A Soldier's Life - 415 - Indoctrination (needs a different title as I didnt cover as much as I hoped in the chapter)

Chapter 415: Indoctornation

“She is an otherworlder?” Elyssara partially asked and partially stated as we prepared to leave her office.

There was no point in denying it, and it explained her young age and powerful affinities. “She is,” I confirmed.

She nodded slowly at Evie, trying to be reassuring. “It makes more sense. There are others like her among the Sentinels. Not nearly as young as her, but otherworlders. They will understand her better than you can,” the Hierophant said as her gaze shifted to me. “They can protect her better than you.”

Evie hugged me from behind. “It is my decision, not yours and not theirs,” I said protectively.

Elyssara let out a lengthy sigh. “You have a few months. Take the initiate classes and you will understand.” I turned and left with Evie, feeling uncertain if this was the correct decision. Evie stuck close to my side and didn’t look at the murals as we passed and returned to the dining hall. The kitchen staff was cleaning up, and only a few older men were talking and eating now. These didn’t have the build of warriors or the self-confident bearing of mages. I guessed they were likely long-term staff for the Citadel.

One of them, an aging dwarf by appearances, waved his hand toward a door. “Solvar took them to the Librarian—those stairs.” We nodded thanks and crossed the hall to the doorway. These doors were snug and harder to open. When I leveraged them open, the unmistakable odor of ancient tomes and paper hit us. I was guessing the library, I stepped through the great oaken doors and pressed them closed behind us.

This tower’s interior was unlike anything I’d imagined—vast, circular, and hollow at its heart. From where we stood on the ground floor, the tower rose and descended equally. The center was a vertical shaft, revealing a half dozen ringed floors above and below, each one lined wall-to-wall with bookshelves that followed the curvature of the stone. The stone that was visible was a dull, polished white. Evie was silent at the remarkable spectacle as well, but she walked to the railing to peer down into the lower levels, like into a pit of knowledge.

There were no windows, but glowstones were dotted between shelves. Looking up, a pale glow emanated from the ceiling, not a glowstone if I was guessing, but definitely a magical light source. I stepped up to the railing with Evie. The floors below mirrored those above, descending deep into the earth, floor after floor of knowledge.

I counted seven figures moving silently along the shelves on the thirteen floors—mostly men, robed and carefully carrying stacks of books in their arms, either retrieving or returning them. They walked confidently, though never in haste.

“Eryk!” Benito yelled from our right in a side room on the ground floor where we were standing. It was an attached building to the tower, and I could see the others inside. I guided Evie to join them. An ancient-looking man sat behind a desk with a large fresh ledger book in front of him. His face sagged from extreme age, but his blue eyes shimmered with vibrant curiosity.

“Ah, the other two,” the man said, and his wrinkled face rippled with his words. Please sit, and we can record your name in the roster. You are then free to share any information you would like to have recorded for those who wish to learn more about you in the future.

“I have like six more stories I want to tell him,” Benito said happily. “I can’t believe I am going to be part of history, and someone would want to read about my life. Maybe I will be famous,” Benito said dreamily. The Librarian chuckled and smiled.

“Should we come back?” I asked, thinking Benito would take a lot of time.

“No, no,” the Librarian said jovially. “The boy can come back as many times as he wants. Just your names, family history as far back as you can recall, and if there is anyone you would like informed if you die in service to us. Also, where to find them,” he said with more seriousness.

We told him our names, ages, where we were born, and our parents' and siblings' names. The librarian didn’t flinch when Evie said she was born in London. I used the street name of the hospital where I grew up, but I didn't think Snickerdoodle translated well into Elvish. If the Hierophant didn’t think I was from Earth, then there was no reason to leave facts that I was. I didn’t share any stories or tales either. Benito was eager to continue his storytelling, so we left him to entertain the Librarian.

I talked to one of the librarians who cares for the books to learn that the lower floors of the library are all related to the Hunter’s Order. The ground floor acts more like a filtering area, and the floors above in the tower serve as a general library. Many nations around the world send copies of their histories here because the Hunters are neutral and have a good reputation—among the living at least.

It was a massive font of knowledge I could add to my dreamscape, but it would take decades to gather them all. I was going to be kept busy during the day until we left, but I could always make use of the library at night since I needed so little sleep with the ring.

We waited two hours in our rooms for Benito to return before I told my friends the bad news.

Expectantly, they were not thrilled. “Now we have to travel another thousand miles to an island? An island surrounded by undead?” Benito whinnied.

“No. I do not expect you to come with us. The Hierophant has agreed to train us here until the Sentinels’ ship arrives in Nausis. We can part ways then,” I told Benito placatingly. Benito looked to Blaze, who spoke for the three of them.

“I actually like sailing,” Blaze said. “The food has to be better at the Sanctuary than here, too.” I hadn’t tried it, but all of them ate it without complaint.

Benito seemed confused, “So does that mean we are not going to be Hunters? We are going to be Sentinels instead?”

“They are the same thing. The Sentinels are the ones in charge; the Hunters are their soldiers,” I explained.

“Delmar always said I would never be in charge of anything or anyone,” Benito quipped excitedly.

I looked at Lesna, who hadn’t said anything. She shrugged under my gaze. “The Librarian said I was the first halfling in a century to join. Guess that makes me special. Maybe I am the first of my people to become a Sentinel. Maybe I will learn something interesting or find something interesting.” I shook my head in disbelief at their willingness to follow so loyally into the unknown. An unknown threat that was becoming increasingly more dangerous.

“Solvar is supposed to test our martial skills in the morning,” Blaze said. “Please show him how a legionnaire fights,” he patted my shoulder, and went to his room.

