Greylith, page 4
“We’ve moved all the other New Recruits into their rooms,” Darkflame dismisses me, and is now looking at Xander. “Nightingale, would you please escort Recruit Greylith to his room.”
“Yes, sir.” Xander stands up straight.
“Clean up and get ready,” the General now turns to me. “The entire Fort will be meeting in the Colosseum at sunrise for the Unveiling of the Weavers.”
Xander puts his hand on my back and starts to usher me out the door.
“And Greylith,” Darkflame stops us, I look at him. “Don’t ever raise your voice at me again.”
Xander leads me up through a maze of stairs and hallways. Finally, we reach an old hallway with no doors in sight, just numbers in ascending order. About halfway down, we stop at the number ‘1225’. “Open it,” he says.
“Open what? The wall?” I ask sarcastically.
He grabs my arm with his massive hand and pushes my palm flat against the wall under the numbers. I feel a tingle on my hand and the silver emblem appears, and simultaneously, the wall seems to melt away into the floor.
“What the hell was that?” I ask concerningly. “Am I an Earth Weaver?”
“Earth Weavers emblem is green, so no, you’re not,” Xander says. “Now go in.”
“This can’t be my room.” I walk in and see a large room that’s easily double the size of my entire house back on Yanos. There are three large intricate windows, flooding the room with moonlight. As I step in, random stones on the wall glow with a rune, fully illuminating my new quarters in a warm glow.
The entire room is made of stone, as is everything else in Fort Weave. The bed is made up of very expensive linens. I have a private washroom and shower.
“Holy shit,” Xander says.
I look back at him with a questioning look.
“Wonder why they gave you the largest room in all of Fort Weave?” he questions.
“Largest?” I ask.
“I would know, they told me I have the largest, and mine isn’t this big,” Xander says. “We have one hour, get changed into your uniform. It's in the top left drawer of your dresser, you’ll have a new uniform delivered every other day while you’re here.”
“Okay, so, you’ll be back in an hour?” I ask.
“Oh, I figured I would just hop in the shower and freshen up,” Xander smiles.
“Is there a problem with your room?” I stare at him with a questioning face.
“It’s just far from here and I’m feeling lazy,” Xander smiles. “You don’t mind, right?”
“No, by all means, make yourself at home,” I say sarcastically.
Xander goes into the washroom and turns on the water. A few moments later I hear him yell. “FUCK!”
“Is everything alright in there?” I ask, making my way to the door that was partially open.
“Yep, all good, just hit my head on the shower head.” Xander replies.
I steal a glance through the opening, my heart racing as I can't help but watch Xander undress. The sight of his toned physique sends a shiver down my spine, and I feel a flush of heat rise to my cheeks. His movements are deliberate and confident, each article of clothing peeled away with tantalizing slowness. I know I should look away, but I'm entranced by the way his muscles flex and the way his skin glows in the soft light. It's as if time stands still, and all I can focus on is the intoxicating image before me, igniting a fire of desire deep within.
“Care to join?” Xander laughs.
“What? I…? No, I wasn’t…” I say. Shit! He caught me staring. What the fuck Phoenix.
Xander starts laughing. “It’s fine, I’m not shy.”
“I wasn’t even looking. I didn’t see anything,” I say unconvincingly.
“You weren’t looking? Or you didn’t see anything? Which is it?” Xander says, with what sounds like a smile on his face.
I change the subject. “So, any idea why they decided to give me the largest room in Fort Weave?” I shout so Xander can hear me over the running water from the shower. Maybe I can pry some answers out of him to see if he knows my Weave.
“Couldn’t tell ya, but I’m pissed that they lied to me about having the largest room,” he shouts back.
“Okay, so no help,” I say under my breath.
I head back over to the dresser and pull out the uniform. A black shirt, black pants, black boots, and a black jacket with the Aetherian Army emblem. “Simple, I like it.”
