by Eric Vall
Her eyes were like smoldering embers. “If you say something that ridiculous again, I’ll smack you so hard, that little brain of yours will fly right out.”
I dropped my shovel and put my hands up in surrender, though I couldn’t squash the smile from my face and the laugh that followed. “You’re right, that was highly inappropriate, Lady Kenefick. My apologies.”
Her glare turned into narrowed eyes, but she did eventually soften. She went back to the hay, and I went back to my shit, but she wasn’t quiet for long.
“Being a Kenefick is like living your life with millions of eyes on you at all times, like the weight of the world is on your shoulders.” She paused and stared off at nothing. She bit her lip, her jaw tight with tension. “All the hopes of the downtrodden, the weak, and the vulnerable are placed on you. They expect you to be a hero, to save them, even if you don’t want to.”
I stopped my work again too and gave her a hard look. “You don’t want to save them?” I asked, my voice low as to not provoke her in any way.
“Of course, I want to save them,” she snapped, her voice fierce. “I just wish I had the choice to say no. To live a normal life, to not be suffocated under the weight of so much expectation.” That last bit came out as a whisper.
I let that stew with me as I shoveled more poo. Her words weighed heavily on me. I didn’t understand it fully, I was just some farm boy from the wilds, after all, but the Headmaster had instructed me to change the way people think about summoners, in order to give humanity a better chance against the monster horde. It wasn’t the same as her situation, but there were a lot of similarities. I could relate to her difficulties.
“That sounds like a really hard and lonely life,” I said at last.
“It is sometimes,” Nia replied. I sensed that she was going to say something like, ‘you have no idea’ but she thought better of it, knowing how I only had Maelor and no parents. At least, that’s what I thought.
I didn’t know where to go from there, so I got back to work. I finished with shit duty before long while Nia still meticulously switched out the hay, so I started to give the horses water. I filled up a large bucket from a pump out along the side of the stable.
I approached a stall with a pretty brown mare with splashes of black. I reached out a hand and pet her snout. She whinnied enthusiastically, which made me smile. Though riding horses wasn’t a particular strong suit of mine, I did like the gentle beasts. Since I didn’t have my monster-filled essence crystals with me, they liked me just fine too.
“What’s it like living your life in the wilds?” she asked suddenly behind me.
I was thrown by the question but didn’t let it distract me. I was careful not to spill the water as I refilled the mare’s bucket. “Not as wild as you’d expect. Most people just live their lives, go about their business, and take things day by day. Yeah, there’s a danger that a rift could open at any moment, or your home could be beset by bandits, but it makes you appreciate life a little more.”
She pondered that. “So, you think we don’t appreciate life in the Enclaves?”
“Not at all what I’m saying,” I clarified. “You just don’t have to live on the edge as much. It puts things into perspective out there.”
Nia started to feed the horses their grain rations, which was incredible to watch because she knew how much to give each one based on breed, gender, and how much they’d already eaten. I didn’t even know those things. This rich city girl sure did know her way around a stable. It was a much-needed pleasant surprise.
“Is it freeing out there?” she asked out of the blue after a few minutes of silence and work.
I lifted a brow. “What?”
“The freedom of living in the wilds. Is it worth it?” she asked wistfully, her voice barely louder than a whisper. “To go where you want, when you want?”
I shrugged. “We do follow the laws of the Enclaves, you know, but yes, we aren’t as regulated as you are.” I put down the water bucket before looking into her eyes. They stared back at me, warm, curious, eager … and desperate. Yes, definitely desperate. Nia wanted freedom, wanted a choice she would never get. Not like me. Until the Academy, I’d been free. I was with Maelor, sure, but I’d chosen that path. Nia didn’t get to choose. She was born a Kenefick, and that life came with its own set of expectations.
After all that thought, I finally said, “Yeah, it’s worth it.”
The tenseness of the moment collapsed all at once. Nia blinked, her lips set into a hard line. “Good.” She went back to feeding. “I might move out there one day, just get away from it all. Once I do my duty to humanity, of course.”
