Marked By Destiny, page 24
“How is any of this supposed to be helpful?” Ira asked, rubbing her lower back.
Thameus gave her a winning smile and extended his hand. As he hauled her to her feet, Ira tried to stifle her groan.
“Honestly?” Thameus used the staff he was holding as an elongated arm to bump her elbows into proper position. “This isn’t how I would train a warrior at all. Normally, we would start just on perfecting your form with basic maneuvers.”
“And we’re not doing that because?”
“I’m trying to see how much muscle memory you have. Just because your mind has forgotten your past doesn’t mean your body has.”
“I don’t feel like my body is remembering much.” Ira grimaced before working through the series of movements they had been practicing thus far.
As Ira stepped into a balancing position she was having a particularly hard time with, Thameus knocked her out of balance with a gentle push.
“You need to remember to keep your core strong while you move,” Thameus instructed while Ira failed to get her bearings back.
Her jaw tightened as she felt her body wobble beneath her before her legs gave out entirely. Pounding her fist into the ground, she let out a frustrated yell.
“This is useless.” She tossed herself back to sit on her butt, crossing her legs beneath her.
“Though you may not have the mark behind your ear, Ira, you are undoubtedly a warrior.”
Ira’s face softened as she looked up at Thameus, but she made no moves to stand.
“Do you want a break?” He asked.
Ira defiantly rubbed the dirt from her clothes and pushed herself back to her feet.
“Not yet,” she huffed.
Today was the first day Ira felt up to conversing with the other warriors. Thus far, she had spent every meal with either Nela or Constance, actively avoiding having to meet new people. Constance was quickly growing on Ira with how often she let her escape to the healer’s tents, and even more so with how she never asked why she was there.
Ira stiffly walked into the dining hall, her stomach a bundle of knots. Thameus dropped her off at the door and left to set up the training station he had planned for her for the rest of the day. Ira’s eyes desperately searched for a glimpse of powder blue hair or icy eyes, but when she came up short, she wandered to the line of warriors and sorcerers waiting to get their food. As she uncomfortably shifted from one foot to the other, keeping her eyes on the ground to avoid any accidental eye contact, Ira felt a hand drop on her shoulder.
Her breath froze in her lungs as she turned around and looked into the deep chocolate eyes of a stranger. His deep brown skin held a youthful glow that contrasted starkly against his bright white teeth, which he shamelessly flashed at Ira.
“You’re new,” he drawled, waggling his eyebrows.
Ira fought the urge to take a step back when the boy stuck his hand out to her.
“Name’s Tilion,” he said.
Ira hesitantly placed her hand in his and could immediately feel the callouses that lined his palm. She continued to stare at him with a tight-lipped smile. He was a very attractive man, and the fact that he didn’t tower over her like a lot of the other warriors made him seem more approachable.
He leaned in and whispered, “This is usually the part where you say your name.”
“Oh!” Ira blushed. “My name is Ira.”
“That’s a lovely name.” Tilion made no attempts to release her hand or lean away from her, so Ira gently tugged her hand free before placing her arm to her side like a limp fish.
“Tilion, it’s barely midday. Don’t you have something better to do than harass the female warriors?”
This drawling voice came from a woman that easily towered over Ira and Tilion. Ira had spotted her training the last few days. She was amazing to watch: graceful yet strong and powerful in the blows she delivered. She had strong, square shoulders and almost white-blonde hair cut into a short, angled bob, with one side being shaved down. Ira found her striking. Especially her high cheekbones that drew attention right to her mysterious grey eyes.
Tilion’s eyes hardened as he looked over at her. “What can I say? I pursue what catches my eye.”
“You have very wandering eyes then. Maybe instead of playing catch, you should work on your form. The lack of challenge you’re bringing me today is getting boring.”
Tilion swiveled on his heel to face the other warrior. “It was a lucky shot, Emery, and you know it.”
