Celeste opened her eyes as soon as she realised she was conscious again. She noticed something about her was different but couldn't tell what it was. Something about her felt different. For some reason, she felt much more confident than before, and she had the impression that she was stronger somehow. She let her gaze wander, noticing that the priestesses were still standing in a circle around the fount. Her mother was no longer inside the fount. She stood a little behind the priestesses and held a white towel in her hands. A satisfied look could be seen on her face.
"Fly over here, Celeste," her mother requested.
Fly?
Celeste's eyes widened when she realised she was not standing inside the fount. She was floating above it. She turned her head and looked over her right shoulder, spotting the feathered wings coming out of her back. They were huge, reaching from one side of the fount to the other. The feathers were pure white.
She was wondering how she could remain in the air without doing anything. She was wondering how to move her wings and how she should fly without falling and landing on the floor.
She had no idea how to do what she had been asked to do, but her wings suddenly began to move. She had done nothing except for making her wings move. She realised it was like moving an arm or a leg. She had done it instinctively without thinking about it. Her lips formed a wide, happy smile as she fluttered her wings, getting used to them.
After a few minutes of testing her wings, she glanced at her mother again. Helen was regarding her; an expecting look could be seen on her face. She lifted her left hand, signalling her daughter to come to her. Celeste made her way over to her mother. Flying was easier than expected. She had never thought she could fly without training for weeks. She was able to fly from the very first moment after her ascension.
Celeste landed in front of her mother; her face reflected pure joy. "Although two massive wings are coming out of my back, I still can't believe I'm finally an Anxoyal. It has been my dream for so long, and after decades of training and preparation for the trials, I finally made it. I'm no longer a Keristian. I'm an Anxoyal, a winged defender of Tenaria."
Helen put her free hand on Celeste's shoulder, smiling at her. "I'm so proud of you, honey. Before we continue speaking, you should use this to cover your body," she said, handing Celeste the towel.
"Didn't you convince me earlier that being naked around these women is not a problem?"
"I did, and my opinion hasn't changed since then, but we will leave the room soon, and I doubt you want to walk naked through the temple."
Celeste didn't blush as she imagined this. "You are right." She took the towel and wrapped it around her body. She would have blushed if she had still been a Keristian, but she saw some things differently since she ascended. The thought didn't intimidate her or make her feel uncomfortable. Nevertheless, she had no desire to walk naked through the halls.
"How do you feel, honey?"
"Much better than before. I feel a lot stronger and more secure."
"Those are positive side effects of the ascension. Those who ascent usually feel more self-confident."
"Are there any negative side effects?"
Helen shook her head. "There are no long-term side effects I know of, only short-term effects. You might feel well now but suddenly feel tired after a few hours. I will take you to my room where we can discuss things. You can nap once you start to feel tired, and when you wake up again, we can leave this island. But not by ship."
"We will fly over the ocean, won't we?"
Her mother nodded.
"Are you sure I can already fly such a long distance?" Celeste asked.
"If not, I will catch and carry you the remaining distance. You have travelled for three days by boat, but we will only need one day to cross the ocean. If you won't be able to endure the whole distance, it's fine. The more you fly, the longer you will endure. It's only a matter of practice."
"I understand."
"I will answer more of your questions once we reach my room," Helen said as she offered her daughter a hand. Celeste took it without hesitation and allowed her mother to guide her out of the room. They climbed up the spiral staircase until they reached a much higher level. They left a few corridors behind until they came to the end of a tall and wide corridor. They stood in front of a golden door adorned by beautiful ornamentation. Her mother didn't hesitate to open the door, which was not wide enough for Celeste to fit through while her wings were stretched out.
"I will teach you how to let your wings disappear and make them reappear when you have woken up from your nap. For now, fold your wings so you can fit through the door. It's not difficult."
At the very moment Helen finished that sentence, Celeste had already folded her wings. It had happened without her needing to think about it. Another instinctive act. "You are getting used to everything rather quickly; that's good. Not everyone knows how to control their wings from the start. Some need more practice than others. You are one of the few who could fly right after their ascension," her mother said.
