Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Mar 31, 2019 21:39:34 GMT -5
Seth's Life: An Overview Early Years ;; 0-5 Aged, birth ;; Seth was born on the 21st of December, in the year 9088 AC*. As his birth coincided with the Winter Solstice, many believed he would be destined for greatness; the fact his parents are two of the most powerful Riders in Alagaesia lent credence to this belief as well.
Aged, 0 - 2 years ;; While his mother worked night and day to take control of the Circle and create the Order, Seth was being raised by Cresseida Vera, alongside her son, Callum, who is two years Seth’s senior. He never knew his father, and many believe him to be dead.
Aged, 2 - 4 years ;; Seth welcomes his younger “sister” into the world: Camille Vera is born on the 22nd of April in the year 9090 AC. Seth forms an immediate attachment with his little sister and the two quickly become close.
Aged, one day shy of 5 years ;; Cresseida Vera receives word that Seth is to be turned over to the care of the Circle, to begin his training. She is forced to tell him the truth: she is not his mother. Seth takes the news hard, and runs away before he has to go to the Riders. He gets lost, and then is found by a mysterious stranger who befriends him and tells him that family isn't just blood. Reassured that his goodbyes to the Vera's won't be forever, Seth lets the stranger return him to the House, where he meets his real mother, Genevieve, for the first time.
Training Years ;; 5 - 16 Aged, 5 years ;; Seth begins his training under Order Rider Nick Wilder.
Aged 5 - 6 years ;; Stage One of Training: navigation, survival, and first aid. Seth learns how to get from point A to point B by various means, as well as how to survive in the wilds with nothing but the clothes on his back.
Aged, 6 years ;; Graduation Test: Rider Nick drops Seth off in the middle of an uncharted forest, hundreds of miles from Ilirea. Seth's mission: return to the House. He is given only three supplies of his choice. Seth's choices: a good, warm, sturdy outfit; a box of matches; and a small, sturdy hatchet. Mission results: successful. Seth returns to the House after 2 months, 11 days, out of an allotted 3 months. He arrives with minor frostbite on his fingers and toes, slightly malnourished and dehydrated, and covered in several small cuts and abrasions, as well as with two fractured ribs. He is given a three day recovery period before beginning the next phase of his training.
Aged, 6 - 7 years ;; Stage Two of Training: building, repair, and craftsmanship. Seth learns how to build and fix various objects deemed “necessary” for survival, fighting, or flying. He also receives lessons on ingenuity and taking what's naturally available and using that to make or fix things.
Aged, 7 years ;; Graduation Test: Seth is given all the tools, building material, and money necessary for creating a variety of objects. His mission: build something useful. Doesn't matter what, or for who; it must simply be deemed useful by Genevieve and her Inner Circle. Mission results: successful. Seth designs and creates the first prototype dragonscale armour. With soft, durable silk or wool interior, tough leather plating, and imbedded with shed dragon scales, the armour is more comfortable, more flexible, and infinitely stronger than any metal armour could hope to be. The building of each individual Rider's dragonscale armour begins the next day (a day that also marks the beginning of Seth's wealth).
Aged, 7- 8 years ;; Stage Three: human and animal behavioral study. Seth learns the ins and outs of why people and animals do what they do. He learns to read body language, spot the smallest tells, and manipulate to his advantage. He also learns how to lie and act, and how to adapt himself to any role or situation.
Aged, 8 years ;; Graduation Test: Seth is to take part in a play, and not tell anyone what role he is to play. His mission: leave his Rider viewers guessing as to which character he portrays. Mission status: successful. Rather than play just one role in the play, Seth takes on three, two of which go completely unnoticed by the Riders.
Aged, 8 - 9 years ;; Stage Four: strength and endurance building. Seth begins learning the basics and groundwork of hand-to-hand combats. He builds up his strength, stamina, balance, and hand-eye coordination. He also learns the most basic self-defense.
Aged, 9 years ;; Graduation Test: an obstacle course that will test all of the aforementioned skills Seth learned in the past year. His mission: get through the course within the allotted time, and accumulate as few penalty points as possible. Mission results: successful. Seth completes the course with 0 penalties, and with 3.78 seconds remaining on the clock (start time: 10 minutes). He sustains a badly sprained ankle for his efforts.
Aged, 9 - 10 years ;; Stage Five: basics of hand-to-hand combat. Seth begins learning how to fight enemies hand-to-hand. He builds on what he already knows of defense, turning his defence into an offense. He learns how to take down opponents bigger than himself while exerting as little energy as possible. And he is taught how to use the environment to his advantage when facing enemies who are out of his league.
Aged, 10 years ;; Graduation Test: Seth tests his skills against real opponents. His mission: get from the starting line to the finish line within the allotted time (3 hours), defeating his opponents as they appear along the way. The catch: his arena is in a maze. Mission results: successful. Seth manages to defeat each of his six opponents, and find his way out of the maze with 17 minutes remaining on the clock. He sustains two broken fingers, a dislocated shoulder, and a concussion. He is given one week to recover before resuming his lessons.
Aged, 10 - 11 years ;; Stage Six: basics of weaponry. Seth learns the name, history, and function (strengths and weaknesses/advantages and disadvantages) of every weapon currently known. He is taught how to care for each different weapon, and the basics in how to make and repair them. (Between his lessons on weaponry, Seth is also practicing and honing his skills in basic hand-to-hand combat.)
Aged, 11 years ;; Graduation Test: Seth is given a verbal knowledge challenge to test his memory on all he has learned, plus he is tasked with cleaning and honing the weapons belonging to the senior Order Riders. He passes the test with flying colours, and returns all weapons with gleaming, razor-sharp edges.
Aged, 11 - 12 years ;; Stage Seven: intermediate hand-to-hand combat. Seth advances his basic skills, learning harder and more complex moves with the purpose of disarming and disabling a variety of opponents. Seth also learns how to spot and use his enemies’ weaknesses to his advantage, and how to turn his own weaknesses into strengths.
Aged, 12 years ;; Graduation Test: Seth is put into a tournament with other kids his age. His mission: come out of the tournament as the champion. Mission results: successful. He received several bruises on his arms, legs, and torso, and a fractured rib. He is given three days to recover before beginning the next phase of training.
Aged, 12 - 13 years ;; Stage Eight: environment and ranged weapons. Seth begins his training with the bow, as well as other ranged weapons (i.e., sling, javelin, throwing knives, etc.). He also learns to use any and every mundane object that can be found around him (in real environments as well as man-made ones, like homes and workplaces) as a weapon, often to deadly effect. (Between his lessons on weaponry, Seth is also practicing and honing his skills in intermediate hand-to-hand combat.)
Aged, 13 years ;; Graduation Test: Seth is given three ranged weapons. His mission: hit a series of targets with each weapons projectiles to the satisfaction of the judges. His weapons: the recurve bow, throwing knives, and sling (loaded with whatever rocks or pebbles Seth could find). Mission results: 2 out of 3 successful. Seth was disqualified with the bow for turning it on Silas and shooting a grape out of the boy's hand. Beforehand, however, he hit five out of six bullseyes on the appropriate targets.
Aged, 13 - 14 years ;; Stage Nine: advanced hand-to-hand combat. Seth learns advanced attack and defense techniques, putting him ahead of traditional hand-to-hand practices. He is taught how to see and anticipate his opponents attacks, and he is taught to hide his own tells. He also learns the most effective ways to kill without weapons.
Aged, 14 years ;; Graduation Test: Seth is introduced to the Ring, and he is set up to fight five rounds with the up and coming champion of the Ring, “the Dragon”. His mission: win the fight. Mission results: fail. Seth fights well through the first three rounds, but a mistake results in his being hit unconscious in the fourth round. He does not wake up in time to fight the fifth round. He does, however, issue a traditional challenge against the Dragon upon his awakening to “finish the fight.” The Dragon accepts; Seth, no longer needing to make the fight last, defeats the Dragon within two minutes. He is thereby named “the Dragonslayer,” champion of the Ring. (He has never been defeated since taking up the title.) As no one from the Order witnessed his beating the Dragon, Seth keeps his “fail” status for the mission.
Aged, 14 - 15 years ;; Stage Ten: blades and other combat weapons. As Seth proved to be deadly efficient with a bow, he continues the practice and advance his archery while learning how to use bladed weapons (such as swords, daggers, axes, etc.), and other combat weapons (like clubs, quarterstaffs, maces, etc.). (Between his lessons on weaponry, Seth is also practicing and honing his skills in advanced hand-to-hand combat.)
Aged, 15 years ;; Graduation Test: Seth and the other Order-in-training kids in his age group are to face each other in one-on-one weapon combats. For each match, the trainees must choose a new weapon; they cannot use the same weapon twice. The winners of each match will face the winners of other matches, with losers fighting losers, until there are only two winners left. Seth's mission: be the ultimate winner. Mission status: successful. Seth wins most of his matches with ease, even after choosing the weapon his opponent is best at. His biggest challenger is Silas, the other finalist. Seth sustains a badly sprained wrist and several lacerations, but ultimately comes out on top. He is given one rest day before continuing to the next phase.
Aged, 15 - 16 years ;; Stage Eleven: expert hand-to-hand and weapon combat. Seth puts all his hand-to-hand and weapons training together, learning how to use both in tandem and how to switch effortlessly between them, as well as between weapons quickly and efficiently. He also continues his archery, quickly bypassing all expectations with his inherent skill with the bow. In comparison, many of his other weapons skills are mediocre at worst, decent at best.
Aged 16 years ;; Graduation Test: Seth is set up to fight in a one-on-one battle involving hand-to-hand combat and a weapon of his choice. He is not told who his opponent is to be until minutes before the start of the match. His mission: render his opponent unable to fight. His weapon of choice: a pair of combat daggers. His opponent: Nick Wilder, Senior Order Rider, and Seth's mentor. Mission results: draw. Seth proves that his skills match those of his mentor, but do not surpass them. Genevieve calls the fight after almost four hours of battle, and deems it a draw. After some consideration, she declares Seth has learned all the skills necessary to permit him the chance to try and hatch an egg.
Aged, 5 - 16 years ;; alongside his training regimen, Seth also receives standard schooling, such as math, reading, writing, history, and languages.
Rider Years ;; 16-24 Aged, 16 years ;; Seth is shown several dragon eggs in the hopes of making one hatch. He is unsuccessful with the eggs at Headquarters, but the return of a Searcher** brings two unhatched eggs with him. One of them hatches within minutes of being in Seth's presence. After trying (successfully) to bite him, the young dragon allowed Seth to touch her, thus creating their bond.
Aged, 16 - 17 years ;; Rider Training: the bond, flying, and magic. While clear from the get-go that the bond between Seth and his young dragon, Stellaluna, is strong, it is also strained, as both halves of this particular bond are independent, stubborn individuals. However, as time goes on, and as they learn to fly and create magic together, the connection between them grows stronger still, though it remains completely unorthodox. Flight proves challenging for the pair, but they overcome their difficulties before long and become truly formidable in the air. Magic, in comparison, comes naturally to Seth, and he soon specializes with rare dimensional magic.
Aged, 17 - 18 years ;; Rider Training: combining combat training with flight and magic. With their bond established and Seth’s magic growing stronger by the day, Seth and Stel begin training for combat as a united pair. Combining Seth’s combat, magic, and weapons training with Stel’s own fight skills and her ability to fly, they quickly grow fiercer and stronger, both in the air and on the ground, as individuals and as a team. Moreover, as their training progresses, the bond and trust between them grows infinitely stronger, earning them the title of “Powerhouse Pair” by the older Riders in the Circle.
Aged, 18 - 20 years ;; Rider Training: the Order. Seth is finally introduced to the darker side of the Circle: the Order. He’s known about it since he was young, but the secrecy that surrounds it prevented him from learning any details - until now. Now it’s time for Seth to learn how the Order operates, and what his role is to be within it. He is taught the dark skills of thief, spy… and assassin. Despite his misgivings, Seth proves to be a natural, and he quickly becomes Genevieve’s protégé, and heir to her dark throne.
Aged, 20 years ;; Rider Training Graduation: Seth's first official mission for the Order. Upon his graduation and acceptance into the ranks of the Order, Seth is issued his first mission: track down and kill the Order deserter, Steve Clay. Mission results: successful. While doing so proves to be the hardest challenge of his life, Seth does as his mission demands and eliminates the target, and he does it with an ease that terrifies him.
Aged, 21 - 24 years ;; As the years as an Order Rider pass, Seth only gets better at his job, and he even learns to like it. He quickly climbs the ranks within the Order, and every mission he takes is a success. Seth’s powers with dimensional magic grows, his skills with the bow increase, and his bond with Stel becomes ever stronger, making him and Stellaluna a very dangerous pair indeed.
* = I'm using the years based on the Inheritance Cycle wiki. ^^
** = Searchers is what I decided on a whim to call those Circle Riders responsible for finding more Riders and bringing them to Headquarters.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Apr 30, 2019 15:13:45 GMT -5
Belong
On the eve of his fifth birthday, and the day he is to return to the place of his birth to begin his training, Seth learns the woman who has raised him for the first five years of his life isn’t his mother. Distraught over the news, he runs away and gets lost within the dark heart of Ilirea. While there, he makes an unlikely friend who teaches him that family isn’t always defined by blood alone.
“Take that, villain! And that! And that!”
“Ow! Callum! That hurt!”
“Quiet, villain, and eat your defeat like a man. Hee-ya!”
