The Red Glaive

Only men were allowed to join the Red Glaive. It had been that way since the beginning of the order. Not that there were any woman willing to join their ranks. The more Aeria thought about joining, the more it made sense to her. Her father had been a glaive a long time ago. He had always said she was a lot like her mother, but she was also his daughter. Deep inside, Aeria always knew she would never be really happy just being someone’s trophy wife.

It all made sense now. She was meant to be in the Red Glaive, to ride fearless into to battle. To not let fear control her anymore.

The Red Glaive also solved another problem. Aeria would have somewhere to sleep and eat and where to house Fable. Her only obstacle being her gender, but that was an easy hurdle to cross.

“A glamour spell works like telling a lie. The more convincing the lie, the more likely people are to believe the glamour,” Adelaide had always said. She had always been gifted when it came to beauty magic, more specifically with glamours. One time she had glamoured her breasts too look double their normal size. Ney’s boys were all over her that day, much to her sisters’ chagrin.

So before Aeria even began the spell, Aeria had to make her lie convincing. In the Market, Aeria traded her dress for a boy’s clothes; breeches, a cotton shirt, and some boots. She used what was left of her coin to buy some bandages to wrap her breasts close to her body and a knife.

When it came time to cut her hair, Aeria hesitated. “The lie has to be believable to begin with or everyone would be able to see through the spell.” Adelaide’s words echoed through her. With a single decisive slice Aeria cut a great majority of her long black locks. They fell to the floor like dead hay.

When she looked into the mirror shard in the stable Aeria already looked a lot like a boy. Fable eyed her curiously. Then Aeria cast her spell the only way she knew how. Change me so that others may be fooled. Aeria thought over and over again and thought of the person she wanted to be. A fierce glaive, strong enough to fight a thousand devils. Change me so that others may be fooled. she chanted in her head and the magic began to pour out her, covering her like a veil. Each time she repeated the words a new layer seeped out and settled over her skin.

She continued until the early hours of the morning, until finally, satisfied, she collapsed and fell asleep.

The next morning she woke up to someone prodding her with their foot. “You can’t sleep here lad.” the stable master said poking her again with his boot. Aeria blinked and looked down at the mirror shard. Her own face stared back at her. “Get out of here boy or I’ll call the city guard.”

Rushing outside, Aeria didn’t feel any different but the stable master had called her boy so it must’ve worked. She would have to come back later to get Fable.

She arrived at the temple to find the glaive serving oatmeal at the line. Aeria didn’t get in line, her stomach too knotted up to eat anything. When he was done, he spoke to the temple priest for while, before handing in the brown cloak and departing.

Aeria followed him through city, though back streets and alleys. For a second, Aeria thought he knew he was following her with all the places he ducked into. Eventually he entered a small building with Red Glaive insignia on a shield dangling from a post outside.

Her mouth went dry, wondering what she would say. It seemed like the glamour had worked, everyone who spoke to her on the way had called her lad, or boy, or mongrel. Hardly things they would call a woman. “I am here to join the Red Glaive.” she said practicing but only heard her own voice. She wondered what others heard when they heard her, or what they saw.

Swallowing her nerves, Aeria stepped into the building. It was small, just four walls with a desk against the back wall and a cot next to the door. Sitting behind the desk was the glaive that Aeria had carefully followed all the way there. “Are you Reimar?” she asked hesitantly.

“Who wants to know?” he said, his voice gruff.

Then in her strongest voice said, “I’m here to join the Red Glaive.”

Reimar, who was scribbling away at a letter, simply peered at her and said, “Go home girl, there’s nothing for you here?”

“What?!” Aeria gasped.

“Your little charm may fool the untrained eye, but I am a glaive. There’s no fooling me with your parlor tricks girl.”

Aeria was too stunned to say anything, she just stood there dumbly. “I want to be a glaive!” she repeated.

The man laughed and turned to look at her. “A woman can’t be a glaive.”

“Why not!?” Aeria exclaimed angry at how quickly he had dismissed her.

“The Red Glaive is a brotherhood,” Reimar said, “it is both a hard and grueling path that takes years out of someone’s life and no one ever comes out whole. That is no place for a woman.” he said. “You’re still young, do yourself favor, go back to wherever you came from, find your self a good husband, give him some children and live a long happy life.”

Aeria pursed her lips in frustration. He had just described the nightmare of a life that had been forced upon her. A life that kept her in chains. “I can’t go back.” she said. The bitterness in her voice made the glaive finally look up at her.

“Then go to the temple, the priests will find work for you.”

“He’ll find me there.” Aeria said thinking back to very public description he had made of her. Surely someone in those tables, starved and poor, would recognize her and turn her in for a fat purse.

The man stood, his full height imposing in the black uniform of a glaive. Aeria looked away, an instinct she had picked up in the city when someone looked at her too long. “Look at me girl.” the glaive ordered, grabbed her by chin and turned her so he could look at her. Aeria glared, angry that he had forced her swatted his hand away after he had had a good look. “You’re the girl the Dorian Stone is looking for.”

Aeria said nothing. If he could see past her glamour, she was sure he could see past the concealment charm she had placed over the fading bruise and scar across her cheek.

“What are you to him?” he asked.

“I’m meant to be his wife.” she said despairingly.

The glaive paused. “What’s your name girl?”

“Aeria Finch.” she answered quickly with a sliver of pride. Her name was something that no one could take from her, but the glaive didn’t seem as impressed.

The glaive stared at her long and hard before sighing deeply, “I’m heading off to Mollia in a couple days.” he said in resignation, “There’s a shrine in Aromore that will give you sanctuary. You can accompany me till there and no further.”

“Alright,” Aeria said, though she was certain she would follow him, wether he liked it or not, all the way to the crown city where the glaives were trained.