Half Blooded

Chapter 1

I and nine-teen of my regiment crew stood still with frightened eyes as we stare at our commander beating a harmless POV from Galiar, they call this a ‘show of force’ torturing then excecuting prisoners of war, an ancient practice in The Dacean Kingdom, this was meant to show the people of how great the Daceans are actually, trying to provoke feelings of pride and superiority but also showing the other clans living in the Dacea to feel frightened making them less eager to rebel.

Public duels were common in the Dacean Kingdom, before, a rich luxury, now the most common attraction, almost every city from small to great all have stadiums dedicated to duels, it’s the pride of the Dacean, to see the war exploits helplessly fight the veterans of the kingdom is always amusing, sometimes even thrilling. But this was different.

The Galiaric prisoner is half naked, only having a thin white cloth hiding protecting his dignity. He looked like he hadn’t eaten for days, his rib cage is showing and his face is almost a skull, he looked like he couldn’t stand as our commander kicked his ribs causing him to cough.

It was indeed horrifying, like seeing a baby chick getting devoured by a snake.

“S-Stop…” he finally muttered, it seemed like he used the entirety of his body’s power to spout one word because after that he closed his eyes and that guaranteed that he’s dead.

But no, our commander didn’t stop for at least a couple more seconds before landing a final blow on his head. He patted his vest as if to clean it off any dust.

He gestured to two of my regiment crew to pick him up and ‘dispose of him’ . Everyone in the military already knows that disposal meant tossing someone in the pit for not even the Galiaric population deserves burial.

The commander then looked at us in a calm and stiff manner seemingly saying ‘I am a great man and you are lesser.’ indeed that was true thought\, he was a light blood, who are considered far superior than their scarlett blooded counterparts possessing abilities, sometimes superhuman.

He looked far, overseeing all of us eighteen.

He then took a peak at a clock in the wall behind him.

and said with authority “Dismissed”

We then placed our right hand to our brow, giving our commander salutations. He returned the gesture back and marched out and into his office. It’s customary In the Dacian Kingdom to let your superiors first, an ancient custom but strictly enforced in this conservative nation.

I walked out of the academy, squeezing into the crowd. It’s quite crowded today for this is the first day of July, the conscription period. Every year in the month of July, people without guilds are forced into conscription to the military. The war against the Galiar Kingdom has been raging on for almost a century and by now people consider it a typical day even though loved ones are getting slaughtered far away in the trenches or fields.

I walk past the Scholar’s guild. It’s less crowded here, the quieter part of the academy. I admire the marble pillars and statues that fill the halls, as if a part of the White palace was taken off and placed here in the academy. My walk would be interrupted when I felt a pressure on my shoulder. I guessed it was a professor who would wish to discipline me on how to walk properly, I sighed and looked at my shoulder.

To my surprise it wasn’t an angry professor, but a smiling gent.

Olfred Munston, a scholar, diplomatic apprentice and one of my first friends.

We were Primary classmates even though he was a year and a half older than me, Olfred is of noble birth and so had access to knowledge beyond my reach, that’s why he usually offers me books, maps and other literature that may help my understanding of the world. It may even be because of him that I passed the entrance exam in the academy and escaped martial conscription.

“How’s training sergeant-officer William Halvon?” He smiled

I chuckled and said “ How’s the lecture master Olfred Munston?”

“It was average at best” he laughed

I giggled, “no seriously it’s been a while how are you?”

“It’s going great honestly Will,” he exclaimed, “my apprenticeship will end soon and I can finally become a mage, diplomat or or…”

That’s great I thought, he’s going places, to the great libraries of Montegar or maybe even to the white palaces of Hollesa. I’m sure I would see him in the weekly print of how a Dacean joined the elite Light Sorcery Guild alongside elite Hollesians and Wellsomians.

Then there’s me, lucky to escape conscription to the war against the Yellow Banner but unlucky to serve the Royal Guard protecting the capital at all costs.

