EL BK5 | Chapter 27 - The 134th Pet Exam (Patreon)

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 “Ahh, no that’s fine, really,” I shrugged away from the bewildered looking Fae girl before me. 

Her delicate brows furrowed and her mouth opened in a confused, soundless expression of ‘what is wrong with this human’. Undoubtedly, she must’ve thought I was deranged or simply a floundering lummox. She inclined her head toward Achaicus for direction, although her purple slitted fox eyes never left me. 

“Charles, it is her job to comb your hair and dress you,” the Fae man sighed in exasperation. As he spoke two young servants, a man and a woman were each combing out one side of his waist length hair. They trimmed the ends microscopically and wove it into a handful of interconnected braids like a netted crown around his head. 

“My hair just needs a quick brush, it’s not long-”

“Nonsense,” Achaicus cut me off, “Your human hair grows noticeably each day. Allow her to groom you as necessary.”

“But that’s just it, it’s not necessary. I shaved this morning!” I protested, this was worse than at Leúchtend. 

Back home I could expect a comment from any one of the Fae or Eric about my stubble, but they weren’t going to force me to shave twice daily. Truth be told, I kind of liked it. These monsters just had no appreciation for the human right of passage. 

“You did not shave the rest of your body hair this morning and it has not gone unnoticed.” He responded in a matter of fact tone, and I suddenly felt chafed. 

Unable to articulate a response, I rubbed my hand over my face. I’d been wearing a form fitted top with a diamond cut out over the centre of my chest for an earlier meeting with the Fae nobles. It wasn’t my choice of outfit, it was just what I was told to wear. 

Sensing my dismay Achaicus looked over again, “There was a time where all humans were pungent creatures. Many of us remember the musky smell of human none too fondly. It is not to say that you are unclean, simply that poor grooming brings unpleasantry to the forefront of many minds.”

“Right, fine…” I grumbled, letting a small piece of my dignity die as the Fae girl removed my top and began shaving my chest. 

Since arriving it had been a constant stream of meetings, dinners, balls. I’d been granted access to the archives, but so far hadn’t had the opportunity to actually read anything. At this rate, we’d be on a ship back before I got the alone time to try and find out anything. Even now we were expected at an event, some portion of the Pet’s training or something. Achaicus was vague, and that wasn’t a great sign.

Fresh and powered in places I didn’t know needed powder, we navigated the halls with an escort of guards to arrive at an outdoor arena built like the colosseum. Circular rows of stadium seating faced inward pointed toward a grass arena with jungle gym-like structures made of wood and chain protruding from it. We were seated close and high with a good view down among a small row of other Fae I didn’t know.

“What is this?” I whispered to Achaicus.

“The 134th test,” he answered unironically as if it was obvious. 

“...Like, gym?” I guessed at a loss.

Realization dawned on his face and the fret set in, “It is part of the pet training program. For each stage there are tests that are to be completed and graded. Each pet must pass to remain, and of those who do a ranking is assigned based on performance. We were invited to watch it on this occasion.”

“What do they have to do to pass?”

“Survive.”

I let the word sink in, was I about to watch people die?

“Do not worry, fatalities at this stage are rare. It is never our goal to kill them, only to ensure they are capable. Nothing they are to face is unexpected, they will be fine. It is their scores they should be most concerned over. But, if anything should happen, you may look away if you wish…” Achaicus added more softly.

His statement wasn’t half as comforting as I’m sure he expected it to be.

As we watched, the test began. A small pale girl with wide green eyes and a long nose stepped forward. Her face was a stoic mask of stone, and her focus set forward with unwavering determination. She stood like a little warrior, or a psycho assassin, I wasn’t sure which was more accurate. Poised and ready. With a tangle of red curls woven tight into braids, and wearing all black she looked ready for war. 

Freckles spotted her oval face, covering her cheeks, forehead and even her eyelids. She carried no weapon and showed no emotion. The kid reminded me of Calla, only taller and redder. At the motion of a tall Fae man on the ground, she sprang into action. Her skinny frame shot across the space and she launched herself upward to grab the bar far above her head. 

The momentum carried her forward and her body curved like a caterpillar into position. She caught the next bar at her knees and swung to catch one of the dangling loops after. In the most athletic display of gymnastics I had ever seen, the girl crossed over the first of two water pits and scaled what, for all the life in me, looked like a sheer wall. 

High above the ground by the time I blinked, she darted across a narrow beam. Arrows flew in intervals at her defenseless body and I shrank in my seat, waiting for the inevitable. The red-head ducked under three arrows, slid, cartwheeled and dropped down under the bar for a fraction of a second before swinging back around it. 

With my heart in my throat, I watched this little girl hurtle and jump down a two story drop, roll, and spring back to her feet. She dove into the second water pit, swam as if she was half fish, and hauled herself out over a stone lip like an amphibious creature. The whole ordeal was over in under ten minutes, and she stood panting and red in the face at the end. 

“Pass. Pippa, time 9 minutes 46 seconds,” the Fae at the end announced. 

The girl nodded, gave a bow, and returned to standing motionless save for the heaving of her chest. 

The next to step forward was a taller girl with skin the color of molasses. Her hair was braided in the same way as the first girls, and she too wore an emotionless mask with dark eyes set on the task ahead. She waited without anxiety for the Fae man to motion, and began like a streak. 

Reaching the first bar before I could process the movement, she swung gracefully between obstacles. If the first girl was a coiled spring in a can, this girl was a band of silk flowing through each motion onto the next. She crossed the water pit like she was floating and limbed her way up the scaling wall with precise efficiency. When she reached the narrow beam, the girl paused, setting herself before sprinting. The arrows flew at her too slow, and sailed past in her wake. 