“Was it? I’m borderline positive I could have beaten you with my eyes closed.”
Tilion’s attention switched to Emery as he stepped away from Ira and stormed over to where she was leaning against a nearby wooden pillar.
“Why don’t we go back out there and settle that score right now?” Tilion’s voice was ice.
Emery picked at her nails, a bored expression on her face. “Yeah, I would, but like I said, I’m looking for a challenge for my next sparring match. Plus, kicking your ass all morning really had me work up an appetite.”
Emery walked past Tilion as his jaw clenched. “Come on newbie. The good food is always on the other side of the hall.”
Ira passively followed behind her, her shoulders tucked in and her head bowed. Emery didn’t look back to see if Ira was following her but just kept trudging ahead through the crowd.
“Thanks,” Ira finally said as they got in a line.
“Oh, that? Yeah, that wasn’t for you. It’s just really fun to get a rise out of Tilion.” Emery looked past Ira to flash a devilish grin at him. He responded with a vulgar gesture, which only set Emery’s smirk further in place.
Emery reached for an empty platter and handed one to Ira. “So what’s your story?”
Without looking back, Emery began stacking her plate high with the plethora of food before them.
“I don’t have a story.”
“Bullshit.” Emery rolled her eyes and gave Ira a bored look. “Don’t try to be all mysterious. You come here, very old for a newbie warrior, by the way, and you’ve had private training with Thameus for days. You really expect me to believe there isn’t a story?”
As opposed to most women who kept a friendly look on their face, Emery’s was hollow and indifferent. Ira only shrugged in response, trying to find the right words to explain what she barely understood. Emery cocked an eyebrow.
“Whatever, I don’t care that much. Just don’t get in my way while training. Not that you’re anywhere near my skill level, but I don’t offer charity. So, don’t expect any help from me on that field.” Emery inspected the food in front of her as she spoke.
“Trust me, if I need help, I won’t be going to you,” Ira sneered, her blood boiling.
Emery’s eyes flashed with amusement as she looked back at Ira for the first time in this entire conversation.
“Hmm, so you do have claws. I would suggest using them in the ring and not just with your words.”
Ira dropped her still empty plate back on the banquet table and stalked out of the dining hall, grabbing a piece of fruit and loaf of bread on her way out.
Plopping herself in the grass outside of the sparring field, Ira angrily bit into her food.
“First day in the dining hall go that well?” Relief washed over Ira when Nela plopped down next to her.
She placed her plate between them so that they could share. Ira rested her head on Nela’s shoulder, and let her body sag as she relaxed.
“It was awful in there. Two whole people talked to me.” Ira whined.
“Two whole people?” Nela feigned shock, and Ira gently shoved her leg not lifting her head from her shoulder.
“I would much rather spend the rest of the day getting knocked down by Thameus.”
Nela laughed and gently wrapped her arm around Ira.
“It’ll get better. Tomorrow, wait outside for me, and then we can go in together.”
“What would I do without you?” Ira joked.
“Probably have to talk to even more people,” Nela teased.
Ira scrunched her nose and both girls giggled before falling into a comfortable silence.
Ira let her mind wander, not looking forward to what the rest of the day had in store for her.
Chapter 41
“Ithink it might be best to adjust how we train for the rest of the day.”
Ira sagged in relief. She all but melted to the ground, falling onto the soft grass.
“Don’t get too excited.” He chuckled. “Follow me, little warrior.”
Thameus tapped Ira with his staff and began walking off of the field. Ira slowly picked herself up from the ground and hesitantly followed him past the training fields. When she glanced at the sparring warriors, her eyes locked with Emery’s, who gave her a mocking grin. Ira quickly looked away, grinding her teeth together.