With a grunt of wasted effort, Seth fell under the force of Callum’s blow. His “sword” was knocked from his hands, and he landed with an omf! on his butt. He cast a hurt look at Callum, but his older brother didn’t notice; he was too busy doing his victory dance.
“Oh yeah! Captain Callum does it again! Woo hoo!” Callum waved his own sword - a long, tapered stick - around triumphantly and pumped his fist in the air. Abruptly, he halted and spun toward Seth. “Come on, Seth! Let’s go again.”
Seth shifted to his knees and grabbed his own stick - shorter and stubbier than Callum’s, just like Seth himself. “Okay, but Call… can’t I be the hero this time?”
Callum blinked owlishly at him. “You? The hero?” He laughed. “Don’t be silly. You can’t be the hero. Heroes always win - you always lose.”
Seth glowered down at the ground. “That’s only because you always make me the villain,” he mumbled.
The point of Callum’s stick stabbed into his shoulder.
Seth flinched back and batted it away. “Ow! What was that for?”
Callum grinned. “Mom says not to mutter cause it’s rude, and to not slouch because it’ll make for bad posture.”
Seth glared at him. “You slouch and mutter all the time!”
He shrugged. “I’m the oldest. I’m allowed to bend the rules a little. Now come on. It’s almost lunchtime, and I want to kick your butt once more before -” “Callum! Seth! Lunch!”
Callum’s shoulders slumped and he threw his stick to the ground. “Great. I told you. Why did you have to waste so much time?” He shook his head and started walking up toward the back porch. As he went by, he gave Seth a shove, and Seth, having only just gained his feet, fell back down.
This time, Seth refused to make a sound as he landed painfully on the hard ground. There had been no snow yet this year - much to the boys’ disappointment - but there was frost on the ground every morning, and that made for very hard earth. Seth was sure he was going to be bruised from all the times Callum had knocked him over during the last hour of play.
As Seth got to his feet - again - Callum turned and started walking backward. He was already halfway to the house, and Seth was willing to bet he knew exactly why Callum chose now to “check on” Seth.
“Hey, Seth! Race you to the house!” And he spun around and took off running.
Yep, Seth thought with an irritated glower. Nailed it.
Ignoring Callum’s challenge, Seth trudged slowly up to the house. He wasn’t in the mood to be bested again, and anyway, running would just hurt. So he walked, and he arrived just in time to hear Cresseida say, “Callum, save some for your brother.” Of course.
Seth was reaching for the screen door handle when he heard Callum’s reply, “He’s not my brother, remember? The Rider said so, when he told you they wanted him back.”
Seth froze, his hand on the handle going slack, as Cresseida hissed sharply in response. “Callum! That is not true!”
Callum sounded confused. “How do you mean? I was there! I heard the Rider. And I remember you being pregnant with Cami, but you were never pregnant with Seth. He just appeared. So it has to be true.”
Cresseida started to respond, only to stop abruptly. A moment later, the sliding door flew open, the handle slipping from Seth’s limp fingers. He heard his name, and slowly, his eyes lifted to meet his mother’s.
“Mom…?” he whispered.
Cresseida looked horror struck. She quickly ushered Seth in and shut the door behind him. “Come on, sweetheart, come sit. Callum, go to your room.”
“What? Why? I’m not done eating!”
“You’ve had plenty. Now go to your room.” Cresseida pointed in its general direction for good measure, and with great reluctance, Callum did as he was told.
Seth climbed rather numbly into his chair at the table and stared blankly at the food in front of him. He was aware that it was sandwiches, and he thought it looked like his favourite - turkey and bacon with melted cheese - but his mind was too busy thinking over what he’d heard to focus on food. Finally, he turned to Cresseida for answers, and was shocked to see her sitting at the table with her head in her hands. He couldn’t hear any sobs, but her shoulders were shaking with them.
Seth stood up on his chair hurriedly, even though he knew he wasn’t allowed. It was the only way he could reach her. “Mom? What’s wrong? Are you okay? What can I do? I -”
Cresseida sat up suddenly, grabbed Seth, and half-lifted, half-dragged him over and across the table to her lap. She held on tight, and now Seth could feel her sobs as well as see them, thought he still heard nothing.
Now Seth was really confused. He tried to wriggle out of Cresseida’s embrace, but her arms just tightened around him. He settled for leaning back a little so he could see her face. “Mom? Are you okay?” he asked again. “What hurts?”
Cresseida drew in a big, audible breath, but all she said was, “Oh Seth,” and hugged him tight to her again.
Seth relented and resolved to let her hold him for a minute. He’d never seen her act this way, and it was unnerving. But Seth had never minded being held by her before, so he stopped resisting and just sat with her for a while. Wasn’t like she was giving him much choice in the matter anyway.
Finally, Cresseida seemed to return to her senses. She took another deep breath and sat back. She wiped her face with one hand, while the other continued to hold Seth prisoner in her lap, though it was loose enough now for him to sit back and watch her.
Cresseida held his gaze for a moment, then laughed. It was uneven and breathless, but it was definitely a laugh.
Seth frowned. “What’s so funny?”
But Cresseida was shaking her head. “Nothing, my sweet. Nothing. I’m just…” Suddenly there were tears welling in her eyes again. “Oh, I’m going to miss you so much!” she cried, hugging him tight once more.
Seth felt like the floor had dropped out from under him. Miss him? Why would she miss him? Was she really going to do what Callum said, and let the Riders take him?
This time, when Seth struggled free, he was successful. He tried to give her the same hard look she shot him every time she made him tell her something he didn't want to say. “What did Callum mean when he said I wasn't his brother? And that I just appeared? Why do the Riders want to take me away? And why are you crying?”
Cresseida looked torn between laughing and crying again. She settle on a sad smile. “Seth, honey…” She sighed. “There's something I need to tell you.”
~ • ~ • ~ “No!”
“Seth…”
“No!” Seth shouted again. He'd hoped it would make him feel better, but it didn't. It didn't change what Cresseida had told him. “I don't want to be a Rider's son! I want to be your son.”
“Oh Seth. Of course you're my son. Just because I didn't give birth to you like I did Callum and Cami doesn't change that. I -”
“But it does!” Seth argued. “Call said so. He doesn't think I'm his brother anymore. And he's probably going to make sure Cami doesn't think so either!”
“Oh, Seth,” Cresseida said again, only this time she sounded less concerned and more scolding. “Callum was just reacting rashly to the news. He wouldn't try and turn your sister against you like that.”
Seth crossed his arms stubbornly. “Shows what you know,” he muttered. “Call hates me.”
“Now Seth, that's enough! You're acting childish. You're brother -”
“He's not my brother!” Seth snapped. Cresseida looked shocked. Seth kept talking, suddenly unable to stop. “And I'm glad! Callum is a jerk. He's always making me the bad guy when we play, and he uses it as an excuse to push me around. And who cares if I act childish, anyway? I'm not your child, so it shouldn't be your responsibility!”
Cresseida gasped, her eyes wide and hurt, and Seth knew he'd gone too far. He looked down, tears of anger and frustration blurring his vision.
He heard her take a shaky breath. “Seth… I know this is hard, and that it hurts. But there's nothing I can do about it. I knew this day would come, I just… hoped she'd wait longer. You're still just a little boy.”
Seth's head snapped up, and now his eyes were wide and hurt. “You knew? You knew they would come for me and you didn't tell me? Why?”
“Because I didn't want to hurt you. I had hoped Genevieve would give you more time to grow up before she sent for you. I thought I had time.”
“Genevieve? Who's Genevieve?” Seth demanded, deciding right then that he didn't like her, whoever she was.
Cresseida looked down and took a deep breath before answering haltingly, “She… Genevieve is… She's your mother, Seth. Your birth mother.”
Seth went still, his eyes going wide. “My… But I thought… she was dead or something. Why… Why would they give me to you if my real mother was still alive?!”
Cresseida flinched as if he'd hit her. At first, he didn't understand why. It was a valid question, wasn't it? Then he realized: it wasn't the question, it was the “real mother” comment. Seth hadn't thought about the implications in saying that to Cresseida, but he saw now that he'd hurt her, deeply, and he wasn't sure how to fix it.
But then Cresseida straightened her shoulders and a determined look stole over her face. “I don’t know why she gave you to me, Seth. All I know is she did, and I have loved you like my own from day one. Now she wants you back. She didn’t say why. The Rider who came to talk to me said he’ll be back tomorrow to pick you up -”
Seth jolted. “Tomorrow? But that’s my birthday!”
Cresseida’s shoulders slumped, just a little. “I know, honey. I’m sorry. I tried to make them wait another day but they wouldn’t -”
“Well, I don’t want to go! Those Riders can just go find another kid to abduct!” Seth pushed his chair back and got up. He turned away from the table and ran across the room to the door.
Cresseida stood hurriedly. “Seth? Where are you going?”
Seth looked at her over his shoulder. “Away from here! I need to think for a while. Don’t follow me!” He slipped quickly out the door, ignoring Cresseida when she called out after him, and ran as fast he could toward the small wooded area at the back of the yard. Seth wasn’t very strong or fast, but if he could get there, he knew he could hide and no one would find him.
~ • ~ • ~ Seth didn't stop at the forest. He got so caught up in running that he just kept going and going until he couldn't anymore. And when he finally stumbled to a halt, breathing heavily and choking back sobs, he fell against the outer wall of a building, not a tree.
He slid down the wall until his butt hit the ground, and then he hugged his knees and bent his head to hide his face against his arms. But he refused to cry. Tears were for babies, and he wouldn't be one ever again.
Seth had no idea how long he sat like that before a noise made him jolt up right. He couldn't see anything, but he was sure he'd heard…
There it was again! A footstep. But… where was it coming from?
Seth sat, silent and motionless, waiting and listening. He had to figure out where it was coming from, and who it was. Was it a friend or a foe? He wasn’t entirely sure what a foe was, but he knew it was the opposite of friend. Did that mean it was another word for enemy? “Then why not just say ‘friend or enemy?’” Seth muttered. Then his eyes widened. “Opse,” he whispered.
A laugh sounded from across the alley and to his left. Seth’s gaze shot toward it, but he still couldn’t see who it was. “‘Opse’ is right,” the owner of the laugh said. “And you were doing so well, too. Ah, well. You are still just a kid. So easily distracted.”
Seth sat up straight with a frown. “Hey,” he said indignantly. “Who are you, anyway? Show yourself!”
“Oh ho!” The stranger laughed again. “A tough guy, huh? Alright, kid. I'll show myself.”
And he did. He stepped forward and he was just… there. Seth stared at him, looked at the place he'd been, and then at the man again. He couldn't understand it. The man hadn't been hiding; he'd just been standing there… invisible?
Seth slowly sat up and got first to his knees, then his feet. “How… how did you do that?”
The man smiled. “Magic, my boy. That… was magic.”
Seth's eyes widened. “Magic? But then… you're a Rider?” Rider’s weren’t the only magic possessing species, but they were the most common, especially in Ilirea.
“I sure am. Friends call me Ghost.”
Seth canted his head. “Ghost? Because you can disappear?” For the man certainly didn't look like a ghost. His short hair was dark, though in the poor lighting, Seth wasn't sure if it was actually black or just dark brown. He was tall and well-build, but not overtly muscular. And his eyes, dark like his hair though the actual colour was unidentifiable in the dim light, were bright and lively.
He snickered. “Figure that out all on your own, did ya? Yes, that's why I'm called Ghost. There's another reason too, but we don't need to get into that right now. Why don't you tell me your name, and then tell me what you're doing out here on your own.”
Seth hesitated. Like all kids, he was well-versed in the lessons on Stranger Danger, and he wasn’t stupid enough to believe that just because he knew this guy’s name, he wasn’t a stranger anymore. Besides, he’d claimed friends called him Ghost. In other words, it wasn’t even his real name.
In the end, Seth decided to tell him. He said nothing that could lead back to his house or his family, but he explained what had happened that made him run away. He could see no harm in sharing that, and Cresseida had always said that the best advice often came from an uninvolved party. He hadn’t realized until that moment that “party” referred to a person who wasn’t personally involved.
When he was done, the two sat in silence for several minutes while the stranger mulled over what he’d been told.
Finally, he said, “So what's the big deal?”
Seth glared at him. “What do you mean? It's all a big deal!”
Ghost shrugged. “Not really. I think one part of it truly bothers you, and you're letting that hold sway over your feelings for the rest of the news.”
Seth rolled his eyes. “Alright, smart guy,” he said. His words made Ghost laugh, though Seth wasn't sure why. Wondering about it made him lose his train of thought, but with a shake of his head he got it back on track. “What's the one part that bothers me?”
Ghost stopped laughing and looked at him with the most serious expression Seth had seen from the stranger. “The part where Cresseida isn't your birth mother.”
Seth felt an immediate and intense stab of pain at the words and knew he was right. He looked away and said nothing.
Ghost continued. “But you know what, Seth? Birth mother doesn't automatically equal real mother. Genevieve didn't raise you. She hasn't loved you. She didn't teach you how to talk or walk. Genevieve has never made you food or taken care of you when you were sick. You know who has?”
“Cresseida,” Seth answered quietly. He felt tears prick his eyes and furiously blinked them back. “But now she's letting them take me away!”
Ghost placed a steadying hand on Seth's shoulder. “‘Away’ doesn't mean forever. It doesn't mean she doesn't love you. And it certainly doesn't make her less of a mother. Has anyone said you won't be able to see her once you leave?”
Seth sniffled. “No,” he mumbled.
“Well then. Don't think about it as if you're being taken away. Think about it like… It's an adventure, like one the heroes in your stories go on. You're going off to learn everything you need to know to be great. And between the acts of greatness, you can go home and see Cresseida whenever you want. And know she'll always be there waiting for you. I've no doubt she'll want to hear all about your adventures.”