Lesna and Evie were next to get some sleep, while Benito was trying to get me to draw out my martial testing tomorrow with Solvar so he could place some bets. I doubted people would even be watching us. I was wrong on that front, as they used the martial evaluation as a demonstration for the roughly two hundred initiates, and a number of veterans took time to come watch the noobs as well.

Blaze went first, selecting a practice sword from a bin. His confident gait was a mask, but he held his ground against Solvar, and I could tell the guard captain was holding back, bringing himself down to Blaze's skill level to evaluate him. They engaged in a dozen exchanges over the course of five minutes before Solvar ultimately subdued him.

It was a quick attack, grabbing Blaze’s wrist, elbowing him in the face, and stamping his heel on Blaze’s boot—all in rapid succession. To Blaze’s credit, he punched Solvar in the face but quickly found himself on his back, confused. Solvar had swept his leg, using an unfamiliar tactic on Blaze. A healer among the spectators called Blaze over to tend to his wounds.

Benito was eager to get revenge for our friend and only fared slightly better. He managed to graze Solvar’s elbow and get inside his shield. But Solvar locked Benito’s blade with his shield arm, and before Benito could release his blade or retreat, Solvar’s blade came down hard on Benito’s arm, breaking it. The crowd winced at the sound, but Benito’s yelp was subdued. His fist slammed into Solvar’s chin, but the guard just stepped back and worked his jaw a bit.

Benito started to panic as he was being healed because it was my turn, and he hadn’t been able to secure any bets. I tried to delay as long as possible, but the two female healers were just too slow and wouldn’t let Benito leave with a broken arm. Normally, a man would like having two women's hands all over their body, but Benito just looked pained at the lost opportunity.

I selected a practice board and banged up shield with a fresh forearm strap. The shield had some dried blood on it but appeared in good shape. Solvar waited patiently as the circle of spectators seemed to compress on us. “Have you trained everyone here?” I asked, testing the blade.

Solvar looked around at the Intiates, “I have had a hand in training every Death Hunter in the last five decades.”

I arched an eyebrow. “You look good for your age,” I stated.

“I am not human,” he grinned as he attacked. His statement, whether true or not, was meant to throw me off, but I was too seasoned to fall for it.

The first exchange began slowly, but Solvar’s speed picked up quickly, and I matched it until our blades and shields built a crescendo of blurs and noise. Solvar’s face was impassive, but from his movements, I could tell he was frustrated. It was nearly two minutes before we separated, both of us sweating, and the crowd silent in awe.

“Are you human?” he asked, taking deep, measured breaths.

“You never told me what you are,” I replied, appearing less winded than him.

“If you can best me, I will tell you.” He shifted his stance and came at me again.

The crowd couldn’t tell that I was delaying this fight and actually defending and retreating more than attacking. Solvar’s style was unfamiliar to me, though I did recognize some familiar movements blended in.

Slightly winded, he talked while we engaged. “Fighting the undead is different than fighting the living,” he said, perhaps in realization of my observations. “They are not restricted to the expected muscular movements, so you have to be prepared to defend from more varied angles.” He shifted his stance and used his right foot to snap kick me. My shield came down to block but it was a feint as he planted that foot and tried a stronger kick with the other foot.

I was quick with my shield but almost lost my balance. I used a high kick against my shield for extra momentum as I performed a backflip to create distance. His follow-up sword strike missed, hitting only air, and the ground seemed unsure who won the exchange. It was me, because as I landed, I was moving forward and my practice sword connected with his wrist. I heard Benito cheer as Solver was forced to drop his blade. His shield followed through, but I was expecting it and stayed out of range of the wild swing.

Solvar shook his head in disappointment with himself and nodded in consent at his defeat. “Very good. Perhaps you can help me instruct the initiates while you are here.” It looked like the Hierophant had already told him we were not staying long. He cradled his broken wrist as he walked toward me, hiding his pain while fulfilling our bet. “I asked you not to spread it among the initiates. I am of mixed blood. Mostly human with a dwarven grandmother. As far as I know, I am the only one.” He gave me a respectful nod before heading to the healers, who were each digging in their pouches for coins to hand Benito.

“Impressive display,” Elyssara said crisply, breaking the excited murmuring of the initiates. They all went silent at the citadel’s commander’s appearance as she walked into the center of the circle. She looked much more beautiful in the light of day. She had even changed into some simple gray robes and had her hair down. From the initiate's awe, I guessed she didn’t make appearances often. She looked over the young man and the few women. “Shouldn’t you all be training?” It was said with some amusement, but it caused a scurry as teens, young men, and women scurried to procure practice weapons and pair off.

The Hierophant was soon standing with me and my companions. “I have decided to give her first lesson in necromancy today.”

“I will go with her; she doesn’t leave my side,” I said as Evie moved protectively beside me again. I hoped that as she got stronger, she would gain some confidence to stand on her own, but I understood she was still in a whirlwind of constant change. I couldn’t stand with her forever. Benito and Blade got pulled into helping with the morning’s training with Solvar.

She consented with a nod. “I expected as much.”

We climbed the tower to her office. A table had been set up near the window, and on it lay a freshly killed deer, its blood still wet and glistening in the fur. Evie’s gaze locked onto it, mesmerized. Elyssara watched her with a knowing smile.

“You feel it, don’t you?” she said softly. “That pull in your aether core—that’s resonance. You instinctively know you can fill this vessel with death essence.”

She stepped closer to the body, her tone growing more serious. “And now, Evie, let me explain why that connection makes necromancy so dangerous. Especially to those of us who wield it.”

© Copyrighted 2024, 2025 by AlwaysRollsAOne

No Permission is given to translate, copy, or repost this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon it has been stolen without my permission and is a violation of DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA.