Fate and Veritas Day 2

CHAPTER 2

Even though a week had passed, I couldn't stop thinking about all the different ways I was going to pummel that meddling peasant boy in the ring. During dull meetings with my sisters advisers and aides, I would find my mind drifting to pleasanter thoughts, such as filling Blythe's throat with water and then commanding it to freeze. Although killing wasn't recommended in sparring matches, mistakes happen, I squirmed in my chair at the very thought.

“Adairus,” my sister called out to me from across the table. “The testing is coming up soon. I forbid you to embarrass this family again. I want you to train with Hugo for the days leading up to the exam to be sure you don't fall on your ass, or worse.” Hugo, a tall bald man, wearing the light blue robes of the advisers, inclined his head in agreement.

“Of course sister.” I nodded, and resumed my murderous thoughts.

That evening I met with Hugo on the Eastern terrace. We were halfway up the peak, and the clouds were so close we could almost touch them. A chilly breeze blew past, and I breathed it in, ready to face the challenge of this Titan of a man.

He bowed his head, and greeted me, and took a fighting stance. I did the same, and waved him forward. Hugo rushed at me, stopped a foot away, and surrounded me in a veil of ice. Then, with a flick of a wrist the shield of ice surrounding me burst, sending me flying at the wall. I steadied myself just in time, and managed to force out a spray of water to stop me from hitting the side of the mountain.

Crumpled on the ground, and filled with defeat, I looked up at the huge figure standing next to me.

“My lord,” he began, looking like he was trying to decide the right way to deliver a verbal blow.

“I should have sensed the ice veil.” I was mystified. Had my abilities really weakened that much?

“My lord, you have been asleep these past sixteen years. While your mind may not have felt the time, the elements have felt your distance, and your ties with them have weakened.” I knew what he was saying was true. “You must convince them they are not abandoned, give them time to trust your spirit once again”.

“I am confident your abilities will return, and ten fold, once you get back into the heat of battle. Give yourself some time to adjust.” He smiled.

“Tell that to Aduna.” I sighed. “We will meet each morning and each evening here until the tournament. I will not have them see me like this.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Hugo and I went our separate ways, and I went to search out two old, trustworthy friends.

*asks friends to find out who this blythe talon was, who his family is, where he was born, etc. , as well as to help set up blythe at the match for failure

CHAPTER 3

Blythe woke with a start. Looking up he saw two familiar forms shaking him awake.

“We heard what happened,” Rubini said, a worried expression splayed across his freckled face.

“We came as soon as we could. Stole mother's carriage, it's waiting for us outside. I thought you'd been captured, I don't know what I would have done, oh my lord, Blythe, what were you thinking!?” Meredith spoke so fast she was heaving for air.

Blythe sat up, and touched both their shoulders in reassurance.

“I'm okay. Everything is okay.” He sighed, “but I can't say the same for those men on the execution racks.” He shook his head.

Meredith and Rubini sat down on the bed, on either side of him.

“It's okay, Blythe,” Meredith said.

“We're just glad you're okay, buddy.” Rubini smiled.

“It was too much of a risk for you to go with them anyhow.”

“I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Those people were counting on us. I knew some of them, I grew up with some of them.” Blythe could feel tears welling up. “We – we failed them, and now they and the group rescuing them is dead. And you know what I get? You know what I get? A damn golden ticket.” Blythe was standing now, shaking.

Meredith and Rubini looked shocked.

“A golden ticket?” They both said at once.

“How did you manage that? I mean we were wondering why you weren't thrown in prison after they saw you defending those people, but a golden ticket? You can't even prove your parentage. You're not even from here.”

“You are one lucky son of--” Rubini laughed, “I had to wait for years to finally get mine, Sod.”

“I thought for sure I was gonna be dead when the Queen was standing in front of me. THE QUEEN of Glacialis. I knew it was all over.”

“How did you manage that?” Rubini asked.

Blythe shrugged, “divine providence?”. The trio laughed.

“Now what is this golden ticket anyway?”

“Well, you're not going to believe it.” Rubini pulled something gold and glimmering.

“Remember how I was trying to get into the academy? And all those years of practice? And then I finally got the acceptance letter for try outs, for the big tournament in a week?”

“Yeah”

“Weeell, this beauty here,” Rubini held up a golden ticket, “is what came inside the acceptance letter. I've been registered for the tournament. Mom's talking about framing it if I get in.” He laughed.

“Oh.”

“You see, Blythe?” Meredith's peircing gaze met his, “you got one too. You're going to be competing for a place in the academy. But why? And an invitation from the Queen herself.” Meredith rubbed her chin, “perhaps she was impressed by your abilities during the execution. I mean, whoever fired that blue flame didn't seem to have any control over it. It could have killed us all.”

“If you hadn't of done what you did, we might all be dead.” Rubini looked serious for once.

“That must be it then,” she said, “the Queen must have been impressed, and didn't know you were actually one of the rebels trying to save the prisoners.”