Olfred probably learned a thing or two about psychology while being an apprentice, or is it just obvious in my eyes because Olfred stopped and gazed upon my eyes with a worried look and asked, “Well how about you Will?”

“Doing good too,” I said with a fake smile, “I’m off back to home, how about you?” I asked, trying to diverge the conversation away from me.

“Ah well I need to stay a little bit longer to study in the library, exams are coming up”

“Well good luck Olfred”

I offered a hand and he shook it, we smiled to each other’s eyes and we parted ways without turning back, I don’t know if this would be our last encounter. I hope it isn’t but I also hope that Olfred can go to places. It’ll be selfish if I pray to selfishly keep his goodwill and intelligence to myself, he needs better friends, maybe even nobles alike.

I walked a couple miles ahead to the nearby station and waved for a caravan to take me to town, Sahone, the village where I was raised, not of birth though. The priestesses of the temple village told me that my mother had left me in the village oracle, that was around 17 years ago. I don’t feel hollow anymore that I lived with no mother nor father, I had the priestess and teachers who I treated as parents of my own.

One caravan finally headed my plea and gave me a ride, “Sahone” I informed him

I live in a relatively small home, it for one is not really a home though.

It’s the Priestess’s tower, where she lived. I can thank my parents for leaving me in the Tower instead of a random house. People in Sahone aren’t actually the nicest so it’s nice having the village priestesses become your mother-guardian of sorts.

The tower is relatively small, even though it’s supposed to house the priestesses. But at least it oversees the entire village, a nice view nonetheless.

From the north you can see, in better days, Mt. Hevastian, named of course after the house of Hevastian, the dynasty of which our ruler and his father before him are a part of.

To the south, you can take a small glance of the bustling city of Kervan, the capital. Not many have entered its fiery gates, I have to thank Olfred for that, it seems I’ll always owe something to that gent.

I opened the door,giving myself a smile to not worry the priestesses.

Inside, Nia and Zaraiah are resting upon the vines near the wooden roof, oblivious to the world around them. Madalene embroiders at the wooden table near the balcony, it looks like a mystical tree design, the same trees you can find in Solisa, though I have never been there I thought.

“I’m home” I say, gazing upon magdalene

I looked atop, Zaraiah gave me a smiling wave while Nia seemed already asleep, I looked back at the balcony and Magdalene was nowhere to be seen.

I looked around frantically.

Thud.

Magdalene, in the speed of light, gave me a hard and long hug, I can sense that she’s crying.

“Oh my dear, how long has it been?” she cried

“Uh, one week mother” I chuckled

Magdalene is the oldest among the priestesses, being a hundred and twelve years old (112) though she looks around just 25, must be nice being a fairy I thought. Despite her age, she’s the most sensitive among the three, so much that I have to return home every week to keep her from worrying, I guess this is what a mother is like.

I placed my arms around her and hugged her tight “I missed you too mom”

After a minute or two Zariah finally said something “Get up Maggie, you’ll crush the kid”

With that Magdalene slowly raised up, and wiped a tears from her eyes “Sorry about that dear” she laughed

I smiled, being near this familiar feeling again.

“Have you eaten anything? c’mon we have salad” Magdalene said

Then I realized that no one eats meat in the towers, lucky me I thought sarcastically. I smiled and nodded, then went off to my room to unpack.

I took off my black and yellow uniform and put on some more comfortable homewear, I opened my wardrobe to pick up a fresh neat pile of clothes, they’re softer than my uniform, specifically sewn by Magdalene herself. I traced my hand at the silver leaf design she sewed and smiled.

I walked out to faces of horror, Zariah, Magdalene and even the sleepy Nia were all at shock. I looked to my shoulder, the crystal was turned on, the crystal is only ever turned on during a royal address, this was different.

A dark haired woman speaks:

“I repeat, the Academy has been a victim of a terrorist attack”