It felt as if I had just fallen asleep when a loud bell woke me with a jolt. I rubbed my eyes to see Rianna had already laid out an outfit for me. It was a beautiful dark royal blue with black riding pants. My boots and belt had been polished to a high sheen.
Rianna entered as I started brushing out my short hair and squeezed the breath out of me with my corset. For the hundredth time since I became a woman, I cursed that fate had made me a woman instead of a men cursed to wear such a binding.
After I was dressed, I pulled my brothers blade from its sheath to see my own reflection. Would I have been given this chance had he still been alive? I slid it back in carefully and placed it gently on my bed. I would take it to the armory later along with my armor that had been sent ahead a month ago in a oak trunk.
I walked back towards Swordsmaster Octavian's office to collect my schedule. I found the door partially ajar.
"Sire, it's Eveline..." I said awkwardly.
"Come in," he called after a moment.
I gently nudged the door open to see another student standing in front of his desk.
"Lady Eveline, this is Alistor Renn. He will be your guide around the grounds for the next week."
Alistor was a head taller than me with midnight black hair pulled back into a messy pony tail of medium length that contrasted against his fair skin and piercing deep blue eyes. His face was rather angular with a small pointed nose and thin lips. I was surprised how thin he was for carrying a short sword. He had the build of more of an archer with his wiry build.
"A pleasure," he said extending his hand.
I shook his hand feeling the hard calluses of his hands in his firm grip. I gripped his hand a bit tighter as well with a short squeeze before letting go. Octavian handed me my schedule on a rolled piece of parchment.
"Her first class is charm speaking, Alistor- you know where that takes place?"
"Aye."
Once the door was shut and we were heading down the corridor, I begin to wonder about breakfast.
"Do I get breakfast?" I asked.
"You go to your first class at second bell- in roughly ten minutes. Nephilium have two classes more than mortal students. Stay here. I'll grab you some biscuits at least."
He ran off before I could say anything else so I stood against the wall waiting. As I did, I unrolled my schedule to see what it looked like. It was charm speak followed by breakfast, then Reytor- a history, swordsmanship, then lunch followed by language, archery, mounted Calvary, evening meal than intuition. Alistor soon returned handing me two biscuits.
"Now follow me- charm speak is the furthest out of your way by far."
"Won't I make you late?" I asked.
He shook his head. "My first class isn't till third bell."
I followed him taking in the simple beauty of the castle as I avoided bumping into other novices and full fledged Guardians alike. He opened a heavy wooden door followed by another iron gate before we plummeted into torch lit darkness. The air was instantly colder and much more damp making me cough. At the bottom of the stairs there were four figures facing towards a taller figure who assumed was the teacher. Why did charm speaking class take place in the dungeon?
"This is where I leave you. I'll meet you in the mess hall to take you to your next class."
"Thank you," I said as he turned to leave.
I saw a faint smile cross his lips in the dim light as he left. I could vaguely see all eyes were on me. I heard a faint bell overhead.
"Just in time... Eveline I presume?"
"Aye, sire."
I stepped off the last stair onto the cobbled floor and joined the others trying not to focus on the fact that all eyes were on me and we were in a dungeon for class.
"Get acquainted while I grabbed our subject."
With a turn on his heel he disappeared down a hallway behind him.
"First day huh?" asked the shortest of the four.
"Aye."
"I'm Adam," said the shortest. "This is Neil, Xavier, and Jesse."
Adam was shorter than me by at least a foot with rusty orange haircut short that caught copper highlights in the torches. He had a thin wiry build.
Neil has a halo of sandy blond ringlets that fell just below his ears with broad shoulders.
Xavier was slightly shorter than Neil with brown hair cut short with a slim muscled build.
Jesse has blond hair that was braided and fell towards his mid back with about the same amount of muscle as Neil.
"So why are we in the dungeons for class?" I asked.
Adam chuckled. "So we can learn. Why else?"
Xavier nudged him. "Guardian Rook Silverwing finds hands on learning much better for us than out of a book."
Silverwing was a name from one of the original twelve known for being a pure line meaning full angels. I stood there trying to make sense of it all.