Seth thought over Ghost's words. It did sound pretty great, and Ghost was right: no one had said that saying goodbye to Cresseida was forever.
There was one thing he thought was odd, though.
He looked up at Ghost. “How did you know I like adventure stories?”
Ghost grinned mysteriously and didn't answer. “Go home, Seth,” he said instead. “And apologize to your mother.”
Seth didn't like being left in the dark, but he smiled back anyway and stood up. “Okay. Thank you for the advice.”
Ghost gave him a two finger salute. “Anytime, kid.” He remained sitting, leaning comfortably against the brick wall with his arms draped over his bent knees. Seth waved and started walking, heading in the direction of home. He hadn't gone far before Ghost called out. Seth turned around.
Ghost was standing now, half in the light of the rising moon, half in shadow, and in that moment, he did look like a ghost. “If you ever find yourself surrounded by enemies, tell them you know me. It'll save you a lot of trouble one day.”
Seth frowned. “What enemies? What do you mean?”
But Ghost just winked. “You'll understand one day. Until next time, kid.”
And with no warning, he simply vanished, like a ghost, into the night.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on May 5, 2019 0:32:00 GMT -5
Good Enough
A new orphan is joining the ranks at Rider Headquarters, and Seth is less than pleased. The new boy is naturally talented, naturally athletic, and a natural pain in the ass - all things that Seth has to work for. Worse, Genevieve is finally showing an interest in the kids’ training, and it isn’t because of Seth. If Seth wants to earn - and keep - his mother’s favour, he’s going to have to work twice as hard to beat the new kid - to a pulp. Thus begins the epic (and likely eternal) competition between Seth and Silas. Young Riders Program (YRP): kids in training to be Riders. Each had or has one Rider parent, but most are now orphans and being looked after by the Circle as they go through training to determine if they have what it takes to be Riders. (They are also being used as an experiment of Genevieve's, to see if having one Rider as a parent vs two Rider parents changes anything in the child's abilities.) The kids:
- Seth Accio ;; 11 years. Dark blond hair. Sea-green eyes. 4'6. Genevieve's son, and the reason for the experiment.
- Silas Jorgenson ;; 11 years. Brown hair. Blue eyes. 4'10. A false orphan. His Rider father died when he was 10, and his mother, no longer able to look after him, gave him to the Order. He was told she died.
- Morgan ;; 11 years. Blond hair. Hazel eyes. 4'8. Orphan. His Rider mother was killed during a home raid when he was 7; his father died in the crossfire.
- Thomas ;; 11 years. Strawberry-blond hair. Green eyes. 4'9. Orphan. Parents killed in fire when he was 8. Rider father made many enemies before his death.
- Roland ;; 11 years. Red hair. Green eyes. 4'7. Orphan. Thomas's cousin. His Rider mother was killed as collateral for her brother's crimes. Roland's father died of sickness when the boy was young.
- Arianna ;; 11 years. Long auburn hair. Deep brown eyes. 4'9. Her mother is a high-ranking Rider of the Order, and is the only other Rider besides Genevieve to include her child in the experiment.
- Senza Arion ;; 10 years. Black hair. Brown eyes. 4'8. Orphan. Her Rider father was killed in a raid when she was 6. Mother died in childbirth.
- Allen ;; 10 years. Blond hair. Brown eyes. 4'6. False orphan. Rider mother’s dragon was killed and she was driven mad by the loss. Killed her husband, and was locked up for her crimes. Allen has been told she died.
- Devon ;; 10 years. Dark brown hair. Dark brown eyes. 4'7. Was sent to the Order for training by his father, who is a wealthy Rider from the south of Alagaësia.
- Max ;; 9 years. Sandy brown hair. Hazel eyes. 4’5. Orphan. Rider father unknown. Left mother before he was born. Mother died of infection when he was 8.
- Heather ;; 9 years. Honey blonde hair. Blue eyes. 4'5. Orphan. Parents unknown. Was left at the gates of Headquarters as an infant.
- Isla ;; 8 years. Black hair. Blue eyes. 4’2. An orphan, twin of Benji. Rider mother unknown. Father dropped her and her brother at Headquarters when they were 7.
- Benji ;; 8 years. Black hair. Blue eyes. 4'2. Rider mother unknown. Father dropped him and his sister at Headquarters when they were 7.
“Hey, Seth! Check this out!”
Seth looked up from his worksheet, expecting to see Morgan showing off some mundane trick he’d learned. Instead the other boy, and the rest of the kids, were looking at the door.
Seth followed their gaze. Nick was talking with another Rider - Seth thought it was Kyle, but he and his brother were identical twins, so it was hard to be sure - in the doorway, and there looked to be a kid standing off to the side of Kyle. Seth leaned on his desk and canted his head in an attempt to see better, and when that didn't work, he got up and walked to the door.
Senza hissed at him as he walked by. “Seth! What are you doing?”
He looked over his shoulder at her. “I'm figuring out what's going on.”
“Don't you think you should wait?”
He shrugged. “Not really.” He continued to the door, ignoring Senza's indignant huff, and got there in time to hear Nick saying goodbye.
“Thank you, Kevin.”
“It's Kyle,” the Rider muttered.
Seth felt a moment of triumph. Ha ha! I was right!
Nick sighed. “Right, sorry. Come on, boy. I'll introduce you to everyone.” He turned around, and that's when he noticed Seth. He frowned. “Seth. What are you dong? You're supposed to be working on your test.”
“I finished that half an hour ago.”
Nick's frown deepened. “But you were still writing when I checked on you five minutes ago.”
Seth shrugged. “I was drawing.”
“You were…” Nick sighed. “You know what? Never mind. Go back to your seat. I have an announcement for everyone to -”
“We have a new trainee,” Seth announced for him. He gestured with a wave of his hand to the boy standing behind and a little to the side of Nick. “It's kind of obvious.”
The kid glared at him. “Don't flap your hand at me. And you should just do what you're told and sit.”
Seth's brows went up. “I'm sorry? And who are you to tell me what to do? No one, that's who. So why don't you just mind your own business -”
With a shout of outrage, the boy threw himself at Seth. Seth jumped backward, startled, but Nick thrust his arm out between them and caught the boy before he could make contact.
“What the hell!” Seth yelled. “You just tried to attack me! Who does that?”
“Seth, that's enough,” Nick growled. “Go sit down. Now.”
Seth threw up his hands in acquiesce. “Fine! But don’t bother asking me to make him feel welcome after that!” He turned around and stormed back to his desk. Seth wasn’t normally one to draw people - it wasn’t one of his greater art skills - but in that moment he felt tempted to try. He wanted to draw a picture of the smart-mouth in the jaws of a dragon.
Nick introduced the “smart-mouth” as Silas Jorgenson. “His father was a Rider of the Order, and Genevieve herself has deemed Silas’s chances high for following in his footsteps. I want you all - and I do mean all,” he added, with a pointed glare at Seth, “to make him feel welcome. Understood?”
“Yes, Nick,” chorused the class.
With one exception. “Seth…” Nick warned.
Seth sat back in his seat and crossed his arms stubbornly. “No. I said I wasn’t going to make him feel welcome after his little stunt, and I won’t. I’m a man of my word.”
Silas snickered. “Man? You? You’re nothing but a pipsqueak.”
Seth slowly turned his gaze to Silas, and was immensely satisfied when the dark look in his eyes actually made Silas look a bit nervous. “Small does not mean weak.” Seth spoke clearly, and with promise: Do not mistake my size for weakness - you’ll regret it.
If Silas saw the message, he chose to ignore it. “Maybe in some cases, but I doubt you’re one of them.”
Seth looked like he was about to get up and prove how deceiving his size was, but Nick cut in before he could do more than plant his feet on the ground. “Alright, that’s enough.” He looked from one boy to the other, irritated and surprised by the vehemence between them after barely ten minutes in each other’s company. “Have you two met before today?”
“No,” they replied at the same time, then glared at each other for it.
Nick sighed. “You two are going to make my life so much harder, aren’t you?”
Neither bothered to respond.
~ • ~ • ~ “You were so mean to Silas today, Seth! What’s your problem?”
Senza stood over Seth, hands on her hips and a frown on her face. Seth looked up from his sketchbook with great reluctance and met her glower with one of his own. “Uh, did you miss the part where he tried to attack me?”
“No, but if you ask me, you had it coming. You called him a no one. No kid wants to hear that, especially not when they’re new.”
Seth looked back at his drawing. “I didn’t call him a no one - I said he wasn’t anyone who could talk to me the way he did. He -”
“And why not? Because your mother is Mistress Genevieve? That doesn’t entitle you to special treatment, Seth.”
Seth’s grip on his pencil tightened, as did his jaw as he clenched his teeth. “I never said it did,” he growled. “You shouldn’t talk to anyone the way he talked to me. It’s rude, and impolite, and it was my mother who taught me that. Not Genevieve.” He slammed his book closed and stood up. He hated that he was shorter than Senza, even if it was only by a couple of inches, but he glared at her anyway as if he were the taller one.
She looked chastened for a moment by his words, but then her stubborn nature won out and she shook her head. “Whatever you say, Seth. You’re the one who’s always right, after all.” And with a toss of her long dark hair, she turned and marched off.
Seth sat back down with a low growl and dropped his sketchbook in the grass beside him so he could put his head in his hands. He wasn’t sure when, where, or by whom he got dubbed “the guy who’s always right,” but Senza really enjoyed throwing it back in his face whenever the fact was proved wrong. Although in this case, he didn’t think he was wrong. Silas had no right to talk to him the way he did, and nothing was going to make Seth change his mind about it.
“Uh oh. I take it Senza beat me here?”
Seth looked up at the sound of his friend’s voice with a sigh. “Yeah, she did.”
Morgan plopped down beside him. “Shoot. Sorry, man. What did she say?”
Seth pulled his sketchbook into his lap and tried to focus on finishing his drawing as he told Morgan what had been said between him and Senza. He didn’t succeed, and after he’d finished telling Morgan everything, he slapped his pencil down on the open page. “Damn it! I don’t understand why she’s been acting like such a witch lately. Especially to me! It doesn’t make any sense. We were friends just last week. Or so I thought.” He looked at Morgan. “Do you have any ideas?”
Morgan hastily looked away. Seth’s eyes narrowed. “Morgan…” he said warningly. “What do you know?”
Morgan wriggled, as if trying to escape Seth’s question. He lasted about thirty seconds before tossing his hands in the air in defeat. “Alright, I’ll tell you! But you have to promise not to repeat what I’m about to say, and you can’t start acting differently around Senza. Deal?”
Seth didn’t really like the sound of that, but he nodded. “Deal.”
Morgan took a deep breath, held it a moment, then let it out in a rush of words: “Senzahasacrushonyou.”
Seth blinked. “I’m sorry, can you speak English, please?”
Looking rather sullen, Morgan crossed his arms and muttered, “Senza has a crush on you.”
Seth laughed. Morgan continued to look sullen. Seth’s laughter stuttered, then died, and he looked at his friend in disbelief. “What, seriously?”
Morgan nodded. “Seriously. She told me.”
“She did not!” Seth protested. “People with crushes do not act like jerks to the object of their crush.”
“They do when said crush has a crush on someone else.”
Seth jolted. “What? I don’t have a crush on anyone.”
Morgan rolled his eyes. “Right. So I guess that’s not Arianna, walking towards us right now.”
Seth went still. “That’s not funny, Morgan.”
Morgan smirked and waved at someone behind Seth. “I’m not joking,” he said out of the corner of his mouth before suddenly grinning broadly. “Hey, Ari! Enjoying the weather?”
“I am. What are you two up to?”
Seth sat perfectly still as Morgan replied easily, “Just chilling. Care to join us? We were just - Oh, I wouldn’t -”
A screen of auburn suddenly fell over Seth’s shoulder as Arianna leaned over him to look at his sketchbook. “Oh, Seth, did you draw that? It looks amazing!”
Seth slammed the book closed. “Uh, yeah, but it’s… not done.” He hoped she thought the colour in his face was due to embarrassment over unintentionally showing her his sketches and not because of her proximity.
Arianna didn’t seem daunted by his words. She sat beside him and reached for the book. “That’s okay. I won’t judge them for their incompleteness, I promise. May I?”
“Uh…” Seth was torn. He didn’t want to seem mean by telling her no, but he really wasn’t comfortable showing her, or anyone, his drawings. His grip on the sketchbook tightened. “I… would really rather you didn’t. Sorry.”
Arianna held his gaze with a steady expression for a long minute before turning away. “Alright then.” She was quiet for a moment, and Seth worried he’d offended her. Then she looked at him again, swinging her whole body toward him in the process, and making him startle like a rabbit. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to notice. “What if you drew something for me? Would you show me that?”
Seth opened his mouth, but no words came out. He closed it quickly before he could be compared to a fish - something Callum loved doing whenever he managed to leave Seth speechless. “I - well - What do you want me to draw?”
“Hm.” She canted her head, sending her long auburn hair cascading over her shoulder. “Well, what do you like drawing most?”
Finally, an easy question. “Dragons.”
Arianna grinned, setting her chocolate-brown eyes sparkling. “Then draw me a dragon.”
Jeez. Did she really expect him to be able to respond when she looked at him like that? Seth had to pull on all his acting skills and look down at his sketchbook before he could find the words to reply. “Uh, yeah, I can do that. If you want it to look realistic you'll have to wait a couple days, though. Good art takes time.”
