The Red Glaive

The sun beat down brightly on the glaive courtyard. It was an especially hot afternoon and Aeria lay on her back under the shade of single tree in the courtyard. They weren’t visible yet, but Aeria could feel the welts Caius had given her start to form along her sides before she called for a reprieve. Now Niko and Caius were sparring but by the sound Niko’s yelps, Caius was just having fun.

Across the courtyard, Aeria could see the young pages sitting in the pavilion holding books while a knight taught them to read from chivalry books. Aeria longed to have a lecture like those pages. All the apprentices got was those drawn out lectures that everyone slept through.

Of the two hundred or so recruits only about forty remained. Their numbers dwindled while the the pages just seemed to swell. That brutal first month had been where they had lost the most apprentices. All those that remained after that seemed fully committed. It was only at this point that Overseer Rector gave the apprentices some leeway during their training.

“I’m done.” Niko said plopping himself next to Aeria.

“Ariel your turn.” Caius said and kicking her boot.

“Already? I need a longer break.” Aeria said her side still very sore.

“You’re not doing anything.” Caius said this time poking her back with his wooden sword.

“Find someone else for now.” Aeria replied. She was getting better, without a doubt, but Caius was still the best. A fact that was proven when Caius turned to search for sparring partner and everyone was suddenly busy. No one wanted to challenge him anymore.

Resigned, Caius took a seat next to Aeria and Niko until one of Overseer Rector emerged from the stable with all the horses nearly an hour later.

“Fable!” Aeria called when she saw her dun rouncey. The horse trotted across the courtyard to her with Big Red and Queen following close behind. They were all saddled.

“Are we going somewhere?” Niko said. Queen gently nuzzled his hand then nipped him when she didn’t find a sugar cube making Niko yelp.

“I don’t know.” Aeria answered petting Fable. The pair watched as Caius hopped on Big Red and began to trot him around the courtyard. Big Red reveled in being ridden.

The glaive overseer stepped out of the stable along with some aides who held strangely shaped dummies. Some were tall, others wide, others still were almost flat against the ground. They were set up on their side of the courtyard.

“You must be as comfortable on horseback as you are on the ground.” the overseer said. “from now on, your steeds will be available to you for your training.”

Caius was the first to go through the course. Big Red galloped obediently towards the dummies as Caius swiped aggressively at each one. He managed to hit every single one except the lowest one. Big Red’s long spindle legs worked against him. Niko went, a few riders after him, but hit less than Caius did. Aeria was confident in her riding skills, especially if Fable was her mount. So when her turn came, Aeria did just as good as Caius did.

They were in their last hour of training for the day when Telfer and his new gaggle of friends approached Aeria and Niko. There were five of them, but they never approached if Caius was around. Currently, Caius was off doing his sixth or seventh run.

“You’ve got a woman’s horse Grieppila.” Telfer said atop his own brown roan stallion.

“I wasn’t aware that horses were gender specific.” Niko replied kindly, and Telfer’s group chuckled. Niko was too nice for his own good.

“Queen is just as good as any horse here.” Aeria said earning even more chuckles form Telfer’s group. Telfer had quickly latched on to a group of baron sons. They were all second or third sons who wouldn’t inherit any lands but acted like they would inherit Lux Aeterna itself.

“I wasn’t judging her quality Ariel,” Telfer said. “Clearly if I was ranking horses on quality yours would come dead last.”

“You sure talk a lot for someone who refuses to spar with me.” Aeria spat, recalling a similar event a few days prior. “I’ll knock you flat on your ass in a heartbeat.”

“You shouldn’t make threats when your friend is away.” Telfer warned.

“Then you shouldn’t bring your whole pig sty when approaching us.” Aeria said and the smug smiles on Telfer’s friends vanished.

They whispered amongst themselves before eTelfer urged his horse forward so that his stallion stood right next to Aeria. He glared long and hard, his brown eyes blazing, before turning his horse and trotting to the other side of the courtyard, his buddies a few steps behind him.

“Was he bothering you guys?” Caius said as he approached them on Big Red. “I’ll put him in his place for you if you want.”

“It’s fine.” Aeria replied. “Telfer is too much of a coward to try anything, besides Niko’s got my back, isn’t that right?”

“In a fight?” Niko said uncertainly.

“That’s not very reassuring.” Aeria grumbled.

“They won’t try anything so long as I’m here.” Caius said.

“Aren’t you a little arrogant?” Aeria said. “There’s seven of them and only one of you.”

“Seven of them and three of us.” Caius corrected. “Each one of us is worth at least three of them.”

“We’re an army of nine?” Niko said.

“Well no.” Caius said before smiling. “I’m worth at least five of them. We’re an army of fourteen!”

