He walked closer to the trench. It was one of four that were dug around Auros Lepida. This was the first that circled the city and therefore the longest. It was about 5 feet wide and 10 feet deep. Along both dirt walls were rusted ladder rungs. At the top of the trench there were two thick black metal bars that resembled the rails on a train track. They sparkled in the sunlight, and as far as he could tell, seemed to travel through the entire trench.
"Don't get too close. Our platform is about to arrive."
Klin grumbled something under his breath about hoping David would fall so he wouldn't have to leave his library.
A loud whirring sound echoed towards them.
David stepped back as a large circular platform sped down the track and shuddered to a stop right in front of him. It looked to be made from the same black metal as the rails and was large enough to fit ten or so people if they huddled together.
Crouched in the middle of the platform was a middle-aged woman in a dusty red cloak.
"Is this anyone's first time riding a platform?" She sounded as if she was about to fall asleep before she could finish the question.
"Yes."
"No."
David gave Cyst a questioning look. She ignored it and spoke to the woman on the platform.
"He was joking. It's not his first time."
The woman on the platform looked at David, then pressed her thumb and index against the bridge of her nose like she was trying to squeeze out a tiny ball of stress that lodged itself there.
"I am legally obligated by the laws decreed by the 22nd Duke of Auros Lepida to explain platform riding safety procedures to any who have never ridden a platform before."
"That really is not nece—"
"When you step onto the platform, you must take up the same position I am currently in, and maintain that position until the platform is fully stopped and you are cleared to get off. There are handlebars here, here, here, and here. Both of your hands must be holding one of the handlebars until the platform is fully stopped and you are cleared to get off. In the event you fall off the platform during a ride, we will not return for you. If you survive the fall, and find yourself below the riding rails, keep walking until you arrive at one of the six stops. There will be ladder rungs at each stop that you can use to climb out. Before climbing out, check to make sure you do not hear a platform approaching. If you attempt to climb out and a platform is coming, you will be crushed instantly. Court appeals to the Duke based on death or injury from platform riding will not be heard. Are there any questions?"
"No! There are no questions."
Cyst ushered David and Klin onto the platform.
They assumed the same crouching position as the platform operator and grabbed onto the handlebars tightly.
"Are all riders in the correct position and holding onto the handlebars?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Good. Platform operation will begin…"
The operator placed her hand inside a square opening in the middle of the platform. Criss-crossing flames carved into the black surface began to glow the orange hue of a dying sun.
"...Now."
Wind whipped their bodies as the platform raced over the track at a frenetic speed. Ten or so minutes later, the carved flames went dark, and the platform stopped abruptly.
The ride was not as bad as he had expected, but just after he got off, he did start to feel a queasy churning in his stomach.
Cyst stared at him with a serious look on her face. "David, your first lesson as a Shadekiller is this: platform operators are the most boring people you will find anywhere. It does not matter what type of creature they are, that job only attracts people who are gray blobs of boringness."
He laughed to himself.
If she thinks that job is boring, what would she think about my job on Earth?
"Really? I bet if you got to know that woman she'd have a lot of amazing stories about people falling off her platform and dying."
She chuckled. "And? She'd tell them in the most boring way possible. A good story is good because of the way it's told, not what it's about. You'll see that in your history class soon enough."
"Wait…does that mean the stories in my history class are good or bad?"
"Follow me and you'll find out."
She walked towards the only structure near their stop: a massive brick complex with four towering walls that hid the inside from the rest of the city.
Two guards in armored gray tunics with thick white cloaks were stationed on top of the front wall, just above the massive wooden door that served as the only entrance.
Cyst waved good-naturedly at them, and they quickly moved away from the parapet of the wall to shout an order to someone below.
The broad wooden doors groaned as two different guards pushed them open from the inside, bowing towards Cyst as she entered.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Cyst seemed unperturbed by the explosive sounds coming from beyond the hallway they had walked into. Klin wore a scowl above his white beard that had been there since the moment Cyst told him he would be forced to leave his precious library. David was quite perturbed by the sounds, but was hopeful it didn't show on his face.
