Chapter 16

Again, it was way too early to be awake. And this time, Christopher was actually dressed when I opened my eyes. “Come on, you better hurry,” he said, as I apparently slept through the horn that was just finishing its horrible strangulation of whatever song was supposed to come out.

I got up and quickly dressed, joining Christopher at the door. Again, we were the last ones out. This time though, no one really seemed to focus on us, instead huddled in little groups, whispering between themselves. I heard bits of “so well”, “amazing”, and “best I’ve had” in the cracks of incomprehensible layered chatter. I glanced over to Sarah, the only other one to not receive the pill. She was standing alone, brushing her frazzled hair from her eyes, looking the same as ever.

“Step to,” Lieutenant Bradey ordered. His own eyes still looked nearly closed despite the buzz that filled the rest. We followed the same winding route through the halls, passing door after door that I could only wonder the contents of. Bradey was seeming more and more like just a guide and I realized with a small shock that I was starting to forget the treatment I had first received from him. It had certainly kept me from interrupting him, though he seemed in possession of far fewer words on these morning and evening escorts than he had first been. Perhaps it was the time of day, as he was not short of conversation when I had looked over to where he sat with the other blue cloaked adults during meals, and there was always idle chatter to and from those. I didn’t dwell on it any further as we reached what was undeniably our classroom.

“Good morning,” Scolffice greeted us as soon as we were all seated. “Now today… yes, question?” Several recruits had their hand raised, something that happened a decent number of times yesterday, but usually only in response to Scolffice asking a question or saying something that one thought needed some elaboration.

The one Scolffice had pointed to quickly cleared his throat and lowered his hand. “Will we be receiving more Soulsleep tonight, sir?”

All the other hands went down.

“If you perform adequately,” Scolffice responded, “then you will be rewarded accordingly.” There were silent looks and nods around the room as that seemed to placate them all. “Now, as I was saying, today we will be doing something a bit different. Due to the majority of the military mages being away, things have been a bit lax. As they will be returning this afternoon, we will be moving more into a typical schedule, starting with a morning jog, breakfast, and then class, though those have been reversed for today. So, since it was clearly something that not all of you were paying attention to the review yesterday, let us review the history of our relationship with the Baostalin Empire…”

While there were a few groans and dirty looks thrown at an oblivious Sarah, I was more focused on what he said right before: ‘returning this afternoon’. The lesson, or I supposed would more accurately be called a review of a review, again went over my head. A small part of me hoped I wouldn’t be asked about its contents later.

Very little of the lesson failed to stick, as very little of it was actually listened to. I was practically in a daze as I followed along, so focused on the return of the other mages, and Captain Hector, that I failed to realize that we had something new today, just sitting at the table as the oatmeal in front of me cooled.

“Hey behind-me-buddy.”

I turned to my right as Sarah’s voice shook me out of my stupor. “You want your apple?” she asked, pointing just past my bowl where the small apple sat. I noticed she only had a core beside her bowl.

“Oh, uh, no, you can have it,” I quickly answered.

“Hmm…” She narrowed her eyes and leaned in, closing the distance between us before I could adequately lean back. “No, you want it. Need it, at least,” she said with a nod. “Pear really liked apples.” She looked back at her core and then back to me, surely seeing my bafflement. “Oh, want to see Pear?”

“Um, ok?” I didn’t know how to possibly answer that and figured the path of least resistance would also be the shortest.

She looked back and forth before holding her hand out. Mana accumulated, spinning strings of light that I realized were starting to form a shape. A round body, poking up in the top, a small sphere budding from the back. “Is that a bunny?” I asked as it fully took shape, and she grinned, nodding.

“No magic in the mess hall!” Brontus yelled, not at all moving or looking from his seat.

“Eep!” Sarah jumped, startled. The phantom rabbit disappeared and her empty hand closed into a fist. I chuckled as her face appeared to redden slightly and she snapped back to finishing her oatmeal. I grabbed my spoon to do the same.

“Can’t trick The Bone Mage,” Christopher chuckled from across us, not seeming at all startled by the shout. He appeared to see my look of confusion before elaborating, “It’s Brontus’s nickname.” I nodded; it fit.

“Finish up,” Bradey called, and I scarfed down a half dozen bites of oatmeal before devouring the apple in even less, nearly choking. I rose just a second behind the otherwise last person and kept up with the group, leaving half a bowl of oatmeal behind.

After finishing the meal, we were brought outside, back through twisting halls in the opposite direction of the dormitories. I would have been hopelessly lost, just following the group, despite thinking that I was getting an understanding of this place, its network of winding interior paths failing to stick; it didn’t help that most of the hallways were identical.

In the open grass stood a solitary figure. I could tell from her frame, shadowed by a billowing blue cloak, that it was a woman, but that was all I had to go off of as most of her face was obscured by a mask that appeared to be fashioned from leather and metal. I was more surprised than I realized I should have been; it made sense that there would be other mages, or at least adults, here that we didn’t interact or cross paths with. Someone had to be putting no effort into the food.

