CS - Chapters 16 to 20 (Patreon)

Chapter 16

Did you know? I asked Lid.

I know a lot. You need to be more specific.

About Shanah.

What about her?

That she’s one of the twin princesses.

That is hardly the most interesting thing about her.

Well don’t you think it’s important?

No, in a Pillar she is no different than anyone else.

I doubt that.

While training, the Pillar is your only family. She is no princess there.

Commander Jase made a small gesture with his hand, and Flasker immediately moved forward. When I didn’t move, Flasker looked back at me, his eyes wide, and jerked his head toward the adults. I jumped forward to catch up as Flasker neared the group. Lanah stared at me, and I looked down to avoid her gaze.

Flasker stopped and bowed to the King. He stood and gave the Queen a salute. After she returned it, Flasker pivoted, and gave Commander Jase a salute as well.

“Peace, Flasker,” Commander Jase said.

I didn’t know what to do, so I stood still, a few steps behind Flasker. I glanced at the Queen but the sword she’d used was a practice one, not her bonded sword Ky’Fullen.

Queen Alnim’s sword, a legendary one called Silence in all the stories, could heal or kill with just a touch, silencing the cries of the injured or enemies with equal ease. The King had never bonded a weapon, not that unusual since Trah’Vadha had broken.

“Let’s see it then,” the King said.

When I didn’t move, Commander Jase snapped his finger, and I realized the King meant Lid. I stepped forward until I stood next to Flasker and started to repeat the bowing and saluting.

Commander Jase slashed the air with his hand. “Enough, just show him.”

Fear swamped me. This was it. Moments from now they’d throw me out of the Academy. Faced with the destruction of my dreams, I couldn’t move, and my throat felt so tight it became hard to breathe.

Commander Jase’s face turned red, but before he could speak, the Queen stepped forward and knelt in front of me. She smiled and put a hand on my shoulder.

“You have your sisters’ beautiful amber eyes,” the Queen said.

The comment surprised me, and memories of my sisters spun through my head. My throat loosened enough for me to speak. “You’ve met my sisters?”

“Last fall with your sister Beitris up North and part of the winter with Muir in the mountains near Pathor. Both are fierce warriors.”

For a moment I was back home; Muir behind me using my hair to practice tying knots…Beitris in the kitchen cooking some terrible stew from things she’d gathered from outside…Mom sitting next to me, a book in her hand, her other arm across my shoulders as she watched me sketch.

I took a deep breath; I missed them so much, but the Queen had made me feel better, and I smiled.

“Are they okay?” I asked.

“There hasn’t been much fighting the past six months and both were well when I last saw them.”

“That is good to know, thank you.”

The Queen nodded. “May we see the weapon?”

I took a deep breath, and another, and then a final one. Removing Lid from my pocket, I placed him across my palms.

Just like Lylly, the Queen studied the tiny blade, but her face remained neutral. Two shadows fell across me, and I looked up to see the King and Commander Jase.

The King’s brow wrinkled, and I noticed the thin purple line across his forehead. Commander Jase continued to frown.

“What did the Tower say?” the Queen asked.

Not sure who she addressed, I kept silent.

“The Lore Master will arrive shortly,” the King replied.

“It’s an embarrassment,” Commander Jase said.

The King studied me. “Trah’Vadha uncovered it though?”

“Yes,” I said.

The Queen stood and faced her husband. “The first such display since the breaking.”

“Trah’Vadha meant to kill the boy for his father’s crimes,” Commander Jase said. “Uncovering this toy was just an accident.”

My father’s crimes? What was Commander Jase talking about? I opened my mouth.

Not now, Lid said.

I shut my mouth. What is he talking about?

The past. Sadly, some people never leave it.

The Queen turned to Commander Jase. “Old friend, I won’t pretend to know your pain, but this young man is not his father, and he is certainly not responsible for his father’s actions.”

Commander Jase’s expression remained frozen. He clenched his hands and pressed his lips together. After three seconds he nodded.

Lanah squeezed between her parents and studied Lid. Seeing a blonde version of Shanah made my head hurt a little. But, this close, I could see small differences. Lanah’s nose was a tad longer, had fewer freckles, and she had a dimple in each cheek. Her mouth was twisted on one side and her eyes were narrowed. She held her hands over Lid.

“Do you feel it?” the Queen asked.

Oh, a Seeker! Lid said.

Lid grew warm in my hands.

Lanah’s eyes grew wide, and she jerked her hands back, shaking them.

“Are you okay?” the King asked.

Lanah didn’t answer. She rubbed her hands on her pants and locked eyes with me.

“Ask him if he did that on purpose,” Lanah said.

“What?” I asked.

She is really sensitive. I might have overdone that pulse.

I don’t understand.

Lanah is a Seeker. Weapons are lost, they are stolen, they are taken in battle, and someone needs to get them back.

I know all that.

Well, that is how they find them.

She can sense other people’s weapons?

Yes, but it takes time to learn. She must have natural talent. I wonder if it is because her twin is bonded.

Lanah’s eyes narrowed further. “You’re talking to him right now.”

“Why do you keep saying him?” I asked.

“Because it bonded you and like attracts like.” Lanah carefully bent my index finger toward my palm revealing my jagged and bloody nail. “You are reckless, stupid, and lack common sense. Those are all male traits from my experience.”

I am not reckless, Lid said.

“Hey! You don’t know—” I started, but stopped when I realized she did know. Shanah had told me this morning she got up early to have breakfast with her sister. Lanah knew everything that had happened last night. I bit my lip.

The King placed a hand on Lanah’s shoulder. “Did you sense something?”

Lanah looked up at her father and nodded. “It’s at least a tier three. Maybe even a one.”

Oh, no, Lid said.

“Impossible!” Commander Jase said.

What now? I asked.

She knows I may not be normal.

Wow, she didn’t need long to figure that out.

I just wanted her to know I was the real thing. I definitely overdid that pulse.

Almost like you were, I don’t know, RECKLESS.

Two men joined us, and I recognized Gavyn from yesterday. The man with Gavyn was shorter, had thin grey hair, and a trimmed beard. He wore a black tunic with a golden sun stitched over the right breast. His forehead was stained with a book, and he had a single red dot. This must be the Lore Master, head of all the scribes and their Archive Tower.

Both the scribes bowed to the King and Queen.

“Did you find anything?” the King asked.

The Lore Master looked over his shoulder at all the people still sitting around the edge of the pit.

The King followed the scribes gaze and then raised his voice. “Thank you, friends. We are done for today.”

Everyone immediately started to leave.

Commander Jase turned to Flasker. “Grab Kelan and make sure they all leave.”

So Flasker’s friend had a name. Flasker saluted and walked over to the King’s attendant. The two young men strode out of the pit but I couldn’t tell if they were talking. Lid didn’t think Flasker was the threat, but he seemed very dangerous to me.