She leapt from the building and rolled the same as the other girl before cutting through the water like an eel. Did Eric and Calla both go through this? How did Eric make it through the water? The thoughts rattled in my head absently as the girl reached the waiting Fae man. “Pass. Minna, 9 minutes 15 seconds,” he announced with a small proud puff he hadn’t shown for the first girl.

“Minna belongs to him,” Achaicus whispered in my ear.

“Is my poker face that bad?” I mumbled, embarrassed.

“Worse, don’t slouch in your seat.”

I straightened, “Right.” 

Two more girls with dark complexions followed Minna, although not quite as impressively. Achieving times of 9 minutes 54 seconds and 10 minutes 5 seconds respectively. 

“How old are these kids?” I asked, unable to contain it.

“This is their 19th year of training,” Achaicus explained.

I must have been getting old. They looked like round faced babies to me.

The fifth girl to step forward had her hair tied in a high ponytail. Shortest of the group, a sandy complexion like Calla and straight black hair. Her face was rounded with feline eyes accentuated by black lines from the inner corners of her eyes. She, out of any of the rest, looked the most like she would kill someone with a fork.

When her test began she didn’t leap for the bar as the rest had, but instead scaled the pole with her bare hands. She ran across the top of the obstacles and over the thin bar holding up the loops. 

“Is she allowed to do that?” I murmured to Achaicus. 

“We will see. This technique has cost her time,” he answered with all the weariness of someone who already knew an outcome. 

The girl jumped from the end of the bar and latched onto the climbing wall like velcro. When she reached the beam she crossed it without hesitation in a blur of rapid motion. Half the arrows hadn’t even finished deploying by the time she was jumping from the building. Her time in the water was again slower, smaller limbs hindering her, but she, Leela, finished the course with a respectable time of 9 minutes and 59 seconds. 

I nodded to myself, deciding if I were to try I couldn’t do much better. I would probably wind myself on the bars, fall off the beam and drown in the second water crossing. Three more girls later, Achaicus suddenly leaned forward. The eighth girl was average height with mocca hair almost the same color as her skin, and, unlike the rest, she trembled. 

Her breath came in shallow inhales and while her face remained still, her restlessness gave her away. She was the last to go, and I guess being the last one standing there took its toll. The girl made me nervous. Her jitters didn’t go unnoticed by the Fae around us either. A murmur too quiet for me to hear spread through the group around us. It sounded eager. They knew what I refused to think, ‘this girl couldn’t do it, she was last for a reason’. 

The Fae at the end of the course motioned for her to begin, and she swallowed. Wasting no more time she rushed forward and grabbed for the bar, she caught it and swung. It wasn’t not graceful, and she did catch the next bar, but the timing was off. I held my breath when she crossed the first water pit, watching her loop between the hanging ringings with my heart in my throat.

She made it to the wall climb and scaled it to reach the beam. Like the others she darted across, halting once to avoid arrows she wheeled back landing with her hands gripping the beam. Her expression set in determination, and she corrected her positioning like a bending slinky just in time for a second wave of arrows to release. Narrowly missing being shot, she sprinted to reach the jump. 

Her momentum carried her forward too quickly, and her exit from the top of the building was more of a skittering over the edge. She recovered mid-air, but landed heavy on one ankle. I heard the crunch from the stands. If I could have looked away then, I would have, but like watching a train wreck, I couldn’t. Gritting her teeth and with no sound of pain, she allowed herself no time to wallow. 

On what I’m sure was a broken ankle, she propelled herself forward into the water. She didn’t swim with arms overhead like the others, but with slower, circular motions. When she hit the ledge she dragged herself over it, and half limped half ran to the finish line. “Halle, 11 minutes, 26 seconds,” the waiting Fae announced calmly, giving no indication of pass or failure while the girl stood waiting. 

She trembled with every breath and dared not look up. Her dark complexion turned pale and chalky, but she didn’t speak.

“...She still passed right?” I asked as another soft murmur worked through the onlookers. 

Achaicus didn’t answer, his jaw set and lips pressed into a thin line.

“Lord Hartwin, do you wish to invoke favor?” the tall Fae called into the stands.

A delay followed the question, “I do not.” It was a hawkish Fae two rows above us that responded. His voice carried with calm, clear authority and no remorse.

“What does that mean?” I whispered, knowing deep down that I knew. 

“Quiet,” Achaicus used a command, and my mouth snapped shut.

“Oh come now Hartwin, the girl completed the course,” another from above commented. It was the skinnier Fae to his left who sat with wiry amusement.

“26 seconds slower than standard and with a level of mediocrity unbecoming,” Hartwin answered with a carefree shrug. “I will choose another.”

“True,” the other conceded with an over dramatic sigh, “Leela also took her time, but she has a great variety of other skills, does Halle not?”

Hartwin gave a knowing look to the man beside him, understanding the subtle brag for what it was and choosing not to answer it. “I have invoked favor three times prior, I will not a fourth.”

“Very well, suit yourself.”

“No favor invoked,” the tall one announced, and Halle shivered involuntarily.

She didn’t look up, but I could see the emotions play across her face, sadness that wrinkled her chin and forehead. Shame that turned her whole face red, and then regret that brought tears to her eyes. 

The tall Fae moved to take the sword from his waist and I began to leave my seat.

Achaicus pushed me back down with one firm shove, “Stay.” 

It wasn’t a suggestion.

“I invoke transfer,” he announced. His voice carried clear across the stands with frightening authority, “Her ownership has been forfeited, and I will claim it.”

All eyes turned toward us. Most in surprise, some in confusion, and Alferic in pensive, silent disapproval. If that didn’t affect Achaicus, it definitely wilted me for him. 

“Are you certain?” Alferic spoke up with level calm and heavy meaning. 

“I am,” Achaicus answered without flinching, “The girl is mine, and I invoke favor.”

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