First Light, page 12
“So let me see if I understand this correctly…” he mumbled. “You want to transfer from the Knight Academy—away from the special educational opportunities I set up for you—to instead attend the Vanguard Academy in Jelmoore? Why?”
“I think it would be an excellent opportunity for multiple reasons.”
Leonidas arched an eyebrow. “Those being?”
“For starters, it would provide me with worldly knowledge that none of my siblings have been granted. Even you and grandfather never ventured far from the capital. I think it is time that someone in our family learned more about the people.”
Leonidas’s expression openly portrayed how little he believed is son’s words were his own. He did not know Lestreus very well—having basically ignored him for most of his life—but he knew his son had never been this motivated before. Sure, he was a bookworm, but he was also well known to look down upon others, and someone like that would not do well in an academy filled with commoners.
“Anything else?”
“Would it not be politically advantageous to send one of your children to stay in a southern city? It might go a long way toward settling some of the negative feelings right now.”
“Sure, it could. Or it could cause more disruptions. I take it Lord Henner presented this offer to you? These words do not feel like your own,” Leonidas asked dryly. “We should not do anything to be too disruptive in these times. Every action we take has the potential to affect the lives of millions. As royalty, we must be aware of this…”
Lestreus stayed silent, his face still determined.
“I see.” Leonidas leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh. “Listen well, my son. You are plainly aware of the dissonance between our nobles. What of the influence Volar has on our territories near it? Are you even aware, truly, of the frustrations that nation has with the Crucidian Church? It would be best to remain impartial to that which you have no experience.”
“Father, why must we do nothing? We always sit here in our capital under the guise of impartiality. I… I'm not sure that’s the right move anymore.”
Leonidas sighed. “Lestreus, the south—Jelmoore in particular—and the royal family of Volar are very close. Sending my son, with well-known ties to the Crucidian Church mind you, to the only city that does trade with the Volari may cause people to assume I am supporting the church’s behaviors. We must, again, remain impartial. It is how we have always ruled.”
“Father, I don’t think that’s the way anymore. I fear our guiding hand has become something else. We let the nobles rule themselves and it has worked out for most. The northern territories are a veritable trove of wealth. Yet the southern cities are insignificant. Their populace toils away; struggling against monsters and bandits. Their only reprieve from such things is a third-party organization who thrives off violence.
“Their nobles do nothing of note other than cavort with foreign and private powers in spite of the freedoms they have been given. Gods above, Father, when has a southerner even attended your royal court? The furthest north I’ve heard of one of their lords traveling is Nefera.”
“Son.”
“The church sends their missionaries to spread the word of the gods, the very gods who blessed our family with rule over this nation. Through this, they have learned of the plights the southerners face. They have offered gifts and reprieve to the southern lords to ease the lives of their citizenry. Yet, they shoved those gifts aside!” Lestreus could feel the frustration rising, his voice increasing in volume.
“So, what if a foreign power believes we support the church? We should! They have offered to step in and improve the lives of our southern subjects, regardless of them deserving it, where you have not. We should be so lucky that people realize how important the church is to our nation! Look at how prosperous we are up north, where the words of the gods and the gifts of our faithful are graciously accepted!”
Leonidas sat in silence, allowing his son’s words to simply wash over him.
“Father, I will go to the Vanguard Academy,” Lestreus proclaimed. “Our nation needs to change. Our ways need to change. I don’t have all the answers yet, but according to Lord Henner, this will help me. I have to do something different, even if that means spending time around brutes who masquerade as heroes. Heroes who would not be needed if their nobility accepted Henner’s offer.”
Lestreus left the room without a second look at his father. He knew these actions risked him losing financial support from the crown, but Archpriest Henner promised it would not be a problem. When he had first asked Lestreus what he thought about attending a commoner school like the Vanguard Academy, Lestreus was intensely offended. He had not let this offense show however, because Lord Henner was his benefactor.
