They stood outside in the clearing where they normally sparred. The Manus department had a building with a few small lecture halls and even fewer classrooms for the odd lesson. However Yepla was keen to have his students be on their feet as often as possible. It was a strange sort of discipline, having them stand at attention in neat rows and columns on the grass field even when they had seats and tables inside for lectures. It was as if they weren’t students any more; if they all had matching armor, they wouldn’t be any different from the emperor’s personal guard visually.
The men here would normally see being a guard or even a soldier as a position leagues below them. Except for Verne, as he seemed to have been born to wear armor and stand at attention to a commanding officer. And because Verne did it, so did everyone else. People listened to Verne.
Ral stood almost directly behind him, albeit four rows back at the very back. He sensed that stillness within the Sekrelli again, like the smooth glassy surface of still water. Verne wasn’t able to attain physical stillness like most Somas could, but he was still enough to the naked eye. Others followed his lead, calmly taking their positions and facing the front to hear what Yepla had to say.
They couldn’t be further apart. Where Verne was respected and admired, Ral was treated like a pariah. Truthfully, Ral was almost relieved; he preferred to be ignored rather than be targeted. As indignant as Aris was of their situation, it was in Ral’s opinion that as long as they weren’t physically or verbally attacked, nothing else really matters.
“This information is to be released later today,” Yepla said loudly enough for everyone to hear. “But a Gate has been sighted. It is an estimated two day’s ride from the Heart.”
A murmur immediately broke out from the students. Only Ral and Verne remained still, but Ral had a hand clenched into a fist. Gates were almost entirely unheard of so close to the Heart, except for the one that killed his grandfather decades ago. It could only mean that the Bringers had followed them and were now wreaking havoc.
“We at the Academy owe it to our emperor to bring peace and knowledge to Gaia. And so we are to send manus and runists students to control the situation and develop the rune research in closing such Gates.” More discussion burst forth, a few people even fidgeting slightly in their spot.
“With all due respect, sir, we are not soldiers,” someone spoke up. There was a murmur of agreement. “The emperor will send his men; why are we responsible for something like this?”
“Because we are the emperor’s men, even without the title of soldier,” Yepla replied. “Whether you like it or not, we are at his command. And this whole Gate business is an infection that must be excised. Are there any more questions?”
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“Who is on the roster to go?” Another asked.
“Three candidates here, selected by me,” Yeplas said. “Selected for their skills and credentials. Anyone who finishes this mission will be fast tracked to graduation.”
More murmuring. Ral almost gathered the will to speak up. It would be dangerous for anyone here to go and he was the only one who wouldn’t be affected by a Gate. Of course, there was no guarantee that a Gate would even be open once they arrived on location. But if the Bringers were indeed now approaching the Heart, then surely another Gate would appear. Anyone who was pure Gaian would turn into the Unseeing.
Except this was the ugly truth that nobody wanted to admit to. Ral had tried several times to convince his companions on the trip back from the east of this monstrous transformation that happens. Perhaps they made no comments during their discussion immediately after putting Aris under control, but now Ral believes they were simply appeasing him. Further discussion on it was met with a sense of disbelief. Laell was the most receptive to the information; Camaz was impossible to read, but Ral thought he would believe him if Aris also told him this, which she did. Verne, however, was clearly reluctant to accept it.
“I have not seen it, Ralos,” Verne had said.
How can someone so strong, so sure of themselves, also be so utterly blind? How can Verne not see that neither he nor Aris had anything to gain from lying to him? Why would someone who cared so much for his sister not even entertain the fact that there was something that tied Gates to Gaians? Was the Sekrelli really that obsessed with Gaian purity?
Ral cursed himself silently - he had just lectured Aris about being kind to Verne due to the sacrifices that man had made just to keep them alive. He had asked for nothing in return.
But in this case the obvious choice would be for Ral to be there with the group to close Gates in case any more appeared. He couldn’t let these people ignorantly put themselves into danger. He was just about to speak up from the back but he caught Verne turning his head towards him such that their gaze met. Verne gave him an emotionless look from the corner of his eyes and very curtly made a single shake of his head. Then he returned to his original pose as if nothing happened.
Frequently Ral would wonder what his sister would do in situations he found himself in. She would never accept Verne ordering her to stand down or be quiet. Perhaps she was right in that Verne was too deeply entrenched in his beliefs and ignorant of what was really happening to the world. Perhaps she was correct in keeping her distance from people who clearly care about her. Perhaps he should be following her lead, just as the sunrises after the moon sets.
But he had spent all these years thinking his smarter, more powerful twin would be living a better life and he’s learned the truth was quite the opposite. After reuniting with her, Ral had started to think that perhaps it wasn’t that the sun or the moon should follow the other but they simply coexisted in the skies in coordination.
Every place you go, you find something to tie yourself to. You invest in something.
Sun help him, his sister was right. Perhaps Aris could live by shunning those around her, but Ral couldn’t imagine doing that. He stood there in the back of the group and kept his mouth shut since he decided then and there that Verne deserved his trust.