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[Location: Leoncrest Castle - Tower 8]
[Date: August 20, y. 485 of the Fourth Age]
When morning came, Zeke had already been awake for an hour, practicing his breathing exercises on the small balcony outside his dormitory room.
He took a deep breath and tried to carefully directed the flow of his aura through his meridians, just as he'd been attempting to do every morning since his arrival three weeks ago.
Unlike his first few disastrous tries, Zeke was now able to keep the circulation steady for almost ten minutes.
Progress, albeit slower than he would have liked. With a final deep breath, he finished the exercise and headed to his first classes of the day.
"There we go." The kindly voice of Professor Gilda de'Arnette floated through the air as Zeke did his level best to focus his aura into his left pinky finger. "You've almost got it. Now, carefully move it to your ring finger."
Zeke let out a long breath and slowly shifted his aura. The ring finger began to glow slightly, and he winced.
"No, no, dont be discouraged! You're making very good progress," Professor Gilda soothed him. "Just keep working at it, and you'll be alright."
Zeke let out another long breath and slowly moved the aura to the next finger. It glowed a bit more, and he winced again.
"Dont worry about the glow. Yes, ideally it wouldn't do that, but we'll work on that later." Professor Gilda reached out and put her hand on Zeke's arm. Her skin was wrinkled, and her eyes were kind. "Please, just focus on what you're doing, and dont worry about what you can't."
Zeke felt some of the tension drain from him, and he nodded. He was able to move his aura through the rest of his fingers, and then sent it through his body to his other hand. The actions suddenly felt a great deal more natural, and a smile flickered across his face.
"And there we go!" Professor Gilda smiled. "Now, let it flow back to its resting state. Relax into your chair. You've done it."
Zeke did just that, and he sank back into his chair with a great sigh of relief. His body suddenly felt more relaxed, as if he'd just had a full-body massage, and he smiled.
Whack!
"And that's what I'm talking about!" Ralph punched him in the shoulder. "House Arnette for the win!"
"Now, now," Gilda scolded him. "You're going to ruin all our progress. Let him sit there for a minute. I'd like to see you do half that well on your first week of trying it."
Ralph shrugged and plopped into a chair opposite of him. "I don't have to. Besides, forging weapons doesn't require nearly the aura that killing stuff does."
Gilda whacked Ralph upside the head and began to give him a lecture on the importance of aura in forging the perfect weapon, and Zeke smiled and closed his eyes. After the incident in the Aura Infusion class, he had begun to seek out a teacher to help him with the things that he really ought to have learned ahead of time. As it turned out, Ralph's great-aunt was a professor there and was more than willing to help.
The incident in question had become somewhat legendary already. During his first Aura Infusion class, Zeke had attempted to follow the instructor's directions to channel aura into a simple practice sword. The result had been a spectacular backfire that shattered every window in the classroom and turned the practice sword into twisted metal. Rather than accepting defeat, Zeke had immediately approached the instructor after class, asked for additional resources, and sought out supplementary training.
"I like your attitude, Godfrey," Ralph had told him afterward. "Most noble's sons would have blamed the instructor or claimed the sword was defective."
Zeke had simply grinned and replied, "Can't fix a problem if you don't admit it exists."
"Well, you've certainly made good progress," Professor Gilda turned back to Zeke once she'd finished berating her great-nephew. "I'd estimate that you're covering about a week's worth of ground every time you come in here. Keep it up, and you'll be caught up with the rest of your class in just a few months."
"I hope that's enough time," Zeke grimaced and sat up a bit straighter. "That Aura Infusion class is hard, and while he hasn't given me any demerits yet, it's also only been a week."
"Hmm." Professor Gilda seemed to chew that over for a moment. "And you're certain that you can't get out of the class?"
"Strictly speaking, I haven't gone down to the student center to see about getting it changed," Zeke shrugged. "I've been a little nervous to poke any bears, you know?"