That was what Cresseida always told him, whenever he got frustrated when his drawing didn't work out the way he envisioned it right away. “Take a deep breath and step back for a bit. If it's not working out, that's okay. Good art takes time, you know. It won't be rushed.” He repeated her words every time he sat down to draw anything difficult, and realistic dragons were some of the hardest.
Arianna smiled. “That's fine. Maybe in the meantime we could -”
“Seth!”
All three kids jumped at the unexpected voice, and then they hastily got to their feet. “Hello, Mistress Genevieve,” Morgan and Arianna chorused. Seth remained quiet. No matter how many times she told him it was okay to call her by her name, Seth just couldn't feel comfortable calling his mother “Genevieve.” She may not have raised him, and while he would always see Cresseida as his real mom, he still would have liked it if Genevieve would treat him like her son for once.
She smiled at Morgan and Arianna, but Seth couldn't help noticing it looked fake. “As you were, dears. I just need to borrow Seth for a bit, okay?”
“Sure, Mistress Genevieve,” Arianna replied easily. “I hope he's not in trouble?” She was prying, her method and delivery the perfect replica of an innocent and worried inquiry. Seth could have told her not to bother - Genevieve was too good to fall for such an act.
She waved off Arianna's concern. “Not to worry, dear. It's just a word between mother and son. Come along, Seth. You can play with your friends later.” And she turned and walked gracefully away, without checking to see if Seth followed. She knew he would.
Seth hastily bent to pick up his dropped pencil, muttered a goodbye to Morgan and Arianna, and hurried after his mother.
If there was one thing being smaller than most everyone was good for, it was building stamina. Seth had always had to work twice as hard as everyone else to keep up with physical activity, and while it was still slow going building his strength and speed, his stamina had long outgrown that of the others.
Seth couldn’t help feeling grateful for this every time Genevieve wanted to talk to him. She never did so and remained in one spot; they always had to be walking, sometimes even jogging, when they had their talks. It used to leave Seth breathless - especially because Genevieve was not a short woman - but now, while he still often struggled to keep up, he managed to keep his breathing even and steady, leaving him able to talk with little difficulty.
As was her custom, Genevieve remained quiet for the first several minutes of their walk before jumping right into the purpose for the talk. “Nick told me you and the new boy almost came to blows today, after only thirty seconds in each other’s company.” She turned her icy gaze on him. “Care to explain what that was about?”
Seth looked away. “We didn’t almost come to blows. Silas -”
“Don’t contradict me, young man,” Genevieve interrupted, her voice like a whip. Seth struggled not to visibly wince. “I trust Nick’s account of events. I did not ask for yours. I simply want you to tell me why.”
Seth kept his eyes on the ground between his feet. “I was talking to Nick. Silas interrupted me and tried to give me orders. I told him he wasn’t anyone who had the right. He tried to attack me. Nick stopped him. That’s it.”
Seth expected another rebuff for his “contradiction,” and was stunned when she stopped instead. Genevieve never stopped moving during their talks. She turned to look directly at him, and the irritation on her face shocked him more than her stopping. He didn’t think he’d ever seen such a genuine emotion on her face before.
“Seth, honey.” Oh uh. She only called him “honey” when he was in trouble. “Why do you feel the need to disobey me?”
Seth’s astonishment reached a new high, and later he would blame that for his automatic response. “I don’t! You just refuse to listen, so you give me orders that are hard to follow. Nick has been teaching me that a good leader -”
“I am well aware of what Nick has been teaching you, Seth.” Her voice was back to the cool iciness he was used to. “And in most cases, he would be right. But I am in a class of my own, and my orders are to obeyed no matter what. I don’t care if it’s hard. Do you understand?”
Seth looked down again, tears of frustration stinging his eyes. He blinked them back furiously. Why did she feel the need to do this to him? For six years he’d been trying to understand her, to make her understand him, but she never seemed interested. She just shut him down and told him some variation of this same speech.
Genevieve straightened her shoulders and continued in a calmer tone. “You clearly don’t get along with Silas, but I want you to change that - immediately. Silas knows how to take orders, and he could teach you a thing or two more regarding your combat training as well. If he keeps learning at the rate he’s displayed so far, with the Riders state-of-the-art training instead of the mundane training he’s received so far, I can see him besting everyone in the Program with ease.”
She paused, but she needn’t have bothered. Seth knew what she was implying. “Including you, my son. And that would be truly shameful. You are the son of the two most powerful Riders of the century. You should be wiping the floor with that boy.”
Seth’s hands clenched at his sides, and he bit his tongue to keep from spitting out his response: That’s because you’re Riders. Rider magic and abilities aren’t an inherited trait. Although he often wished they were. Maybe then he wouldn’t be so small and weak.
Genevieve spun on her heel and started walking again. Seth shoved his hands in his pockets and trudged after her. She continued talking. “Nick tells me you’re also spending too much of your spare time colouring. You should be dedicating that time to getting ahead in your studies and training. No minute should be wasted - especially not on such a useless skill.”
This time, Seth couldn’t muster the energy to flinch at her words, despite the hurt they caused. Of course, he’d seen this coming. She had already forbidden him to read his adventure stories; now, he only ever read history texts, or magic tombs, or creature documentaries. Why wouldn’t she take away drawing too? It wasn’t like he didn’t already work his butt off to be at the top of his classes. He was the smallest of all the potential Riders (except the twins, Isla and Benji, but they were only eight, so they hardly counted), and yet he was the best of them all. Wasn’t that good enough for her?
Of course not, he thought bitterly. Now I have to be better than Silas too, and apparently he’s good enough to wipe the floor with the rest of us.
He couldn’t help but hope Genevieve was just exaggerating. With “mundane” training, he couldn’t possibly be better than all the Rider-trained kids… could he?
~ • ~ • ~ The answer? Yes. Yes, he could.
Seth saw exactly what Genevieve meant the next day during training. And the day after that. And the one after that. Again, and again, and again.
Silas proved to be strong, fast, perfectly balanced and coordinated, and he made it all look easy. Worse, for him it was easy. He didn’t have to try, and Seth didn’t see him fail once - even though everyone failed at least once a day during Nick’s rigorous training exercises. He’d thought it was impossible not to.
But Silas didn’t fail. He did everything that was asked of him, and he did it right - the first time. And Genevieve saw every minute of it.
Seth was certain she’d stopped watching him after his first and only fail. It didn’t matter that he got it all right from then on - he’d failed an exercise, and Silas hadn’t. Clearly, that made him the better trainee.
Seth had never been interested in being the best before coming to live at the House. He’d arrived believing he would try, but he wouldn’t give his all - and he certainly wouldn’t care what his “mother” thought about him. That had changed when he discovered he liked being praised by Genevieve - something Nick said was very hard to come by. So he’d started working harder, doing better, and trying his best to do everything she asked of him. He’d struggled and fallen; he’d worked harder than everyone else to make up for his misgivings; and he’d succeeded where many of the others had failed. He’d reached the top… only to lose his hard-gained favour to a big brute who was enjoying his newfound fame way too much.
He was sitting across the training room from Seth, surrounded by all the other trainees. They pestered him with questions - How did you get so good? Can you show me that again? Can you teach me? - and it was clear Silas was just basking in the adoration. Seth had never gotten that kind of attention. Everyone blamed Seth’s skill on his parents’, or believed it to be nothing but his mother’s favour. They didn’t think he could be good because of his own determination and dedication.
But Silas? Poor, orphaned Silas, who was more like them than Seth was, with his powerful mother and legend father… Silas was a hero for his skill; Seth had only ever done what was expected of him, and little else.
“Hey, Seth? You’re going to burn a hole in the back of Silas’s head if you keep glaring at him like that.”
Seth could hear the concern and amusement in Morgan’s voice, but he didn’t look away from Silas. “Good,” he growled. “Maybe that will prove to everyone that he has no brain.”
Morgan was the only one who knew how hard Seth worked to be as good as he was, the only one who was unimpressed with Silas’s skill. Like always, he was a true friend. Seth didn’t think it was possible for Morgan to be anything else.
He snickered. “Oh, I get it. He’s the brawn, you’re the brain. Does that mean you’re going to ask Nick if you can be his opponent at the end-of-month fight contest?”
“Yes,” Seth answered simply. Although mention of the contest (a miniature competition between the trainees that was held at the end of every month, as it had been for every year of training, to test their skills against each other) reminded him that there was something he had to do before then, and he was running out of time.
“Did you see where Nick went?” Seth asked, looking between the two doors that led out of the training room. They each led to different corridors, which went to opposite sides of the House. If he went out the wrong one, it could take ages to find Nick.
Morgan pointed to the door on the left. “I think he mentioned something about going to the dragon stables to see Ignatius.”
Seth got to his feet. “Perfect. I’ll see you later, okay?” He looked over his shoulder as he started to walk away, but he halted when he saw the expression on his friend’s face. “What’s wrong?”
Morgan looked down, but Seth had already seen the sadness and disappointment. “She did it again, didn’t she?” he asked quietly.
Seth frowned and came back to crouch beside him again. “What do you mean?”
Morgan sighed and met his gaze. “Genevieve. She got to you again. You’ve stopped drawing - you haven’t even started the dragon you promised Arianna - and now you’re going to talk to Nick about more training, aren’t you?”
Seth fell backward onto his butt and remained quiet, his eyes on the floor between his feet. He didn’t know what to say in response. His friend was right, on all counts. Seth was sure Morgan understood his reasons, but it was clear he wasn’t happy about them.
He sighed. “I’m sorry, Morgan. If it makes you feel better, I’ll make sure to find time to draw. But…”
“But you’re still going to ask for more training,” Morgan finished for him. Seth nodded unhappily. Morgan heaved his own sigh, then got to his feet. “Alright. You’re going to need a dummy, right? Let’s go ask for more training.”
Seth’s gaze shot up in surprise. “You don’t have to. I know you hate extracurricular work.”
Morgan shrugged. “Yeah, well, I think I need it as much as you do. I don’t know about you, but I don’t fancy being second best to that guy in everything forever.” He accompanied “that guy” with a jerk of his thumb toward Silas. He held out his hand to help Seth up. “So let’s go get our butts whipped by Nick.”
~ • ~ • ~ When they found Nick, he was sitting in the curve of Ignatius’s body, his eyes closed. Seth and Morgan approached the pair with a combination of awe, trepidation, and caution. They had grown up at the House, which meant seeing dragons on a daily basis was not new to them. But most of their training and studies, plus the rules of the House, meant they rarely got to get up close and personal with the scaled beasts.
Nick had introduced them to his dragon, Ignatius, before, but doing so again now didn’t diminish their sense of awe. Their whole purpose at the House was to gain the skills necessary to qualify them for the right to hatch a dragon. It would put them ahead of all the new Riders who were found by the Searchers, out in the world, and give them opportunities within the Circle few others received. It was a great honour, one they were reminded of every time they were in the presence of a dragon.
Ignatius noticed their arrival first. One large amber eye blinked open and pinned them beneath its bright stare. The boys froze, and then Morgan shoved Seth between the shoulder blades, nominating him to go closer to get Nick’s attention.
Seth shot a glare over his shoulder, then both boys jumped when Nick suddenly spoke up. “If you’re trying to sneak up on me, you’ll have to do better than that.”
Seth spun back to face Nick, and found his mentor’s eyes were still closed. For a moment, he was confused. How did he know they were there? His gaze shot to Ignatius. Of course. Some Riders’ bond with their dragon was so strong, they could see through their eyes. Even if Nick wasn’t watching them through Ignatius, he had probably been given a heads-up through their mental link.
“Uh, we weren’t trying to sneak. We want to talk to you. If… if you have a minute?”
Slowly, Nick’s eyes opened. He lifted his head and met Seth’s gaze. He sighed. “You want more training, don’t you?”
Seth frowned. “Am I really that predictable?”
Nick chuckled, and behind him, Seth heard Morgan snicker. “Yes,” Nick said simply. “You are.” He got to his feet in one fluid motion and stretched before walking toward the boys. He ran his hand along Ignatius’s head as he went. “Okay. Why do you want the extra training?”
Seth kenw his biggest reason - to beat Silas in the end-of-month contest - wasn’t going to earn him the extra training, so he went with his second, but no less important, reason. “Because I don't want to have to struggle to keep up with everyone else anymore. The last time you gave me extra training, you helped me build my stamina so that wouldn't be an issue. It helped - a lot. But the things we're learning in class now require more. So that's what I want: more.”
Nick grunted and poked him in the stomach. “What you need is more food. You're skin and bone.”
Seth batted his hand away. “That's not my fault. I eat lots.”
He just gave another noncommittal grunt and looked at Morgan. “And you? Why do you want more training?”
Morgan shrugged. “I don't. I'm just here to be his punching bag.”
Nick shook his head, but there was a spark of amusement in his eyes that made Seth think they'd successfully won him over. “I have to warn you: you if train with me, I'm going to make you work, and work hard. I'll push you to your breaking point, and then I'll push you past it. You're going to be dead on your feet and sore beyond reason. And that's only going to be during your extra training. I expect you to keep up and work your asses off throughout your scheduled training too. And you can't fall behind in your studies.” He looked from one crestfallen face to the other. “Do you still want the extra training?”
Seth squared his shoulders and set his jaw, his spark of determination returning with a vengeance. “Yes.”
Morgan looked less sure. “Uh, since I'm just acting as a punching bag in extra lessons, does that mean I'm going to be worked into the ground too?”
“Yes. You won't give Seth any challenge if you just stand there and let him hit you. It's all or nothing, Morgan.”
