Tomias hated meetings. Such things required him to maintain a firm hold of his tongue, something he’d found near impossible when he’d joined the Council years ago. It had become easier, mostly because he spent the majority of the meetings conversing with Fenir in his head. It gave him the feeling that he was voicing his opinions without getting the scolding that usually came along with it.
Fenir grunted, eyeing the other instructors around him. “Lot of bodies in this room. We’re in for quite the competition.”
It was true. The Council had swelled in size over the years. There were eleven of them now, including themselves. And there would be more to come. Eventually they’d need a bigger space to conduct their business, but for now the glowing wraith wood tree sufficed.
“How do you think we’ll do,” Tomias questioned, casting a suspicious glance at Grant. He stood silent and stoic, blue eyes gazing off into space. His arms were crossed and his expression was grim, sign of a man that had better things to do. Things like practicing to best them in combat.
“We’d do better if you’d quit worrying. We might not even be against them.”
“I am worrying too much, aren’t I?”
“Yes. You need to stop. Kirheen and Garild are doing far better than we ever expected, so quit worrying. You’re stressing me out.”
“Sorry, sorry. I just…”
The conversation was cut short as Nyson entered the room. He looked calm, a rare expression on his haggard face. Most days the man looked like he was ready to snap, like he was a frayed rope being pulled too taut. All it would take was one good tug and the man would unravel. Today was different though. His usual frown had disappeared from his face, his eyes shone, and the harsh wrinkles of his face seemed softer somehow, as if he’d suddenly reverted back to a version of himself that was ten years younger. It was almost unsettling.
Nyson took his place in the center of the circle. Never one to stand still, the set up afforded him the ability to move about the room and address whomever he wished face to face. “Thank you for joining me today,” he spoke, sweeping his arms out as he turned a slow circle. “As you well know, the Battle of Union is almost upon us. Today I’d like to discuss details with you so we all know what to expect. For the battle itself, I will be splitting the Bonded into two groups. Each group will consist of eight students. These Bonded will face each other in pairs and try to secure their spot in the final competition.” Nyson motioned for a servant and a moment later, a young woman arrived at his side, holding a bundle of scrolls. He took them from her and nodded approvingly before dismissing her. She wandered to the far corner of the room, face devoid of emotion.
“On these scrolls is a breakdown of the battles. We will be doing one battle at a time with Herzin and myself overseeing each. Please review your scroll as it is passed to you.” The scrolls were passed around the circle and Tomias unraveled his, eyeing it curiously.
The scroll showed a breakdown of whom each pair of Bonded would be up against as well as the official rules for the battle. On the left hand side, he found his students names. A line connected them to the group they’d be battling and he sighed, nudging Fenir with his elbow.
“See, I knew I was worried for a reason.” The first battle was against Abby and Burk, the very team he’d been agonizing over in the first place. “If we go up against them first, this could end badly.”
Fenir shrugged. “Doesn’t look like we have a choice. No point whining about it now.”
Tomias let the scroll snap back together and looked around the room just as Grant finished reading his. He met Tomias’ gaze and the deformed corner of his mouth rose in a smirk. Tomias looked away in disgust, but not before giving him his best glare.
“We’re going to lose.”
“Would you shut up? I didn’t deal with those two all winter just to let them lose the first round.”
“Right, shutting up now.”
Nyson clapped his hands twice, bringing the attention back to himself. “These scrolls are yours to keep. While the breakdown of the battles is yours to review, please keep this information from your students. The matchups will remain a surprise for them. Please make sure to review the terms of the battles and discuss the rules with your students. Any Bonded found breaking the rules of the competition will be immediately disqualified and face disciplinary actions as decided by Herzin. This is a chance for your students to prove their worth, to prove they have what it takes to defend us against the Darkness. Do not let them disappoint.” Nyson met the eyes of each instructor as he said this. “That will be all today. Please use this next week to practice. The Bonded, as well as yourselves, will have the day before the competition to rest. Use your time wisely.”
