Page 59 of Riftborne
“You seem lost.” While he didn’t smile, his eyes seemed friendly enough.
“Very. I’m hoping you know where I should be headed?”
I pulled at the sleeves of my shirt.
“You can follow me. We’re going to the same place.”
I allowed him to lead the way. We passed multiple rooms, separated from the main area by glass walls. They must have been the training gyms I’d seen before. Up close, they were much more intimidating.
Through the thick glass, I caught glimpses of activity. Sweat hung heavy in the air, visible even from here. Inside, figures moved with fluidity, their forms blurring as they went through drills. The rhythmic clang of steel on steel echoed, punctuated by grunts of exertion.
Lieutenant Mercer stopped sharply, pulling open the door at the end of the row. I shuffled past him, entering a small room. There were five other recruits sitting about the space in uncomfortable-looking metal chairs. I recognized a few of their faces from the ball. They didn’t pay me much attention as they talked amongst themselves. I couldn’t help but notice their ease. They seemed completely in their element. Well, most of them at least. One boy sat off to the side, reading a book.
I made brief eye contact with a boy whose hair was paleblonde, a shade or two darker than mine. It was greased back, showing every contour of his square jaw. His eyes went sharp as they fell upon my left wrist. It looked like he wanted to say something, but he never did. I quickly turned away and slid my hands into my pockets.
“This is Fia Riftborne, she will be joining us from now on. Please, do your best to refrain from questions and introductions until the end of the session,” Mercer said, giving pointed looks to each of us before motioning for me to sit.
As I walked towards the other recruits, every single eye was on me. A few murmurs ran through the room. They were an interesting assortment. Four boys and one girl. I pondered what their individual focuses were, wondering what Laryk had seen that made him want to place them in his special unit.
Mercer returned to a desk in the corner, procuring a set of vials from the drawer.
“Raine, I will put you in charge of catching Fia up on the past week.”
“Why? Because I’m a girl?” I heard a laugh and followed the voice. She had long black hair that was pulled back from her face in thin braids. Her warm mahogany skin mirrored the color of her eyes. She was undeniably beautiful.
“No, because I usually can’t get you to quiet down otherwise, so you seem perfect for the task,” Mercer responded, unperturbed.
“Yes, Lieutenant,” she chuckled, shaking her head before turning to me with a wink.
Mercer placed the vials on the podium in front of him. “You’ll be receiving your first piece of confidential information today,” he said, holding one of the vials in the air. There was a small slip of paper within the glass.
“This will ensure it stays between members of the Guard.” He paced through the room, handing each of us one of the containers. A few exchanged confused glances.
I eyed the contents. The small parchment had today’s date written on it, and my name was etched into the glass.
“What do we do with this?” Raine asked, holding the vial up to the light.
“You’ll provide a drop of blood,” he said, as if it was as normal as discussing the weather. “Once given, you won’t be able to speak about any of our confidential intel with anyone outside of the Guard.”
I sank down in my seat, looking around to the other recruits. Their expressions hadn’t changed much, but deep down, I wondered if they were as horrified as I felt.
“A blood oath,” Mercer said, offering me a small dagger.
“Just enough for a drop. I’ll need your full attention during our lesson,” he added.
“How does it work?” I asked, trying to disguise the fear in my voice with curiosity.
“That’s not for you to know.” It was all he said before pushing the dagger into my hand. I looked up to meet his eyes, which were unreadable.
Slowly, he nodded as if trying to assure me that everything would be alright. And it seemed like I didn’t have a choice. So, I grasped the dagger and pushed the tip into my finger until a bead of crimson emerged. I held it over the vial and allowed a drop to fall, covering the parchment in a stain of red.
Mercer continued on to the rest of the recruits. The room remained dead silent as everyone swore the oath. After we finished, Mercer placed the individual vials on his desk, and a blond woman in an emerald Guard’s uniform entered the room to collect them, leaving just as quickly as she came.
Mercer cleared his throat, bringing our attention back to the front of the room.
“As you all might have heard by now, there have been some issues in Stormshire and the lands surrounding the border. What you have yet to be informed of, is what exactly is taking place. Weusually wouldn’t be nearing this subject so early, but tension in the West really leaves us with no choice.” Mercer eyed each one of us individually, his forehead stern.
I heard the legs of a chair slam back.
