by Ciara Graves
“And if I don’t wish to try with them?”
“Then you will make me order you to do so. It’s your choice.”
I shrugged, not ready to start another argument with him. I wanted to ask more, so much more, but my head was a mess, full of rambling thoughts with the realization of how much I had not been told over the years. How many of our kind were ruined because of those bastards? How many were killed?
I nodded solemnly to them both, then excused myself. I stepped out into the hall but glanced back through the crack just in time to catch Moran pulling Agnes into his arms.
He kissed the top of her head, and they whispered quietly to each other. Technically speaking, they were not allowed to be together, but most of us here knew about it. We just learned to keep our mouths shut.
To see them comforting each other, almost openly, that sent up red flags. We were in even more danger than he’d admitted. And then, there was their reaction to Rori’s last name, they both knew it. I went into that office wanting answers, and I got them. But those answers were so much more than I was ready to handle.
Was Rori involved in this mess? Was her family? What if she was in danger, just like I was? As far as I knew, she had no one watching out for her.
That would have to change. I might not be able to go after these bastards yet, but I’d keep an eye out for Rori. At least, until I learned who she was to me. And why the hell I felt like I should remember her.
Chapter 8
Rori
I woke up early and made it to the hall before most of the other recruits, snagged coffee—usually the only thing I worried about getting in the morning—and sat at the same table I’d found Chas at the day before. I wasn’t sure if I hoped to see him again or not, but I did keep an eye out for Brogan.
My first day had been filled with mostly instruction and a breakdown of how the next three years were going to go. It had been a lot to take in, and I’d been stressing out by dinner. But Brogan managed to get me to smile and relax again. He had that way about him, and I found myself drawn to him. Chas, on the other hand, was a mystery I couldn’t figure out. That and why Moran wanted me to get to know him.
“Morning.” Brogan grinned, joining me a few minutes later.
“You ready for today? The first day of using our abilities with our trainers.” I sighed, shaking my head with a nervous laugh. “God, it’s going to suck.”
“You can’t go into it with that outlook because then it will.”
“Easy for you to say.” I stirred my coffee, watching it swirl around.
Commander Blade was the mage I would be training under. Along with the other new recruits. Today was all about finding out which element spoke to me the loudest so I could begin to narrow my focus. Once I had that figured out, I’d be sent to have my staff crafted. I’d seen a few other mages walking around with theirs, and each one was unique and beautiful. Chas had said Sister Agnes was in charge of all the weapons here. I was excited, and a bit intimidated to come face to face with such a legend, but there was really no choice. I would need a staff at some point or another, and today it looked like was going to be that day.
“Stay positive and trust yourself.” Brogan reached over to rest his hand on mine. “And, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but remember what Chas told you. Magical strength comes from within, from believing in yourself.”
I glanced around the hall one more time, looking for Chas, but he wasn’t here yet. “You’re right; I'm ridiculous. What about you? How do you feel about today?”
“Actually pretty good,” he mused. “Had a dream I was back in that field.”
“And?”
“And let’s just say, though I might not be back at my full potential yet, mother nature has not abandoned me as I worried she had.” His lips twitched in a small grin, and he seemed more than ready to begin his next phase of training.
I drank the rest of my coffee, and when breakfast ended, Brogan and I left the hall together, though we parted ways once outside. He had to join the other shamans, and I was to go with the mages across the lawn near the greenhouses. We’d met inside yesterday in one of the many lecture halls, but for everyone’s safety and the very old building, Commander Blade said we would be training outside unless the weather wasn’t suitable. Though he hinted that would hardly ever be the case. Thankfully, I was from Oregon and used to cold weather.
I hurried across the lawn, falling in with the mages I’d briefly met the day before. There were only three new recruits, including me. The rest were second- and third-years. They were talking quietly, and I caught Moran’s name a few times.
I glanced around and spotted the reason for bringing his name up. I tripped over my feet, nearly face-planting in the grass.
“You okay?” one of the other mages asked.
“Yeah, sorry. But why is Moran here?” I whispered to her.
She shrugged, her face paling slightly. “No idea, but does make this morning a bit worse.”
“Just a bit,” I agreed.
He was speaking with Commander Blade, and when they saw us approaching, the latter separated and waited for his class to gather, hands clasped behind his back, chin held high. Commander Blade was young, maybe late twenties, with a stern face. His eyes were fiery orange with a hue of gold. Instead of appearing angry, they were filled with life and kindness, patience, qualities something I sorely lacked. I was trying not to be like a few of the other mages, who kept looking at him like he was the most handsome guy on the planet, but he was quite attractive. Seeing as he was my commander, I was not going to imagine anything further with that man. His gaze flickered to me, and he bowed his head subtly, then he called us all to attention.
The mage beside me shot me a curious look, but I shrugged. I had no idea why he would do that. None at all. But it made me wonder about the first day and those people who registered me. How they acted after they heard my name. What was going on here that I didn’t understand?
“Good morning, recruits,” Blade called loudly. “As you can see, we are joined by Commander Moran. He is going to be observing all training classes over the next few days so don’t feel too special just yet.”