As Nyson left, the Council trickled out after him, murmuring softly to each other. The sun had sunk low, leaving the world drenched in vibrant streaks of color and Tomias took a minute to soak it in before the ghastly blue glow of the trees dominated the night.
“It really would be a shame if this place fell to the Darkness,” Tomias mused.
“It would,” Fenir agreed. “That’s why we have to train them the best we can. They are our future.”
“When did you get to be so optimistic? You’ve been around Trista too much.”
Fenir grunted, walking away from Tomias before the conversation could go further. With the brisk pace set by Fenir, the walk back was a short one. Kirheen and Garild were quietly discussing strategy, playing through possible scenarios as they sat across from each other next to the fire. They hardly looked up when they entered the room and Tomias felt his heart swell with pride. Perhaps he was being overly paranoid about the battle to come.
“Having fun,” he asked his students, taking a seat in an open chair next to them. Fenir followed suit.
Kirheen smiled sweetly, but her smile faded once she saw the scroll in his hands. “Uh oh, what did you find out?”
“I found out all the boring rules you get to follow so you don’t get disqualified and punished.”
“And?”
“You’re doomed.”
Kirheen and Garild both sneered, showing their obvious distaste for his lack of enthusiasm.
Garild spoke first. “And why exactly do you say that?”
Tomias sighed. “Because as I feared, your first battle is against Burk and Abby. Need I remind you that they know all your dirty secrets?”
Fenir gave him an alarmed look. “We aren’t supposed to tell them!”
“When have we ever followed the rules? It’s more fun this way!”
Kirheen grumbled loudly. “Well, great. What does that mean for us?”
“It means you are starting this competition at a bit of a disadvantage. But fear not, I think I have a way to fix this.”
“And how exactly do you plan to do that?”
“Lean forward my little doves and let me teach you the art of a well-placed lie!”
Chapter 14
It was a day of rest for the Bonded, a day to recover from the bouts of training and enjoy a few hours of peace and quiet before the excitement of the battles kicked in. Kirheen and Garild lay in the grass, grown plush and green with the sudden onslaught of rain. They basked in the warm glow of the sun, breathing in the smell of the earth and watching the leaves twist and dance above them. The branches of the great tree above them broke the sky, making it look like a pane of shattered glass.
Many of the other Bonded did the same. All around them, they could hear the others talking, the air occasionally pierced with bright laughter. It wasn’t long before Burk and Abby arrived, plopping down in the grass next to them. Kirheen sat up, smiling warmly at her soon to be competitors.
“Nice day, isn’t it,” Burk asked enthusiastically. He showed no signs of competitive glee, he just looked relaxed and happy. Abby sat by his side, plucking strands of grass out of the ground and twirling them between her fingers.
“It is,” Garild agreed. “It’s nice that they gave us a day to rest up before tomorrow.”
Abby smiled. “It was kind of them. How are you feeling about tomorrow?”
Kirheen chimed in, trying not to sound too egotistical. “Oh, we’ve been practicing a lot. We’re feeling pretty confident.”
“Don’t be so quick to say that, you’re going up against us first!”
“Oh, that’s right! I’m glad we’re going up against a pusher and a blocker like ourselves. Means we’ll be on pretty even ground.”
Burk and Abby exchanged a look. It was quick, barely a flicker, but it was there.
“Well, we look forward to facing you both tomorrow,” Burk said, pushing himself up. He towered over them, seemingly gaining height and girth day by day. He lent Abby a hand and pulled her to her feet with little effort. “May the strongest bond win.”
Abby gave them a nod and the pair wondered off, probably seeking out Grant to tell him their advantage had crumbled. Kirheen didn’t expect Grant to believe it, but if it even put a moment of doubt in their heads, it would help them when it came time to battle.
After a time, they grew tired of lazing about and went to seek out their next victims. Isa and Ian sat alone on the edge of the field, talking quietly. Big blue eyes filled with curiosity met them as they approached. “Mind if we join you,” Kirheen asked sweetly.