When she looked back up, she saw Kaiden in the distance. Her chest grew tight as she watched him pull back the string of his bow and effortlessly shoot his arrow through the target, a perfect shot. After a brief pause, he turned around, and his eyes immediately locked with hers as if he could feel her staring. She chewed her lip but didn’t break the contact. Since her panic attack, she had done everything in her power to avoid Kaiden, and now, as she became lost in his glacial irises, she couldn’t remember why. After offering her a tentative smile, he returned to his practice.
Ira became completely transfixed in her own thoughts while trailing behind Thameus. It wasn’t until they were standing in front of the spiral staircase outside of her room that she even registered where they were.
“I think it’s time to show you more about your past.” Thameus answered Ira’s unasked question.
Her heat erratically slammed against her chest
“Take this.”
Thameus handed Ira a small vile with a milky blue liquid.
“What is it?” Ira uncorked the vile. The concoction had no smell, which Ira supposed was a good thing.
“It should help keep you from getting the pain in your head.”
Ira knocked the small vile back without hesitation and immediately felt a warm tingle spread through her chest and into her stomach.
“Are you ready?”
Ira only nodded, unable to trust her voice.
After bounding up the spiral staircase, she quickly grew impatient for Thameus to join her. He was having a particularly hard time with some of the tighter turns on the staircase. While she waited, Ira took in the space around her. There were floor-to-ceiling iron gates that perfectly obstructed any chance of Ira knowing what was behind them. The rest of the area was completely bare. The naked marble floors that led up to the iron gate were pristine as if no one had ever stepped foot on them.
Ira spun on her heel when she heard the clomping of hooves, and the moment Thameus’ broad physique came into view, a question involuntarily burst out of her.
“Do I have a destiny?” She didn’t realize she shouted the words until she heard them echoing in the empty space between them.
An amused smile filled Thameus’ face. “Yes, little warrior. Your destiny is bigger than most.”
“It is?” Ira’s features twisted as she tried to sort through the endless emotions that wracked her body. “What if I can’t…” Ira couldn’t even finish the question. Her eyes fell to the floor as shame burned her cheeks.
“I’ve been with you for every one of your past lives, Ira. I’ve experienced each lesson with you. I’ve guided you through your training. I’ve watched you evolve with each of your rebirths.” Thameus paused while he gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze, causing her to finally look up and meet his eyes. “Trust me when I say I have full faith that you will be able to fulfill your destiny.”
Ira digested the words. She couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that Thameus knew her somehow far better than she even knew herself.
“When your destiny was first gifted to you, there was a ripple in the land. You’ve heard how Darsdafia seemed to vanish eras ago. Believed to be dead.”
Ira nodded.
“That’s not true. When your destiny locked into place, Darsdafia fell into an unwakeable sleep. Darsdafia breathes, and their heart beats, but they’re asleep. Many believe that Darsdafia is waiting to wake again.”
“Waiting for what?”
“For the final battle. For you to enter your final life.”
Slowly, the pieces to this puzzle began to form a terrible picture in Ira’s mind. Thameus watched as trepidation filled her features.
“This is my last life, isn’t it?” Ira’s words were practically a whisper.
Thameus gave a solemn nod.
“Meaning Darsdafia could start hunting for me. That’s what you mean when you said we needed to get me prepared.”
Another nod.
“Does he know my destiny? Does he know of me?’
“Darsdafia not only knows your destiny but is also the cause of it.”
Ira’s head was reeling. She suddenly felt the food in her stomach fill her throat.
“What if I fail?” Fear skated down her spine at the thought. It wasn’t until she felt Thameus’ strong hand steadying her that she realized her knees had buckled. She brought her green gaze up to his amber one.
“Let’s take everything one day at a time. It’s a lot to process.”
Ira could only nod in response, swallowing down more bile.
“Do you want to stop for today?”
Ira shook her head. Clearing her throat, she squared her shoulders and faced Thameus head-on. Her voice was firm even though her stomach was still somehow both clenched and flipping inside of her. Thameus dropped his hand from her elbow and nodded with an encouraging smile.
“Good to know some things never change.”
