Book 2 Chapter 6: Lessons and Dreams

 Filtiarn took over the challenges, loosing three tassles while claiming seven. Vero noted the sneaking kind that came after him as he observed the battle and he allowed two to get snatched while turning around and grabbing three in total off the thiefs. He marveled at how easy this seemed. Perhaps, hearing how Filtiarn had worked on this, would shed light on what lesson he was supposed to be learning here.

As they finally entered the room they locked the door and this time Filtiarn pulled the bed in front of it so it wouldn’t swing far in. Vero smirked. Why hadn’t they been doing that before? Was it just so they could reap tassels?

“You sure catch on quick,” Filtiarn smiled as he indicated to the three new tassels. Vero unclipped his and kept one. He watched the Master do the same and they piled the collection together.

“So tell me, what am I supposed to be learning here,” Vero said firmly.

“Well milord. You probably understand the principles of weaknesses from these but the other lessons come from the interactions with everyone else,” Filtiarn said with a grin.

“Like the guides who are actually gate keepers,” Vero said and Filtiarn laughed.

“You could call them that, but if you think standing out is enough to begin climbing here, then they are to teach you humility,” Filtiarn said with a sideways smile. No doubt he had suffered from the humiliation when he first came here.

“The way to thrive here is to make allies,” Filtiarn continued.

“With all this thievery?” Vero asked as he looked at the tassels.

“You want those with high integrity and honor on your side and in order to attract that, you need to be that sort of being,” Filtiarn said. “Ylva was that person for me.” Vero looked at the Ulrika with a wan smile. “Though I lost my spot here a few times due to choosing the wrong people to support,” Filtiarn chuckled. “They sure played me well back then.”

“Overconfident?” Vero smirked, guessing how his Master’s personality used to be. The Ulrika shrugged.

“Perhaps. It was galling how much of a fool I was back then. I was stuck trying to stay in level two for two years back then.”

Vero wanted to laugh, but he could also imagine it. If he wasn’t being taught by the Ulrika, then how long would it have taken him to get this far.

“This place is also designed to destroy master-servant relations as its a free for all. If a servant or slave can surpass the master, they can earn their freedom and the rewards are not something to scoff at. I’ve already been told by many of the robed ones around here what I could achieve,” Filtiarn said with obvious chuckles at their antics.

“I see, so just having that, isn’t enough here,” Vero mumbled as he looked towards the window. It made sense that there would be rooms for two here as you would want allies. “Wait, did having Ylva as an ally mean you shared a room with her?”

“No! Hardly. I wouldn’t dare come in the same room as her. We got two rooms right next to each other and whoever was on guard duty would stand outside in between them. Those single rooms… you can’t move the beds like this,” Filtiarn said as he tapped the bed he sat on with a wink.

Vero sighed. Ylva was just as scary as a newbie as she was a veteran. He supposed it was just her personality.

“What else?” Vero asked, curious what other lessons were here.

“Hmm?”

“Lessons?” Vero replied back, hoping to bring back the original topic.

“Oh, lad. I can’t go telling them all to you. You’ll figure them out with time. Just think on it. I’ll guard the door while you rest,” Filtiarn smiled and Vero sighed as he fell back on the bed. So it was going to be like that. He could muse on this, but as he began thinking, he felt his eyes grow heavy and he fell asleep. It was the safest they had been so, he could spare a bit of deep sleep.

That night, he dreamed.

“Amarok!” A young man called. Vero watched as the man approached and Amarok sighed. He seemed to say a name, but Vero didn’t catch it.

“What do you want?”

“I can wield the sword. Just let me prove it!” the man said and Amarok sighed again.

“Veles hasn’t said you can so it won’t leave the sheath. Besides you’re a human.”

“Then let me be the one who carries it sheathed till its wielder comes.”

“You aren’t going to give this up are you,” Amarok sighed.

Vero watched as the man had it strapped to his side. He stood to the side of the order as they looked down at the battlefield. Many foreboding creatures wandered the land it’s screams of terror from the living having vanished before they turned to their next target.

“The dark one is on the move again.”

“At this rate, this whole place will be nothing but a desert.”

“Let’s move. Look for the strong ones, that should draw it out,” Amarok said as he began to slide down the mountain. The others only hesitated for a brief second, but the man who carried the scabbard descended and they too followed.

Vero watched briefly as they began fighting, then it shifted to a loud roar and Vero noted the large amounts of of dead strewn across the field. He felt weary as if he was fighting with them. The human was brandishing the scabbard and Vero knew his other sword was missing. He then found himself looking at the battle from the eyes of the man.

A giant black creature emerged from the battlefield and Vero wondered how he hadn’t seen it before. The others began to focus their attacks at the creature, each wielding black weapons. Inwardly Vero knew this must be the dark one. The human also ran over, unafraid. While the Yowlume fought it, this human scaled its back till it got close to a pulsing scar and it drove the scabbard in. The dark one yowled and spun around, knocking back the others. The human was flung from the back and rolled as he made impact. He hit a tree at the end of his roll and paused to catch his breath.

Vero growled as the scene shifted and all the attackers were exhausted and figuring out a retreat plan. All but the human who kept fighting off the creatures as he made his way back to the dark one.