Chapter 11

  Eldric, Fiora, Rendrick, and Nyssa sat silently on the sun-warmed cobblestone steps of the castle. The imposing structure loomed behind them, its massive shadow offering some relief from the relentless midday sun. They waited for Cerys’s return, each lost in their own thoughts.

  Eldric stared out into the bustling city below, the clamor of market stalls and the distant murmur of townsfolk barely registering in his mind. His thoughts drifted to the last few months, months filled with pain, loss, and unimaginable change.

  The silence stretched on until Nyssa finally broke it, her soft voice cutting through the stillness. “You two don’t seem like you’re from around here,” she said, looking directly at Eldric. “What’s your story?”

  Eldric opened his mouth to respond, but Fiora was quicker. “We’re from a village called Valifield,” she said, her tone clipped. “It is, or rather, it was, about a day’s walk from here.”

  Nyssa tilted her head, her brow furrowing as she glanced at Fiora and then back at Eldric. “Was?” she questioned, her voice full of curiosity.

  Eldric let out a long sigh, the weight of their shared history pressing on his chest. He began to recount everything, their training in Aetherguard under his father’s guidance, the sudden and brutal attack on Valifield, and the merciless slaughter of their parents. He spoke of the two cloaked women who had orchestrated the destruction, and of June, who had risked everything to bring them to Aldcliff and provide them with a safe haven. Finally, he told them about Jutta, her bright spirit, her tragic death, and the grim task of burying her and June that very morning.

  “And just as we were saying our goodbyes, a guard came to fetch us and brought us here,” Eldric concluded, his voice heavy with emotion. “That’s when we learned we’d be joining Alicia’s personal guard.”

  “Well, it’s not like we had much of a choice,” Fiora added, her tone tinged with bitterness.

  Eldric shrugged, a resigned expression on his face. “Just as well,” he said. “I decided last night that I was going to join the military anyway. I’m tired of standing by while the people I care about die.”

  Nyssa placed a comforting hand on Eldric’s shoulder, her brown eyes soft with sympathy. “That’s such a sad story,” she said gently. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Fiora shooting her a sharp look, but Nyssa chose to ignore it.

  Eldric turned the conversation around, his gaze shifting between Nyssa and Rendrick. “What about you two?” he asked. “What brings you to Alicia’s personal guard?”

  Nyssa took a deep breath, her expression growing thoughtful. “Well, Rendrick and I have both lived in the castle for a while, him longer than me. But before that, I—”

  She paused, her words trailing off as Cerys’s voice rang out in the distance. The four of them turned in unison, their attention drawn to their approaching commander.

  Whoosh! The heavy oak door behind them flung open with a thunderous crash, slamming into the castle wall. The sound reverberated through the courtyard, cutting Nyssa off mid-sentence. All four of them turned sharply to see Cerys standing in the doorway, her piercing gaze fixed on them with barely disguised disdain.

  “Well! Don’t just sit there like a bunch of sloths!” she barked, her voice sharp enough to make Eldric flinch. “Let’s move!”

  Scrambling to their feet, Eldric, Fiora, Nyssa, and Rendrick hurried after her. Cerys descended the stone steps with purpose, her boots clanking against the worn stone path. At the bottom of the steps, she veered right, leading them along a cobbled walkway that hugged the castle’s outer walls.

  Without a word, she left the path and cut through a neatly maintained rose garden. The fragrant scent of blooming roses was at odds with Cerys’s harsh demeanor. Eldric glanced at the delicate flowers, their vibrant reds and pinks a fleeting moment of beauty before they arrived at a cast-iron gate. Beyond the gate lay a dark, foreboding passageway that seemed to burrow straight into the castle’s west wing.

  Cerys pushed the gate open with a grunt, its rusty hinges groaning in protest. “Keep up!” she snapped, gesturing for them to follow.

  The corridor was pitch black, the cool, damp air heavy with the scent of moss and stone. Eldric stumbled forward blindly, relying on the rhythmic clanking of Cerys’s armor to guide him. The darkness seemed to stretch endlessly, but after several tense minutes, a faint light appeared in the distance. It grew steadily larger as they approached, eventually revealing another gate. Cerys shoved it open with little effort, and the four of them stepped through.

  Blinding daylight poured over them, forcing Eldric to shield his eyes as he adjusted to the brightness. Slowly, the courtyard came into view.

  Massive stone walls loomed overhead, enclosing the space on all four sides. The sheer height of the walls, devoid of windows or doors, made Eldric feel as though he were standing at the bottom of a great stone pit. The only exit appeared to be the gate they had just passed through.

  His eyes drifted downward to the courtyard itself. At its center was a large circular dirt path, forming a perimeter around a small patch of neatly trimmed grass. From the circle, four smaller dirt paths branched out, each leading to a distinct feature in the corners of the courtyard.

  Eldric’s gaze followed the first path, which ended at a modest wooden shack with a thatched straw roof. Next to the shack stood a small shed, a fire pit, and a weathered stone well. The setup reminded him of the training hut his father had taken them to in Valifield.

  Continuing clockwise, his eyes landed on an archery range tucked into the next corner. At first glance, the area didn’t even resemble a range; tall trees, dense bushes, and uneven terrain made the space seem more like a forest thicket. Only the battered targets propped up against hay bales gave away its purpose.

  Continuing clockwise, Eldric’s eyes wander to the third path, which leads to a dirt field populated with worn-down scarecrows mounted on wooden posts. They stand like silent sentinels, clearly intended for hand-to-hand combat practice. The scarecrows’ burlap skins are frayed, some torn wide open to reveal stuffing spilling out, evidence of countless training sessions.

  Finally, at the end of the fourth path, Eldric notices a neglected garden. Overgrown with weeds and wildflowers, it seems to have been forgotten for years. Its once-orderly beds are now a chaotic tangle of greenery, with vines climbing the stone walls and collapsing wooden trellises. Eldric imagines what it might have looked like in its prime, but now it seems to serve only as a reminder of long-lost care.

  A hand suddenly clamps down on his shoulder. Startled, he turns to see Nyssa standing behind him, a playful smirk on her face.

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  “It’s nice, isn’t it?” she says, her voice light.

  Before Eldric can respond, Fiora cuts in. “Yes, it’s nice,” she sneers, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

  Nyssa’s playful demeanor shifts in an instant. “I wasn’t asking you,” she snaps.

  “Oops,” Fiora says mockingly, her voice stretched out in exaggerated insincerity.

  Before the tension can escalate further, Cerys storms over and smacks Fiora on the back of her head with enough force to make her stumble. “You two will get along,” Cerys snaps, her tone brooking no argument. “Do I make myself clear?”

  Fiora shot a sharp glare at Cerys, her anger evident despite her effort to maintain composure. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, “Whatever.”

  Cerys freezes mid-step, her eyes narrowing as disbelief flashes across her face. “What did you just say?” she growls.

  Before Fiora can react, Cerys grabs her by the hair and yanks her off balance, throwing her to the ground in a single, fluid motion. Fiora lands with a thud, her face twisted in fury.

  “You will address me with respect!” Cerys bellowed, her voice ringing out and echoing off the courtyard walls. “I will not tolerate outbursts from you like a petulant teenage girl. It’s time you grew up.”

  Fiora spits on the ground at Cerys’s feet, her defiance unwavering. “You little—” she begins, her face flushed with rage.

  Cerys wastes no time. She crouches down, grabs Fiora by the collar, and hauls her up until they’re face to face. “Listen, girl,” she snarls, her voice dripping with venom. “You may think you’re something special, but trust me, I’ll cure you of that real quick.” Cerys releases her, tossing her to the ground like a rag doll.

  Fiora her eyes blaze with hatred as she pushes herself up to her knees. “Who do you think—” she begins, but Cerys silences her with a swift kick to the gut. The blow knocks her flat again, the air forced from her lungs in a wheezing gasp.

  “I am the one in charge!” Cerys thunders, towering over Fiora. “The sooner you accept that, the better!”

  Fiora coughs, struggling to her hands and knees. “I don’t take orders fro—” she chokes out, her defiance fueled by rage still burning despite the pain.

  Cerys strode forward and delivered another swift kick to Fiora’s gut, cutting off her words and silencing her once again.

  Fiora coughed violently, gasping for air, but her fiery eyes snapped back to Cerys, brimming with rage and defiance.

  “We can do this all night,” Cerys snarled, her voice low and threatening. She loomed over Fiora, her presence oppressive. “So, what’s it going to be? Are you going to fall in line, or do we continue?”

  Fiora groaned, her body trembling as she forced herself onto her hands and knees. Her fiery gaze flicked toward Eldric, who stood nearby, watching her intently. He met her eyes with a slow shake of his head, his silent plea cutting through the storm of her anger.

  Her shoulders sagged as the fight drained from her, and she let out a long, shaky breath. “Yes, ma’am,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Cerys narrows her eyes and tilts her head. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

  “I said, yes, ma’am,” Fiora says, a little louder.

  Cerys folds her arms, unsatisfied. “I still can’t hear you.”

  “YES, MA’AM!” Fiora shouts, her voice echoing off the towering walls of the courtyard.

  A slow smile spreads across Cerys’s face. “Good,” she says with an air of finality. She shifts her piercing gaze to the others. “Now, does anyone else have any smart remarks to make?”

  “No, ma’am!” Eldric, Nyssa, and Rendrick reply in unison, their voices trembling slightly.

  “Take a good look around you,” Cerys commands, sweeping her arm across the courtyard. “This will be your home for the next four years. I will oversee your training and serve as your commanding officer. You will live in that shack over there.” She points to the small wooden structure Eldric had noticed earlier. “You’ll be responsible for yourselves. A servant will deliver your daily rations, but you’ll cook and care for your own needs.”

