Chapter 3: Chief Commander

  Julien

  Atraya was the first in the door her slender form nearly teleporting to his bedside in a blur of movement. Almost before he could register what was happening she had wrapped him in a hug.

  “I’m sorry,” she mumbled into his robe. The others poured into the spacious room before seeing Atraya and slowing down quickly. Aramin scratched the back of his head awkwardly and Carlouse and Katrina simply ignored the display. Julien looked down at Atraya, she didn’t normally display this level of emotion. He patted her back awkwardly and it seemed to snap her out of the situation. She straightened up and then promptly smacked him in the back of the head.

  “Argh!! What was that for!?” He ducked his head to avoid a follow up strike.

  “That’s was for nearly getting yourself killed!” She exclaimed. He started to argue but saw the look on her face and closed his mouth with an audible snap. He’d known Atraya his entire life, as she’d been placed as his guard the moment they first met at at three years old. They had grown, trained and played together although Atraya had always been the better fighter.

  That’s not to say he wasn’t skilled. Some of his instructors had said he was the best swordsman they had seen when it came to defensive swordplay. But Atraya was objectively better. He could admit that.

  You couldn’t just do something normal you just had to stick your neck out,” she said almost snarling at him. Aramin came to his other side the massive man looked down at him with a massive grin on his face.

  “I’m all for getting into a good scrap. Lord knows I love the thrill. But look what you did. It was so bad it made the taciturn Atraya turn into a worried mother he…” he lurched back before he could even finish as Atraya reach across to smack him too.

  “Well jokes aside I get why you did what you did but a heads up or better yet a plan wouldn’t go amiss next time,” Carlouse said flatly. Julien had nothing to say to that so he just remained silent. He knew Carlouse had a point but he got the distinct feeling that there was more to it than that. The cold calculating look in his eyes unsettled him. "I too am happy you are alive," Katrina said stepping from behind Carlouse. As the quietest of them the fact that she had decided to speak at all spoke volumes.

  "But I would like to know more about why the elves acted the way they did." They all turned to her and she stuttered underneath their combined gaze. "I...I just mean, everything we've been taught said that they were our benevolent allies." That was the very question Julien would like answered as well.

  Before anyone else could speak on the matter the door to the medical wing opened and a young man in the grey tunic of the academy caretakers came in balancing a tray with a steaming bowl in his hands. As he came close Julien sat up straighter in the bed. The smell of meat entered his nostrils and he became aware of the rumble in his stomach trying very hard to become an earthquake. The caretaker set the tray carefully in front of him then backed up.

  "Doctor Petra told me to tell you that visiting hours are over and that he will be joining you after he eats and gets dressed, then you can all go get yelled at by the Dean. Then he spun on his heels and headed for the door, he got halfway there before he turned his expression lighting up like he had forgot something.

  "Oh yeah! She also had one last instruction for the four of them," He said pointing at the members of Julien's squad mates, He made a shooing gesture, "Scat!"

  It only took Julien about half an hour to finish the thick beef soup that had been prepared for him and then to dress in his black T-shirt and black and gold uniform jacket. He pulled on his black pants their gold stripe down the middle of both pant legs clean without a single stain. his worn black boots were last and as he laced them up he couldn't help the anxiety that was causing the back of his throat to suddenly dry up. What did the Chief Commander want from them? He knew it was to discuss what had happened but they wouldn't be kicked out of the academy would they? or worse, they weren't about to be split up and assigned to different squads? It was rare but it did happen, usually only when a squad was extremely incompatible or when they were considered to be a danger to each other. Surely what he had done in protecting that boy wouldn't cause that, right?

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  As he stepped out of the medical wing he found his friends waiting for him their expressions bored. None of them seemed as worried about what the commander wanted as he was. They made their way out of the medical wing and across the courtyard. Julien quickly noticed the amount of younger cadets that would stare at them. Atraya seemed to notice his gaze because she leaned in as they walked.

  “Most of them saw you get carried in yesterday and there have been rumors coming in from town,” she whispered.

  “What kind of rumors?” He whispered back. But she just shook her head. They continued on in silence moving toward the main building and through. They moved to the central tower at the back of the main atrium and up the stairs. Floor by floor they went each floor becoming more spartan as they went. The only thing to decorate the cold stone were torches that burned a beautiful sapphire blue. Cold fire torches as Julien mentally noted. They wouldn’t go out unless intentionally put out and the fuel source took several weeks to run out. Only the high in station could afford to have so many in use. His father used them around the castle but he didn’t think to see them here. They kept moving until finally they reach the door for the fifth and final floor. It was a massive two door affair with gold spears etched into the door. Outside the door stood two of the royal guard on either side. They had been inside the office before but never for such a serious reason. Julien looked first left then right but each of his squadmates looked at him expectantly.

  “Oh no man,” Aramin said with a wicked grin. “This is your party.” Julien groaned but stepped forward as the guards opened the door clearly expecting them.

  The room was exactly as he remembered, sparsely decorated and circular in design with on a massive wooden. Desk at the back in front of the only window in the room. A massive book shelf and cabinet sat off to one side on the other side was a table with two red velvet chairs. Behind the desk sat an older man shuffling papers he had salt and pepper hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His uniform was crisp and clean.

  They entered the room and stood at attention in a line before the desk their backs straight, their eyes forward. Then they waited for him to address them. And waited. For nearly ten minutes the man continued to work pulling out paper and signing them before putting them on another pile. He didn’t even seem to notice they had entered. It wasn’t until one of the guards at the door coughed lightly that the man looked up. The surprise of his face confirmed that he had been too engrossed in his work. He coughed low in his throat then stood trying to compose himself. None of them dared to speak.

  He studied them briefly looking each one up and down before finally came around his desk to stand before them.

  “I’m not going to lecture you about what you did. The way I see it you did exactly as you had been taught, However…” Chief Commander Darien began. Just as Julien was beginning to relax at his words he heard the last part.

  “There are three things you must know,” he continued after a moment. “First the King has decreed that you guys will not be allowed to leave the Academy grounds without permission as long as the emissaries are here.” He held up one finger before continuing. “Secondly, you will continue you patrol from the other day. You must complete that part of your training to show competency. I’ve talk with the king and we have come to a consensus on this matter.” Julien wanted to interrupt to ask why they would be told they couldn’t leave but then expected to. He also didn’t understand why they placed so much importance on a simple patrol. But he clamped down with his will he couldn’t afford to get his squad in trouble again.

  “You will be escorted outside the city by a contingent of town guards and you will complete a patrol into the hills surrounding the city.” At this Carlouse of all people stepped forward his eyes scrunched in confusion.

  “But wouldn’t that be dangerous aren’t there monsters in the hills.” Julien expected the man to reprimand Carlouse but he only nodded at his question and waved him back into line.

  “That is true, but we believe that it will both provide a great enough challenge to your squad and serve to keep the you out of the Elves sight. Still though you will see the quartermaster after your swordsmanship class this evening to be outfitted for real weapons instead of the training blades you carry. You will set off tomorrow morning early and you will be out there for most of the day so make sure you prepare properly.”

  They all shifted uncomfortably at the knowledge that they might have to enter real combat with a monster for the first time.

  Julien had many questions but it seemed the chief commander was done entertaining them.

  “You will meet Knight Captain Elaria in the morning around six glass mark but for now I believe you have a swordsmanship class to get to. Except you Julien you are exempt for the evening classes.” With that he flicked his wrist clearly dismissing them. After a moment Julien turned, he had far more questions for the man but it seemed for now at least that they would’t be receiving any answers. He knew better than to push so he quickly left the Chief Commander’s office a thousand thoughts running through his mind.