Chapter 7 - Selethen’s Choice & Moving Forward

Selethen eyed Alidar over a cup of kafta, steam rising from off the liquid surface to rise lazily before his face. His mind drifted like the steam, his memories of his youth at the forefront of his mind. Flashes of steel in the night, muffled grunts of surprised pain, and hideous masks. He held back his shudders with practiced ease. 'Never let yourself give anything away. A twitchy nerve is soon laid to a permanent rest.' He held back his smirk too. His thoughts turned to the Street Rats and his leaving behind an old life. He ruminated on the ridiculous notion that he, a trained killer, would lead a bunch of rabble. But they were good men no matter what his former masters would call them. And the man sitting before him, Alidar, was one of the best. He was strong, brave, and resourceful. He was also kind, loyal, and a tad naive. He was also, and Selethen did smile now, one of his only true friends. It did not make what he had to do easier.

"You're out Alidar." He saw his friend's shock and hurt cross his face and before it could morph into anger he continued. "I told you before that you were too good for this life. It looks like others have taken notice as well." He held up the letter that Alidar had given him to read over. "Whatever happens next, you are finished with this life. And the Rats can't afford to be out of the shadows. It's our creed. We creep in the dark to consume the carrion hidden there. I won't have the government interfere."

Alidar grimaced and sat back before speaking. His voice when he spoke was saddened, "I understand. I think I always knew from the moment Yas…the princess, entered my life that day. I was either going to be killed in the night or my life would change irrevocably." He looked up and met Selethen's gaze. "I will miss you, brother."

Selethen held back his surge of emotions. He coughed to hide it and took a moment before he spoke. He couldn't keep a little roughness from his voice though. "I will miss you as well. Don't be a stranger. Leave me a note at the usual place and I'll contact you." Alidar's sad smile almost made him give in then and there. He steeled himself however and met Alidar's smile with his own. "And remember the creed. You may not be one of us anymore but I hope you won't throw out all of my teachings."

Alidar grimaced but nodded. "As far as I am able to, I will Sel." He looked up as a timekeeper began to ring his bell. "I better go. Will you be there to see me off?" He lifted his hand and gave a dismissive gesture. "Nevermind don't answer that. You shouldn't tell in case they use a truth teller." He got up to go and Sel rose as well. Alidar came around and drew him into a hug. "Thanks for everything Sel. I'll be seeing you."

Selethen swallowed the lump in his throat and slapped Alidars back a few times. "Yeah, I'll be seeing you. Take care Ali." And he watched as Alidar turned and began walking away. He watched him until he disappeared from sight before turning to his cup of kafta which had cooled. He took it up and drained it before sighing. He started walking. A little aimlessly at first before turning and beginning to make his way towards the palace. He flashed his Rite, [Predator Instinct], in a burst and detected no outright hostility. It didn't mean that nobody was following him but the Rite was effective in short bursts to hopefully catch pursuers slipping. So as he walked he periodically sent out bursts of his ability to keep tabs on his surroundings. While he did so he began to activate his stealth skills one by one as he moved through the crowd. [One Of The Many] he activated right away, blending into the crowd seamlessly and making it hard to pick him out. Next he used [Nothing to See Here] enhancing the surrounding people's inability to notice him. [Greater Disguise] he activated by pulling his turban up and around his head letting it drape across his shoulders. He finished with [Sensory Deprivation] further dampening the surrounding senses towards sensing his movement, sounds, and bodily odor.

He continued on his way, content to hide in the crowd that was even now thickening as people thronged to hear the results of the Princess's first public declaration. She had given it a week prior and those who had signed up would be given a chance to prove their worthiness to be accepted as a recipient of her patronage. Those individuals chosen would go through officer training and be inducted into the army of Dasir. Those who failed would still be allowed to join the army as enlisted men. 'Alidar would have made it regardless, even if this wasn't just an elaborate way to save face.', he thought as he moved deep into the crowd. He slid into a side alley and slipped up some scaffolding before perching at the far end. A view of the palace spread out in front of him, the throng of people clamoring to see the royal family swelling into the thousands. He smirked down at them. 'Slaves. Every single one of them is enthralled by Authority.' It wasn't as though he couldn't feel it himself either. Waves of pressure assaulted him this close to the Sultan's seat of power. Pressure to conform, to submit, to join the crowds in adoration. 'And my brother will soon be wielding his own as an extension of the royal family.' Selethen shook his head at the thought. 'Well, I can't really blame him. Especially the lengths I had to go through to get mine.' His mind, once more, filled with shadows and blood and he had to strain in order to banish those dark thoughts.

A movement at the gates caught his attention. The heavily enchanted gates swung open easily and smoothly as if weightless. The crowd pressed against the palace guards straining to see the object of their adoration. Two squads of guards led the way followed by a large open ornate carriage bedecked with the colors of Desir. The Sultan, his two daughters, and his young son waved to the crowd as their carriage made its way out. It was guarded on all sides by eighteen men dressed in dark combat robes. 'Hasharri,' Sel thought grimly before turning his thoughts away with practiced ease. Even still he noticed as one of the men turned and looked in his general direction before turning back. Sel just shook his head. It really was stupid of him to be here. With so many elites around with supernatural hearing and sensory devices or abilities, he could be caught if they threw enough resources at him. Still, it was a calculated risk. He darted back down to the ground and rejoined the crowd. He knew where he wanted to go.

*********

Alidar paced nervously. The House of Lights, Dasir's greatest festival grounds, had been opened for the testing. He was sure of his path, as sure as when he had first seen the Princess that day in the market and given his name. Success and failure lay before him in equal measure and the divergence of the paths ahead couldn't be seen. He stopped pacing and took a deep breath. Regardless of what lay ahead, he had only this present moment to live in. He would make the most of it, do his best, and leave the rest up to the maker.

"Alidar El'Iren!" The large rumble of the man who had been announcing the names of the next competitors rolled over the room. "You're up! Do all of us commoners proud boy."

Alidar stood straighter and nodded to the man who grunted and stepped aside as he walked out and up into the House of Lights. He was blinded for a moment as he stepped out of the dark underground and into the light of the arena. It was just after midday and the sun realm Azkelethon was high in the sky. The House had no roof but rather a magical lattice that stretched across the top. This, he had been told, kept out the natural elements but let in the light. The roar of the crowds rolled over him, much louder now that he was no longer underground. In front of him stretched the arena floor and the obstacle course. It was a mixture of an endurance and speed course, followed by a quick spar. There were a number of young men on the course already, struggling through the different obstacles. As he approached the start line a man approached him.

"Full name please." Alidar gave it and the man continued. "Is there anyone you want to dedicate your run to?"

Alidar didn't even have to give it a thought. "The Maker and the Princess." He watched as the man smirked good naturedly.

"You and everybody else. Good luck young man, make your country proud." He then turned and walked over to a small platform where a small stone floated in the air. As he spoke into it Alidar approached the start line. He looked over the beginning obstacles and grinned as adrenaline began to course through his veins. He felt good and he felt prepared. It was time to crush this course and begin his new life. He heard the man announce him and his dedication and he spared a glance at the royal box just in time to see Princess Yasmina hide her face behind a fan. Her red face. He quickly glanced away but couldn't help his own rising blush. He took a deep breath to settle his nerves and waited for the signal to begin. A large man with a large mallet stood beside a bell holding it steady. At a nod from Alidar he struck the bell and the sound rang out loudly. Alidar was gone before it finished ringing. He rocketed out from the starting line, leaping, cavorting, and climbing his way through the first obstacles. He breathed deeply and fell into the same mindset he had when performing his kata every morning. He allowed his body to perform at its peak and he drowned all other thoughts beneath the stream of movement and flowing motion. Over a log, under a beam, up a wall, leaping from pole to pole, he darted through the course passing other young men who continued to struggle.

