[That entire test was ridiculous. Your vitals were still thirty minutes from reaching hypothermia.]
Erec rubbed his brows as he lingered in the recuperation room with the other initiates. Softly, a priest hummed a prayer that eased the tension and harshness in his mind. But it was like a salve to a skinned knee; it eased the pain, but time was the only true way to recover.
“It wasn’t only about being cold,” Erec whispered. It surprised him when VAL reported his body temperature only dropped a degree during that entire test. And that the whole time, VAL had been shouting at him inside his head.
It was interesting because he hadn’t found anything to date to introduce interference between him and VAL. Aside from Fury.
Regardless, once back in touch, VAL complained about the waste of time spent in a circle. Then once told it whispered awful things in his head, VAL complained about the validity of the test as a measure of psychological fortitude.
Knights needed to be strong in will and body. Or so he’d always been told. It didn’t stand out particularly out of place to him, but Colin hadn’t spoken a real word to him since.
Even with the silence, Erec felt a fundamental shift in the air between them. That tension lingered there like a live wire was now gone; in its place was a degree of mutual respect, but not anything near friendship. An acknowledgment that they both understood what the other was about on some level. Perhaps it would be the bridge to let him pursue his vow to the Unbroken General, but advancing that agenda had started to give Erec a bad feeling in his gut.
After the hour of recuperation passed, they left to return to the dorms. He felt much more cheerful throughout the prayer.
When they returned to their living space, he returned to Garin being soothed on the couch by Olivia. His friend hung his head low, with a cheery maid to his right. At their arrival, the two stopped, and Olivia flashed him a smile. “Welcome back.”
“Thanks. You alright, Garin?” Erec said back, moving aside. Colin ignored them and barreled right towards his room. Face still pale, but a new light in his eyes. Erec shrugged and collapsed on the couch next to his friend, staring at the ceiling of the dorm.
“Am I a bad friend?” Garin asked quietly from his side.
“No, you’re a better friend than I am,” Erec answered honestly. It was a sad admission, but the truth, If he gave half as much effort as Garin to their friendship, then who knows where they’d be right now. The truth was that, if anything, he was the one leeching off of the goodwill of Garin.
“You’re both being dramatic. It does not suit you.” Olivia chided them, shaking her head. “The voices of that test are not a reflection of reality. And if you think you have a flaw, it is something you may practice out of yourself. Face your weakness, and slay it. Any goal can be achieved with enough effort. It does not matter that you were out of the ring in a minute, Sir Garin. Next time you will do better.” They slipped into contemplation at that. Only time would let them face the demons shown by the test.
Erec thought about confronting Olivia about how she handled the written exam, but that sort of hard questioning wasn’t in him today. And what answer would he get? That she was a spy? He was pretty fucking convinced of that at this point anyway.
After letting them dwell in the dark for fifteen minutes, Olivia suggested they take a walk, which Erec found himself surprised to agree to.
They wandered the halls of the Verdant Oak quarters and outside into the lush jungle of plants that surrounded it. Together they dug through the undergrowth and reached the expansive flower garden on the far side of the building. A field of a thousand flowers, each was a bright splash of vibrant color painting the landscape. Every breath reinvigorated and brought with it a thousand scents.
In time they left the grounds of the Verdant Oak quarters and wandered over to the pond of the Crimson Lotus. The sun sunk, painting the sky a glorious orange laced with purple as night approached.
“I’ve heard some serious accusations of your reputation before the Academy, Sir Garin,” Olivia said as she sat on a small wooden outcropping into the pond with the trio. Her toes sunken into the stilled cold water below. A few of the Crimson Lotus initiates wandered around, but for the most part, they had all the privacy they could want.
“And just what would those accusations be about?” Garin lay across the deck next to them, hands behind his head with his eyes closed.
The water was gorgeous; small dragonflies buzzed over the pads and carefully examined the floating lotuses. Would Bedwyr be lounging around after his tests? How’d he fair? Did Erec beat him on the test of resolve?
“Rumor is you’re a hopeless flatterer and a reprehensible flirt,” Olivia said in a neutral tone, swirling ripples into the stilled pond. “Or so the noble ladies gossip.”
“Why do you ask? Do I see jealousy hiding behind that mask of yours?” Garin asked, eyes fluttering, to which Olivia shook her head.
“This Dame is not one to fall for such childish charms. Please refrain from lavishing such affections on her, for she would rather focus her time and efforts on studying to make her name.”
“When you put it like that, I’d feel like a jerk to refuse. But if you ever change your mind, let me know.” Garin flashed her a winning smile as she rolled her eyes. He paused, taking on a bit more of a serious tone. “But really? Is that what they’re saying about me?”
Erec snorted. “They’re just not used to someone like you. Or maybe you really are a bad flirt; after what I saw, easy to see why they’re gossiping.”