I start to take off my old clothes and set them aside. I can’t help but look in the mirror at my naked body and feel pretty shameful. I’m not big, the opposite actually. I’m definitely underweight, my ribs show. I don’t have anywhere near as much tone or muscle as most people at Fort Weave. Will that be something that I get? How much should I have come with?
“You look pretty good yourself, Greylith,” Xander says, standing in the washroom doorway in nothing but a towel.
“Oh my god!” I jump and grab my uniform to cover my lower half. “Listen, I’m sorry that I was watching, but I’m not nearly as confident as you, so if you don’t mind, I’d like the room.”
Xander, with his mischievous grin and seductive aura, inches closer until there's barely a breath of space between us. “So you were watching.” The air crackles with anticipation, a fiery energy that electrifies every nerve in my body. His piercing gaze locks onto mine, intensity smoldering in his eyes. It's as if he's peering into the deepest corners of my soul, uncovering hidden desires I never knew existed. The sheer magnetism between us is undeniable, drawing us together like two magnets irresistibly attracted to each other. “Like what you see?” Xander smirks.
I look directly down at my own body and let out a long sigh as I try to cover myself more with my uniform’s shirt.
He puts his hand on my shoulder, lowers his face to mine. “You have nothing to be ashamed about.”
“Easy for you to say,” I gesture to his entire body.
“This could be yours too, all you have to do is ask,” Xander winks at me.
Is he flirting with me?
I freeze yet my pulse quickens. I want this, right? But I can’t now, I need to stay focused for what's to come at the Colosseum. I give a short laugh, “Thanks, but I gotta get ready for the Unveiling of the Weavers.”
Xander nods, looking slightly disappointed, but brushes it off quickly, “Yes you do, we only have fifteen minutes before we need to leave and meet the others at the tunnel.”
Minutes later, Xander is leading the way as we leave my room and head for the Colosseum. “So, how long have you been at Fort Weave?” I ask, but already know the answer.
“Five years,” he says confidently.
“And they haven’t transferred you somewhere else? I’ve heard you were a good fighter,” I call ahead.
“Ahh, so you’ve been talking about me,” Xander turns around and smiles. He begins walking backward and talking. “I’d like to be asked to get promoted to Officer so I could lead groups outside of Fort Weave, but I’m not sure why they haven’t done that yet.”
Before I can continue to ask more questions, I feel the ground inside of Fort Weave begin to shake.
“Oh shit! You’re gonna want to see this, come here,” Xander says, grabbing my hand leading me to the window at the end of the corridor.
I don’t believe my eyes. I see Weavers concentrate their collective energy, the ground beneath the water's surface begins to stir and shift. Slowly, a structure emerges from the depths, rising majestically toward the surface. It's a sight both awe-inspiring and surreal, as the colossal form of a Colosseum takes shape, its ancient stones glistening with droplets of water as they breach the surface.
“What the-” I start.
“Earth Weavers are pretty impressive, aren’t they?” Xander turns to me with a smile.
When the Colosseum has fully emerged, I look out past the walls of Fort Weave and see a bunch of young Weavers, I’m assuming Senior Recruits, all using their Weave to get across to the Colosseum. One guy uses fire from his feet and blasts himself across the gap between the Fort and the Colosseum, another uses a tidal wave and crashes onto the edge of the Colosseum.
“Let’s go! We don’t want to be late,” Xander says, pulling me away from the window.
We make it to a spiral stone staircase on the western side of the fort. The stairs seem to go on forever. “How far down are we going?” I ask Xander, who’s already started descending.
“Well, we have to go down below the plateau and then under the ocean, so we’d better get moving,” he says, moving slightly faster.
“So, back to you wanting to be an Officer,” I try to start up a conversation as we make our way into the depths to Fort Weave’s underground.
“No, I don’t want to talk about that anymore,” Xander says assertively. “I want to know more about you.”
Oh great. My least favorite subject. I pause but figure I should at least try to make friends while I’m at Fort Weave. I mean, it’s not like I have to sleep with him, “Ask me anything you want.”