“Amalay here will be supervising the running. If you fall behind her… don’t,” Brontus growled, vague and still threatening. He took his place to the left of us, stepping up with the furthest recruit. Bradey hung back, leaning against the wall, while Andor took his place on our far side. “NOW RUN!” Brontus screamed at us, already taking off in a significant jog.

I jumped to following after him along with the others. I knew I wasn’t exactly unfit, but I was surprised at the pace as I wasn’t what I would call a ‘runner’.

“Cut that out, Sarah!” Brontus screamed without turning around. I glanced over to see flecks of light disappearing from around her. Her breathing quickly increased as she fell further back. I was forced to follow her as the pace was wearing on me.

“RUN!”

The boomed behind me and I nearly tripped, panicking as I shook me to my core. I looked back as I stepped it up a notch, subconsciously expecting to see some great and horrible monster. Instead it was the lithe woman in the mask. Her eyes focused on me and I quickly looked forward, shrivelling under her gaze, feeling like I might dehydrate. Clearly I had liquid to spare as sweat beaded on my forehead, stinging my eyes as it began to run down, sticking my bangs to skin. Are we going faster!? I didn’t have the capacity to focus on much else as I ran at what felt like almost a sprint for what could have been two minutes or two hours.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Brontus called, holding up a fist to signal as he slowed to a stop. “Boy, you weaklings are pathetic,” he grumbled loud enough for even myself to hear in the back as he took in the sight. At least half of the group had taken a knee, most more. Sarah was on her back, staring up, her wild tangles of hair matted into a single sheet under her. Christopher stood near the front of the pack, looking winded but steady on both feet, hardly a glisten of sweat on his brow. I looked and saw we had done a full lap around the compound, which struck me more like a mansion than a fortress in its appearance, equal parts training grounds and barracks for the military mages. There was nothing around other than trees that formed thick woods around the perimeter, about a hundred metres from any of the sides.

I saw Bradey wandering over, but that was about all the looking I could do before I closed my eyes, bowing my head as I attempted to blink out any sweat I could. I waited for Brontus to call us to keep running but instead what I heard first was unmistakably the whinny of horses.

“Company returning!” Bradey called. “Line up! Now!”

I froze. ‘Company returning’. They were early. Perhaps an hour, perhaps several, but the return I dreaded pressed in as I looked to see men and women on horseback spill out of the forest. Some wore helmets, others armour, but most were dressed in well tailored clothing that was shaded by the blue cloaks that unified them.

“Hurry!” Andor said as he yanked me backwards toward the already formed line. His voice was low and sounded worried, as if something worse than a simple disorderly line would be the consequence if I failed to get into position. I scurried into line, mixing with the last few of us as they let me in, shuffling nervously as they tried not to break form. I copied their stiff stature, hands at my sides, back straight, head up.

Bradey marched ahead of us with a stiffness I didn’t realize he was capable of. His right hand shot to his forehead as he saluted the leader of the group. A small part of me tried to distract myself as I wondered if eyes were fully open or still half closed to welcome back the man as he descended his horse.

“Captain Hector, sir!”

The captain gave a salute back in response to his greeting, the pinkie of his right glove being the only finger loosely dangling. Time felt like it slowed to an icy crawl as he turned to face us trainees, and I saw his full face head on. Either it was his brow or simply the depth of his eyes, but they looked as if they were bored into his head, shadowy pools that took in more than they should. Where hair would normally either fully be or not at all was undecided on his head as he had clearly shaved it to just a few millimetres in length, spiky bristles covering the entire top without gaps. His head, the skull almost visible in its shape, was round not like an egg but like a potato, though the form hardly distracted from the stare of his gaze.

“At ease, Lieutenant." He turned his attention from Bradey and looked us over, pacing down our line in a practised march, feet driving into the earth as if he were punishing it. I was not at the end of the line but he stopped his march right in front, pivoting on his heel to face our line. He took a step forward, making eye contact with no one else beside me, as if singling me out. “I’ve heard about you. Ren, right?”

I nodded, swallowing deep.

He stared down at me, tilting his head slightly. For a second, gone was the man who loomed as an ornate judge, my potential psychopomp. He just stared at me as his eyes took on a more intimate look, as if staring into me, truly seeing me in a way few ever had. “...You really look just like her,” he whispered, soft enough that I didn’t know if anyone else could have heard it.

Then that second was gone. He straightened, his figure again the shape of a military captain. His chin stuck out and he stared down his nose at me. “Killed your own sister for your magic, eh?” he asked rhetorically, though only because I stayed silent in response. My non-answer didn’t seem to dissuade him though as he continued, with no judgement in his voice, just a hint of unearned familiarity. “Followed in your uncle’s footsteps in that, I see.” A breath caught in my throat at that as a smile of stolen and twisted pride grew on his face. “Good to finally meet you, nephew.”