Chapter 25
Blood in the Miasma
Things stayed blessedly uneventful for a week.
I confided to Sarina and Corra about my conflicted feelings and history with Zevrial, and they kept everything I told them to themselves.
Which was good, because I wasn't even sure what I was feeling, beyond raw animal attraction. I didn’t tell them about the shared Skinscript, or about the additional glyphs he would give me. It was too volatile a secret to share.
Training sessions were difficult, but less so since Henrik had decided to start showing up for them.
Nothing like the first night happened again, and I didn't dare ask Zevrial when I'd be getting more Skinscript in front of Henrik. I was growing stronger, nimbler, with each day’s focused tutoring. And without the swamping tiredness that had hung over me since the Mistrun. I’d even managed to outmaneuver Zevrial a few more times.
Today's lesson was wrapping up, which was fortunate because it was annoyingly windy out. I pushed my hair out of my face for the hundredth time.
“—Pull both ends tight. See how it cinches snugly around the post?
It's secure under tension. This knot can be used to secure an Arc’s sails, as it is sturdy and will tighten if pulled from almost any direction.
That's everything we'll be covering for today,” Instructor Garcien said.
She left the knots hanging from the helm so anyone could inspect them.
I sprang up, ready for lunch.
“Lisia,” Instructor Garcien called toward me, and I halted. “Would you mind staying for a minute?”
I made my way toward the front of the courtyard. Instructor Garcien lowered her voice so the other trainees leaving the area wouldn't hear us. “I just wanted to check in to see how your training is coming along?”
I blinked, surprised, even though I shouldn't have been.
Instructor Garcien had shown time and again that she looked out for each of us, whether it was taking time after lessons to explain specific details at length, answering questions, or giving us personalized advice based on our written exam scores.
I shoved a honeyed lock of hair out of my eyes as the wind kicked up again.
“I think it's going well,” I said. “Ze-Instructor Tyrell has Henrik and I focusing on different areas of weakness right now. He's had me doing ankle rotations, weight lifting. And running laps.” I grimaced.
She smiled, her face relaxing. “That's wonderful to hear. I wanted to make sure you're back to full health with the resources you need available before the final exam.”
I chewed my lower lip. “Is there–” I hesitated, not wanting to ask for information I shouldn't have. “Is there something else you think I should focus on before the finals?”
She looked at me with a measured gaze. “The final exam is different from the midterm. It is more difficult. We use it to select down to the top half of the most qualified trainees.”
My heart sank. I had to score well on it or I'd be among those selected out. I'd nearly failed the midterm.
A strong gust of wind pulled at the hem of my shirt. I tugged it back down.
“Have you considered my offer?” she continued quietly.
I had, but I hadn't made a decision.
The first thing I thought of was Sarina and Corra, and how I didn't want to leave them to fend for themselves.
There was Henrik too, who I was pretty sure was going to get himself into more trouble.
Especially if I wasn't here to keep him out of it.
The Skinscript Zevrial had promised me, and the potential knowledge I could gain about the one on my chest, was all here if I stayed.
Maybe Zevrial would give me the Skinscript before I left, if I asked Instructor Garcien to petition for my reassignment to a different service.
My abysmal performance during the midterm was a serious consideration.
There was a real likelihood that I would struggle, if not fail, in the final exam as well.
The lessons were getting more complex, especially with memorizing all of the Starshell glyphs, flora, insects, miasmic creatures, basic service knowledge for all fifteen services, and complicated knots.
The training also bordered on sadistic. Although, it was still better than what I'd done to myself in my misguided efforts to stay strong.
My mind turned to the Reformatory, and Nikolach with his cruel smile and deadly threat.
He'd been released recently, and I wouldn't be able to stay safe in another service.
There was no guarantee I'd even be safe in this one, but it would be a lot more difficult for him to get to me while I was in the outpost or out on operations.
Having my choice of Skinscript would give me a fighting chance against him.
I weighed my words before speaking. “If I were to participate in the final exam, and do poorly...would you still be willing to petition the Prelates for my reassignment?”
Her sigh was weary. “The final exam is...more individually focused. For the midterm, there is an element of unruliness that comes with mixing so many diverse personalities in teams. But the final exam’s success is determined entirely by your own skills and ability.
