The Blades: by Zack Luzader (e ink epub reader TXT) 📕

enroll both not just one of our children.
Jade, completely accepting Bard's remarks, announces tommorrow's priorities "Then I shall search the streets for a part-time or even full-time job to occupy my time." Bard gives a suggestion of "Jade, you're a great cook, can't you cook for the nobles? I imagine that's a well paying job, and a prestigous one as well!"
"That sounds nice, but I don't think I would want to come home and cook after I cooked all day for some fat slob!"
"Hay, it was just an idea, now come let's put the boys to bed and let us retire to our quarters."
Jade nods and they continue onward.
The Wayne family lived in a two story house about 50 meters from the city hall, the market was not far aswell and Bard's shop was relatively close to the house. The white siding bled out to a moss covered side and a brown frame surrounding the house. The oak wood door and flooring led to a polished, fancy, painstakingly crafted table. It had six seats and was near the fireplace, sink, and cooking pot. A beautiful rug was crafted from silk and was placed on the wall about the children's room.
A wooden chandelere was above the dining table. The cobblestone fireplace had a well done portrait of the whole family resting on an overhang above it. The artist made a clear definition of Leo's angel blue eyes he got from his biological father.
Leo is tucked in for bed by Jade and Markas is tucked in by Bard. Jade kissed Leo on the forehead and said "I love you Leo and good night." Bard simply hugged Markas and shuddered the words "I love you son, now get some sleep for tomorrow."
As their parents left the room Leo asked "What do you think we will do in our futures, Markas?"
"I honestly don't know, Leo."
"I mean what if I get to become a square for a knight and defend the city? wouldn't that be sweet?"
"Yeah, I guess. I kind of want to be an understudy to an apothocary and make magical position and be famous!"
"That sounds fun as well, but I'm looking for more action! You know, like slaying dragons and saving Maricha, that kinda stuff."
Staring out the star flooded night from the window Markas replied to Leo's statement "Me to, but I don't want to be in danger you know I just want to help the world without being hurt or scarred."
Leo turns to Markas' bed and nods with a slight smile. "I can't wait to find out what were going to school to be!" commented Leo. "Yeah, but they will probably test us vigorously and strain us." replied Markas. "Let's get some sleep for tomorrow." suggested Leo. In acceptance, Markas says "Good night, big brother." Leo replied "G'night, little bro."