Niko stared despairingly. “I don’t think that’s right.” and made Aeria laugh.

They continued on horseback, but both Aeria and Caius were decent riders so they resorted to helping Niko. They made him run the course for the rest of their time there. It was only near the end when Aeria tried it once last time that she managed to just barely scrape the lowest dummy. Not to be undone, Caius decided to go again and again, never managing to hit it, until their glaive overseer appeared. All the apprentices gathered around him as they did the end of very day.

“You had a good day today.” Overseer Rector said. “Caius.” he turned to face him and Caius stood straighter. “Excellent work today, as usual. Your father would be proud.” and Caius beamed. Overseer Rector had held Caius in high regard and it was very clear after their very first training session, that Caius was his favorite. Everyday he would have praise the young man, further boosting his inflated ego. So when he said, “Ariel.” Aeria was a more than a little shocked. “You’ve proven yourself quite the talented horseman.” he said and Aeria smiled. It was the first time he had singled her out afterwards. “We are very lucky to have you.”

She felt Caius pat her shoulder in congratulations but the only thing she could focus on was the feeling that the recognition gave her. It gave her the confirmation that she was in fact going down the right path, that she hadn’t made the wrong choice.

“Grieppila.” Overseer Rector added making the smile vanish from his face. “I see you trying harder than most.” he said and eyed Telfer’s group. “And you’re friends,” he pointed at Caius and Aeria. “I’ve seen them push you and I’ve seen you improve greatly. The three of you make an excellent team, and I think the rest of you could learn something from them. There’s nothing than you want out there in the Night Road than your brother to have your back.”

The three looked at each other proudly and earned glares from Telfer’s group.

Then addressing the entire group Overseer Rector said, “Now I want you to prepare yourselves, the Sages are preparing the Chamber of Endeavors. They pray for the gods to appear to give you their blessing as we speak.” the group had gone deathly quiet. They had only spoken briefly of the gods and the paths of magic. “Not everyone will receive a god’s blessing but I don’t want you to worry about it. We will go over this when the time comes. Leave your horses, the stable boys will see them put back. You are dismissed.”

Aeria bid farewell to Fable before joining Caius and Niko by the entrance.

“I thought we could choose our own path.” Aeria said.

“Well, you can entreat a specific god to appear if you really wanted to.” Niko explained in their walk to the barracks. “Then you can demand a blessing, but that usually doesn’t go to well.”

“How many gods are there?” Aeria asked. She only knew of the Colossus of Durus and of the Leviathan of Flumina for creating the scar. Her father never spoke of the gods and Madam Salver only spoke of the Colossus for being their patron god.

“There’s five.” Niko said. “The Colossus of Durus is the god of the land and earth, the Leviathan is the goddess of the seas and water, those you already know a little but there’s also the Avian of Mollia god of the skies and thunder, the Goddess of Glacies who presides over winter and ice and the Beast of Aestus rules the mountains and fire. There was a sixth for the crown lands, but the Beast ended her existence before all creation. . .or so the story goes. I’ll find you the text.” Niko promised.

“My father followed the Path of the Leviathan. It allows him to use water magic. I’ve seen him do things I wouldn’t even have thought possible. I want to follow the same path.” Caius declared with determination burning in his eyes. Aeria knew that look and she knew he would entreat the Leviathan’s and demand her blessing even if the gods themselves didn’t plan that path for him.

It made her wonder what path her father had since he never really talked about it, but she would love to continue on his footsteps. However, she couldn’t ask anyone without giving herself away. It wouldn’t make sense for Ariel to be asking specific questions about a glaive he had no right knowing about.

“I don’t really mind what I get, just as long as I end up with something.” Niko said. “I just don’t want to end up with the King’s Brand.” Both Aeria and Caius stared at him quizzically. “Have either of you ever picked up a text?” Aeria and Caius glanced at each other. All Aeria ever read were the fables and stories in her father’s library. None contained anything about glaives or the gods. And Caius, it didn’t look like he ever picked up a book in his life.

“A glaive without magic won’t last out there in the night. So those to whom the gods don’t come to receive the Kings’ Brand.” Niko raised up his hand and traced a symbol on the back of his hand. “It allows you to harness the power of the kings but the seal is branded onto the back of your hand, it’s very painful and its power dies with whatever king it is attached to.”

“We will all get chosen by the gods, you just wait.” Caius said. “I’ll follow the Leviathan, Niko the Avian will surely bless you and Ariel the Goddess will come to you.”

“The goddess?” Aeria questioned. Winter and ice. It didn’t feel right. “What if I don’t want the goddess?”

“You would defy a god?” Caius said smirking already liking the idea.

“You could always get the Kings’ Brand.” Niko piped in.

“I guess we’ll see when the day comes.”