Ian smiled, meeting her eyes. “Please do!” Kirheen felt a sudden flutter in her heart as their eyes locked. It took everything to look away and she silently cursed herself. Stop that. This isn’t the time to be feeling this way.
They took a seat in the grass next to them and Kirheen took up a blade of grass, twirling it in her fingers as she tried to keep eye contact to a minimum. Garild gave her an odd look, tilting his head ever so slightly as he tried to piece together her sudden silence.
“How are you both feeling about tomorrow,” Garild asked, trying to sound casual.
Isa shuddered. “Oh, I’m terrified. Ian says we can win, but we’re up against Tegan and Irena first. I’m pretty sure Irena is going to tear us both apart.” She sounded meek and terrified, wringing her hands together as she spoke of it.
Ian shook his head. He reached out and grabbed her shoulder softly. “Isa, you’re one of the best blockers I know. Anything they throw at us, you’ll be able to counter. There is no need to be afraid.”
“Thank you, Ian. I appreciate it,” she smiled. Though she relaxed some, her eyes were still filled with fear and she glanced across the clearing, searching for her opponents. They were nowhere to be found and she sighed with relief.
“You’re a blocker too, huh,” Garild questioned, trying to feign excitement. “So am I!”
“Oh, that’s great. I really don’t think it’s very fitting. I feel like I should have been something else. I’m too timid for this. I think it would have been better to be a manipulator.”
“You could always learn,” Kirheen smiled, her eyes focused on Isa. “In fact, after the battles, I could teach you a few things!”
“You’re a manipulator,” Ian asked, eyes wide. “That does suit you. You’re probably a force to be reckoned with.”
“Oh, I’m not that good,” Kirheen said, trying to force the heat from her cheeks. She wanted so badly to meet his eyes, to gaze at those green depths that so reminded her of the forest around them. Instead she smiled at the ground and felt like a complete and utter fool.
“You girls, always so modest,” he said with a smile.
“What about you, Ian? What are you?”
“Oh, me? I’m a pusher. We make a pretty good team, Isa and I.” Isa beamed at his words, smiling brightly. It was obvious by her body language that she was rather infatuated with her bond mate and it made Kirheen sick. She wanted to be where Isa was at that moment, to be sitting by his side close enough to feel the heat from his skin.
“He’s really good,” Isa said, breaking Kirheen away from her thoughts. She tried to keep her emotional turmoil from showing on her face as she responded.
“Any idea what you’re up against tomorrow?”
Ian shrugged. “Not entirely sure. If I had to guess I’d say Irena is probably a manipulator. As for Tegan, I think he’ll be lucky if even he knows that by tomorrow.”
“That was certainly an odd pairing! It will be interesting to see how they do tomorrow. I’ll be shocked if they can even bring themselves to work together,” Garild said. “Well, Kirheen, you want to go find Vienna and Daris?”
“Yes, let’s do that,” Kirheen said, getting to her feet. She self-consciously smoothed her robes, keeping her eyes locked on Garild as she turned to leave. “Thanks for talking with us and good luck tomorrow!”
“It was good seeing you both! May the Allseer lend you her strength.”
Kirheen walked away a bit quicker than she should have and Garild shot out his hand, locking it around her elbow and drawing her to a halt.
“Is there a problem,” he questioned.
“N-no. Why,” she asked, trying to look confused.
“You seem flustered. Did they say something wrong?”
“Oh, no. I guess I’m just nervous about the competition tomorrow. It’s strange to look at these people as opponents, you know.”
Garild smiled, dropping his hand from her elbow. “I can understand that. Just take a deep breath, okay? It’ll all work itself out.”
“I sure hope so,” Kirheen sighed. “At least we’re completely throwing them all off. If anyone talks to each other, they are going to have a hard time figuring out what we are ahead of time.”