Keeping Secrets

As dawn broke, Jade stumbled up the stairs to wake the boys up and slams through their door and yells "Hurry wake up and push down your hair, your late for your first attendance!" Leo shuffles up and scrambles over to the mirror fixating his hair, while Markas layed in bed staring at him and Jade yells at him "Get up Markas!" Still tired, Markas rises to his feet holding his palm infront of his eyes to block the light siphoning through the window. Leo pulls his brown linen vest over his white night shirt as Markas puts on his cap and buttons his shirt.
Jade grabs hold of their hands and escorts them outside to meet their instructor, William Firebane. Leo and Markas say lousily "Hello Mr.Bane." William snorts sneedly and in a booming deep voice scolds "I expected you an hour ago, this will not look good on your first report card." Jade tries to excuse the boys saying "Sorry, I forgot their time and I hadn't waken up till it was already to late!"
"I don't care about your excuses, now come with me!" William takes hold of the boy's hands and march them to the training center down the brick road. The boys approach a huge castle like building with a tower on the right corner of the courtyard. The courtyard is a well built training zone of all arts. Their are dummies, easels, and hay wheels for archery. There is a huge beautiful fountain sorrounded by benches in the center of the courtyard. There are four paths twisting from the square of the courtyard that lead to three buildings and the gate. The paths lead to the headmaster's tower, the training building, and even a recreational and off time building.
William smirks and turns to the boys and says "Welcome to Glorfindel's school for the gifted, the only important place in this hell hole of a city." Leo and Markas turn towards each other and shrug simotainously. William turns to both of the boys and says "Go ask the headmaster to give you naives your classes." William forcefully pushes both boys together and they ascend up to the tower. They stop before the doors of the tower and look up to the astounding size of the tower. Markas touches the cold stone wall and grins "We're going to be taught alot here, I can just feel it." Leo stands their as still as a statue taking in the site of his tutoring spot for the next twelve years.
"Leo?"
"Yes?"
"Let's not keep the headmaster waiting shall we? I want to see what I'm going to be trained to do!"
"Alright, well then" Leo opens the large, heavy, solid wood door " let's enter!"
As the boys ascend the stairs, they see multiple cutoffs to other wings of the tower, but they feel compelled to continue up the spiral, polished birch wood staircase.
When the boys reach the top of the staircase, it led to an overhanging hallway to a door with a flourescent blue, glowing rune in the center of it. "Do you feel that?" asked Leo, and Markas replies "Feel what?"
"You're telling me you don't feel that tingling?"
"You are begging to scare me, Leo."
"Whatever, let's just go see the headmaster."
The boys approach the runed door cautiously, and with stealth. Leo swallows down some spit in anticipation to open the door. He steps forward and moves his arm up agonizingly slow to the handle of the door. As he touched the door he got a sudden shocking feeling as the tingling turned to minor pain and the door slings forward. Both boys have dropped jaws and eyes that are wide open as they see the spiralling power of the headmaster.
"Please, walk in and take a seat boys. I've been expecting you." Shuffling forward, the boys make their way an inch at a time to the two seats waiting for them. As they take their seats the silhouette of the mans face disperses to see a baggy, old man with long, matted white hair.
William materializes behind the boys and places his hands on the backs of their chairs. The headmasters sizes up the boys and attempts to determine their skill set. With no apparent answer, he asks them strait forward "What are you boys gifted with?" The brothers stare at each other wondering the same thing and turn back to the headmaster. Leo studders "I... I guess I'm handy with a sword." Although he doesn't know his true skills he implies he will try to work with a sword and his brother, Markas makes the same mistake of implying his skill set. "I can mix a mean potion, sir." says Markas confidently.
"Alright then, lets see it." The headmaster waves his hand and William aquires a sword and a flask. William hands over the sword to Leo and the flask to Markas, pointing Markas to a table with herbs and Leo to a target dummy. "Leo" William says "let's see your combat prowess." Leo takes the short sword and picks it up in an attempt to attack his opponent. The headmaster chuckles and says "Youngling, your stance is wrong, your striking is incorrect, and your delivery is off horribly. We'll have to straighten you out, and you." The headmaster points to Markas "Try a simple potion, perhaps one to revigorize someone to withold fatigue."
Not knowing what it is he had to mix to create such a flask, Markas randomly supplimented herbs into a flask. He crushed wortweed in a mortle and pestle and drained the alembric of its contents. After mixing the two concotions he stirred the vile mixture together to make a brightly glowing green fizzling potion.
"William, be the test subject." William nods and rushes over to the boy and takes the sample. He quickly takes a swig of the supposed energy suppliment, soon after he drops the flask and his eyes spread wide open. "Wha... the hell... did you mix?!"
"It looked like wortweed and purified water!" defended Markas.
"You obviously don't have any previous dedication to alchemy, for there was nothing on that table that could have produced a vigor rush." snily remarked the headmaster.
At this point William was preemptively have symptoms of a seizure and the headmaster said "What you mixed with a knock out agent, well done!" Smirking, Leo begins to snicker at Williams pain. "Markas, is that your name? Well neither of you have skills, however we shall give you the necessary resources to do so." The boys look at each other and grin as they have accomplished gaining entry into the prestigous academy.
The headmaster writes in his log and looks up at the boys and says "Your training will begin at twelve and end at four. Don't be late, and Markas, your class will be in the main building. Leo, your class is in the yard. You'll know your instructors, don't worry their obvious."
"Should we get to class today, headmaster?" asked Leo
"Yes it's