Читать книгу The Wielder Trials - Franca Ogbonnaya - Страница 10

Malie’s one remaining good eye snapped open. Something was about to happen. He didn’t have long to wait before the doors opened and several humans walked in. His scales trembled in fear and rage as he recognized their uniforms: violet tunics, wine-colored pants, and flowing, hooded black capes with blood-red edgings.

Her Specialists.

Malie had watched them experiment on his broodmates when they had outlived their usefulness. The queen and her Specialists had been the cause of their deaths.

He wondered if today he was going to join his siblings.

The sea serpent kept still as the queen descended the stairs. Her purple-clad guards knelt and bowed their covered heads as she passed them. She reached the white stone altar, then turned and raised her right hand.

“Reveal yourselves, my children.”

The kneeling Specialists pushed back their hoods but remained kneeling.

Queen Kallesa’s smile broadened when she saw the hunger on their faces. “Today, is a special day, my children. Today, I grant you another taste of what awaits us all. Bring in the captives.”

Malie turned his head in time to see three prisoners being dragged in, each of whom had two Specialists guarding them. His eye widened when he realized they were Dyhaeri. Two males and one female. Something was wrong.

They looked terrified and defiant at the same time. Why weren’t they wielding? Then he saw the odd golden bracelets on their bruised arms. Malie heard one of them gasp. He turned his head slightly to see the female Dyhaeri staring at him, shock on her face.

“We have here three Dyhaeri scouts who wandered too close to our waters.” The queen smiled coldly as she approached the prisoners. The Dyhaeri cringed at her closeness but stayed silent. Malie noticed the single female Dyhaeri looked livid.

“As is commonly known, all Dyhaeri are wielders. So, who better to use in this important ceremony?” Her Specialists nodded, keeping their hungry eyes on the unfortunate three Dyhaeri. Queen Kallesa used her fire runes to open the altar compartment and withdrew two armlets this time. Malie felt his heart sink; he knew what was going to happen next.

The queen beckoned to the two Specialists holding one of the male Dyhaeri. They dragged him forward. He struggled in silence, but he was no match for the two guards. However, they were unable to lift him onto the altar.

“Hold him in place.” Queen Kallesa stepped forward with the two armlets.

“Betrayer of blood!” The female Dyhaeri shocked everyone in the chamber, including Malie, with her shout. “We didn’t enter your borders! You snatched us from our own territory!”

Like she did to my siblings and me , thought Malie as he watched the words stop Queen Kallesa in her tracks. The queen stared at the indignant female Dyhaeri for a moment, then she slowly strode over to her.

“You have no honor! You are a liar and kinslayer! May the Dark Sister take you!”

Queen Kallesa cruelly gripped her face. “What is your name?”

“I will not share my name with a traitor!”

A dangerous glint appeared in the queen’s eyes. Her fingers glowed brighter and brighter as she slowly began to burn the Dyhaeri’s skin, yet the captive refused to cry out, though her tears flowed freely.

Not a sound escaped from the Dyhaeri’s lips. Malie noticed some of the Specialists looked a bit squeamish. Long moments passed before Queen Kallesa stopped. The Dyhaeri almost passed out from pain.

“She goes first.” The queen’s voice was dark and cold. “Let’s not waste her abilities, shall we?”

Queen Kallesa began to attach the armlet to the badly burnt Dyhaeri, and though weakened, the female Dyhaeri began to speak in her language. Malie pressed his head against the side of his glass tank to better hear the words.

“…how is a god born? In silence or in fire? Or as the waters of life rise up or as the earth is rent asunder? Surely, the rest of the world shall not survive the labor pains. A thousand years shall pass before one lost child of the seas shall go mad and attempt to ascend. This will mark the end of all that is and all that is to be. Unless the mad child is stopped by the One and the Three.

Ah, we see you, listener. Your eyes ask, whom we do speak of?

These four individuals come from different worlds. One is the lost heir, another is the teacher, the third will be the catalyst, and the fourth will be the sacrifice.”

