Moirai
Chapter 13

Thenext day passed mainly the same way, with both morning and afternoon lessons.Except, for the latter, Mayran insisted we focus on my aura.

Atfirst I was hesitant, but reminded myself that I was (mostly) over my fear.Mayran set me simple tasks designed to get me adapted to using my aura morereflexively, because it was obvious that in battle I couldn’t afford a fewminutes prior to doing something as was the case when I healed Loni.

Isurprised myself because it took me less time than expected to get the hang of someof the tasks quickly. It helped that, since yesterday, I could constantly feelthe warm thrum of my aura inside me. That fact made it easier to draw upon; atone stage, Mayran threw a small stick at me and I was able to stop it before ithit my face without lifting a finger.

Bythe afternoon, I was feeling moreconfident about the Trials…but the nerves had by no means gone away. Doubtfulthoughts continued to plague me, made worse, I thought, because I was extremelytired. Mayran, noticing this, cut our afternoon lesson short and told me – orrather, ordered me – to rest well. I promised that I would try. Despite myanxiety, I hoped sleep would come easilyy tonight.

Itold Mayran to go on ahead and lay down with my head against an old tree stump.I was only hoping to calm my racing mind for a few minutes, but I soon foundmyself dropping off.

Asharp burst of pain from my hand roused me. For a split second I thought I hadbeen bitten by some sort of bug, but I quickly realised that someone had deliberately stepped on my hand.

Ididn’t need a degree to guess who it was, even though they stood above me in aray of sunlight and so were almost silhouetted. It was the first time I hadseen him since our arrival – I had a feeling he was avoiding me – and if I hadbeen expecting him to look tired from days of training as I did, I was sorelymistaken.

Ifanything, Centurion’s eyes glistened with more malice and there wasn’t even thetiniest shadow under his eyes.

“Havinga nap, are we?” he hissed, bending down and leering at me. “I would’ve thoughtyou would be training every hour of the day to even have a hope of winningtomorrow. But then again, you’re the ‘hero of the prophecy’, aren’t you? Youprobably don’t need any training.” His voice couldn’t get more sarcastic if hetried. I resisted the urge to try out my auraic reflexes in real life and takehis feet out from under him.

“Goaway, Centurion. You’re not going to make me chicken out by taunting me. Or isit that you are worried, and you feel you need to put me off?” I remarked,making my own voice sound dry and firm, while trying to hide the pain my handwas still in.

Hescoffed, although something about his expression made me wonder if I had strucka chord…he couldn’t possibly be concerned…could he?

He increased theweight on my hand, leaning further down, and a gasp escaped my lips. I glaredat him.

“Get. Off.” Igrowled.

“You will losetomorrow.” He whispered. “Mark my words.”

“Consider them marked.”I snapped. “Now get off my hand!”

He chuckleddarkly and did so, stalking back off into the forest. I cradled my purplinghand and hoped there were no broken bones. It didn’t feel like it, but I healedmyself just in case.

As I walked backtowards our cottages, in between cursing Centurion with words that my motherwould have told me off for saying, I marvelled at how simply I used my aura nowthat I had come to accept it. So much can change in so little time.

My theory aboutsleep was proved partially true; my exhaustion meant that I was unconsciousonly a few minutes after lying down, but as soon as my eyes closed…I begandreaming.

At first, it was similar to my dream twonights previously; Indina’s cruel laughter that seemed to come from all directions,even above. Then suddenly, she stood in front of me, an evilly amused glint inher red eyes.

“So, the Trial is tomorrow, hm?” herwhispered words washed over me like icy breaths of wind. “I must say I don’tunderstand why you desire to waste your time on such a trivial event, when Iawait you oh-so impatiently only days’ travel away.”

I tried to speak, to tell her that I had tocompete in the Trial in order to leave Flowerage, but words failed me. My chestfelt tight with an intense fear; though her words weren’t threatening, the verythought of who she was and the things that she had done filled me with dread.

She tutted softly at my lack of response. “Iknow I am royalty, girl, but that does not mean that you need to hold yourtongue so.”

“How do you know about the Trial?” I managedto ask. As it had during the dream in Okanto, my voice sounded weak compared tohers.

She laughed again, although this time it washad a more sinister rather than mocking tone. “Let’s just leave it at…I have myways.”

My mind instantly thought Spy! But surely the Praesul would know? And thenI asked myself a scarier question; when had I started believing that my dreamsof Indina were actually real?

She grinned evilly at me as though she knewthe chilling thought that I had just had. Then without saying anything else,she vanished, leaving me standing in a world of blackness…

When I opened myeyes, it was past dawn: the sun shone its golden rays through the windows,turning the wooden floor amber and illuminating the hundreds of specks of dustthat floated around the room.

Instantly I knewI wouldn’t be getting any more sleep. It was only a couple of hours until thetrial began anyway. The thought added to my already anxious nerves. My stomachfelt incredibly tight, both from the dream and from the coming ordeal.

I had no ideahow Indina knew about the Trial. It would have been foolish to continuethinking they were just dreams. It meant she had to either have a spy somewherein Flowerage, as I’d thought…or her dreams were her somehow reading my mind.

