by C D Muller
She noticed that some of the residents were already wearing armor and wielding weapons, as if they were getting ready for battle. She felt nervous as she thought that perhaps the Lich would attack Alfheim.
Her thoughts then shifted back to Silver. Even with how amazing Alfheim appeared to be, Selena was still worried about him. She knew deep down that he was still alive. Secretly, she hoped to one day see him again.
The sun was almost gone and the sky was getting darker with each passing second. The carriage turned left and rolled down a cul-de-sac. It headed towards the cottage at the very end of the blind alley and stopped in front of it.
The cottage was two floors high and the back was extended. A chimney sat on top, emitting smoke into the sky. A lamppost stood in front with a metal dragon winding itself around the post. Dark, red drapes covered the dwelling’s three windows.
Selena stepped outside and gazed at the house with a skeptical look. The carriage rolled away and left her standing near the front door with a confused look. She was unsure of what to do next. Was someone expecting her?
Before she made her decision about what to do, the door opened, and there stood Ashur. The collar of his robes went up to his chin. His black hair was neatly combed back.
“We’ve been expecting you. Please come in.”
He motioned for her to come inside.
Selena walked into the sitting room. A brick chimney sat on the right side with a brick hearth. A black cauldron was hanging from a metal hook and dangling over a roaring fire. A long, green couch lay end to end, separating the living room from the kitchen, which was near the rear of the house. A brown carpet lay before Selena’s feet that covered a large part of the sitting room. A wooden coffee table stood in front of the couch with a crystal ball on top and three young girls looking into it.
The first one, the one looking into the crystal ball, had long hair that went down to her knees. She wore a blue vest with a skirt to match it. The second wore her hair up with a red ribbon that matched her red vest and skirt. The third wore part of her hair up and let the rest of it hang over her back, wearing a green vest and skirt. Their faces were almost identical. They were pale and delicate, but also cold and hard.
All three of them at the same time looked up at Selena with astonishment.
Ashur stepped inside the cottage and closed the door.
“Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Ashur Bel, and I will be one of your teachers in basic training for the Imperial Air Force.”
Chapter 16:
He held out his hand and Selena shook it. Ashur had dark red eyes with thick eyebrows that were always slanted as if he appeared to be angry all the time, even when he smiled. He had a pointed chin and bony cheekbones with sallow skin. Around his neck he wore a dragon necklace.
“My teacher?” she asked.
“Yes. I expect you have no skills.”
Selena was offended.
“Of course I do,” she defended.
“You will need to prove it to me,” Ashur said with a smirk. Selena swallowed hard but nodded all the same.
His eyes scanned her from head to toe.
“You apparently forgot your manners, Andric,” he muttered.
“Oh! My apologies,” Selena stammered as she quickly bowed.
“I suppose that will do. After dinner, you will be joining your brothers in the barracks. The other new recruits arrived yesterday. Training will officially begin tomorrow at four in the morning. It would be wise of you to not be late.”
“Yes, sir,” Selena answered.
Ashur smiled and said again: “These are the Oracles…”
“Pleased to meet you,” the one wearing the blue outfit said, interrupting Ashur.
“We knew you were coming,” the one in red said.
“We know everything,” the last in green finished.
Ashur nodded slightly and turned sharply on his heels with his hands folded together behind his back.
“The Oracles make predictions about…”
“The past,” the first in blue said.
“The present,” the second in red continued.
“And the future,” the third in green finished.
Ashur nodded his head.
“She is Nona,” he said, pointing to the one all in blue, “this one is Cassandra,” he pointed to the one in red, “and this is Morta,” he finished, pointing to the one in green.
Selena looked at the crystal ball that they were just gazing into.
“They can use that to tell the future. It allows them to focus and foresee images,” Ashur explained.
“Wow, that’s amazing. Can you guys tell me my future?”
The Oracles glared at her in unison.
“Do you really want us to tell you that?” they asked at the same time in annoyance.
“Uh...” Selena backed away.
“They don’t like to be asked that. They only do that for the Council,” he whispered.
“Besides,” Nona began.
“You already know your future,” Cassandra continued.
“So why do you need us?” Morta finished and the three of them giggled.
“Huh?” Selena raised a brow in confusion.
“Never mind them,” Ashur interrupted, “you will undergo harsh training. I also have two others visiting here as well who wish to delve into the basics of the magical arts, but they’re not part of the Air Force.”
Selena looked over his shoulder and saw that he was right. Sitting at the wooden dining table in the kitchen in the rear of the house were two others, one whom she recognized as Myrrdin. The person who sat on the opposite side was a young girl who did not look much older than she herself was. She had dark brown hair that went past her shoulders and freckles that ran along her nose and her arms. She was about Selena’s height and her skin was pale.
Ashur nodded his head.
“I shall return. Make yourself acquainted,” he said before turning around and going up the stairs.