Queen Kallesa shot her an unreadable look and activated the armlet. The Dyhaeri cursed the queen as the device began to glow blue. The prisoner held eye contact with the queen even as her body began to jerk from the growing pain. The Specialists let go as her body flopped to the hard concrete floor, yet the dying Dyhaeri never once broke eye contact with the Immortal Queen.

“May…your name…fade…into obscurity.” Those were the Dyhaeri’s last words as life left her body. The cold hatred in the queen’s eyes was unnerving. Silence fell as she stared at the dead body for what seemed an eternity. Malie glanced at the two surviving Dyhaeri; a combination of sadness and pride shone in their faces as they looked at their dead comrade.

Queen Kallesa finally growled a name, and one of the kneeling Specialists stood and ran forward. Malie could see he was terrified of his monarch even as he tried to ignore the dead Dyhaeri.

“Paren, are you ready for my gift?” The Specialist flinched as if she was offering him poison. Malie’s eyes narrowed at his expression; some part of the human must still realize the queen was a maniacal, terrifying leader. So, why did he still serve her?

“Y…yes, my queen.”

The queen snapped her fingers, and two other Specialists took hold of his arms. One exposed Paren’s right arm, and he began to breathe heavily. The queen tore the blue glowing armlet from the dead Dyhaeri and attached it to herself. She closed her eyes in a long moment of bliss as she fed on the power of the dead captive.

Queen Kallesa finally opened her eyes and attached the second armlet to a perspiring Paren. She drew a fire rune into the second armlet and then the transfer of power began. The Specialist grimaced as the power flowed into him, then his expression was replaced by one of ecstasy.

Malie saw the looks of disgust and horror on the faces of the remaining two Dyhaeri. He didn’t blame them. Each time he witnessed this ceremony, he felt like throwing up, especially when he knew what followed. His attention was abruptly returned to the ceremony when Queen Kallesa suddenly stopped the transfer. Paren cried out in despair. His hunger for more shone in his eyes.

“Shh.” The queen placed a well-manicured finger on his lips. “Soon, we will have all the power we need. This gift will get you there.” She glanced at the others. “We will all get there.”

She called forth another name, and a second eager Specialist ran to take Paren’s place. The queen repeated the process until the power in the armlet was depleted. Then the next Dyhaeri was dragged forward, and Queen Kallesa waited for the captive to say something. He just glared at her.

“No final words like your stupid comrade?”

“May your name fade into obscurity.” The two remaining Dyhaeri said it at the same time, repeating it like a chant. Malie thought it was interesting how the queen’s face turned a funny shade of red. She had definitely walked into that one.

He could see she itched to burn both Dyhaeri to the ground, but she needed to complete the ceremony. She attached the armlet even as the Dyhaeri kept chanting. Queen Kallesa punched one of the Dyhaeri hard in the gut, but he continued chanting the moment he recovered. Even, when the queen triggered the armlet and the pain started, he didn’t stop.

A furious Queen Kallesa shared the power she collected with more of her acolytes, then repeated the procedure with the last Dyhaeri. He was unfortunate to receive a few hard slaps across the face from the angry queen, but that didn’t stop him from chanting the infuriating words.

She appeared slightly mollified when the third Dyhaeri was dead. “Store the Solarian bracelets.” Malie’s internal ears quivered at those words. He noticed how reluctant the acolytes were to handle the strange jewelry. He suspected those had been what the queen had used to inhibit the Dyhaeri’s wielding abilities.

“And now, my children, it’s time to practice.” She turned her cold green eyes on Malie. The sea serpent’s heart rate rose in terror. Part of him hoped he died this time, but the rest of him knew she would keep him alive for more pain and torment.

It didn’t take long before Malie’s screams rent the air.

#

“And what is this used for?” Lanead pointed at a small spoon in the carefully arranged cutlery set.

“For stirring tea, but not sipping,” promptly replied Kahl. Behind Lanead, Mat rolled his eyes. The cousins were in the captain’s cabin. Their topic today was court etiquette.

“Mat, please pay attention,” continued the captain without turning.

Kahl fought to suppress a smile. Mat thought learning about how humans interacted at the dinner table was a waste of time, but to his credit, Mat was learning faster than Kahl.

“And this one?” The captain pointed at a small three-pronged instrument.