The guards opened another set of wooden doors, revealing a vast courtyard brimming with activity.
On the right side of the courtyard, three different groups of recruits were doing weapons drills. The group closest to them was a wave of glinting silver as they practiced sword strikes in unison. Dressed in the same armored tunics and white cloaks as the guards, the midday sun bore through the recruits; sweat dripped off their faces and became small black dots on the dusty ground.
The middle group of recruits was busy watching a duel between two men wielding spears. One of the men dueling was a human and he exerted a tremendous amount of effort with his spear thrusts. Rage rippled from his eyes to his mouth after each of his attacks were dodged easily. His opponent was smiling and seemed to get more enjoyment from the other man's frustration than the duel itself. Based on his darker colored skin, messy golden hair, and sharp ears, David concluded he was a Niven.
As they were about to pass this group, the Niven man brought his spear low, below the other man's and whipped it upwards, flinging his opponent's spear high into the air.
"Greetings, Cyst!" The Niven man yelled and waved towards her as the other man scrambled away to pick his spear up off the ground.
Cyst smiled and waved back. "Greetings, Faya."
"Oh, and you've brought an old man. And a young man. Greetings old and young man!"
"PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR DUEL, DAMMIT!" The roaring command came from a tall gray-haired man watching the duel separate from the recruits.
Faya's opponent had regained his spear and thrust it towards Faya's unguarded chest. David's jaw went slack as Faya brought his waving hand in front of the spear point, letting it puncture straight through his hand, but stopping short of his chest. Blood gushing from his hand, he thrust his spear into the other man's thigh, resulting in a piercing scream. A second after, Faya brought his boot back and thudded it into the man's chest, sending him back at least five feet.
While Cyst and Klin had not given the incident a second glance, David had stopped walking completely to observe the fight.
Faya noticed David standing still and gave him a sly wink before heading towards a white robe to get his injury restored.
Damn. That was fucking cool as hell.
David jogged to catch back up with Cyst and Klin.
They passed the third group who were shooting composite bows at targets placed along an unused wall.
Another BOOM echoed through the courtyard. The explosive sound came from beyond a gigantic red wall on their left. David guessed based on the size of the outer complex wall, that the space behind the red wall was just as large as the one they were in currently, meaning it effectively cut the courtyard in half.
"That's where the ability training takes place. The booms are Iryn being a bit overzealous again. It may take some time, but eventually you'll be allowed to take part in the ability training as well."
"So, you believe me then? About what I said in front of the Blades."
"Hmm.." Cyst looked back at him, tapping her black nails against her chin.
"Yes. And no."
"...what does that mean?"
She slowed her gait, waiting for David to fall in line beside her.
Quietly, so only he could hear, she said, "I was…surprised, when you said you ate the meat of shadebringer. A flamebringer at that. You have no idea how valuable that makes you to us. Even though you completely failed to use any of its abilities, the Blades let you live. The testimonials of Netsu and the rest certainly helped, but even without them, just the chance you really did eat a Flamebringer may have been enough."
Though David still knew frighteningly little about this world, he actually did have an idea how valuable his abilities made him. He had seen the destruction Kleymon was capable of, in visions and in reality. Towns cut by flame into desolate black scars. A whole forest, and who knows how many Niven, turned into specks of falling ash. It was hard to believe there were many other creatures capable of such things.
"You still haven't said whether or not you believe me." For a reason unknown to him, he really wanted her to.
Actually, the reason wasn't that unknown; he just wanted someone on his side.
"I do. The Flamebringer part, at least. Everything else, 'urth' and all that, seemed to be a pile of worm-infested shit. You're hiding quite a bit and I'll allow that for now. In fact, while you're at the training ground, tell none of the recruits or the instructors about your…circumstances."
They reached the far end of the courtyard, where a squat brick building stood. There was no one else near the building and the only sound nearby was the thunk of arrowheads into the wall next to it.
"Klin, you may go in. Tell whoever's manning the desk that you are my guest, and are to be given your own room."