The priest had explained to Lestreus that there were aspects of the world that he could only learn by witnessing them. He wanted to show the prince the ‘evils’ of the Path of Volar and the Volari people who refused to adapt to the ways of the church. He also needed to see the differences between the southern cities and those in the north himself.
Of course, the prince had another reason for going aside from the request of the portly priest. The mysterious man in gray robes was a larger reason for taking this step. His question of what the fourteenth prince would do differently than his ancestors plagued Lestreus nightly. Every moment was occupied by the obsessive desire to answer that strange man’s question. For the life of him, the prince could not figure out why. Maybe that question was why he finally felt such resolve to stand against his father.
Chapter Eleven
Rune
In the weeks following the Shadow Wolf quest, Rune and Ven continued to take jobs around both Hilden and Dorn. They agreed to avoid any jobs that would take them to Locke or Jelmoore, at Rune’s own request. Ven had no problem voicing her confusion about why he wanted to avoid these places so badly.
One night, she finally asked him directly what his reasoning was, so he answered her. Rune tried to explain how ‘something’ had told him he needed to avoid going to Jelmoore until he was a D-Ranker. For the life of her, Ven could not understand why he felt that way, but Rune silently refused to tell her how it had come to him in a dream, for fear of sounding insane. His reasoning for not returning to Locke was easier for him to explain, though.
“So, you need to feel you accomplished something before going home, huh?” Ven asked between sips of her drink. It was a watered-down mead that they had grown accustomed to drinking after returning from a job. The Hall served stiffer things, but they preferred lighter options. They were not the best tasting, but at least they were cheap. It also kept them from getting too drunk too quickly.
“Sure, I know I started out a rank above standard. That is usually considered impressive enough from what I’ve gathered, but I think I would like to wait until I figure out my Class,” Rune shared while shyly scratching his cheek. “I, at least, know for sure I am Awakened, but I don’t think I can face Tara without advancing past the basics, ya’ know?”
Ven’s face soured. “Right, Tara, your girlfriend.”
“She’s not my girlfriend. She’s a childhood friend.”
“I’ll tell you something, Rune. No one talks that much about someone who is a ‘friend’. So, take your bullshit elsewhere, will you?”
Ven snorted in frustration, cutting the conversation short. Rune could not find it in himself to keep it going either. Every time he brought up Tara, Ven’s mood plummeted. He wasn’t so blind as to not realize what was going on by this point, even though it had taken him longer than he liked to admit.
Ven was a charming and beautiful young woman; not in spite of her abrasiveness, but because of it. She was also someone he respected very much because of her open emotions and honest words. In time, they could have grown closer, but as things stood, he could not allow himself to move things forward with anyone else. Something like that did not feel right.
They continued to eat their meal in awkward silence before he broke it with a question of his own. “Ven, I’ve been meaning to ask you ever since you asked about my name. Why is your name so close to the name of the continent, Vendreya?”
Ven paused. Her face said she was still annoyed, but she graciously answered him. “It’s a Zentus tradition. Our people are typically nomadic back home, and we place a lot of weight on exploration. So, when you have a child, you typically name them something similar to the place they were born.”
“Oh, that’s neat.”
“Yeah. Mom’s the same way. She’s Mona ‘cus she was born on a boat on the way here called the Monathis, I believe,” Ven continued.
“Any other weird Zentus things I need to know?”
Ven took another swig, as if she needed bravery to help her answer him. She shifted uncomfortably before releasing a heavy sigh. “Yeah. I have two dads and another mom. Not my thing, but Mom’s people tend to have multiple partners. Martin and Stella are my other parents.”
Before Rune could make a comment on that, his focus was broken by a commotion at the door. They both looked up and saw a group of familiar faces. The leader locked eyes with Rune and waved excitedly while heading towards the table.
“Rune! Ven! Good to see you both!”
Ven's eyes went wide. “Mom! Lex! Tabor! I didn’t know you were getting back today!”
“Ha! Of course not. I wanted to surprise you, sweetie. I just got back from making a delivery to the Hall and spoke with Jacob. He said you two have been doing pretty well for yourselves!”
