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I turned back to the male.
“Is there anything else I can help you with, Lady Kya?”
“She is no Lady,” a female Sage, the same one who was glaring at me earlier, said before I could respond as she walked up from behind the male. “She was chosen by Kleio, and therefore has neither lands nor people. As for your friend, I personally removed the marks of the returned and there was no one by the name of Njall.”
Her voice was light and sweet, but I could hear the mocking tone hidden underneath it. I wanted to punch her petite little nose and watch the blood stain her white robes.
I looked her slim body up and down, from her white hair to the odd burn on her dainty wrist. A slight hint of cedar and bergamot scented off of her, and my vision turned red with fury. I took a step back and shook my head, trying to gather myself.
What is it with this smell that has such a strong effect on me?
“You may return with the others now. I’ll handle this,” she said to the male before turning back to me as he scurried off.
I scowled at her. I didn’t know why, but I did not like her.
“An honorable feat, becoming Worthy. And a greater one at that, being chosen by Kleio.” Her fake admiration was getting under my skin and pissing me off.
“What do you want?” I said coldly.
“You may be revered for being the first to be chosen by the Silent God, but I would advise that you keep a low profile and steer clear of the other Lords and Ladies. Never before has there been a Worthy with no Nation to rule. They’ll see you as a threat, and won’t hesitate to eliminate it.”
I opened my mouth to tell her to go fuck herself, but she turned and walked away before I had the chance.
The Sage’s words weren’t wrong. I hadn’t ever thought about what would happen if Kleio chose a contestant to be Worthy, and what would happen to them if she did. I was a Worthy with no lands. I had no home to protect and rule. But I still had a purpose. I had a task to complete.
Restore the balance so they may return.
I added that to the things I needed to ask Odarum about later. I was too tired to think about it at that moment. I wanted a bed and a bath. And I desperately needed to clean my teeth as I could feel grime all over the inside of my mouth.
Once I was back at my tent, I replaced my dirty, torn clothing with a clean set but stopped when I saw my mark. It was different from before. Having memorized every line and swirl on my forearm, the mark now extended up to my shoulder anda display of symbols was now entwined throughout the black design. It was meant to separate those newly born with the mark and those who completed the Trial and were deemed Worthy. Your original mark remained, but the God or Goddess that chose you added more. It was an extension of Kleio. For several minutes, I stared at the new symbols, completely mesmerized, before I finally finished getting dressed. I stepped out of the tent just as I was putting on my long sleeve jacket.
“Do not hide your Worthy marking. Display it with pride.” Odarum tilted his head at me.
I paused, contemplating taking the advice of my guardian and showing the symbols of my triumph—which I was proud of—or heeding the warning of the female Sage and hiding it. The side of my lips tilted up slightly and I removed the jacket.
Shouts and grunts, coming from the other side of the compound, caught my attention and my face fell. A sick feeling twisted in my stomach, accompanied by the burning in my chest. The challenges had started.
I couldn’t help myself as my feet made their way through the tents, just close enough so that I could see from a distance. All three challenges were occurring at the same time. Why? I had no idea.
There were three semi-circle rings, each ending at the edge of the Rip. A Sage announced each one and I was finally able to put a face with the name of each Worthy. The one on the left had the Lord of Gaol, Jymar, pitted against one of the male contestants from Torx, the one with the serpent Spirit and who was clearly outmatched. I recognized him as the first jumper into the Rip.
The middle challenge ring had the Lady of Dusan, Zana, the oldest Worthy in the realm, challenging against the female contestant. I found it curious that both were female.
Perhaps Udon prefers a Lady to rule his Nation.
The ring on the right had the Lord of Ulrik, Hamal, fighting poorly against the other male contestant from Oryn that had the lion-bird Spirit, which Odarum had explained was called a griffin.
Neither of the challenges took long, a few minutes at most, and each one was a testament to the strength of the winner, with the exception of one. Lord Jymar beat his contestant incessantly, showing no mercy, even as the Torx male begged, before he shoved him over the edge.
The hissing screech of his bonded Spirit serpent ripped through the air before it disappeared. I didn’t know what it was like for the Worthy and their Spirit to have their bond broken. But surely, with something so transcendently seared into their soul, it felt like death itself.
“Qaala will live. It is a tragic loss once your Worthy dies as it shreds the bond, but that is why the challenge occurs so soon after the Trial. The bond is still weak and does not harm the Spirit too greatly,”Odarum said. It eased my heartbreak for the serpent but only a fraction.
Jymar, stalked out of the ring, still Lord of Gaol.
The challenge that earned my respect the most was the one between Lady Zana and the female contestant. Zana didn’t fight. She didn’t even try. Perhaps it was due to the fact that she was older in age or perhaps it was due to something else, but she held out her arms, palms facing the sky. With a prayer to Udon, she willingly forfeited by walking over the edge of the Rip of her own volition, with a smile on her face. While it was uncommon, occasionally a Lord or Lady would forfeit their challenge and fall to their death. Returning their magic, their soul, to the realms and keeping the balance.
“Lady Asmen of Dusan,” one of the Sages announced. Asmen looked shocked, relieved, and saddened all at the same time as tears streaked down her face.