Seth gave him a reassuring smile. “It's okay, Morgan. You don't have to if you don't want to.”
Morgan sighed. “No. I promised you I would help, and I will.” He stood up straight and looked Nick in the eye. “I'm in.”
Nick smiled, and neither of the boys felt reassured by it. “Then I'll see you at dawn.”
~ • ~ • ~ The next three weeks were some of the hardest of their lives. Nick hadn’t been kidding when he’d promised to make them work harder than ever before, pushing them to and beyond their breaking point. They worked for two extra hours before breakfast, and then another two between their scheduled training and dinner. They walked away from every single one with new bruises and countless sore muscles.
Despite coming out of lessons with just as many bruises (but twice as much complaining), it quickly became apparent that the extra training was doing Morgan a world of good. He got stronger and faster, and his once-clumsy movements in the fighting ring got stricter and more balanced. He even came close to beating Silas during a practice bout after only a week of extra training.
Seth’s progress, on the other hand, was less noticeable. As in, he felt no changes at all. He didn't get faster. He didn't get stronger. His coordination and balance didn't change. The only notable difference Seth saw from the extra training was his ability to get up after being knocked down - which happened a lot.
Now they were less than a week from the end-of-month contest, and Seth didn't feel any closer to being able to beat Silas - who had also been getting faster and stronger, and that was only through normal lessons! It was official: Seth was doomed.
“You're not doomed,” Morgan said breathlessly. Seth hadn't realized he'd said anything out loud.
“Shows what you know,” he replied. They were halfway through their morning jog, the exercise they started with for every extra training session. “Nothing's changed! I'm just as small and weak as I was three weeks ago.”
“Dude… do you… even… hear your… self?”
Seth shot him a glare. “Obviously. I'm not deaf. I'm just a small, weak -”
“Stop!” Morgan did just that, but before he could continue, he bent over and put his hands on his knees as he took deep breaths. Seth, a couple paces ahead, came back to stand in front of him.
“Morgan, we can't stop here. Nick is just ahead. Do you want him to -”
Morgan stood up suddenly and poked Seth in the chest - an annoying habit he'd picked up from Nick. “There you go again!” he exclaimed, still a little breathless. “You're talking, but you're not hearing yourself!”
Seth frowned. “What do you mean? I -”
“Are you even tired, Seth? Are your legs burning? How about your lungs?” Morgan pulled in a deep breath. “Because you don't even sound out of breath!”
Realization dawned. Seth wasn't tired. He wasn't out of breath, and he certainly wasn't sore. Running these last weeks hadn't done him in yet - just the combat practice had. Both Nick and Morgan had knocked him on his ass countless times, and beaten him in more bouts than he'd even come close to beating them - and by them he meant Morgan, because Nick was almost impossible to beat. Morgan had yet to manage that either, though he lasted longer against him than Seth did. But running didn't faze him at all.
“Morgan is right, Seth.”
Seth spun around, startled. He hadn't heard Nick approach.
Morgan nodded empathetically but said no more, content to let Nick get the point he was trying to make across. He just concentrated on breathing.
“You haven't noticed yourself getting stronger or faster because you're already as fast and as strong as you can be right now. Your fighting skills haven't improved because they're already damn good. And you're still small because no amount of training is going to make you grow faster.”
Seth ignored the hint of amusement in Nick's voice and threw up his hands in frustration. “Then what's the point of the extra training? What's the point of any training?”
“This right here,” Nick replied. “You just ran ten miles - almost - and you're not tired or even out of breath. Unlike your friend here.” They both paused a moment to look at Morgan, who had decided to lay down in the grass and take a nap.
Nick's gaze returned to Seth. “You don't think that's impressive?”
Seth shrugged. “Sure, I guess. But being able to outrun Morgan -”
“Not just Morgan,” Nick threw in. “You could outrun everyone.” He paused. “Even Silas.”
Seth rolled his eyes. “Great. So now I know I can run away after he kicks my butt, and I'll be sure to escape. How does being a good runner help my fighting skills?”
Nick sighed. “Running has nothing to do with it. It's your stamina I've been building these weeks, just like last time. You -”
“But why?!” Seth kind of wanted to stomp his foot like a child. “I don't need stamina! I need to be strong enough to kick Silas's butt!”
His eyes went wide. Shoot. He'd just given away his secret plans.
Nick's eyes narrowed. “I'm not stupid, Seth. I knew the real reason you wanted this training. But guess what? You're probably never going to be stronger than Silas - no, let me finish. Physically, Silas is always going to be bigger and stronger than you, Seth. Even Morgan is probably going to grow up to be bigger than you. But you know where your greatest strength is?” He poked Seth in the chest - right over his heart. “Right here. Have you noticed, during training bouts, that you get knocked down twice as much as any other student?”
“Damn straight I notice,” Seth muttered.
Nick gave him a look, not impressed with his tone. “Have you also noticed that you get back up twice as often?”
Seth blinked. He'd never thought of it that way before.
“The other kids only get knocked down two or three times, but then after that last one, they're done - they can't or won't fight anymore. But you, Seth… you always get back up, over and over. That's what makes you strong, Seth - stronger than all the rest. So long as you have that, you can beat any obstacle that crosses your path.
“You're going to get knocked down a lot before you hit your growth spurt - which will happen. You're going to get knocked down during your growth spurt, while you get used to your new, gangly limbs. And you're going to get knocked down after your growth spurt because, like I said, you're probably never going to be bigger than everyone. You just don't have the body type for it. But I'll still always place my money on you, because this…” He poked Seth in the chest again. “This is strong enough to conquer anything and everything. You just have to believe in it - in yourself.
“By building your stamina and focusing your training efforts on that, you'll also have an edge over all your future opponents. If they're getting tired after ten or fifteen minutes, while you're still fresh as a daisy, do you think their strength is going to help them then?”
Slowly, Seth shook his head.
“Okay. Why?”
Seth thought about it for a minute before answering. “Because when you get tired, you get lazy, and clumsy. You miss opportunities, and even when you catch them, a lot of the times your muscles will betray you and you'll end up… like Morgan.” He gestured to his friend with a wave of his hand; Morgan responded with a one finger salute, without bothering to open his eyes.
Nick nodded. “Exactly. And you remember what they say about big things?”
Seth thought about it for a moment, then grinned. “The bigger you are, the harder you fall.”
A smile pulled at the corners or Nick’s mouth. “Exactly. Guess you better make sure you can outlast Silas then, huh?”
Seth nodded, a new determination thrumming through him. “Let's do this.”
Now Nick did smile. “That's the spirit.”
Morgan, still laying prone, laughed. “Seth, only you could be excited about getting knocked on your ass another dozen times.”
“Weren't you listening, Morgan? So long as I get back up again, it doesn't matter how many times I get knocked down. Now, get up. It's about time I kicked your ass.”
~ • ~ • ~ The end-of-month contest came, and the kids had actually started placing bets on who would win: Seth or Silas. The betting was kept hidden (or so they thought) from Nick, and it had been Morgan who started the whole thing (surprise, surprise). Unsurprisingly, most of the kids placed their bets with Silas.
When Morgan told him as much, Seth shrugged it off. He no longer needed the approval of the other kids, or even Genevieve (although he wouldn't have minded getting hers). It was Nick Seth was really eager to make proud, for without him Seth wouldn't have found the strength to win.
And he was going to win, no matter what it took.
The matches began, and they started with the youngest trainees: the twins, Isla and Benji. As they were only eight, they hadn't actually started combat training yet. They were learning the basics of self-defense, so their “contest” was simply to see who remembered more defensive moves. Morgan was voluntold to be the “assailant.”
Ten minutes later, when Morgan limped off the mats, it came as no surprise to anyone that the twins’ contest was a draw. The two of them were so close, it was like they shared one mind.
Next was Heather and Max. Their test was a duel, and so would the rest of the contests. Each one would just vary slightly based on the kids’ age and training level.
As the only nine-year-olds, Heather and Max faced each other. They both put up a good fight, but in the end, Heather came away the victor.
There was an odd number in the next age group, so the first winner had to face the third kid too. Nick set Senza against Allen first. Their fight was a close call, but Senza claimed her victory. Against Deven, however, she was not so lucky.
Finally came Seth's age group. Up first were Morgan and Thomas. Thomas was a good fighter, steady and focused, and normally he would have probably won. But Morgan's extra training had given him a new centre and a steady confidence that earned him a win against Thomas.
Arianna faced Roland next. Both were equally skilled fighters, but Arianna had a competitive streak a mile wide, while Roland was more relaxed and go-with-the-flow. It surprised no one when Arianna beat Roland with ease.
And then, at last, it was Seth's and Silas's turn. When Nick called their names, they stepped into the ring and faced each other from opposite sides as Nick went through the rules again, as he had before every match.
“There will be no wrestling, no bone breaking, no illegal fight moves, and no stepping out of the ring. If you get knocked down, you have ten seconds to regain your feet, or else you'll essentially forfeit. If you break any of the rules, you will be disqualified. Understood?”
“Yes,” the boys replied. This time, they didn't waste energy to glare at each other.
Nick looked from one boy to the other before nodding, satisfied with what he saw. “Good.” He stepped out of the ring. “Ready. Set. And -”
He rang the starting bell.
Silas lunged. He threw a wild but no doubt powerful right cross at Seth's face, looking to end this fight with one hit.
Seth had expected as much. Silas was big and powerful, but he was also predictable. Seth ducked under Silas's swinging fist, and under his badly employed guard, and delivered a swift jab to Silas's solar plexus. Then he spun neatly and danced out of reach before Silas could retaliate.
It proved unnecessary. Silas was bent double, fighting to get air back into his lungs. His face was red from lack of air, and Seth cursed himself for not taking advantage of Silas's moment of weakness, for it didn't last. Silas straightened, eyes bright with rage, and suddenly charged him with a roar.
Seth leaped out of the way, but not quite fast enough. He avoided Silas's charge, but as he swept past, Silas threw his arm out, hitting Seth in the chest and sending him crashing to the ground. Silas lunged forward, but a shout from Nick halted him.
“No wrestling, Silas. Wait until he gets up.”
Silas waited, alright. The look in his eyes as he watched Seth almost made him want to stay right where he was on the mat. But he only had ten seconds to stand or he would be disqualified. And that wasn't an option.
Seth regained his feet. Silas didn't waste a second. He was calmer now, or some semblance of it, and sure as he came at Seth and started throwing a series of rapid-fire punches. Seth managed to evade them all, until Silas surprised him with a roundhouse kick to the stomach that sent him to the mats again.
Now it was Seth's turn to struggle to pull air back into his lungs, only he didn't have the luxury of waiting like Silas had. He had to get up.
He pushed to his feet, and immediately had to duck away from Silas's swinging fist.
“Come on, Seth! Hit him!” Morgan cheered.
Yeah, brilliant plan, Morgan. How do you propose I do that without getting socked?
Seth thought frantically as he led Silas around the ring, dodging punches and kicks. He knew stamina was only going to get him so far. Silas was already starting to breathe heavily, while Seth's remained steady, but he couldn't keep evading Silas's attacks and hope the bigger boy would tire; one unlucky step could spell the end to that plan anyway. He needed a new one, and fast.
“Coward!” Silas shouted as Seth ducked under another punch. “Stand and fight!”
He lunged forward again, and Seth decided to oblige him. Instead of dancing out of the way, he simply slipped to one side and stuck his foot out. Silas tripped and went down.
Seth's minor victory was short lived. Before he could step away, Silas grabbed his ankle and yanked hard, bringing Seth crashing to the ground beside him.
Seth landed with a grunt. He quickly rolled away from Silas and shoved to his feet, but Silas had already beaten him there. He swung, and this time the hit landed.
Seth crashed back into the mat. His vision was blurry, he felt blood dripping from his temple, and his thoughts had gone fuzzy. He rolled over, ready to push to his feet, but his movements felt sluggish.
Silas laughed. “Just stay down, weakling. You're finished.”
Seth ground his teeth and shoved to his feet. “No,” he said breathlessly. “I'm not.”
Silas snickered. “More fun for me, then.” He shot forward, fist drawn back, but at the last second he spun and threw out a roundhouse kick instead.
Seth knew he couldn't move fast enough to avoid it. Thinking as fast as his sluggish mind would let him, he threw his arms around Silas's leg as it made contact with his chest. Seth fell under the force of the hit, but he brought Silas down with him.
Seth landed on his back, arms around Silas's leg; Silas landed on his stomach and side with a yelp of pain. He tried to yank his leg free. Seth held on tighter and rolled away from Silas, bringing his leg with him as far as he could before suddenly letting go and surging to his feet.
He spun around to face Silas. The other boy was just getting up, a grimace of pain flashing across his face when he put weight on the leg Seth had grabbed. The sight sparked an idea.
Seth stepped toward Silas, ready to go on the offensive now that he was hurt. But he stumbled and let out a hiss, his hand shooting to his side, where Silas's kick had connected. He looked around frantically, the quick motion of his head making him lose his balance. He stumbled several paces to the right before regaining it and forcing himself to stand ready.
Silas's eyes flashed with victory. Ignoring his own injury, he lunged forward once more, intent of finishing Seth off for good.
Seth let his eyes go wide with fear, but he held his ground as his trap was sprung. Silas was either too intent on his win, or too stupid to notice. He made to tackle Seth, but when he made contact, Seth offered no resistance. Quite the opposite, actually. He grabbed handfuls of Silas's shirt and threw himself backward just before Silas drove him that way. He brought his legs up between them, his feet pressed to Silas's stomach. When he hit the mat, he rolled with the momentum and kicked his legs out as hard as he could, letting go of Silas's shirt as he did so. Silas flew over his head and landed with a grunt… on the outside of the fight ring. Instant disqualification.
