The tankard fell onto the stone path with a wooden clatter, splashing its contents on Kairos’s boots. He watched as Vaughn’s fingertip began to glow and knew that he was casting a spell. Kairos tensed. Vaughn had full intention of hurting, possibly killing, him. ‘Stop, Vaughn!’ he yelled. ‘There’s no need for this.’
‘Oh, but there is!’ Vaughn traced a glyph. ‘You don’t slight me and get away with it.’
Kairos jumped back, unsure of what to expect. Vaughn was drunk, but Kairos knew the boy was deadly with magic.
The glyph flashed, and a gout of flame burst forth, threatening to sear his skin. Kairos saw it coming and spun away, avoiding the flame by a hand’s width. He felt the intense heat of the spell and could only imagine the consequences of getting struck. Kairos knew that he had to end this fight quickly.
‘Give it up, Vaughn. I don’t want to hurt you.’
Vaughn scoffed. ‘You don’t want to hurt me? No, I’m going to be the one hurting you!’ He drew another glowing pattern before him. Despite swaying on feet, his spells seemed deadly enough.
Kairos, feeling the battle rage overtake him, surged forward towards Vaughn. He reached out and grabbed the hand tracing the glyph, snuffing out the spell. At the same time, he pulled Vaughn towards him and swung a vicious haymaker that connected directly on the nose. There was a crack, and blood burst forth.
Vaughn fell onto his back, dazed. There was no fight left in him.
Kairos couldn’t stop now. Pent up fury overflowed in his veins. Fury at his recent failures. Fury at Vaughn, who had repeatedly provoked him and threatened his life. He would make this boy pay dearly.
He dropped onto Vaughn’s chest and began raining blows on him. Vaughn feebly used his arms to shield his face, but Kairos’s punches connected again and again. Each blow bashed Vaughn’s head into the stone pavement. The blood, black in the ambient light, covered his face. Still Kairos continued.
After some time, strong hands pulled him away. Kairos twisted out of the grasp and turned to fight the newcomer. Stella stood there. A stout, sombre, yet calming presence. ‘Easy there, lad, you’re about to kill him,’ she said.
Althea stepped past Stella and touched Kairos gingerly on the arm. They must have both approached during the fight. Behind them, the light from the magic street lamps illuminated more people gathering to see the spectacle.
Kairos glanced down at his hands, which were covered in blood. He began to shake.
* * *
The audience hall of Vadost was crowded. The magistrate, several counsellors, nobles, and representatives from Valour Keep had come to see what would happen to the foreigner who had so brutally assaulted Vaughn Akkitos, son of Griffon Knight, Lady Naiya Akkitos. Many craftsmen and merchants of Vadost were present, and more dwarves than necessary filled the hall. Physical violence not involving magic was rare among humans, and everyone in the crowd hoped to see something memorable.
Vaughn had a solid reputation across Vadost and Valour Keep for his promising talent in magic. Almost everyone in the hall – even the dwarves – knew his mother, for her heroic deeds spread as far south as the kingdom of Numidia. Most saw his defeat as an affront on the Knighthood itself. If a young boy could best such a fine candidate for the Mana Knights, especially without magic, how would that hold up for the authority of the chivalrous order?
On the other side of the coin, a few citizens complained of several knights and their immediate family members abusing their authority. Vaughn was a primary example of someone who walked around the city and intimidated those who crossed him, while facing few to no repercussions due to his mother’s rank. The dwarves obviously sided with the boy who lived in Dwarfside, because he was a human who bested a powerful mana-user without magic. And according to the rumours, the boy had no choice but to fight Vaughn.
The doors opened and Kairos walked in, escorted by two guards of the City Watch. All eyes turned to stare at him, as he strode towards the end of the hall where the magistrate sat.
Kairos studied the magistrate and the amassed groups of nobles. To his surprise, he recognised Instructor Jomur and Professor Argent, who sat with the representatives of Valour Keep, next to the nobles. His eyes met Jomur’s, and he saw condescending amusement there.
Kairos lifted his chin in defiance. He had done nothing wrong. Vaughn had attacked him, and he had tried, initially, to walk away. Yet, he was not so naïve as to believe that he would get away with harming a renowned Griffon Knight’s son without consequences.