“That’s for desserts.”

“All kinds of desserts?”

“Um…no, for the baked ones, like cakes or pastries.”

Lanead nodded. “Very good.” He began to clear the table to Kahl’s surprise. “I think you have learned enough about the humans’ eating habits.”

“Thank the Mother,” muttered Mat. Kahl ignored his cousin. He’d seen the mischievous glint in Captain Riverun’s eyes.

“That’s because it’s time for your next lesson in court etiquette.”

Mat frowned at the glee in the captain’s voice. “Which is?”

Lanead stood and hummed a tune on the way to the door, beckoning for the two Dyhaeri to follow. They did as bid. Once on deck, Kahl noticed two things. One, most of the crew were present, and two, they were decked out in the most colorful, ridiculous outfits he had ever seen.

“Welcome, my young princes, to a royal ball!” announced Lanead gleefully. At his words, a group of crew members in one corner began to play stringed instruments. The dancers separated into rows of men and women facing each other. As the music played, the two lines moved forward, curtsied in time with the beat, then danced backwards, each individual twirling round at the end.

Kahl’s jaw dropped while Mat gaped at the dancers. The Dyhaeri marine was the first to recover.

“No. By the Deep, no…”

“Oh yes,” said Lanead, his eyes twinkling. He danced backwards into the two moving rows of female and male dancers who swayed as they faced each other. As the beat changed, partners were chosen, and soon, couples were twirling around the deck-turned-dance floor.

Kahl and Mat kept watching in equal parts amazement and horror as the Weltonians danced.

“There is no way we can learn this. We’ll need months!”

Mat nodded, his countenance grim. “You couldn’t pay me to learn those steps. It seems…painful.”

Lanead finally left his partner, who joined her group of dancers when the couples separated to form the two swaying lines.

“So, what do you think?”

“No,” said the two Dyhaeri at the same time.

The captain’s grin grew wider. “Excellent answer. But, we all have to do things we don’t like.” He went to stand beside the puzzled cousins and added, “There is no way you can learn these steps in the time you have left.”

“And how much time is that?” demanded Mat. Kahl shot his cousin an exasperated look. Could he not sound less aggressive?

“I don’t know, but the high priest gave me the impression you’ll be moving out soon.”

“So, why are we watching your crew dancing?” asked Kahl respectfully.

“Because, I don’t want you gawking like tourists when the Malaquey nobles try to bedazzle you with their flashy clothes and fancy steps.”

Mat stared at the captain when his tone turned hard.

“Most of the nobles at court are vipers. They’re only interested in furthering their personal goals and have no love for the poor and unfortunate. To deal with the nobles, it is best that you appear aloof and unimpressed by their performances, and if they ask you for a dance…” Lanead gave Mat an expectant look.

“Refuse,” said Mat thoughtfully.

Lanead nodded.

Kahl frowned. “But won’t that be rude?”

“And why would you refuse?” Lanead didn’t even acknowledge the younger Dyhaeri. Kahl felt uneasy as he watched the exchange between the captain and his cousin. This felt like some sort of test.

Mat looked at the Weltonians dancing, seemingly reluctant to reply.

“Come on, don’t be shy,” coaxed Lanead in a deceptively calm voice.

“Because then we’d be performing for the Malaquey court.”

Lanead sighed. “Mat, you might just survive court life after all.” He glanced at Kahl. “You, on the other hand, better learn fast.”

Kahl blinked. This lesson was…confusing.

“This is the crew’s down time. You can watch or not. It’s up to you.” The captain wandered off.

Kahl watched him go while trying to sort out his maelstrom of thoughts. At times, he could swear the captain was saying one thing while meaning another.

Was he trying to prepare them for court by behaving like a noble? Had the captain lived in Malaquey for a long time? And why? He was Weltonian.

He turned to put his questions to Mat, but to his amazement, his cousin was among the male dancers trying to mimic their steps.

“What in the Abyss…?” He ran up to his cousin. “What are you doing?”

“Learning.” Mat executed a sharp turn and almost fell as he tried to keep in time with the dancers.

“But…but you said you didn’t want to learn!”