“That so? How about you, Erec? All that time spent in your room. Are you yearning for some lost love left underground?” Garin fired back.
Erec paused because the absurd accusation was something he didn’t know how to respond to. Him? Slinking off and romancing someone? With what time? But also the pure ludicrousness of this moment. All of them resting around a calm pond when just a couple of days ago they faced off against monsters assaulting their walls. Outside of those steel curtains, the world waited to sink its fangs in and destroy them.
Yet, at this moment, they could sit around in the Academy and have a conversation like this…
This.
This was the sort of moment humanity was meant to have; peaceful memories and nonchalant conversations over their silly personal lives. A hope that burned bright even with shadows closing in on it. It was for these memories that they needed to defend what they had.
It was a reason to kill terrifying monsters.
He finally came up with a response.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve spent my nights reading. You’re too loud for me to focus in the living room.”
“Ah, so your love is fictional. Don’t worry! One day you’ll meet a Dame who you’ll sweep off her feet and—“
Olivia shoved Garin into the pond.
There was a loud splashing and angry yelling; Garin pulled Olivia into the pond with him as Erec sat on the side. His eyes rose above to see the stars as they began to dot the sky.
— - ☢ - — - ☼ - — - ☢ - —
Yesterday’s breakfast had been a war of pettiness. Today there was peace. Colin came along without being asked, far more reserved than before. They had a rather relaxing morning of eating tart blackberry pastries.
Colin even complimented Olivia on her table manners.
It was a bit of a backhanded insult, but it was clear to everyone that it hadn’t been intended as one.
Still, Colin hedged the conversations, only occasionally giving input. He got slightly more arrogant towards the end, but there was a marked difference.
They returned to the dorm.
Anxiety swelled.
Each moment spent in uneasy waiting; they knew that their results would arrive today.
They sat around, conversation a bit more forced and injected with unfounded positivity and guesses about how they did or what it meant by their courses being determined by the results.
There was a loud knock on the door. A Knight Errant handed out letters for them all.
Erec didn’t hesitate and tore his open the instant it was in his hands.
Dear Sir Erec, Initiate of the Order Of The Verdant Oak,
Disclosed below are the results of your semi-annual examination; the sheets within this envelope will display the examination results and the list of courses and electives derived from your performance. You are to submit a confirmation of your schedule and chosen electives to your Quartermaster by the end of this day.
Please take note of the commentary and areas of improvement below:
Overall Grade: 8.4/10 [B]
Written Exam: 89/100 [B+]
-Initiate shows high reasoning in many of the overall topics covered in this exam.
-Points docked for terse answers and lack of understanding for social obligations covered under ‘Court Gatherings and Public Presentation” questions.
-Recommended to expand proficiency of courtly affairs to prevent misunderstandings in higher courts when representing Order. Any failures here reflect upon the Knights and can have political ramifications.
Duel: 68/100 [D+]
-Initiate lost spar.
-Overcame few challenges associated with opponent.
-Initiate refused to acknowledge end of spar, and had to be forcibly removed from opponent by a Master Knight.
-Initiate eliminated self by taking a direct hit after losing control during combat to tackle an opponent.
-Recommendation provided by Order to undergo Talent Development, which has been acknowledged and prioritized.
Resolve: 94/100 [A]
-Initiate won test of resolve.
-Displayed ability to withstand high intensity demanded by exam for several minutes time.
-Persuasion of teamwork to instill courage in another.
Erec looked up from the sheet of paper, listing his accomplishments, failures, and how to improve. Everyone was looking at their grades. B? Better than average. It made sense he’d lost a lot of points during his duel. That made sense; he’d tried a new, untested tactic against an unknown opponent. But, in return, he’d gotten a little bit closer to understanding his Talent.
[Cheating paid off for you, huh?] VAL chimed in his head. [Well done for using all of the resources at your disposal. I estimate that it boosted your score from a C+. That's a real go-getter attitude.] Weren't you the one saying it wasn't cheating?
“Damn, C,” Garin groaned.
“Don’t let it discourage you. You’re just middle of the pack.” Olivia said from the side. Garin whipped around to look at her.
“Oh, and what’d you get?”
“I received a B-.” She shrugged. “They disliked how I conducted myself during my duel. But I could scarcely raise a sword to Lady Lyotte.”
Gradually all eyes turned toward Colin, whose face was a shade of red. The boy ripped up a piece of paper and tossed it to the ground. A deep red D+ showed from the sloppy shredding. He stompted over to his room and slammed the door.
Garin looked around at everyone and chuckled. “Wonder what sort of courses they offer when your grade’s that low.” He squinted as he looked at his last sheet. “Well, I know what I’m going to pick. How about you guys? Why don't we take some classes together."
“Shut up!” Colin yelled.