The magistrate stood. The crowd hushed.
‘Speak your name for all to hear,’ the magistrate said.
‘I am Kairos, son of–’ He paused, remembering Instructor Jomur’s disdainful reaction, and corrected himself. ‘I am Kairos Azel, your honour.’ Pride dictated that he act bold, but Mr. Dubose had cautioned him to address the magistrate with politeness.
‘You are summoned here because you attacked Vaughn Akkitos, a soon-to-be squire of the Mana Knights, and son of Griffon Knight, Lady Akkitos. Is this true?’
‘It is not true, your honour,’ Kairos said with a hard edge of defiance in his voice. The audience began muttering amongst themselves. Kairos raised his voice to be heard above the noise. ‘I did not attack Vaughn. He attacked me with magic, so I defended myself.’
The magistrate leant forward, adjusted his glasses and squinted at Kairos. ‘You have no injuries,’ he observed. ‘Yet Vaughn is unable to leave his bed and attend today. He is beaten beyond recognition and is awaiting the services of a healer. It appears that you attacked him like a brute with the element of surprise, and once you gained the upper hand, you continued your course of action.’
Kairos clenched his jaw, fighting to suppress his churning anger. Mr. Dubose had also cautioned him not to lose his temper, and that he could not win an argument against the magistrate. He knew Mr. Dubose was right and he took a deep breath, dousing the fiery words before they could explode in outrage.
‘That is not true, your honour. He challenged me. I attempted to walk away. He then attacked me with magic–’
‘What kind of magic?’ The magistrate gave him a shrewd look.
‘It was fire, your honour.’ Kairos dared not say more. He knew very little about magic.
The magistrate nodded. ‘Continue.’
‘I dodged his attack. He began casting another spell, and that was when I attacked him. I know nobody here will speak up for me. I am new to the city. I have no reputation, but I am no brute.’
The magistrate stared at Kairos for a long time, and Kairos returned the gaze. Murmurs ran through the hall.
‘Do you have any witnesses to the entire incident?’ the magistrate asked Kairos. ‘The only witnesses who came forward saw just the aftermath of the fight.’
‘No, your honour.’ Kairos’s voice was steady. ‘We were alone on the outskirts of the festival when the fight started. No one else was around that I know of.’
The magistrate frowned. ‘That is unfortunate then, Mr. Azel, because I have heard Vaughn’s story earlier this morning, and he said that you attacked him. Due to your conflicting stories and lack of witnesses, I can only make a conclusion based on the given evidence, which is Mr. Akkitos’s injuries. Therefore, I find you guilty of assaulting a prominent citizen of Vadost. As a result, you will face the penalty of–’
A commotion rippled near the entrance to the hall, cutting off the magistrate’s verdict. The back of the crowd parted to allow someone through. Kairos turned to see Stella pushing her way forward.
‘I will speak for Kairos,’ said the dwarf in a strong voice.
* * *
Stella waded through the crowd and stepped forward to address the magistrate. She had not come here to help this boy. She did not like him. But Althea had been weeping since the City Watch hauled him away to confinement.
When Althea had slipped away the night before, Stella scoured the festival looking for the irrepressible girl, shouting her name like a madwoman – much to the
dismay of the other festival-goers, and much to the embarrassment of herself. When Althea finally appeared, the dwarf was so enraged that she swore to confront the youth and put an end to this nonsense. Telling Althea to stay put, she retraced the girl’s path to find him, and that was when she witnessed the incident with Vaughn from beginning to end.
Stella would have thought nothing further of it once the boy went to jail, continuing on with her business, yet when Althea heard he was to appear before the magistrate, she begged Stella to intervene on his behalf. Stella disliked the idea of Althea courting the young boy. He carried a sense of intense purpose that she found particularly unnerving for a youth, especially a human, that age. But the dwarf realised during the night that if she stood against Galen’s daughter, she would lose her. Stella had seen the way the girl sat with him, soothing him with her voice until he had stopped trembling. Althea cared for the boy, and if he was hurt, she would suffer horribly, so Stella had agreed to speak for him. Besides, she told herself, she knew that Vaughn was in the wrong and was only going to speak the truth. Nothing more.