They found Vienna and Daris sitting on the steps of their home. They were an odd pair, seemingly content with the only company being each other. They often kept to themselves, taking meals in their quarters instead of joining the rest of them. Vienna glanced at them suspiciously as they approached and whispered something to her bond mate before they were in earshot.
Vienna was tall and graceful with short curly blonde hair and dark blue eyes that shone with intelligence. She was quiet and poised, wasting nothing with her actions. Everything with her was deliberate. Daris, though a bit more relaxed in his mannerisms, was much like Vienna. Tall and muscular, he was an intimidating force with dark hair, olive skin and eyes that were almost black. Unlike many of the other Bonded, the two openly showed affection for each other. Even now, their knees touched and their fingers were interlaced and the approach of others did nothing to deter their actions. It was hard to imagine doing such a thing with Garild. It made her uncomfortable.
“How can we help you,” Daris spoke before either of them had the chance to.
“Oh, we we’re just seeing how you both were feeling about the competition tomorrow.”
“Fine,” Vienna said tersely. “We’d rather not discuss the battles until after they are done.”
Without another word, Vienna turned away from them, turning her attention back to Daris. He gave them a sly grin before turning back to his bond mate.
“Nice talking to you too,” Kirheen muttered as they diverted in another direction. “They’re really going overboard with the friendliness.”
Garild grinned. “Yeah, they are certainly a little odd.”
“Well, what do you say? Is our work here done?”
“I think so. We seemed to have surprised a few people with our trickery. Hopefully it will help tomorrow.”
“I sure hope so.”
They walked back in silence, enjoying the last few minutes of sunlight they could. Even though they knew the battles would happen come morning, it still felt strange. They’d spent so much time practicing, learning each other’s strengths and weaknesses, learning the subtle shifts and changes of their minds... to think that they’d be facing the unknown was scary.
Tomias and Fenir were waiting for them when they returned to their home. Tomias had his hair pulled back away from his face and he lit up with a boyish grin as they entered. “So, how did our subtle manipulation go,” he asked, barely able to contain his excitement.
“Better than expected,” Kirheen informe
d him, plopping down in her favorite chair. Garild took up a spot next to her, finally able to relax now that they weren’t lying to everyone they talked to.
“I just hope it helps,” said Garild. “I didn't feel great about lying to everyone.”
“Oh, but think of the reward for your efforts, Garild. Think about that! You’ve just thrown off all the enemy teams. You’ve probably got Burk and Abby second guessing everything at this very moment,” Tomias beamed, grinning from ear to ear.
Fenir huffed, blowing his white hair away from his face.
“Oh, come on! It’s exciting!”
They spent the rest of the evening practicing various scenarios, checking for weaknesses in their defense and making sure they would be prepared for what was to come. They went to bed feeling confident, ready to take on anything the world could throw at them.
It was a feeling that faded quickly.
Kirheen stared at the wall beyond her feet, her eyes following the wood grain, tiny glowing rivers weaving through the wraith wood planks. She’d been exhausted when she’d gone to bed. Weeks of training and scheming had taken its toll, but here in the dark, with the battles looming ever closer, she found it impossible to sleep. Her armor of confidence had cracked and now doubt and fear squirmed in, digging into her heart like worms.
When she did finally lapse into sleep, it was disrupted by nightmares. She moved slowly through a forest, eyes taking in her surroundings. It was autumn and the air swirled around her, leaving her skin covered in goose-flesh. Leaves crackled under her feet, sounding terrifyingly loud in contrast to the silent forest. Her breath left her in great billowing gusts that twisted and curled playfully.
Each step felt like her last. She could sense the traps around her, waiting for her foot to step off course. Eyes blinked at her from the shadows of foliage and she could hear breathing of creatures far more cunning than she. Looking through the twisting branches above, she saw Herzin staring down, her thin lips pulled into a cruel and knowing smile. Her eyes twinkled with delight, hungry to witness Kirheen fail.
The Bonded: The Allseer Trilogy Book I Page 11
