by Candy Crum
They lingered for a moment before pulling away.
"There you go!" he chirped before slapping her on the ass. "All better!"
Arryn rounded on him, punching him in the arm as she did. "Hey! Uncalled for!"
He put his hands up in surrender. "Don't act so angry. You know you loved it."
Cathillian's brows rose in shock as he jumped back, knowing she was about to come for him. She only narrowly missed him, but that didn't stop her from getting to her feet and readying herself to go after him again.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Don’t beat me up. Truce?"
Arryn rolled her eyes. "Fine. But next time you slap my ass, you get a foot to the balls."
He laughed. "Okay, deal. It's time for us to quit for today, anyway. About time for you to get to class. Speaking of which, how is that going?"
Arryn gathered her things, still feeling a bit awkward about her reaction to Cathillian. She shook her head to clear her mind as she hung her bow over her shoulder and began walking back toward the city gate, staff in hand.
"It's not too bad. I brought some flower seeds in—you know, something small. I'm trying to do essentially the same thing you are, but using things that are far easier to grow. My students are still having a hard time, so don't give your guys too much shit when they can't grow big-ass oaks. As for physical magic, it's been going well, too, though it's mostly remedial at the moment."
"That shouldn't be too bad, since you already have a handle on the basics. I think you'll do fine," he reassured her. “Just relax. You'll learn the big stuff soon enough.”
Arryn thought that over for a few moments, debating just how good her physical magic was. Just how good any of her magic was. She wasn't exactly sure if she would ever really master the different forms, but she had decided when she came back that she was sure as hell going to give it her best shot.
"I’m nervous, but I know it'll get better over time."
The guards at the gate smiled and nodded as the twosome walked through. They had become very accustomed to seeing Arryn and Cathillian going just outside the gate to train every morning.
They’d watched and even complimented her on her form, and one mentioned his interest in archery. Arryn understood why he’d want to learn, especially after she found out the city didn't have any archers.
The city had always relied too heavily on physical magic and magitech weapons. Adrien saw no reason to have them because the Hunters were well trained and the Guard was nothing to be messed with.
The need for archers was never there. After the Battle for Arcadia, it was something that hadn’t yet been thought of, but with the Guard being highly inexperienced and lacking even the most basic knowledge of physical magic—for most of them—the need for archers was there.
When the guards had shown interest, she told them their best bet was to go to Amelia and tell her. She thought talking about the interest in further training would do more good coming from them rather than an outsider who had only been in the city for a few weeks, even if she and Amelia had gotten much closer after the fight with Doyle.
Knowing Amelia and her desire to do right by everyone, Arryn was quite sure the Chancellor wouldn’t turn down additional skills for her army.
When Arryn and Cathillian got back to the house, she ran upstairs to jump in the shower, needing to wash the blood off her and relax herself and her mind before going in to teach at the Academy.
Celine, Arryn’s aunt, had breakfast waiting on them as she had every morning lately. She’d moved in after everything that had happened with Doyle. For the first week, she’d been staying over quite a bit anyway, so it was the logical choice for her after finally having someone in her family back in her life.
It had only made sense for them, and Arryn loved having her aunt with her.
As Arryn got out of the shower, she groaned. While she loved her job, she hated going there and seeing Talia. Every day, she still had to psych herself up to be able to face the seemingly perfect Dean of Students, without giving away her discomfort—a discomfort that hadn't been alleviated but rather had only worsened as time went on.
As she finished getting dressed, Arryn decided there was only one thing to do about that situation.
She needed to talk to Amelia.
3
Samuel considered himself an easy-going rearick, but he wasn’t someone to mess with when he was on a mission.
The job at the factory was almost finished, and he and the others had decided to go to Sully's to have a few drinks to celebrate. He could certainly use the drinks after all the—free—hard work he’d been putting in for a city he wasn’t the biggest fan of.
Unfortunately for him, he quickly found he wasn't in a celebratory mood once one of the other laborers had told the group what he'd overheard Marie relate to Amelia.
They were concerned about the men that had been killed down south, and Samuel couldn’t say he blamed them. The remnant were nothing to scoff at.
It had been too late the night before to walk into the Capitol building or track down the Chancellor at home to say anything, but he had plans to do it now. Something had to be done.
The remnant needed to be dealt with, and if his fellow workers were correct, the city was under the assumption the Guard was more than capable of handling them—and they weren’t.
Marie was sitting at her desk as he walked into the Capitol building, smiling as soon as she saw him. She was a beautiful girl, one who was capable of making even an old dog rearick like Samuel blush, but he knew his friend Andrew liked her, so that was enough for him.
He wasn't in the habit of trying to steal a woman from another man, even if they weren’t actually together and she was a sweet and beautiful girl like Marie. Still, he didn't mind admiring her a little.
"Samuel, it's good to see you again," Marie told him as he approached. "What can we do for you?"
The rearick cleared his throat as he smoothed his beard. "I believe I need ta talk ta that Chancellor of yers. I received some startlin’ news, and I need ta know what she intends ta do about it."
