Aurelius followed the headmaster as they moved towards the exit of the building.
“Let's head to the armory first,” the Headmaster said, speaking up. “Your role as the chosen gives you express permission to choose whatever you want from there, and I think it’s high time we gave you a proper weapon.
Aurelius quickly nodded in agreement with the Headmaster’s sentiment. Getting him a couple of swords would definitely help him in the upcoming fight.
Also nodding, the headmaster continued to talk. “You should head to the armory, Chosen. Meanwhile, I must collect my own provisions and belongings before our departure. Shall we convene outside the city gates in half an hour?"
The headmaster's statement concluded with a question, prompting Aurelius' agreement with a subtle inclination of his head."Of course, Headmaster," Aurelius replied, his voice resolute. "I'll see you at the gates."
Just as the Headmaster turned around, Aurelius thought of something.
“Headmaster?” Aurelius questioned.
The headmaster stopped, turning back around to look at Aurelius. “Yes?”
“If you can, can you find Valen and tell him to come along with us?”
“Valen? You mean your roommate?” The headmaster asked.
Aurelius simply nodded.
“Sir,” began the headmaster somewhat hesitantly, “ I mean no offense, but what is Valen going to bring? Unless you know something I don’t, of course.”
Aurelius couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the headmaster’s comment, causing the man to become even more confused.
“I’ll have to tell him you said that. But I think that Valen can actually be a great help. First of all, he’s a self-proclaimed genius so he should be able to help with some of the more strategic thinking. More importantly, however, he is my sidekick.”
“Your sidekick.. Sir?” The headmaster asked, obviously confused.
“Yeah, he’s been my number one supporter and I wouldn’t be here without him. Plus, he’s great at motivational support, which I think will help us get through this expedition.”
“Also,” Aurelius continued on a flatter note, “You don’t have to call me sir or none of that. It feels… weird, for lack of a better word, to be addressed that way. I’m not any lord or noble figure. Just Aurelius is fine.”
The headmaster's confusion melted into a smile. "Very well, Aurelius. And I appreciate your perspective on Valen. It's clear that your bond runs deep. Having someone who genuinely believes in you and can provide different angles of thinking can be helpful. At your request, I will go find him.”
With that, the headmaster gave a final nod and hurried off down a different hallway, his robes billowing behind him. Aurelius turned and headed towards the armory, his mind already shifting to the immediate task of preparing for the journey. The corridors of the council building were bustling with activity, messengers and officials moving with purposeful strides, adding to the urgency that hung in the air.
Aurelius reached the armory, greeted by a pair of stern-faced guards who immediately recognized him and stepped aside to let him pass. The armory's interior was a treasure trove of weapons and armor. Rows upon rows of gleaming swords, finely crafted bows, and sturdy shields adorned the walls. Shelves held armor of all types, ranging from simple leather to intricate plate mail. The air was heavy with the scent of metal and leather.
Aurelius' gaze roamed over the vast expanse of the armory, the possibilities before him sinking in further. The guards flanking him stood silently, their attention trained on him and his reactions.
"You are welcome to choose any weapon or armor that suits your preference," one of the guards said, his voice echoing slightly within the chamber. "We have been instructed to provide you with the best equipment available."
Aurelius nodded his gratitude, taking a deep breath as he approached one of the weapon racks. His eyes scanned the array of blades, each with its own unique design and purpose. He reached out, his hand hovering over a particularly well-crafted longsword with an ornate hilt. The blade seemed to pulse with a faint energy.
Despite the energy promising the blade’s power, Aurelius knew he couldn’t select it. Back at the academy, Aurelius had realized one of the downsides of his arcane blade ability. If the weapon already had mana in it, either through a rune or some other enchantment, it would interfere and potentially cause a backlash with the mana he infused with his arcane ability.
In light of this problem, Aurelius scanned the rows of weapons, searching for the best, non-magical weapons he could find. Eventually, Aurelius found 2 dozen or so blades of such quality, storing them within his spatial storage.
The whole time, the guards silently watched him, their expressions remaining impassive. Once he was finished selecting a blade, he turned to the guards and nodded, signaling his decision.
The guard who had spoken inclined his head in acknowledgment, gesturing to the armor section. "You will also need suitable protection for the journey. Please choose the armor that you find most fitting."
Aurelius moved to the section displaying various suits of armor, each meticulously crafted and designed for different types of combat. As he examined the options, he considered the balance between protection and mobility. He knew that in the upcoming mission, he would need to be agile while also having a solid defense against potential threats.
