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Chapter 16: The Visitor In The Night
The days played by torturously into a week. Sethlzaar found himself wondering if he would survive the test.
Maybe I'm not cut out for this life, he thought as he picked up the last of his traps and found a single rat. How the rat had gotten to the trap in the midst of all the snow was a question he did not have the brain power to ponder.
Another week went by in such a manner.
Each day he found an insignificant catch and had himself eating meat of measly quantity. It ranged from rats to lizards and other small creatures.
Sethlzaar made his way back to his shelter, discreetly surveying his surroundings with each step. It was a habit trained he was yet to lose. It was in his second day of the test that he had first felt he was being watched.
At first his mind had gone to Cenam, but such a feat in such an environment was something he couldn't imagine his brother capable of,
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"What are you doing here?""I could ask you the same thing, but I fear the answer would only sadden me." The old man smiled. "So, rather, I would ask: why are you sleeping in this blizzard without a fire?"Sethlzaar frowned. "I already told you. The wood was wet.""Oh well, it's a good thing I ran into you then. I've been told luck tends to favor me."Sethlzaar doubted luck had any hand in it.The man took out a piece of dried meat from his cloak and offered it casually. "Are you hungry?"Sethlzaar's stomach growled at the invitation. But his brain, understanding there was a reason it was called a test, and why it was done individually, shook his head.The man shook his head too. "Just like last time," he said blandly. "Still pulling crazy stunts. First, a misty forest. Now, a raging blizzard." He cocked his head to the side questioningly
Aegis of the Immortal: Blood Blessed Chapter 18: The Smell Of Iron
Sethlzaar woke to the smell of roast meat wafting through the shelter as well as the absence of the old man. He stepped out, wondering if the old man had gone on his way.He found the snow elevated at least three feet high. A small path waded through it, an obvious track left behind by the man in his departure. Yet, the smell of meat followed through, up to the high ground. It left Sethlzaar with questions.Wondering what was going on, he cautiously climbed up to see what was above him. There he saw the old man.The man sat, roasting a snow hare over a flame in a small clearing. The smell was torture to an empty stomach, and Sethlzaar wondered if the man did it intentionally."I didn't wish to wake you," the man called out, "but since you're up, I could use the company."No use hiding, Sethlzaar thought. He climbed up and joined the man at the fire.
Aegis of the Immortal: Blood Blessed Chapter 19: Saelin
Saelin remained unmoving. Sethlzaar had spoken the words in the faintest of whispers, almost as if he borrowed a sliver of sound, unwilling to shake the silence. Although silent, with their foreheads together he thought them close enough that she would hear him; close enough that a request so soothing would convey itself. Now, he wondered if he should have lent his voice more power.After a moment, she reacted.Slowly, her grip loosened and the swords fell from them, embedding themselves in the snow."There we go," he said, leading her away from all the blood.He placed her, wrapped in his cloak, against a tree. She gave no protest, simply letting him guide her through it all.Certain that she was physically unharmed, he left her and went to work.He retrieved the arrows from Frent's body. The shafts came out with much effort accompanied by blood and tiny pie
Aegis of the Immortal: Blood Blessed Chapter 20: Blessed Of Truth
Father Tensril came for Sethlzaar at the rise of dawn, with the same Tarc that brought them. To Sethlzaar's surprise, he came with a sister of the convent.Together they rode in silence with another boy Sethlzaar recognized from the Seminary but not as a part of his group. The absence of Omage left his mind fearing the worst.The nun whom Saelin had called Sister Naele had waited outside as Father Tensril had walked into the shelter and woken them.The walk to the carriage after, had been done in shameful silence. They shared the carriage, and at some point the nun left them, going her separate way. Alone.On arrival at the seminary, Tensril instructed them into following him. He led them all the way to the Monsignor's chambers.It was Sethlzaar's first time in the room, and he was surprised to find it filled with books on every shelf covering most of the walls save the one behin
Aegis of the Immortal: Blood Blessed Chapter 21: The Boy Who Might Lead
Time went by and the frozen lakes thawed. They watched the snow melt and the green grass flourish as they labored under the training of the priests, their bruises ever growing alongside their skills. In the fourth month of their third year in the seminary a new training was added to the already tasking ones they had: climbing.They accessed an upper room to have lessons with Father Antuas every morning before training, and after mass. The building that housed the room stood as tall as the towers of the fort. They swam across a water body that surrounded it, then climbed. It taught them that Takaris possessed a fear of heights.Every day Antuas taught them the history of the seminary. He taught them of its glorious tales. He taught them of its crushing defeats. They learned the assassinations of the different Monsignors, their ages, and how long they were in power. They learned everything worth learning of the history of the seminary. The sto
Aegis of the Immortal: Blood Blessed Chapter 22: Self
They were informed of the coming test a week to its arrival: The Test of self.No information was given, not a single detail was offered by anyone. The older children claimed it was different for each person. But one thing they all had in common was the fact that they all seemed reluctant to talk of it, and always seemed saddened by the memory it seemed to summon.Priestess Emeril had added a new regime to their training with the introduction of throwing knives. She hung a piece of wood from a high point and let it dangle, expecting them to hit the mark on the wood. As expected Sethlzaar proved himself the best, hitting the mark more times than his brothers."Do not strike at where it is, but at where it will be," she told them. It was similar to what Father Karnamis had taught them in hunting animals in the wild. They weren't always in place when hunted. Sometimes they would have to chase their prey and put it dow
Aegis of the Immortal: Blood Blessed Chapter 23: A Shattered Throne
The hall back was long, demarcated by constantly repeating archways that went on forever.It was new to Sethlzaar, and he had no memory of ever being in this part of the seminary. In fact, neither was the room he had stepped out of. But what caught his attention was the ever present mist that spanned the floor, covering it so that his feet disappeared beneath it. He was surprised it hadn't overrun the seminary.The test had taken up the whole day, but the darkness proved more of a shock. The night was pitch black, without star or moon.Sethlzaar increased his pace and soon found himself in a panicked run as the darkness seemed to chase him. The archway went on forever, heralding something new with each passing. The mist rose above the ground. It wetted the calves of his trousers, and crawled up his knees.Then he heard it. The growl, accompanied by the sound of paws on the ground.
Aegis of the Immortal: Blood Blessed Chapter 24: To Keep A Secret
A month after the test of self they grew out of their induced silence. Sethlzaar, growing out of his earlier, maintained the silence not to offend his brothers.The month saw him awake at night to the sounds of cries and sudden night terrors, and the occasional creaking consolation of Soartin or Canabi's bed. Surprisingly, the darkness visited his dreams the least now. Notwithstanding, their training continued under the priests, their performance showing obvious progress, though tainted by whatever haunted them; residues of the test.It was a month and two weeks after the test that a new dread haunted them. Everyone had grown out of the test and returned to their daily lives, but Canabi always seemed to pretend to have grown out of his. Sethlzaar often caught him staring at nothing, lost in thoughts as they engaged in friendly banter before they were required to put out the light.One night, while returning from his esca
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