toward the crowd again. They would be back tomorrow, and they would be expecting blood.

  38

  A Sour Taste

  The healer sped down to the arena floor and ran to the boy’s side. Sergeants Khallum and Jasmine joined him. From her seat beside the changing room entrance, Quinn could see the white of his bone sticking through the torn breeches. Hearing the scream when Khallum reset the boy’s leg gave Quinn a chill, and she grit her teeth. Moments later, the healer stood and stepped back. The boy sat up, rose to his feet, and thanked the healer before heading off to change, crossing directly over the spot where a mud pit had stood the day prior.