I felt shiversof cold run down my spine and turned my attention elsewhere. The dust particlesswirled in a tiny breath of wind. I could relate to them. I also felt caught upin the tide against my will. Three weeks ago I was a normal teenager glad thatthe school year was ending. Now…I was the mystery figure of a great prophecy ina world inside a book, and I was about to go and cross wits and arms with a Dryad who was the leader of the Defendors.

I almost feltlike bursting into tears at the absurdity of it all, and briefly wondered if Ihad indeed gone mad and this was all just a figment of my imagination. For amoment, I distracted myself by imagining waking up suddenly in a hospital andbeing told that I had been in a coma.

But as far as Icould tell, the nervous lump in my throat and the sword lying by the bed, whichjust then felt like nothing more than a twig, were definitely real.

I felt anoverwhelming need to escape the small room, even if it was just for an hour ortwo.

A surprisingnumber of Dryads were around considering the early hour – I couldn’t work outan exact time as there were no clocks in Renenta – and all of them looked at meas I walked past. They didn’t turn and whisper to each other, but their staresfull of contempt, awe or a mixture of both were worse.

Once I exitedthe main part of the city and headed into the forest, I wondered if I shouldjust run away. If I could get back to Nerome, maybe somehow I could return tothe outside world and forget about everything here.

But I knew Icouldn’t. I hadn’t asked to be the one in Kasanda’s prophecy, I hadn’t askedfor Centurion to hate me on sight, but those things had occurred and now I justhad to deal with it the only way I knew how; by not giving up.

The walklessened the knot in my stomach somewhat, and by the time I made it back to thecottage I was feeling a lot less lost, even if the dream still bothered me.

Pushing the dooropen, I was surprised to replace Mayran standing inside, as though he had justcome looking for me. I was just about to ask how he had gotten in when Iremembered that Dryads didn’t have locks on their doors.

He looked up asI entered, an odd expression on his face. Anticipation and…something else.

“Morning,Mayran.” I said, shutting the door behind me. I knew why he was there.

“Morning.” Hereplied stiffly and I got the distinct impression that he was just as worriedabout today as I was, and was poorly hiding it. Then a different way of lookingat it presented itself to me; he wasn’t worried about today, he was worried about metoday. He took a deep breath and swallowed, as though about to deliverincredibly bad news. “It’s time.”

I copied hisbreath and nodded, not trusting myself to speak. The brief respite granted tome by my walk was gone, and now I was feeling rather ill. Mayran gave me anunderstanding look and reached out. Before he could grab my hand, the doorbehind us opened once again.

“Alnya,they’re…” Loni trailed off. She came and stood next to me, and did what Mayranhad intended to do, taking my hand in hers. Her hand was slightly smaller thanmine, but its warmth loosened the tension in my shoulders.

“Thank you.” Iwhispered.

“You’ll befine.” She insisted.

Together westepped out of the cottage, Mayran shadowing us behind. I could feel the wavesof his worry hit me and they only added to my own.

A large crowd ofDryads stood surrounding a circular area about thirty metres wide. They partedto let us through, and I saw that there was no grass on the ground. It remindedme slightly of the arenas the gladiators of Rome used to fight in. The imagedid little to help.

As I stepped beyondthe throng of bodies, I barely even registered that Mayran and Loni didn’tfollow; I had fallen into a sort of daze where the murmurings of the Dryadswere muted and I felt quite numb. Kasanda, the Praesul, Centurion and anunfamiliar Dryad awaited in the centre of the circle. The Dryad was male and,though with most it was difficult to tell their ages, it was clear that thisone was old enough to show it. His dark brown hair had several grey streaks andhis eyes, though not lined, had the tired look of an elder.

Kasanda wastrying to appear confidant as she met my gaze, but I could tell that, just aswith Mayran and Loni, there was a degree of concern. The Praesul simultaneouslylooked at me and nodded, then faced forwards again. Centurion didn’t even tryto hide his true emotions; sneering at me and scoffing.

I swallowed andstopped next to Centurion, refusing to look at him.

The Dryad who Ididn’t know stepped forwards, looking between us. His voice was deep andwarbled slightly; another mark of age. “Alnya of Nerome, Centurion of Floweragechallenged you to this Trial of Three upon your arrival into our city. Is thiscorrect?”

Kasanda had toldme that I would be subjected to a few obvious questions, so I kept my voicelevel, holding my hands together to hide the tremors.

“Yes.”

He turned backto the Dryad next to me, who at that moment I couldn’t decide whether I hatedmore than I feared. “Centurion, do you still wish to carry out the Trial?”

I didn’t evenbother to hope that he would say ‘no’.

“Yes.” Hedrawled.

The Dryadnodded. “I am Latifurn, and I will be presiding over this Trial. For those whodo not know, the Trial of Three is made up of three parts: a battle of wits, abattle of arms, and a battle of aura, in that order. Are there any questionsfrom our two competitors before the Trial begins?”

Yes. I wanted to say. What happens if Centurion ignores the rulesand kills me? But I knew that he would not. Kasanda had already explainedthe answer to that one. Plus, our swords would be guarded in a similar mannerto when Mayran and I sparred, and the Praesul would be monitoring out auras andstep in if something fatal was willed.

Latifurn noddedto Kasanda and the Praesul, who left the open area to stand at the front of thecrowd.

“Let theTrial…begin!”