After breakfast, Weiss pulled him aside and explained that he would get three months to complete combat training, as well as other necessary courses that would prepare him for his time in the Hallowed. The first order of business was for him to choose his weapon specialty. He was brought to the armory which housed every weapon you could possibly imagine. Everything was made of a beautiful metal he couldn’t quite place. Weiss had said it was a metal that was no longer available on Earth since it had magical properties.

“It is known here as Mythantium, the most resilient metal alloy that we’ve discovered. It is a mixture of mithril, orichalcum, and obsidian deposits that formed under rare circumstances that must be prepared separately under special conditions since once it hardens it is impossible to melt down or break in any way. Only the armies of Araphel and the Hallowed are permitted to use it.”

Many of the resources in Araphel were like that, she had told him, including magical herbs, minerals, and other naturally occurring substances that could only be found in this world. It was just another way the ancients insured that those on Earth would not be exposed or corrupted by magic.

She took him into the next room that was empty except for a few crude dummies made from wood and burlap. A few weapons were placed on podiums in front of him to pick up and try out. They weren’t nearly as beautiful as the ones in the armory, but they were still expertly crafted.

“Just get a feel for each one. Heft them in your hands and listen to your instincts.” She said to him in an assuring voice.

He decided he would start from left to right which brought him to the bow and arrow. He picked up a bow and pulled an arrow from the quiver. She walked over to him and showed him how to stand, how to aim the arrow, and what he was looking for, goal wise. Even still, he pulled back the arrow and let it fly—for exactly two feet until it pathetically bounced off the podium and landed at his feet.

“Well then, yes, I suppose that is a good place to start,” Weiss said, stifling a laugh.

Rift let out a groan and gave a glare her way. “Hey, it’s my first time.”

Weiss straightened herself out and choked back her laughter, “Yes, I know, but we each have a natural affinity to one weapon or another. It’s in our blood as warriors. However, this is most certainly not your forte.” She walked over to him and pats him on the back. “Don’t worry, we will find you a weapon that suits you well.”

The bow and arrow felt awkward to use, and although he had the superior strength that comes from being a Grigori, he could not wield the hammers, maces, or other heavy weaponry. He was beginning to feel a bit helpless when he was compelled to enter the next room. Inside a single sword hung on the wall next to two empty displays. It was made of gold and silver colored mythantium, and it glistened in the dim lighting from the chandeliers. Rift was about to step forward when Weiss’s voice made him jump.

“That is the holy sword Excalibur,” she said while she smiled warmly at him.

“Excalibur…. You mean, like the one used by King Arthur?!” He exclaimed, excitedly.

She laughed a bit, “The one and the same. King Arthur was not the only one to harness its extraordinary power. In fact, he wasn’t even the first. Its true origin is unknown since it can change shape depending on its wielder, and when its master dies it disappears. It has remained in our halls since the creation of Araphel and has since gone unused. Legend has it that only the purest of hearts can wield it.” As Weiss continued, a strange sensation ran over his body, and a soft voice echoed inside his head.

“So, it is you again, master. I was beginning to wonder when you would come for me.”

Rift looked around, expecting to see someone standing nearby. He noticed that Weiss had gone silent, and when he turned around she was standing with her mouth open, frozen mid-sentence.

“Do not worry, she is unharmed. Your heart has called out to me, and we are now communicating through our souls.”

Rift stood in front of the sword while trying to keep his composure. “Are you telling me that I am King Arthur?”

“Parts of you are, for every living being is made up of several fragments of souls that have been recycled in the afterlife. However, there is something unique about you.”

Rift scoffed at the idea, “Me, unique? I’m not even sure if I am suited for combat.”

“Ah, but that is because your true spirit lies dormant. However, this is neither the time nor place to discuss this matter. Soon enough, everything will be revealed. For now, take me so that I can once again serve at your side.”

Though hesitant, Rift stepped forward and raised his hand to the hilt. There was a strong surge of energy swirling between him and the sword. Another moment of hesitation drew him back, but he decided it was best to do it like removing a bandage; quickly. As he pulled Excalibur from its case he felt the surge of power run throughout his body.

The air around him vibrated in excitement, and the ground beneath him glowed an otherworldly blue. The energy constantly and rapidly swirled around him, and all he could see was never-ending darkness and the blue energy. It was like standing in the middle of a firework as it exploded in the night sky. Then just as suddenly as it had all started, it stopped. He could once again hear Weiss continuing her banter.

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“You’d be amazed at all the–” She gasped as she noticed Rift holding the blade in his hands. “Rift, that is remarkable!” She quickly made her way over to him and jumped on his back; hugging him tightly. “Imagine, me, the Mentor of… well, never mind about that. What’s important is that you’ve found your weapon! Now we can get started on your training, but oh my goddess—”

Rift swerved as he tried to balance himself so as not to fall over. “Weiss, you’re choking me!” He managed to cough out.

“Oh my, I’m dreadfully sorry!” She hopped off and quickly straightened her dress as she made her way out of the room, “This way please!”

