Getting back to the clan hall two hours before sundown, the friends opted to get some meditation in. When they finished, they were surprised to find Dia and Elder Lightshield finishing the routine with them.
“Elder, Dia,” Gregory greeted them.
“It’s gratifying to see my grandfather’s words being used by the youngest generation of magi,” Lightshield said. “The end of the first year comes closer. Have you found enjoyment in your journey?”
“Yes, Elder,” Yukiko smiled. “I have my friends beside me.”
“It’s improved since we joined the clan,” Jenn said.
“It’s been something I will always remember,” Gregory said.
“Good. Everyone is always rushing to grow in power, especially while in the academy. They miss out on things, disregarding the fun that can be had if they just take a moment to do more for themselves.”
“We’ve had fun,” Gregory said.
“Even though your days off were filled with learning?” Lightshield asked.
“It was fun for us,” Yukiko said. “We were learning games and how to play them. If you can do more than one thing at a time, why not do so?”
“As long as you had fun and weren’t stressing yourselves. Now, it’s time for a bath.” Lightshield had started to walk away when his left leg nearly failed to hold him up. With a limp, he regained his balance and thrust out a hand. The cane by the door shot through the air, slapping into his open palm. “Forgot I need this now.”
“We should get our baths, too,” Yukiko said.
“Yes,” Jenn agreed.
Gregory followed Elder Lightshield into the male bathing area. Going into the changing room, they could hear muffled voices in the bathing room proper.
“It does my soul good to know that holding onto this building for so long was worth it,” Lightshield said.
“You thought about getting rid of it?” Gregory asked.
“About twelve years ago. We weren’t using it anymore, and I could have easily sold it to another clan, but I had faith that it would be used again before my time came.”
“You have many years left, sir.”
“Kind of you to say, Novice, but untrue. I already know my end. I’ve seen it.”
“Doesn’t that mean you can change it?”
“I could try, but honestly, my time is coming to an end, regardless. Magi of the higher tiers generally find their ends come with little notice… a year, maybe two, if we don’t die from clashing with another clan or country. My cane is proof that my decline is here, which is why I’ve already made sure my successor is named. All of the forms have been submitted to the appropriate people.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, sir,” Gregory said.
Lightshield smiled. “I’m not. I achieved what my grandfather would have wanted of me.”
“I always admired the stories of Lionel Lighthand that my mother told me,” Gregory said as he finished stripping. “His defense of Ellut always made me smile.”
Lightshield nodded slowly. “The story left out many things. He did what was right, but it cost him more than most will ever know.” Taking a slow step, Lightshield grimaced. “I don’t wish to get this cane wet.”
“Then let me help you, sir,” Gregory said, moving over to offer his shoulder to the elder.
“The young help the old, and the old help the young… If only that were true all the time,” Lightshield said.
“I was meaning to ask why your family name is different from your grandfather’s,” Gregory said as he opened the door to the bathing room.
“It’s not exciting,” Lightshield said. “Maybe I’ll tell you later.”
“Good evening, Elder,” Gin said from the tub. “Novice.”
“Armsmaster. Has my clan been taking care of everything for you?”
“And then some,” Gin replied. “I do hope the additional costs have been okay.”
“Helping orphaned children is something I’ve always tried to do. The cost is nothing compared to a child’s smile. How have the rest of you been?”
“Fine, sir,” Steva said awkwardly. “We’ll leave right aw—”
“Nonsense,” Lightshield said. “Our clan has always been one of tolerance. If you disparage someone because of their heritage or position in life, how can you ever expect to move smoothly through life yourself? You might be a staff member of the clan, but you are still part of the clan. Your contracts with Dia should have made that abundantly clear.”
“We were very surprised with how generous they were, sir,” Zenim said.
“Very generous,” Ravol nodded.
“My wife didn’t believe it, but now she praises the clan every night,” Quilet added.
“Have her praise Aether. It’s through him that the clan exists,” Lightshield said. “Don’t let us interrupt your previous conversation. It was regarding a joyous event coming up, was it not? A wedding between two of our own.”
“We were just excited to be able to attend the entire wedding, sir,” Ravol said.
“Even if it means being a little sleepy the next day,” Steva added. “Oh, my son made it to Alturis, Greg. It’s been a bit awkward for him, but your friends have embraced him, and that’s helped with the rest of the town accepting him. My other son is thinking of heading out that way.”
“I’m glad to hear it’s working for him.”
“It has,” Steva beamed. “He’s working at the mine.”
“Ah, the frontier. It’s free of some of the prejudice of the core,” Lightshield said. “I believe that if Aether does return to us, it’ll be from the outskirts. It’s why I tasked Bishop with proctoring there.”
Gregory stiffened a little at Lightshield’s words before helping the old man onto the washing bench. “Foresight?”
“No. Faith,” Lightshield said. “I have faith that Aether will return.”
“I wonder how that would change things?” Quilet said.
“The emperor would have a problem,” Ravol snorted.
Steva slapped his hand over Ravol’s mouth. “He didn’t mean it like that.”
“Those words uttered by someone of the clan could cause us many problems. Luckily, no one heard them,” Lightshield said.
Gin shifted uncomfortably. “Such talk is best never uttered. Some shadows have ears.”
“The armsmaster is right,” Lightshield agreed. “Please be more careful with your phrasing in the future?”
“Yes, sir,” Ravol swallowed hard. “Apologies.”
“To err is to prove you live, for only the living make mistakes,” Lightshield said.
“We need to get going. Things to finish for dinner,” Zenim said.
“Yeah, busy, busy,” Steva said, nudging Ravol toward the door.
“Thank you for having us, sir,” Quilet said, bowing to Lightshield before following the others.
Gin cleared his throat once they had left. “Dangerous talk. I hope that your words sink in for them.”