“Tell me about your family,” Xander says over his shoulder as he’s still leading the way and a few steps ahead.
“Well, for the last year it was just me and our mom, and you know Wren,” I say, assuming they know each other.
“Yeah, she’s a great fighter when it comes to sparring,” Xander laughs. “Not many people here can keep up with me, but she does. What about your dad? I mean, you are the son of Aerin Greylith, right?”
I was hoping he wouldn’t ask about him.
“Yep, that’s our dad, but he left in the middle of the night a few years back and hasn’t been seen since,” I shrug, hoping Xander doesn’t pry more.
“What about your mom?” he questions. “Tell me about her.”
Why does he want to know? I hate talking about Mom’s illness, especially since there’s nothing we can do to help her. “Well, she’s super nice. She used to always play with us when we were kids, but she’s not as active as she used to be. When dad left, Mom got sick.”
Xander takes a long time to answer. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Honestly, it’s not a huge deal. I’m over it now,” I lie.
It feels like we’ve been going down this staircase for twenty minutes and I can feel my legs begin to shake and quiver. “Hang on for just one second,” I say, trying to catch my breath.
“Do you want me to carry you?” Xander laughs, but I also think he’s mostly serious.
“No thanks, I can’t show these people any weakness or I’ll be their first target,” I tell him.
“Then here,” Xander pulls a bottle of water from the side of his belt and hands it to me. “Keep it.”
“Thanks,” I tell him, making an effort to have my fingers touch his.
What am I doing? I can’t get distracted by this guy. I need to stay focused and remind myself that I’m a Weaver, a protector of Aetheria, there is no time for this, especially not while I’m in training.
When we reach the bottom of the stairs, I’m greeted by a massive cave, large enough for a ship to sail through. I hear drops of water falling from inside, seeing as we’re underwater. I look ahead and see that I’m the last of the New Recruits to arrive. I find Lyric and run over to her.
“Phoenix!” she shouts as she pulls me into a hug. “Are you alright? What happened to you? Where did Xander take you?”
“Hey, I’m fine,” I tell her. “I was taken to one of the debrief rooms near the Elixir Chamber. Did they tell you guys anything?”
“No, they just told us due to unforeseen circumstances, you had to leave because of an emergency,” Lyric pulls away.
“I didn’t tell them I needed to leave,” I confirm.
“Oh we all know that, it seemed like some bureaucratic bullshit, anyway. So, what’s your Weave? They never announced it,” she asks.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” I shrug to her.
“They didn’t tell you?” Lyric asks.
“The only thing I know is that my hand glows silver,” I say.
“Silver?” she questions.
“Yeah, I’ve never heard of it either. But, I guess we’ll find out.”
“Recruits! Listen up!” General Darkflame commands. “In just a few moments, each one of you will rise up on the platform and be introduced to all of Fort Weave. We will also announce your individual Weave to the world and if you feel confident enough, feel free to give it a try!”
“Welcome to the circus,” Lyric says to me.
We both laugh.
Darkflame shoots her a glare and we both stop smiling and become very serious. “Once your Weave is announced, you will have a free day for the rest of the day, and then tomorrow, you will begin training with the others in your specialty.”
“Oh yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask,” I say, turning to Xander. “What’s your Wea-”
Before I can finish, Xander’s almost twenty feet away from me heading toward the High Council.
“Well, that was weird,” Lyric says.
“Lyric Nightingale, you’re up first!” a woman from the High Council shouts.
“Have fun, I’ll find you after,” I say to her.
As she walks away, Xander passes her and they have a small, sibling-like, exchange.
He comes over to me and drags me out of the light of the tunnel into the shadows, he grabs my hand. “Listen to me very carefully,” he says in a hushed tone.
“I’m listening.” I responded.
“When you go out there, they are going to make an announcement, I can’t tell you what it is, but they’re going to try to get you to Weave,” he says, very seriously.