‘The boy speaks the truth,’ Stella began, all eyes on her. A tense silence stretched over the audience hall as everyone hung onto her words. ‘I witnessed everything. The Akkitos boy approached and threatened him. Kairos tried to leave without a fight. Then the Akkitos boy cast a spell. Kairos dodged, and beat him to defend himself.’ She turned to the assembled crowd and glared. ‘I swear this is the truth and let any person who says otherwise come up here and challenge me.’
Chaos broke out in the hall. Friends of the Akkitos family expressed their outrage, while those who disliked Vaughn, along with several dwarves who simply sided with Stella, roared their approval.
The magistrate turned to consult with the counsellors. They muttered amongst themselves for some time, then beckoned to representatives from Valour Keep to join them. The audience hall grew restless as they deliberated. One of the men from Valour Keep became red in the face as he argued with his colleagues, pointing an accusing finger at Kairos and slamming his hand down onto a desk to prove his point. He was quickly silenced by the magistrate.
Kairos turned towards Stella, as if to catch her attention and nod his gratitude, but she ignored him and faced forward, her eyes locked on the magistrate. He stepped forward and a hush descended upon the room.
‘I have consulted with the counsellors and representatives and we have reached a decision. We find you, Kairos Azel, guilty of assaulting Vaughn Akkitos, son of Griffon Knight, Lady Naiya Akkitos. As repentance, you must pay Vaughn Akkitos the restitution of one Ordonian golden crown, or its equivalent value in silver.’
The hall filled with jeers and cheers. Supporters of the Akkitos family applauded the results. Those who sided with Kairos or Stella scoffed. The boy had merely defended himself against an unprovoked attack, a story validated by Stella, an employee of the honourable Dragon Knight, Galen Avenal, and a prominent member of the dwarven community.
Kairos’s shoulders slumped at the news. One golden crown was a lot of money for a youth, and it would take him a long time to pay that off.
The magistrate held his hand up for silence. ‘Moreover, we find Vaughn Akkitos guilty of initiating bellicose measures and casting combative magic against another person when there was no threat to the citizenry of Vadost. As repentance, he must pay Kairos Azel restitution of half an Ordonian golden crown.’ The magistrate’s hand shot up once again to suppress the murmurs. ‘Additionally, the representatives of Valour Keep also find Vaughn Akkitos guilty of assaulting a fellow recruit of the order. As repentance, he must further pay Kairos Azel restitution of half an Ordonian golden crown, thus equalling one Ordonian golden crown in total, or its equivalent value in silver.’
The throng erupted, chattering about the judgement. Kairos stared at the magistrate in disbelief. Even in the cold hall, beads of sweat trickled down the sides of his face.
The magistrate continued, yelling to be overheard. ‘The representatives of Valour Keep further deemed that since the charges negate each other, both subjects will be allowed to continue on as squires of the Mana Knights, however, under close supervision of their superiors. Kairos Azel, you are dismissed.’
Stella stepped close to Kairos, who saw her, and this time managed his grateful smile. He looked as if about to speak, but stopped upon seeing her face remaining severe and distant.
‘Do not make me regret this day, Kairos Azel,’ she said quietly, so that no one else could hear. ‘You treat her well.’
Without uttering another word or waiting for a response, Stella turned and left the audience hall.
* * *
‘That’s about everything!’ Kairos said, tying shut a rucksack that was on the verge of bursting.
Jace Dubose rested a large, meaty hand on the boy’s shoulder. ‘I’d say I was going to miss you, but you’re moving thirty minutes away, so instead, I’ll just say don’t come over here to eat all my food, shit, and leave.’
Almost a month had passed since the Hammerfall Festival and Kairos’s visit to the magistrate. He was off to Valour Keep today, to start his new life as a squire. To become a Mana Knight.
Kairos cast one last longing glance around the workshop. He had grown fond of the place. It was like a second home, and just as he was starting to really enjoy it, he had to leave.
The days of working the forge had come to be some of the best of his life. He had spent entire afternoons hammering the iron and talking to Mr. Dubose. The dwarf was a wonderful listener, and Kairos found it easy to open up to him.
