by Andrew Rowe
Determining where to find Asphodel was easy – the Delaren was scheduled for a meeting with the colonel’s office an hour before Velas was. Rather than trying to catch Asphodel before she entered, Velas headed to the Citadel of Blades just after seven bells, waiting to catch the crystal-haired girl on her way out. That would also give Velas an idea of how long Asphodel’s meeting with the colonel lasted.
The meetings were scheduled a half hour apart from each other, but that didn’t mean they lasted for a full half hour each. Knowing the duration of the meeting would give Velas an idea of how she should prepare herself.
Asphodel emerged from the office about ten minutes after seven bells. Wordlessly, she extended an open palm toward Velas as she approached. A sigil of Sytira was in her hand.
“Not bad. You’ve already got enough to pass, then.” Velas gave the Delaren an approving nod.
“It is yours.”
Velas blinked – she had assumed Asphodel had simply been displaying the pin, not offering it as a gift. Gingerly, she plucked the sigil from the other woman’s hand, noting that Asphodel’s fingernails matched the color of her hair.
But they’re just normal nails, not claws like the legends talk about. I suppose that’s a transformation she’d have to undergo, not something the Delaren have at birth.
“Thank you,” Velas said, closing her hand protectively around the sigil. She frowned – she’d never done anything of significance to help Asphodel. Certainly nothing to warrant this degree of kindness. “Why?”
“You will need it more than I will.”
Velas tilted her head to the side. “Not to complain about a present, but I’d really like to understand how you know that. What exactly are these oracle abilities of yours?”
Asphodel frowned, looking from side to side. “Can’t talk right now. Too much noise. I will tell you eventually. Goodbye.” She turned away and abruptly began walking off.
“Wait, I was going to ask you –”
Asphodel half-turned to face her, slowing her steps. “You wanted to offer to use motion sorcery to make me run faster, allowing me to quickly go and obtain all of the sigils that are hidden in the city. That won’t be necessary – I can retrieve two of them without your help, and the third is already gone. Thank you, though. I am glad you wished to work with me.”
The Delaren smiled softly and turned away, retreating from the citadel. Velas took a breath to speak again, but her voice never came.
***
“You’re here early,” Jonathan Sterling remarked, approaching the colonel’s office. His meeting was scheduled for right after Asphodel’s – and thus, just before Velas’ own meeting. He was wearing a broad grin, his chest vibrating as he quietly chuckled at some unspoken joke. “Nothing better to do?”
Velas shrugged. She was leaning up against the wall right next to the office door. “I had other business nearby, and I don’t really have enough time to go do anything else before my appointment. Figured I’d just relax here for a bit, try to guess at what the colonel is going to want.”
“A guessing game, is it?” He brought up his left hand, touching two fingers to his forehead. “I do enjoy those.”
Velas smiled at the gesture. “Don’t we all?”
“I’ll be curious what you come up with. Perhaps we can chat about it later. In the meantime, however, my meeting awaits.” He half-bowed, and then stepped closer and knocked on the door. It opened a moment later, revealing a young man who was carrying a handful of files in his left hand.
“Come in, Applicant Sterling.” The young man gave Velas a quizzical look when he noticed her to the side of the door. She gave him a friendly wave.
“I’m the next one. Got here a bit early.”
The young man gave a slight frown, shaking his head, and retreated deeper into the room. Velas got a quick glimpse of Colonel Wyndam sitting behind a desk toward the back of the chamber before the door closed.
Well, this should be even more interesting than I expected.
Listen.
The mental command enhanced her sense of hearing. It was one of the simplest Dominion of Sound spells and the first one she had mastered. The more difficult part was making it useful.
Velas closed her eyes, envisioning a half-sphere in front of her, open at her back.
Filter.
With her enhanced hearing, she would have normally heard even the slightest nearby sounds coming from any direction. The second spell created a field that dispersed sounds that passed through it, which would prevent them from reaching her ears. The combined effect of the two spells would enable her to listen intently – but only in the desired direction.
Initially, she had regretted that Landen or Taelien hadn’t been right before her. Now, after having seen Sterling’s little gesture, she was excited to hear his conversation with the colonel.
Moments passed into minutes and she heard nothing at all.
Gods curse it. They must have the wall dominion bonded to prevent sound from leaving. Either that, or one of the people in there is actively preventing any sound from leaving the room.
She let her Listen and Filter spells fade – maintaining them would have been a needless tax on her sense of hearing – and glanced at the nearby rooms. The room on the right belonged to another officer, Orin Dyr. The room on the left, however, didn’t have a plaque to mark the owner.
Velas tested the handle. It was unlocked. She looked down the hall in both directions, quickly determining that there was no one else in sight. She listened briefly at this door as well, but she couldn’t hear anything within – nor could she determine if that was because of sorcerous wards or just because there was no one inside.
This could get awkward if someone is inside.
Gritting her teeth, she turned the handle.
