by Andrew Rowe
The colonel nodded slowly. “Tell me about these friends of yours.”
Velas bit her lip. What’s she looking for? Is she testing if I’ll sabotage my friends?
“Landen has been a friend of mine for years. We served together in the Queensguard back in Orlyn. We’ve been through a lot of scraps together and always came out on top. I couldn’t ask for a better partner. I’m happy we were put in the same platoon.”
“I understand you had some role in that?”
Velas forced herself not to wince. “I did ask for us to be placed in the same platoon, yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I thought it’d be more fun. And I’d be more comfortable with him around. And we could help each other pass. I didn’t want to compete against him.”
“But you do realize that you’re competing against everyone, regardless of which platoon you’re in?”
Velas shook her head at that. “Yes and no. As long as we’re in the same platoon, we can help each other out in group tests, as well as any other tests where we have a sufficient amount of contact to trade information. That’s better than being stuck in a different barracks. And I’m expecting more contests where teams are pitted directly against each other in the future. Even if we’re being evaluated as individuals, my teamwork with Landen will make us both look better.”
“That seems reasonable. And what about Applicant Salaris?”
What about Sal? What does she want me to say?
“Salaris, um, I haven’t known him as long. But we’ve been training together under Herod, and I’ve enjoyed that. He’s one of the best fighters here, and I think we complement each other well.”
Do we? Is that really why…?
The colonel raised an eyebrow, which made Velas cringe backward in her seat slightly. Velas wondered if the colonel had detected the hint of a lie – and she wondered if she had been lying to herself with that answer, too.
“All right, Velas. What about the other members of your platoon? What’s your evaluation of them?”
Velas took a breath. This was slightly easier, at least. She could be professional.
“Asphodel seems like she’s going to go a long way. Her companions – Kolask and Teshvol – call her an oracle. She has some kind of information gathering sorcery abilities, which she can use subtly without incantations. I’m not sure what the extent of her abilities are yet, but from her listed score from the first test and the fact that she’s still here, I suspect she’s very capable.”
“Go on.”
“Kolask is extraordinarily protective of Asphodel, which is somewhat silly, given that she’s a much better fighter than he is. At first, I assumed that Kolask and Teshvol were her guards. I think most of the platoon still assumes that. I’ve seen them exercise and spar, though, and seen how they treat her. It’s more like Kolask and Teshvol worship her. And Asphodel doesn’t like the attention.”
“Interesting observation. Why do you think they ‘worship’ her, as you say? And do you mean that in the literal sense, that they believe she’s a deity?”
Velas shook her head. After years of living in Orlyn, she had seen enough prayers to false gods to recognize them easily. “Not quite. It’s more like they believe she’s a messenger of the gods or something along those lines. As for which gods, well, I’ve never really figured that much out.”
“And why not? Have you asked them about their religion?”
Velas shrugged. “We’re all here to join an order of religious paladins. I think asking them if they worship Asphodel might come across as a bit of an insult.” After a moment, she hastily added, “And I’m not telling you any of this to make them look bad. They very well might be extremely dedicated to the Tae’os Pantheon for all I know. I’ve seen people look at Tae – I mean Salaris – like he’s some kind of divine messenger, too.”
“Yes, I’m quite familiar with the problems that have arisen from Salaris carrying that sword around. I believe I’ve asked you enough about your platoon for the time being. Let’s talk a bit more about you. Why are you here?”
Finally, a question she had prepared for. “I spent my childhood hearing about the exploits of famous paladins and priests. As you know, I’m a child of House Jaldin – albeit not by blood. I was adopted at a young age. My family treated me very well, but since I’m not of their blood, I didn’t stand to inherit anything. They gave me a better education than I deserved - everything from healing to swordplay. Enough to carve out my own path in life. House Jaldin has traditionally served Lissari, and I learned her prayers when I was young. It’s taken me a while to get here, but I think this was the path I was meant for.”
“You mention prayers to Lissari, but I understand that you served the false gods of Orlyn for some time. Quite directly, in fact, as one of the guards of Queen Regent Tylan. How do you reconcile that?”
Velas was silent for some time, staring down into her lap. For several moments, the only noise was the scratching of the scribe’s quill.
“I wanted to believe that there were new gods – gods that wanted to serve humanity directly. It’s a compelling notion, isn’t it? Even the Tae’os Pantheon were once mortal. It didn’t seem impossible. And if the new gods wanted to help people, I felt like keeping them safe from harm was important.”
“You wanted to protect them?” Colonel Wyndam sounded surprised. It was the first hint of a strong emotion that had slipped into her tone.
Velas nodded. “I don’t believe the gods are invincible, Colonel. Even in the stories of the Tae’os Pantheon, they’ve struggled against threats – other gods like Vae’lien, monsters like Daesmodin and the Xixian Emperor, and even powerful sorcerers. These fledgling ‘gods’ – or false gods, as they turned out to be – were certain to be vulnerable. If they had been true deities, they would have probably been in even greater danger, since the true gods might have sought to destroy them.”
“And if the Tae’os Pantheon had tried to destroy these false gods you were protecting?”
