Chapter 9 - Dyad (Patreon)

< Previous | Table of Contents | Next >

Moments later, Master Talbert returned. Captain Van Gallan stood at his side with Clyde.

Four Eaters carrying a large chest followed behind them. They all stopped just in front of me.

Talbert’s tendrils squirreled the keys away from Van Gallan, the baron, and himself just as I remembered. He combined the three key pieces and opened the chest, showing the Divine Treat sitting inside.

“We do a different ritual for royals and nobles than we do for our soldiers, Lady Scarlet,” Captain Van Gallan stated as he stood before me with the fruit. “There’s an affirmation involved. Cadets take it when they join the service. You’ll need to make one of your own now, so repeat after me once you have the treat.”

“Of course,” I responded.

“Put your—”

I placed my hands out in front of me. The left hand sat under the right, as if I were receiving communion.

Captain Van Gallan beamed. “You have a good memory. Of course you do.” He cleared his throat. “Do you accept your position in this world as one above the rest?”

“I do.”

“Do you promise to rule with honor and intelligence, willing the best future for those under your guidance?”

“I do.”

“Do you accept that, while special, you are beneath the Gods and that their prowess alone allows you your privilege in life?”

“I do.”

“Then you may eat.” Captain Van Gallan placed the Divine Treat in my palm.

The words meant literally nothing to me. I didn’t even really hear them. All I wanted was my reward. And there it was, sitting in my hand.

I examined it, having never seen one up close before. The thing looked like a large, jiggly ball of gold. It was oddly smooth, as if wrapped in plastic, and surprisingly soft to the touch.

With only a moment of hesitation, I popped the ball into my mouth.

My teeth ground against it.

It dissolved like a chunk of fast-melting ice. Its juices, flavored like liquid honey, slipped down my throat.

I gulped.

Nothing.

A pause.

Then… a feeling.

My body started to burn. Energy built. Then, it felt like I was being pulled in two different direction.

My body exploded with energy. A white light blasted out one way and a dark force the other. 

My mouth opened. My eyes widened. I felt the force release out of the pores of my skin. I felt myself screaming, but I couldn’t hear it. My consciousness was on the brink of leaving me.

Then, just as quickly as it came forth, the energy subsided.

I wobbled, then fell to the ground on my back.

The world was silent, save for the sound of crumbling rocks. My vision was blurry and dark at the edges. I felt like I’d been hit by a damn car.

“She’s fine. No serious injuries,” Clyde’s voice sounded off. I could feel a pair of fingers pushing at my temple. It was probably him. His fingers left my head.

Faces soon stood over me. The baron pushed them out of the way. He dropped his cloak over my body before leaning over. “Scarlet?” he asked. His voice seemed far away.

“Is it morning already?” I muttered weakly.

The baron grimaced. A swell of emotions formed within his eyes. I couldn’t pinpoint them. Were they fear, surprise, anger, regret, or pity? Why was he so conflicted?

Captain Van Gallan’s cheerful voice broke my eardrums. “Do you know what this means?!”

“We all know what this means,” grumbled Master Talbert. He stood just behind my father. His face was devoid of color. “She’s special. The King’s gonna hear about this and try and recruit her into his personal guard.”

“Never. I won’t allow it,” spat the baron. His jumbled emotions solidified. “She is my daughter. She is a noble. She will remain here with us where it is safe.”

“She’s a Dyad, Johnathan,” Master Talbert answered back coldly.

“Does that matter?!” retorted the baron.

“Dyad?” My voice cracked.

“A combination of two Typical elements, my lady,” Captain Van Gallan spoke up. “Sometimes, though it is rare, substantially rarer than becoming an Admix, a person will be granted two Typical abilities.”

“Oh?” I blinked. My eyes were half-closed, but I felt my energy beginning to perk back up. “What do I have?”

No one answered me.

“Hello?”

