Waking up that morning Arziel stretched as per his routine. He did some slight exercises, pushups and the like, and finally headed over to his window to pull open the curtains. The outside air was cool and refreshing and the sun glistened on the horizon. Looking down at the town he spied Sid placing a sign outside hi shop and was transported back to the day Jerome and Rupert had left. Say and Lowa had arrived at the bakery that morning as well and shortly after they had entered the nonchalant and rather cheerful atmosphere turned.
As the Sylvan sisters had entered the bakery a small cough escaped behind Sid. His daughter Alicia had snuck from bed and come down the stairs. She was pale and wheezing with gasping breaths as she entered the bakery. âDaddy?â she barely squeaked out as she leaned against the wall for support. Sid went to her but before he could get any answers form her she collapsed. Her body was feverish, her face pale, and as they all gathered around her the tiny child let out a rasping and broken cough. The sound of it still echoed in Azrielâs ears.
Aliciaâs cough brought Azriel back to his own childhood, in the western farmlands of Zepher. In that place there was a rare illness that afflicted the young called Rattling Cough. It was a truly dreadful plague that almost always resulted in death for those stricken by it. Unfortunately the only known cure for the illness was a rare herb found only in the north, far away from the west of Zepher where the illness existed.
It was his younger sister, Elizabeth, who was afflicted by this illness in his youth. He still remembered her fragile body shaking against the chills and how she was so hot to the touch he almost recoiled, but worst was that cough, the rasping and wheezing cough that would forever haunt his memory. The doctors said that even with their best medicines she would only last a few days at the most. He remembered the despair in his motherâs eyes when she heard this. But there was something else in his memory as well; a fire, a fire that was lit in his Fatherâs eyes. Heâd rushed form their home immediately, taking a horse to the nearest city. It was another three days before his father returned, this time astride a flying beast. Heâd rushed to the neatest city and found an old friend, a Sentinel heâd known inthe Skyguard, then they had flown nonstop to the north to find the herb. Theyâd arrived just in time to save his younger sister and to this day Azriel remembered both the sound of that terrible cough, and the name of that magical plant that saved his sister.
âKath-thornâŠâ Azriel had whispered to the others as Rupert rushed to get a doctor. Knowing that the sisters were well learned in herb lore Azriel asked the Sylvan sisters if they knew of where they could find this herb. He only knew of the far north of Zepher, near the border with Kalium, and it would take far too long to mobalize a team to gather such and herb at this point. He almost despaired as his mother had, but as Say looked to him he found a familiar fire in anotherâs eyes. The Garden within the Keep was home to a rich stock of nearly every herb in the world, from the most common of weeds to the rarest of flowers.
When he heard this Azriel moved swiftly asking Lowa for a lift to the Keepâs garden while requesting Say to what she could for the young child with the herbs that Sid had in the shop. No doubt Say wasnât exactly happy with the arrangement of duties he had suggested but it was the best way, as they needed Lowaâs speed to reach the garden swiftly. Alicia had far less time than Elizabeth had had. The Sylvan dragon burst from the shop and shot into the air with Azriel astride, rushing to the garden. It was Lowa who had found the Herb and when they returned the doctor and Rupert had arrived. It did not take long once the cure was admitted for the childâs fever to lower and her breathing to ease. Sidâs gratitude could not be understated, and he was not along in that. It was their first major triumph as a team and the fact that the Sylvan sisters were still not yet deployed gave Azriel slight hope they might work with him and Seph on the Trial.
As he had said that morning, âIâd gladly fight with either of you any day, if you need anything just ask.â
Nine days passed since that morning with no word from the Knight Masters, which had Azriel and She on edge. There were now only two Prefect Teams Left, Eshe and Kirill and of course Sephera and himself. It was strange to think that the remaining teams would be split in two, a fact only he and the other Prefects were aware of, and sent off sooner than many probably thought. There were Nine teams left of the senior class, and soon another four or five would no doubt be gone. It was a sobering fact, and perhaps that was what had driven Azriel to take more to socializing than he already did. He wondered the Keep at all hours, speaking with everyone he met, aiding the younger teams of which there were around sixty or so in training and giving pointers to a group of rather rambunctious young third year Vanguards a few sword lessons to pass the time.
Damn it all, Iâm getting restless waiting.Of course maybe this new found flightiness was actually due more to Sepheraâs demeanor as of late than his own personal concerns. Sephera was almost always found in the grand hall now, where they ate their meals every morning noon and night instead of circling around the city for fun, and she always sat with her face to one wall, the Living Wall. The wall is called Living because it changed daily as it had a shield placed upon it for every team deployed at that time, including those on Trials, and should communication be lost with a team a red cloth would be draped over their shield with the red being change to black if they were confirmed lost. Of the twelve shields embroidered with silver indicating they were of young teams on their trials four had her constant attention now. She had her books and was often surrounded by younger students and to most seemed as normal as could be, still lively and friendly, always ready to aid another, but to those who had known her for years they knew that something was off, and Azriel knew better than anyone.
As they sat there that morning eating breakfast her eyes were often glide up to the shield wall, staying focused on the display for several seconds longer than she normally would before returning to her meal. He knew exactly why and as she once again glanced up at the wall Azriel gave in and turned around himself, knowing full well what she was looking at. Four shields at the bottom right were covered in red cloth. He could not see the inscribed names upon them but he knew whose they were, he had watched them when they were hung first. Jerome and Rupertâs team had yet to check in.
