Chapter 20 - Trew
TREW
Istood behind the magical screen high above the arena, watching the crowd settle into their places.
The vast circular area gleamed, its crystalline structure catching sunlight from the open ceiling many stories above.
Stone benches filled with observers from every corner of Syllavar stood in front of long benches, current magic-wielders and warriors in their distinctive robes, others retired and wearing less formal clothing.
Everyone had brought their bonded creatures.
Court officials and commoners who’d earned the right to witness this event stood in front of the lower benches.
They hadn’t seen me yet. For a short time, I could observe them without being noticed.
Sunlight cut through the arena in slanted beams, glinting off the ceremonial armor of the guards positioned at every entrance. Banners representing the five elemental guilds fluttered from the high rafters.
The arena held centuries of history. It was a place of triumph. Tragedy. Transformation.
The air thrummed with ancient magic, carrying the tang of power and the faint sweetness of incense. The collective anticipation of at least a thousand spectators charged the atmosphere until it felt difficult to breathe, like the moment before a storm breaks.
Horns echoed off the arena walls. The audience shifted, their clothing rustling.
My advisors entered first, striding to the raised box where they would sit with me. Grayson led them, his white owl perched on his shoulder, her head swiveling to scan the arena with unblinking amber eyes.
Coralee followed, her spine rigid and her chin lifted with the exact amount of pride required for such an event.
Not a fraction more or less. My aunt had mastered the art of calculated movement long before I was born.
Her ermine companion draped across the back of her neck, his bushy tail swishing, his calculating gaze missing nothing.
Then came Kira, her vivid red hair a shock of color down the back of her cream-colored robe.
She took her position in front of the seat to the right of my throne, while Grayson stood in front of the one on the left, Coralee on his other side.
Kira’s jaw tightened as her gaze flicked to where I remained hidden before she focused on the right-hand gate, where the beasts would soon emerge.
The death adder coiled around her wrist twitched, her blood-red scales catching the light. I remembered when she’d bonded with it, after her first, more ambitious attempt had failed. The arena had been quiet that day too, holding its breath.
Just shy of seven months ago, I’d appointed her to my advisor team after one of the members died.
The trumpets blared again, and I stepped through the magical screen, the barrier parting around me only to reseal once I’d passed.
The crowd erupted in cheers. I lifted a hand, acknowledging them with a wave that had become second nature over the sixteen years of my reign.
When I reached the railing at the top of the slope leading to the royal viewing box, I bowed.
I may rule, but it was my duty as king to serve them.
I strode down the slope to my throne, positioned to give the best view of the arena below. My great-grandfather had commissioned this throne, and a master artisan had carved it from a single piece of silver-veined stone. No cushion.
Kings should never rest easy while their people face bonding trials, my father once said.
I raised my hand again, and the cheering swelled before fading as I took my seat. My advisors sat only after I did, as did the crowd, the wave of their movement rippling through the stands. A hush descended, thick with anticipation, before a chest-rattling gong rang out.
The enormous iron gate on the right side of the arena groaned open, metal scraping against stone.
One by one, unbonded beasts filed in. They came in every shape nature could devise and some she may have created on a dare.
Scaled, feathered, horned, sleek, and bulky.
All monstrous and majestic, the large side of our beastly companions.
Each could shift into something smaller. In my case with Gavelle, a cinderhawk.
A gold-crested serpent slithered beside a flame-winged griffin. A direwolf padded near a creature with the body of a stag and the upper torso of a troll. All had petitioned their council to seek a bond today.
In the wild, creatures such as these would be sworn enemies, battling together for territory and supremacy, but these beasts were different. Long ago, some joined together in peace, forming the Beast Council, their descendants ruling to this day.
They clustered together on one side of the arena, arranging themselves in a half-circle, their movements and greetings to each other showing intelligence far beyond regular animal instinct.
I leaned back in my throne, drumming my fingers on the arm until Kira stilled my hand with her own. She quickly plucked hers away when I sucked in a breath.