“If you survive that is,” I added with a dark smile.
She didn’t look at me, but her lips curved ever so slightly into a smirk. “Yes, if I survive.”
I cracked a smile. “You will. I know that with absolute certainty.”
“Oh yeah, and how do you know that?”
I crossed my arms. “Because you’re the most determined person I’ve ever met, probably the smartest too. You’re stronger than most anyone, you’re driven, you care about people and about doing the right thing. You’re a fighter and a survivor, and I have no doubt you’ll exceed the expectations of the Kenefick name. Because you’re more than just a Kenefick. You’re Nia.”
She’d stopped working by the time I stopped talking. She looked at me hard, and I felt like she was looking into my soul. Her eyes glistened as if she was on the verge of tears, but then she blinked, and that glisten was gone. Maybe I’d imagined it.
“I can’t believe I’m flattered by a farm boy summoner from the middle of nowhere,” she said with a chuckle and a slight hitch to her voice.
“Well, I am known to be quite charming,” I replied with a wide grin.
She smiled then, a full, bright smile that warmed the stable and me. “You’re such an idiot, Gryff.” Her eyes looked down, but the smile didn’t go away. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it, Nia.”
And for once, she didn’t berate me for using her first name.
We quieted down, as we both wanted to be out of there, and finished our work soon after. It was a hot and humid night, so we were drenched in sweat and our clothes clung to our bodies. My stomach rumbled, ready to be fed. I could only pray to the Maker that we’d make it in time for the end of dinner.
Once we were finished, we put all the things away, petted a few of the horses, and blew out the lanterns before we exited the stable. I pulled close the large barn door with a heave. It didn’t want to give, or maybe it was much heavier than it looked. Either way, it finally closed with a creak from hinges that definitely needed oiling.
That was night one done of our fortnight-long sentence.
I stretched my limbs and dried to fan myself in the open air. “You ready to do this every night for two more weeks?” I asked.
“Not in the slightest.”
I couldn’t agree more, but honestly, as long as Nia would be there, it wouldn’t be too bad. Of that, I was certain.
Chapter 14
Academy students got break days on the weekend, so when Saturday finally arrived, I was relieved. The longest week of my life had finally ended, the one that had changed everything about my life in countless ways.
We were allowed to sleep in and miss breakfast if we wished, and I did just that. However, I didn’t get to sleep in as much as I’d liked, as a loud knock on the door woke me. I groaned and sat up. Rays of sunlight came through the window, but I could tell it was still early, not as early as if we had class, but early enough to annoy me. Braden was gone, I assumed to eat breakfast. That man didn’t like to miss a meal.
The knock came again, so I rolled out of bed, pulled on some pants, and opened the door. Petyr, the Headmaster’s personal attendant, greeted me with an annoyed scowl. He looked at me expectantly, as if I should know what he wanted or, more specifically, what Headmaster Sleet wanted.
I yawned in his face. “Can I
help you?”
He frowned but didn’t comment on my rudeness. “You can come with me. The Headmaster has requested your presence.”
I stifled a groan and didn’t bother asking for the Headmaster’s reasoning, for I knew Petyr would feign ignorance and not tell me. I grumbled my agreement and returned to my room to get properly dressed. Just to annoy Petyr, I took my sweet time. I’d never given him a reason to not like me, but he seemed hellbent on being perpetually aggravated with me, so I made him wait. Small victories.
My lips turned into a wide smile when I saw how red and angry he looked when I finally stepped out of my room. He didn’t comment on my dawdling, but I knew it bothered him. He waved for me to follow, so I locked my room and got after him.
It was a beautiful morning. The sky was clear and glowed with the early sun that had only just crested the Enclave walls. A pair of pigeons danced in the air above my dorm before taking off for one of the trees deeper into campus. I’d rather be asleep, but admittedly this was probably too nice of a day to stay in for too long. Hopefully, my meeting with the Headmaster would be brief so I could catch breakfast before the dining hall closed. If I was going to be up, I might as well eat.
The campus was surprisingly full of activity. People were running around the main building for exercise, and I passed a few people at the exercise fields doing some extracurricular sparring or shooting. Several more students sat in the courtyards, under trees or in shaded nooks and alcoves, reading and studying or catching up on work. The more I saw of it, the more it made me feel lazy for wanting to sleep in. I couldn’t let these rich Enclavers work harder than me.
Petyr tried to make me go up the stairs to the Headmaster’s office, but I wasn’t about to do that again. “Can’t we just take the lift?”
His face scrunched. “That’s for the Headmaster.”
I shrugged. “He let me take it down last time, and wouldn’t he rather not be kept waiting?”
Petyr grumbled a bit, but couldn’t argue with that logic. We went over to the lift and rode it up. Thank the Maker. I didn’t want to be drenched in sweat again like last time. The ride was about a minute or two, it took longer going up than going down, but I guessed gravity helped with the latter.
The lift arrived at the top of the tower and dinged when it stopped. Petyr opened the door for me and closed it before I was even fully out. Then he was riding down.
“I don’t think he likes me very much,” I said with a grin as I strode into the Headmaster’s office. He stood by one of his bookshelves and ran his fingers along the spines as he looked for a particular title.
Without looking at me, he said, “Don’t worry about him. Petyr isn’t very fond of people from outside the Enclaves. It's an unfortunate cultural bias that I haven’t been able to work out of him, but he’s loyal and does my work diligently.” He gave up on his attempt at finding whatever book he was looking for and turned back to me. “If he ever mistreats you, though, let me know.”
“I doubt that will be a problem, sir,” I said with a smile. “I’ve dealt with people like him plenty of times. I know how to deal with it.”
Headmaster Sleet grinned and stroked his beard. “Good to hear then.” He gestured atone of the cushy leather chairs that were situated in the center of the room around a low round table that glistened with polish and was covered with old candles and books. “Please, take a seat.”
No argument from me. I eased myself into the seat, then sank into the rich leather. It supported my back perfectly, and that was a welcome relief. It was more comfortable than my bed. I almost sighed in pleasure.
Apparently, the Headmaster could read the comfort in my expression. He cracked a wide grin. “Comfortable, aren’t they? Made from the finest leather from the North and made in Hartmire Enclave. Rather expensive for my taste.”
I rubbed my hands along the armrests. “I can see why.”
The Headmaster snickered at that and took a seat in the chair across from me. He folded his legs and cupped his hands together in his lap as he stared at me with curiosity. No more pleasantries then, it was obvious it was time to talk.
“So, what is it you wished to speak to me about?” I started.
Maybe he could sense my apprehension because he smiled and relaxed. “Nothing sinister, I assure you. I just wanted to know how your first week went. Are you liking the Academy?”
I arched an eyebrow. He was very perceptive, like he could read my mind. Though, as far as I was aware, there was no magic that could do that. I knew that gypsies sometimes claimed clairvoyance, but that was all parlor tricks. The Headmaster was a good man though, and his interest in me seemed genuine.
“Well, it was fine, other than being the most dramatic and life-changing week of my life, sir.”
“I would think so. Most people don’t ever go through what you went through in their whole lives, let alone one week,” he chuckled. “How are your classes?”
If I were to be honest, they weren’t overly great so far. Arwyn was a good teacher among… other things, but a lot of what she’d taught me I already knew. Rori… well, Rori was an ass. Our class yesterday was nothing but monster grades, which was exactly what Arwyn taught me already. Rori hadn’t even commented on what I’d done the previous class, or why I was late. He’d acted like I wasn’t there, so that class wasn’t very educational.
But I didn’t let the Headmaster know that. “They’re fine so far, just had to adjust a little is all. I never really went to school before. Maelor taught me what I needed.”
I didn’t know if he’d talked to Rori about me, so maybe he knew I was lying on that front, but if he did, he didn’t show it. He nodded to my words. “It’s natural to adjust to new situations. I’m sure you’ll be settled in completely within no time at all.”