He let out a held breath and turned to Seph again, determined to pull his partner form this funk, âSephâŠSeph?â he paused before trying again, âSepheraâŠ.hello, yoohoo!...â he snapped his fingers once trying to draw her gaze to no avail, âSeph!...SEPHERA!â he asserted far more harshly, causing her to jump and shake her head suddenly aware how she had spaced, âYou okay?â
Sephâs mind was a blank slate right now. All she could do was remember days past, when Jerome had held her, when theyâd gone flying, even their fights and arguments were fondly recalled now. She was rubbing her own hands together she stroking the back of one with anotherâs thumb, like he had always done. Sheâd taken to sleeping with one of his tunics too, ever since heâd left for his trial. Looking up from the table where sheâd hardly touched her food she gazed intently at the second Shield from the bottom right, the red cloth seeming more like a cloaking of blood than a simple woven tapestry. In the back of her mind she heard a whisper against the increasing din of the buzzing in her heard, â-ephâŠSe-â
She didnât reply though, all her thought was focused on that sea of cold red that was so little and yet meant so much. Questioned fluttered in her brain; What could have stopped them reporting? What was the true purpose of their Trial? What could be so dangerous about retrieving a few heirlooms? âSe-eraâŠ-yooho-â that voice echoed in her mind again. No doubt it was the memory of Jeromeâs voice, calling to her in her distant state. But as she desired less to think of the red and more to remember his voice she found the drone in her head receding and finally heard the voice in Earnest, âSeph?...â yes, that strong willed voice must be-â SEPHERA!â
Okay⊠that last one didnât sound anything like JeromeâŠStartled Seph jumped a bit in her seat as she left her space subconscious state she had unknowingly entered and looked about her surroundings.
Right! The Grand Hall⊠of course⊠how could I forget I was in the Grand Hall? she asked herself internally as she gathered herself, sweeping her fallen bangs behind her ears. She vaguely heard a question come from across the table. But as with her name being called she didnât really hear it.
who called my name again?âSeph!â Azriel asserted one final time, finally drawing her eyes.
âHuh?â she questioned almost startled to see him there, âoh, right, sorryâŠuh⊠what were you saying?â
Azriel steadied his breathing as he looked at his partner, âI was asking if you were alrightâŠ. But since I know youâre not Iâll forgo your dismissive response.â He commented as he eaned further in towards her, âItâs alright Seph. Our contact network in Kalium is just really sparse, it only makes since that it would take them longer than expected to check in; look, which team scored higher in all events than anyone else our year?â
Seph let out a held breath,
of course he knew, hell everyone probably does and is just too polite to mention it, and gave him a smile as she seemingly considered his words, âYeah⊠youâre right⊠they probably just got held up.â
Azriel ground his teeth quietly for a moment as his jaw set, [iSheâs being bloody dismissive again![/i] but rather than push her yet he reached his hand across the tabel to take on of hers. His hands were rough, calloused and marked form all his training, while hers were supple and soft. It was the way of the Skyguard, if not by their dress you could tell a personâs job by their hands. Sheâd always liked how soft Jeromeâs hands were, how their comforted her when he cupped her face. And yet Azrielâs hands provided just as much comfort to her now. Perhaps it was just their training and her ingrained trust in her Vanguard.
No, itâs not ingrained trust in the system, itâs trust in him she thought.
Yet at that moment, just when she was about to break and come clean about her despairing worry both of their eyes were drawn to Azrielâs wrist. And to the shimmering seal that was located there. Looking up at each other all their prior conversation halted as both went into pure Guard mode, they stood as one with Azriel grabbing his bastard sword and claymore heâd had by his side for sword practice later and Sephera shoving her books into her pack. Standing up several of the younger teams watched them with admiration but they werenât what the duo was looking for. Both Azriel and Sephera were scanning the Grand hall, trying to see which other teams had received the summons; there was the team of Seriss and Kael, then Talyera and Altan as well.
Azriel though,
just how many will be joining us? as he glanced about to see who else had been summoned. Luke and Rommel, Lillian and Tiberius, and then there were others too. All told it looked as if every senior in the room had gotten a summons right them. Instinctually both Sephera and Azriel headed from the Grand Hall with purpose, though as they pass the Living Wall Azriel noted a stuttering step that Seph took near the right edge of the shields. Heâd leave it for now though. Looking to those nearby who were moving to the courtyard he thought back to the Hall. He had seen Eshe and Kirill at some point that morning but now that he thought about it they had left the Hall earlier, probably for a flight or something.
Too bad, Iâd have liked to talk to Eshe before leaving. Maybe Iâll see her around before we take off thoughâŠLeaving the Grand Hall with those that were also there in mass the duo headed to the courtyard at the central gate, the boundary between the Academy and the Skyguard Keep. It was very rare for anyone not in their senior year to enter these gates and the Keep beyond. Seph still recalled her first time through the gates when she was in her fifth year. Once at the courtyard they saw that this was already an odd calling before ever they entered the Court. Standing with them before the massive gates was a most unexpected sight, Eshe and Kirill, the only remaining Prefects; meaning that the remaining members of their year must also have been called. Azrielâs first thought was,
why would they send all of us at once on one mission? but as Seph had already reasoned in her own mind and now was whispering to her partner, âThey must be dividing us into two squads at once.â Azriel nodded.
âI guess they want all of us⊠should we wait for the others?â he asked those currently assembled.