"You expected that from me, didn't you?" Celeste asked curiously.
"Well, I wouldn't have been mad if you wouldn't have been able to fly immediately, but I'm happy that you did. You are not like other children; you are special. You are not only a fast learner but also a skilful fighter. Any organisation will be happy to have you." Her mother closed the door behind her, signalling her to look around.
The room was much larger than Celeste's bedroom in her parents' estate, which was already quite large. The golden wallpaper was adorned with blue symbols that made various mandalas. The furniture in the room looked very expensive; there were many bookshelves on the left side, and a large settee with a small table stood on the opposite side. In the middle of the room was a long table with numerous chairs standing around it. Celeste had expected nothing less from her mother, who loved to decorate her rooms extraordinarily.
"Take a seat, my dear," Helen said, pointing at the settee. Celeste didn't hesitate to walk over to it and sit down. "Can I offer you anything to drink or eat?"
"Water would be enough."
Her mother made her way to the fitted kitchen in the right corner of the room and took out a glass of one of the hanging cupboards, filling it with water from the water tap. She returned to her daughter, who thanked her and took a large gulp of water. Her mother sat right next to her, looking at her curiously.
"Any ideas about which organisation you want to join? The Vanguard? The Custodians? The Instructors? Or maybe you want to be one of those who operate in secret? The Unseen, as they like to call themselves." From the tone of Helen's voice when she said the last name, Celeste could tell that she didn't particularly like that organisation.
"I have never heard of the Unseen before. What do they do? Are they like spies?" Celeste asked.
"They are a lot more than just spies. They find out useful information about our enemies by spying on them and do not hesitate to take care of certain threats."
"So they are like assassins?"
Helen nodded. "You could say that."
"And you don't like them because you prefer traditional fighting and not sneaking behind one's back and then killing them before they realise what is going on, right?"
Helen nodded again. "I love an honourable fight that is fair, more or less. I detest insidious murder. But sometimes, there is no other choice than to kill someone quietly before they notice what is going on. Sometimes, inevitable things must be done. Things we are not proud of."
Celeste put her right hand on her mother's hands, which rested on her lap. "Don't worry, mother. I won't join the Unseen, that's for sure."
The corners of Helen's lips formed a small smile. "I'm glad."
"I thought about joining the Vanguard."
"Being a soldier of the Vanguard does not mean that you will be only called to arms when a war breaks out. You will also participate in skirmishes, go into enemy territory to accomplish certain missions and more. You will participate in plenty of fights, that's guaranteed."
"I'm not afraid of fighting for my kingdom, nor am I afraid to take a life. I killed evil creatures before, and I'm not afraid to kill more," Celeste explained.
"Killing Mordeurs is one thing; killing Yxals is another story. They are much more dangerous than the creatures that once belonged to them. Mordeurs follow their instinct to kill anyone who gets too close to them; they are not very intelligent. Yxals, on the other hand, are much more intelligent, faster and physically stronger than Mordeurs. They are dangerous for Keristians and even for us Anxoyals. It would be best if you never underestimated them when encountering them. It happened a few times in the past that foolish Keristians and Anxoyal lost their lives in encounters with these fiends because they didn't take them seriously."
"Don't worry, mother. I know better than underestimating my opponents. You told me often enough I'm made for battle, so I don't see a reason why I shouldn't join the Vanguard."
"I didn't say you shouldn't. I just wanted to let you know that you are doing more than just waiting for a war to break out. There will be a lot for you to do."
"I'm looking forward to it."
Helen smiled. "I will let the leader of the Vanguard know that you want to join them. You might have to demonstrate your combat skills, but that shouldn't be a problem for you. You defeated an instructor during your final trial. And now that you are much stronger than before, I see no reason why the Vanguard should not accept you."
"Who's the leader of the Vanguard?" Celeste asked curiously.
"A man who goes by the name Aldrich the Pure."
"Aldrich the Pure? Never heard of him."
Helen chuckled. "There are many people that play an important role you never heard of."
"What can you tell me about this Aldrich?"