The Lore Master gave the King another small bow and stepped over to me, bent down, and studied Lid for a full minute. He asked me to turn Lid and spent another minute looking at the page knife. The Lore Master held his hands over Lid just like Lanah had, but this time Lid didn’t do anything that I could feel.

“Hmmm,” the Lore Master said and stood up straight.

“Well?” the King asked.

“I sense very little power,” the Lore Master said.

He isn’t a Seeker. How can he tell? I asked.

With time anyone can learn. Seekers are just better at it.

“Lanah said it was at least a tier three,” the King said.

The Lore Master smiled. “Your daughter has great potential, but she is young. I highly doubt this weapon is a three.”

“Why wasn’t it in your book?” the Queen asked.

The Lore Master frowned and clasped his hands. “It doesn’t appear that this is a weapon we created.”

The Queen stepped closer and pointed at Lid. “It’s from before, from the original raid on Kahndire?”

The two scribes glanced at each other for a second and then the Lore Master faced the Queen. “It’s the most likely explanation.”

“What about Trah’Vadha?” the King asked.

“We have been discussing Trah’Vadha’s behavior since yesterday and we have an idea,” the Lore Master said.

“Well?” the King asked.

The Lore Master clasped his hands. “We request some time to study the new weapon before we make our suggestion.”

The King studied Lid for five seconds before facing Commander Jase. “I know how this pains you old friend, but if there’s a chance to help the Kingdom I want to take it. It’s your school though, and I won’t force him on you. We can find another way if necessary.”

Commander Jase closed his eyes for a long moment and then sighed. “He is my responsibility. We will keep him while the Tower does its research.”

The Queen touched Commander Jase’s shoulder. “Thank you, Jase.”

“We’d like to take him for the rest of the day,” Gavyn said.

Commander Jase nodded at the scribe. He bowed to the King, saluted the Queen, and left without saying another word. As he marched away, he waved for Flasker to join him.

“Lanah, why aren’t you in the library?” Gavyn asked.

“I already knew today’s lesson, so the instructor let me do independent research.”

“Do you think they meant in the library?” Gavyn asked.

Lanah shrugged. “They weren’t specific.”

Gavyn raised an eyebrow.

“Fine,” Lanah said. She kissed her parents, gave me a long look, and then dashed out of the pit.

“Let’s go, Cevin,” the Lore Master said.

“We are anxious to get started,” Gavyn added.

Something in Gavyn’s expression made me pause.

I have a bad feeling, I said.

Quit worrying. I can finally talk with Wuk.

I put Lid in my pocket and followed the two scribes out of the pit.

Chapter 17

We returned through the wall and entered the Academy grounds again. No one spoke as we turned right and followed a road that slowly led us away from the wall. After ten minutes we stood at the bottom of a sixty foot cliff,  the scribes’ Archive Tower far above us.

It didn’t look like much of a tower to me, but the angle made it difficult to tell. The white stones of the Tower started where the cliff ended and continue up another five stories. The path to our right circled up and around toward the hill’s top. It surprised me when we turned left and followed a narrow gravel path along the cliff’s bottom.

A minute later we slowed, and it took me a moment to notice the door at the bottom of the cliff. The metal entrance was painted brown to match the rock face, making it difficult to see.

The narrow path continued, but our current location was far enough away from the original path that the curve of the hill hid us from sight. A grove of willow trees grew fifty feet from the cliff base, and nothing in the area appeared suspicious. On my own I would’ve walked right past this location.

Gavyn took a moment to study each direction and then lightly knocked on the door.

The sound of metal scraping on metal made me wince and a small rectangle appeared at eye height. A face appeared and I recognized the guard Merth from the Hall of Glory yesterday. Without a word the hole disappeared followed by the sound of bolts moving inside the door. Just like in the Hall of Glory, this door slid sideways into the stone.

I followed the scribes through the door and into a tunnel. After a few feet the tunnel widened, and we could all stand together comfortably. Shakers lined the walls and provided plenty of light. Merth closed the door and slid eight large bolts, two on each side of the door, into the rock.

Gavyn faced Merth. “Did you find the container?”

“Yes, sir. Right where you said.”

“Is it here?” the Lore Master asked.

“Yes, sir. Davot and I moved it at the end of his shift. Just before sunrise. Nobody saw us.”

“Excellent,” Gavyn said. “And Yulth?”

“She brought the girl in this morning. They haven’t returned through here, but she might have exited through the tower.”

“Thank you,” Gavyn said.

We started down the tunnel and Merth sat in a chair next to the door.

Can you hear Wuk’Glea now? I asked Lid.

No. They must have a shielded room down here.

What does that mean?

Some things are so dense almost no energy can get through. Lead is a good example.

A handful of dark openings appeared on each side of the tunnel, but we kept to the main passage. The tunnel ended at a blue-grey colored door. Hallways continued left and right but both directions remained dark. The Lore Master opened the door and bright light flooded out.

I hear Wuk, Lid said.

I followed the Lore Master into the room and Gavyn closed the door behind us. The room was almost as big as the common room at the Sword Pillar but the ceiling here was taller. The walls, ceiling, and floor had the same blue-grey color as the door and bookshelves sat against the far wall.

A long table took up the middle of the room with a mixture of thin boxes and papers covering it. Yulth and Shanah sat at the far end of the table. The large book I’d seen in the Hall of Glory yesterday lay open on the table next to them.

I tried to look everywhere but at Shanah. Why hadn’t she told me she was a princess? Our eyes met, and I quickly looked away. How should I act now? Did I need to call her something fancy?

You are really dumb, Lid said.

Hey! She isn’t who I thought she was?

Who did you think she was?

I don’t know, someone like me.

Lid laughed. She is someone like you.

Yulth stood and moved toward Gavyn and me.

“Why don’t you go have a seat,” Gavyn said, pointing at Shanah.

Yulth smiled at me as we passed, and she patted my shoulder.

I sat down across from Shanah and immediately stood back up, pointing to her lap.

“That’s the Oracle,” I blurted.

Shanah nodded.

“You’re holding it.”

“Your powers of observation are amazing.”

Wuk’Glea’s blade consisted of blue and silver rods which twisted around each other like some piece of candy. The handguard flared out on each side of the hilt and wrapped back around making what appeared like eyes on each side.

Touch me to Wuk, Lid said.

Are all your ideas terrible or just the ones you tell me?

She needs information to be useful, and I have a lot. Contact makes it quicker.

Isn’t there an explosion when weapons touch? I don’t want to hurt anyone.

You mean you don’t want to hurt Freckles here.

Hey!

Lid laughed. Usually, you are right. When weapons touch the energy transferred between them can become unpredictable.

You mean an explosion.

Yes. But I am different. No explosions. Probably.

What!

Will you just do it already? Anywhere is fine. Just for a moment.

