First Light, page 4
Rune noticed beads of sweat roll down the warrior’s face; his knees shaking. “Any time now, boss. This ain’t forever, ya know. Gods above, this sucks.”
The woman smiled and ran toward the arrows, calling forth the other guards to follow. Her eyes blazed momentarily at Rune, a silent order for him to stay put. The other guards followed and as they reached the wall of light, Mr. Greatsword released his ability and finally fell to one knee, with the sweat from the exertion pouring off his brow. Though Rune was confused at first, he realized the man intended to rely upon his weapon to act as a support once he canceled his ability.
Mr. Archer stepped up and released several arrows into the woods. He had been monitoring the specific locations the attackers were targeting them from and intended to return the arrows. The front of his bow glowed a similar shade as the barrier as he drew his string back. At the moment of release, Rune could have sworn he saw a slight shockwave left behind by the arrows. Several more shots flew from the archer in rapid succession, each either finding their mark or flushing the enemies out of their positions.
Bandits shouted orders from the woods and surged forward. There appeared to only be about ten of them, but that might not have included all the ones who were shooting from behind cover. Their swords clashed, with the guard quickly overwhelming the bandits. The scary woman easily outclassed every bandit who dared approach her. Her twin axes each fended off a different enemy. Once the guard advanced with the help of the large woman, it took mere moments for the attackers to lie on the ground, defeated, with their blood soaking into the dirt.
Rune felt another chill from behind him. Danger. He swung his sword backward and felt his blade connect with metal. The new arrival held a dagger out and had barely blocked his sword in the crook where the blade met the guard. The dagger and its owner’s arm shook beneath the pressure. Thankfully, Rune was stronger. He was not normally in positions where there was a direct competition of strength, so this was a toss-up.
The enemy jumped back quickly as they released the hold against Rune’s blade. Unable to compensate for the lack of resistance, Rune fell forward. Taking advantage of the opening, his attacker rushed forward and slashed the weapon downward onto the back of Rune’s neck. Just before the strike landed, blood sprayed into the air from the assailant’s neck where an arrow had pierced their throat. Rune saw the person’s eyes widen with fear and then fill with pain as they gurgled out incoherent words.
After the person collapsed, Rune noticed there was a subtle purple light coming from them before being replaced with white as they rolled into the back of their head. The attacker was Volari, likely a Wanderer, if they had stooped to banditry. They wore pure black clothes with no sign of armor or padding. Their intention was obvious: finish the fight quickly, in one strike and without having to deal with the risk of retaliation.
Damn, I froze. He groaned internally. Just because it’s a person doesn’t mean I can stop like that. Father would have killed me himself had he seen that. No more. You’re joining the Vanguard. Get it together, Rune.
As he examined the would-be assassin with a shamed expression, the other guards and the three Vanguard warriors gathered the bodies of the fallen bandits. They collected the decent-looking weapons among them and then piled the bodies to burn. Leaving them untouched could cause disease or attract monsters from deeper in the woods. Either scenario would be terrible.
A few hours later, when the fires burned out, the group continued their trek to Hilden. Rune was told he could rest in the wagon again until they reached their destination. He thought about arguing, but after witnessing such a commotion, he decided against it and simply did as he was told.
The woman with the axes approached Rune and congratulated him on surviving his first encounter on his journey. “By the way, kid, the name’s Mona. The archer is Lex and the pansy gasping for air still is Tabor. We’re Vanguard based out of Jelmoore, but we spend a lot of time in Hilden and frequent the routes between them and Locke.”
The man with the great sword, Tabor, looked at Mona with eyes full of indignation. “Woman, how many times I gotta tell you that this shit takes a lot out of me? Next time, why don’t you do it? Oh wait, you can’t! ‘Cus, you ain’t a Shielder like me! Best stop pestering me before I find another party that treats me better!”
Mona and Lex laughed, and Rune wore a big grin. It sounded like these three had worked together for a long time. Rune was glad they finally felt he was worthy to know their names. The friendly exchange also excited him. Rune hoped that one day he could join a party and be as close with them as these three clearly were.
“My name is Rune!” he answered excitedly.
Mona
Alittle while after the ambush, the party was still a day away from their destination. Lex continued to monitor their surroundings while Mona replaced Rune on the guard's rotation. Lex broke the silence after a few hours. “That Volari was a Shadow-Weaver. Scary stuff.”
Mona nodded. “I figured. I am concerned why someone like that was spending time with bandits this far away from Volar. Could be a Wanderer, but still. Skills like that rarely lead one away from their home. Good thing you caught on to his presence in time.”
Lex shook his head with a grim expression. “Wasn’t me. Was the kid.” Mona looked at Lex with a raised eyebrow, prompting him to continue. “Kid noticed them before me. Swung around to catch him, too. One or both of us would be dead if he didn’t somehow notice him.”
Mona nodded slowly and looked towards the wagon with a gaze of surprise and mild respect. She had not expected a country bumpkin and son of a smith to have beaten Lex in battlefield awareness, let alone a Shadow-Weaver.
“Dodged an arrow, too,” Lex stated plainly.