He winked, and the older recruits grinned and laughed. I did not. I looked at the older man. He had no hint of amusement anywhere on his face. Why did he have to be here on our first official training day?
“Now then, second-years pair off and third-years pair off. Run through the basics and move your way up for today. No trying anything new,” he added with a firm glare. “First-years, come forward, please. Front and center.”
I wasn’t the only one who grimaced as we stepped forward to face Commander Blade. I wondered briefly if that was really his name. I stood in the center and expected him to approach either the guy on my left or the other girl, but instead, he walked up to me and stopped. I stood as tall as I could, not sure if I should meet his gaze, and found myself doing it anyway. He turned his head slightly as if studying me, then he gave another slight nod.
“It’s nice to see someone not afraid to make eye contact,” he said conversationally. “Very good start.”
“Sir?” I asked, not sure where this was going.
“Now then, Rori Griffith, you were to spend yesterday determining which path you will follow. Did you do so?”
“I tried, but honestly, I’m still not certain,” I said with a cringe.
“Very well then,” he said and backed away. “If you would please stand over here?”
My heart sank. Was I in trouble already? The one mage who didn’t know how to use her abilities, didn’t know what she wanted to do. I tried not to sulk as I walked to where he motioned and waited, feeling Moran watching me closely the entire time. It set me on edge, and I wanted to ask him if he could glare at something else. I bit my tongue, not ready to get myself into any more trouble with the most powerful man in this region. I waited for Blade to begin speaking with one of the other first-years, but instead, he whirled around, his hand-carve
d dark wood staff appearing in his hand. The tip glowed brightly with bright orange flames, and then he turned, and a fireball flew at my face.
I ducked with a yelp, hitting the ground as it shot over my head.
“Defend yourself,” he ordered.
Just as I got to my feet, he attacked again.
“I don’t know how!” I dodged the second blast. “I’ve never been in a fight before!”
“And that’s going to change, right now. Act, Griffith, or you will get yourself killed. Fight back.” He picked up the pace of his attack.
I waited for something to happen. Anything.
But it was like time slowed down and the marking on the back of my hand glowed brightly for a few seconds, then it went out completely, leaving nothing but a dark tattoo on my skin.
It wasn’t Blade’s reaction that suddenly pissed me off and made me annoyed. No, he just kept attacking, telling me over and over again to let instinct take over.
It was Moran’s look of utter disappointment, his lip lifted as if in disgust, then he turned and started walking away. Somewhere inside me, a burst of anger I never experienced before, and I yelled a battle cry in fury as the next attack came flying at me, ready to take me down. It wasn’t fire that filled my veins. It was a shivering cold breath that flowed through me, from my toes to my head, down to my fingertips. A white and blue burst of frost shot from my hands and the fireball was deflected, exploding in the ground to my right.
But I didn’t stop there. I summoned that power again and unleashed it on Blade, making him go on the defensive as I formed the frost into bolts and shot them at him one after the other. He spun around on the ball of his foot, and a burst of fire struck my center. It would’ve burned me if I hadn’t managed to produce a small shield of ice to stop it. He prepared to do it again, and this time, I formed a larger shield and held it fast even as he blasted it with fire.
I ground my teeth, a fierce cry erupting from my very core as I pushed back as hard as I could.
When Blade finally let up the attack, my ice wall still stood, but I sank to my knees, breathing ragged, my entire body shaking.
I glanced at my hand, stunned to see the tattoo shifting around as it formed a jagged mountain of ice formed in a circle of snowflakes. It gave one more blue pulse of power, then it settled.
“Well done,” Blade announced as the last of the ice wall around me shattered. He clapped his hands along with the rest of the mages. “You are a very strong frost mage, Griffith, very strong. Just needed to tap into that inner strength of yours.”
I nodded, unable to get words to form as weakness overtook me. I was on my ass now, sitting in the grass. The other recruits came over to pat me on the shoulder, excitedly talking about what I’d done. Between them, I spotted Moran watching me once again.
Blade went over and spoke quietly to him for a moment. Then the commander tipped his head in my direction and walked away. I was going to take that as a sign of approval, and my stomach sank even more than earlier when I thought I was in trouble. The last thing I wanted was Moran thinking I would be good for his Elite Guard. I inwardly cursed myself for not faltering more against Blade’s attack, but it was like someone else took me over, and the power rush was insatiable.
“Give her some air,” Blade said as the recruits returned to their practice, and the first-years stepped to the side. He crouched down before me, his staff gone, and pressed his palm to my forehead. “You are quite chilled. How do you feel?”
“Like shit,” I muttered without thinking then cringed.
Blade smiled. “Happens the first time you really tap into your power. The shaking will take a while to wear off, too. Take a rest over there, catch your breath, and do not try to use your magic again just yet.”
I wasn’t even considering it. I managed to get to my feet, but everything spun around me, and I was about to fall back down when Blade caught my arm in a firm grip.
“I’m alright, just… dizzy.” I blinked a few times, but that did nothing to help.
