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Epic fantasy! Completed book looking for reviews and advice! Please check it out |
| CHAPTER SIX Articus awoke to the sound of Mia’s humming. A cool morning breeze blew in from the balcony and he could smell leaves and earth mixed into the air. Summer was retreating and fall was coming--the change was a blessing. Groggily Articus threw his feet over the side of the bed. As he sat on its edge, he blinked away the sleep. “Morning Master. I didn’t wake you did I?” Mia said warmly as she brought a tray of breakfast to the table outside. “No--good morning to you. I’m normally the first one up…” Articus’s head was foggy and the words came out without thought. Standing up, he wobbled to the bathroom for a soak. He stopped halfway to the bathroom when he heard feet rustle. “Nina is in the waiting room, Master. She said you were expecting her.” Knuckling his eyes he grumbled, “I told her--err.” The predawn light seeped through the windows. Turning on his heels, he threw back the doors to his wardrobe and quickly donned on a shirt and pants before Mia could reach him. “Eggs will be cold before I get back. Sorry, I meant to tell you. I’ve taken up a--student.” Mia only bowed her head slightly. “As you wish. You will be back before class start?” He was only mildly surprised she knew his schedule. When he nodded she said, “Good. Your food will be ready then and your bath drawn.” Picking up his da’kka and sword, he rushed passed a refreshed looking Nina. He didn’t feel like talking and Nina caught the hint. “Hey Articus, you heading to--” Waylon said the moment he walked out of his quarters. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of Nina. “The training fields,” Articus finished for him. “You want to come help me?” “Naw. I have Glyn breathing down my neck today. No one has slept since last night.” And then Waylon grinned. “You missed one helluva party. Nina.” He inclined his head to her before taking up a jog toward the common room. Speaking of chasing… Seems he knows a thing or two. Nina frowned at the fleeting man and Articus had to look away to hide his smile. “No point in wasting time,” he grumbled through smiling lips. Taking Waylon’s lead, they took up a brisk jog toward the four circles they had found earlier. “So why is it you want more training? Was your mentor not good enough or is Wes really that bad?” Articus asked when they came to the place they had been the day before. “No. Vinna was more than adequate. Wes? He isn’t much of a threat or Cedrick would have taken care of him long ago.” She smiled at the thought. “Wes just likes to talk, that’s all. My father taught me to be excellent in anything I ever do--even if it’s in something I don’t like.” “Sounds like a smart man.” Nina smiled sadly. “Yes, he is.” Articus didn’t press any father but instead focused on the task at hand. “I have only known the Red Guard and more importantly the Vanguard--it is not an easy way to learn I’ll warn you. You sure you want this?” “Yes.” Sighing, Articus drew six circles into the ground. “The Empire has a combat system called The Way. The Red Guard sums it up as ‘You must crawl before you can walk.’ First, training is hand to hand combat. You must master that first before you can go to the next level.” He pointed from outside of the circle to the first circle, ticking off one circle at a time until he reached the center. “Knives, short sword, sword, staff, throwing knives and then, lastly, the bow. Master every one and then you go through it again at a more intensive level. After the third time around, you can become a Vanguard. It takes years to get to that level and, as such, don’t fantasize about reaching that level any time soon.” Nina only nodded. Regretting already at agreeing to her training, he balled up his fist and punched her in the eye--hard. Flying backwards, shocked eyes met his before Nina landed with a bounce. Before she could say a word he said, “Now you know the touch of pain. Embrace it and welcome it for it is your friend, from now on, until you die.” Articus grimly said the formal initiations coldly. She wasn’t a woman anymore or a daughter of a wealthy merchant. She was a soldier. One hour, seven bruises, and countless curses later, they ended the day’s training. To his surprise, Nina was a quick learner that didn’t made a mistake more than twice. In just the span of an hour, she’d been able to block most of his punches and even evaded a few of his grabs. She soaked up his training like a sponge and, to his laughter, talked enough trash for two nuggets--especially after she’d been knocked around like a doll. Laughing she challenged him: a race to their rooms. The woman is competitive enough for three nuggets, Articus thought warily. It was a sight to see for anyone watching. She could have passed as a raving mad woman with her disheveled hair, black eye, and bruised arms--running at a sprint with Articus closing behind her. Articus surprised himself with his own laugh as she danced up the stairs--grunting in pain all the while--and waved her hands in the air as the winner for all to see. Going their separate ways, Articus bathed and ate under Mia’s watchful eye. He was dressed and heading for his first class within the hour. Nina and Cedrick met him in the common room and all three walked him to the training grounds. Cedrick looked amused at the little woman’s cheerfulness under all her bruises. Articus had thought the man would have been angrier than a wet cat when he saw the shiner he gave her. Instead, he looked pleased and even gave Articus a look of approval. I don’t care what Celia says, northern people are strange. Energy Manipulation class was held under a pavilion that stood in the middle of the training grounds. The teacher, Mistress Reaper Tera Spinnal, was, without a doubt, a kook. “Now visualize yourself in a river. Let it flow through you. Guide the water around you with your body. Lift up the feather. Become the river. Feel-“ Oh yes, a real kook. He sat on a rug laid out on the grass with Waylon and Dylon. Knee to knee they sat encircling a white feather as the woman rambled on. Eyes closed, they attempted to visualize something that wasn’t there. Articus wanted to roll his eyes. It wasn’t until Cedrick gasped aloud that he opened his eyes. To everyone’s astonishment, Cedrick’s feather floated up in front of him without any aide. Articus looked at the ‘kook’ with bitter defeat. So she’s not loony after all. For an hour they all sat. When their time was up, only Waylon and Cedrick were able to get the feather to float. Articus wished there had been more to it but the woman’s ramblings were all he learned. By lunch time, he was ready for Advance Combat class, something he was good at for once. Before the combat class, however, he was to eat lunch with Celia and learn from her--whatever that entailed. He found Mia in his room just as she was finishing polishing his old boots he’d used for training Nina. “Mistress Celia has instructed me to lead you to her quarters. Lunch is being prepared for you there.” Feeling like he’d been led by the nose ever since he got to Tekal, he let the woman take him to Celia. Down and around the training grounds he followed Mia until they reached the west wing where all the Reaper’s rooms were. Unlike the hallways in the north wing, the west hallway was much larger. Articus didn’t think he could even call it a hallway. It was three levels high and yet another cavern of a hallway that intersected it further down--also three levels tall. It was a catacomb of rooms, stairwells, and elegantly crafted connecting bridges. Reapers and Devotees walked about everywhere, all going to different places. The scene assaulted his senses and he felt small in comparison to the open corridor. It was like a city. Looking upward, he saw the ceiling opened up an unnatural blue sky. The sun shined through, lighting the whole area. Celia’s room was on the third floor at the very back of the main corridor. Knocking once, Mia opened the door for him before curtsying. “I will be out here if you need me, Master.” Articus didn’t bother with arguing and walked in. “Articus, I’m glad to see you made it,” Celia’s musical voice came from an oversized sofa. As he looked around, he noticed everything about her quarters was ‘oversized.’ Even her waiting room was as large as his bedroom. To his disgust, Tallen sat across from Celia in a larger than life chair. “Is it already that time? I guess I should be meeting Dylon then. Celia. Articus.” He bowed his head just a fraction at his name and made sure his eyes never faltered from the Reaper’s. Articus didn’t know why he felt distrustful of the man but there it was. “Sit. Have some cheese and wine before our meal arrives. I saw you leaving early last night with Nina. Are you well?” There was an amused look in her eyes. Did everyone assume the worst? “You should see her now,” Articus murmured with a smile. He knew it was just low enough for Reaper’s ears. He had plenty of practice with Tera. In a normal voice he said, “Yes, I’m fine. And stop looking at me like the cat that caught the canary. She is a friend. Speaking of which, I see you and Tallen have come to be--close.” Her amused smile faltered. Interesting. “That’s none of your concern, Novice,” She chided. “How was E.M.?” “Energy Manipulation? Cedrick and Waylon got the feather to float so I guess it went well.” Articus looked about the room and noticed Celia had three slaves, all female. When Articus inquired about that, Celia pursed her lips. “Capri women have some rights but not as much as Ghourdian women. Fathers who are short on money are allowed to sell their children to noblemen or wealthy merchants--usually women. Only royal women have some protection against this.” Celia shrugged at the fact of life. “Sons are treasured higher than daughters.” “That’s ludicrous,” Articus exasperated. Thinking of Mia, he wanted more than anything to straighten the redhead out. Remembering something she had said, Articus asked, “Mia said something along the lines of ‘you can’t bargain your House on that.’ What does she mean by that?” To his annoyance, Celia went into a gale of laughter. Glowering at her, she finally calmed herself enough to talk. “Before mages could heal, we had a high death rate for newborns. It became customary for men to take multiple women into their beds. There would be a Roof Mistress of course, but many slaves took on their master’s House’s name--it is considered the highest honor to be asked that. I’m curious as to what you were asking her to do.” Articus gapped at the woman. “Multiple women?” Oddly, it sounded erotic. Celia arched an eyebrow at him. “And what’s wrong with that?” She laughed harder when he shoved half the loaf of bread into his mouth. When he choked, he started laughing too. Lunch went by quickly and they both ended up sitting lazily on their chairs, not talking about anything in particular. It was in the middle of a conversation about the northern royalty compared to the thirteen Houses that a knock came from the door. One of Celia’s slaves answered it and Waylon’s head popped through. “Nina and I were heading down to Combat early, want to join us?” There was a pleading in his eyes that Articus didn’t quit understand but he agreed. Celia rose to join him. “I’ve been cooped up in here all day,” was all she said. At the sight of Nina, Celia’s eyebrows rose. It was when Waylon was explaining ‘The Way’ to Celia when Articus’s sixth sense went off. In battle, Articus had long since come to recognize the feeling. Sixth sense wasn’t exactly correct but it wasn’t a feeling that he could explain easily. What he could say, though, was that he had come to trust it completely. Articus had his da’kka out in hand and was scanning the area before he even recognized the feeling. He’d trained himself well over the years. Waylon paused when he saw Articus’s sudden movement and, upon seeing him, he too reached for his da’kka. Before Celia or Nina understood what was happening, the s*** hit the fan. Articus pushed Celia out of the way just as a bolt thudded against the wall, right where her head had been. Rolling to a crouch Articus heard Waylon breath ten o’clock. Peaking over the railing, he saw the man. He only caught a glimpse of him before he ducked back down. Caprian by look, the redhead man had a crossbow already knocked and was repositioning himself. Articus had also seen two more suspicious looking men stalking toward another man. That was too quick for him to reload. Two crossbows? Running as fast as his crouched position would allow him, he reached a bridge that connected his side to the assassin’s side. Waylon was on his heels. Glancing back, he saw Celia just getting to her knees. Motioning her to stay down he peered around the corner. The man was still looking back the way Celia and Nina were, scanning for moment with his crossbow raised. No one was around them to realize the threat. With a few hand gestures in soldier hand talk, Waylon nodded. The two other assailants were fifteen seconds away from the other man, a Reaper if he remembered correctly. Waylon hurried passed the connecting bridge and went a few more spans farther down. Meanwhile, Articus stalked as quickly as he could to the end of the bridge, just short of the sharp shooter. Five seconds. “To arms! To arms!” Waylon yelled as rose and pointed to the two men stalking. Like clockwork, the sharpshooter raised his crossbow to Waylon. Nina screamed. Articus rounded the corner and in one stride had his da’kka sunken into the man’s ribs, piercing the assassin’s lung. Using his own momentum, he forced the man down onto his back. The sudden feeling of slowing down took over him and Articus watched the ground slowly rush toward them--too slow. Ignoring the sudden feeling of slowing down, Articus shoved his finger back behind the trigger--preventing the man from completely firing the weapon at Waylon. This is too slow. Articus thought incredulously and wondered if he was starting to ‘mature’ like Celia had claimed. Rolling over the