After careful consideration, he selected a set of dark steel armor that offered a good compromise between protection and flexibility. It consisted of interlocking plates that covered his torso, shoulders, and thighs, while still allowing him a decent range of movement. The armor bore the mark of the city's emblem etched onto the breastplate, a symbol of unity and strength.
Once he had chosen the armor, the guards ensured it was properly fitted to his measurements, making necessary adjustments to ensure a comfortable and secure fit. As the final touches were made, the guards handed him a belt with pouches for carrying essentials, as well as a dark, hooded cloak that would provide some camouflage in dimly lit environments. With his chosen weapons and armor in place, Aurelius felt a renewed sense of purpose. He looked at the guards who had accompanied him, a deep sense of gratitude welling within him.
Afterward, Aurelius left the armory and headed back into the city. As Aurelius emerged, a few of the citizens began to stare at him in awe, murmuring to one another as they watched him walk by. Aurelius could overhear snippets of their conversations.
"That’s the Chosen himself!" one elderly woman whispered to her companion.
"He looks so young," another voice chimed in, a mix of awe and concern evident in the tone.
Aurelius felt a mixture of emotions—humbled by the attention and responsibility, but also determined to exceed expectations. As they approached the city gates, Aurelius saw the headmaster waiting for him, carrying the reins of some Elven horses.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“You’re here earlier than expected. Did you get everything you needed? Do you have your weapon?” The headmaster questioned.
Aurelius nodded, “Yes I got everything. And my weapon is here,” he said, taking one of the swords out of his spatial storage and into his hand.
The headmaster’s eyes widened at the sudden appearance of the sword.
“Ah,” he said, his eyes still wide, “that explains one of your abilities.”
Shaking himself out of his trance, the headmaster looked back towards the city.
“Instructor Donovan should be here any second now. After that, we can depart towards Alerial.”
Just as the headmaster finished speaking, the sound of approaching hoofbeats echoed through the air. A figure riding a majestic white horse came into view, approaching the city gates with purpose. As the figure drew nearer, Aurelius recognized the distinct attire and presence of Instructor Donovan.The instructor reined in his horse as he reached the gate, dismounting with practiced grace. He approached Aurelius, kneeling before him.
“Chosen,” Instructor Donovan began, “I want to apologize for my actions and how I addressed you earlier. If I had known that you were the Chosen, I would have never done so. I will endeavor to correct this mistake by helping you in this journey.”
Aurelius looked down at Instructor Donovan, his expression a mix of surprise and understanding. He hadn't expected such a swift change in attitude from the stern instructor.
"Rise, Instructor," Aurelius said, his voice carrying a note of respect. "I appreciate your honesty and your willingness to join us on this journey. However, please do not feel the need to apologize. You were just doing your job as an instructor, and without your training, I might be dead by now. Also, I already told this to the headmaster, but Aurelius is just fine. No need to address me as sir, Chosen, or some other nonsense. We’re all friends here.”
Instructor Donovan nodded, rising to his feet with a sense of relief. "Understood, Aurelius. Thank you for your understanding. I am at your service for this mission."
With the arrival of Instructor Donovan, the small group was now nearly complete. Valen, who Aurelius could now spot in the distance with the guard Aurelius had sent earlier, was hurriedly making his way towards the group.
As Valen reached Aurelius, he nearly fell before Aurelius, practically on his knees before him.
"Valen, get up!" Aurelius exclaimed, a mixture of amusement and exasperation in his voice. "You're acting like I'm some kind of royalty."
Valen didn’t move.
“Uh, Valen?”
“To think that my roommate was the Chosen,” Valen mumbled under his breath.
Aurelius chuckled, extending his hand to help Valen to his feet. "Yes, well, surprise! But let's not make a scene here."
Valen stood up, still looking somewhat overwhelmed. He took a deep breath and straightened his
posture. "I'm sorry for my theatrics, Chosen. It's just... it's a lot to take in."
Aurelius clapped Valen on the shoulder with a friendly smile. "No worries, Valen. We’re still friends.”
To Aurelius' surprise, Valen looked shocked.
"Friends? But you're the Chosen now! A being of literal legends,” Valen said, his eyes wide with a mix of admiration and disbelief.
Aurelius rolled his eyes playfully. "Valen, being the Chosen doesn't change who I am. I'm still the same person you've known all this time. And yes, we're friends, regardless of titles."
Valen blinked a few times, clearly struggling to reconcile this new reality with his previous perceptions. "You really mean that?"
Aurelius nodded, his smile sincere. "Absolutely. Now, let's focus on the task at hand. Just act normally, will you?"