“Lean on me, I got you,” he said, and together, we made it to a bench beneath a willow tree. “Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. You’ll be fine.”
I grunted in reply, and he laughed, then he returned to the other first-years. I stayed on the bench, then after a while, I decided to lay down. I looked up into the willow branches.
I marveled at what happened. I’d used frost like it was second nature. I’d only managed to call up ice once before, ever. And it was barely worth mentioning. Nothing t like what I just did. Blade’s instructions for the rest of the lesson sounded so far away as my mind drifted. I held my hand up, smiling at the mark. No longer composed of all the elements, now it matched the power that exploded out of me a short while ago.
A frost mage. I was going to be a frost mage. I couldn’t wait to text Mom that news later.
I glanced past my hands to the swaying branches overhead. Should I tell her the other news, too, about Moran seeming pleased with what I could do? There had to be a reason he was so interested in me and not stuck around to watch the others. And why he’d wanted me to get to know Chas. I doubted it was so his adopted son, or whatever he called him, could make a friend.
This time when my gut churned, it wasn’t from use of so much power, but from the notion that I’d gotten Moran’s attention and that was the last thing I’d wanted when I arrived here.
“Good job, Rori, you went and messed up already,” I mumbled to myself, flinging my arm over my eyes.
“Griffith? You alive or do I need to call for a priest?”
“Huh?” I moved my arm.
Blade looked down at me, arms crossed, brow arched in amusement.
“No, I’m good, I think.”
“Class is over you know.”
“It is?” I sat up too fast to look and fell back down with a groan. “I swear, I was listening to what was going on. Where’d everyone else go?”
“Dismissed first-years to go find Sister Agnes and get their staves made. The others went to lunch.”
I covered my mouth at the mention of food, my other hand shooting to my stomach. “Hmm, think I’ll skip eating today.”
“Not a good idea, trust me.”
“Easy for you to say, you’re used to this shit.”
He laughed and helped me sit up. Slowly this time, then sat down next to me. “I had the same experience when I was a first-year.”
“Why do I not believe you?”
He shrugged. “It’s true.”
“But now you’re a trainer and a commander.”
“All it takes is one good push to see what you’re capable of.”
“Like launching fireballs at my head.”
He didn’t even try to hide his grin.
“I take it someone did that for you?”
“They had to a few times, actually,” he admitted. “You’ll get there.”
“Not sure I want to if I’m going to feel like this every time.”
“It won’t, but your body has to build up a tolerance for it, and that takes practice,” he explained.
“Ah, got it, so what you’re saying is I’ll feel like this for a few months, and then I’ll be peachy. That’s great news, really,” I rambled on.
He laughed.
I shot him a look. “Why is Moran so interested in me?” I asked quietly.
Blade looked out across the lawn. “He’s interested in all recruits.”
“That’s bullshit, and we both know it.”
“Did you just mouth off to your commander?” He’d turned serious.
I hung my head ,about to apologize.
He gave a sharp laugh. “When we’re not in training, I do encourage my trainees to speak freely. Too stressful all the time otherwise.” He sighed heavily, caught a leaf in his hands as it fell from the tree. “And that is something I honestly can’t answer for you.”
“But you know.”
He held up his palm with the leaf in it. His eyes flared bright blue, and th
e leaf on his hand froze into a beautiful piece of art.
“I thought you were a Fire Mage.”
“I am, but I still tap into my Frost abilities, now and again. Some of us are able to handle two paths, but that is not a reason to try and push yourself,” he added quickly, handing me the leaf.
I held it gently in my hand.
“You’ll learn many things here, Griffith, some you may not like, but you can’t let that stop you from fulfilling your destiny.”
“Cryptic, much?”
He stood and began walking away.
“That was not helpful!”
He kept on walking, and I settled back on the bench for a while longer, holding the leaf in my hands, taking in the intricate detail of the ice over the veins of the leaf. Eventually, I had to get my butt over to the supply depot, I knew this. I finally said screw it and found my feet. I might as well get it over with, though I wasn’t sure what I had to be so nervous about now.
I figured out my path; finding out what staff would work best for me should be easy, right?
The walk across the lawn to the supply depot was way too short, and I found myself standing outside the doors. My hand hovered over the handle, but for some reason, I couldn’t get myself to move forward. There was no reason why I shouldn’t want to go in there, but my gut told me that the moment I had a staff in hand, Moran’s attention to my abilities was only going to increase.
There was no avoiding it, and my hand moved as if on its own. Then I was inside the massive building, looking around at the stacks of crates lining the walls, tables filled with materials, odds, and ends. I wasn’t sure where to go, and there was no convenient sign that read, Get Your Staff Here, so I slowly wandered around. I hadn’t thought much time passed since Blade sent the other recruits, but I guess I’d dozed longer than I realized.
“Hello?” I called out.
No one replied.
I ran my hands gently along the tables until I reached the far back wall where numerous crafted weapons already hung. Staves, daggers, totems, swords, so many it was hard to take them all in. They were locked behind a wire cage, so all I could do was admire the craftsmanship. Had Agnes made all of these? That had to take years, decades. How old was this priest?