During these conversations, Kairos had touched on many difficult subjects, such as his lack of mana, or the possibility of being god-cursed. He even spoke a little of his time as a captive in Malus’s army, but he never mentioned his homeland, or Farina. He was scared to say her name. Fate had brought him to this happy life, and he was frightened that to tempt fate would snatch everything away. Above all, Kairos was still ashamed when he had thought of Farina, of Thylar, and the other Einar that sailed with him. How he’d let them die when only he had lived. The thought that Hargonnas, the elf with the wing-crested helm, played a role in their deaths sparked a flame deep within him that he fuelled with this shame.
‘Why are you staring around the workshop like you have your thumb up your arse,’ Mr. Dubose snarled. ‘Get a move on! Besides, you don’t need to get in any more trouble with the Knighthood, being that you recently visited the magistrate and all.’
Kairos nodded, unable to say anything because he was choking back the tears. Mr. Dubose had been like a father to him, more than a father, actually, considering that his own, Karthok the Cruel, didn’t care too much for him.
‘Don’t forget these.’ The dwarf handed him the casting glove and the staff. ‘You’ll be needing them.’
A horse-drawn carriage, another gift from Mr. Dubose, awaited Kairos outside the workshop. He composed himself and turned back to the dwarf. ‘Mr. Dubose,’ he began, ‘Thank you for every–’
‘Ah, just shut it,’ the dwarf said. ‘I’ve been waiting for this moment for months – ever since you stepped through my front door. I think I’ll celebrate your departure with a pint. Now go become a knight, already.’
Kairos nodded and waved, stepping into the carriage. Mr. Dubose returned the wave and stood there until the carriage carried the Einar away. Kairos looked back and saw the dwarf still standing in place.
He thought he saw something else, too.
A shadow flickered from behind a workshop. He gazed at the area for a long time until it disappeared into the distance, but saw nothing else. Perhaps it was one of the street lamps going out.
That was another reason he was looking forward to Valour Keep. He always felt that something or someone was watching him in Dwarfside. He never saw anyone whenever he turned and looked, but he always felt a nearby presence.
His ride through Vadost made him forget his premonitions. Other thoughts occupied his mind.
He wondered
how the Einar at home were faring. When he could return. But most of all, he wondered when he could face Hargonnas again. Not as a captive, but as a knight.
Part Three
Valour Keep
Chapter seven
Badger’s Tail
The Order of the Mana Knights consist of four main classes: Wolf, Lion, Griffon, and Dragon. Wolf Knights comprise of the majority of the Knighthood, followed by the higher-ranking Lion Knights. Griffon Knights command a given post and answer only to the highest rank, the Dragon Knights.
‘The History of the Mana Knights’, Sir Edwin Rosal
I
t was cold in the classroom. The late autumn air blew through the open windows, chilling the students into a miserable state.
Instructor Jomur’s voice droned through the cold, his breath forming a mist with each sentence spoken. He looked comfortable, bundled in thick furs.
Kairos didn’t mind the cold as much as the other recruits did. He would have enjoyed it if he had not had to train for several hours, working up a sweat during the morning’s obstacle course. His sweat-damp clothes, combined with Jomur’s dull lecture, made him bored and uncomfortable.
No one liked Instructor Jomur’s class. He was an incompetent teacher. They also felt that An Introduction to Magic Theory was useless and impractical towards becoming a Mana Knight, but no one dared to tell Instructor Jomur that. So the squires sat on their stools and shivered. Some dozed, but were unable to fall asleep due to the cold. Some speculated that this was the very reason Jomur kept the windows open, to freeze them beyond comfort.
The same could not be said for Kairos. He had lived a lifetime in discomfort; he slept huddled in a longship at sea in the rain and gale; he slept outside on the hard ground when Malus’s army had pursued him. This was nothing compared to those harrowing circumstances. He thought he had suffered all varieties of hardships in life. Pain, death, torture, starvation. But Instructor Jomur introduced him to a new form of suffering: boredom. As Kairos listened to the instructor drone on and on, he never knew he could be so bored. He stared out the window at the surrounding scenery of Valour Keep, wishing he could be counting blades of grass.
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