Kairos looked at Jomur narrowly. ‘I have a question, Instructor Jomur,’ he said. ‘The Test of Valour is different for every squire, correct?’
Jomur rolled his eyes in exasperation, which made Kairos clench his fists under the table. ‘Yes, Squire Azel. We went over this in class several times. Or were you not paying attention as usual?’
Kairos ignored the remark. It would do him no good to throttle the instructor after he had come this far. ‘I was just wondering who determined that I must get rid of this air elemental from my brief vision,’ he said.
‘I didn’t,’ Jomur sneered. ‘I wasn’t there. These knights saw the vision, and they have deduced from the details provided that this is your Test of Valour. I mean, it wasn’t that difficult. They heard the words ‘Shatteraxe’ and saw the image of an air elemental. Even the most uneducated knight here knows about the air elemental at Shatteraxe.’
A few knights shot Instructor Jomur scathing looks.
‘Just for the record,’ Flain said standing. ‘I stand opposed to this folly. Shatteraxe has been cursed and uninhabited for centuries. This air elemental is too powerful, too dangerous, for an army to take on, let alone an inexperienced squire. Not even our most powerful Dragon Knights could rid us of this ‘anomaly’. We are sending Squire Azel to his death. I absolve myself of all liability resulting from this.’
‘I’m sorry you feel that way, Sir Flain,’ Jomur remarked snidely. ‘But you were present during Squire Azel’s Trial of the Chair, so you know that was the vision received for his Test. We cannot change it. It was ordained by the Trial, not chosen by any of us. If he doesn’t like it, he can submit his resignation now. Every squire knowingly enters the Test of Valour knowing the danger, along with the possibility of death.’
Flain remained standing and slammed his hands down onto the table. The instructor jumped in surprise, causing his glasses to slide down to the tip of his nose.
‘The Trial of the Chair has never given such an impossible task before!’ Flain thundered.
‘That is not my problem, Sir Flain.’ Jomur tried to look composed as he pushed his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose with a shaky hand.
Flain looked as though he were about to reach across the table and grab Jomur by his scrawny throat, but to everyone’s astonishment, he gave a long sigh and sat down.
Jomur shrugged. ‘Any more questions?’
Kairos nodded. ‘How long has the air elemental been there? And what’s it even doing there? It doesn’t make any sense.’
Jomur smiled. ‘These questions are what you are to discover on your own. Like I said earlier, you have two fortnights to complete your Test. If you don’t have any more questions of importance, then you are dismissed. There are other squires waiting to receive their despatch for their Test of Valour, Squire Azel.’
Kairos was clearly not finished, but he decided to walk out before he lost his temper. He hated Instructor Jomur enough already, and that hatred was coming to a boiling point under the instructor’s discourteous dismissal of him. He would figure out this problem when he arrived there, he decided. Beating up Jomur would yield only more problems.
First, he would talk to Althea and see where her Test was. He was suddenly very worried about her. Maybe she wouldn’t have an ‘impossible task’. Flain’s words and his worry unnerved Kairos.
He hoped the paladin was wrong.
* * *
‘You are doomed to fail!’ Althea was hysterical.
They were standing in front of the quartermaster’s desk at the weaponry, waiting to receive equipment and supplies for their journey. This was the first time they would wear their Mana Knight uniforms, complete with the plated armour. A few of the other squires, who came before them, had already departed for their journey. The quartermaster, a bored and tired-looking knight, took the parchments from Kairos and Althea and disappeared into the storeroom.
‘Sir Flain is correct,’ Althea said, checking if the quartermaster had returned. He had not. ‘That is an impossible task. Even my father and an army of knights wouldn’t succeed.’
Kairos did not completely understand. He had only seen one of these so-called ‘elementals’ since his arrival to Ordonia, and it was in a field tilling the soil. Mr. Dubose had been taking him to the farms to get eggs and produce when he encountered the beast working alongside a human. At first, he thought it was some type of dangerous rock monster, but Mr. Dubose assured him that it was an earth elemental tending the fields alongside its master, who had summoned it solely for that purpose. Kairos had wondered aloud if the earth elemental could fight, and the dwarf cuffed him and told him attacking one without magic would be tantamount to suicide. Apparently, even farmers in Ordonia could be powerful summoners.