"He has led the Vanguard for a few hundred years since his predecessor died during the last Great War. He is a courageous, polite man who stands up for tolerance and justice. You will like him for sure. He is also the best leader the Vanguard ever had."
"I hope he and I will get along."
Helen smiled as she caressed her daughter's cheek. "I'm sure you will. He will be happy to have such a capable warrioress like you."
"So, you will tell him that I want you to join, and then I will get an invitation to meet him or one of his subordinates, right?"
"Yes, that's how it will go."
"I can't wait to join the Vanguard."
Helen ran her fingers through Celeste's hair, smiling at her. "I'm sure you will like it there. The members of the Vanguard are known to be very close and keep an eye out for each other. They will protect their comrades at any cost. I know many of the high-ranked soldiers in the Vanguard, and I'm certain they will do anything to support you and make you feel comfortable with them."
"I'm looking forward to meeting them."
"I will let them know of your interest, but I'm certain they will accept you. The majority of the soldiers are Keristians. The Vanguard will be happy for any Anxoyals who wish to join them," her mother said.
"Good."
Helen ran her hands over Celeste's cheeks. "You should rest now, my dear. Tiredness will soon wash over you. You can sleep in my bed if you want."
"What will you do in the meantime?"
"I will watch over you and wait for you to wake up."
"You don't have to. You can do something else in the meantime."
Helen pointed at the stacks of documents on her desk. "I have paperwork to do, so I don't mind staying with you."
Celeste gave her mother a small smile. "Alright."
Helen pulled Celeste with her as she got up from the settee, guiding her to her bed. She pulled the golden blanket away, allowing Celeste to get in the bed. She waited for her to lie down and covered her with the blanket. She bent forward and pressed her lips on Celeste's forehead. "Sleep tight, honey."
Celeste gave her mother one last smile before she closed her eyes and allowed sleep to take her slowly.
---
"So this is the headquarters of the Vanguard?" Marjo asked as he regarded the building in front of them. Compared to other buildings in Umbral, it didn't look imposing. It looked like an ordinary tall building, not like a majestic temple like most important buildings. Whoever had built it hadn't wanted to waste money and resources on decorative elements.
"That's the address my mother gave me, so it must be it," Celeste replied.
"We should knock then. Are you nervous?"
Celeste shook her head. "No. Are you?"
"Maybe a little. I don't know."
Celeste put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. "Everything will be fine. The Vanguard will gladly welcome us. They need more soldiers, especially Anxoyals, remember?"
"You are right."
Celeste stepped forward and knocked at the door. She didn't need to wait too long for someone to open it. It was a man with short brown hair and a full beard. He wore a silver suit of armour.
"How can I help you?" he asked politely.
"My name is Celeste Featherwind, and that's Marjo Grevel. I'm sure my mother already informed your leader that we want to join the Vanguard."
"Featherwind? You are the daughter of one of the members of the Nine, aren't you?"
"I am. My mother is Helen the Holy."
"I remember having seen her a few days ago. She met with our leader to discuss something. I will lead you right to him," the man responded.
"That would be great."
The man opened the door fully and allowed Celeste and Marjo to enter. He closed the door and went ahead, guiding them through the entrance hall and the bordering corridor. Like the outside of the building, the inside was not extraordinarily decorated. It was kept simple.
The man led them to a door on which he knocked. A voice told them to come in. The man opened the door and let the young Anxoyals in before he stepped through himself.
Once inside, Celeste let her gaze wander, realising that the room was an ordinary-looking office. There was nothing extravagant, no expensive furniture or paintings. Behind the desk sat a man whose armour was also silver-coloured. It looked more impressive and expensive than the other man's armour but was not as expensive and exceptional as Superion's. It seemed relatively modest compared to other suits of armour Celeste had ever seen. The man behind the desk had long blond hair; his face was shaved.
"These are Celeste Featherwind, daughter of Helen the Holy, and Marjo Grevel. They want to join us," the man who had guided them told his superior.
"Thanks, Jaz. You can go now and return to your post."