“Let’s hope so,” I said with a grin.
Headmaster Sleet nodded and kept smiling. He stood up suddenly and crossed over to his desk. There, he began to pack what I assumed to be tobacco into an ornate ivory pipe. A match flared to life from beneath the large folds of his robes and lit the pipe. One long puff later, he exhaled the smoke that wafted into my nose. Yes, it was definitely tobacco.
He looked back my way and offered the pipe. “Would you care for some, my boy? I have an extra pipe if you’d care to partake.”
I shook my head. “No, thank you, sir. I’ve never been one for smoking. Alcohol is more my vice of choice.”
The Headmaster bellowed with glee. “You’re not the only one, Gryff, I assure you.” He came and sat back down across from me. His demeanor suddenly shifted to somber, and his smile turned to a staunch line. It seemed our meeting wasn’t done yet.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask about your family. Your mentor made it very clear that he wasn’t your father, but he wouldn’t say anything more about it.”
I squirmed. I hadn’t expected to talk about this subject and I didn’t think about my family much these days, as I was so little when they were killed. That didn’t mean that this conversation wouldn’t hurt, but I would indulge the Headmaster, as I knew he was only curious and didn’t mean anything negative by it.
I took a deep breath and began. “I was born in a small farming village east of Wargan Enclave, though I don’t know the name of it or the exact location of it. I was four or five when a rift opened near us and a horde of monsters burned it down and killed everyone, including my parents. I don’t know how I survived, but Maelor found me amidst the rubble, passed out and badly burnt.”
The Headmaster’s expression was grim. “So you don’t remember your parents at all?”
“Not much, no. I remember dad was often away for work, and mom was very kind to me and everyone she ever met.”
He nodded.
The truth was, I did remember a good amount about my parents. I remembered the scent of my mother, like the freshly baked bread that she made for the village and travelers, and her warm smile that made everything better in the world. I remembered my dad’s wa
rm presence, his laugh, and his eyes that always seemed alight with joy and passion. I remembered walking the fields and forests around the village with my mom, and I remembered how happy I would get whenever my dad returned from wherever he went for work.
All of those memories swirled in my mind, but those were for me and no one else.
The Headmaster frowned solemnly. “I’m truly sorry about that. I didn’t wish to bring up such unpleasant memories.”
I cracked a sincere smile. “It’s perfectly fine, sir. Remembering loved ones is never a bad thing.”
He nodded. “A wise sentiment. I’m sure your parents would be very proud of the man you have become.”
I could feel tears threatening to break the surface, but I pushed them down. “Thank you, Headmaster.”
Mister Sleet inclined his head with a slight smile. After that, he clapped his hands together and stood. “Well, you may return to your off day. I just wanted to check in on you, see how things were.”
I stood and shook his outstretched hand. “Of course, sir.”
***
I was able to get to the dining hall in time for breakfast after my talk with the Headmaster. My heart was heavy, my head still swirling with emotions and memories I hadn’t felt in years. I didn’t blame mister Sleet for bringing it up though. It was healthy to think of loved ones, even if their passing was tragic.
Most everyone was done with breakfast when I arrived, save for a dozen or so other students. I had a helping of sausage and biscuits, as well as a large bowl of porridge. I scarfed through my food quickly, as I wanted to have a productive day … and productive it certainly was.
I did the rounds of campus and spent several hours under a large oak tree in the center of one of the larger courtyards reading some of the books Arwyn had picked out for me. I also made sure to review my notes and go over a couple chapters from my textbooks. I wasn’t the only one, as dozens of others had the same idea.
After that, I went to the target range with Braden, and we practiced with bows for a good spell until we got most of our arrows in the central ring, with the occasional one glancing the bullseye. We didn’t talk much during those hours, which was just as well. The peace of the afternoon, of distant chatter, chirping birds, the twang of our bows, and the thud of arrows hitting targets, I reveled in the peace and simplicity of those sounds. I often used to go hours working with Maelor and our monsters without so much as a peep. It never failed to relax me.