There was a moment of stunned silence in the room. Seth rolled onto his stomach and pushed once more to his feet. That's when the cheering started.
It was so loud and sudden, Seth actually jumped. Then he was being swarmed as Morgan led the charge of kids toward him. They congratulated him, praised his moves (some of them, anyway), and patted him so many times on the back Seth was sure he was going to have bruises.
And then Silas got to his feet. “You've got to be kidding me. He didn't win - he cheated! He -”
“He didn't cheat,” Nick said calmly. Silas spun around, startled to find Nick right behind him. “The rules were clear: no wrestling, no breaking bones, no illegal moves... and no leaving the ring. There was nothing to say you couldn't use the rules to your advantage like Seth did.” He turned his gaze to Seth and nodded once. “Good job, Seth.”
He grinned. “Thanks, Nick.”
Nick smiled. “Don't thank me. You earned this win. Just don't let it go to your head, yeah?”
Morgan hooked his elbow around Seth's neck and yanked his head down to give him a noogie. “Oh, it'll go to his head, alright. Look at it! It's huge!”
Seth rammed his elbow into Morgan's gut. He let go of Seth with a grunt and fell dramatically to the floor. “Oh, look. You've defeated me too. How cruel.”
Seth rolled his eyes. “At least we know nothing can ever go to his head - he clearly doesn't have one.”
Morgan lifted his head and pointed at Seth. “I resent that comment.”
Seth mock-kicked him in the side. “Quiet, you. You're supposed to be dead.”
“Oh yeah. Bleh.” He stuck his tongue out and played dead.
Seth threw up his hand in victory. “Point proven. You never said I killed you - you said I defeated you. Big difference, brainless.”
Morgan opened one eye to glare at him. “I think I hate you right now.”
Seth just grinned.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on May 5, 2019 21:40:23 GMT -5
( I'm just gonna respond to your points with my own. xD )
1. No, actually, she didn't have a crush on Seth - she had a crush on Morgan. She just told Morgan she was crushing on Seth because she lost her nerve and couldn't tell him he was her crush. xD 2. Yes, well, it's not completely natural. Genevieve purposely planted Silas in the YRP to challenge Seth, in all ways. ;) 3. Of course he did. xD Long story short: Seth hit his growth spurt (he refused to date anyone while he was shorter than she), asked her out, and they dated for a while until she got irrationally jealous of Stel (not, like, Stel herself, but that Seth was spending more time with her than he was with Arianna). Plus, they just weren't a good match. I'll touch on their relationship and how it ended in an upcoming story. ;D 4. I know, right? The more I write about him and get to know him, the more I just love him. He's especially humorous in the short story I'm currently writing on. xD 5. You'll see more of Nick in the next three stories I have planned, and at the end of the third one is when he "abandons/betrays" Seth/the Order. ;) 6. Yes, I would like one too. xD
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Jun 3, 2019 23:33:31 GMT -5
Fly True
Graduation test: ranged weapons. The kids:
- Seth Accio ;; 13 years. Dark blond hair. Sea-green eyes. 4’11.
- Silas Jorgenson ;; 13 years. Brown hair. Blue eyes. 5'3.
- Morgan Reilly ;; 13 years. Blond hair. Hazel eyes. 5'2.
- Thomas Stacher ;; 13 years. Strawberry-blond hair. Green eyes. 5'2.
- Roland Kerch ;; 13 years. Red hair. Green eyes. 5’1.
- Arianna LaFaux ;; 13 years. Long auburn hair. Deep brown eyes. 5’2.
- Senza Arion ;; 12 years. Black hair. Brown eyes. 5’1.
- Allen Norte ;; 12 years. Blond hair. Brown eyes. 4'11.
- Devon Locke ;; 12 years. Dark brown hair. Dark brown eyes. 5’1.
- Max Yorth ;; 11 years. Sandy brown hair. Hazel eyes. 4’10.
- Heather Wellenly ;; 11 years. Honey blonde hair. Blue eyes. 4'8.
- Isla Par ;; 10 years. Black hair. Blue eyes. 4’7.
- Benji Par ;; 10 years. Black hair. Blue eyes. 4'7.
“I feel like I'm going to be sick.”
Seth shot Morgan an arched look. “If you do, please aim for Silas.”
Silas growled. “You puke on me, Reilly, I'll break your face. Capiche?”
Seth glared. “You'll have to go through me first.”
“Aw, don't fight over me guys.”
“Shut up, Morgan,” Seth and Silas said. They shot each other a glare.
Morgan laughed. “You know, for two guys who don't get along at all, you sure think alike.”
Seth smacked Morgan upside the head.
“Ow.”
“Seth!”
The boys turned in their seats - Morgan still rubbing the back of his head. “What's up, Isla?” Seth asked.
Isla blushed and looked at the floor between her feet. “I just wanted to wish you luck at graduation today. You'll do great.”
Seth smiled. “Thanks. I'm sure -”
“Hey, Isla, did your mom give you the crappy hair styling advice? Doesn't she know pigtails are old-school?” Silas's eyes widened in mock horror. “Oh, wait. Your mom's dead, isn't she? Damn. That must mean your stupid style is all you. Sorry.”
Isla blinked rapidly, but the tears she tried to hide escaped anyway. “I - I -”
Seth spun around and slapped the table. “Leave her alone, Silas.”
“Or what?” Silas sneered.
“Or I'll tell everyone you have a crush on little Isla,” Morgan said pleasantly.
Silas glared at him. “I do not.”
Morgan looked confused. “You don't? Then why are you so upset that she's wishing Seth luck and not you?”
“I'm not - I wasn't -” He growled. “Just shut up, Morgan.” He spun around and stalked from the dining room.
Morgan laughed like an evil genius. Seth turned to face Isla again. “Ignore him, Isla. He doesn't know what he's talking about.”
She sniffled and wiped her tears. “Thanks, Seth. Thanks Morgan. I'm okay now. I'll see you guys later.”
“See you, Isla!” Morgan waved as she crossed the room to sit with her brother at their table. When he turned back to Seth, his smile faded. “What's with you, dude?”
Seth shrugged. “Silas just makes me mad. He had no reason to bully Isla like that. Why bother?”
Morgan put his hand on Seth's shoulder and rocked him back and forth. “Isn't it obvious? This is why. He wanted to rile you; Isla was just his method this time around. Shrug it off. You should be happy! You've got another girl crushing on you!”
Seth shrugged his hand off with a scowl. “What do you mean, another girl?”
Morgan counted them off with his fingers. “Senza. Arianna. And now Isla. That's three out of four, dude. Unless Heather's crushing too and is just better at hiding it.” He turned in his seat. “Hey, Heather!” he called across the cafeteria.
Seth’s eyes widened. “Don't you dare -!”
Morgan ignored him. “Do you have a crush on Seth?” he yelled.
Seth dropped his face onto his folded arms with a groan.
Heather spun in her seat to glare at Morgan. “Why would I have a crush on Seth?”
Morgan was having way too much fun with this. “Shall I list all his sparkling qualities?”
“Please don't.” Seth's plea went completely unheard.
“There's his stunning personality: brave, funny, charming. His killer skills in hand-to-hand combat and archery - which he'll show off for you today. And his adorable good looks! I mean, come on. With those golden locks and sea-blue eyes, what's not to like?”
Heather blinked slowly, completely deadpan. “Yes, well, as pretty as Seth is, I don't have a crush on him. No offense, Seth.”
Seth just lifted a hand in acknowledgement, his head still planted on the table.
With a laugh, Heather turned back around to finish eating.
Seth sat up suddenly and shoved Morgan hard enough the other boy fell right out of his chair.
He didn't seem to mind. He was too busy laughing.
~ • ~ • ~ After lunch, the kids of the Young Rider Program gathered on the edge of the archery range for the eighth years’ graduation test. Those not graduating talked animatedly among themselves, discussing who they thought would perform the best, which weapons would be chosen, and even making jokes about who would accidentally get shot.
Those who were graduating, on the other hand, stood in their own group a few feet away on the shooting range, shivering and complaining about the cold. Unlike the other kids, who were bundled up in coats, hats, and gloves, the shooters wore lighter attire that would allow for easy movement when firing their various ranged weapons.
Heather shivered dramatically. “This. This is why I couldn't possibly have a crush on Seth. It's all his fault graduation is always in December, when it's freaking freezing.” The rest of the kids would each take their own graduation test today, based on their age group and the skills they had been focusing on during the past year.
Silas frowned. “How do you figure? I mean, not that I don't enjoy blaming Seth for everything, but what did he do to deserve this fault?”
Seth rolled his eyes and didn't answer.
Morgan, on the other hand, was only too happy to share the news. “Oh yeah! You're new...er… than the rest of us. Graduation is held every year on Seth's birthday.”
Silas shot Seth an arched look. “It's your birthday? How old are you now? Six?”
Seth glared at him. “Thirteen. Same as you.”
Silas grinned. “Yeah, for now. My birthday is in two months. You know what that means, pipsqueak?”
“You'll be fourteen?” Seth replied, completely deadpan.
Silas opened his mouth to respond, then snapped it shut again with a scowl and looked away. It was well known that Silas excelled at almost all physical activity. But in the year and a half since he'd arrived at the House, it had become clear that word games were something he still had little knowledge of.
Seth smirked, but winning these word games had long since lost its shine, so that was the extent of his gloating. Being the youngest as well as the smallest of his age group had never bothered Seth until Silas arrived, but he'd mostly ignored the fact because no one but Morgan ever really bothered to acknowledge and celebrate his birthday, so he was able to pretend otherwise. The other kids just thought of the day as graduation day, and only sometimes remembered it was also Seth's birthday. But now that Silas knew, Seth had no doubt he'd find ways to make being the youngest really suck.
After a minute of tense silence, Heather continued with the point she'd been trying to make. “Anyway, yeah. This is why I don't have a crush on Seth. I hate the cold, yet he makes us celebrate his birthday in the cold every year.”
Seth wanted to argue against that, but just then Nick detached himself from the Elders (the kids’ judges every year) and started walking toward them. The six graduates stood eagerly to attention, ready for action to warm their cold muscles.
Nick wasted no time with pleasantries. “The Elders are ready to assess you. We'll be going in alphabetical order, so you'll be first, Arianna. Morgan, you will be next, so be ready.”
“Oh man, I feel queasy again,” Morgan muttered. It was a common occurrence. Morgan was very talented, and ranked third after Seth and Silas (the two were constantly switching with each other between first and second) as the best trainee. But he always got major performance anxiety right before a serious test, and at every graduation. It passed the second he actually started the test, but until then the threat of being sick was real. As a result, his words had everyone but Seth putting a bit of distance between themselves and Morgan.
“You'll be fine, Morgan,” Nick commented drily. Of all the kids, Morgan was definitely believed to be the most resilient. “You'll each choose three weapons, and for each one your objective is to hit the six targets set up.” He gestured to them with a nod of his head. “The better your shots, the better your score. So aim true, and good luck. Ari, you may choose your weapons.” He motioned to the table set up to their right. “The rest of you can calm your nerves with a snack.” He nodded to their left, were a buffet of sweet treats and healthy snacks were spread out.
As Seth went to follow the others to the buffet table, he suddenly felt a presence behind him. He turned to find Arianna, first weapon already chosen, gazing steadily at him.
She batted her lashes. “Well, Seth? Aren't you going to wish me luck?”
It took him a moment to formulate a response. “I didn't think you needed luck. Your skill will do you fine. I don't doubt it.”
She smiled, the sight rather dazzling. “I knew I liked you for a reason,” she said. With a light chuckle, she spun neatly and took her place at the firing line.
Seth was stunned imobile. Did she just admit to liking him? Him?
“Hey, Seth…” Roland's voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he turned. “I think you should get over here and talk Morgan off the ledge.”
“Oh, leave him be,” Silas sneered. “If he wants to be sick, just shove him in a bush and be done with it.”
“Shut up, Silas,” Seth said curtly as he came to stand by his friend.
Silas smirked. “Make me, pipsqueak.”
Seth ignored him. “Hey, Morgan, wanna hear a neat fact?”
“Not really.”
Seth told him anyway. “Guys who act arrogantly but don't have the skill or experience to back up their attitude do so to make up for having smaller (p)enises.” He paused for effect. “So, basically Silas.”
There was a moment of stunned silence, and then Morgan and everyone else burst out laughing. Everyone, that is, except Silas.
His face was flushed red with embarrassment and anger. “That is not true!” he snapped. He turned his furious glare on the other kids. “Stop laughing!” When they didn't, he switched his focus to Seth, who stood calmly beside Morgan, hands in his pockets and a smirk on his lips. Silas pointed a threatening finger. “Tell them the truth.”
Seth shrugged one shoulder. “Truth is in the eye of the beholder, Silas. If you don't want to believe it, don't. But can I give you a bit of advice?” He continued without giving Silas the chance to respond. “Next time you bully my friend, (p)enis jokes will be the last thing you have to worry about.”
Silas sneered, and looked tempted to hit him, but Isla's voice halted him. “Seth!” she said around giggles. “Stop saying the P-word!”
Seth arched one brow, a smile trying to form on his lips. “Sorry, Isla. I'll try to not say ‘(p)enis’ anymore.” He widened his eyes dramatically. “Ops.”
Isla and her brother fell into another fit of giggles, and their laughter proved contagious, for soon everyone was laughing again. Silas being the only exception, of course.