Mona was even more impressed now. To her, it seemed the kid had talent. She wondered how well the kid would do on the entrance test and training. She also wondered if the kid had it in him to work with Hilden’s resident problem child. The thought of Rune working with them made Mona chuckle to herself. They would get along famously, she thought sarcastically. I’m gonna make sure that kid gets in. Awakened or not, that kind of innate awareness he has will keep him alive. And if it keeps him alive, it’ll keep his party alive.
Tayven
“Again!” a commanding voice shouted, dripping with annoyance. “You’ll practice swings till your arms fall off! After that, you’ll run around the walls till your legs fall off!”
A young man currently undergoing cruel and unusual punishment gasped, desperately trying to draw in the air his lungs so desperately craved. He was tall, with deep blue hair, and fairly muscular. His arms had started trembling twenty minutes ago, and now he felt they might actually fall off. The young man did not know if this was some form of punishment for the mistakes of a past life, or if his instructor was simply a demon in disguise. It felt a bit much for what had actually happened…
“Alright! That’s enough!” the trainer shouted. He watched as his victim collapsed in a sweaty heap on the ground. “Fine. Call it a day. You’ll run tomorrow morning before lessons. I think you’ve had enough. Don’t do it again.” He turned around and left the training hall the two had been in all day.
Its wooden floors were covered in scuff marks, with some visible gouges that had yet to be repaired. The blue-haired trainee dropped his practice sword with a thud as he immediately sank to the ground. He massaged his wrists, making sure they were still useable after his torture.
“Lord Tayven, some water for you.” A short butler walked into the room carrying a pitcher of water to refresh the noble’s body. The young noble’s brown eyes hungrily stared at the jug of life before him.
“Thank you very much,” Tayven gasped between gulps of water. “I’m thinking that demon has it out for me.”
The attendant chuckled. “Well, you wouldn’t have to do these extra practice sessions if you just showed up on time to the normal ones. Here at the Vanguard Academy, even nobility is treated equal to the common folk, so no special treatment for you, Young Master. Besides, you are the one who elected to take these extra courses before formal registration.”
Tayven nodded. He knew that attending the Academy would mean no special treatment by staff or peers. In truth, it was the main reason he came all the way to Jelmoore from his home in the trade city of Nefera. Most of his peers attended the Noble’s Academy in the capital, but that was not what Tayven wanted. He was the fifth son of the lord of Nefera, so he was out of succession unless all four of his brothers died or gave up their succession rights. Not to mention he was a bastard with a different mother. With those facts in mind, he had decided to take a different path in life.
The butler gestured for the nobleman to exit the training hall and partake in dinner for the evening. Likely a bath too. Tayven nodded and began to stand and exit before he realized he could not move.
“Um…” he began. The butler chuckled again before coming to his lord’s side and helping him walk towards the bathhouse.
“Young Master. To avoid such a scenario in the future, I would suggest you not show up late to the next training session.”
Tayven nodded grimly at his servant’s words. He again thought he was being punished for something else. Being late did not feel like an adequate reason to torture him so. After the two reached the bathhouse, Tayven could walk by himself once again. He stepped inside the baths and was welcomed by steam and the scent of herbs and oils. The natural hot springs beneath the Academy were a boon to the students who attended as the water, along with the herbs and oils infused in them, helped tortured muscles relax after long days of workouts and exercise.
Tayven sunk slowly into the hot waters and felt the tenderness of his muscles instantly vanish. A satisfied sigh escaped his lips as he sank up to his neck. Everything felt right in the world; so long as he didn’t move his arms at all.
Almost an hour later, Tayven left the bathhouse with some water still dripping off his dark skin. He returned to his quarters, where a lukewarm meal awaited him on a small table next to his bed. It was simple slop compared to the meals he had grown up with. However, he knew it didn’t need to taste good, since he was going to scarf it down before passing out, barely touching his tongue to the food. Tomorrow, the practice instructor would probably have him run laps around the walls of the academy just after dawn, and then he would have to attend afternoon classes. All he needed was the energy, not the flavor.
“What’s on the menu tomorrow?” he asked no one in particular, while grabbing a notebook he used to track his weekly itinerary. Even though he was not a formal student yet, those who moved in early were required to participate in some base level activities. “Aura Theory…damn.”
Tayven wasn’t stupid by any means, and he wasn’t annoyed at having to partake in an intellectual pursuit. He was simply tired of learning so much about Aura Theory without putting that theory into practice. In a few months, the Academy would host a delegation from Volar, and returning with them would be the Aura Arts instructor. She had taken a leave of absence to see family several months ago. Only when she was present could the school host the Awakening Ceremony, a ceremony where the students at the school would learn what kind of Awakened they were if they were one. This was assuming the student had not already learned of their Class.
Tayven knew he was one, but did not know what class he possessed yet. Realistically, there were only three options for him. He could end up as a Shielder, a Pulser, or an Enhancer. Others were possible, but not likely. Just like all young men with a passion for the sword and a dream of heroics, he hoped his Class was an Enhancer, able to strengthen his own body with the mythical powers of Aura. Only time would tell for him, of course.