“I know. It is interesting though and fairly complicated.” Mat tried another step, then grinned as he almost got it right. “This is fun!”

Kahl stared at him. His cousin was actually smiling with joy. He watched Mat for a while then smiled in return. Then a thought crossed his mind.

I never asked Britea if she likes to dance. Maybe I should learn…in case I meet her again.

“You’re right, it looks like fun.”

#

From the helm above, Lanead observed and smiled as he watched the two Dyhaeri laughing while trying to learn how to dance.

Let them be innocent a bit longer.

#

Britea knew something was wrong the moment she stepped into the social studies class. Students had clustered around Lianne and her two lady friends; their voices dropped to a whisper as they frequently glanced in her direction. None of the looks were kind.

What now?

She hoped never to find out. Britea had been at the school for six weeks and was still settling in. She knew things would have been a bit smoother if not for Lianne’s antics.

“What’s going on?” whispered Henrick as Britea sat down next to him.

She was mildly surprised. “I should be asking you. I thought you knew all the secrets.”

“Not really. That group has been gossiping like mad since I walked in, but I have no clue what about. I must say though, it sure picked up when you appeared.”

“Is that so?” Britea tried to hide her despair. She had an inkling of what they were talking about. At that moment, Lianne turned her pretty head and looked at Britea; her smile was absolutely malicious.

“Good morning, class,” said Instructor Teron Dawn as he breezed into class. Those not seated hurried to their spots.

“Good morning!” chorused the class.

“Today we’re going to discuss the structure of the Malaquey government.” Britea forced herself to turn to the front of the class, all the while aware of the girls behind her.

“We all know who the king is…” he paused and regarded the class. “I hope.” This was met by a few nervous giggles.

“So, we’ll start from the bottom of the rung this time, shall we? First question: which group of people occupy the lowest rung but hold the most power in Malaquey?”

Britea blinked and shared a puzzled look with Henrick. That question didn’t make sense. She glanced around, and everyone including Lianne appeared dumbfounded.

“Come on. You lot are supposed to be smart. Give me an answer?”

“The Merchant’s Guild?”

Instructor Dawn laughed. “Wrong answer, even though it is true that, collectively, they make more money than the king himself. Now, think again.”

The students began to murmur among themselves; some began to open books as if searching for the answer.

The instructor shook his head. “You won’t find it in any textbook. Let me give you a hint. When you go into town, you see them, you walk among them, most times you probably ignore them, and most of you are them.”

Something clicked in Britea’s mind. “The common people.” From the corner of her eye, she saw Lianne glare at her.

Instructor Dawn clapped. “And at last, one bright mind amongst the dullards speaks. Yes, it’s the common people, and why is that?”

Britea thought fast as she recalled a quote she had read in an old book in the library about revolutions. “Those that are ruled may not have wealth or property, but they possess two things their rulers should never take for granted: discontent and numbers. One may suppress them or murder them, but combine their thirst for revenge with their overwhelming majority, and you get the perfect recipe for a bloody revolution.”

The instructor raised an eyebrow. “Ah, someone’s been reading the memoirs of Helia Weldrass. Can anyone tell me who that is and why she’s important?”

“The rebel leader who caused the Great Civil War of 399 AC, which led to the splitting of the Olderian Empire into the Kingdom of Namira to the south and the Republic of Malaquey to the north,” answered Britea once again.

The instructor grinned. “This one is quick on her feet. Don’t get left behind class. Now, I know this isn’t your history class. But, to know how our current government works, you need to know this fundamental truth. Never take for granted the power of a mob. When Helia protested the plight of the working class, she led a mob that later grew into a well-trained army. That’s how they brought down an empire.”

He looked at each student before continuing. “As our nation grows, our leaders have tried to keep in mind that the common people need to be taken seriously…always. If, for instance, a wielder didn’t adhere to the Creed and attacked civilians, there would be nothing stopping those same civilians from storming and burning this college to the ground.”

He paused to let his words sink in.

“In three to four years, some of you will be on your Year of Discovery. That’s when you need to be on your guard and be on the best behavior of your life.”

Britea wondered if Lianne even knew what the word meant.