‘I recall that an elemental stays near its summoner,’ Kairos said now, remembering how that earth elemental did not stray far from its master. ‘So I could just kill the summoner, correct?’
Tears of frustration welled up in Althea’s eyes. ‘An elemental is a creature summoned from a powerful spell. They exist as long as the summoner allows. There are only four ways to rid of them: the summoner dispels it, remove it from the summoner’s presence, we kill it, or the summoner dies. But those who can summon elementals are very powerful on their own.’
‘All people can die by the blade,’ Kairos said in a nonchalant manner, hoping to cheer Althea up with a confidence he did not feel. ‘I’ll just need to defeat the summoner.’
‘But there is no summoner,’ Althea replied, her voice hollow and desolate. ‘I’ve read about this particular elemental in my father’s library.’ She choked, as though mention of the library conjured the memory of the manor burning. After taking a moment to compose herself, she continued, ‘It has resided in the ruins of Shatteraxe for centuries. There have been no signs of its summoner, and no one, not even the most powerful Mana Knight, Eribus, can defeat it. Many have tried and failed.’
‘That might explain why Flain looked like he wanted to murder Jomur.’ Kairos forced a smile. ‘Perhaps he liked us after all… Flain, that is.’
Althea did not return his smile. ‘You shouldn’t go.’
‘Nonsense,’ he said, embracing her. ‘It’s fate that your father saved me. Fate that brought me to you. Perhaps this quest, too, is my fate. Only time will tell. I did not come all this way to give up. I will see this elemental first.’
Althea leant into Kairos’s embrace and nodded, stifling her sobs. He could feel her tears moistening his tunic. She mumbled something. He could not discern the words, so he pushed her gently away to see her face. It was puffy from the weeping, but her beauty still radiated as it had on the first day they had met, brightening his dark and hopeless world.
‘What was that?’ he asked.
‘It was nothing,’ she said. ‘You just run if it’s too dangerous, okay?’
‘What about your Test?’ Kairos asked, trying to lead the subject away. He did not want Althea to worry about him, especially when she needed to focus on her own quest. ‘You haven’t told me about it.’
Althea’s eyes were downcast. ‘My Test is in Chendre.’
Now it was Kairos’s turn to worry. He imagined a horde of hobs or brigands. Something beyond Althea’s skill level to fight. ‘What sort of monstrosities lie there?’ he asked.
‘None,’ she said, as if embarrassed. ‘Chendre is a small village a few days’ travel northeast of here. I’ll be healing the sick there. During my Trial, I had a vision of an epidemic breaking out among the villagers. It was ordained that I take the path of a healer. Sir Flain has been training me in private,’ she explained, upon seeing Kairos’s puzzled expression, ‘and even allowed me special permission to study and use healing magic.’
‘That’s great!’ Kairos said in relief. Now he wouldn’t have to worry about her dying in combat, though the thought of her walking straight into an epidemic seemed rather disturbing.
‘What’s even better is that it’s on the way to Shatteraxe.’ It wa
s Althea’s turn to force a smile. ‘I mean, it’s only a few days from the ruined city by foot. We can travel together in the meantime. There’s nothing in the rules that says we can’t. We just cannot help each other with our own individual Test.’ Althea’s face lit up with a sudden idea. ‘Maybe we can see if any other squires are travelling our way. Safety in numbers, and all.’
Kairos shook his head. ‘That will take time. Then we have to wait around for them to prepare. The day is still early enough, we should leave as soon as we can. My journey is far, and I’d like to get started sooner rather than later.’
‘I suppose you’re right.’ Althea straightened up and was wiping her face as the quartermaster returned with a bundle of rations.
He deposited the rations unceremoniously onto the ground in front of Kairos’s feet without a care for the fragility of the contents. He ignored Kairos’s scowl as he leafed through his parchments until he found the one he was looking for. He raised an eyebrow. ‘It says you are using a sword,’ he said. ‘Is this a mistake? Standard issue for all recruits are a mana lance and a dagger.’