Chapter Four
Ven
Dozens of thoughts ran through Ven’s head at once. None of them were flattering or kind. She did not appreciate the newcomer in the Vanguard’s Hall, and she certainly did not enjoy witnessing how chummy they seemed to be with Mona and Lex. Their party was only gone for a little over a week on a mission to Locke to fetch alderite and kill a few beasts coming from the Greatwood. Yet it seemed they found the time to pick up a stray and brought it home.
The silver-haired boy walked slowly through the building, looking at everything with doe-eyed innocence. It irked her, watching him investigate her home like it was some sort of carnival attraction. Seemingly able to feel her glare, the boy turned in Ven’s direction and gave her a polite smile, accompanied by a small wave. In response, the young woman simply rolled her eyes before she returned to her grueling training.
She had been learning how to shoot from Lex ever since she had found out she did not have the aptitude to be an Enhancer. She knew she was Awakened, but the Vanguard Hall in Hilden was only in possession of a damaged Awakening Crystal. In its current state, it could only reveal someone as an Awakened and show their class if they were an Enhancer. Anything else, and it was simply a useless hunk of rock.
Before Lex left with Mona’s group, he gave her an assignment to shoot from dawn until dusk. Alternatively, she could shoot until she hit the bullseye one hundred times in a row. Whichever came first would successfully complete the task. By this point, her skills with the bow outclassed people of her same rank, but that was not good enough. She had to get to Lex’s level.
The young woman watched from the corner of her eye as Mona walked up to the Hall Master to discuss something she couldn’t hear. Ven turned back to her target and counted the arrows in the center until she reached seventy. She sighed in defeat, still having not gotten to Lex’s goal for her before dusk. She knew it was less about the number of perfect shots she made and more about muscle training, but she still wanted to surprise her teacher by doing both.
Lex walked up to his pupil, saying simply, “Good job. Seventy. Not bad.”
“Yeah,” Ven pouted. “But I really wanted to get to a hundred.”
“Were these in a row, or did you miss a shot in between them?” Lex asked. He took her hand to examine the callouses on it. His fingers pressed on a few pressure points to relieve some aches in her hands.
“No misses…If I missed, then I cleared the target before shooting again.”
“Then it's good enough for now,” Lex finished as he put one hand on Ven’s head. He lightly patted her raven-black hair before walking away. It was a simple gesture, but it meant the world to her. Her teacher was a man of few words and even fewer actions. She had always looked up to the man as she had grown up in the Hall, so she knew that this sign of affection meant a lot coming from him. At this point, he was basically her uncle…
“Venraya!”
“Master!” Ven snapped to attention and faced the leader of the Vanguard Hall, who also was her father. The man walked up to the girl and gave her a pat on the shoulder.
“At ease, kiddo. This here is Rune. He’s gonna be joining up with us here, and I need you to show him the ropes as his senior.” Ven’s father, Jacob, instructed. “When we sign him up tomorrow, you’ll also take him on his application quest. Don’t let me down.”
Ven’s mouth tightened into a thin line as she nodded. She was not looking forward to acting as a babysitter for some starry-eyed newbie. Conflicting emotions welled up inside her though, since this was also the first responsibility her father had given her. Ven might have grown up in the Hall, but she had only actually become a member a year ago, only just recently completing the requisite ten jobs to move from F-Rank to her current E-Rank. She eventually decided that this was a net positive and gave her father a full smile and tapped her fist over her heart. “Got it, pops!”
Her mother walked up to the duo and wrapped the girl in a massive hug. She was much larger than Ven, which made her feel like a child yet again. Granted, she was only nineteen, just a year older than when most kids left the nest. Mona smiled as her daughter begrudgingly returned her motherly affections.
“Thanks, Ven. He’s a good kid. Got a good feeling ‘bout him, so be nice,” Mona said while gently stroking her daughter’s hair. She then gave a small nod to Jacob before walking off to submit proof of her team finishing the escort job at the reception desk.
The silver-haired young man rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before addressing her directly. “Nice to meet you! The name’s Rune. Thanks for having me!” He put on an unnecessarily charming smile as he extended a hand to her.
Ven took it half-heartedly and gave a single, droopy shake. “Right, same. Rooms are this way. Your exam will be tomorrow. Let’s go.” She led Rune up the stairs to the second floor, which was just next to the entry doors to the building. After leading her charge past several doors, she stopped by the last one at the end of the floor before another set of stairs went up again.
She opened the door and guided Rune inside, showing him the small amenities he was afforded as a newcomer. “Right. So, the first month's rent is free. After that, the standard rate is ten silver a week. If this place isn’t good enough for you, the inn further down the road has bigger beds and better food for thirty silver a week.”
Rune nodded at his guide. “Thanks, this will do just fine, since I don’t need anything fancy. Closer to the training hall, after all!”
“Right. Well, that’s assuming you pass your exam tomorrow. Meet me at the front desk after sunrise and we will head a bit out of town to hunt a Bash Eagle,” Ven said quickly before turning around and leaving Rune in the closed room. For a moment, the newcomer perked up at the mention of the monster they hunted, but it vanished quickly.
Rune
