The Red Glaive

Glaive Master Coyne Kue ran them all through the stances now that Aeria wouldn’t be left out. She couldn’t believe how easy it was now and how much she had struggled with it for the longest time. The earth was there and it wasn’t about asking it to move as she asked the magic to do her bidding when she cast simple white spells. This was an order, a demand for the earth to move at her bidding.

The earth moved as she did. She found that a hard stomp would raise the earth depending on the force of her stomp. Her hand guided it’s movement after that. If the earth moved she’d move with it. In that way, she was one with the ground beneath her. It was that mentality that allowed her to quickly excel despite having the least amount of training.

Out of the corner of her eye she could spot Brecht and Loris looking at her confused. She was already nearly as good as them.

“That’s enough for today.” Coyne said as the other adepts approached the arena. They were going to practice their pairing again.

Once everyone had paired up Aeria, Eddval, and Bromley stood by the edge of the arena wondering what exactly they were supposed to do. Their partners, Caius, Niko and Telfer, were out on patrol. All three had already paired so it would be of no use to try and pair with someone else now.

Overseer Rector, how was watching eagerly to who would pair next saw the trio standing around listlessly.

“I want the three of you to spar.” Rector said and the three glanced at each other. Bromley was a poor swordsman but Eddval was fairly good form what Aeria had seen. She was eager to try him, but when they went to move towards the rack Rector stopped them. “No, not with that.” he walked over to them. “You’ve learned the basics from your gifts, I want the tree of you to apply them now. Spar with them.”

Now that made things much more interesting. Bromley was without a doubt one of the best when it came to using his gift. Aeria had seen him herself during their time with Master Kue. Eddval studied under Master Galmr so she wasn’t sure how well he was.

The looked at each other again, this time with a new eagerness in their faces. All three eager to test out the other.

“Begin!”

Aeria leapt back, she had been standing right next to Eddval, but she was glad she did because he reacted by nearly as quickly as she had by raising his hand and unleashing a shock of electrical current right where she had stood. It missed her and hit Bromley. He jumped form the shock then fell to his knees.

Bromley momentarily incapacitated, Eddval turned, searching for Aeria. But Aeria had already stepped forward and slammed her hands against the ground. The ground beneath Eddval shot up tossing him high into the air.

Aeria couldn’t recover, Bromley was already up tossing a massive boulder in her direction. Aeria planted her feet firmly on the ground and rose her hands up. It took everything she had in her to catch the thing, even then it pushed her back a few feet. She let it drop to the floor before she gave out.

While Aeria handled the massive boulder, Bromley then dug his hands into the earth and flipped a massive slab of earth at Eddval who had only just stood. Instead of moving out of the way, Eddval unleashed a burst of crackling lightning directly at the boulder which then exploded into thousands of tiny pebbles and dust.

Aeria realized, they were never going to over power Eddval at a distance with him firing devastating lightning bolts at them. Aeria rushed forward as she ran she picked up one of the pebbles that had just fallen and threw it at Bromley, guiding it’s way. It was too small to be seen easily but big enough to knock Bromley out cold when it made contact right in his forehead.

When Aeria turned to focus and Eddval she saw him outstretching his fingers towards her. Her next step was hit harder against the ground and a pillar of earth rose in front of her. Then, she pushed against it with all her might and the pillar flew forwards just as the lightning hit it and it exploded just a few feet in front of Aeria. The blast knocked her off her feet and flat on her back.

Eddval walked over to her, lightning crackling all around him. “Do you yield?” he said. It was his mistake walking over to her. Aeria dug her right foot into the ground. Then with a kick in Eddval’s direction an arch of stone flew towards Eddval.

He was fast enough to fire a lightning blast to destroy it before it hit him but not fast enough to react when Aeria tackled him to the ground. There was lightning in his fingers and Aeria felt the strange sensation of it against her skin where he grabbed her but she was quick. The earth sank under him, then with a pull from her hands, it blanketed over him burying him, then hardening, so that only his head stuck out from the ground.

