Vir chose his words carefully. This wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation, and he didn’t want it to end in an argument like it always did. Especially not today. “I can see the appeal, Maiya. I’d just rather help Rudvik out in the forest. He works himself to the bone to put food on the table for both of us. I want to contribute. I just want…” I want people to treat me like everyone else.
“You want to use magic,” Maiya completed, giving him a knowing look.
“Well, that too. A little would be nice. Just enough to open doors and light candles. It’d make life a heckuva lot easier. Say, d’you know anything about sensing magic? Like, do you know how the mejai do it? Do they do it? Do they hear voices in their head or anything like that?”
Maiya shook her head. “Hmm, I dunno. But I swear I’ll find out one day. I’m going to be a mejai, Vir! A fire mejai. Someone famous.”
“Uh, huh. You don’t even have a lesser affinity for fire magic. How do you figure that’s going to happen?”
Maiya stared out into the distance, her chin held high. “It’ll manifest. I’m still growing. And we don’t know that for sure, right? I mean, Dad hasn’t let me test my magic for a whole year! I could have an affinity and we wouldn’t even know. Just have a good feeling about it, y’know?”
“Right…” Vir was pretty sure that wasn’t how affinities worked. Children were either born with it or manifested it by age fifteen at the latest. He himself hadn’t developed an affinity. And Maiya was one year his senior…
“I hope you get what you want, Maiya. I truly do. Even if you only want fire magic to match your red hair,” he teased.
“That’s not why!” She huffed and walked up to the leafless tree that dominated the knoll.
Vir was pretty sure that was why, but he didn’t argue.
His mind drifted back to the monumental hurdle he needed to overcome. Vir didn’t even know where his confidence came from. How was he going to obtain magic? He simply didn’t have enough knowledge about the subject. He needed a mentor, someone who knew the ins and outs of prana. Apramor was the closest Brij had to a mejai, but even his knowledge fell short.
“Maiya, wait! That’s dangerous,” he said, noticing his friend climbing clumsily up the tree. “You remember the last time you fell from there? I had to carry you all the way back to your father.”
“I’ll be fiiine,” she said, right as her leg slipped off. She barely caught herself in time. Maiya was many things, but an expert climber she was not.
“Don’t worr—wait…” She stared off into the distance.
“What? What is it?”
“Vir! Come up here. Hurry!”
He grasped a limb and vaulted himself up. When it came to acrobatics, few could hold a candle to him… Just that he couldn’t maintain the exertion for long.
“There! To the west by the Godshollow!”
He followed Maiya’s gaze and peered into the distance. When he saw what she saw, his eyes widened. The haze of the midday sun made them somewhat difficult to discern, but there was no mistaking those silhouettes. “Hiranyan cavalry?”
“Looks like there’s almost twenty of them!” Maiya said.
Some wore full plate armor, while others wore brigandine over a black gambeson. All carried polearms and swords, riding their armored Ash’va.
“We should head back. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
“Agreed,” Vir replied. Hiranyan soldiers had never once been to their village. Why now?
A chill ran down his back. What if they’re here for me?
4THOSE THAT HUNT. THOSE THAT HIDE
The villagers of Brij always enjoyed a spectacle, and for good reason. Drama was usually limited to gossip about this year’s crop yield, or at the very worst, someone’s husband looking the wrong way at someone else’s wife. That could be called a rare event.
Something like the arrival of mounted soldiers? Now that was gossip material for years to come. Vir was sure many Brijers were looking forward to whatever was about to happen, despite their anxious expressions. Maiya was one of them.
“Ugh! Can’t hear a thing,” Maiya said. “We need to get closer.”
Vir let Maiya lead him through the crowd that had gathered at the village’s main plaza. She always took charge whenever she was worried. He didn’t mind. In fact, he was glad to have such a reliable friend. Whenever she was around, he always got fewer looks from the villagers. And no one could push their way through a crowd like Maiya could.
As they got closer to the soldiers, Vir began hearing bits and pieces of the conversation.
“I assure you, ser, we’ve nothing to hide!” a familiar-sounding voice said.
“That’s Dad he’s speaking to!” Maiya whispered.
“Then you’ve nothing to fear, head priest,” the soldier said from atop his armored Ash’va. Shining plate armor adorned the beast—the kind Vir had only heard of and never seen.
The soldier himself was no less adorned, clad head to toe in pristine steel with a cape dyed in the Hiranyan emerald and gold. His glistening breastplate looked like it spent more time getting polished than being used. On his back was a recurve shortbow—decorated in gold, of course. What truly caught Vir’s eye was the glimmering talwar at the soldier’s hip.
His curved sword boasted too much gold for Vir’s liking, but the blade itself was mesmerizing, with a gorgeous two-tone pattern embedded in the steel. Vir stared at the blade for a long moment before he realized what it was. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Impossible! He thought, his heartbeat quickening. Seric steel?
It was the metal present in all the godly myths. The steel that was said to cut through regular steel like paper. He didn’t know if those rumors were true, but he had heard those blades could cost as much as a house…
Vir appraised the other soldiers, and to his disappointment, none had any seric weapons. On the spot, he decided he would own one someday. He didn’t know what he’d do with it, and who knew how he’d afford it, but none of that mattered. He wanted one anyway.
“This is a routine inspection, nothing more,” the soldier said through his full plate helm, his voice muffled and boomy.
Apramor frowned. “This is the first time we’ve had soldiers inspect our village—”
“Knights, priest. Knights, not soldiers. And I am the knighted captain of this detachment, Tejas Vastav. You would do well to remember that name.”
So they’re not just soldiers… they’re knights? Vir thought, panicking. That explained their opulent gear.
“My apologies, Knight Captain Vastav,” Apramor said with a bowed head. “Surely honorable knights such as yourselves wouldn’t waste your time with such a small village like ours?”
“Tisn’t your place to question how we spend our time, priest,” the knight said. “Our orders come straight from the newly appointed royal priest. He is somewhat particular about these matters, you see. Your superior wishes to show our citizens that we are here, ready to serve and to protect. The winds are changing, Apramor. We need to maintain vigilance during these dark times.”
The knight captain’s vague explanation did nothing to lessen the knot tightening in Vir’s stomach. Captain Vastav turned and addressed the crowd. “Hear me, villagers of Brij. We, the third detachment of the Royal Hiranyan Knight Corps, have ridden hard from Daha. As citizens of our glorious kingdom, I expect your full cooperation during our inspections! Know that there is nothing to fear! We are protectors of the people. Our duty is to ensure your safety. However, our mission here may take some days. We require lodging. I hope we may impose upon you?” he said, giving Apramor a sidelong glance.