Myrrdin nodded his head and said:
“It’s nice to see you again, Andric.”
The young girl looked up in astonishment.
“Have you two met before?” she asked.
“In the Grand Exchange,” Myrrdin answered. Selena sat down at the table next to Myrrdin, her heart racing with excitement.
“This is a friend of mine,” Myrrdin continued and gestured towards the girl, “this is Niamh Wood. I’ve known her for a few years.”
“Nice to meet you, Niamh,” Selena said, offering a handshake in salutations. Niamh took it and smiled.
“I’ve heard so much about you,” Niamh replied. “Ashur told me of your extraordinary adventures!”
“I don’t think they were extraordinary,” Selana answered.
“He told us that you saved a rogue dragon,” Niamh said again. In an instant, Selena felt a stone drop in her stomach.
“Oh, that. Yeah, it was horrible what happened to him,” she answered carefully. Selena felt terrible for all the lies, especially when meeting possible new friends.
“We’re not here for training in the very least,” Niamh added, “we tend to visit the Oracles and work with healing magic, but that's it. I’m not allowed to do anything else, sadly.”
“Why not?” Selena asked.
“Because I’m a girl,” Niamh replied.
Instantly Selena’s stomach tightened into knots.
“I still think it’s unfair that girls and women can’t fight or do much of anything here,” Selena said.
“It’s our custom,” Myrrdin added, “even the Empress hardly has any power. The Council has been making all of the decisions and the Empress can’t say yes or no. There’s no changing it, but that doesn’t mean that Alfheim isn’t a good place to live.”
“You’re forgetting Azrael,” Niamh warned, “he tends to make everyone miserable. Azrael doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut. Maria said that she would take care of him. I hope she punches him. I’ll just be
sorry that it was not me.”
“Who is Maria?” Selena asked.
“She’s a friend of mine. I grew up with her. She lives in the Sky District, though, but maybe one day you two can meet,” Niamh answered.
Myrrdin chuckled to himself and went back to the subject of Azrael.
“I heard he was one of the newest recruits in the Air Force, who came with his own dragon as well. I’m not sure how the two became acquainted with each other, but normally the Council assigns a dragon to their soldiers from what I hear,” he said.
“I think he said that the dragon gave him that scar he has across his right eye,” Niamh added.
“A scar on his right eye?” Selena asked as her mind raced back to one of the Order she encountered earlier with a similar mark.
“Yeah. Do you know him?” Myrrdin asked.
Selena swallowed hard.
“I may have accidentally crossed paths with someone similar in my travels,” she mumbled as she scratched the back of her head.
Ashur came back down the stairs with a woman following him and sat down at the table.
“This is my servant, Naomi. She will be serving our meal this evening.” He sat at the table with them as Naomi served the food, carrying several platters at once.
He took a piece of bread and some cheese and began to eat. Selena placed some fruit and venison on her plate in front of her and started eating as well, realizing how hungry she was.
“You better be ready when I call for you, and I mean fully dressed for your training. The other recruits will be doing the same. Your uniform will be given to you tonight at the barracks. You will also be responsible for washing your clothes.”
Selena swallowed the food she had in her mouth and nodded.
“After you finish eating,” Ashur continued, “I will introduce you to the other soldiers, as well as to your General. You will answer whenever you’re addressed. However, you will have to complete a certain task before you’re officially part of us.”
“What would I have to do?” Selena nervously asked, still keeping eye contact with him.
Ashur shook his head.
“I cannot discuss that information in front of these two. I will explain it after we finish eating.”
Selena nodded and stared at her plate, afraid of what she would have to do to join the other dragon riders. Whatever it was, she knew she had no other choice if she wanted to keep Thor.
“During basic training, you will be trained to use different weapons. On the battlefield, you need to be able to act quickly and to be versatile. You must always expect the unexpected,” Ashur added.
The Pyre began chiming again, announcing that another hour had come. Selena counted eight. She picked up another piece of bread and began to eat once more, her stomach filling up quickly.
“I’m still surprised that Vidar approved the construction of building that dreadful clock. He and Gundisalvus never saw eye to eye,” Ashur explained.
“Vidar is that old? How is that possible?” Selena asked.
“Vidar is a half-elf. He could easily live to be five hundred. There was one other before him named Aydin Jormungand. He was a good man and leader. However, something happened to him that made him lose his title and power before Vidar took over. I’m not exactly sure what happened to him after that, but Jormungand disappeared after he lost everything.”
“That’s horrible,” Selena said.
Ashur nodded.
“It was tragic indeed, but that was well over two hundred years ago. Chances are, the man died with nothing,” he said this with a bit of scorn in his voice.
After they finished their meal, Ashur got up from the table.
“It’s time for bed for all of you,” he said, “except for you, Liongod. I need you to follow me. You two are dismissed.”