Eddval struggled in the ground but the earth refused to budge for him. Aeria stood back, the shock he had given her when he touched her still vibrated in her bones and Aeria shook her arm as if to shake away the lightning. Eddval couldn’t escape. He was completely subdued.

“Nicely done Ariel.” Rector said walking over. Around them, everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch. Meanwhile, Master Galmr reluctantly tossed a coin purse to a grinning Coyne Kue. Master Marcoul was at Bromley’s side slowly waking him. “Take the day off, if you like.” Aeria nodded appreciative of the break.

“What about me!” Eddval said his makeshift tomb.

“Oh, quit your griping.” Coyne said and with a single stomp of his foot, Eddval shot out of the earth and into a stand.

It happened so quick he looked whiplashed. Eddval blinked then turned to Aeria and offered his hand. “You’re a good competitor.” he said before Aeria shook his hand. “We need to have a rematch sometime.” and Aeria nodded. She felt tired already despite doing so little.

“Go get something to eat.” Rector ordered and Aeria shuffled away.

When she passed Bromley, who was still being looked over by Master Marcoul, he looked up at her and smiled. “Devils, I didn’t think of sending something so small, by the time I felt it coming it was too late.” he said. “Nicely played Ariel, I’ll remember that next time.”

“I’m sorry, Bromley, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Aeria said.

“He’ll be fine.” Marcoul said standing. “Just a little rest with the medics, you go eat, you’ll need it.” he said to Aeria and she left.

The glaive’s dining hall was empty when she arrived. The servants were still cooking that night’s dinner so when Aeria arrived all they offered her were crackers and cheese and cornbread. She had had more than enough cornbread before so she settled for the crackers and was glad when on of the servants appeared with some liverwurst for her to use as spread.

Aeria gorged herself on those crackers and when the food was done she was the first to get her of red wine beef stew which she was glad for since those same servants had to feed the squires training above, and the rest of the Ivory Bastion.

She ate in silence, until she decided that she didn’t have to and called Arsene from her pocket. The black bird didn’t say anything but eyed Aeria’s abandoned dish of cornbread. She slid the plate over to him and he haphazardly began to peck at the bread.

Adepts slowly began to trickle into the hall. Their lesson over, some chose to leave, but others like Aeria and her group, would stay to continue to practice until Overseer Rector came down from his quarters and told them to leave. They would eat what ever was left over in the dining hall.

“Don’t believe what he says,” Came Telfer’s voice suddenly, making Aeria jump. Neith stood on the table silently watching her, until the sound of Telfer’s voice returned. “I know the letters!” The doe appeared, seemingly back to normal, she shook her head and jumped off the table and pranced out the hall. Bara appeared from under the table a few seconds after her.

“Did you know,” Niko’s voice came from the lynx. “that Telfer also doesn’t know how to read? We’re going to have our work cut out for us when we get back.”

Arsene continued to peck a Aeria’s cornbread. After all she had eaten at the medics she couldn’t stomach anymore for a while. “Anything you want to say back?” he said looking back at her from his meal.

“Nothing currently.” Aeria said. The black of Arsene’s eyes stared at her and Aeria remembered him as she had seen him her dreams. “Arsene, how did you go from warrior to, . . well this.”

“I could tell you, but you won’t like it. So I won’t.” He said not once looking up from his bread. Aeria grumbled but she knew better than to pester the bird. He’d just turn back into his skull and refuse to answer her calls. “I will tell you this though; my life is nothing. We exist because you remember us. Once our bond is broken it’s like we never were..”

“What do you mean?” Aeria said letting her potatoes grow cold to listen to a surprisingly talkative Arsene.

“You are not the first glaive I’ve bonded with, though you are the only one of those who remembers me.”

“Are those other glaives. . . dead?”

“Not all of them.” Arsene said perching himself on Aeria’s water cup. “But none of those still living remember me. When our bond is broken we cease to be and the memory of our existence is erased from all those who knew us. To be forgotten, it’s a fate worse than death.”