"Mah own room? How feckin kind."
He muttered something else under his breath before opening the door to the building.
Cyst sighed. "Damn the Blades for making me bring that Sophos."
She turned to look at David. There was a hard edge set in her gray-blue eyes.
"David. There will come a day when I ask you to tell me your truth: all of it. I'll ask politely, and with the understanding that it may be a difficult story to tell. But, really, it won't be me asking. It will be an order. One I expect you to follow because you trust me. That's what I expect from all of my recruits. Do you understand?"
In his life on Earth, and this world, David found that the question 'Do you understand?' was actually code for 'Will you comply with what I am asking?' Often he did understand, but he did not want to comply with what was being asked of him. This case was different.
"I do. When that day comes, you'll get the full story. That day won't be like…tomorrow, though, right?"
She rolled her eyes, her lips sneaking into a smile. "You really must not be from here if it only takes you a day to trust someone. Come on, let's get started with your test."
His heartbeat returned to a semi-regular pace, and he followed Cyst into the brick building.
The lobby was sparsely furnished, with two wooden benches along the closest wall for waiting, a torch chandelier casting yellow light on the brick walls, and a desk in the middle, where a woman as stout as the building sat attentively. Past the desk was a stone wall with a single door in the middle. On both sides of the room there were also doors.
The woman sitting at the desk greeted Cyst with a robust smile.
"My warmest greetings, Cyst. How was the Castle of Light?"
"Greetings, Ursul. The same as always, books and boring meetings." Cyst glanced at David with an almost invisible look of mischief.
"Mostly boring, I should say. Did you have someone show my Sophos to his room?"
The woman's kind smile faltered momentarily. "I did. He, uhm, well, he also told me that he would be replacing the librarian here at the training ground. I asked if that was something you had ordered and he said it was."
Cyst shook her head in resignation. "I did not, but I'd rather not endure the headache of telling him otherwise. When I told him he had to leave the library at the Castle of Light he nearly put on his gold mask and stuck me through with his gladius."
Ursul's eyes widened to the size of a goldfish's.
"Just joking, just joking. Old man wouldn't be fast enough to skewer me anyway."
David was perplexed by their exchange. "Is Klin a fighter? I wouldn't have expected that."
This time, Ursul looked at him like he was a goldfish and that he had just stated that all goldfish can talk.
"He's from a very far away land."
Ursul nodded her head like that explained why he could be a goldfish and talk.
"And, he is also our newest recruit. He'll need to undergo the weapons tests immediately."
"Very well. Your name, young man?"
"David."
She scribbled his name down in a ledger on her desk.
"Do you have any abilities gained from eating another creature?"
Cyst didn't give him a chance to answer. "He does not."
Ursul gave Cyst a momentary questioning gaze, before writing something down and continuing.
"Do you have any kind of training in any weapon?"
"No."
"Have you ever used any variation of a sword, spear, or dagger?"
"No, not in a duel or anything like that."
"You have experience of another kind in one of these weapons, then?"
"Uh, I guess. I've hunted a few creatures with spears before. I mostly threw them though."
"Mm. You'll most likely be put in the spear and javelin classes then. Have you ever used a bow before?"
"No."
"Very well. You'll still undergo tests with the sword, spear, dagger, bow and javelin with Instructor Acktredd to determine if you are better suited towards another weapon. Follow me."
"Ursul, tell Acktredd to go easy on him, alright?"
Ursul nodded, then ripped out the page she had been writing on and walked towards the door behind her.
Cyst told him she had other matters to attend to, so David followed Ursul alone through the door.
Without her presence he felt less…secure.
The testing room resembled a prison cell. The floors and walls were gray stone, and the only windows were barred and placed high on the farthest wall. But, it was much larger than a prison cell, perhaps the size of a quarter of the courtyard. There were also five different weapon racks along the farthest wall, which would be ill-advised to have in a prison cell.
Ursul made a motion for him to stay as she approached the only man in the room.