“Now, will someone apart from Novice D’Tranell explain what our government is?”

“It’s a constitutional and democratic monarchy,” replied Henrick.

“Meaning?” Instructor Dawn searched the class.

“While the title to the throne is inherited, it’s not guaranteed unless the elected governors and ministers agree with the monarch’s selection of the heir,” answered another student.

“Exactly. Some of you are wondering why I’m bringing this up. Well, that’s because in exactly one month, we will witness the election for the local minister for the district of Syla.”

Britea’s eyes widened.

“That’s right. Our district. This class is going to be at the ballot boxes to observe democracy at work, something our neighbors in Namira still lack. Now, I see disinterest in some of your faces, which is why I am declaring this exercise an assessment. Anyone not at the election site will fail this class.”

There were cries of dismay at this. Britea tried to hide her smile as Lianne complained loudly that she had plans. The instructor was unperturbed.

“Furthermore, after I’ve confirmed your presence at the polling station, you will each write an essay of nothing less than twelve thousand words on how it impacted you.”

“What?!” yelped a student behind a stunned Britea. “How are we going to write that much? There isn’t much to write about elections!”

Instructor Dawn’s smile was serene. “Then you better find something. Now, let’s discuss how the far-off districts and towns govern without the eye of the Malaquey court on them.”

#

“Take one step forward! Look at your partner. Curtsy slowly.” Britea felt her lower back and knees ache as she tried to copy the dance instructor.

“No, no D’Tranell! You need to appear as graceful as a swan,” chided Instructor Helene Droye before moving away to check on another pair of students.

“Or stay as awkward as a cow,” commented Lianne, standing opposite Britea. The words were met with snickers while Britea went hot with embarrassment.

“What was that you said, Lady Arkei?” asked the instructor airily.

“I was just saying how hard Britea has been working to learn this particular move,” lied Lianne smoothly as she gracefully turned and curtsied.

The instructor nodded, approval on her face. “See how clean that move was Britea? You would never find a more perfect dance partner than Lady Arkei. I see placing you beside her was the best idea. Learn all you can from her.”

Lianne returned the instructor’s smile with an innocent, wide-eyed expression.

Britea forced herself not to glare at the teacher. Of all the classes, this was her least favorite. One, she thought it was wholly unnecessary, and two, Lianne was the instructor’s pet and could do no wrong. It was here Lianne was at her most cruel because Britea was her partner. It had been clear from the beginning that dancing at court was a far cry from dancing at village-square parties. Britea wished she had protested when Instructor Droye had asked Lianne to teach Britea. At first, she had been stunned when the noble had accepted, then that had turned to dismay when the cruel pranks had begun. Lianne would teach her a dance move, and when Britea performed it, the other students would laugh at her because she did it incorrectly.

Because Lianne had taught her the wrong steps.

She dared not report her to the dumb instructor, so she tentatively asked Danai to teach her how to dance. Danai agreed and even got Navos and Lexia to help. So now Britea was stuck continuing to pretend Lianne was teaching her how to dance.

Britea glanced at the large chronometer on the wall. Twenty-five minutes to go, then a twenty-minute recess before her junior wielding class. By the Maker, she wished she was there already!

“Worried about your next class, peasant?” asked Lianne with a cruel smile.

Britea swallowed back the angry retort. “We all have places to be soon.” She willed the clock to move faster.

“Oh, is that so?” Lianne’s eyes glittered. “I heard a strange rumor about your wielding.”

Britea barely caught herself from stumbling. “What?”Oh no, she knows about Kahl.

“I hear you’re stuck in the junior classes because you still can’t wield even a tier-one form.” Lianne waited for a reaction. Her eye’s narrowed when Britea didn’t say a word.

“Are you deaf as well as stupid? Did you not hear what I just said?”

Britea blinked. She had been so relieved the rumor was about her junior class that she hadn’t realized she was supposed to be upset. “Oh, that. Uh…yes, I’m in that class.”

Lianne glared at her, clearly unhappy with her reaction. “So, what are you doing there?”

