Word of the awakening had spread through the Divine Throne, and whispers filled the halls. As Soltair and I passed through, priests would pause their conversations and watch us from the corner of their eyes. It was a bit unnerving, but better than the hostile gazes of before. It seemed a hero commanded at least this much respect. After a few minutes, we finally arrived outside, and I got my first good look at the Divine Throne.
Words couldn't do it justice. The church complex was a massive sprawling mass of stone buildings, connected with fortifications and walled corridors. Central to the structure was a towering cathedral wrapped in stained glass, surrounded by soaring spires, and capped with a dome. I instantly recognized it as the Great Chapel. Hundreds of golden flags fluttered above the Divine Throne, proudly flying the symbol of the sun. The various wings of the complex were less grandiose but still impressive. The entire place was magically reinforced and built like a Fortress. The windows at ground level were narrow and deep, and the walls built of thick stone.
The outer walls were nearly a quarter mile from the Cathedral, with wide swaths of gardens subtly disguising the kill zone in between. Reinforced iron gates opened in every cardinal direction. Armored guards and Knights patrolled around the grounds on foot and horseback. Their expressions were bright and armor well-polished, giving a stunning display of might.
Soltair chuckled at the awe painting my face. "They call it the Fortress of the Sun. It's likely the most secure stronghold in the world, built to resist the full might of a demon invasion. Although many have tried, none have breached these walls."
"It's incredible! how long did it take to build?"
He scratched his head. "I'm not sure, although not as long as you might think. Magic makes everything easier, even without modern technology."
I could make out the top of buildings outside the walls, most flying the sun pendant as well. "How big is the city outside?"
"I haven't been out too much, but I'd guess a couple hundred thousand of people."
As we chatted, Soltair led me through the gardens. Flowers bloomed in every direction, and fallen blossoms covered the smooth cobblestone paths. Fruit trees bore fruit regardless of season, and small animal chatter filled the air. Throughout the garden, I could see various swathes of cleared ground, where soldiers and priests trained. Unlike the guards, they weren't dressed in battle gear, but used padded wooden weapons and wore no armor. Many trained by themselves, simply running through drills or following an instructor's lead. Sparring grounds were separate, sitting against the walls. As we approached the nearest training ground, the soldiers stopped nearly unanimously and knelt, hailing the hero.
A large, burly man stepped out from among the kneeling soldiers. He bowed politely and looked us up and down. His eyes narrowed at me, but he made an effort to remain civil. His voice was low and gravelly, inhibited by the jagged scars on his neck.
"Welcome, young hero. Who is this… girl… but your side?"
The hero cleared his throat, speaking so all could hear him. "This is my slave, Xiviyah, the Fate Hero. She's going to be accompanying me on my adventures, so please treat her well."
Whispers passed around the training yard, and I flinched at the open disdain. "A demon?" "What kind of Hero's a slave?" "Why would he choose a girl so flat?"
"Quiet down, men," the burly man commanded. "If that's the case, then I'm pleased to be at your service. The name's Jordan." He held out a rough and calloused hand, having more scrapes and scars than I thought possible. My slender fingers were dwarfed by his massive paw, but he treated me gently.
"What weapon do you use?" he asked, letting me go.
I hesitated, looking down in embarrassment. "I, u, haven't used one before. I've also been cursed, so I doubt I could use one anyway."
"Cursed?" he raised his eyebrows. "Then what can you do?"
I opened my mouth but came up empty. My cheeks reddening further, I looked at Soltair desperately. As always, he came to my rescue, placing his hand on my shoulder.
"She has a strong affinity for Fate magic. Is Selena here?"
"Magic, huh?" he said. He turned to me and grinned. "Weapons might not be good for you anyway, what with those tiny arms and all."
Soltair drew me aside as Jordan sent one of the soldiers running for Selena. "Whose Selena?" I asked curiously.
"She's one of the mage instructors."
"Not a priest?"
"Nah, she works for the kingdom. The Divine Throne is in the capital city of Roann, so they share resources. It's hardly surprising considering Radia basically built this place." Seeing my confusion he hurriedly explained, "Radia is the kingdom we're in. It's ruled by King Rixen, who strongly supports the church."
"A little too much, sometimes," a feminine voice said, interrupting the conversation. The newcomer was tall and fair, wearing blue robes and carrying a staff. Long Blonde hair fell about her waist, tucked behind two pointed ears. "But I shouldn't speak out of turn. The name's Selena, hero."
"An elf?" I gasped. "But I thought they only liked humans here?"
I immediately regretted it, feeling my tail quiver in shame. She grimaced and her eyes turned cold, seeming to pierce right through me. "They prefer humans, but some of us 'lower bloodlines' are capable enough to silence any critics. Tell me, demon, can you do that? Or do you need to hide behind a real hero?"
"Enough, Selena," Jordan said, striding over. "Even I can see she didn't mean anything by it."
Selena grunted and turned away. Even angry, her elven features were breathtakingly beautiful and I caught many of the soldiers staring at her. Solistair squeezed my hand and gave me a reassuring nod.
"Don't worry about her, she's just prickly," Jordan apologized, patting me on the back. She wouldn't have come if she didn't want to train a hero. Not after the last one got away… "
"Jordan! " Selena hissed through grit teeth.
"Oh, you mean Korra?" Soltair asked, a smile spreading across his face. "Too bad she decided to be a priest. Have you ever considered that, Xiviyah?"