"Yes, I understand." Gilda turned slightly and picked up a small dagger sitting on her desk. It was made of gleaming steel, and she lifted it for him to see. "Well, as I'm sure Ralph could tell you, because I'm sure that he paid attention in my Introduction to Forging class that I taught him last spring, this little dagger is one of the most deadly weapons that House Arnette can forge. Lighter than paper, stronger than steel. It can be thrown with accuracy at targets hundreds of feet away if you've been properly trained, concealed within the folds of your garments, and is invisible on most magical scans. Yet you'd never know it just by looking at it."
Zeke frowned. "Let me guess. Very difficult to forge?"
"The fire must be heated to the point that no normal tool can be set within ten feet of the forge, or it will begin to melt," Professor Gilda nodded with a smile. "The greater the heat, the greater the danger, but the far greater the reward."
"Like Aura Infusion," Zeke said, connecting the dots. "If I can master it despite starting behind everyone else..."
"Precisely," Professor Gilda nodded, pleased with his insight. "Those who overcome the greatest challenges often develop techniques others never discover."
Zeke sighed and nodded, then slowly climbed to his feet. "Well, thank you very much. I'll be back here..."
He left the sentence hanging, and Professor Gilda shrugged.
"My afternoons are free, and I enjoy company. Please, keep coming back here every afternoon, if you wish!"
"Then I'll see you tomorrow."
Zeke and Ralph both stood up, and Zeke glanced around the classroom. House Arnette was a proud house, and rightly so. The classroom was decorated with countless weapons, forged by the hands of House Arnette masters in years past. They had all subsequently been wielded in great battles, and then retired only after dozens or even hundreds, in some cases, years of service.
"That one's my favorite," Zeke said, pointing to an elegant rapier mounted above the doorway. Its hilt was simple but perfectly balanced, the blade thin yet clearly deadly.
"Good eye," Ralph nodded approvingly. "That's the Whisper of Arnette. My great-great-grandfather forged it for a duel against House Caldwell. Story goes that it moved so fast, the opponent never even saw it coming."
The two boys slowly walked through the classroom and out into the hall, and Zeke glanced over at Ralph.
"Thanks again for pointing out your aunt to me. I really wouldn't have a chance without her right now."
"Oh, think nothing of it." Ralph waved his hand dismissively. As they started down the stairs, though, a small smile flickered across his face. "Actually, you might want to think something of it. I've heard the stories of your first Aura Infusion Class, and dude, it sounds awful! I can't believe you made it out of there alive, honestly. But yeah, you asked me if I knew anyone, and I just figured it'd be better to keep it all in the family, and besides, it can't hurt to have the next Godfrey champion owe us a favor or two. After all, if you crash and burn, we're seen as helping a poor little lost pup, and if you succeed, well..."
"Then you can tell everyone you were smart enough to back me from the beginning," Zeke finished for him with a good-natured laugh. "I'd call that a win-win strategy."
Ralph continued to talk, but Zeke quit listening. Ahead of him, he caught sight of a black-robed messenger slowly ascending the stairs. There were younger individuals, usually between ten and fifteen, who were sent by any number of the larger houses to help out at the Academy in a variety of roles. Most of the time, they just carried messages back and forth between different professors. Now, the messenger locked eyes with Zeke, and he felt a flash of fear.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
"Zeke de'Godfrey?"
"That's me," Zeke paused and nodded. "What's up?"
"I'm to inform you that you're being summoned to the office of Headmistress Florence Dracthen," the messenger nodded, with a small smile. "I'd get there quickly, if I were you."
「?????????????????? ??????????????」
[Headmistress Florence Dracthen]
[Location: Tower 12, Top Floor]
[Urgency: Immediate】]
"Well," Ralph said, his eyes wide, "that can't be good. The Headmistress doesn't summon people unless something major is happening. You're not getting expelled already, are you?"
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Zeke replied with a wry smile. "Guess I'd better find out."
The messenger boy hurried away, clearly carrying more messages elsewhere in the academy. Zeke turned to Ralph with a shrug.
"I'll catch up with you later. Whatever this is about, better not keep her waiting."
Ralph nodded solemnly. "Good luck. If you don't come back, can I have your sword? House Arnette likes to study different forging techniques."
"You can study it after I'm done using it," Zeke said with a laugh, then headed off toward Tower 12.