‘It is no mistake, sir,’ Kairos said, still glaring at the bored-looking knight. ‘I was given permission by Sir Flain. My sword should still be back there.’
The knight regarded Kairos with a tired gaze and shrugged. ‘An old-fashioned choice, but this Academy class has been quite different. I issued a boomerang earlier. Very well, I’ll be back.’ He sauntered back into weaponry with the air of having all day to complete his task.
Kairos fumed.
‘Kairos?’ Althea asked, looking around.
‘Yes?’
‘You don’t plan on fighting that air elemental with a sword, do you?’ Her voice was almost a whisper. ‘That’s not going to be of much use.’
‘I’ll bring the staff,’ Kairos answered with as much reassurance as he could muster but judging by the look on Althea’s face, it wasn’t enough. He couldn’t even convince himself. ‘I suppose I could stop by Mr. Dubose’s house and get some extra gnome powder.’
‘That’s not going to work. Only magic attacks work on elementals, and fire attacks are not very effective against them.’
Kairos took a deep breath.
‘You’re never one to plan much, are you?’ Althea said, with a smile. ‘Now here’s what we do.’
Kairos looked across the desk and saw that the quartermaster still had not returned, so he leant towards Althea and listened to her plan.
* * *
Stephon preened himself on a stone bench outside the Commons, putting on a grand show of brushing his long, flowing blond hair. Squires passed by, some looking glum, others excited. Few paid him any mind. That was to be expected. The elf knew they were on their way to take the second phase of the Knight’s Test: the Test of Valour.
One squire did take notice. Shah walked by and cast him a look mingled with fear and malice.
‘Good day, Shah,’ Stephon called out in a pleasant voice and a flourish of his hand.
Shah’s eyes widened in alarm, and he looked at the ground and rushed away without a word.
Stephon shrugged. He chuckled at the memory of the incident where Shah set himself afire when he tried on his uniform. Perhaps the bumbling squire was clever enough to suspect him… Stephon shook his head. No, he thought. Judging from the human’s stupid and vacant expression, there was no way he could detect a louse stuck on the tip of his big nose. The elf almost laughed aloud at the memory of the other humans who blamed the hapless squire for the incident.
The day grew long, and the air took on a sudden chill. The elf pulled his cloak tighter and swore. This was taking too long and he was in a foul mood. He had been sullen all day, rubbing his temples as if his head ached. Upon spotting the knight known as Flain leaving in an angry huff, Stephon’s temperament improved.
The academic faculty was nearing the end of doling out quests, and the squires were already departing. He recognised Kairos and Althea when they emerged from the barracks at last, and he pulled his cowl over his head so they wouldn’t see him. Their morose expressions showed that they probably wouldn’t have noticed him anyway, so absorbed they were with their own problems. They walked by without a glance in his direction.
Stephon followed them at a great distance. He could not hear most of their conversation without being seen, but he did pick out the words ‘Shatteraxe’ and ‘elemental.’
The elf stopped following, astounded at what he’d heard. His surprise was so great that he paused for a good few moments. ‘Well, well,’ said Stephon to himself in a low, icy voice. ‘It seems like Malus was completely right after all!’ When he looked up, he saw that Kairos and Althea had vanished, already moving on far ahead. No matter. He knew where they were going.
* * *
Kairos and Althea’s journey to Chendre took them five days. They had expected it to be shorter, since the weather was fair, but they had to travel on foot. The Knighthood did not issue horses to new recruits; Sir Flain explained that ‘walking builds character’.
They briefly stopped by Dwarfside and visited Jace Dubose, who had received word that Galen Avenal was to return to Vadost within a month. The Dragon Knight had finished his business in Ordon and letters would be forthcoming prior to his arrival. The dwarf had also restocked Kairos’s supply of gnome powder and sharpened his sword. He asked where they were bound. Althea replied that they were going out to take their Test of Valour, but could not share the details.