“I believe they have,” Lightshield said. “How have our novices been doing, Armsmaster?”
“Well, Elder, they have a firm grounding of unarmed combat, which I keep honing. Weapons have been proceeding along, as well. I believe that this tournament will surprise their opponents. If it was just weapons, I fully believe our novices would be the top three finishers.”
“Alas, magic will play a part,” Lightshield said. “With magic, how do you think they will do?”
“They’ll be in the final eight unless they face each other before then. If they have to face the other final eight members, or some of those that could have been there, it’ll get interesting. I give them at least a fifty-percent chance to make it to the final eight, but the match-ups will determine how likely it really is.”
“I’ve made sure a reliable healer is on standby when our magi are in the arenas,” Lightshield said, “to prevent any problems that a less skilled or caring healer might cause.”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that, sir. We had some close calls with the first tournament as it was.”
“I am aware. I’ve done all I could in that regard. I do not doubt other hands are moving pieces into position to topple our novices.”
“Grandmaster Shun?” Gregory asked.
“One of them, but not the only one,” Lightshield said. “Even those that smile to your face can be holding the knife that goes into your back. Something that every magi learns in time, and normally, with loss.”
“We’re doing our best to make sure we trust only those we can be sure of, sir,” Gregory said.
“And so far, you have chosen correctly every time,” Lightshield replied. “If you had taken the path with the Eternal Flame… things would have been very bad.”
“I wouldn’t have joined them, not with Yuki.”
“Ah, but there were a couple of times when things could have gone differently, weren’t there? Maybe your magic helped you a little?”
“Yes, sir,” Gregory said, seeing no reason to not admit to it.
“Foresight,” Gin said, lounging in the giant tub. “I have to think it’s an asset, but isn’t it also a burden?”
“Without a doubt,” Lightshield said, a tinge of sadness filling his voice. “Sometimes, the choice to act or not can paralyze you. Second-guessing your choices afterward can lead one to madness, as well. Something for you to keep in mind, Novice.”
“Yes, sir.”
“How is my son?” Gin asked, changing the topic.
“Lin is doing well. Jento is the one putting together the troops for us.”
“Jento will do well in that position,” Gin said. “He’s always had a good eye for people.”
“The officers are members from the Warlin’s Guard, too,” Gregory added.
“Good. A strong officer core will keep the troops in order.”
“Yes,” Lightshield agreed. “Remember to listen to your officers.”
“Yes, sir.”
“That’s part of next year’s learning,” Lightshield said.
“I will augment what the academy teaches them,” Gin said. “Useful things, not the stuff they shove into the heads of young magi.”
“That would be best,” Lightshield agreed. “Now, it’s time for a soak.” Slowly getting to his feet, he wobbled for a second.
Gregory was beside him almost immediately, helping the elder over to the tub.
“I wonder how your relationship is,” Lightshield said as he took his time sliding into the water. “Not many relationships between magi work out. The draw of power always seems to pull them apart if the jealousy when one stops growing as fast as the other doesn’t rip them apart first.”
“We won’t have that problem,” Gregory said. “We’re committed to each other, fully.”
Lightshield closed his eyes and leaned against the side of the tub. “Yes, I do believe you are, even with the unexpected surprises coming your way.”
Gregory felt as if a piece of his soul was plucked like a lute string. A shiver ran from head to toe, and back again. “Foresight?”
“Yes.”
Gregory debated asking, but shook his head. Everything would work out with Yukiko beside him. He firmly believed that everything would be fine.
Gin grunted and got out of the bath. “Been soaking long enough. I’ll see you both for the meal.”
“We won’t be long,” Lightshield said. “Another handful of minutes, at most.”
~*~*~
When everyone finished eating, Lightshield cleared his throat. “I do hope you all enjoyed that as much as it appeared. I don’t want to take up too much time, as our novices do have to get sleep for tomorrow. I just wanted to thank you all for helping reinvigorate the clan. The future lies with all of you, and I know that you will do the name of the clan proud. For Aether’s Guard!”
“For Aether’s Guard!” the others cheered, raising up their glasses to answer the toast.
Gregory shifted in his seat. “Honored elder, I apologize if this is presumptuous, but I feel like I should say something.”
“Go ahead.”
“We’d been planning on being clanless before we met you. We thought it would be the right choice. Having seen the difficulties the other novices have had, I now know that would’ve been a mistake. Aether’s Guard has been nothing but supportive of all of us. You’ve called in favors to make it the very best it could be for us, and we are all extremely grateful. We’ll do our very best to take the top three spots in the tournament and show the other clans that, not only is Aether’s Guard not gone, it’s going back to where it had once been or higher.”
Lightshield smiled. “I don’t care what those outside of the clan think of us. We never have, which might explain why we are diminished. Every other clan calls us foolish for our ways and actions, but that’s because they lack a greater purpose. We don’t lack one— we have always had one. We are Aether’s Guard, and we will be here to stand beside Aether when he returns.”
“For Aether!” Dia said when Lightshield finished.
“For Aether!” every other voice raised up with the toast.
“Now, go,” Lightshield said. “Rest, relax, and sleep. Tomorrow comes soon enough, and you will have a full day. The next twelve days will test you in ways you expect and ways you don’t. We will be ready to celebrate your victories, or to lament your losses. That’s what family does.”
The three novices rose to their feet, bowing formally to Lightshield. They left the room, heading for their bedrooms.
Reaching the right floor, they paused, all of them clearly not ready for bed.
“A little bit of Empire’s Gambit talk before bed?” Jenn asked.
“That sounds wonderful to me,” Yukiko smiled.
“I’m not tired, either,” Gregory chuckled. “Besides, why break routine now?”
“Why, indeed?” Jenn smiled.