Chapter 42
Ira craned her neck to look at the top of the gate before reaching forward and giving it a gentle tug. It didn’t budge.
“Surely you didn’t think we wouldn’t lock it.” Thameus sounded amused as he produced a circular key from the green satchel slung across his shoulder.
On the far left side of the gate’s door was a golden lock, with a design of two swords crossing over each other in the center. Thameus pushed the key into the lock and turned it, only stopping when the swords were upside down, and a soft click echoed through the quiet space.
The gate opened with a low squeak that left Ira cringing. Once they passed the threshold, Thameus reached for the lantern that sat idly on a small table near the entrance. Ira stared into the vast blackness before her, intrigue piquing her senses.
After turning the knob on the lantern, a faint glow illuminated the small space in front of them. Ira saw what she believed looked like the outline of bookshelves. Thameus then tapped the outside of the lantern twice and blew against it gently, and as he blew against it, Ira watched a ripple of lanterns illuminate around the room.
In front of them were rows and rows of bookshelves filled to the brim with an assortment of books. But what grabbed Ira’s attention more than the somewhat dusty shelves was the stunning tapestry that hung on the back wall.
The colors in the tapestry shimmered against the flickering light of the lanterns, making it hard to distinguish the image fully. Ira was left with a feeling of unfulfilled intrigue as she studied it. Her feet pulled her toward the captivating art on instinct, and her itching fingers daintily slid across the leather bindings of the books she passed on the way.
“Do you like it?” Thameus’ question came from behind Ira as she took in the masterpiece in all its glory. Up close, the tapestry was breathtakingly gorgeous.
“It’s beautiful.” Ira breathed her answer more than spoke it.
The center of the tapestry was adorned with a golden sword that stretched across its deep green background from top to bottom. Symbols were scattered around the sword in a steel blue hue.
The top of the sword was engulfed in a sun that was split in half as if it was rising over a horizon. Directly below that, through the hilt of the sword, was a crescent moon with three small stars sparkling beside it. Ira wasn’t sure if it was the flickering of the lamplight, but the stars truly seemed to twinkle like they would in a night sky. On the right side, next to the crescent moon, was that same swirling heart pattern Ira had seen in the Sacred Ruins.
On either side of the sword, two twisting olive branches stretched along it in its entirety. At the bottom of the sword were three triangles knotted together, that fit perfectly with the tip of the sword, as if if was holding it up. Then, cutting through the center of the sword were two arrows in the shape of an X.
Between the arrows, on the left side was the symbol for intelligence. On the other side was the Smoke Cherry flower that Ira knew she had on the back of her neck. Her hand instinctively moved back to stroke the symbol as she looked at it.
One thing she knew for certain was that she had each of these symbols scattered along her body.
“What is it?” Ira finally asked. She spoke softly as if the tapestry would unravel if she was too loud.
“This is the manifested mark of a true warrior. It came to a talented weaver in a vision a few eras back. She couldn’t escape the image, so she created this piece of art to showcase it. While there are many birthmarks that Aylania can gift, this is an accumulation of all of the marks that someone might receive to lead them down their warrior destiny. Each one is a necessary component for a great warrior.”
“All of these marks…” Ira’s voice trailed off as her eyes scanned the artwork again.
“Yes, little warrior. You’ve been gifted with each of these marks from your past lives.”
Ira looked up at Thameus, her eyes wide with shock. Goosebumps lined her flesh and caused her hair to stand on end as she looked back at the tapestry.
“Except one,” she mumbled, eyeing the giant sword that was the most prominent of all the symbols.
“I’m not sure what Aylania has in mind for you with that birthmark, but I know you’ve earned every other mark you bear.”
“Earned them?”
“In each of your past lives, you faced a test to help you master one of these skills. The heart stands for compassion, the flower for patience, the sun for leadership, the arrows for skill, the triangles for strength, the book for intelligence, the olive branches for peace, and the moon for courage.”