“Where do you go when you’re forgotten?”

“We call it the sack.”

“You mean the literal sack I pulled you from?” Aeria said remembering the strange black bag she had pulled Arsene from and how vast it had felt when she stuck her hand inside. It was so much more than it appeared to be.

“That’s the one!” Arsene chirped. How long was Arsene in that bag before Aeria pulled him out. How many little black skulls were still slumbering there forgotten just waiting to be pulled into existence.

“I won’t forget you Arsene.” Aeria promised. “No matter what.”

“That’s a nice sentiment, but I’ve heard it many times before.” Arsene jumped off her cup and returned to his cornbread. “It is simply our nature.”

“Arsene. . .”

“Your friends are coming..” he said before retreating back his black skull.

Aeria looked up just as Brecht decided to take the seat in front of her in the stool Caius usually sat at. Aeria groaned, “Just when I thought I could enjoy my meal this evening.” Griffo and Pynnis took Telfer and Niko’s seats while Loris and Friehei scared off two nearby adepts for their stools. They all crowded around Aeria, but there were no Overseers in the dining hall, only the servants who had served them their meal.

“We brought you something.” Brecht said and Pynnis set a cup on the table then filled it with a water skin, only it wasn’t water they were pouring. She could smell the sharpness of the alcohol in the rum they were pouring. Alcohol wasn’t allowed in the Glaive’s Caverns. It was the reason Caius always went out to drink.

“No thanks,” Aeria said looking at what little remained in her stew.

“You know we went to a lot of trouble getting this for you.” Pynnis said with a scowl.

“I seriously doubt that.” Aeria said. How hard could it bet to empty a jug of rum into a water skin and just walk into the caverns. It’s not like any of the overseers searched them as they walked in. They would only ever find out if someone got excessively drunk on the grounds.

“Look we’re doing something nice for you.” Griffo said. “You better be more appreciative!” He stood from his seat, but Brecht calmed him with a wave of his hand. Griffo huffed but sat back down.

“Let’s just get down to it then.” Brecht said. “Who are you exactly.” Aeria tired to show no indication that his words struck her.

“I’m the man who can beat your ass in a heartbeat,” Aeria said then eyed everyone else sitting on the table. “When you don’t have your little dogs nipping at me from behind.” She could see Griffo’s jaw clenched and his teeth grinding furiously, but she didn’t care. There too many people around anyway, they wouldn’t try anything where anyone could see their deplorable behavior.

“You’re lying about who you are.” Brecht continued ignoring Aeria’s comment. His persistence started making her nervous. The pendant around her neck didn’t emanate any heat so she had to be safe. But that begged the question; what exactly did they know? “You’re not the lowly peasant you claim to be.”

“Tarda was scolding us for refusing to read his tiresome lectures and demanded to know why we weren’t more like you and your friend.” Friehei said. “What kind of peasant knows how to read? Much less is an avid reader?”

“What kind of fisherman’s son comes here already knowing how to swing a sword?” Loris said. “You can say all you want about how much practice you’ve had on the way here, but a peasant doesn’t have the time to spend on learning how to fight.”

“You made everyone believe you were a fisherman’s son.” Griffo said, “But I’m from Flumina, and Fluminians know a fisherman when they see one. I’ve been watching, you couldn’t tell the difference between a palomar knot or a snell knot.”

They made valid points, she just didn’t think they were watching her that closely. Maybe if Niko didn’t trust her so much he might’ve noticed too.

“So who exactly are you.” Brecht said.

Aeria paused. She need a lie, a good one, and quick. “What does it matter.” Aeria said unable to come up with anything convincing enough. “Titles mean nothing to glaive. You renounce your titles when you swear to serve the people as a glaive or have you forgotten?”

Brecht smiled in a way that said nothing good was coming her way. “Enjoy your drink.” he said and left, his dogs following closely behind him.

Aeria glanced down at her half finished stew. She wasn’t hungry anymore.