“Light and dark,” said Captain Van Gallan breathlessly. His voice steadily filled with excitement. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. In legends, sure, and it’s technically possible, but to actually see it! Absolutely wonderful! You are truly blessed by the Gods, Lady Scarlet.” He bowed. “If you shall allow it, I’d be honored to teach you to at least control—”

The baron interrupted him. “You will do no such thing. I forbid it. She will have no part of military service. Ever. In fact, she is banned from formally being trained to use her gifts. What she does in her free time is fine. No one is allowed to teach her anymore.” He looked at Talbert. “Your lessons are done. Thank you, truly, for what you’ve done.”

What?!

“Foolish bastard,” argued Master Talbert. “It’s already rare for one to develop either light or dark abilities. But both? She is wasted the way she is. The girl deserves to make a choice about her—”

“I will not give anyone a reason to take her away from us,” the baron said curtly, cutting Talbert off.

They stared at each other, unblinking and furious.

“My word is final. Her future doesn’t involve war. She will live a life of peace, away from the world of death,” said the baron. “I shouldn’t have let it go this far. It’s my fault. I should have stopped her from ever picking up a sword.” True terror ripped across his face.

“Johnathan—”

“Enough!”

The room was silent.

My energy slowly returned. I looked around the room.

My eyes widened.

The throne upon which the baron sat was destroyed. The head of it was gone. A large hole was behind it. It led outside the castle, opening the area up to the wilderness. The floor was cracked as if lashed with steel whips. The air seemed warmer, too.

Looking down at myself, I could see why the baron threw a cape over me. My clothes were in tatters. I was basically naked. The explosion of my gift must have shredded them as it burst from my skin.

I probably would have spent more time thinking about that if my arms weren’t freaking me out.

The right was pure white from my shoulder to my fingers. The left was the inverse. What looked like black rags wrapped around it, darkening and texturing my arm.

Slowly, the colors faded, revealing my ordinary flesh underneath.

Master Talbert stared at me with curiosity. For a moment, there was a flash of… something… in his gaze I didn’t recognize.

Feeling uncomfortable, I pulled the baron’s cloak tighter around my body.

Master Talbert sighed. “As you wish, my lord. If that is all, shall we allow Lady Scarlet to dress? Being in her condition around a bunch of older men is likely uncomfortable, even if one of them is her father.”

The baron frowned. “Yes.” He pulled his cloak even tighter around me. “Somebody fetch Sonya!”

•

Hours later, I entered the forest through the crack in the wall. Armed in my typical skirt-and-shirt combo, I made my way to the meadow toward my friends.

“Oh, you’re here. Thank the Gods,” I said as I spotted the three people I was looking for.

“Lucky us! Captain Van Gallan left for the afternoon on business with the castle. Gave us the rest of the day off,” remarked Alexander. His feet dipped gingerly in the pond as he waved at me. “Though those two never know how to sit back and relax.”

Remi and Nigel were crossing blades. Both dripped with sweat. Nigel stopped fighting when he saw me. With a wave and a smile, he acknowledged my arrival.

Remi smacked him on the top of the head with her wooden sword.

“Ah-ha!” shouted Remi.

“Ow!” Nigel complained.

“Heh! You let a girl distract you! Now I win! Bow before me, weakling!” commanded Remi with a lofty attitude brimming with sarcasm. She pointed to the ground as if telling—no, ordering—Nigel to prostrate before her.

“That wasn’t fair,” Nigel snapped. He rubbed the top of his scalp.

“Nope. I think she won. Do whatever Remi says from now on,” I apprised Nigel.

“Yes, Lady Scarlet,” mockingly keened Nigel.

I pouted. “Gotta love how you used to call me Lady Scarlet so much when we first met. Now you only use it sarcastically.”

“Yeah, ‘lady’ severely overemphasizes your personality,” remarked Alexander from the pond.

“Ha!” I let out a sharp bit of laughter. “Tell my father that.”

“Hmm. Something wrong in paradise?” asked Remi. She dug the tip of her wooden blade into the dirt. She leaned on the hilt, looking at me. Sweat dripped from her hands down the edge onto the ground.