Jaz lowered his head in respect and left the room without a word. The man behind the desk stood up and approached them. "I'm Aldrich the Pure, but you can call me Aldrich. No titles or form of address. Just Aldrich."
"It's a pleasure to meet you. You can call me Celeste," Celeste said to him, lowering her head in respect. It surprised her that he didn't want to be formal. She had expected the opposite.
The man got up from his chair and walked around his desk, approaching Celeste and Marjo. He offered Celeste his hand, and she took it without hesitation, shaking it. He did the same with Marjo, who accepted his handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too. Please, sit down," he said as he pointed at the chairs in front of the desk. Celeste and Marjo did as they were told.
"Do you want anything to drink?" Aldrich asked politely.
"I'm fine," Celeste responded.
"So am I," her best friend added.
"Very well." Aldrich returned to his chair and sat down, putting his hands on his desk. "I'm happy for anyone who wants to join us. I don't care if they are Keristians or Anxoyals. Unlike most people, I regard them equally. They are worth equally to me, and I will not favour any of them. I'm against discrimination; it will not be tolerated in my army."
"Don't worry, Aldrich. We do not believe that we are better than the Keristians just because we have wings and they do not. We only ascended a few days ago, which means that we were Keristians for the majority of our lives. We will remember where we have come from and who we once were. We can promise we won't treat anyone differently because they are different," Celeste responded.
Aldrich smiled. "That's great to hear." His smile vanished a few moments later, and his expression became serious. "Sadly, not everyone thinks that way these days. Many Anxoyals, especially the older ones, have forgotten that they were Keristians once. They think they are better and treat the Keristians as if they were an inferior race. There are none of such people in my army, and I will make sure to keep it that way. If you notice that any of my soldiers, your future brothers and sisters, show such inappropriate behaviour, please tell me directly or one of your superiors. Action must be taken against them immediately."
"I agree with you in this matter, Aldrich. If we ever experience such behaviour, we will let you know."
Aldrich smiled. "Great. Do you have any questions?"
"We have to do some trial, don't we? To prove that we are fit to join the Vanguard?" Marjo asked.
Aldrich's gaze fell on him. "Normally, yes, but your final trial happened not so long ago, which means you have already proven yourself. I spoke to Helen and the judges, and some of my disciples saw your trials. You can still show me what you got, but I believe you have the necessary talent to be a soldier of the Vanguard. We usually don't test freshly ascended Anxoyal. Only those whose ascension was a few years ago."
"What about Keristians who want to join?" Celeste asked.
"They will be tested."
Celeste raised a brow. "Didn't you say that you treat Anxoyals and Keristians equally? In that case, wouldn't it also make more sense for you to test the Anxoyals? To treat everyone equally, you should test them regardless of their background.
Aldrich sighed. "You have a point; everyone should be tested. But as I have already said, you have been tested recently, so there is no need to test you again. You can show me your talent, nevertheless, if you insist. But that's not necessary in my eyes. Besides, we won't let you on a mission on the first day. You will have to do other stuff first, like training. During training, you will have your chance to show me what you got."
"Speaking of missions, my mother told me that the purpose of the Vanguard is not only to protect Tenaria in case a war breaks out. She said we also leave the kingdom to do whatever is necessary."
Aldrich leaned back in his chair and put his head on the headrest. "As you might know, there are many threats outside Tenaria. Clans, cults, bandits, gangs and so on. There are many groups with bad intentions out there. Those threats need to be taken care of. That is one of our many tasks. Remember, our main purpose is to protect the kingdom. We often have to leave Teneria and deal with one of these threats. I hope that's not a problem for you."
Celeste shook her head. "Don't worry. We want to protect the kingdom by any means. We don't mind going into unknown territory to handle any threat."
Aldrich smiled. "Great. I need more soldiers with that mentality."
"What do we do if we don't go on such missions?" Marjo asked.
"Training and ensuring we are prepared in case a war breaks out. There is much to do these days; you won't get bored if that's what you are afraid of."
"We are not afraid of anything," Celeste replied.