Mr. Dubose looked very solemn at this, and wished them luck, hugging both of them. He gave a long, deep sigh when they left.
They continued their journey and travelled northeast along the main road from Vadost. Although they were within days of Valour Keep, they could not relax their vigilance. The lands beyond the city were wild and desolate. On the second day, they were set upon by outlaws, and on the fourth day a horde of hobs marched so close that Kairos could smell their putrid stench.
The brigands had planned to ambush two defenceless travellers, as Kairos and Althea wore hooded cloaks that concealed their knightly regalia, but they soon faced the wrath of Althea’s mana lance and Kairos’s incendiary projectiles, courtesy of Mr. Dubose’s gnome powder. They fled when one large fireball singed three of their number, and they realised too late that they had picked a fight, not with hapless wanderers, but with armed members of the Knighthood. The hobs far outnumbered the pair, however, so Kairos and Althea had to hide in the dense thicket off the roadway until the horde meandered off into the distant hills.
Near the end of the fifth day, they trudged into Chendre. The locals greeted them with the obligatory welcome due to those associated with the Mana Knights, but warned them that three members were bedridden in the town’s small temple with high fever and chills. One was even bleeding profusely from the nose.
For Kairos, the news brought back memories of the Blight in Logres. He wondered aloud if the same thing was happening here. The outbreak frightened him more than the prospect of any battle, for disease and pestilence were an unseen enemy that could not be fought with a sword. Althea quickly allayed his concerns when she took to questioning the villagers about their activities: any travellers coming and going, and their hygiene. By the end of the day, she discovered that the three villagers had contracted the plague, with a fourth, a little girl, beginning to fall ill, as well. She used her healing magic to alleviate the symptoms of the ill, and soon they began to show signs of recovery. By the next day, she finally found the culprit: a bale of damp clothes infested with fleas.
‘This is no Blight,’ Althea explained, after she had incinerated the clothes with a quick spell. ‘This bundle of clothes was recently brought in from a merchant, and they contained the disease-ridden fleas. I’ll instruct the villagers how to take precautionary measures against the spread of the disease. Once that’s done, I can accompany you to Shatteraxe.’
Kairos absentmindedly rubbed his arms and looked around. The mention of fleas gave him the impression that he w
as itching all over. Yet there were no bites or bumps. He could not wait to leave this village.
Althea saw his dilemma. ‘You’re not infected, Kairos,’ she said. ‘So you can stop worrying. I know the proper glyph of protection, and it doesn’t use much mana, either. And on the off-chance that you start showing symptoms, a simple spell would reverse the condition.’
‘You can do that now?’ Kairos asked, amazed. She had come a long way since they had first met. He knew she was very intelligent, but now she had proven herself resourceful. Her words and knowledge on the subject had assuaged his fears.
‘It’s not that difficult, really,’ she answered, and resumed her tasks with the villagers.
She deserves to pass the Test of Valour, he thought. Although there were no dangerous monsters that needed slaying, or outlaws that needed to be served with justice, this work was equally important. Althea had probably saved the whole village on her own.
After finishing her duty with the village, Althea announced that she was ready to depart to Shatteraxe and vowed to come back on her return trip to Vadost to check on the villagers. Everyone gathered to send her off with a warm farewell, offering gifts of baked goods, silver, and various trinkets. Althea politely refused everything. Not one to turn down free food, Kairos accepted two loaves of bread on her behalf.
Finding Shatteraxe proved more difficult.
Kairos and Althea spent almost a week searching for the ruined city. Kairos was no longer nervous, but frustrated, stating that they were on a ‘false treasure hunt.’ He consulted two maps, one provided by the Knighthood, and the other given to him by Mr. Dubose. Both showed the ruins on the southern portion of the Yeti’s End mountain range, but that encompassed many miles. Neither map showed Shatteraxe in the same location.
Althea tried to calm Kairos’s concerns, but she too began to show signs of worry. They had left Valour Keep almost two weeks ago, and only had four weeks to complete their Test. Well, Kairos had four weeks; Althea was essentially finished with her testing.
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