“Are you okay?” Shanah asked. “What are you staring at?”

I looked up from her sword and met her gaze. Her grey eyes a mixture of the blue and silver of her weapon.

“Your beautiful –”

Lid interrupted me. Will you hurry up!

Give me a second! You are always in such a rush.

I focused back on Shanah. Her eyes had widened, and her cheeks had turned a bright red. Blood rushed to my cheeks as I realized I never finished my sentence.

I waved my hands. “No, I meant your beautiful sword. I was looking at your beautiful sword. Not that you are beautiful. I mean you are –”

I forced my mouth shut. Everything was coming out jumbled. Shanah had a small smile and her cheeks remained red.

That was really smooth, Lid said.

I needed to get this over before things got worse.

It is hard to see how you could make it worse, Lid offered.

Just stop talking to me!

I pulled Lid from my pocket and pointed with my empty right hand at Wuk’Glea’s hilt. “Is that a third eye?”

As Shanah looked at the hilt I touched Lid to Wuk’Glea’s blade. Lid vibrated in my hand.

Done! Lid said.

I pulled Lid away and leaned toward the hilt.

“I guess not,” I said. “She’s really beautiful though.”

“Why do you say she?” Shanah asked.

“That’s how she’s referenced in the Hero of Jasper Pass.”

“What is that?”

I tilted my head. “The song.” I hummed the beginning and when she still looked confused, I quietly sang the opening verses. “My mom sings it a lot at home.”

“It sounds beautiful, but I’ve never heard that one. Usually, songs about Jasper only focus on, Rrym’nar Erl, the Black Sword.”

“Wait, what songs? There’s only this one. It tells the story of Alfhyld and Wuk’Glea and how they saved everyone at Jasper Pass.”

Shanah’s forehead wrinkled, and she shook her head.

The three scribes arrived and Yulth opened the thin box closest to us. The box looked like oak and the inside had the same blue-grey color as this room. Yulth grabbed a rectangular piece of fur that had hung over a nearby chair and placed it in the box. She motioned to Shanah.

Shanah stood and carefully placed Wuk’Glea in the box and stepped back.

The Lore Master pointed to the sword. “Has it told you anything?”

Shanah glanced at me and then responded to the Lore Master. “No. Nothing.”

The Lore Master frowned but nodded. “Don’t worry, it will communicate more as time goes on. We’re so fortunate the Oracle has returned.”

Is that true? Will you talk even more? I asked, trying to keep the worry out of my tone.

First, that old man is talking nonsense. Second, Wuk has communicated a lot with the princess. She lied.

Why would she do that?

Wuk probably told her to.

Did Wuk tell you anything?

No, she needs more time. My indexing is nothing compared to Wuk’s. She compares everything to everything else. She says it is the best way to see the patterns.

Yulth carefully covered the sword and closed the box.

That box is shielded, Lid said. I lost contact with her.

“I’ll walk you out,” Yulth said to Shanah.

Shanah gave me one last look and then left with Yulth.

Gavyn brought over another thin box and placed it near the table corner. The Lore Master opened the container, and I gasped.

Trah’Vadha lay on a bed of white fur.

Well that is unexpected, Lid said.

Please don’t upset her. I don’t want to die in here.

You know me better than that.

I do, which is why I’m asking.

Fine.

Gavyn placed a small patch of white fur next to the box and stepped back. “Place your weapon here.”

The two men stepped backward as I gently placed Lid on the fur.

“Sit, please,” the Lore Master said.

I returned to my seat and watched the two scribes. Gavyn picked up a blue-grey pincher in each hand and used them to hold Lid and move him around. Gavyn brought Lid near Trah’Vadha and held him there as the two scribes bent close.

What are they doing? I asked.

Hard to tell. I am focusing all my energy on not teasing Sparky.

For Shag’la Rath’s sake don’t call her Sparky.

Lid didn’t respond. The hair on my arms and then my head stood. The scribes felt it too and they quickly pulled Lid away from Trah’Vadha, placing him back on the fur.

Lid!

She started it.

“Did you feel that?” Gavyn asked the Lore Master.

The Lore Master, his eyes wide, nodded.

“I told you,” Gavyn said. “They’re linked and made from the same material.”

The Lore Master stood up straight and faced Gavyn. “When Yulth returns go through the book again. We need to be sure.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

The Lore Master left and Gavyn turned back to me. He looked genuinely happy.

Gavyn grabbed the big book of weapons off the table and sat in the chair next to me. He started at the beginning and went page by page looking at every entry. When Yulth returned she placed a chair next to Gavyn and they both studied the book. They asked me occasional questions but didn’t speak with each other much.

I was so bored I let Lid talk me into playing a guessing game. One of us would think of something and the other person had seventeen questions to try and figure it out. Lid promised he wouldn’t look at my thoughts, but he always figured mine out which resulted in a twenty minute argument over cheating.

When the two scribes got to the end of the book, they looked at each other and then at me. Gavyn looked happy and Yulth looked worried.

“We’re going to keep Lid here for now,” Gavyn said.

I nodded, but my chest tightened.

Will you be okay here? I asked.

Yeah.

“I’ll take you out,” Yulth said.

“Not a word of what you’ve seen or heard in here today,” Gavyn said. “Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

 “Someone will come for you tomorrow,” Gavyn continued. “There are a few more tests we want to try.”

Gavyn opened another thin box and placed Lid inside. He closed the cover on Lid and then on Trah’Vadha.

Lid?

Silence.

Lid, don’t mess around. Can you hear me?

Lid didn’t respond.

Yulth stood and motioned for me to follow. I walked slowly, hoping Lid would speak, but in moments we’d entered the tunnel. Worry made my stomach hurt. Earlier I’d wanted Lid to shut up, but now I wanted nothing more than to hear his stupid voice.

Lid?

Chapter 18

Yulth took me to the door in the cliff, and I nodded at Merth on my way out. Instead of taking the path I’d arrived on, I walked straight out from the door and into the willow trees. No one expected me back at the Sword Pillar, and I wanted to stay close to the Archive Tower to give Lid a chance to talk to me.

Green leaves and thick branches blocked much of the sunlight and sound. I sat against a tree trunk and listened to the wind bend the upper branches. The soothing sound of the breeze and the dim light made it hard to stay awake. I still hadn’t totally recovered from last night’s events, and I closed my eyes for a moment…

#

I jerked awake, my stomach turning from a nightmare where I’d fallen out a window. Shaking my head, I rubbed my arms, which had grown cold.

Where was I? The world looked grey, which meant it must be pretty dark. My eyes would be huge in the dim light, and I looked around to see if anyone could see them. Thankfully, I was alone. The day’s events crashed into my thoughts.

Lid? Are you there?

Still no response.