A priest? Before I could even think about it, Selena's hand shot forward, grabbing mine and pulling me away. "Never mind what you said, we best get going. What's your name, girl?"
"Uh, Xiviyah," I stammered, looking behind as the widely grinning Jordan and Soltair fell away.
"Xiviyah. Yeah, I guess that fits. Why are you only starting to train now?"
She continued to question me as we broke through the crowds of training soldiers, adeptly peeling away any defenses I threw up. By the time we arrived where the mages were practicing, Selena knew my whole story. It looked a lot less crowded than where the warriors trained, but the reason for that soon became apparent.
So, while doing some editing on future chapters, I realized Selena's name had a few different versions running around. Probably just got confused while writing. I changed what I found, but let me know if you see any continuity errors like that. Thanks!
I looked around in wonder at the sight of dozens of mages all casting spells at once. Selena smiled beside me, giving me a second to take it all in. So far, the most magic I'd experienced was the glow rocks in buildings and the attacks of the Inquisitor. This was far more overwhelming.
Countless spells blasted around the clearing, striking training dummies or blasting into the open sky. Not all seemed destructive by nature, either, as mages cast spells on themselves or each other, creating shimmering auras or bubble-like shields. The whole place seemed almost underwater, as the sheer amount of runes and magic circles distorted the light passing through.
"This place is where we refine our magical skills," Selena said, "while those martial meatheads whack sticks together, we master the arts. I assume you are a novice?"
While I had no clue what kind of levels mages were divided in, I shook my head. "Never even used magic before."
I jumped, startled, as the elf patted my shoulder. Her ever-hard expression softened at my reaction and she gave me a bit of space. "Things haven't been easy, have they. But if you are to stand by our Hero's side, you need to stop making excuses. I'm going to teach you magic, but how far you take that talent of yours is up to you."
Excuses? My tail twitched uncertainly at the thought. I wasn't even aware I was making excuses...
Pushing the thought away, I took a deep breath and resolved myself. "I'm ready."
"Good. Let me introduce you, and we can get started. Bare in mind that while I'll pay special attention to you, this entire group is my responsibility." She waved her hand and raised her voice, disrupting the casting mages and drawing their attention. "This Demonkin is Xiviyah. She's a newly awakened hero, and will be joining us during training."
I flinched a bit. It'd be nice if their first impression didn't come from the world "Demonkin." As expected, trouble came.
A younger mage, perhaps 18, shouldered his way to the front. Judging by the way everyone moved respectfully, he should be someone important. I shivered as he glared at me, his eyes smoldering with unmitigated hostility.
"Is that a slave crest? You expect me to train with a slave? Just the sort of thing I'd expect from an elf."
Selena frowned, but seemed resigned to the challenge. "She's the Sun Hero's slave. The ceremony was completed this morning."
A glint of recognition flashed in the man's eyes, but it quickly disappeared within a scowl. "So that's what all the fuss was about. Does she even know how to use magic?"
The elf hesitated and shook her head. "Not yet. That's why we're all training, isn't it?"
The mage smirked and folded his arms. When Selena opened her mouth, about to say something more, he cut her off.
"I refuse. One of my standing shouldn't be subject to this humiliation."
From the looks the other mages gave, I could discern two things. The first was that this wasn't his first time acting out. Second, most of the other mages agreed with him.
"I am the instructor here," Selena said icily. "Do I need to remind you of that?"
"And I am the second prince. For an elf, you're awfully arrogant, aren't you."
Selena scowled and gripped her staff tightly. It was clear the provocation got to her, and she took a deep breath before responding. "If you cannot bring yourself to train with the Fate hero, you may leave."
Terrifying auras erupted from both of them, clashing together and emitting a powerful pressure. I gasped for breath as the air grew heavy. Many of the other mages looked pale and shaky, with glints of fear in their eyes. A few hours ago, I would have been the same, but this was nothing compared to the Pope.
Selena pounded her staff against the ground and the pressure vanished as quickly as it appeared. "I'll be speaking with your father about this."
"Don't bother," the man retorted. "I'll see him first. Don't expect things to go as well as they have in the past. Hero or not, she's still a demon."
He turned and strode away, going to the far corner of the training field. Selena slumped, a look of relief spreading across her face. Although he was technically the trainee, it was obvious who had more power.
I took a deep breath, shaking off the last vestiges of their clash. "You didn't have to do that. It's…supposed to happen."
"Just because you have a name doesn't mean you need to live up to it!" she said through grit teeth. "That young man's name is Vorinth Nesturo, the second son of King Roann. He's able to cast fifth circle spells already, despite being just 20, and abuses his power to no end. I pray for your sake he leaves the matter here."
Honestly, the idea of being bullied by some prince didn't really phase me. This might even be an opportunity to help the hero. If the leaders were seen mocking demons, then my job was half done. I would...wait, what was I even thinking?
Something must have shown on my face, because Selena gave me a soft smile. "Cheer up for now. I doubt you need to expect any trouble for the time being."
Although Vorinth had retreated, he continued to look our way. Instead of the anger and disgust from before, he seemed more curious. The instant he saw me looking at him, a furious glare took over and he spat on the ground. He didn't look over after that.
"Let's put that aside for now. What do you know about magic?" Selena asked.
I shook my head. "I've seen it a few times, but that's about it."
"I see. Then watch closely."
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