The man was lying down on the floor, reading a book in one hand, and bench pressing a dumbbell with the other. He was in his mid thirties and his curly black hair partially covered a pattern of scars that ran in a spiraling circle around his forehead like an optical illusion.
David recalled the humans from the market in Dracon, how lean they were, their muscles like bundles of wire. Their strength seemed to come from being worked to the bone. This man's strength was like that, but…enhanced. He had been worked down to the bone, and then he built himself back up with the same level of intensity, to the point where every muscle in his arms and legs looked like bundles of wire had melted together to form an ingot of pure metal.
The man saw Ursul approaching and dropped the dumbbell, letting it clatter to the ground.
They began to have a hushed discussion, Ursul pointing at the paper she had brought, and the man glancing towards David.
Ursul had an exasperated look on her face before yelling the only audible part of the conversation: "Just fucking do it! Okay?"
She hurriedly exited the room.
"You sure you're in the right place, kid?" His voice was deep and his tone even more condescending than his words.
"Are you Acktredd?"
"The one and only. Well, I knew a few others, but they died. Ursul told me I'm supposed to go through the weapons tests with you. And that's why I'm asking if you're in the right place."
"I am. Cyst brought me here."
Acktredd dropped his book, moving closer until he was about five feet away.
Ah, and there was the look again, scouring through him, looking for the only things that mattered: weakness and strength.
"You have no muscle. No fat either. You're just…bones. Bones can't lift a sword, they certainly can't swing one for shit. Are you a noble or somethin'? Fuck, even the nobles here are more than just bones. Look, I dunno why you're here, but you shouldn't be. If you're a noble, go back to your castle and eat some fucking gold. If you're some orphan from Toxo, go back to living in the gutter and eat some rats."
David exhaled slowly through his nose.
Getting angry will just give him what he wants. I need to focus on what I want.
"Are those the testing weapons over there?" He pointed at the weapons racks and asked it matter-of-factly, like he hadn't just been told to go eat rats.
"Yea, they're for new recruits. Which you are not. Go home. Now."
"I'd like to, but I can't."
Acktredd stepped closer, until he was within arms reach.
"I misspoke then. Leave here, and go wherever the fuck you want. I don't care. The important part is that I don't have to look at a kid made of bones for another heartbeat."
Is this part of the test? To see if I'll just give up?
David said nothing in response. Instead, he started walking towards the nearest weapon rack, the swords.
Rapid steps made him turn just in time to see a fist thud into his stomach.
He fell hard to the stone floor, wind sucked out of him, gasping for air.
Acktredd stood over him, his black eyebrows furrowed in disgust.
He brought up his leather boot, and stomped David's chest.
It felt like something shattered. David's breathing became a mute whine. The pain, however, was screaming a hundred decibels louder in his lungs.
"I'm gonna go back to reading my book. Get the fuck out of here when you can stand."
He walked away, leaving David still grasping his chest.
Can'tbreathe. Needtobreathe. Needtofuckingbreathe! NOW!
Finally, a few oxygen molecules navigated their way to his lungs. Eventually, his breathing came back, and he was left with just the excruciating pain in his chest. He tried to get up. The pain seized him immediately, like a soldier rushing out of the Trojan horse in Troy. He fell back down.
A few minutes passed. He got up slowly, slower than a ninety-year-old man would get out of bed.
With a hand still holding his chest, he did a quick and awkward side-step run towards the sword rack so that he could see Acktredd while he moved.
He made it there unassailed. Still, the man was clearly a lunatic, so he didn't take his time choosing a sword, and grabbed the closest one off the rack. The hilt was burnished leather, with a copper wire wrapped around it. It was long enough for him to hold it with two hands, but not so heavy he couldn't hold it with one. That was good because he was sure the pain in his chest would explode if he didn't keep one hand there. Whether or not he could parry a sword blow while holding the sword with one hand was another question. Luckily, Acktredd did not have a weapon.
He walked towards him cautiously, holding his sword in a defensive position, or what he assumed was one.
"Ah, so bones can hold a sword. How impressive."