The journey to Tower 12 took Zeke across the main courtyard, where afternoon training sessions were in full swing. Students practiced sword forms in unison, their movements precise and fluid. Under different circumstances, Zeke would have stopped to watch—he'd found that observing the more experienced students was nearly as valuable as his own practice sessions. Today, however, the Headmistress was waiting.
As he crossed through the Great Hall, he passed a group of first-year students struggling with a map, looking thoroughly lost.
"The armory's that way," Zeke said helpfully, pointing down the eastern corridor. "Third door on the left, can't miss it."
"Thanks!" one of them called as Zeke continued on his way.
Zeke lost no time scampering through the halls. The office of the Headmaster (or Headmistress, as the case happened to be at that time) was located in Tower 12, near the very rear of the castle. The tower was the grandest and largest of them all, and the office was at the very top. Zeke was panting slightly by the time that he arrived. The door was massive and made of oak, and he knocked twice.
Broooooooooom.
The doors swung inward, and he slowly stepped inside. The interior of the office was enormous, with wide open spaces, enormous windows, and a great many display cases and shelves. As his eyes wandered over it all, he caught sight of the Crimson and Gold standard of House Dracthen, depicting a dragon twisting upon itself in a living knot.
The shelves, which Zeke imagined would have normally contained trophies and such things from great battles, held an assortment of rather odd items. There were jars containing hearts and livers and even one that held a severed head, there were quite a few skulls, and there were a handful of weapons that looked to Zeke as if they had been designed for torture. Hooks, rasps, that sort of thing.
"So you finally arrived."
Zeke's eyes were drawn to the desk in the room, where a woman sat, hands tightly folded. She wore black and gold robes to match the house colors of the room, and she gestured at a chair across from her. Zeke quickly scampered over and sat down, and she sat up straighter.
There was absolutely nothing kindly or loving in her gaze. She didn't seem to be extraordinarily tall, but she had her hair drawn back sharply behind her head and braided into knots that seemed to be pinned with dragon spines. Her eyes were piercing and cold, her lips thin and almost invisible. Her fingers looked like the legs of a spider, and she slowly leaned forward.
"I came as soon as I got the message," Zeke shifted slightly uncomfortably in his chair.
"You should have come to me the moment that you arrived," Headmistress Florence answered, her voice cutting just as much as any knife. "You are here to complete the 34 Trials, are you not?"
"Yes," Zeke hesitated.
"And the 34 Trials are not part of your everyday curriculum. That would mean that you would need exemptions to miss class, not to mention special treatment as we try to set up the trials."
"I'm sorry," Zeke bit his lip. "My father and brother never mentioned anything about it. I just figured that I would be told when it was time."
"Well, it is time," Headmistress Florence shrugged. "You will begin the first Trial in three days' time. I trust that three days will be enough for you to prepare, since it is only the first of the trials."
Zeke felt his stomach clench. "What is the first trial?"
"You don't even know what the 34 trials are?" Headmistress Florence's eyes opened slightly.
"Look," Zeke snapped and crossed his arms. "Put yourself in my shoes. I was standing there, in front of the Senate, as they tore apart my house. If I had done nothing, we'd be living as commoners right now. I did what I had to do."
The Headmistress gave a small nod. Zeke somehow felt that he had earned at least a bit of her respect, though he wasn't exactly sure why.
"The first of the Trials is a three-day march," she answered. "There will be no path, you will have to make your own way through the woods. You will be given a map, as well as the location of three flags that have already been placed on Academy grounds. Retrieve all three markers and return to the castle within the allotted time, and you will pass."
Zeke frowned slightly. "That doesn't sound hard."
"As I said, it is a three-day march," she folded her hands. "The landscape is extremely grueling, even for those who are familiar with it. I suggest you use your time to prepare. For what it's worth, your brother failed this part of the test, and had to redo it."
Zeke winced. "Well, it is the first one. I guess if I do the same, I'll just have to-"
"There will be no second chances."
Her voice was colder than ever, and Zeke looked up at her in surprise. "Come again?"