Marie's brow furrowed as she looked at him. "What’s happened, Samuel? Is everything okay?"
Samuel paused, trying to keep his worry under control. No matter what, it wasn’t poor Marie’s fault. "I know yer just doin’ yer job, lass, but I think ye know what I'm talkin’ about. Those people down south all losin’ their lives ta those overgrown sacks of shit."
She exhaled, pausing for a moment before nodding. "It's terrible. All those men. All those families who lost their brothers, sons, fathers." She shook her head, her expression full of sadness. "I'm no expert on the subject, but I agree. Something needs to be done. I just don't know what."
"Hopefully the Chancellor knows. She available?" Samuel asked.
Marie nodded, walking to Amelia's office door and knocking softly. As she opened it, Samuel could hear a voice from inside, but not what was said.
Marie had obviously heard her, however, and she opened the door to poke her head inside. There was a pause before she turned back to Samuel and smiled.
"Amelia said to come on in. She's ready for you."
Giving a curt nod of thanks, Samuel stepped into the office and closed the door behind him. "Sorry ta bother ye, Chancellor, but I have some questions fer ye. I heard there was another remnant attack farther south. What exactly do ye plan ta do about it?"
Amelia’s eyes were wide. “Well, hello to you, too!” She motioned to the chairs in front of her desk and paused as she waited for him to sit. "I know what you’re talking about, and it’s a tragedy. I would love for the Arcadian Guard to be able to ride into the Madlands on horses and use swords, magitech weapons, and fireballs until they’re all dead and gone, but they can't.”
Samuel stayed quiet as he listened intently, formulating his argument.
The Chancellor leaned forward, clasping her hands on her desk. “The truth is, we don't know how many remnant there are in the Madlands. We don't know mu
ch of anything about them except they’re brutish, mindless scum that feed on death and destruction. We can't go picking a fight if we don’t have enough information. We’d be sending them to their deaths."
Doing his best to keep his voice calm, Samuel said, "All due respect, Amelia, they ain't mindless. Not by a longshot. They’re so obsessed with death and carnage they ain’t thinkin’ long-term, but they understand battle strategy. And make no mistake, lass, they have one.”
“What are you talking about?” Amelia asked.
“They’re always ready fer battle, no matter what. They focus on blunt force, and they're damn good at it. My people’ve been fightin’ ‘em fer years. Yer right that no one in this damned city should go pickin’ a fight they can't win. Biggest reason is because I can promise ye those men ye have down there—” he shook his head “—they won't win."
Amelia nodded. "Unfortunately, if they went looking for a fight, you’re absolutely right. It wouldn’t end well for them. I’m confused. If we both agree we shouldn’t send the Guard to the Madlands, then what are you suggesting that I do? We have our border walls, and we have the Guard. In fact, I just increased the Guard’s numbers. I’ll fight to the end for any person in this city, but I won’t send men outside to their deaths."
Samuel ran his fingers through his beard as he leaned forward. "What I’m tellin’ ye is, yer men ain't ready—even for a home invasion. And it's only a matter of time before the bastards from the Madlands come this way.”
“What makes you think that?” Amelia asked.
“Experience, lass. Somethin’ has ‘em all riled up. Somethin’ ain't right. How long have men been loggin’ over there? Months. Ever since those spoiled nobles fled the city. Fer months they've been cuttin’ down trees over there, and there ain’t been a problem. But two attacks within just two weeks of each other now? The second was even further in the valley. I’m tellin’ ye, somethin’ ain’t right. We need skilled soldiers, and we need a plan."
"You think something is agitating them and bringing them farther into the Valley?” Amelia asked.
Samuel nodded. “If it’d only been a single occurrence, I’d never think twice about it. But they spread their shit out. They’re brutes, but they ain’t exactly tryin’ ta die. I don’t have a clue what could be crawlin’ up their arses, but somethin’ is.”
“I’ve had my own experiences with the remnant, and it’s not something I’d want to see happen to anyone. The only thing we can do is continue to increase numbers, the Scouts and Hunters that patrol the Arcadian Borders especially, and educate everyone."
While Samuel was sure the Chancellor believed what she was saying, he’d seen the city Guard training.
They spent all day knocking each other on their asses, but that was about it. They had no idea how to properly hold a weapon, or even how throw a proper punch.
"I know ye think those are good choices, but there ain’t nobody good enough anymore to train those lads. They’re all a bunch of babies. If the remnant come this way, yer men will fall. Ya ain’t even got any archers. Never been a fan of ‘em meself, but if an army approaches, especially an army of remnant, ye’ll need ta stop ‘em before they make it ta the gate."
Amelia sighed, forcing a smile as she nodded. He couldn’t blame her for not enjoying the topic of her city potentially falling.
"I know you’ve saved the lives of several men, so I don't doubt your knowledge of battles or of the remnant. Put your mind at ease, rearick. If something happens, we’ll stop it. I’ll work on coming up with a better training strategy."
She was a brand-new Chancellor, taking over the chair after one hell of a bastard dictator. She was afraid to crack the whip too hard, and she was afraid to scare her people unnecessarily—but he knew she’d do what needed to be done.