“You’d have to ask Instructor Shelley,” Britea saw Lianne go a bit pale. Ah, so the noble did fear someone . “I’m sure she’d be delighted to answer your questions.” She didn’t bother hiding a grin at Lianne’s disgruntled expression, which only further infuriated the noble.

“I’ll have you kicked out of this school if it’s the last thing I do.”

Britea had always wondered about Lianne’s anger, and she could no longer hold her tongue. “What did I ever do to you?”

Lianne was taken aback by the question for a moment.

“Ever since we’ve met, you’ve been nasty to me. So, I’m asking you why.”

Lady Arkei’s cruel smile returned. “Oh, is the poor peasant girl about to cry?” She said it loud enough for the nearby students to hear. “Is it because she can’t wield even tier-one forms and will soon be kicked out of the college?”

Britea was getting irritated with the speculative looks being sent her way. Her eyes soon strayed to the pitcher of water on the teacher’s desk.

“Maybe if she demonstrated, then we would all know she wasn’t a fraud.” There was a challenging light in Lianne’s eyes.

Britea could feel the heat rising and she was sorely tempted to wipe that smile off Lianne’s face with a giant tier-three orb of water. To the Deep with the Creed.

Then the bell rang.

“Well done, class. See you all tomorrow!” The instructor left the class before the students, clearly in a hurry.

Lianne smiled coldly. “As I thought, all peasants are cowards and frauds.” She turned to walk away. Britea felt something snap within her. She had tried to keep out of trouble, she had tried to be nice, and she had tried to ignore every insult thrown her way.

“Helia Weldrass was a blacksmith from a small village,” said Britea, a challenging tone in her voice. Lianne and the other nearby students stopped in their tracks.

“Meaning?” asked Valerie as she and Pearl walked over to stand on either side of Lianne.

“Meaning, she was also a peasant, but she led an army that brought down an empire. I’m just shocked you’ve forgotten that lesson already, Lady Arkei.”

Lianne’s face went pale with fury as other students oohed and nodded approvingly in Britea’s direction.

“Are you trying to threaten me?” demanded Lianne.

Britea walked up to her. “I don’t have to. It’s clear that you, a noble, are already threatened by me, a peasant.”

“Watch your tongue—” began Pearl.

“Or what?” challenged Britea without looking at her. “What are you three going to do to a single peasant girl you’re clearly scared of?”

“Tell them, sister,” encouraged a female student

“Fight me? Wield at me? Or just scold me?”

Lianne clenched her fists and Valerie grabbed one of them, only to have her friend shove her away.

“Come on, Lianne” goaded Britea. “I’m standing right here.”In most battles, let your enemy be the first to attack. Then you respond as needed. She could hear Weapons Master Caren’s voice in her mind.

Pearl and Valerie backed away from Lianne. The looks on their faces said they knew something terrible was about to happen.

Britea kept still. Lianne had to make the first move.

“You’ll pay for this…” began Lianne, and from the corner of her eye, Britea saw the pitcher of water began to vibrate.

“What are you all still doing here?” The students all jumped when Warden Asteros suddenly walked into the class. His expression changed when he saw Lianne and Britea facing off. “I want an answer, now.” The warden’s voice was hard and unforgiving.

Britea decided to take the plunge. “Lianne was just about to show me a dance step. She’s been an excellent teacher during my time in this class.”

The warden’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Britea for a long moment. Then, he turned his thousand-yard stare on Lianne. She nodded quickly.

“Yes, it was just dancing, nothing more.”

The warden glared at the two, then at the other scared students, who kept silent. “Fine. Get to your recess, and no dancing on the way. Is that clear?”

“Yes, warden,” chorused the class as they fled from his presence. Britea made sure she went in the opposite direction from Lianne and her friends. She knew the warden had seen through her lie. At the same time, Lianne was going to be even more mad at her for saving her noble hide.

This was far from over.

#

The short recess came and went like a dream, and then it was time for the last class of the day: junior wielding class. Britea released a sigh of relief as she opened the door. Most of the students were already present.