I stood, my body sore and angry from how I’d treated it. Moving stiffly through the trees, I went deeper into the grove. It took ten minutes to exit the willows, and the sun had almost disappeared, but I found a path that led deeper into the Academy. My stomach rumbled, and I realized I’d missed lunch.

Twenty minutes of brisk walking brought the Sword Pillar into view, the top of the tower golden from the last of the sun’s light. A figure emerged from the building’s shadow and strode toward me. A moment later I recognized Shanah. She’d changed out of her uniform and into dark red pants, a light red shirt, and leather boots.

“They had you in there all day?” Shanah asked.

I didn’t want to admit I’d fallen asleep under a tree. “Mostly.”

“I was just leaving to get something to eat. Want to come?”

It had looked like she was waiting for me, but I didn’t argue. My awkwardness from earlier today remained fresh in my memory.

“That sounds great. I’m starving.”

Shanah smiled and we continued on the path. I let her lead since I had no idea where we were going.

“I met your sister today,” I said.

“She told me.”

I looked around, expecting to see the other twin.

“She’s not here. Evidently, she left the Archive Tower this morning and had dinner taken away as punishment. Lanah has a hard time sitting still. I’m going to sneak her some food after I eat.”

“I didn’t know the Oracle had bonded again. It’s been a long time and tier one weapons are usually big news.”

“Jasper,” Shanah whispered.

“What?”

Shanah glanced at me. “This is the first bonding since Jasper Pass. The Tower wanted to keep it a secret. They said having her is a huge advantage and they don’t want our enemies to know.”

“How did they hide it from everyone?”

“My sister and I went alone into the Hall of Glory a week early. The Tower has kept Wuk ever since. People don’t talk to me much so it’s not hard to keep quiet.”

“No one talks to you?”

Shanah shrugged. “My family makes me an outsider everywhere. Even in the Pillar where it’s not supposed to matter.”

We entered the large field surrounding the Hall of Glory and Shanah turned left. We walked along the tree line in silence. My family made me an outsider too. Being half Kahndirian and growing up near the desert made it feel impossible to fit in here. Shanah and I, despite the different worlds we lived in, had some things in common. I didn’t know how to say any of that so I just nodded.

“What’s the Oracle like?” I asked.

Shanah’s frown disappeared, and she half turned toward me as we walked.

“She’s the best. I wish I could keep her with me, but the scribes want to wait until I’ve had more training. She is like…” Shanah paused. She waved her hands in front of her as she spoke again. “She feels like another sister. She listens to me and is interested in what I have to say. She always wants the details of a story. She was even interested in y–”

Shanah stopped talking, bit her lip, and walked faster. I hurried to keep up.

“Interested in what?” I asked.

Shanah glanced at me and shook her head. An uneasy silence surrounded us.

My curiosity demanded I ask a hundred more questions, but Shanah looked uncomfortable, so I changed the subject.

“Your mom is really nice,” I said.

“It’s nice to have her home.”

“She knew my sisters.”

“You have sisters?”

“Two, and two brothers. I’m the youngest.”

Shanah turned away from the trees and angled toward a square building. Light poured out of windows that lined the one-story structure. A few students walked toward the building, but most were leaving or sitting on the surrounding grass. The open double doors funneled the sound outward, and a hundred conversations reached me. My pace slowed as I thought about all the people in there.

“What’s wrong?” Shanah asked.

Older people usually scowled at me, but teenagers almost always used my eye color to bully me or start a fight. Anytime I went to town with my dad I avoided kids whenever possible. Now it looked like Shanah meant to enter an entire room of students. The Dining Hall looked big enough to hold hundreds of students. My body stiffened and I stopped.

I wiped my forehead, but my wet palm only spread the sweat. “I’m really not that hungry.”

My stomach growled betraying my lie.

Shanah looked down for a couple of seconds and then met my gaze. “I hate walking in there alone. Are you going to make me do that?”

Guilt filled me and overcame my fear. “Of course not.”

“Thanks,” Shanah said as her shoulders relaxed.

We walked again and far too quickly we neared the entrance. The constant hum of a hundred voices, all talking at the same time, grew louder. A sign to the right of the door read:

REQUIRED

Pillar and Rank Stain

Class II Uniforms or Greater

BANNED

Weapons

Fighting, Arguing, Raised Voices, Swearing

Team Banners, Pins, Markings, etc.

Dirty, Wrinkled, or Untucked Clothing

Class I Uniforms or Below

Helmets, Hoods, Metal Banded Footwear, Gloves (Reinforced or Greater)

Poisons and Irritants

Physical Contact

I looked down at my brown shirt, pants, and boots.

“Tuck your shirt in,” Shanah said.

Shanah circled me and brushed the dirt and leaves off my pants and shirt. “What did you do? Roll around in a forest?”

I quickly changed the subject. “What is a class two uniform?”

Shanah studied my clothes with a frown before looking up at me. “Class one are what we exercise and practice in. Class two are casual. Basically, what we are wearing now. They get more formal the higher the number.”

“My clothes are all brown,” I said pointing to her red shirt.

“It’s not required that you wear your Pillar’s colors. People will just think you’re a stick.”

“A stick?”

“Sorry, that you are from the Staff Pillar. They have all the baton and staff weapons. They are stained with an X and their color is brown.”

I stepped backward as a couple emerged from the dining hall. As soon as they passed through the doors, they held hands. The boy, dressed in blue, had a circle on his forehead. The girl wore a bright yellow shirt and had an arrow pointed up on her forehead. Neither glanced at us as they walked by.

I looked at Shanah.

“The blue circle is from the Ranged Pillar: bows and crossbows. The girl in yellow with the arrow is from the Spear Pillar.”

Shanah stepped closer and smoothed my shirt. “It will have to do. It helps you’re marked as Top. The cooks will know you’re new and might cut you some slack.”

The smell of bacon and fresh bread made my stomach gurgle and Shanah smiled.

“Let’s go,” she said.

I followed her into the brightness of the Dining Hall and the voices grew louder. To my left four long tables stretched away, each making its own row and filled with students wearing the same color. On my right, there were four more tables. Three were filled with students and the fourth, furthest from the door, was filled with adults and a few children.

“That’s the teachers and their kids,” Shanah said.

That made sense. It probably took a lot of people to make a school like this run. The other tables on this side had scribes, all dressed in silver, the browns of the Staff Pillar, and closest to us a table filled with students all in green. Their foreheads were stained with an upside down L.

Shanah pulled on my arm and we moved forward.

“Don’t stare at them. Ever since they won, they think everything is a challenge.”

That must make the green clad students the Ax Pillar. Even as far south as my family lived, we would hear who won the yearly Martial Games at the Academy. The other side of the hall contained the yellow, blue, and red tables I already knew.

The final table held students wearing black with a stain mark that looked like a “T.” Since I already knew all the other colors that left the Blunt Pillar, which meant these students used hammers, maces, and morning stars.