“Well this is insane.” Blythe said, exasperated, waving his hands about. “There's no way I'm joining her little army of merciless killers. No way at all. If I had a ticket I'd be tearing it up in her face. I might not even be here by the time the tournament is here.”

Rubini looked slightly insulted. “Hey, not all of us have an easy way out of this life. We have to do what we can to make a better life, even if it means enlisting. I mean, we'll get full training, that's much better than anything we can do in the schoolyard with friends.”

“Sorry man, yeah you're right. I just can't stand the idea of doing anything that serves that evil witch.”

“Hey, watch who you're calling witch,” Meredith frowned, and then smiled, “you're insulting the rest of us!” The trio laughed, and started to make plans for the tournament.

CHAPTER FOUR

I made my way down to the apartments, a residency for noble families once favoured by my mother, and now also my sister. Our family's fortress was carved out from the Glacialis mountain, the largest peak in our icy realm. Every year new tunnels and new rooms were being chiseled out from the rock. It was like an ever expanding city, all within an endlessly large mountain.

I reached the apartments belonging to my two oldest friends, Count Brom of Icelington, and his wife, the Countess Lilith of Icelington.

I knocked and was greeted by their butler, Sam. He directed me to the waiting room. The room was elegant, but cold like the rest of the palace. Water elementals had a simplistic, rustic taste compared to the others. We liked polished stone floors, furs, leafless branches, and leather – hard, cold, and luxuriant.

I didn't have to wait long. A few minutes later they came into the waiting room. I got up.

“Brom, Lil,” I smiled. “It's good to see you.”

“You too, it's been too long.” Brom grabbed my shoulder.

“We would have visited sooner, but we weren't sure you'd want company while you were still recovering.” Lillith smiled as sincerely as she knew how, but the truth was easy to see. They didn't want to be associated with anyone weak, or anyone who could cause them embarrassment. But I was royalty after all, so they'd make an exception.

They led me to the drawing room, where we sat and waited for coffee.

“So, old friend, what brings you by this time of night? We just returned from the Opera, over in Vincent's Square.”

“I have come to ask a favour.”

“I bet it has something to do with that blond little runt from the execution.” Lilith said with a drawl.

“You would be right, as always, fair Lillith.” I grinned, sipping my coffee.

“And what would you have us do, Adairus?” Brom asked, clearly not as quick as his wife.

“Well, you two oversee the tournament, and I was hoping you would find suitable sparring partners---”

“for you and your new little friend?” Lilith laughed.

“Indeed.” I smirked. “You read me well Lilith, as always.” She flushed.

“Of course, of course,” Brom said, in a pondering tone.

“What about Naill? He could whip some sense into that boy.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of myself, and Jaques, against the boy and whoever he's paired with.”

“But you'll decimate the poor runt,” Brom laughed.

“Oh I intend to.

“Who is the boy anyway?” Asked Lilith, setting down her coffee cup.

“I don't know, no body seems to know. That's the other thing I wanted you to look into.” This runt was plaguing my mind and all I had was a name, I need to know more. “Ask your sources what they have on him, who his family is, where he comes from.”

“Someone with all that power must be related to a noble family somewhere down the line.” Said Brom, “But I don't know any Talons. I will look into this, rest assured.” Brom gave a confident nod, and led Adairus to the door. “Be well, old friend, don't let this runt get to you. You will beat him, and he will be finished.”

I smiled, “I can always count on you to cheer me up.” I left their apartments with more confidence than before. We would ruin that boy, and he will never make it into the academy.

CHAPTER FIVE

Meredith drove the carriage over the slick, icy path, while Blythe sat beside her. They drove into the forest at full speed, hoping not to meet any dark forces, or worse, palace guards, as they made their way to the Fennian outpost.

The Fennian's were a group of ordinary humans, subtly changed by the woods surrounding them. Their ears and eyes were slightly pointed, their skin had a brown tinge at their finger tips, elbows, and toes, and they often had a lot of freckles. They used old magic to travel instantly from realm to realm, which is how they avoided getting caught by the authorities.

They lived simply, in the woods, playing fiddles and flutes, and danced around camp fires. They were the gypsy's of the realms, moving from place to place, so as not to get caught and killed. And they had one goal – to rid the world of the unnatural elementals, humans who had gotten too much power, lived more lives than ten men, and spent their time trying to conquer all the peoples of the realms.

Blythe and Meredith knew this – they knew that elemental magic was an abomination – and was the one thing holding the realms together. And until they removed all magic from this world, they couldn't rejoin the old one, the one they had originated from.

The reached the encampment, and tied up the horses.

“I feel awful leaving Rubini there, asleep, not knowing the truth.”

“So do I, but if he knows, than he's at risk, and that would be worse. This is our task, and we must protect him from it.”

Blythe nodded, he knew in his heart she was right. And Rubini seemed so happy to have gotten his Golden Ticket, that Blythe didn't want to ruin it for him.

The pair headed over to the large clearing. It was fully lit up with bonfires all over the encampment, people jumping about, telling stories, and singing songs. The air was full of tasty smells, and merriment.

They reached the Chieftain’s tent, and called to enter.