Valen straightened up, his cheeks still flushed. "Right, right. Act normal."
“You know why I invited you, right?”
Valen's confidence seemed to return in a rush as he answered, "Of course, Chosen! Your, uh, guard explained it to me.” Valen said while looking cautiously at the guards standing around Aurelius. “I didn’t have a lot of time, but I packed most of my belongings.” Valen continued, patting his bag on his back.
“Plus, when the academy saw that guard, and when I described the mission to them, they approved my leave. In fact, they are counting this as an official academy mission, so this is also giving me academy credits.”
Aurelius looked at the headmaster with a raised eyebrow, who in response, simply shrugged.
"That's good to hear, Valen," Aurelius said with a grin. "Having you along will definitely make this journey more interesting."
Valen beamed at the compliment, visibly relaxing as he realized that his role in this expedition was appreciated. "I'll do my best to contribute, Chosen. And I promise, I won't cause any more scenes or theatrics."
The headmaster watched the interaction with a bemused expression, clearly finding Valen's antics amusing. "It seems your sidekick has quite the flair for the dramatic," he remarked.
Aurelius grinned, "You have no idea."
“Sidekick?” Valen questioned.
However, before anyone could respond, the headmaster continued.
"Let's not waste any more time. We have a journey ahead of us," the headmaster said, his tone firm. "We have a mission to accomplish."
The headmaster mounted his horse, as did Instructor Donovan. As they stood just outside the city gates, the citizens who had gathered to witness the departure looked on with a mixture of hope and apprehension.
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High Priest Lorendil
High Priest Lorendil walked back into the halls of his chambers. He had just seen the new Chosen, Aurelius was his name, off with his companions to the city of Alerial. For the High Priest, he had conflicted feelings about the new Chosen.
On one side, the Chosen appeared young, which had both positive and negative aspects. Young folks were easily influenced, giving the High Priest an opportunity to establish a strong connection that could ensure his continued authority. Yet, youthful individuals could also be impulsive, as seen briefly with Aurelius in the chamber. Despite this, the High Priest was willing to overlook this flaw, focusing instead on building a positive relationship during their conversation.
On the flip side, there was a noticeable passion within Aurelius that drove him to great lengths to achieve his goals. The High Priest also sensed that Aurelius held a certain aversion towards nobles, apparent in how he looked around the council table. From the High Priest's perspective, this sentiment wasn't necessarily a bad thing—it might even be beneficial. If the new Chosen intentionally made things more challenging for nobles, it could work to the High Priest's advantage and potentially enhance his own power. However, a careful balance was needed to avoid hindering Aurelius' efforts.
That was one of the reasons the High Priest had sent Aurelius out so quickly. Now that he had a good understanding of the Chosen’s personality, it would take a little time to set things up to paint himself a better picture in his eyes.
Lorendil knew that Aurelius' presence had the potential to shift the balance of power within the council, and he needed to tread carefully to ensure that the young Chosen's loyalty was secured. As much as the High Priest wished to maintain his own authority, he also recognized the need to adapt to the changing dynamics.
Sitting down at his ornate desk, Lorendil began to review the information that had been gathered about Aurelius. The High Priest had a vast network of informants and spies and he had been monitoring and gathering information about Aurelius the moment it was known that he was the Chosen. It was all part of his effort to understand the Chosen's motivations and intentions.
So far, however, there seemed to be frustratingly little information available about the new Chosen. All he knew was that Aurelius had joined the academy as part of a scholarship with the headmaster. Apparently, the headmaster had seen him adventure with a group of academy students, and had extended an invitation to the academy based on the skills Aurelius displayed. Furthermore, there were also recounts of Aurelius living within the capital city as a commoner.
Other than that, there was virtually no information about Aurelius. His family, siblings, background — none of that was clear.
Frustrated, the High Priest let out a sigh and flew the documents in the air, hoping to switch his mind away from the frenzied events of the past few days.
However, as the High Priest leaned back in his chair, Lorendil's thoughts couldn’t help but drift back to Aurelius and the determination he had displayed during their meeting. The Chosen was a wildcard, a force that could either bolster their defenses or disrupt their carefully crafted plans and power structure.
With a sigh, the High Priest rose from his desk and gazed out of the window at the sprawling city below. The sun was setting, casting a warm, golden hue over the landscape. The city was bustling with activity, its citizens going about their daily lives, partly unaware of the imminent danger that loomed on the horizon.
With a sense of purpose, Lorendil turned away from the window and returned to his desk. There was much work to be done, and he was determined to ensure that the empire of the High Elves would emerge from this trial stronger.