Rook returned with a figure trailing behind him. The sounds of chains echoed through the chamber.
"Sit please," he said to the prisoner.
The figure sat on the stool. Rook lit a few more torches making it easier to see after my eyes adjusted.
"Eveline, since this is your first day, I will just have you observe."
I could tell the prisoner was a halfling mountain lioness. Her ears twitched on top of her head in impatience. She had knotted golden hair framing her angular sunken face from not eating enough. How long had she been a prisoner?
"I don't know why you keep this up, Guardian because you're wasting your time. I wont let you break me. I'll die before I tell you anything," she hissed.
The way she spat the word guardian at Rook, it sounded like she meant it more as a jest than anything. Like she found this all a waste of time and that the program was a big joke. It angered me to hear her disrespect.
Rook ignored her and addressed Neil.
"Why don't you go first today- see if you improved," he said evenly.
Neil took a deep breath before walking forward. Every step showed confidence in what he was doing and he never lost eye contact with her as if he was a predator stalking his prey.
"This is for you by the way," whispered Xavier beside me pressing a worn leather bound book into my hands. "Guardian Silverwing asked me to copy my notes from the last month into this for you to study from."
"Thank you," I whispered.
I didn't glance down at it so I didn't miss what Neil was doing.
"What is your name?" he asked in a hard tone pressing her for information.
I saw her forcefully clamp her jaw trying to resist the hold he was trying to gain on her consciousness.
"What is your name?" he asked more forcefully.
She gritted her teeth trying to resist him again, but her mouth unhinged.
"Aslan."
A growl formed low in her throat as a warning and probably as a predatory curse in her language.
"What ban do you belong to?" he asked.
She snapped her jaw shut once again refusing him. A louder growl from deep in her throat echoed around the chamber.
"Tell me the ban name," he snapped.
You could see sweat bead down his forehead as he fought for control with her.
"Tis the Blood Moon," she heaved.
She thrashed in her restraints.
"Who is your leader?"
She shook her head breaking eye contact with him.
"Wouldn't you like to know," she said a wicked grin crossing her face.
Rook shook his head. "You'll get it eventually."
Neil walked away with his head bowed. Jesse and Adam made no further progress. Xavier seemed to me a natural. His voice became eerie soft and calm never losing eye contact. He seemed more like a viper trying to enthrall a mouse than a Nephilium at the moment.
"Who is your leader?" he asked gently.
He had already gotten through all the other questions. By now the girl seemed to be completely under Xavier's charm.
"Quinn," she said the word seeming to jump from her throat.
"Where can we find him?"
I saw her eyes flicker with realization. Somehow she had been able to break the trance.
"The lower city. You will never find him! Never!" she screeched shrilly.
She spat on Xavier's face. He wiped it away with the cuff of his sleeve his cheeks reddening in frustration as he walked back to us without another word.
"Go rest in the mess hall and get some warm breakfast. We'll resume tomorrow."
The others walked ahead of me all talking among themselves as I walked slowly behind them trying to justify what I had just witnessed. So that had been Charm Speak. Why had it felt more like a Dark Blood power than a tool the Nephilium should have been blessed with?
I eventually made it to the mess hall where I saw Alistor sitting alone. All of my Nephilium classmates had sat together across the dining hall. I grabbed a bowl of oatmeal and walked over to where he sat.
"May I sit?"
He nodded since his mouth was full with a tart.
"You look drained," he said gently as if trying not to offend me.
I did feel tired now that he mentioned it. I hadn't even participated in class today so why did I feel exhausted?
"Aye... it was... intense," I stumbled for lack of better words.
He chuckled. "I'm surprised your not joining them."
He pointed his bony thumb in the direction of the other novice Nephilium sounding slightly agitated. Was he annoyed with my presence. Had I upset him somehow?
"You're my guide aren't you?"
He smiled. "Aye."
The mess hall was all but empty.
"What's your next class?" he asked.
Perhaps he had meant his agitation for the rest of my kind.
"Reytor History."
"We'll have that together than."
I ate trying to get a few bites in before Alistor stood up. My stomach growled in protest, but I would adjust to this lifestyle. This, after all, was my life's dream.