Rift struggled to follow her, as usual, since she walked so fast. He had managed to tie his sword onto his belt as they made their way to the war room. Here he would find out what team he would be joining. From what the others told him, there were three of them along with a fourth that only the three team leads were part of.

The first was the House of Blades the symbol of battle and, for some, death. They took care of missions that required brute strength and were led by Kuruu, the boy with the hat from the dining room. The second was the House of Wands the symbol of wisdom and discipline. Their house took care of missions that required planning and stealth, they were led by Malicieux, the jester woman he’d seen before.

The third was the House of Coins the symbol of changing fates. They handled a multitude of missions and pretty much tackled cases that required more balance to complete. Weiss was the head of it and he prayed that he’d be picked for that one. Although he wasn’t sure who he was praying to. Was religion even a thing here? Before he could think about it too much Weiss had stopped in front of a set of large mahogany doors.

The final was the house of Cups the symbol of the vessel and holders of secrets. They were led by Reina Corazones, the head of the Hallowed. Along with the other heads of houses, and her right-hand champion Barmaglot, they alone held the ability to make important political decisions the world over. Each country also had one leader that were members of the house of cups to serve as representation for their respective nations. They were sort of like the United Nations of Araphel with Lady Reina serving as head of the house.

“I will be in shortly with the other heads of the orders.” She turned and smiled at him as if she could feel his concerns. “Don’t worry, everything will work out as it should.”

Before he could respond she was already making her way down the hallway. He placed his hands on both handles of the door and took a moment to gather himself before quickly pulling them open and stepping inside. The room was darker than most of the others, and the center had a giant globe floating in the air. It slowly turned and it looked to contain all of the various places in Araphel. There were seats situated in three sections with a symbol on each set with either a Coin, Blade, or Wand. He saw his friends from the dining hall sitting in the Coin section and hoped even harder that’s where he’d end up. Others were also seated in their respective sections with a few people standing near the globe.

He assumed that’s where he should also be and made his way quickly down the aisle after closing the doors behind him. His friends gave him looks of encouragement as he passed by. Yuki and Kira were whispering to one another and when they noticed him looking they both smiled and silently cheered for him.

Once he stood with the other newcomers he took a moment to look them over. There were six of them in total, including himself. The door in the back of the room opened and Weiss entered followed by Kuruu and Malicieux.

Weiss stepped forward as she addressed the room, “Greetings my darlings, and welcome. My name is Weiss Kaninchen! Most of you are already familiar with how things are done here but for those who are new, I would like to, first and foremost, welcome you to the Hallowed! As you know, we serve as peacekeepers...”

Rift adored Weiss, but he had to admit that she was oftentimes long-winded. As she gave her speech he looked around the room at all of the other potential newbies. There was a young black guy a few years younger than him that was really skinny and whose eyes were also wandering around the room, a really tall white guy and a shorter white girl holding hands, a Latino man that was the tallest guy he’d ever seen, and another Hispanic guy who was drawing on his arm with a pen. He looked to be about the same age as Rift.

“Now, today we will be reassigning teams to fit in the new recruits.”

As she said those words Rift snapped back to give her his attention. This was the moment he had been waiting for. It was almost certain that he would be under Weiss’s guidance still, but it was likely one of the others had snatched him.

“Most of you shall have the same mentor, but some have been juggled around a bit. When I call your name, please take a seat with the rest of your order.” She took a moment to gesture to the three sections around them. “Now, Trina and Bardo Elsinore, please join your comrades in the House of Wands.”

The guy and girl that were holding hands both let out a sigh of relief. Rift noted that they shared the same last name, and wondered if they were related. The two of them gave each other a celebratory kiss before going to join their order. Unless incest was normal where they were from, he didn’t think they were related by blood.

“Very good, next we have the House of Blades. Rayne Fulgur and Leo Ignis, please join your group.”

Again, those who were called nodded and walked over to sit with their order. They were met with high fives and handshakes which made Rift think they had already been acquainted with some of the members of their order. Then again, he had already made friends from one of the orders so it wasn’t all that surprising.

“That leaves the two of you with me, the House of Coins.” She smiled warmly.

There was a huge feeling of relief that wrapped around him like a warm blanket. Starting this journey was going to be difficult enough as it was, but having some friends by his side would definitely make it a little easier. Besides, he could feel a bond forming with the others and he wanted to continue that further.

“Now, allow me to make introductions.” She said as she walked over to the others.

Introductions were short as he had already met most of them earlier. The guy who was also joining their order was named Sebastian Rose. He was originally from Mexico, but he had been at the Bastion since he was five. Weiss was his mentor and he had been her apprentice since he was thirteen, but he was finally cleared to join the Hallowed. After about an hour of talking with each other, Weiss cleared her throat to get their order’s attention. By then the other orders were leaving the room with their respective order leaders. “I have complete faith in you, which is why I fought so hard to get you on my squad. I’ll teach you everything I can, and then it will be time for you to go into the world and make names for yourselves. We begin training tomorrow. Get some rest until then and take some time to get to know one another. You’re a family now, and you must never allow that bond to be broken.”