If you were to fail the final, I couldn’t in good conscience write a petition on your behalf. ” She sounded apologetic.
I swallowed past the swollen lump in my throat.
I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, Zevrial rushed toward us, dark hair wild from the chaotic wind. A massive bow was thrown cross-body over his chest, several bloodied arrows peeking out of the quiver he wore.
“We've got a problem,” he said to Instructor Garcien, glancing briefly at me.
He wrestled with something for a moment before returning his focus to her.
“A Hydra has taken out a chunk of the outer perimeter near Jakavra. A school of Shredders and a bunch of Sanguirs came in with it, and the Sentinels posted in the area had to leave to chase and beat back the Hydra. There is no one left to repair the damage or deal with the Sanguirs.”
My gasp was gulped down by the wind. Jakavra was where my family lived.
“Devourer have mercy,” Instructor Garcien breathed, her hand rising to her mouth in horror. “Any signs of other creatures? Is it worse than Ziphran and Raevar last month?”
“No, but it’s bad.” Zevrial said. “We’ll need to send a team out to take out the Sanguirs as soon as possible and repair the compromised outer perimeter, before they make it further inland.”
I shivered, Sanguirs were deeply disturbing.
Shredders were only better in that they couldn’t survive outside of the miasma. Their swift fins and sharpened teeth made them perilous to anyone who ventured too close.
“The Shredders should go back with the tide... when it recedes,” Zevrial said.
“Yes, when it recedes,” Instructor Garcien repeated, staring at me.
There was a second conversation going on between them that I didn't have enough context to understand.
It pricked at my pride a bit, but I shoved down the rising irritation.
“We don't have any extra teams available right now,” Instructor Garcien took a chunk of hair the wind had torn loose from her braid and twisted it back in. “Callan and Kailani’s crews are on the other end of Mesmoria right now. The rest of the crews are all out on operations.”
“Then we'll recruit volunteers,” Zevrial stated.
“Absolutely not! Untrained citizens are already a liability every time they volunteer to help with outer perimeter repairs, but asking them to deal with Sanguirs and Shredders would be a death sentence.”
“I didn't have untrained citizens in mind,” Zevrial said in a low rumble, dark eyes turning down to focus on me.
I didn't hesitate. “I'll go.”
Instructor Garcien looked at me, incredulous. “You're barely halfway through training. You have no idea how to fight a Sanguir or Shredder. Have you ever even seen one?”
Unease simmered in me, but I squashed it. “My family lives near Jakavra,” I said, determination in my tone. “I know this is an outer perimeter breach, and we still have the inner perimeter defenses, but how long will it take the Sanguirs to get past that?”
“The inner perimeter isn't built the same way as the outer perimeter, it's not built for defense so much as for vantage and observation. They'll be able to scale it in a matter of hours,” Zevrial said.
“Then we shouldn't waste time arguing about it,” I said. “I'm going.”
“I'll do what I can to convince the Ascendancy but...this may be considered abandoning your service,” Instructor Garcien said.
Nessa's crushing hug, and Mama and Papa’s welcoming smiles flashed across my mind's eye again. “My family is worth the risk.”
“The Ascendancy’ll have to make an exception,” Zevrial cut in. “Because we're going to need more than a single volunteer to cull the numbers I saw, or the Sanguirs will make it inland. We can't allow them to nest and reproduce on Mesmoria.”
“One nightmare scenario at a time,” Instructor Garcien said.
“I’ll get the horn,” Zevrial moved away.
I rushed to my room, removing my scarf. It would be a liability in combat.
Within minutes, I heard a loud trumpeting cry.
Turning toward the courtyard, Zevrial and the other instructors gathered on the podium, trainees flooding in. Scurrying over, I stood beside Sarina as the emergency meeting began.
“The outer perimeter's been damaged, near Jakavra,” Zevrial shouted.
A hush fell over the courtyard, followed by a low murmur that swiftly quieted.
“We’ll need volunteers to repair the perimeter itself and kill any Sanguirs that've slipped through. Shredders have been sighted too, but stay away from the miasma and we shouldn’t have to deal with them.
This isn't a training exercise, or a drill.
Don't volunteer unless you're ready to accept the risk, including severe injury or death.”
Tension hung thick enough to choke.