“Hello, Britea!” She smiled as she responded to the numerous greetings from the juniors. To be honest, she was more relaxed in this class than the others. None of the novices looked down on her, and at times, some of them even asked her for advice. She had wondered why, but one look at the stern face of Instructor Shelley had given her the answer. But Britea wasn’t scared of the senior wielder. For the past six weeks, she had been partnered with the instructor and had learned how to hold tier-one and two forms for far longer periods. She knew there was a lot more to learn, but she found herself liking the pace.

“Good afternoon, Instructor Shelley,” chorused the class as said instructor stormed in as if on the warpath.

Uh oh, thought Britea when she saw the expression on the teacher’s face. Who had been crazy enough to upset her? Instructor Shelley’s eyes scanned the class before settling on Britea.

By the Deep, it was me!

“Britea D’Tranell, may I have a word?” Her voice was calm, but her eyes were steel.

With her heart racing, Britea silently stood up and followed the instructor outside the class.

The door had barely closed before the instructor began.

“What happened at your dancing class today?”

“I—”

Instructor Shelley held up a finger, cutting her off. “And don’t tell me it was just Lady Arkei teaching you how to dance!”

Britea bit down on her lower lip and looked at the floor. That had spread fast.

“Novice D’Tranell, you will tell me the truth!”

Britea’s heart slowed down as anger replaced her fear. “The truth? Do I have your permission to speak freely then, Instructor Shelley?”

The instructor folded her arms. “You do.”

“I hate dancing. I always have, even in Weldaros. My feet are too clumsy, and I know I’m not much to look at, so I didn’t bother learning. I understand why I’m in the junior wielding class, and I truly appreciate how you’re trying to ease me into your method of teaching. But what I don’t see is the point of the dancing classes. It’s not going to stop an enemy from trying to kill me, and it certainly won’t help me further my wielding education. So, why do I have to do it?”

Instructor Shelley gave her a thoughtful look. “Is that why you tried to pick a fight with Lianne?”

“She started it! Ever since I entered that class six weeks ago, she’s been calling me names, making fun of the fact that I’m the daughter of peasants, and goading me about my so-called wielding ability. Today, she called me a fraud and a coward and swore she would kick me out of this school. So, I got tired of taking it and reminded her of when Helia Weldrass, a blacksmith, brought down an empire.”

“Then what happened?”

“She asked if I was threatening her, and I said there was no need to since she was already scared of me.”

To her surprise, Instructor Shelley grinned. “I bet she didn’t like that one bit.”

“Um…no,” agreed a stunned Britea.

“Tell me what else happened.” The instructor was silent as she listened to the rest of the encounter.

The female instructor sighed as Britea finished her story. “Is Instructor Droye aware of the bullying?”

“No,” replied Britea “Lianne is always careful to do it out of eye and earshot.”

“I see. Starting from today, you need to be more careful…”

Britea stared at her. Why was she being made to feel at fault here?

The instructor continued “…however, while I commend you for not giving in to the urge to wield an orb of water in her face, I still must stress the risk you took in goading her to wield first.”

“She would have been punished—” began Britea.

“Or she could have killed you!”

That shut her up.

Instructor Shelley continued. “The Arkeis are one of the oldest and most influential noble families in Malaquey. She would have made up some excuse, said it was an accident, and her family would have stepped in to prevent her from getting the harshest punishment. You need to be smart with the enemies you make, my dear. At times, we wait, and then when the time is right, we react. Accordingly. Never, ever mistake restraint for weakness. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” said Britea, subdued.

Instructor Shelley placed a gentle hand on her chin and lifted her head upwards. “Consider this a lesson. Now, let’s return to class. We’ll talk more about this later.”

The whole class turned as one, expectant looks on their faces.

“Juniors, I have news. Starting now, Britea will be my assistant instructor.”

Britea snapped her head around to stare at the instructor. “What?”

“There will be times when I will be called away, so Britea will fill in for me. What do you all think?”

“Yes!” yelled the happy students. Britea was left speechless. Instructor Shelley lifted a large book and handed it to her. She glanced at the cover. The Basics of Teaching Wielding, Volume 1 by Pras Val-Taros.

“Study every page. After each class here, you and I will practice for an extra hour.” Instructor Shelley waited for a response.

“I…I…thank you?” Britea was still not sure what to make of it all.

“Good. We’ll start today.”