Selena felt a lump drop in her stomach as she stood up from the table. Niamh and Myrrdin exchanged glances with one another as they walked towards the staircase. She swallowed hard, but vowed to herself that she would see it through to the end. There was no turning back.
Ashur turned sharply on his heels and walked towards the door. Selena followed suit.
He opened the door for her and said, “The initiation is to never be discussed with others who are not soldiers. This is to test how willing you are. It’s a sacred ritual that’s been used since the war.”
“What is it that I have to do?” Selena nervously asked once more as they walked down the street.
“It is dangerous,” Ashur said quietly, “more than likely, you will die.”
Selena stopped abruptly in her tracks. Her face became pale with fear as her heart got caught in her throat.
“What?” she managed to choke out.
“As I’ve said, I will explain when we get there.”
Ashur picked up the pace as he kept his hands behind his back. Selena attempted to keep up with him.
The streets were quiet. The lampposts and stars lit their path. They passed by the mountain-like structure in the middle of the city.
Selena looked up to try to see the very top and Ashur commented, “On top is Rune Citadel, home of the Empress, as well as the Council headquarters.”
She was amazed when she caught a glimpse of the glass castle at the very top. However, for a split second, her vision became blurry and she was suddenly looking at a little boy and girl playing in front of a similar castle. She shook her head and snapped back into reality without another thought.
“Is the Empress aware of the initiation?” Selena asked, thinking that it was possible that Ashur was trying to go against orders.
“Of course she is, and so is the Council. The other recruits have already gone through their trials except for two last-minute stragglers like you. They are already waiting,” Ashur said sarcastically.
Selena glared at him and gave a slight huff.
Many of the house structures throughout Alfheim were beautifully built for the Sky District. Selena could see that, even being quite poor, the people still lived reasonably well.
They passed by a couple of guards that stood on patrol as they passed through to the Dragon District.
“Our soldiers live in the barracks over here, near the training grounds. That’s where we will have the initiation.”
Selena was growing more anxious and nervous with each step she took. She knew that he would not answer her questions.
They passed through another gate that led out towards a vast field.
Training equipment was scattered all over the place. Wooden targets and fake dummies lined up across the field for sword practice and archery. Selena saw a shooting range on the other side for those who used pistols next to an archery field. A large stable sat off in the distance, where the dragons were kept near a large stone tower that stretched towards the heavens. She squinted and saw that several people were tending what looked to be a huge flock of sheep grazing the grass not too far away.
“Those sheep are raised to feed the dragons. We also raise cattle and other animals not far from here to prepare for slaughter. We have special butchers that prepare the dragons’ meals each and every single day,” Ashur commented.
A grim feeling washed over her. She felt bad for the creatures, even more so than her own fate. However, she knew that the dragons had to be fed.
Ashur led her towards the giant wooden door at the stone tower.
“Come inside,” he ordered.
Her entire body shaking, Selena followed Ashur inside without a word. Immediately upon entry, there was a large staircase that spiraled upward to the upper levels of the tower. To her left was another wooden door that was locked.
“These lead to the barracks,” Ashur announced, “we will be going in here.”
He pulled out a key from his robes and used it to unlock the door and opened it.
“After you,” he said.
Selena peeked inside and saw that the door led to a small room that looked more like the inside of a cave. There were two young men in
uniform already waiting for them to arrive. On the other end was a giant basin perched on a pedestal. Three small wooden goblets sat on the ground next to it.
She looked up at Ashur, who nodded. Nervously, she walked inside and stood next to the other two recruits in front of the basin. It was filled with a black liquid. Selena completely froze in her spot. Its foul odor was unbearable and made her skin crawl.
“We see you were late too,” one of the men commented.
Selena nodded.
Ashur locked the door from the inside and slowly walked towards her.
“This sacred ritual goes back to the One Hundred Years’ War;” he began, “since we had to fight the demons that the Lich unleashed from Oblivion during that time, the Council decided that the way to get the best of the best to join our ranks was to drink the blood of our enemy to resist their attacks.”
Selena was absolutely horrified by this.
“W…we have to drink demon blood?” one of the recruits said in fear.
Ashur lowered his head and gave a sneer.
“That is how we will be able to resist the Lich’s attacks, or at least to better prepare ourselves. However, not everyone can withstand it. Many have died during the initiation, but because of that, we have also grown stronger.”
Selena swallowed hard.
“And what if we refuse?” she asked.
“Then you will die by my blade as per the Council’s order. You either accept this, or I am ordered to kill you. Once you start the initiation, there is no turning back,” Ashur barked.
“What will happen if we die from the demon blood?” the third recruit asked.
“Then we will see to it that you receive a proper and honorable funeral, as we have done for many others,” Ashur answered.
The three of them exchanged glances before proceeding forward to pick up their cups. One by one, they filled them with the black liquid before getting back in line. Selena was last, her hands shaking in fear as she got her drink ready.