The wall opposite the door had a narrow table with trays of food. Six cooks stood behind the table, three for each side. Their foreheads displayed a line with an oval on the end that looked a lot like a spoon. Two doors led into the kitchen and another cook emerged with a pot which he placed on the table.

Two lines had formed, and we stood in the left one closest to the Sword Pillar table. When we reached the front of the line, I copied Shanah and took a hardwood plate and bowl from the stack that sat in the middle of the table.

Shanah leaned close and whispered. “See if you can get extra bread. And anything else really. But the baker is the hardest.”

For the first time I could clearly see the food. Shanah held out her bowl and a cook filled it with some sort of cabbage and vegetable stew. I held out my bowl and the cook filled it without looking at me.

The bowl warmed in my hand, and large pieces of chicken floated alongside the carrots and peas. The cabbage didn’t smell the best, but with some effort I didn’t wrinkle my nose or frown. I’d learned the hard way from my sister Beitris that cooks didn’t like those expressions.

We shuffled down the line and Shanah held out her plate. A short woman with a handkerchief covering her hair dropped a slice of bread on it.

“Could I get one more please?” Shanah asked.

The baker frowned at Shanah, and she looked down. I studied the baker. Traces of rye flour covered her forehead and cheeks, and I detected a faint sweet smell.

A slice of bread dropped onto my plate.

“Could I get another please?” I asked.

“Move it, Top. No extras here.”

The bread on my plate had an even brown color. Beitris had forced me to help her in the kitchen many times. Almost always for the worst jobs like grinding rye into flour. Getting all the kernels smashed into a flour took patience and care. Two things that came hard to me.

Hoping she had baked the bread, I locked eyes with the baker. “Give my compliments to the baker. I can barely see the kernels.” I sighed and then continued. “I feel bad eating such a finely baked loaf.”

The cook’s eyes widened, and her frown disappeared. I’d been right that she’d baked this bread, but I didn’t smile, instead I nodded and started to pull back my plate.

“Wait, how do you know that?” the baker asked.

I placed my plate on the table and rotated my wrist. “I’m no stranger to aching wrists and sore fingers.”

“So, your family are bakers?”

“Just one really.” I rubbed the back of my head. “But she is deadly with a spoon if things aren’t perfect.”

The baker laughed.

I picked up the bread and smelled it. Then held it out for Shanah to smell. Shanah’s eyes were wide, but she bent down and inhaled.

I brought it back to my nose and took a deep breath again. “I can smell the extra molasses. The darker color gives it away too. Does anyone here know how they are being spoiled?”

The baker’s smile had turned into a grin. “Nobody cares. They just want something to soak up their stew.”

“My name is Cevin and I’m new here, but I recognize a master when I see one. They are lucky to have you.”

“I’m Hushin and if you ever want to compare recipes I’d enjoy the company.”

Hushin dropped two more pieces of bread on my plate and then two on Shanah’s.

“Thank you, Hushin,” I said sincerely. “You’re the best.”

Hushin’s cheeks reddened.

We moved down the line and got cheese, bacon, and apples, which were all easier to get extras of.

I followed Shanah to the Sword Pillar table. Most of the students had finished eating and there were plenty of places to sit but Shanah took us to the end of the table. Forks and spoons stood in cups in the middle of the table along with mugs and pitchers of water. Shanah grabbed two mugs and filled them for us.

Shanah pulled a bag from her pocket and placed our extra food it.

“How did you do that?” Shanah asked.

“Everyone likes to be appreciated for hard work.”

“Why did you bring up wrists and fingers?”

“Grinding rye into flour makes your wrists burn like fire and you can barely feel your fingers after fifteen minutes of squishing dough.”

Shanah took a bite of her apple and studied me. I used a spoon to fish the cabbage out of my soup and made a green mound on the side of my plate. The only thing worse than cabbage was celery.

“How did you know she was the baker though? All the cooks and bakers are stained the same.”

I pulled the spoon through my soup making sure I’d gotten all the slimy leaves. How did I explain all the small things that made it easier to figure things out? Some details like the flour on her cheeks were easy while others like the way Hushin stood protectively over her bread like a bird guarding a nest were harder. Mom would understand though. “Absorb the world and listen,” she would say.

I tore my bread in half. “Lucky, I guess.”

Chapter 19

Shanah ate her food like it was an obstacle course only moving to the next item once another was finished. Between bites she talked about how nice it was to have her mom back from the wars and how much she missed seeing her sister.

Shanah ate her last bit of cheese. “I’m going to run this food over to Lanah. Thanks for getting the extra bread, she’ll be over the wall about it.”

I had a full mouth, so I grunted and waved the comment away, but it made me feel good to have helped her. Shanah stood, stepped over the bench, and started to leave. One hand balanced her dishes and the other gripped the bag of food for Lanah. After a couple of steps, she stopped and turned to face me.

“You want to have breakfast tomorrow?” Shanah asked.

“Don’t you meet your sister for breakfast?”

Shanah nodded.

I remembered Lanah’s narrowed eyes and disapproving tone earlier today. “I’m not sure she likes me.”

Shanah held up the bag with our food haul. “She will now.”

“Okay, that sounds nice.”

Shanah smiled and waved the bag. “Good night.”

“Bye.”

I continued to watch Shanah so I’d know where to drop my dishes off. On the opposite side of the hall from our table a low rectangular window opened into the kitchen and Shanah passed her dishes to someone.

“Royals are the sea.”

I turned as Lylly sat across from me. She had two pieces of bread, and her soup almost filled the bowl. It seemed higher rank came with benefits.

My cheeks warmed. “I just wanted to know where the plates went. I wasn’t staring at Shanah.”

“Shanah, huh. First name basis already?”

I didn’t respond immediately. Lylly knew about my fall down the tower which meant she might know about Shanah helping clean me up. The truth was I’d spent a lot of time with Shanah for the short time I’d spent here. I decided to respond to the first comment instead.

“What did you mean about the sea?” I asked.

“Have you ever seen someone drowning?”

I shook my head and she continued.

“I grew up near the sea and we have a saying, ‘A drowning man has no friends.’”

“That seems wrong. Isn’t that when he needs them the most?”

“The sea takes all reason from a person. If you come near someone drowning, they will grab you and use you to float. It always ends the same. The sea takes them both.”

“Are you saying the Royals kill people?”

Lylly waved a half-eaten piece of bread. “Not at all. The sea, like the Royal’s power, is not to blame, but the people near them can lose all reason. That’s why smart people keep their distance. To avoid trouble.”

“I see,” I said although I only kind of understood what she meant.

As Shanah left the dining hall she glanced back at me and smiled. I returned it and waved.

“But you don’t seem very bright,” Lylly added.

My shoulders tensed but Lylly smiled, and I realized she was teasing me.