"I have been informed, by the Senate, that you are to be given no leeway," Headmistress Florence folded her hands. "If you fail a single trial, be it the 1st or the 34th, or any one of them in between, that you are to be considered a failure and expelled. Your brother, who was considered one of the greatest Godfrey knights in a thousand years, failed and redid seven of them. Make sure that you don't make the same mistake."
Zeke let out a long breath, then nodded. "Alright, then. I'll do that."
Instead of deflating at this news, Zeke felt a spark of determination ignite within him. So they wanted to stack the deck against him? Fine. He'd simply have to be better prepared than anyone expected.
He slowly rose and started to walk away. As he did so, he cast another glance at the severed head in the jar. The Headmistress, catching his gaze, spoke up.
"An heirloom passed down through our family for three centuries. He was a member of House Lorcast, which no longer exists. He attempted to poison my great-ancestor, the head of the Dracthen family. He was captured, and justice enacted. His clan was then summarily punished, and no one came forth to claim his remains."
"I see," Zeke glanced back at her. "I won't try to do the same, then."
"The issue isn't whether or not you do it," Headmistress Florence folded her hands. "The issue is whether or not you succeed. He failed. Don't fail."
Zeke gulped slightly and nodded. With that, he slipped down and out of the office, head spinning. He would need to figure out how to complete this three-day march. Well, three-day scavenger hunt. Thankfully, he had a pretty good idea of who to turn to.
As he descended the spiral stairs of Tower 12, Zeke's mind raced. No second chances. The Senate clearly wanted him to fail, to end House Godfrey once and for all. His brother, the legendary Artax, had failed some of the trials and still went on to become one of the greatest knights in the realm. But Zeke wouldn't have that luxury.
He thought about the severed head in the jar. House Lorcast - completely gone, wiped from history. Was that the fate that awaited House Godfrey if he failed? The very thought made his heart pound harder.
When he reached the base of the tower, he found Ralph waiting for him, lounging against a stone column.
"Still alive, I see," Ralph called out with a grin. "So what did the dragon lady want?"
"My first trial starts in three days," Zeke replied, stopping beside his friend. "A three-day march through the woods to collect three flags. And according to the Headmistress, I don't get any do-overs. One failure and I'm out."
"That's rough," Ralph whistled. "Your brother got to retry when he failed trials, right?"
"Seven times, apparently," Zeke nodded. "But the Senate's making sure I don't get the same treatment."
Ralph clapped him on the shoulder. "Well, what are we standing around for? We've got work to do! If you've only got three days to prepare for a three-day forest trek, we'd better start now."
"We?" Zeke raised an eyebrow.
"Of course! House Arnette stands with its allies," Ralph declared dramatically, then lowered his voice. "Plus, I'm really curious to see how these legendary 34 Trials work. No one's attempted them in years."
"Fair enough," Zeke laughed. "But I think we need more than just the two of us."
"Who did you have in mind?" Ralph asked as they began walking toward the central courtyard.
"Elise," Zeke replied. "She's from the western provinces - probably knows a thing or two about wilderness survival. And maybe that librarian, Adrian Levayne. He seems to know everything about this place."
"Good thinking!" Ralph nodded enthusiastically. "I'll track down Elise. You go find the old book warden."
"Meet back at our room in an hour?" Zeke suggested.
Ralph gave him a thumbs up and darted off down a side corridor, his black and sapphire robes flapping behind him. Zeke smiled, grateful for his roommate's enthusiasm. He might have landed in a nest of vipers when he came to Leoncrest, but at least he'd found a few friends too.
Zeke headed toward the library, his mind already making lists of what he'd need. Supplies, a good map, sturdy boots, maybe some aura practice for emergencies... The task ahead seemed daunting, but for the first time since arriving at Leoncrest, he felt a spark of excitement. This was it - his first real step toward proving himself worthy of House Godfrey.
Whatever the Senate had planned, whatever obstacles lay ahead, he was ready to face them. No second chances meant no holding back. He'd give this first trial everything he had, and then some.
「?????? ??????????]
[Crash Course: Prepare for the 3-day march]
[Time Remaining: 3 days]
[Difficulty: High]
[Scene Close]
[Earned Emblems:]
Heart of the Warrior
[Active Quests:]
[Crash Course: Prepare for the 3-day march]