"Not now, at least. I have seen things outside Tenaria...Things I would like to forget, but that is not possible. I hope you never have to see the horrors I have seen...," Aldrich cleared his throat. "I wanted to say that it's not a shame to be afraid of something."
"What horrors have you seen?" Marjo asked worriedly.
"Trust me, you don't want to know."
Marjo nodded, lowering his gaze. He looked at his fingers, not wanting to say anything else.
Celeste cleared her throat, getting Aldrich's attention. "Is there anything else we need to know?"
Aldrich leaned forward. "You will be assigned to a team with which you will go on missions in the future. You will get known to your teammates first and learn to work with them. Once you can do that, you will be sent out on your first mission."
"How long does this process of getting to know each other usually take?"
Aldrich shrugged. "It's different from team to team. It always depends on the people who make the team and how they get along. Some teams don't need as much time as others do."
"When will we meet our team?"
"Tomorrow. Until then, you can explore the headquarters, train or do something else. I want you to be at the headquarters every day at eight o'clock in the morning."
"That shouldn't be a problem for us," Celeste replied.
"Great. All you need to do now is to put your sign under a few documents."
"What kind of documents?"
"Just the usual paperwork. By signing, you confirm you have been informed of the risks of being a soldier and the threats that await us outside Tenaria. You swear to obey orders given by your superiors and so on. You can read the documents first; I promise you that no hidden clauses were written down there. You will not be obliged to do anything except serve our kingdom."
"Can I see them now?"
"Sure." Aldrich opened a drawer and took out two thin stacks of documents, handing them to the young Anxoyals. They read through them carefully, putting their signatures on them once they realised that Aldrich had told them the truth. There were no hidden clauses between the lines that obliged them to do something that had nothing to do with serving the Tenarian kingdom. Once they had signed them, they handed the documents back to Aldrich.
He got up from his chair and offered them his hand, which they took and shook one after one. "To good cooperation for the sake of Tenaria."
"It's an honour for us to be a part of the Vanguard and protect the kingdom from all threats," Marjo replied.
"We will do everything in our power to accomplish great things," Celeste added.
Aldrich smiled. "Before I forget, you need to go to the armoury. You will get weapons of your choice and a silver suit of armour there."
"Why silver?" asked Marjo.
"It's the colour of the Vanguard. Silver stands for the Vanguard, gold for those stationed on the Blessed Island or in other sacred places, bronze for those who guard the cities in Tenaria and ensure that the laws are complied with."
"Superion wears golden armour, but as far as I know, he does not belong to those who guard the sacred places."
"That's right, he is not a member of the Sacred Warden. The Nine can wear any colour because they are the ones who rule Tenaria. They are not restricted in any way," Aldrich explained.
"Makes sense."
"Any other questions?"
Celeste and Marjo shook their heads.
"Very well. Go to the armoury, get your stuff and then you can do whatever you want. I will see you tomorrow morning. Have a great day."
"Have a great day as well, Aldrich."
Celeste and Marjo left the room and closed the door behind them. "We should have asked him where the armoury is," Marjo remarked as they followed the course of the corridor.
"We want to discover the headquarters anyway, so we will find it sooner or later," replied Celeste. And sooner or later, they did. They finally found the armoury after an hour.
"How can I help you?" asked a woman leaning against the wall beside the entrance. She had short pink hair, and the clothes she wore were silver. She didn't wear armour but clothes made of fabric that didn't look cheap but not too expensive either.
"We just joined the Vanguard and were told to seek out the armoury," Celeste explained.
The woman scrutinised them curiously. "Fresh meat," she said with a grin.
Celeste chose not to reply.
"We can always use new soldiers, so I don't mind. I'm Rose. Welcome to the Vanguard," the woman said, offering them her hand. Celeste shook it without hesitation, watching Marjo doing the same.
"I'm Celeste, and that's my best friend Marjo."
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Both of you."
"Same counts for us," Celeste replied, giving Rose a small smile.
"Why don't you come in and check out our arsenal? We have plenty of weapons you can choose from and lots of suits of armour in various sizes."
Celeste and Marjo followed Rose inside the room in front of them; their eyes widened when they realised how large the room was and how many weapons and suits of armour were stored there.