I held up both my hands as if they contained hidden answers inside my palms. “Good news or bad news?”

“Good news. Bad news takes time to comprehend. It also overshadows the good fortunes. Best to get your spirits killed than to never have them rise,” said Nigel.

“Aren’t you cheery?!” said Alexander. He moved his feet out of the water. “But yeah, what he said.”

I laughed.

In my vision, I spotted a boulder. It was just outside the forest. We usually used it for bow target practice.

The muscles in my core stretched upon command. Heat built in my body, and energy flowed around my frame, crafting a miracle into reality.

I remembered the feeling from when I had essentially burst forth with energy. I’d never forget it. It was as if it were permanently ingrained into my brain, similar to breathing.

Light surged from my hand. It hit the rock.

A large chunk blew out of the side.

My friends gawked in wonderment.

“So I ate a Divine Treat today,” I meekly pronounced.

“THE HELL WAS THAT?!” shouted Alexander.

“Light gift,” whispered Remi. Her eyes moved from me to the hole in the boulder.

“A rare ability,” noted Nigel. He stared at me with a spark of wonder.

I smirked. “That’s not all.”

Three sets of eyebrows raised with curiosity.

I clenched the power in my core again. A different ‘color’ blended within my abdomen as I exuded my dark gift. Again, it felt as if I’d known how to do this my entire life.

Black tendrils seeped from my arm. They lurched forward, jabbed into the boulder, then pulled.

The boulder ripped in half as dust exploded from the middle.

“Shit!” Alexander exclaimed. He fell backward. “The hell?!”

“Dark gift.” Remi’s mouth dropped.

“A Dyad,” I confirmed, releasing a hearty laugh. “It’s been a good day.”

“You do realize how exceptional that is, don’t you?” Remi asked. There was worry in her voice.

“So I was told.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“Will you be joining us from now on?”

“Joining you?”

Nigel remarked, “With Captain Van Gallan. With powers like this, you should have been offered some form of gift training.”

I frowned. My eyes veered away. “Unfortunately not.”

“Come again?” Alexander remarked.

“From today forward, no one is allowed to teach me how to use my gifts. It is officially forbidden by the baron. Talbert is also no longer my instructor.” A fair bit of laughter left my lips. “It’s okay. I’ll practice everything in secret on my own time. What’s he going to do? Throw me in a cell? I’ll just train there too.”

“It’s absurd,” muttered Remi. Her gaze focused on the ground. “Light and dark gifts are already as rare as Admix gifts. Talbert’s a dark gift user and the only one in this territory. No one in the area has access to light gifts. Counting me, Nigel, the captain, and the three others around the lake, there are six people with Admix gifts.”

“And Scarlet can use light and dark powers, making her rarer than even Talbert,” concluded Nigel.

“I get that Scarlet’s his daughter, but the baron’s decision makes no sense from a strategic and militaristic standpoint,” Remi said to herself. “What is his reasoning?”

“My job is to get married and stay safe,” I answered for her, groaning. I walked over to the pond and stared at my reflection. “I get where he’s coming from. I do. But it’s not what I want.” I sighed. “Oh well. I didn’t really know what I was gonna do after I became an Eater anyway, so I’ve got a few years to figure it out. It definitely wasn’t going to be joining the military. I don’t really know what he’s worried about.”

Remi and Nigel pouted. I couldn’t blame them. Talbert and Van Gallan had been the same way. In their eyes, their baron had produced a new state-of-the-art fighter jet and was leaving it in storage. It was a waste, but, oh godsdamned well! I was not going to fight and die for someone else, ever.

I just wanted the power to have power. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with it. 

“Amen. Fight against the oppressive hierarchy,” Alexander joked, breaking me from my thoughts. He looped his hand in a sarcastic circle high in the air. “Down with tyranny.”

“Shut up,” Remi hissed at Nigel. She looked at me. “We’ll help you with your gifts.”

“Huh?” I blinked, confused. “Why? You’re not allowed.”

Nigel shrugged. “I think that order was given to Van Gallan and Talbert, not us. It’s their fault for not relaying it to us in person.”

