Chapter Seven

A week after the mock battles, Yan gathered all the Cadets to give them their first major quest. Amynta and the others stood in one of the corps’ many religious rooms. The walls flowed with flowery patterns made of stone. Statues stood in front of columns full of green flame. Sunlight entered the space through its many windows, perched above their heads. Amynta fought to keep her expression the same. Internally, she found her heart was racing and her palms were clammy. This was her first major quest as a Saint-in-training. It was hard not to be excited.

Well, there was the fact that she kept risking glances at Goran. His black hair was still just as unkempt as ever, though his uniform was devoid of any blotches of dirt. I wonder why he’s always so antagonistic…. Biting her lip, she let her eyes linger on Goran’s face a little while longer, waiting for Yan to finish unfurling the scroll that would help him document their quest. Her conversation with Goran was still fresh in her mind. More than anything, she felt angered by his rude nature. Where had she seen that kind of attitude?

What am I saying? Antagonistic boys are common things. And yet, he seemed even worse than the type I am used to dealing with on a regular basis. I sense great pain within his heart. The rostai that flowed from his body was relatively large, yes, but it was also rather frigid. Is he lonely? Amynta considered that thought. If Goran were lonely, he sure was doing a poor job of alleviating it. Why was she wasting energy thinking about someone that clearly didn’t care about her? Swallowing, she settled on the answer. Seeing others in pain or misery stoked something deep within her heart. It brought back the way her parents brought her up.

Be kind to those who need it. That was what Marco Barbosa had taught her. Whenever Amynta got to visit her sisters, she made sure to teach them the same thing. Even then, she always felt as if she were lying. Amalija and Marina had zero knowledge of the extent of her temper. Urges. That’s what she dealt with whenever someone made her pissed. Goran met her gaze with a sneer. Amynta frowned. Just then, Yan hummed.

The scroll spread across his lap throbbed with golden light. Yan gripped a brush tipped with silver ink and let it hover above the scroll’s end.

“Good morning,” Yan said. “Did you all sleep well?”

“I slept better than a mule,” Linnea said with a grin. “Pretty hard, though. I swear I heard Aldric’s snoring all the way from the boys’ dorm.”

Aldric narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Yan didn’t smile. Amynta noticed that a flush of green lingered in his otherwise creamy brown complexion. Sotheli peoples were supposedly known for such a skin tone. It was said that their hair was always white as bone and that their eyes were the color of the sapphires found in various parts of the world. They’re also rare, Amynta thought with displeasure. Sotheli peoples only make up a small percentage of the population.

“So,” Yan said. “As you may have heard by now… there’s been some rather disturbing activity from a certain Voidroamer. We think he may have set his eyes on the Crown of Despair. Problem is, the crown is kept in a secret location that not just anyone can reach. Plus… dealing with a Voidroamer of that caliber is bound to result in plenty of casualties. So we must work on dwindling this Voidroamer’s power. We can accomplish this by working on eliminating his allies. Your first stop is Acaldin. Kasaf, a minor elf who’s gained some notoriety among the Acaldian population, will be your target. You are to eliminate him. You will have two weeks to accomplish this task. If you do not complete it in time, I will assume you’ve died and simply replace you. Understood?”

Everyone nodded. Strings of ink began to scribble across the scroll’s length after Yan finished speaking. Amynta noticed the gia flowing around the head of the Order’s body; Yan’s sapphire eyes were noticeably sorrowful. It was a look that she noticed he adopted fairly often. It was hard not to wonder what got him in such a low mood, yet Amynta knew that it wasn’t her place to ask. Best to just focus on me, she thought with a slight twitch of her lips.

“Kasaf?” Aldric said. “What a weird name… Hey, Linnea. You hear that? We’re going after an elf. Better not screw this up.”

“Speak for yourself, Aldric. Can we count on you to not mess this up?”

Ari was staring off into the distance. Her lips were etched into a slight frown. She quickly erased it, clearly hoping nobody would notice.

“Are you all right?” Amynta whispered to her.

“Hmm? Oh...yeah.”

Amynta frowned. She wasn’t convinced. Yan cleared his throat, signaling that the meeting wasn’t over. He sat in silence, perhaps expecting them to ask him questions. Amynta racked her mind for any. It was hard to think of any at the moment. Dealing with a minor elf was unfamiliar territory, yet she felt confident that they could deal with Kasaf. As long as we work together, that is…

“Now’s the time to ask questions if you have any,” Yan said. “Speak up. Please.”

“Yep, teach, I have one,” Aldric said with a raised hand. “You said ‘minor’ elf. That means we don’t have to plan that hard to take this Kasaf guy down, right?”

“An elf’s close to the top of the power hierarchy,” Emma murmured. “Meaning that they’re rather formidable. If Kasaf really is a minor elf, that means he’s relatively new. Or freshborn, as new Voidroamers are often referred to as in our texts.”

“Should we….prepare our wills?” Taner asked softly. “I have family back home in the walls, so…”

“You can if you wish,” Yan said. “Any other questions?”

Amynta swallowed. Before she could speak, Emma looked Yan in the eye, throat bobbing. Her ever-present anger lingered in her expression, even though she faced the head of the Order. I wonder where that omnipresent rage originates from? Regardless of its origin, it reminded her painfully of her own self. That was why she tended to avoid being around Emma, which wasn’t good. They were squadmates, after all.

“Yes?” Yan asked.