Acktredd set his book back down and hopped to his feet.
"Well, come on then. Attack me."
David could already see where this was going. He had no idea how to use a sword, and Acktredd did, meaning he was still probably going to get the shit kicked out of him.
What can I do to get an advantage here?
Nothing came to mind.
"You think too much."
Acktredd moved towards him suddenly and with such speed that David only had time to attempt one sloppy downward sword swing towards his shoulder. With ease, Acktredd ducked under the swing, stepping diagonally towards him, and then wrapped his arm around his abdomen and drove him into the ground.
His lungs started to scream again, this time in tandem with the pain in his back.
"Is that it? I wish I could say you had potential, but…"
David tried to reach his sword that lay a few inches away.
"AGHHHHHH."
He heard the crack of his fingers as Acktredd's boot broke them.
"Leave. While you still can."
The pain was too much. Static enveloped his vision.
He bit down on his tongue and tasted warm blood as it sank into his teeth. The static left, for now.
This is nothing. This pain is nothing. I have to do this. They'll kill me if I don't. That panther with the head of teeth will rip me apart. Can't get close to him. I need something…
He got up as quickly as he could and ran towards the weapon racks. He grabbed one of the javelins and placed his non-broken hand on the middle grip.
Acktredd was still lying down, reading his book, like he didn't have a care in the world.
David set the javelin above his shoulder, level with his head. He took three steps forward, then brought it backward and launched it.
The javelin spiraled through the air and punctured Acktredd's book, ripping it out of his hand before it struck the wall behind him.
Shit. I was aiming for his head.
Acktredd looked back at the javelin in surprise, his book still impaled on it like a literary kabob.
"Hmm. Looks like—"
The next javelin whooshed through the air and thudded into his thigh.
"YOU FUCKING…"
Acktredd's mouth was contorting into dark shapes of rage as he stood up. With the brunt palm of his hand, he smashed the javelin and split it into two long pieces, one of which was still stuck in his thigh.
David launched another. In a split second maneuver, Acktredd picked up the piece on the ground that was now about the length of a short staff, and batted the incoming javelin away.
David picked up a third javelin and launched it. Acktredd had already closed almost half the distance to them as he knocked the flying javelin aside like it was a plastic toy.
By the time David had another one ready to launch, it was too late.
Acktredd's makeshift staff snapped at his fingers like a furious snake, knocking the javelin out of his hand.
With no time for a reaction, the snake next struck the flesh near his knee, bringing him to the ground.
His right hand wobbled on the stone floor, trying to keep himself upright.
Acktredd grabbed him by the hair and lifted his head up until they were looking at each other face to face.
Pain was howling at him from too many points in his body. The gray static was coming back again…
"LOOK AT ME!"
He blinked his eyes. Everything but the center of his vision was grayed out. All he could see was jagged yellow teeth displayed in a grin.
"You did well, bones. I'm gonna make something out of you. Something that will fuck up any asshole like me that tells you that you don't belong. You'll be put in the spear and javelin classes…eventually, when I think you're ready. Until then, you'll be training with me. Days probably won't be as hard as this, but no guarantees there. Alright, let's get to a white robe. You can pass out now."
Acktredd tossed David over his shoulder and limped to the exit. He couldn't fathom why Cyst would ask that he go so hard on the kid. Especially a kid like this who didn't stand a chance. It felt shitty to do what he did, but…orders are orders. He sighed, lamenting for the 405th time today the fact that he was put in charge of weapons testing. There was nothing to do all day until a new recruit came in. And when one did, they'd go through a couple basic tests that were more boring than listening to a platform operator. And occasionally, he'd have to do what he did today. Yet, things were looking up, he wasn't going to be bored for much longer.
Ursul jumped in her seat as she saw Acktredd leave the training room with the new recruit on his shoulder and half a javelin stuck in his thigh. To make matters worse, he was grinning, showing off those sharpened teeth that made everyone uncomfortable. For the 63rd time today, she lamented deciding to work in the lobby next to him.