Gasps rang out, and a hush fell over the crowd, all staring at the last beast who entered.
A massive female firecat strode into the arena, her silver-black fur gleaming like moonlight on a dark sea. Her eyes glowed burnished copper as she took in the crowd.
Gavelle, perched on the back of my throne, rustled his wings and let out a screech. I leaned forward, tightening my fingers on the armrests.
Whispers erupted from those watching.
“She’s come again.”
“Will she finally bond?”
All eyes turned to the left gate, still closed, where the recruits would soon enter and hopefully transition to warriors. Excitement pulsed through the air.
Kira stiffened beside me, her shoulders drawing back. “What’s she doing here? Probably just watching again.” Her knuckles whitened on the railing. She hadn’t forgiven the great cat for rejecting her at the last bonding trial.
She’d approached the beast, and the cat had considered her for a long, tense moment before turning away. A rejection, though not a fatal one. Kira had bonded with a python that could shift to the form of a death adder wrapped around her wrist.
“She should leave,” Kira snapped. “No one will ever be worthy.”
“She decides that herself.”
The left gate began to creak open and the crowd fell silent, watching with anticipation.
The first group of recruits entered the arena and stopped. Only two of them, though that wasn’t unusual. Eight teams of recruits had entered the trials. What was left of each would face their final challenge today, one group at a time.
Both trembled despite obvious efforts to appear confident. Their eyes darted from beast to beast, hope and terror warring on their faces.
A few of the creatures approached and circled them, one with six tails sniffing the air near the taller recruit, a woman with white-blond hair.
She stepped toward the Cerberus tentatively, her hand outstretched.
The three-headed beast turned away, rejoining the others.
As the woman stepped back, a horned serpent slithered forward with horrifying speed. Its barbed tail whipped around, spearing through the recruit’s chest before she could scream. Blood sprayed across the stone as the serpent withdrew its tail with a wet, sucking sound.
The body crumpled to the ground, her eyes wide with shock.
The second recruit, a man with black hair cropped close to his scalp, stood frozen as a creature that resembled a massive owl with antlers approached him.
The beast bowed its feathered head. After a moment of stunned stillness, the man returned the gesture, amazement blooming on his face.
He reached out to touch the creature’s forehead.
The crowd collectively held their breath as the air shimmered around them, the bond taking hold. I’d always likened it to heat rising from sunbaked stone.
The magic of bonding filled the arena with the scent of lightning-struck soil and summer rain. A collective sigh rippled through the crowd as the connection solidified, that visible moment when two separate beings became linked.
I remembered my own bonding, the rush of another being flooding my soul, the initial terror followed by bone-deep recognition. The knowledge that I’d never truly be alone again.
The owl-creature turned, looking back at the man before leading him from the arena. He followed, his expression dazed.
The crowd cheered.
I clenched my jaw and kept my expression neutral.
Staff removed the woman’s body, and I bowed my head, acknowledging the loss with a stab through the heart. I wanted them all to bond, but it wasn’t my decision.
Four survivors from the second group entered the arena next. One man of about twenty-five strode in with confidence, his chest puffed out beneath his torn tunic. He walked directly toward a dark green dragon, his arms spread wide, grinning as if he’d already claimed victory.
“Fool,” Grayson muttered beside me.
The recruit reached a hand toward the dragon’s front leg.
A burst of flame engulfed the man, so hot that he didn’t have time to flinch. When the fire receded, only ash remained, skittering across the stone floor with the light breeze.
The crowd watched in silence. A few shook their heads, but no one appeared surprised. Arrogance had killed as many recruits as fear over the years.
A woman with dark braids woven with purple ribbon approached a quiet, stone-colored beast that resembled a panther twice the size of a man.
The creature studied her for a long moment before dipping its head.
She placed her palm between its eyes, and the bond locked into place with a quiver of air.
They left together, the woman’s shoulders finally relaxing.
The remaining two recruits stood paralyzed, their faces blank with terror. A thin man of about thirty bolted for the arena wall. He clawed at the smooth stone, trying desperately to escape.