I relaxed and shook my head. “That’s the first time I’ve heard that.”

My chest warmed with appreciation for Lylly. She had sat with me even though there were other Groundies further down the table. As bad as the day had been, it looked like maybe it would end well.

Lylly’s story about the sea was interesting, and I knew Lid would’ve liked it. He would have spent ten minutes explaining the history of the saying and then another ten on how to save a drowning person. That would lead to the different types of salt water and how they –

Lylly snapped her fingers in front of my face, and I focused on her.

“Where do you go?” Lylly asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Your eyes glaze over, your attention is completely inward, and you become still. It’s like you disappear, and you do it a lot.”

 “Sorry.”

Lylly shook her head. “I’m not saying it’s bad. I’m just curious what’s going on in there.”

I looked down, embarrassed. Mom deserved some of the blame as many of the things she forced me to do required an inward focus. She always tried getting me to find areas inside myself that either didn’t exist or were invisible. Meditation was the worst, and I usually spent the time thinking about other things.

Admittedly, most of those things were dumb. My brain would just jump from one item to another like a grasshopper on hot stones. Lid actually made it better since the weapon was a hundred times worse than me, and it forced me to focus us both. He’d only been gone a few hours, but I missed him already.

“I was thinking about Lid. The Scribes took him.”

“Yeah, they do that. It’s for the best. Last year one of the Sticks in the Staff Pillar destroyed part of their seventh floor. He had a nightmare or something. Scribes have been a lot more careful about letting students keep their weapons since then.”

“Did anyone get hurt?”

“No, just a big hole seventy feet up on the side of their Pillar.”

My curiosity made me ask. “Which weapon?”

“Brom.”

I sat up. “Brom’lyr?”

Lylly nodded and raised her eyebrows. “Kid barely weighs a hundred pounds. He’s as skinny as that staff.”

“Can he echo yet?”

“Don’t know. Sticks don’t talk much.”

It took me a second to remember Sticks meant the Staff Pillar students. Swords were my first love, but Brom’lyr came close. I knew over twenty stories about the six-foot weapon. The staff could amplify things it touched: fires turned into infernos, waves into walls of water, a breeze into a whirlwind.

My favorite story was called Giant’s Lullaby, but people just called it echo. An old story from when the Kingdom was young and giants still roamed the mountains. A warrior named Nadeel saved a mountain village from a rock giant.

Nadeel faced the thirty-foot monster in a canyon and as it roared at her she sang. As her voice echoed she spun Brom’lyr and used the sound of her own voice as a weapon. Over and over, she amplified the sound back into the canyon. The giant fell to its knees and exploded, the sound more powerful than a thousand hammers. The story says Nadeel’s lullaby can still be heard, carried by the fierce winds of the mountains.

“I would love to see it,” I said.

“I’ll point him out if I see him.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Lylly frowned and stared at her hands. The sudden silence made me uncomfortable, and I tried to control my breathing. Had I said something to upset her?

Lylly looked up at me. “Gavyn sure is excited about what happened at your bonding.”

“He is?”

“I heard him talking with Yulth.”

What would have excited Gavyn? He’d seemed more upset, maybe even scared, than happy about anything. Part of the happiness I’d felt at Lylly sitting with me disappeared. She hadn’t sat with me out of friendliness but because she wanted information.

“What did he say?” I asked.

Lylly took a sip of water, and her brown eyes studied me over the edge of the cup. The intensity of her gaze made my mouth go dry, and I reached for my water.

Lylly placed her cup down and the beads of water that had formed on the outside raced to the table where they made a small pool. She circled her cup in the water spreading it. After a few moments she looked up at me.

“That’s the thing, I only caught bits of the conversation. That’s why I was hoping you could help.”

“Why don’t you just use Hal’yorn on him?” I asked.

Lylly’s eyes widened as my jaw dropped at my own stupidity. The question had left my mouth before my brain could stop it. My whole body flushed in embarrassment and fear. I rubbed my palms on my thighs trying to dry them.

“How do you know about my sword?” Lylly asked.

My throat tightened, and I struggled to breathe. I took another drink of water but after a swallow the cup was empty. Continuing to hold it to my mouth, I faked drinking to buy myself more time. Lylly’s fingers appeared on the cup’s side, inches from my eyes, and she slowly pulled the cup down.

“Talk,” Lylly said.

Lylly’s voice sounded normal, so I knew she wasn’t using her power on me. I couldn’t tell her about Lid because she’d want to know details about him. Details he had told me to keep secret. Her weapon hadn’t been in any of the stories I read or in any song I’d heard. It seemed like the scribes had worked hard to keep it a secret.

Maybe a small amount of truth would be enough to satisfy her. My breathing had become rapid and shallow, and I took a deep breath to calm myself. I sure hoped this worked.

“You stopped me from attacking Flasker,” I whispered.

Lylly leaned forward and her voice dropped.

“Yes, but it took a lot of effort. Is there a Seeker in your family? Where did you learn resistance?”

“Why does that matter?”

Lylly narrowed her eyes. “How did you learn it?”

I placed my palms against the water cup and rolled it between my hands. Uncomfortable conversations were so much easier if you could move. Why couldn’t she have asked me all these questions on the walk back to our Pillar? What did Seekers have to do with any of this? I remembered Flasker’s reaction to learning about my dad, and his demand that I lie about my name. It was probably best to avoid any family details.

“Scouts, rangers, and warriors, but no Seekers,” I said.

“Then where did you learn to resist the power?”

I hadn’t even known that I’d resisted at the time. Lid had yelled at me for being so easy to control while also telling me I’d revealed too much. That weapon could be so confusing. But Lylly didn’t seem surprised that I could resist her weapon’s power, only that I hadn’t learned it from a Seeker.

Did that mean Seekers had a way to resist the power in all the bonded weapons? Or just Lylly’s? Or maybe just those that used mind control. I thought about asking Lylly for more details, but it was probably just safer to ask Lanah at breakfast tomorrow.

Lylly slammed her hand on top of my water cup and stopped it from turning. I jumped at the sudden movement and placed my hands in my lap.

Lid had told me Mom’s training was responsible, but my family just seemed to make people nervous or upset. I tried a different truth.

“My thoughts jump around a lot. I don’t think I consciously resisted you. I just lost focus on what you were doing after a second.”

Lylly took her hand off the cup and leaned back.

I looked into her eyes briefly, but her intense gaze made me look away. Instead, I picked up my spoon and pushed the soggy cabbage leaves around my plate.

I guess it made sense that the Seekers had a way to resist a weapon’s power. Their job was to find them and bring them back and they spent a lot of time around them. Maybe scribes in general had such training, or maybe just ones that spent time around the weapons like Yulth. Gavyn had felt pain when touching Lid, but maybe he’d recovered quickly because of this training.