When it started to die off, Seth side-eyed Morgan and asked randomly, “Did you know it is physically impossible to lick your elbow?”
Morgan canted his head. “Really?” And, to the surprise of no one, he tried to lick his elbow. He was unsuccessful, but he had everyone dissolving into giggles once again.
Seth threw out another fact before the laughter had completely subsided. “Did you know if you sneeze too hard you can fracture a rib? If you try to suppress it, you can rupture blood vessels and die. And if you force your eyes to stay open, they can pop out of your head.”
“No way,” Morgan breathed. “I wanna try it.”
“No!” Isla and Benji shouted around more laughter.
Heather rolled her eyes. “You're crazy, Morgan.”
“Why thank you ever so much, Heather.” He turned back to Seth with a grin. “What else you got?”
Seth thought about it for a moment. “There are more living organisms on the skin of human beings than there are humans on the surface of the earth.”
“Ew!” Isla, Benji, and Morgan all exclaimed. The others looked torn between laughing and repeating the ‘ew’ themselves.
Seth grinned and gave them another one. “Did you know kissing stimulates twenty-nine muscles, as well as chemicals in the body that cause relaxation?”
“Oh, really? I sure hope so, because you totally owe me for missing my whole test, Seth Accio.”
Startled, Seth turned. Arianna stood behind him, hands on her hips and with an expression that was half irritated, half amused. He did not reply, for he was too busy trying to figure out if she was implying what he thought she was implying with that statement.
Morgan, meanwhile, looked from Arianna to Seth to Nick, who had also approached undetected, with wide eyes. “Wait, Ari's done already? It's my turn?”
“Aye, it is,” Nick replied. “Go tell the Elders which weapons you'll be using.”
Morgan was looking a little queasy again, but not nearly as bad as before. He gave Nick a salute. “Aye, Captain.” He marched off determinedly.
“You've got this, Morgan!” Seth called after him.
“That was really great of you, you know.” Arianna's voice drew Seth's gaze. The irritation in hers was gone; now she just looked impressed. “Distracting against that kind of anxiety is no easy feat.”
Seth smiled. “It is if you know the victim of it well enough. All I had to do was say -” He stopped, with a glance at Isla. She was eyeing him closely. He hid a smile and returned his gaze to Arianna. “Say a very inappropriate word.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw Isla nod her approval, and it got much harder to keep from grinning.
Arianna looked from Seth to Isla and back, one brow raised slightly. “I see. I guess you'll have to tell me what this word was later?”
Seth shook his head empathetically. “No way. I'm not repeating that word in front of a lady.”
Arianna smiled, clearly pleased with being called a lady.
“Ow!”
Seth spun around. Isla was rubbing her cheek and looking around in confusion. “Isla? What happened?”
“I… I don't know. It felt like something hit me.”
Seth frowned. His gaze dropped to the ground. It landed almost instantly on a half-squashed grape. He looked around at the other kids, but they were all focused on Morgan's test.
Seth turned back to Isla. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah. It only hurt for a little.”
“Okay. Well -”
A round of applause and cheers cut him off. Morgan was finished his test. He returned his bow to the table and then came jogging over, a big grin on his face.
Seth smiled back. “Told you you'd do great.”
Morgan shoved him. “How would you know? You didn't even watch.”
Seth shrugged. “I didn't need to.”
“Yeah, well -”
“Seth,” Nick called. “It's your turn.”
Seth heaved a dramatic sigh. “And here I thought I would get an automatic pass just because it's my birthday.”
Morgan snorted. “Oh, you'll pass alright, and your birthday has nothing to do with it. Everyone knows you're the best of the best at ranged weapons.”
Seth couldn't deny the truth of his friend’s words. Seth had struggled and been forced to work twice as hard as anyone else in almost every other part of physical training, but the first time he'd picked up a bow, he'd felt he finally found something that came naturally to him. He'd only gotten better, with all ranged weapons, during the past year of training.
“Heh. Best of the best? Right. He missed the bullseye in practice yesterday. Twice.” Clearly, Silas was still smarting over Seth’s (p)enis joke.
Morgan shot him a look. “That's better than then four you missed yesterday. And the three the day before. And wasn't it five the day before that? Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was.”
Silas growled and took a step toward them.
Nick halted him in his steps. “That's enough,” he snapped. “Silas and Morgan, shut it. Seth, get on the range. Now.”
“Yes, Nick,” they all responded before doing what they were told.
Seth crossed the field to the table of weapons, behind which sat the five Elders. “Seth Accio,” he introduced himself. It was unnecessary, but protocol was protocol. “I'll be using the sling, throwing daggers, and recurve bow.”
The Elder on the far right nodded. “Begin.”
Seth started with the weapon he was weakest with - the sling. To say his skills were “weak” was a vast underestimation of his skill, but it still didn't beat his talent with the daggers or bow.
As he walked to the firing line, he found and picked up six pebbles, all as close to the same size as he could get. He loaded the first into the sling. He swung it back and forth experimentally, getting a feel for the weight, before angling himself toward the first target. He swung it around once, then let fly.
Seth didn't watch to see if the pebble hit its target. He loaded the next one, swung it once, and fired. He did that four more times, never once pausing to see where the pebbles hit, until all six had been fired.
The murmur of surprise from the Elders as he returned the sling was all he needed to hear to know each pebble had hit its target, or at least darn close. He picked up the bandolier of throwing daggers and strapped it on as he returned to the firing line.
He went to pull the first dagger, but a shout from the buffet table gave him pause.
“Ow! Stop that, Silas! I saw you that time!” Isla was yelling.
In slow motion, Seth pulled a dagger from its sheath, and watched the interaction with his peripheral vision.
He couldn't see it, but he was certain Silas was smirking. “Oh, sorry. Did that hurt?” He tossed another grape. Seth couldn't see where it hit, but Isla's “Owie!” told him it had.
“Silas, leave her alone,” Benji tried to defend her.
Silas responded by throwing a grape at him.
Seth gritted his teeth, but forced himself to focus. He threw his daggers with a fierce and deadly precision that was usually lacking in training. Most probably would have gotten clumsy when throwing in temper, but Seth found he got better. Every single dagger landed on the tiny black bullseye at the very center of each target, some sinking more than halfway to the hilt.
Might have had something to do with the fact he was picturing each bullseye as Silas's face.
His anger was helped along by Silas himself, who continued to tease, torment, and bully Isla - and anyone who tried to defend her. By the time Seth returned to the table to switch the now-empty bandolier (a servant was busy collecting the daggers) for a bow and quiver, he was so furious he was surprised he wasn't seeing red.
He practically had to force himself to the firing line, instead of marching up to Silas and putting an arrow through his eye. Or maybe he'd aim lower, like below the belt. Silas had already proved protective of that particular body part.
Seth drew an arrow and put it to the bowstring. As he pulled it back and took aim, he heard Silas speak. “Ever wonder what happens to a grape after you throw it really, really hard?”
Nobody answered, but he threw another grape regardless.
Seth actually heard the smack that time when it made contact. It was quickly followed by the twang and thud of Seth releasing the arrow. It slammed deep into the target, right on the black dot.
“Silas, please stop,” Isla asked. Seth could hear the tears in her voice.
“Can't. I'm practicing for my test,” he said pleasantly
Seth pulled, drew, and fired three arrows in rapid succession. He was ready to be done with this test so he could kick Silas's ass.
He'd just shot his fifth arrow when Silas’s next throw broke Isla's will and forced out the sob she'd been holding back the whole time.
Morgan whirled on him. “Silas, I mean it. Cut that out. You're hurting her.”
“So what? She needs to toughen up. And so do you.” He threw a grape at Morgan.
Seth spun suddenly to face the Elders. “Aren't you going to do anything about him? He's bullying Isla. Or hadn't you noticed?”
The Elder in the middle looked up from his notes. “Just focus on your test, Accio.”
Seth ground his teeth and turned away. The Elders were notorious for ignoring the kids when not testing them, but this was ridiculous. Silas was hurting Isla, and they were just going to sit there?
Well, I'm not. Seth glanced at Silas in time to see him picking up another grape. Silas pulled back his arm, took aim, and moved to throw.
Moving faster than he ever had before, Seth pulled his last arrow, put it to the string, and took aim. As Silas's hand came forward, Seth fired.
The arrow hit the grape dead centre, bypassing Silas's nose and fingertips by the smallest margin. He was not so lucky when it came to the fletching. As the arrow whizzed past, it left a thin cut across the bridge of his nose and over his fingers. He jerked backward with a yelp of surprise and pain. The arrow slammed into a nearby tree with an audible thud.
There was a moment of stunned silence as everyone stared at Silas; then the arrow with a grape halfway up its shaft; then Seth, standing ready to shoot another arrow, despite his empty quiver. He was glaring at Silas with a cold fury burning in his eyes. The bigger boy looked completely stunned and even a little terrified as he glanced from Seth to the arrow and back again.
When the shock finally faded, the Elders surged to their feet. “Seth Accio!” one shouted. “You just fired at a fellow student! Report to the disciplinary hall. Immediately.”
Seth held Silas's gaze a moment longer before relaxing his stance and turning away. He tossed the bow onto the table as he stalked by. “Whatever,” he said. He wasn't the least bit sorry.
~ • ~ • ~ Seth slouched in his seat before the Elders’ table in the disciplinary hall, his arms crossed over his chest in defiance and irritation as he listened to the Elders discuss him as if he weren't sitting right there.
“I don't care if it was out of character,” one Elder, Diaspro, was saying. “Seth fired an arrow at a fellow trainee. I say his whole test should be discounted and he himself expelled from the Program.”
“I think that's a little extreme,” replied Soren. He tended to be the pacemaker of the bunch. “I agree that disciplinary action is required, but Seth's test scores up until today - even today's, before his little stunt - have been exemplary. He's too valuable to expel now.”
“You can't be serious,” argued a third Elder, Ronin. “He is talented, yes, but his attitude has always been problematic. He's even begun influencing the Reilly boy as well.”
“Are you sure it's not the other way around?” mused Elder number four, Gray.
Ronin scoffed. “Of course I'm sure. Accio -”
“Enough.”
Even Seth was startled by the vehemence in that one word. That fact it came from Nick was even more astonishing. He had been present throughout the whole meeting, but mostly silent apart from his statement regarding the “incident with the grape.” As Seth's teacher and guardian, he was also acting as his defense, though he hadn't been doing a very good job.
Until now.
Nick stepped forward, so he was in front and to the right of Seth's chair instead of behind it. His eyes, normally calm and expressionless, were furious as he looked every Elder in the eye. They each looked away, one by one.
“I will not have you expel my best student, especially not after he just performed the best test of his life within this Program. You all seem to be overlooking the fact that Seth hit eighteen bullseyes today. Eighteen. With three different weapons. He -”
“How do you figure?” interrupted Diaspro. “His last arrow went through a grape, which was in the hands of a fellow student.”
“Exactly. Do you realize how small grapes are? Hardly bigger than the bullseye on the targets. Not to mention this bullseye was moving. Did any of you consider that? Consider the skill and precision it would have taken for Seth to hit that? Then there's the reason for his actions. A Rider is meant to protect the innocent, yet you five just sat back and let Silas bully a fellow student.” It was clear Nick took great pleasure in seeing the shame throwing their words back in their faces brought out. “Seth didn't. He took action against a threat, and if you ask me, he did brilliantly. He could have shot Silas anywhere, but he chose to go for the grape instead. And you know what? I doubt any of you would have been able to pull off such a shot. I know I wouldn't. And this skill comes from only a year of training! Imagine what he could do with a bow after five years, or ten.
“Yes, there are better ways Seth could have handled the situation, but there are worse ways too. And at least he had the courage to do something. He's not an idiot; he knew the consequences of his actions before he did it, but he did it anyway because he knew it was the right thing to do. If you want to punish him for that then go ahead. But don't expect me to help you see it through.”
Stunned silence met his words. Seth was staring up at Nick with wide eyes. He'd known he was good at archery, but he hadn't realized he was already better than Nick - and he certainly hadn't known that Nick considered Seth to be his best student. When Seth made that shot, he hadn't paused to consider how difficult it was - he had only thought about stopping Silas from hitting Isla with another grape. And to him… the shot really hadn't been hard. He'd simply seen what he wanted to hit, and hit it.
Finally, the fifth and most senior Elder, Valias, who had been mostly silent throughout the debate, spoke up. “I agree with Nick. Seth shouldn't have turned his weapon on Silas, but it was a remarkable shot.”
Ronin snorted. “How do we even know for sure that the grape was his target? Maybe he - and Silas - just got incredibly lucky.”
Nick looked like he wanted to roll his eyes, but was too disciplined to give in to the urge. “Why don't you ask him, then? He isn't deaf, you know.”
“Of course not.” Valias turned to Seth. “Well, boy? Was the grape your target?”
Seth opened his mouth to reply, but Diaspro beat him to it.
“Well how do we now he won't lie?” She shot Seth a narrow-eyed look. “He would say anything to remain in the Program, no doubt.”
“Of course he would,” Ronin agreed. “He’ll probably -”
Seth lost patience. “WILL YOU LET ME TALK!” He got to his feet, his hands balled into fists at his sides. He glared at the lot of them, but he knew their silence was from shock, not fear or respect like it had been for Nick. Seth didn't care. He swept on before any of them could recover. “Yes, I aimed for the grape. And you know what? Missing wasn't an option. I always hit what I aim for. I got bullseyes today because I aimed there, but I could have put those arrows or daggers or pebbles anywhere on those targets. So when I took aim at Silas, he wasn't in any danger, because I chose not to hit him. Luck had nothing to do with it.”