“Yeah, we’ve been working together, I’d say. We’ve done what…ten jobs together?” Rune stated.
“That sounds about right. We actually just got back from one tracking down an Echo Bear nest. We didn’t fight any, but it was a well-paying scouting job, so we took it.” Ven nodded before downing the rest of her drink in a single gulp. She stood up and gave her mother a heavy embrace.
“Missed you too, kiddo. Hey, I packed your stuff already. You ready to go?” Mona said while hugging her daughter. It was a strange sight, watching a powerful warrior like Mona play the part of a doting mother. Yet it was the most natural thing in the world.
“You aren’t going to stick around?” he asked. His heart fell a little, realizing what was coming.
“Yeah, that’s right, kiddo. Time to get back to Jelmoore. We just had to drop off a delivery and pick up Ven. Of course, you know I also had to see Jacob before heading back. Besides, I have to get back to Martin, or he will get lonely!”
The laughter of the situation died down. Rune could tell everyone was prolonging this on his behalf. It was kind, but also kind of hurt. Thankfully, Ven seemed to notice.
“Well,” she coughed, “Mom is going back to Jelmoore and I’m going to enroll at the Vanguard Academy there. If you wanna break into the upper ranks of the Vanguard, get a degree there.” Ven shifted, clearly uncomfortable with the somber mood that was setting in. “Hey, you sure you don’t wanna come, too?”
Rune felt the sudden, intense urge to pack his bags, when he recalled his strangely realistic and terrifying dream once more. He shook his head. “No, I’m gonna stick around here for a while. I could use some more time getting used to life outside of Locke before I head to the big city. Plus, I have to get D-Rank first!”
Jacob who had walked into the building and positioned himself behind Mona, nodded with approval, and put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. He gave him a solid thumbs up. The group then finished their goodbyes before Mona and her group finally left, on their way to Jelmoore. Surprisingly, Ven gave quite the enthusiastic handshake to Rune before leaving. He had figured she would be as sad as he was that they were separating, but maybe she was just looking forward to the future. She already knew of his dream to break into the S-Rank, so he would have to join her there, eventually.
Ven then shocked Rune by giving him a sudden hug. Contradicting the firm handshake, there was a momentary tremble in her arms, which faded quickly. “Look, you better hurry and get D-Rank. If you don’t get in this semester somehow, I’ll drag your ass to Jelmoore myself before the next school year. Also, I will absolutely bully you as your senior.”
Rune could only respond with resigned laughter because he knew she was telling the truth. Mona seemed to give a sly smile to the pair of friends, but she quickly hid it before her daughter turned around to see it. Mona shot Rune a knowing glance, leaving Rune to only slightly shake his head. Mona frowned at his silent denial of her insinuations.
After a prolonged goodbye, Rune returned to the Hall alongside Jacob. The Hall Master informed him that now that he was on his own, he should look for a new party before he started taking jobs. At E-Rank, he could take F-Rank jobs on his own, but to take an E-Rank job, he needed at least one other member with him. While the young man stood in front of the job board, he noticed a few requests for Bash Eagle plates and feathers. There were also a few requests to hunt down some wolves and boars of various species.
“Hey, newbie!” a voice called out from behind Rune. “Saw that the boss’ daughter ditched you here in town. Feelin’ lonely now that your girlfriend is gone?”
Rune turned around to see a plain man surrounded by a group of his friends. They were all chuckling at their friend’s attempt at a joke. Choosing to ignore the fool, he turned back to the quest board. Now that Ven was gone, it was a sure thing Bordo and his gang would bother him. Though, it was surprising that it had happened this quickly. It was likely because he was spending so much time around Ven and her family that he avoided it until now.
Bordo’s group did not appreciate the idea of a newbie ignoring them. Their prey had escaped once thanks to the protection of another, but now he was alone. Ripe for torment. Bordo’s hand clamped tightly onto Rune’s shoulder, daring him to turn away a second time. The man’s veins glowed slightly and his muscles bulged almost unnaturally.
He locked eyes with Rune and growled, “Listen here, twerp. I was talking to you. You’re gonna learn to respect your betters.”
Can’t I have a moment to process my friend leaving town before this idiot comes to mess with me? Rune whined internally.
A familiar pain shot through Rune’s skull. At the same time, the pressure of Bordo’s grip seemed to lessen. “Okay, and how do I go about doing that? I don’t really have it in me today to deal with some newbie-busting.”
The aggression is his tone surprised him. Never had Rune spoken that way to someone, even if they were rude. It was a habit he had picked up from Tara and her parents when he would spend time in their general store. Well, before they started maturing and her father hated his guts.
“Watch your tone, kid. You are ten years too green to get sassy with me. You know what? How ‘bout I show you why you need to respect me and my crew?” the man continued to grumble at Rune. His cronies surrounded the young man and shoved him towards the training area. Their sudden actions and his pounding headache kept him from making the right decision, which would have been to resist or even call out to someone.
The next thing Rune knew, he was in a fighting ring surrounded by dozens of other Vanguard members. People had passed money between each other, taking bets on how many minutes Rune would last. Bordo was already in the ring with him and hyping up the crowd. They responded to his posturing with cries of excitement. Bordo’s friends were shouting praise behind him, egging him on and telling him to turn Rune’s face into a paste. Bordo shot him a sneer while fitting a set of spiked knuckles over his gauntlets.
Out of the corner of his eye, Rune saw a group of people about his age looking on with concern. Two of them were young men with pitying gazes. They tried to leave, but someone in a worn-out robe blocked their path. Rune suspected the group was about to fetch Jacob, but the robed man did not want that to happen. The group of three younger members were then redirected to a space next to the ring. Once they found a spot amongst the crowd, the robed man flashed Rune a teasing smile. I never got around to asking Ven who that guy is.
“No enhanced weapons, kid. So best you remove the one on your belt. You can keep the normal one. Don’t worry, I ain’t gonna make you fight with your fists.” Bordo instructed with a dark chuckle. Rune hesitantly complied, removing his twin sword sheathe and handing it—with only his altered sword in it—to the robed man, who had already approached the ring. He had the group of young Vanguard with him as well.
Rune shook his head. The headache that had been plaguing seemed to get worse by the minute. Taking a good, deep breath, he tightened his grip on his unenhanced sword. He was ready for the fight. Bordo opened and closed his fists a few times before getting into a fighting stance. The two locked eyes for a few seconds that seemed to stretch into minutes. Suddenly, the sound of a bell rang throughout the room, causing the pugilist to launch towards Rune. “Enhance: Leap!” he shouted. For a fraction of a second his face lit up in confusion.
A small flash of purple light erupted from the soles of the man’s feet as he lunged directly at Rune with inhuman speed. Rune was an expert at reacting to the diving techniques of the Bash Eagles and could jump to the side just enough for his opponent to glide past him. Unfortunately for Rune, the pugilist was a human fighter, not a bird monster. This opponent could plan instead of just diving with reckless abandon. As Rune had forgotten to take this into account, one of the man’s fists glanced off Rune’s cheek.
Blood splattered out of Rune’s mouth onto the dirt. Suddenly Rune’s headache vanished. Replaced instead by a dull throb on the side of his face. His vision cleared while a subtle heat settled into his chest. Silent anger flooded his mind. The crowd fell into a hushed silence, expecting the fight to have been finished in the first strike. Several people grumbled, knowing their bets were already lost, with the young man surviving even a glancing blow.
Rune took advantage of his opponent’s surprise and rushed towards him with a quick swing to the man’s right shoulder.
“Enhance: Grip!” the man shouted as his left hand shot at the blade of the sword, intending to catch it. Once again there was a moment of confusion before the man refocused on the fight. Rune expected this and had already prepared to shift the energy of his strike into a kick.