"Wow. You can equip a whole army with the stuff in there," Celeste stated.
"The Vanguard has always to be prepared for another war. May it be a minor war or a great war between the seven kingdoms, or at least what is left of them," Rose explained.
"Are the suits of armour made of silver, or are they just coloured silver?" Marjo asked as he took a closer look at one of the suits of armour.
"They are just coloured silver. Silver is not the firmest material we know about, not to mention that it is a rare material. Forging silver armour would be too expensive. Usually, the blacksmiths use steel to create these suits of armour. Only the suits of armour of the high-ranked soldiers are made of a mix of iron and much firmer and rarer materials. These suits of armour are better in protection than the suits the foot soldiers get.
"Makes sense, I guess," he replied.
"Enough of talk; you are here to get the necessary tools to survive and not to have a conversation with boring old me," Rose said as she made her way to the left side of the room where all the suits of armour hung.
"You are not boring," Celeste replied. "You seem to be a nice person, and everything you have said so far is anything but boring."
Rose smiled. "I can only make the same compliment to you."
Celeste returned the smile, staring at Rose for a few more moments before she shifted her gaze to the suits of armour. Rose walked over to her and took a closer look at them, pointing at one of them after a few moments. "I think this should be your size. I will help you to put it on if you don't mind."
"That would be great."
Rose helped Celeste put on the armour; it was much lighter than Celeste had assumed. It looked heavy, but it was not. It did not prevent her in any way from moving.
"These suits of armour belong to the best we have. Their quality is impeccable and not too heavy, so even those who are not as physically strong as others can still wear them and move in them quickly."
"I like it already," Celeste replied.
"I'm glad you do. You can already start looking for a weapon while I help your friend to put on a suit of armour fitting for his size."
Celeste nodded and did as she was told, letting her gaze wander over the numerous weapons hanging on the right wall. She made her way to the section that contained spears. Some spears were slightly taller than her, while others were double her size. She picked up one that was eight feet tall, swung and whirled it around, making sure she didn't hit anything with it. "This one seems promising," she said after several minutes of testing it.
"Your favourite weapon is a spear? That's interesting. Not many soldiers in the Vanguard use spears. Most of those are spear slingers; only a few fight with them and don't throw them through the air."
"I have always fought with spears since I can remember. The advantage of a spear is that you can hit your opponent before they can get in range to hit you. The only problem with such a long spear is that you cannot do much once the enemy gets close to you, but I'm sure I can also get a sword so I will be prepared for this case."
"I don't see why you shouldn't get more than one weapon. Feel free to take that spear and a sword. Or any other weapon. You have the freedom to take any weapon you want."
Celeste leaned the spear against the wall and made her way over to the swords. She looked closer at them, taking one with a blade over twelve inches long but thinner than other sword blades. The handle was black, the pommel was golden, and the guard was silver. The blade had a reddish colouring.
As she had done with the spear, Celeste tested the sword a little. "I think I can get used to this one," she said to Rose, who was done helping Marjo with putting on his armour. She stood not far from Celeste; a clipboard was in her hands. She wrote something down. "I'm just noting down which weapons and suit of armour you took. Just for the record."
Celeste nodded and let her gaze wander to her best friend, who swung a double-headed axe. He put it back on the wall and tried a few more battle axes until he found one that fit his requirements. Its handle was made of brown hardwood; the double blade was made of iron. It didn't look extraordinary, but it didn't have to be for Marjo. He was content with the solid battle axe. "I have everything I need," he announced.
"So do I," Celeste said, looking at Rose.
"Very well. I need your signatures for receiving the weapons and armour. I hope you will take good care of them." Rose handed Celeste the clipboard and a pen. Once Celeste had signed, she gave the clipboard and the pen to Marjo, who did the same.
"Thanks for helping us out, Rose," he said.
"You are welcome," the pink-haired woman replied.
"We will go now and practise with our weapons. Have a nice day, Rose."
"You too, pals."
Celeste waved at Rose. Together with Marjo, she left the armoury and headed to the training facilities.