A memory flashed across Velas’ mind. A glint of silver catching the morning light, tearing through her mail and flesh. A scar that still itched on her skin.
“I would have fought to stop them.”
The colonel nodded, seeming oddly satisfied. “What changed your mind about the gods of Orlyn?”
“I had a fight with a good friend of mine. It gave me a lot to think about – things I had refused to face before. I had to face the fact that I had been idealistic, and that I had been letting myself be manipulated for quite some time.” Velas tensed her jaw. “Never again.”
“That’s a satisfactory answer.”
The colonel turned toward the scribe. “Squire Aldrich, retrieve the sigil of Lysandri for Applicant Jaldin.” The squire stood and moved to a box at the back of the room.
Velas breathed an audible sigh of relief. “Thank you, Colonel.”
“You mentioned Lissari, but I think her sister suits you best. You did well in the Assassin Test – you were one of the best of our applicants this year, in fact – and your family would have been proud of your healing skills. Your answers here confirmed what I suspected from your behavior in that test, however. Your priority is protecting the ones you care for the most. While Lissari is the healer of wounds, it is Lysandri who sets all aside to sacrifice herself for others. I believe that this may be your path, Applicant Jaldin.”
Lysandri? The Martyr? I suppose there might be some truth to that.
The scribe handed the pin to the colonel, and she in turn offered it to Velas. The former Queensguard took the pin gingerly, staring at the metal for a moment before closing her palm around it.
“Thank you, Colonel. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
“Good luck, Miss Jaldin. You are dismissed.”
The sharp edges of the sigil dug into Velas’ skin, but the cold touch of the metal felt like victory.
***
Velas had pinned all three of her sigils to the right breast of her uni
form tunic. After having had the experience of being questioned by the colonel, the Lysandri pin felt far more significant than the others.
And Asphodel just gave me her pin, no questions asked. She must have had a very good reason for that. Either that or she’s just not as invested in this as some of us are.
After the interview, she met briefly with Landen. Colonel Wyndam had never told her not to discuss the tests with anyone else, so she followed through with her plan and filled Landen in on everything she had been asked. He was suitably grateful, but she also warned him that she suspected the colonel tailored her questions for each individual applicant.
“Three pins already,” Landen mumbled. “I’ve got some catching up to do.”
She left him long before his interview to seek out Taelien, but the swordsman was nowhere to be found. At the barracks, Teshvol mentioned that he thought he had seen Salaris leaving the military base for town.
Well, I’ll have to see what kind of antics he’s up to later, then. It’s his fault if he fails the interview because he wasn’t here for my amazing advice.
As an afterthought, she told Teshvol about his interview, and he seemed surprisingly grateful for the information. Maybe part of the colonel’s point was that I should get to know the other members of my platoon better. I should try that sometime.
She spent some time looking for Lieutenant Torrent, but he wasn’t anywhere near the barracks or the mess hall. Maybe he’s hiding with his pin. He seems like the type to enjoy hide and seek. I’ll see if I can track him down later if I need the extra sigil.
When it was nearly noon, she headed toward the Teldymair Lake, pondering what Lieutenant Morris had in store.
Lysandri is the goddess of water and ice, not just protecting others. A lake makes sense. Maybe he’s going to have us swim out to rescue people who are pretending to be drowning? She had done a few exercises like that during her medical training back home in Valeria. Well, if the colonel is right about my proclivity toward protection, I should be pretty good at this, too.
Velas counted at least twenty other applicants waiting by the side of the lake by the time she arrived. A pair of massive Paladins of Tae’os banners marked the meeting spot and she could see that most of the candidates were searching the lake with their eyes. Lieutenant Morris stood at the lake’s edge, speaking too quietly for Velas to hear from a distance. She examined the area as she approached the group.
Most of the other applicants were still wearing their uniforms and weapons. Velas had realized that this particular activity was outside of the base’s gates, and thus she wasn’t obligated to wear her uniform. Thus, she had prepared according to her best guess at the activity. She didn’t have any traditional swimwear handy, so she was wearing a simple short-sleeve shirt and shorts. She kept her longsword belted on her hip, just in case the challenge involved some sort of combat.
The lake’s waters were pristine, purified through centuries of maintenance by the city’s water sorcerers. It was the smallest of three lakes within the city and the only one that did not feed into Velthryn’s aqueducts. Some sections of the lake were walled off to serve as water sources for parts of the city where the aqueducts were less convenient. Other spots on the lake were privately owned, while still others were available to the public.
This particular location was on land owned by the priesthood of Tae’os, but locals were generally allowed to swim and fish there. At the moment, Velas could see armed paladins guarding both sides of the bank, displaying prominent flags bearing the seven runes of the Tae’os Pantheon. She could see tiny ships on the lake in the distance, but there were none nearby.
Glancing at the lake itself, Velas could see the reason why Lieutenant Morris had picked this particular spot. Majestic marble pillars extruded from the lake’s surface about a hundred yards into the water. They looked to be the remnants of some long-sunken structure – most likely an old temple.