“Well, I can’t especially since I don’t even know what my Weave is,” I say sarcastically. “Wait, do you know?”
He pauses. “Yeah, I know.”
“Awesome,” I smile. “What is it?”
Xander sighs, “I can’t tell you.”
“Are you FUCKING kidding me?” I yell.
“Shh!” he whispers. “The High Council can’t know I’m telling you this.”
“Why? What the hell is with all the secrets?” I whisper back, but in an angry tone.
“Just listen to me,” he pleads. “Promise me you won’t even try to Weave.”
“Why are you trying to help me?” I ask.
“Just promise,” Xander leans closer to make sure I’m paying attention.
I pause, trying to figure out what he’s talking about, but I agree. “Okay, I won’t try to Weave.”
“No matter what?” he asks.
“Yeah, no matter what,” I try reassure him. “Aren’t you missing your sister during the Unveiling of the Weavers?”
“Oh, yeah, but she already knew that, but, I do need to get up there for yours, so good luck! And remember, no matter what, don’t Weave,” he asserts, as he starts walking away.
“I won’t!” I shout back.
Why are you trying to help me, Xander Nightingale? I really can’t figure it out.
I walk back over to join the rest of the new Weavers. Apparently Thorne is being unveiled now, and by the sounds of it, he’s already managed to Weave since everyone is screaming even louder than they have for anyone else. I need to watch out for him, because if he is already Weaving, he’s a lot stronger than I estimated.
About a half hour goes by before they finally call my name, telling me I’m next. I start to panic, my breathing is labored again and my hands begin to shake.
I step onto the large stone platform, easily thirty feet wide in any direction, when the Earth Weaver from the High Council raises his hands and we begin to rise. I almost lose my balance when we first lift off. The rocky platform scrapes against the stone sides as we lead up to the center of the Colosseum.
Anxiety fills my mind, but I do my best to swallow it. Breathe, Phoenix. Breathe.
“Get ready, son,” I hear the Earth Weaver shout as the sun begins to hit the platform.
This is it; I'm finally going to figure out what my Weave will be.
Before we reach the top, I hear Commander-in-Chief Ironleaf beginning to speak. “Introducing our final Weaver of this year’s Recruits, Phoenix Greylith!”
As I emerge, I am overwhelmed by my senses. The sun is beaming now and blinds my eyes. The roar of the crowd almost throws me off balance again. The Colosseum is massive and old. It looks like it comes from a time before the war.
I look into the crowd and see Wren and Lyric sitting next to each other in the front row clapping for me, as is everyone else, and next to Lyric, I see Xander, looking worried, but gesturing to me to breathe.
When I gather my bearings, Commander Ironleaf begins to speak again, “We have seen many different Weavers here today, and this will be no exception,” Different? What’s he talking about? “Since the dawn of time, the Weave that New Recruit Greylith possesses has only ever been seen once before!”
The crowd is mixed with roars of excitement and looks of confusion.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you, Recruit Phoenix Greylith, the second ever Reality Weaver!”
I'm what? A Reality Weaver? What the fuck is that?
The crowd is going crazy right now, they’re screaming, cheering, even trying to throw things into the pit of the Colosseum.
“Now, now,” Ironleaf commands, and manages to quiet Fort Weave almost instantly. “We can’t all just lose our minds over a Weave we’ve never seen.” Ironleaf turns to me and smirks.
I look out at Xander and he sees the panic flood my face.
Ironleaf walks up to me and whispers in my ear, “Show your new family your powers, Greylith.”
I turn my head back. “What? I’ve never used my Weave nor do I know how to.”
“Who wants to see Recruit Greylith give his new abilities a try?” he shouts out so everyone can hear him.
I glance over and see the rest of the High Council on the edge of their seat, but not in a good way. Their faces are splotched with concern and worry.
I turn to Ironleaf. “I’m not a performer that you can control. I will use my Weave when it’s needed.”