  She pauses, letting the weight of her words settle over them. “Training begins at sunrise and ends at sunset. Seven days a week. No exceptions.”

  The four of them exchange uneasy glances as Cerys continues. “Nyssa, you will continue your archery training with Specialist Drake. Rendrick, you will work on armed combat with Commander Ellis. Eldric will be joining you in that. And you,” she says, her voice dripping with menace as her eyes lock onto Fiora, “will train directly under me.”

  Fiora swallows hard, the lump in her throat refusing to go away.

  “Is that clear?” Cerys barks.

  “Yes, ma’am!” the four of them shout in unison.

  “Good. Now get yourselves settled. You’ve got a long day ahead of you tomorrow. Dismissed!”

  The four cadets waste no time, turning toward the shack and walking off together. Cerys watches them leave, her expression as unyielding as the stone walls surrounding the courtyard.

  Alicia and Cerys stood atop the castle’s roof, the evening breeze tousling their hair as they watched the courtyard below. The four cadets were gathered around the fire pit, eating a stew they had hastily thrown together from the rations provided earlier. The firelight cast flickering shadows on their faces, their laughter rising faintly to the rooftop.

  “So, what do you think?” Alicia asked, her gaze fixed on the group below.

  Cerys folded her arms, her face thoughtful. “They should do well,” she replied, her tone measured. “But that Fiora...something about her feels off. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but she worries me.”

  Alicia raised an eyebrow, glancing at the fire pit. Fiora was sitting quietly, her expression subdued as the others shared a laugh. “She looks fine to me,” Alicia said. “Maybe you knocked some sense into her.”

  Cerys scoffed. “Doubtful.”

  “How so?”

  “She hasn’t tried to engage with the others at all,” Cerys explained. “She only interacts when Eldric is around. It’s strange, almost like she’s avoiding them.”

  “Maybe she just needs time to trust people,” Alicia suggested, brushing off the concern.

  “Maybe,” Cerys muttered, unconvinced. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Nyssa and Rendrick are solid—no surprises there. Eldric shows promise, too. With proper training, he could become a great warrior. And,” she added with a sly grin, “he’s the key to managing Fiora.”

  Alicia turned to her, intrigued. “What do you mean?”

  Cerys exhaled, crossing her arms. “Earlier, when she was throwing that tantrum, I thought it would escalate. But when she looked to Eldric, he just shook his head, and she backed down. It was immediate. Through him, she can be controlled.”

  Alicia smiled faintly, leaning back against the stone railing. “Interesting. Maybe she just values his opinion.”

  “Maybe,” Cerys replied. “Or maybe it’s something deeper. Either way, keeping them together will make her manageable.”

  Alicia chuckled. “This will be an entertaining couple of years for you, then.”

  Cerys smirked as she continued to watch the cadets below. “Indeed, it will.”

  Fiora stretched, wincing slightly as she stood. “I’m going to bed,” she announced, brushing dirt off her pants. She turned toward the shack and paused in the doorway. “Eldric, are you coming?”

  “Nah,” he replied, poking the fire with a stick. “I’ll stay up a bit longer.”

  “I’m heading in too,” Rendrick said, jumping to his feet. “Exhausted.” He strolled inside, leaving Fiora lingering in the doorway.

  Fiora glanced nervously between Eldric and Nyssa. “You know, I think you should get some sleep, Eldric,” she said, her voice almost pleading.

  “I can take care of myself, thanks,” Eldric replied, his tone clipped.

  Fiora hesitated for a moment, then, with a reluctant sigh, stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

  Eldric exhaled loudly, his frustration evident. Nyssa tilted her head, watching him curiously. “What’s bothering you?” she asked.

  “She drives me crazy sometimes,” Eldric admitted, shaking his head. “She’s so...overbearing.”

  Nyssa smiled knowingly. “She cares about you, that’s all. You can’t blame a girl for being protective.”

  Eldric frowned. “Protective? What do you mean?”

  “Oh, nothing,” Nyssa replied, her tone teasing.

  She shifted closer to him, settling beside him on the log. “You two seem really close,” she remarked, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.

  “We grew up together,” Eldric said simply, shrugging.

  Nyssa’s smile turned mischievous. “Do you like her? Love her, maybe?”

  Eldric blinked, caught off guard. “Why does it matter?” he asked, puzzled.

  “Just answer the question,” Nyssa pressed, her eyes glinting with curiosity.

  “Well, I guess you could say I—”

  The shack door swung open abruptly, and Rendrick stepped out, stretching. “I couldn’t sleep,” he said, strolling over to them. He plopped down between Eldric and Nyssa, oblivious to the tension.

  “So, what are we talking about?” he asked casually.

  Nyssa stood abruptly, her expression sour. “I’m going to bed,” she said, brushing off her pants. Without another word, she marched inside, shutting the door firmly behind her.

  Rendrick raised an eyebrow, glancing at Eldric. “Did I interrupt something?”

  Eldric shrugged, still a little bewildered. “I’m not really sure.”