As Velas moved to join the others on the shore of the lake, she noted Eridus standing in the crowd. She gave him a friendly wave, but he just looked away.
Hmpf. Rude.
She shook her head, searching through the applicants until she felt a tap on her shoulder. She spun around, finding Landen behind her.
“You should be more careful – I could have been an assassin or something.”
Velas rolled her eyes. “I’m pretty sure the twenty-odd paladins would have jumped on any assassin before they managed anything dangerous. Or, at a minimum, you’d have stood out like a lamppost in the night like that guy,” she pointed a finger at The Wandering War, looming over the crowd in his ever-present black cloak.
Landen grinned. “I sometimes wonder if that’s the same cloak, of if he just has dozens of identical ones.”
“One of life’s greatest mysteries. Also, I’m curious how he gets away with never wearing a uniform.”
“Maybe he’s got it on under there?”
“It sort of defeats the point of a uniform if you always wear something that completely covers it.”
“Fair.”
“Well, if you’ve been here long enough to get bored and sneak up on innocent young girls, what have you figured out about the test?”
“Pretty sure some of the pins are going to be up on those pillars.” Landen pointed, but the pillars were obvious enough even without his gesture. “If I had to guess, he’ll have some of the others underwater.”
“And it’ll be a race to find them? That doesn’t sound too bad. Kind of wish we had Asphodel, though.”
Landen shrugged. “Don’t think we’re going to need an oracle, so much as someone who can help us outpace Lysen.”
She caught Landen’s gaze, catching Lysen standing next to his sister on the side of the lake.
He’s right – Lysen has a huge advantage here. He can probably just freeze the water to make himself a path – or make a wall to block the rest of us.
“I think I can get out to a pillar before he has a chance to do that. Want to go for a ride?”
The swordsman folded his arms. “You think you can carry me with one of those motion bursts?
“Well, I’ve never tried, but it sounds kind of fun.”
He shook his head fervently. “Not a good time for practice. I really don’t want to end up splattered against one of those things. You’ve got practice with landing from that kind of height – I don’t.”
“Bah, you’re such a baby sometimes. Fine. I’ll see if I can’t get you a spare pin.”
“And I’ll get a dustpan to peel what’s left of you off the pillar.”
“You’re always so romantic.” She paused, seeing Lieutenant Banks pick up one of the banners and wave it in the air. “Looks like the lieutenant is about to talk.”
She glanced around the area one last time. And Sal still isn’t here.
“Listen up, everyone!” The crowds went silent as the lieutenant shouted. Most of the applicants turned to face him, although a couple continued to scan the water.
“Here are the rules. I’m sure you can all see the remains of Velryn’s Glory out in the water. We’ve hidden three chests – each containing a sigil – out in the ruins under the water.”
He pointed to the pillars next. “And, if you’re feeling especially adventurous, there are two more boxes at the top of two of those pillars. They’re the ones furthest from this shore.”
“Finally, the last two pins will be rewarded for retrieving a banner from one of the groups of paladins on the other side of the lake.” He pointed to two groups of armored men and women that were waving banners enthusiastically. “Without getting the banners wet. If it’s wet when it gets here, the banner won’t count, and I’ll hold on to one of the sigils for later.”
Velas narrowed her eyes at the figures across the lake. Looks like at least three hundred yards. Even I can’t jump that far. Hrm.
“Aaaand….go.”
The crowd stood and stared for a mere moment before the first applicant dove into the water. That go
t the others moving.
No time to plan.
Velas maneuvered toward the water line, took several steps back, and then began to run.
Surge. The blast catapulted her into sky, far past the swimmers - and high enough to see a blur as a black-cloaked figure fluttered right past her.
Oh, not a chance, buddy. Surge!
The second boost sent her flying faster, nearly paralleling The Wandering War, who turned his head to face her. As she continued in her upward arc, he raised his left hand above his head and swept it downward in a flourishing motion.
Velas plummeted.
What the f-
The former Queensguard swiftly oriented herself, keeping her feet together and holding her breath. She smashed into the surface of the water moments later, far faster than even a free fall should have carried her. The force of the impact slammed her teeth together, leaving her momentarily stunned at the pain and shock.
Recovering did not take long – and now she was angry.
The surface was bright enough for her to orient herself upward and a quick glance at the ruins gave her the direction of the opposite shore. She didn’t even consider going for the underwater chests in spite of her current advantage – those weren’t what The Wandering War was going for.
She kicked her legs, beginning to swim.
Enhance. Rather than attempting to blast herself out of the water, she amplified the amount of force generated by each of her movements, allowing each stroke to carry her closer to the opposite shore. Even then, she was forced to surface to breathe before she reached the other side, taking a few precious moments to gasp in air before pushing herself forward.
When she burst from the water, The Wandering War was already carrying one of the banners.
She swept her right hand toward him in a slashing motion. Push.
The wave of force blasted dirt and stones aside as it carried toward the cloaked figure – and stopped completely as he lowered his left hand in a chopping motion. He made a fist, and Velas could see the currents of air swirling around his hand for just a moment before he reopened his hand toward her.