The door led to an empty classroom, minimally lit due to large curtains blocking the windows. Taking a deep breath, Velas stepped inside and shut the door behind her.
If someone comes in, I’ll just say I wanted a quiet place to think while waiting for my appointment, she decided. Walking to the right wall of the room, she began to work.
Listen. Filter. She pressed a palm against the wall, instantly feeling the pulse of the Dominion of Sound from the opposite side. The dominion bond flowed like liquid across the wall’s surface, absorbing and dispersing sounds that passed within. The wall itself was imperfect, however – the citadel was ages old, and cracks and furrows marred the surface of the once pristine barrier. The dominion bond faltered in these locations, allowing for tiny pockets of sound to be trapped within for moments before they faded away.
Her own footsteps echoed loudly as she slowly advanced along the walls, pressing a hand against the stone. Finding the flaws in the wall from the opposite side would be more difficult, but the nature of the defense would make it obvious any time she came in contact with any sound. She paused immediately as she felt a fragment of vibration in her hand, drawing it through the wall and releasing it into her half-sphere of filtered sound.
“…it wasn’t my idea, in truth. My older sister told me I needed to make something of myself, to do some good for the family.”
Sterling’s voice. She quickly shifted her filter to ensure that no sound echoed back into the other room. Now that she had found a weakness in the room’s sonic armor, she could draw the sound through and release it almost as quickly as the people within spoke.
“So, you’re not here of your own volition, then?” The colonel’s tone was measured, but Velas caught a clear edge to it.
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. It was her idea at first, but I think this is the right place for me. I can do a lot of good here.”
“And what sort of ‘good’ would you expect to do as a member of the Paladins of Tae’os?”
There was a brief pause before Sterling responded. “Well, I think I’d be best with the Eratar branch, to be honest. I enjoy talking to people and traveling, so I’d make a good messenger. I don’t want to come acro
ss as too arrogant, but I’d also like to think I can slip into a hostile area without being noticed, which could help me accomplish important goals for the paladins.”
Sounds like a fairly generic interview so far. Interesting that he’s gunning for a specific branch at this early of a stage – I’m not sure if that’s a good strategy.
“I see. And why should I help you complete this test?”
Another pause. “Well, I think I’m here for the right reasons. Some of the applicants don’t seem very focused. Others seem like they’re more here for the challenge of the competition than the goal of becoming a paladin. I’m here to be a paladin, colonel.”
“Thank you, Applicant Sterling—”
Velas turned around and immediately headed to the classroom door. Opening it slowly, she glanced from side-to-side, but no one else was in the hallway. She swiftly moved back to her position outside of the door of Colonel Wyndam’s office. From the colonel’s tone, it was clear that the interview was about to conclude.
That one was quick. Asphodel was in there a lot longer. Does that mean he failed?
It was at least another minute before the door finally reopened. Sterling glanced at her, tipping his hat politely, and wordlessly headed toward the citadel’s entrance.
While the door was still open, Velas glanced within. The young man she had seen earlier was sitting in a chair at the left side of the colonel’s desk, writing furiously. The colonel herself approached the door and smiled at Velas.
“I appreciate your punctuality, but you’ll have to wait for your scheduled appointment time.”
Velas saluted. “Yes, ma’am.”
The colonel closed the door.
Well, I was hoping to get more information out of that, but at least I have some basics. I most likely missed the first question or two, but it sounds like a relatively straightforward question and answer session – at least for the part that Sterling went through. It’s very plausible he failed at a certain point and didn’t get all of the questions.
So, what am I going to say to the things she asked? It sounded like one of them was about why Sterling was interested in joining the paladins – that’s a fairly straightforward one. I’m here because of Landen, who followed Taelien and Lydia down here.
Which is a terrible answer. Shit.
Okay, straightforward doesn’t always mean easy. What have I got? My family has been dedicated to Lissari for generations – that’s a good one. House Jaldin has a good reputation, and I have relevant training as a healer, even if I never picked up the sorcery for it.
“Family tradition” isn’t a great answer by itself. Maybe being inspired by my ancestors and their dedication? That’s a little better at least.
She continued to ponder her options until the door reopened and the young file-bearing man beckoned her inside.
“Thanks,” she said as he held the door open for her. Velas stepped within, following his gesture toward a seat across from the colonel. The younger man closed the door a few moments later, sitting down in the same chair she had seen before.
“Candidate Velas Jaldin,” the colonel said, looking at a paper in front of her. Velas resisted the urge to glance at the contents of the paper, but she suspected it was the same file on her that Taelien had discovered earlier – potentially with more recent notes. “You’ve led a rather interesting life, considering your young age.”
“Thank you, colonel.”
“Let’s get right to it. You get to ask me a single question about anything relating to the exams, and I’ll give you an honest answer. After that, I’ll ask you a series of questions, which you must answer honestly. I will know if you are lying. If you lie, you’ll get a red flag immediately. If you provide me with honest answers that I find compelling, I will give you one of my remaining pins. Do you understand?”