Lid had said Mom’s training had helped me resist Lylly, which meant it could be almost anything. Mom had me do a lot of dumb things that didn’t make sense. I wished I could talk with Lid and find out what specific training he meant. It would–

Lylly snapped her fingers in front of my eyes, and I focused on her again. She shook her head. “I think I believe you. How do you get anything done?”

I shrugged.

Lylly stood, picked up her tray, and walked toward the window on the far wall. Glad to finally move, I followed her with my tray. Copying Lylly, I held my tray near the opening and a moment later hands reached out and grabbed it. The sound of dishes being washed mingled with multiple conversations.

I wondered how many people worked back there, and I considered bending down to peek inside, but Lylly had already headed for the exit. I didn’t want to answer any more questions, but I didn’t know if Lylly considered our conversation over. Not wanting to risk getting in trouble I quickly followed her outside.

Thankfully Lylly didn’t ask any more questions and we walked in silence back toward the Sword Pillar. As we approached the well-lit area in front of the Pillar Lylly stopped, and I almost ran into her. Thoughts of yesterday and my disaster with Commander Jase flashed through my mind.

“What do you want?” Lylly asked.

For a moment I thought Lylly had asked me the question, but she had spoken to Yulth, who now stood before us. Had Yulth been waiting for us? Was she here to take me back to the cave under the Archive Tower? Lylly didn’t sound pleased.

“We have work to do,” Yulth said.

“I’m tired. I need a break.”

Yulth’s face softened. “I know, and I’m sorry. He thinks we’re close, though, and he insists.”

Lylly’s hands clenched, and her knuckles popped. “I’ll get my sword.”

Yulth lifted a long narrow box I recognized from this morning. They’d kept Shanah’s sword in a box like that. Lid, too.

“I already have him, and we’re late as it is,” Yulth said. She turned and marched down the path past the Pillar.

“I hate you all,” Lylly muttered.

The anger in Lylly’s voice made me step backward. Who did she mean?

My movement drew her attention, and Lylly faced me.

Lylly pointed at the Pillar. “Go inside. Curfew for your rank is in thirty minutes.”

“Yes, ma’am. Are you okay?”

Lylly narrowed her eyes, and I immediately walked toward the Pillar.

Lylly jogged to catch up with Yulth but stopped to walk a few paces behind the scribe. I slowed my pace as I watched them disappear down the path. Where were they going? What did Yulth want with Lylly and her sword? What had upset Lylly so much?

I stopped at the edge of the light that pooled in front of the Pillar door like blood from a wound. My curiosity pulled me toward the pair of women but my desire to not get in trouble kept my feet locked in place. Lylly had been clear. She had wanted me inside before curfew.

What could cause Lylly to display such hatred? She’d said my curfew started in thirty minutes. That meant technically I could still roam around outside for a while. Maybe if I followed her for a few minutes, I’d learn what was happening. I bit my lip in indecision.

A group of students strolled down the path from the dining hall. If I wanted to follow Lylly, I needed to do it now.

This is probably a bad idea, I thought to Lid.

Lid didn’t respond, but I knew he’d agree. I ran after Lylly.

Chapter 20

Yulth used a shaker to light their path making it easy to follow them. I kept far back from the pair and off the path. The moon wasn’t out but I had no problems seeing. Yulth and Lylly moved quickly and before long they arrived at the willow grove I’d walked out of earlier that afternoon.

I crouched down as they left the path and turned into the trees. Staying close to the tree line, I ran to the spot I’d seen them disappear. A narrow path led through the trees, and I could make out Yulth’s light deeper in the grove.

I jogged until I could see their forms between the trees. The darkness lay thick under all the leaves, and I relaxed a little. Even if they turned around, they didn’t possess the night vision to see me. Yulth’s shaker reflecting off my eyes could reveal me, but even that seemed unlikely as the shaker had ruined their own vision. Confident, I slipped closer to the pair.

Yulth and Lylly turned to the right and a few moments later I knew why. The path exited the trees and ended at the cliff face. Far above lights shined out of the Archive Tower windows. If I used the path, anyone that came down the trail would discover me, but staying in the trees would slow me down.

I considered heading back. Fifteen minutes had probably passed, and if I didn’t turn around soon, I’d violate curfew. If I sprinted back, I’d save enough time to risk a few more minutes here. I wanted to verify if they were headed for the secret metal door in the cliff.

Staying near the trees I jogged to catch them. Thirty seconds later I heard voices, one of them male. I slowed and stepped further into the trees. Ahead of me three people were lit from below by Yulth’s shaker. The trees had veered away from the cliff and the group stood thirty feet from me. They were arguing though and their voices carried to me.

“…she would know, and she says we’re hurting him,” Yulth said.

“Even if that’s true,” Gavyn responded, “We’re almost done. A few more nights at most.”

“It is true,” Lylly snapped.

“Let’s go, we’re wasting time,” Gavyn responded.

They all marched away from me down the path and the conversation faded. Staying in the trees, I followed until Gavyn knocked on the hidden door that led to the Archive Tower’s basement. The door slid open and dim light pushed its way out along with Davot, the guard I’d seen in the Hall of Glory.

Yulth handed Davot her shaker and the three of them entered the tunnel. Davot looked around, and I squinted my eyes so they wouldn’t gleam. Davot turned and disappeared through the door, sliding it shut behind him.

Where were the two scribes taking Lylly and her sword? Maybe to the same room they’d taken me this morning? I’d seen a lot of other rooms and tunnels though, and for all I knew this served as a shortcut to the main building above. It didn’t matter though since I couldn’t follow them anymore. I needed to return to the Sword Pillar anyway before my curfew started.

Stepping out of the trees I sprinted back the way I’d come. I could run like this for an hour or two, but it used too much energy to keep this pace for longer than that. Mom could run all night like this, but she couldn’t run as fast as me. Last year she’d started using a speed rune to catch me. Which I considered cheating. As soon as I could get those stupid runes to work, she’d never catch me.

I ran right by the path Yulth and Lylly had taken and skidded to a halt. I needed to keep focused on the present. Entering the trees, I jogged, not trusting myself to go any faster in the unfamiliar forest. Before long I made it back to the main path and sprinted again. I didn’t think thirty minutes had passed, but I didn’t know for sure.

As I approached the Pillar a group of six teens neared the door. I slowed to a walk and kept my head down. They ignored me, and I followed the last girl into the building like I belonged to their group.

Not looking up I turned to the right, walked to the wall, and strode quickly along it. From the sound of the conversations, over twenty students sat in here. My heart thudded as I neared the wall with the entrance to the stairs. This had been easier than I thought.

“Top!”

I froze in place and my stomach twisted at the sound of Flasker’s voice. Everyone had gone silent. The beating of my heart filled my ears, and I wondered if anyone else could hear it in the awful silence. I looked up and found the entire room staring at me. Flasker moved toward me through the crowd. I swallowed hard and stood up straight to face him.