“Are you sure this is what’s best?” Emma said with her hands in her pockets. “I know, I’m not in any sort of leadership position. But as someone you oversee, I think my opinion and feelings should be considered too. I guess… I guess I’m just wondering if seeking out these allies of the Voidroamer that’s seeking the crown is really the best usage of the Corps’ time.”

Stolen story; please report.

“A valid viewpoint, but one we’ve considered over the course of several meetings similar to this one. The Voidroamer in question is rather formidable and elusive. The preceding leading officers failed to stop him. Basil is his name. He is an elf that is several hundreds of years old. Yes… the enemy you are facing pales in comparison to someone of Basil’s might, yet I would not allow arrogance to lower your guard. Kasaf may be freshborn, but I am sure he knows something that may help us stop Basil. Please try to take that into consideration when you decide to deal with him.

“I believe any other questions may be turned to your questmaster Yori. She will be in charge of transportation, to and from Acaldin. She has been instructed to provide monetary assistance, as well as additional aid if the need arises. Yori will elaborate further when you arrive. Do well.”

Yan waved a hand. It was time to go.

Amynta glanced at the others before crossing the room and slipping out into the stuffy hall.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Yori was waiting for them by the main gates. The trees Amynta was used to seeing were replaced by rising mounds of rust-colored dirt, arced by black bends of light. Yori was rather short and was dressed entirely in violet, from the large hat that covered her black hair to the long boots she wore. A sword was sheathed at the waist of her coat. Curiously, the symbol that emblazoned most staff members' clothing was not present. Amynta found that odd. Yori’s eyes were angular and feline-like, colored in a way that reminded Amynta of the mist that gathered in the streets of her hometown.

Like everyone else, she sketched a bow; Yori grunted softly. Did they somehow annoy her?

Yori closed the gap between her and Aldric, bringing a painted nail to his chin. She lifted his face with a frown. All color drained from Aldric’s face. Amynta was certain the boy would faint; Taner was watching with wide eyes, face entirely red and sweaty. Amynta found herself worried about him, too.

“The rostai flowing around you,” Yori said. “It's going ballistic. Watch that.”

Aldric nodded as Yori reeled away. Yori stopped in front of Astrid next, placing a hand on Astrid’s head. Linnea and Ari shared a look.

“Your posture’s off,” Yori said with a frown. “Fix that.”

“You.” Yori jabbed a finger at Linnea. “Strong form, but wipe that smirk off your face. There’s nothing funny about this. And you. Taner, was it? Do I intimidate you or something?”

“No, ma’am,” Taner murmured.

“Ma’am? Do I look old to you?”

Yori sighed before wiping her forehead and muttering something under her breath. What an odd questmaster…. Amynta passed her gaze around to her fellow Cadets. Yori eyed her; Amynta thought that Yori would say something to her next. Instead, she simply unhooked a flask of water and emptied the contents with one big swig. Aldric and Linnea whistled.

“Think I’ve wasted enough time,” Yori said. “Beyond these gates is the vehicle that will take us to the closest train station. We’ll be taking a bullet train all the way out east. Should be there by...sunrise. I suggest you spend the time thinking about what you want to do.”

“What we want to do?” Aldric said.

“Yep. Kasaf is no pushover. I wouldn’t blame any of you kids if you wanted to run.”

“No way,” Astrid said. “Aye, I think ya got the wrong idea about us. Let’s just get goin’.”

Yori chuckled. “We’ll see. All right. Follow me.”

~~~~~~~~

Amynta found she couldn’t sleep on the train. Leaves and rocks and cliffs blurred past as the train chugged along. The interior was full of red plush seats separated by bars of metal. Ari sat across from her; Linnea’s eyes fluttered open and she yawned.

“Sleep,” Ari whispered to Linnea. “You’ve had a tiring past few days.”

“Mmm….” Linnea muttered. “I can...sleep...later.”

Linnea lost the fight and soon snored.

A thought came to Amynta.

“Ari,” she said. “Back at the main building, you looked rather uncomfortable. Why was that? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“No, no.” Ari raised her hands. “It’s okay. I….well, I just….Acaldin’s close to where I lived. That’s all.”

Oh.

“I'm from a village,” Ari said. “A small one. I was...a street rat. Never again. You know, Amynta...I’m...kind of jealous of you. You’re always so….so….serious. Like you know what you have to do. And everyone always says good things about you.”

“What do you want to be?”

“Eh?” Ari inclined her head.

“Instead of comparing yourself to others, just delve deep inside yourself and figure out what you aspire to be.”

“Oh…” Ari brought a finger to her bottom lip. “I...want to be someone everyone can love.”

Amynta laughed. “Try a more realistic goal.”

Her laughter died upon noticing how serious Ari was. Amynta pressed her lips together. She smiled slightly.

“Forgive me,” she said softly. “I shouldn’t have ridiculed your goal.”

“I really meant it. I have to become a Saint so that I can pay Linnea back! If people hate me, I can’t do that! I really, really, really want to do this.”

“Good luck, Ari.”

Ari’s lip trembled before she sobbed. She dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand, snot running down her nostril. A smile soon played on her lips. It was a whole-hearted smile, one that shouldn’t have been different from all the others Ari had shown, yet Amynta could see the difference almost immediately. This is genuine…. Biting her lip, Amynta pondered what this really meant.

“Thanks,” Ari sang. “I’ll do my best! I may not be super strong or anything, but I have heart! And that’s good. Goodnight, Amynta.”

Something warm cleaved through her chest. Goodnight. The last person that had said to her was her father. Or, that was how it felt. Others had said it over the years, yet it felt like those memories were very blurry. Touched by Ari’s words, Amynta gave her her own smile.

“Night.”