Shit. She can sense the truth? That’s going to make this a bit more of a challenge. She could be bluffing, but it’s not really worth the risk. She’s a Sytiran, and a high ranking one at that. Having some kind of knowledge spell to read me isn’t implausible at all.
“Yes, colonel.”
“You may ask your question first. I’ll give you a minute or two to think about it. Don’t try to run up the clock by delaying until my next meeting, however. I appreciate creative problem solving, but wasting my time would be rude.”
I wouldn’t do something like that. Taelien might, though. He does love trying to game these tests.
“Understood, colonel. I will let you know when I’ve thought of my question.”
In spite of her calm response, Velas’ mind was whirling. There were a multitude of options that immediately came to mind.
She said the exams – that means it doesn’t even have to be about this particular test. I could ask about virtually anything. Knowing my cumulative total up to this point could be good to know how much trouble I’m in, but ultimately it probably wouldn’t be worth using up the question. Maybe I could ask what my biggest mistake has been so far so I can avoid repeating it, but I think I’m better off asking for something that’s going to provide a direct and guaranteed benefit.
I could ask for the best answers to this particular interview, or maybe just ask directly how I could earn a pin from her. One pin isn’t exactly going to make or break this whole competition, though. I could ask for the locations of all of the hidden pins within the city, but Asphodel is already going after them and she already gave me her pin, so I shouldn’t compete with her.
I could ask about one of the tests after this one – something to give me a big edge for one of the future exams. That’s tempting, but it might seem arrogant to assume I’m passing this one.
Maybe I should ask for the answers to every question that the other candidates have already asked – that’s a good one. Unfortunately, only a few people were in front of me, so it wouldn’t necessarily be as useful as if I was one of the later interviews. That’s probably along the right line of thinking…
“All right, I have my question.” Velas clenched her hands in her lap, unexpectedly tense. She wasn’t used to being nervous talking to authority figures, but this particular competition was wreaking havoc on her nerves. She had to win.
“Ask when ready.” The colonel waved with one hand for her to proceed.
“What’s the best advice related to any of the exams you can give me that you have not given to anyone else and do not expect to give to any of the other applicants?”
The colonel’s expression sank for a moment, and then she smiled. “That’s a very good question, Miss Jaldin. I’ll need a moment to think about it.”
Velas nodded silently.
The colonel folded her arms, leaning back slightly in her chair. Velas tried to take deep breaths as subtly as possible while she awaited the answer.
“When the competition started, we told you all that the ‘tradition’ dictates that the arbiters select one person for each branch. This is true, but it is also misleading. Most applicants believe that they must excel in a specific area to appeal to one arbiter or another, thinking of every other applicant as competition for that spot. This leads many to failure.”
Velas quirked an eyebrow, continuing to listen.
The colonel leaned a little bit closer, putting her hands on top of the table. “In truth, there have been years where not a single candidate has been selected. There have been other years – typically after great wars – that dozens of candidates are chosen. The arbiters will pick as many candidates as they deem worthy. The standards of what constitutes ‘worthy’ vary from year to year, however, based on the needs of the organization as a whole. In recent years, we’ve only picked a few paladins per year from these tests. We’re not at war, and the arbiters generally find that paladins who go through the entire process of being a squire are better at teamwork and more loyal to the organization.”
Velas nodded. The logic was sound – the process of spending years as a squire was much more likely to weed out spies, as well as build
loyalty and dedication between the squire and the paladins he or she worked with.
“That’s my answer. And now I have a question for you – what led you to ask that particular question?”
That one was relatively easy, at least. “I thought about a lot of different options before I realized that you hadn’t said anything about this interview being a secret. My plan was to try to get information that no one else would have, and then share it with the members of my platoon, unless I’m explicitly instructed not to at some point. Similarly, I can ask my platoon mates what they asked and learn whatever they learned.”
“Good. You mentioned your team members – would you share that information with people outside of your own group?”
A good question, and potentially a trick question.
“I wasn’t planning to, but I probably would if it was someone I trusted, or someone I wanted to pass.”
“And under what conditions would you want someone else to pass the exam?”
Velas frowned. Sterling’s questions had seemed a lot easier than these. “Really, it probably would depend on if I liked them. I’d like to have a better answer, but you wanted the truth.”
“The truth is what I’m looking for, Miss Jaldin. Now, how about the people within your own platoon? Would you share this information – or other advantages you might gain during the competition – equally with each member of your platoon?”
Ouch. That’s one is a sucker punch. “No, most likely not. This isn’t because I wish for anyone on my team to fail, nor would I deliberately sabotage anyone on my team – or anyone else. I’d be perfectly happy if everyone passed. But I came into these tests with friends, and I’m going to be biased toward helping them the most.” She paused for a moment, and then added, “Admittedly, I also owe Asphodel a favor, and I will take measures to pay that back.”