Flasker approached slowly and the room remained silent. He stopped in front of me and pointed to the large clicker on a shelf near the door.

“What time is it?” Flasker asked.

I glanced at the clicker and then faced Flasker again. “9:01.”

“And what time is curfew for the tenth edge?”

I felt the weight of everyone’s gazes, and my mouth turned as dry as a sand dune, but I forced the words out.

“I’m not sure.”

Flasker placed his hands behind his back and leaned forward. “No one told you about curfew?”

I bit my lip. Technically I didn’t know the curfew time, but Lylly had mentioned it when she said I had thirty minutes. Did that count? It hadn’t been very specific but that wouldn’t matter to Flasker. Lylly had clearly wanted me back in the Pillar. If I said I didn’t know and then Lylly heard about it, I might get in even more trouble. There just wasn’t a good –

“Hey!” Flasker said as he snapped his fingers in front of my face.

I focused back on Flasker and realized I’d taken too long thinking it through. His eyes had narrowed, and I sensed he knew I was guilty of something. The last thing I wanted was a flurry of questions and Lylly to find out I followed her.

“Tip told me. I misjudged how long it would take to get back.”

Flasker stood up straight, placed his hands on his hips, and gave me a warm smile.

“Oh, is that all? You misjudged?”

Flasker’s smile surprised me, but he seemed sincere. Maybe learning about my family this morning had changed his attitude toward me. My heart slowed and my shoulders relaxed. Yes, I’d worried for nothing.

Flasker’s smile vanished. “Ivar, Rabec, Neel, Herlug, Aze…”

Flasker kept going but I recognized those names from my studies with Mom. They were all names from battles or losses the Kingdom had suffered.

Ivar had followed pirates into stormy weather with three ships and died along with her soldiers when all three of her ships sank. Rabec had lost a thousand fighters because he had accidently led them deeper into the desert instead of toward the coast. Neel had underestimated a small force defending a mountain pass and had lost hundreds of warriors before he was killed and his forces retreated.

Dread filled me. I realized what connected these commanders. The words I used here mattered, and I’d unfortunately chosen the wrong one.

“Do you know what they have in common?” Flasker asked.

“They got their soldiers killed.”

Flasker’s eyes widened but he immediately hid his surprise and nodded. “You misjudged the time, and it made you late for curfew. A minute could mean the life or death of the people you lead. It’s another example of why you don’t belong here. Why you’re not fit for leadership.” Flasker looked around and raised his voice. “The three shields of a commander?”

Everyone responded except me. Their words almost like a chant. “Awareness. Knowledge. Judgement.”

Flasker faced me. “Once again you’ve proven you lack all three.”

Flasker took four rapid steps forward and in a moment, he stood before me. He leaned down and whispered in my ear. “You, like your father, are a danger to everyone. I’ll keep you locked in this Pillar for the safety of us all until they expel you.”

Flasker turned around and faced the crowd. “Commander Lylly?”

Flasker waited a second and when it was obvious Lylly wasn’t there he continued. “As ranking officer, I, Flasker, commander of the second edge, find Cevin, commander of the tenth edge, to have failed in his duty by demonstrating a lack of awareness and knowledge, and by his own admission, failed in his judgement. Are there any here who wish to speak on his behalf?”

The room remained silent, and my heartbeat echoed in my ears. This was only my second day here. A reasonable person would show compassion and use this opportunity to teach me instead of inflicting punishment.

Lylly had told me to go inside, though, and I’d chosen to ignore her. I knew Flasker didn’t want me here and probably enjoyed punishing me, but he was also using me as a lesson to the other students and to reinforce the Pillar’s most important lessons. Lessons that had come at the expense of soldiers’ lives. For a moment, I almost respected him.

Flasker faced me again. “Tenth edge commander you are sentenced to the following. Since you are unable to return from the dining hall by curfew, demonstrating your lack of awareness, you are banned from eating there for a week. Further, for your lack of knowledge, you are confined to the Pillar where you will study our history. You may only leave if escorted by a senior officer. For your lack of judgement, you will be Slashed. Get the stain!”

Gasps filled the room and Flasker turned to silence them.

My body felt frozen. I had no idea what Slashed meant. Was I getting whipped? Did they do that here? Should I run before he could punish me? But if I did, any hope of staying here would vanish. Any hope of rescuing my brother or ending the wars would vanish as well.

Lid remained trapped under the Archive Tower, and I’d never see him again either. Taking three deep breaths I pushed the fear away. Whatever the consequences, I needed to face them.

A man near the kitchen disappeared through the door and returned a few seconds later with a small pail. A brush handle stuck out of the top like a spear and wavered back and forth with his steps, marking the time like a drum as he ran toward Flasker. Black stains covered the outside of the bucket like tears.

Flasker took the pail and faced me. He raised his voice. “So all may know you have been judged and found guilty, you are Slashed.”

Flasker pulled the brush from the pail and thick stain dripped from the bristles. The stain wasn’t black, but a dark blood red. The smell made me light-headed, and I closed my eyes. The brush touched my left temple and before I could pull away, Flasker had swiped it across my face covering my left eye, nose, and the right side of my chin.

I opened my eyes and immediately closed them as the stain touched my left eye. It burned and felt like someone had stuck a knife through my eyeball. I squeezed my eyes shut but the damage was done. My eyes teared as the burning continued. The stain smelled sweet but the liquid that made it past my lips tasted bitter and disgusting.

The hall filled with noise again as the students returned to their conversations. Warm breath against my ear caused me to lean away, but I still heard Flasker’s whisper.

“You should just leave. No one wants you here.”

I stood there for another minute, eyes tightly shut against the pain, not sure which way the stairs were. Would the stain blind me? The tearing had stopped but the pain remained as hot and intense as it had started. Maybe it was melting my eye and would soon reach my brain and, in another minute, I’d just fall over dead.

The pain finally faded. Or maybe it had finally reached my brain and I would die momentarily. If I was going to die, I didn’t want to do it here in the middle of all these strangers. Keeping my left eye tightly closed, I opened my right eye enough to see the room. Everything looked blurry but I spotted the stairs, and I started toward them.

As I passed the officers’ rooms and entered the darker stairway the pain eased, and I opened my left eye. I held my hand in front of my face and was relieved that I could see it with both eyes. At least I hadn’t lost my sight.

Thoughts of my disastrous day swirled inside my head as I stumbled up the stairs. I’d survived it though and that meant I could still succeed. I had fallen down a well of bad luck and landed hard, but this had to be the bottom and that meant the only direction was up.

Lid?

I needed to figure out how to get Lid back, and being confined to the Pillar would make that difficult. That was tomorrow’s problem, though. Right now, I just wanted this day to end.

Tomorrow would be better.