man, he stripped the weapon from the man and popped up from his crouched position with the crossbow already at his cheek--just in time to see one of the two assailants raising a sword at the shocked Reaper. The bolt sailed true and pierced the man’s neck. Recuperated, the Reaper pulled out both of his daggers, one of which grew to the size of a short sword. Before Articus could begin to reload the heavy weapon, the Reaper blocked the second assassin’s thrust and had half the length of his short sword in the man’s gut. Waylon was at his side the next instant with a grim frown. “I won’t ask how you saw that one coming, Centurion.” Waylon said eyeing the dieing man beneath Articus. Celia, Mia and Nina were upon them moments later. “Are you okay?” all three said at once. Articus wasn’t sure which one they were referring to. In the hall men and women were shouting in alarm all around them. Cries of attack filled the air and Articus could almost feel the panic rising. The man below him gurgled. Looking down, the Caprian glared up at him defiantly. "Till we meet on the other side, Reaper." To Articus's astonishment, the man shoved a thin blade up under his chin--through his brain. Celia recognized the move and hissed, “Darkling!” The single word echoed from the mouths of the others that were around them. The Reaper who had killed the third assassin trotted to their growing crowd. “The other two were human,” the man said with distaste. Turning to Articus, he bowed his head, his eyes lowering just slightly. “I shouldn’t have hesitated like that. Thank you.” Articus waved his hand. “Thank Waylon. If it wasn’t for him, the assassins wouldn’t have hesitated.” “Modest bloody Vanguard,” Waylon muttered. “Master Reaper Nicolas!” a Reaper yelled from across the hallway, back were Celia’s apartment was. The man Articus and Waylon had saved looked up. Master Reaper? He is a teacher? “Four more assassins just tried to attack the Head Mistress. All four were Darklings.” “Casualties?” the man barked back. “Seven hurt pretty bad. Two dead. Head mistress isn’t harmed. It’s a wonder they didn’t try to use their spirit.” “Yes it is,” he muttered. Turning to Celia he frowned. “I understand why they would try to attack me and the Head Mistress but why you?” “A bad shot,” Articus offered before Celia could speak. “I caught sight of him aiming at you but when he saw me, he tried to hit me first before I could give warning. I was close enough to Celia. Or maybe he thought if he hit her I’d help her first--enough time for his comrades to do their job.” By now they had a sizable crowd of Reapers and Devotees, each with their daggers out, their eyes shifting nervously about. Articus could now recognize the dagger that wasn’t a da’kka--one that Nicolas used to grow into a short sword and one that Celia wore. Is that the sa’dka then? That would fit. Celia had her mouth open but clamped it shut. Her face flushed but she kept her silence. Articus thought it was out of anger for speaking for her. Nicolas looked from Articus to Celia--just then noticing the Novice stripe on Articus’s uniform. People cried out in fear all around them and he heard snippets of: “It’s the first time in centuries!” or “They made it through the gates?!” Nicolas roared for silence around them. “Niles! Tina! Get these corpses out of here. Glyn? There you are! Find out how in the seven hells these men could get into my palace and who they are. You.” He pointed to a Devotee. “Cancel my class with the Novices this afternoon. They will have to wait for tomorrow. This breach is unacceptable!” The teacher for Advance Combat? That’s just lovely Articus. He’d seen many students show respect to their mentors as if they were royal, but Celia didn’t care much for groveling, as she so pointedly stated. Teachers, or Master Reapers, were another matter. “What’s your name, Novice?” Nicolas rounded on Articus. He became intensely aware of the thinning crowd. Nicolas’s shock had obviously worn away and the command in him made Articus feel like he was in the presence of the General. “Articus Lykos, sir.” “Articus Lykos. Yes, I remember you now. Vanguard? I’ve heard of you Vanguards before. Good work. You are quick on your feet; I could use you out in the field. Its good you are under Celia.” He smiled pleasantly at Celia. “She will make a Reaper out of you in no time. But then again, you seem halfway there already. Not even on your second day, eh? I’ll keep my eye on you.” The man strode away with four more Reapers coming to his side with reports. “You’ve just made a powerful ally,” Celia murmured heatedly before striding away. What’s got her panties in a knot? |
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