Amelia was a strong woman, and he knew she was deadly serious when saying she’d fight to the end for anyone in her city. He nodded, putting his faith in her hands.
But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t also put faith into his own. Samuel had a plan to make sure training was done and done properly.
Samuel stood, gave her a nod, and walked out the door, hopefully leaving the Chancellor to think about a strategy that would make men out of those children in Guard’s clothing.
Arryn sat at her desk waiting for everyone to fill the classroom. It was still strange to see the people she was responsible for, knowing she was to teach them all about her magic when she barely knew more than the basics of theirs.
Her class had been focusing on using magic to grow, much like what Cathillian had been doing, except on a much smaller scale.
Cathillian was focusing on necessity and on a single topic: trees.
Arryn, on the other hand, had been focusing more on the bigger picture. Learning to grow smaller things and bond with the life inside of it. Teaching them how to harvest and connect to nature as a whole instead of simply willing something to grow.
Arryn had been teaching the students how to grow potted plants, something they were still working on.
Just as she had predicted, the Boulevard students were having an easier time learning the skills than the physical magic students.
One student had even gotten so frustrated that he accidentally set his flowers on fire. That had made the entire classroom laugh, even Arryn.
She decided to give them a little bit of a break today. She wanted to work on healing. It was harder to do, but she hoped it would reignite their interest in nature magic to learn something that valuable.
As everyone sat down, Arryn looked around the room and studied them for a moment. Something seemed very different. The entire class seemed distracted, worried, upset about something. "Good morning, class. I’d ask how everyone’s doing, but it looks like you’re all in a pissy mood."
One of the girls from the center of the class, Megan, raised her hand. "Did you not hear about what happened to Joel's dad?"
Arryn's forehead wrinkled as she looked around for Joel, but came up empty. She hadn't heard any news, good or bad. She shook her head. "No. What happened? Is that why he's not here?"
Megan nodded. "There was a remnant attack. Another one, this one farther south. Joel's dad was down there with a group of loggers, and the remnant killed everyone."
That certainly wasn't a good way to start the day.
Arryn felt terrible for Joel. He was one of the newest students—from the Boulevard, of course. He worked hard in class, and Arryn could see just how dedicated he was to learning any form of magic. He was particularly proud to be learning nature magic.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Arryn momentarily looked down at her desk before standing to address the class. "Joel’s a great guy. I know what it's like to lose a parent, especially to violence. We should do something nice for him before he comes back."
A young man named Mark who sat to the right of the class spoke. "What exactly do you expect us to do for him? He just lost his father. Nothing’s gonna make that better. Everyone’s scared shitless the remnant’s gonna come this way. What happens if they attack our city?"
"I don't think she meant doing something nice for him would fix his problems, Mark," Megan interjected. "She just meant it would be thoughtful. I think we're all sensitive to this and worried the remnant might come this way."
Arryn was about to speak when she felt a familiar tingle in her mind, reminding her of the day she’d met Amelia. She’d felt something that day—a buzzing feeling in her head—and Amelia had told her she’d felt the effects of the Chancellor looking into her thoughts. It was a mystical magic ability.
But that wasn’t the problem.
Arryn had felt it again the day she met Talia, just before Amelia had pulled her out of class to hunt down Doyle. Once she’d returned to teaching after her week of being in a magically induced, coma-like sleep, that feeling had crept over her multiple times.
Amelia? Arryn thought, hoping that it was the Chancellor checking on her.
There was no answer.
Arryn shook her head, clearing her thoughts and bringing herself back to the conversation. "So, how far south are we talking?" Arryn asked. "If you mean farther than the last remnant attack, then I’d say we’ll be fine."
It was Megan who spoke again. "It was, but it was also farther into the valley. It was the house farthest south before getting close to the mountain just north of Craigston. I don't know why they'd stop at the patch of forest, why they wouldn't climb up to Craigston. From what I hear, they can take anything they want."
"Yeah! I heard they’re almost fifteen feet tall, built like bears, and just as strong, and they have magic. With that kind of combination… If they come here, we’re screwed." That came from Jack, another student to the left side of the classroom.
Though Arryn had never seen the remnant herself, she knew about them from the Chieftain. She'd also heard Samuel’s story, and she trusted both of those men, especially since both their descriptions matched the other.
"First of all, that's not right," Arryn corrected, standing and walking around the front of her desk. Suddenly, she felt like an Elder instead of a peer. "Second, why do you think we’d be screwed if they came to Arcadia?"
Jack snorted. "You're joking, right? Our military sucks. The Guard was a bunch of corrupt assholes before, but they were strong. We had over a thousand, but they were either killed or they left the city when they realized their shit wouldn't fly anymore. Now, to sum it up, we have hundreds of barely trained recruits who have no magic to back up what little martial skill they have."
She hadn't realized just how far off schedule the city was. With all the progress, it had seemed everything was on track. She'd been there for a few weeks, but she'd been so lost in the Academy and training with Cathillian that she hadn't even thought to check into the military aspect. She’d just assumed all of that was under control.