A hand on his shoulder startled him. He looked up at Nick, but he was staring at the elders. “I vouch for Seth. I trained him, and I've seen his skills grow and sharpen. He is as good as he claims - with the bow, at least.” He shot Seth an amused look. “His skill with the sling and daggers could still be improved.”
Seth shrugged, unrepentant. He didn't doubt he could be just as good with those weapons as he was with the bow, given a bit more practice.
The silence around the Elders remained for several minutes more, and Seth realized they were communicating mentally. It was a skill all Riders could learn, but one that few had mastered.
Finally, Valias spoke. “The Elders have convened, and voted. Seth Accio, as punishment for turning your weapon on another student, no matter how well intentioned, you will spend the next three months on stable duty.”
There was a pause, and then Ronin added cheerfully, “Dragon stable duty.”
If Valias was irritated or amused by Ronin's correction, he did not show it. “As for your test, you receive a pass - for your stellar performance with the sling and throwing daggers. Your demonstration with the bow is being discounted." He gave a small smile. “But we do encourage you to keep practicing with it.”
“On the appropriate targets.” This time it was Gray who pitched in. His tone was much more pleasant than Ronin's had been.
Seth nodded. He would have done that anyway. “Thank you. When will I be expected for stable duty?”
“Every morning at dawn, starting tomorrow,” Valias replied. “Any more questions? Good. Then this session is dismissed.”
~ • ~ • ~ Nick walked Seth back to the common room. Most of the trip passed in silence, but when they turned the last corner onto the common room hallway, Seth broke it.
“Thank you. For defending me back there. It meant a lot.”
“You don't need to thank me, Seth. I meant every word.”
Seth smiled. “Does that mean you really think I'm your best student? And that I'm a better archer than you?”
Nick shot him a look. “Yes to the first, but I don't remember saying you were a better archer than me.”
“You said I made a shot you doubted you could even make,” Seth reminded him.
“Yes, you did. That was…” He shook his head, at a loss for words. “That truly was a remarkable shot, but don't be surprised if it's hard, maybe even impossible, to replicate it. I'm not saying it was lucky,” he added quickly when Seth looked ready to protest. “You have the potential to do that again, and better - with time. You have a natural talent for the bow, Seth, there's no denying that. But there will always be room for improvement. Don't forget that. You have a right to be proud of your skills, but don't let it turn into cockiness.”
Seth took a moment to absorb his words, then nodded. “I won't. Thank you.”
Nick gave him a look that was part amused, part exasperated. “What are you thanking me for now?”
Seth grinned. “For always giving such great advice. You should really start charging for that stuff - its gold.”
Nick shook his head irritably, but Seth saw the smile he was trying to hide. “Cheeky.” He put one hand on Seth's head, opened the common room door with his other, and shoved Seth in. Then he shut the door on Seth's laughter and walked away, smiling.
~ • ~ • ~ Seth was still chuckling softly when he turned to face the room.
And found ten pairs of eyes staring at him. None of them looked happy.
His smile vanished. “What's wrong?”
Benji hurried forward. “Have you seen Isla?”
Confused, Seth shook his head. “No, not since I left the archery range. Why? What's wrong?” he asked again.
Worry sparked in Senza's eyes. “No one has seen Isla since the test ended. She didn't even tell Benji where she was going.”
That was definitely weird. Benji and Isla told each other everything.
“Silas is MIA too,” Morgan added, in a rare show of anger. It flashed in his eyes, and his arms were crossed over his chest.
Seth felt his own spike of anger, but he suppressed it - for now. “You don't think he abducted her, do you?” Silas had proved to be a real asshole today, but as much as Seth disliked him, he didn't think Silas would kidnap Isla.
Morgan hesitated, then shook his head. “No, nothing like that. But I do think he's the reason she's missing.”
Now that Seth couldn't argue with. “Has anyone looked for her? Have you told anyone?”
Senza shook her head. “We've been stuck here. The Elders told us not to leave for any reason until tomorrow morning, or until told otherwise.”
Seth frowned. “Then how did Silas and Isla get out?”
“They didn't. Isla disappeared somewhere between the archery field and here, and Silas was called for an audience with Mistress Genevieve.”
“How did none of you notice her leaving?” Seth asked, irritation thick in his voice.
They all exchanged looks, expressions a little guilty. It was Arianna who answered. “It was kind of your fault,” she said. “We were all distracted, talking about your impossible shot.”
“There's no such thing as impossible - just improbable,” Seth replied distractedly. His mind was racing. He didn't know where Isla was, but he wasn't going to leave her there alone any longer. He turned for the door. “I'm going to find Isla.”
“Wait, Seth,” Senza called. “We're not allowed to leave, remember?”
Seth shot her a smirk over his shoulder, one hand already on the doorknob. “That order was given to you guys - the Elders gave me no such rule. I'll be back as soon as I find Isla.”
Morgan grinned. “Alright! Seth to the rescue.” He paused. “Again. Hey, is Isla not the only one with a crush?”
Seth just shook his head as he stepped out the door. “Shut up, Morgan.”
Morgan did no such thing. “Seth and Isla sitting in a tree. K - I - S - S -”
The door slammed shut before Seth could hear the rest. He shook his head, but he was too worried to be truly irritated with his friend. He would have to clear up this crush business when he got back, but for now, finding Isla was more important.
He returned to the archery field, hoping to find her trail from there. The snow had been cleared along the paths and on the field itself, but if she'd slipped away while still outside, there was a chance she'd left footprints behind. So long as she hasn't gone down any side paths.
Seth found her trail easy enough. Isla clearly hadn't been trying to hide where she'd gone. Probably because she knew no one would even notice she'd left until it was too late, he thought irritably.
He followed her footprints across the grounds. She appeared to be heading for the front gate, but then her trail veered to the right just before it came into sight. A few feet later, Seth halted suddenly as he caught sight of what Isla had been aiming for.
Isla had found a hole in the fence, just big enough for her small frame.
Seth hesitated for only a moment. As he squeezed through, he was thankful for the first time in his life for being small - he barely fit, so had he been any bigger he wouldn't have been able to follow her.
On the other side of the fence, Isla's footprints got harder to follow the further he went, as the paths and walkways became muddled with other prints and tracks. It took all Seth's training, and his knowledge of Isla, to track her.
The footprints ended at the mouth of an alley. The snow within had been shoveled, but thankfully footprints were no longer necessary. He could hear the muffled sounds of sobs from somewhere within the gloom of the alley.
A moment of deja vu hit him, reminding him of the time he'd run away as a kid. Was this…? He took a couple steps into the alley, his gaze wandering, taking in the details that confirmed it: this was the same alley he'd hidden in eight years ago.
“Wow,” he muttered. “Full circle.”
A chuckle behind him was his answer. “We have, haven't we? Ah, what a satisfying feeling that is.”
Seth whirled around, but this time he knew exactly who was talking - and why he couldn't see him. “I'm starting to think you live in this alley, Ghost. Every time I see you, you're in or around it.”
“That's because it's such a beautiful alley.” As he spoke, he stepped forward, materializing from thin air. He grinned rakishly. “Don't you think?”
In the last eight years, Seth had been given only a handful of weekends a year to go home and see his family. But every time he was granted that “privilege,” he had always stopped by here to see Ghost on his way back to the House. The first couple of times, Seth had wanted confirmation that the man called Ghost was real, that he wasn't just some figment of his imagination. But the more Seth saw of Ghost, the more stories he heard, and the more advice he was given, the easier it was to realize Ghost was definitely real - and just a touch crazy.
Seth chuckled. “‘Beautiful’ isn't exactly the word I'd use, but sure. Whatever you say, Ghost.”
Ghost laughed. “Oh, how your teachers and Elders wish you would say that to them.”
Seth snickered. “Not in this lifetime.”
Ghost winked. “Atta boy.”
Seth grinned. Before he could respond, a tentative voice called out from within the alley.
“Seth?” There was a sniffle, and the sound of shuffling feet, just before Isla appeared. Her teary eyes widened at the sight of Seth. She sniffed again. “What are you doing here?”
Seth resisted the urge to look at Ghost. He knew from Isla's lack of reaction to him that the man had vanished, so looking would be pointless. “I came to find you. Isla, you shouldn't be out here. It's not safe.” How many times had his mother said the same thing to him while complaining that Genevieve shouldn't let him walk home by himself? Seth had never seen proof of the fact, but Cresseida wasn't one to exaggerate so Seth knew she was probably right.
Isla looked down at her feet. “I know,” she mumbled. “I just… I -” Her tears started falling anew. She covered her eyes with her hands. “I'm sorry I got you in trouble! I didn't mean to!” she said around her sobs.
Seth sighed. He closed the distance between them and pulled her in for a hug. “Isla, you didn't get me into trouble. That was all Silas.”
She tried to stifle her sob. “But if I wasn't so weak, he wouldn't have bullied me, and you wouldn't have had to help.”
“Is that your logic? Isla.” He stepped back a pace and bent his head to meet her eyes. He knew he shouldn't be thinking about it right then, but he was ridiculously glad of the fact he had to look down to meet Isla's gaze. She was one of the few students who was shorter than he was.
“You're not weak, Isla. And even if you were, that has nothing to do with why Silas was bullying you.”
A frown pinched her brow. “Then why…?”
Seth hesitated. Then, with a sigh, he told her, “He was trying to rile me because he thinks you have a crush on me.”
For a brief moment, Isla stared at him blankly. Then her eyes went wide and a blush spread across her whole face. “Wha - wha - wha - what?” she stuttered. “I - I - I don't! I - I promise!”
Seth wasn't sure if he should feel relieved or offended by her denial. He shook his head. “It doesn't matter if you do. Silas thinks you do, so that's why he's being a jerk.” A bigger jerk, he corrected silently.
Isla looked down at her feet. “Oh,” she said quietly.
Seth decided it was time to change the subject. “We should go. It’ll be dark soon, and we’re all supposed to be on lockdown until further notice. Se let’s -”
“Seth? Who were you talking to? Before, I mean, when I was still in there?” Isla pointed one finger toward the back of the alley.
Seth thought about the best way to answer that for a good minute before saying, “Ghost. He’s a friend of mine. I don’t see him much, but he stopped by to say hi when he saw me.”
A frown pinched her brow. “But where did he go?”
Seth shrugged. “I don’t know. He can be pretty shy, so you probably scared him off.” Seth doubted shyness had anything to do with it, but it was her appearance that caused Ghost to, well… ghost.
“Oh.”
“Yeah.” There was a moment of silence. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He offered Isla his hand. After a brief hesitation, she took it, and Seth led her back to the House.
~ • ~ • ~
Later that night, after returning to warm welcomes and hot chocolate, Seth returned to the alley. It was empty when he arrived, but he walked to the centre of the alley anyway and closed his eyes.
He sensed Ghost before he heard him. “Twice in one day. You must really love me.”
Seth opened his eyes and turned around. Ghost stood at the mouth of the alley, backlit by a streetlight. It cast his face into shadow, rendering his expression impossible to read. It was something Seth had come to expect from the mysterious man known as Ghost. In eight years, Seth had never gotten a good look at the guy, and he knew now that it was intentional. But as curious as that made Seth, he came here with one specific question in mind.
“Why were you here when Isla was?”
“Who says I wasn’t here first?”
“I do. You like to act like you live in this alley, but I know you don’t.”
It was hard to tell, but Seth thought he saw one of Ghost’s eyebrows arch. “Oh? And what makes you so sure of that?” He didn’t sound annoyed or offended to have his claims questioned; he sounded genuinely curious.
Seth listed his reasons. “You’re always clean and impeccably dressed. I never see, hear, or sense your presence until after I’ve been here for several seconds or minutes. You never appear in the same place twice. And there is no shelter or sign of inhabitation in any part of this alley.”
Silence met his words, and then Ghost laughed. “You really are a smart kid. Alright, I admit: I don’t live in this alley. Happy now?”
“No.”
Ghost canted his head. “Why not?”
Because I'm never happy. “Because whether or not you live in this alley was not my question.”
Ghost sighed dramatically. “Damn it. You’re getting smarter still.” He fell silent. Seth waited. Finally, Ghost said, “Because she needed someone to watch her back, and because I knew you would come find her.”
Seth remained quiet for a moment more, absorbing that. “So you wanted to talk to me?”
“Yep.”
“Why?”
Ghost winked. Seth couldn’t see it, but he knew it happened anyway. “I wanted to congratulate you on your stunning display of skill during your test today. Truly remarkable marksmanship.”
Seth had a feeling that wasn’t what Ghost had wanted to talk to him about, but he let it slide. Ghost wanted to take him on a goose chase for the right answer, but Seth wasn’t interested. He got manipulated enough with Genevieve; he wasn’t about to let Ghost manipulate him too.
“Thanks,” he said. “And thank you for watching over Isla.” He started walking toward the House. “I guess I’ll see you around, Ghost.”
That time, Seth did see Ghost’s wink as he went to walk past him to get to the street. “Not if I see you first, kid,” he said, just before he vanished.
Seth stood there, staring at the place Ghost had been… where he thought Ghost might still be. Seth hadn’t felt an absence when Ghost disappeared - he’d just stopped being able to see him. Magic, Seth thought. What kind of magic lets him become invisible? In that moment, Seth wanted nothing more than to finish his training and be chosen by a dragon. He wanted to learn about magic. He wanted to command magic.
And he was going to use it to figure out just who Ghost really was.
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