“I don’t know anything,” Remi added, further emphasizing the deceit. “We’re just three friends helping out a fellow Eater. What’s wrong with that? We’re lowly grunts in the knighthood hierarchy. We’re not privy to the goings-on of our betters. Whoa is us!”

“Um, guys. This is cute and all, but if she doesn’t control her gifts well, she could kill us. We just starting learning our gifts ourselves,” nervously chortled Alexander. “And it’s kind of risky, you know? Defying the person who employs us with full control of the military. Heh, heh. Is that a good idea when I have no doubt Scarlet’s going to figure everything out by herself?”

Emotion surged through me. “Alexander’s right. You shouldn’t take on this kind of risk.”

“Well, we’re gonna. At least, I’m gonna,” said Remi. “You’re the only other girl I get to talk to every day about non-work stuff, so we’re friends by default. Friends help each other out.”

Friends, huh? Sure. We’ll go with that for now. We’ll see how long that lasts.

I laughed. “So heartwarming. What a way to phrase it.”

“It’ll be second-hand advice, though,” said Nigel carefully. “We’re by no means masters, and neither of us knows how to use your gift. Only our own.”

“It’s better than nothing.” I bowed my head in reverence. “Thank you!”

“Don’t do that. It makes me uncomfortable,” Remi said.

The three of them muttered in agreement.

“You ate the Treat today, right? Then we’ll start next week. Let your body get adjusted to the feeling. Try not to overdo things,” Nigel informed me.

“Will do!” My expression then darkened. “Now, all I need is to ruin all future marriage talks until my family gives up on me.”

“I can help that,” Remi said. “As Nigel’s replacement for all your beyond the castle outings, I’d be honored.”

I’d asked for Remi to take over guard duty for me during events for one reason: she was a girl. Nigel was very stoic and unhelpful in that part of my life, and it clearly killed his brain cells. I couldn’t blame him. It did the same thing to me. Remi, however, could actually offer advice and tips to improve my “girly” relationships, as well as provide reasons for me to leave early. She’d done a fantastic job with all that so far, and it looked like she’d be going above and beyond the call of duty with any potential suitors. 

Honestly, I was beginning to trust her, as much as my heart and mind didn’t want to.

“What are you trying to do about the marriage stuff?” wondered Alexander. He seemed a little behind. I couldn’t remember if I’d ever talked with him about it before. Then again, he’d never been one of my guards, so I probably hadn’t.

“Preventing me from an arranged marriage,” I said. “Become so repulsive to men that rumors circulate about me, I become unmarriageable, and my family gives up on me. Then, I can go to the University in Camden, do a Noble Pilgrimage, open a business. Whatever! The point is to create other stuff I can do other than become a wife.”

“Yeah. That’s going to be hard,” he said while looking at me. “Impossible, actually. You should probably give up.”

My brow knitted together and my eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“I’ll put it as blunt as possible, so don’t get mad at me.” Alexander raised his hands cautiously. “You’re short, pretty, with big boobs and a skinny body. Plus, you’re the daughter of one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the region. On top of that, you’re a Dyad now. And you’re a Chosen Child.” He stared at me sadly. “You could probably shit in your hand and throw it at every guy you see, and it still wouldn’t make ’em run.”

I made a face of pure disgust.

Remi slapped Alexander on the back of the head.

“It’s true!” he defended.

“Oh, Gods, it probably is,” I muttered. 

The light left my eyes. Even though he said all that in the most streamlined, disgusting way possible, I knew in my heart he was right.

Babbling to myself, I found the nearest tree, slid down it, and hugged my knees to my chest.

“If I get fat and lop off the tits, maybe I have a chance,” I said to myself. “Then I’ll be free! Hell, I can just burn my face a little. Scars are ugly. That’ll work.”

Remi hit Alexander again. “Idiot.”

“Ow! Stop it!”

Nigel sighed, pinching his brow as he looked out at us with pity and worry.

< Previous | Table of Contents | Next >