Within the deep focus of his mind he did not see the arrows at first. The first awareness he had of them was when an impact slammed into his arm, throwing him off balance. He recovered it almost immediately but more arrows began to whizz around him, forcing him to remain aware of his surroundings. They were blunts, tipped with red paint that smeared all over his arm. The implication was clear: dodge the arrows and remain "alive". He struggled to keep his focus as he continued to dodge arrows while also facing the obstacles in his way. So he dived deeper into his mindset, the arrows were just moving obstacles and the terrain could be used to mitigate them. So he shifted. Course obstacles became walls and shields against the arrows, his body became a precious resource to be protected. He refused to fail. As he leaped over a low wall he saw the end in sight and sped towards it, sliding under a volley and slipping between two falling logs. As he neared the end he saw that the last stretch was open ground with no obstacles obstructing the arrows.

He sped forward, his mind quickening to find a solution. Looking around and, seeing the leftover arrows lying all over the place, he had an idea. Dodging under another arrow, he leaned forward and snatched one up off the ground. Using that wooden shaft he began to dash across the open ground, ducking, weaving, and batting aside the incoming arrows. His right arm flashed, defending him from arrows he couldn't otherwise dodge. He still took hits, there were just too many arrows to dodge them all. He just hoped that it would be enough. As he slid across the finish line he collapsed breathing deeply and gradually, as his focus diminished, he began to hear properly again as his brain let in the noise. It was deafening. The crowd continued to roar, multiple voices raised in approval and disapproval alike. A shadow fell over him as a hand reached out to help him up.

Alidar grunted as he accepted the hand and rose to his feet. The man who had helped him up was gigantic, at least seven feet tall, and built like an exaggerated stone sculpture. Alidar couldn't help his eyes widening and the grin on the man's face proved that he had noticed. The man flexed subtly, muscles rippling. 'And shining? Is that oil?'

"They're impressive, I know." The man said with a small grin. "Mostly natural too, comes from my father's side of the family. The rest of the mass comes from a Rite of the Body, [Earthform]." As he spoke the dust under his feet seemed to flow upward coating his skin. With a puff it then fell away revealing shining muscle.

"Huh, so it isn't oil?" Alidar asked, continuing to be fascinated by the display of power, subtle as it was.

"Nope." The man said, chuckling. "The power simply acts like it. What you perceive as a shine is actually a fine layer of minerals over my skin. Over time those minerals will bond naturally to it and in time I won't even need armor to stop a blade." The man grinned jovially down Alidar before knuckling his head and groaning. "Ah forgive me I have not introduced myself. My mother would be ashamed. I'm Rus El'Fasaren."

Alidar grinned back at the man before accepting his handshake. "I'm Alidar El'Iren, pleased to make your acquaintance. Are you a contestant?" He asked, looking the man over for paint. The man nodded enthusiastically.

"I am." He stated. "Made it to the next round too." Noticing Alidar's glances he smiled before pointing over to the side where a man stood with a piece of paper in front of a large fountain area. "I washed off after letting him examine me. The fountain is nice too. One of those mages from the palace used her Authority over water to summon it. Apparently there is enough there to water a whole garden."

"Thanks Rus. I better go get examined then." Rus nodded and waved him off, and Alidar made his way over to the man. The man eyed him as he approached.

"Name?" He asked as Alidar drew closer. After giving it to him the man looked him over for paint and jotted something down. At Alidar's questioning gaze the man simply said, "Just putting down how many times you were hit. Feel free to wash up, someone will be by with your results. If you pass the first round it will be announced at the end and you will be able to move on to the next round." Thanking him Alidar moved to wash up, luxuriating in the feel of clean water washing away the grime and sweat of the course. As he stood up he looked to the royal box and found himself staring into the eyes of the princess Yasmina from behind her fan. She lowered it for just a moment to flash him a congratulatory smile before bringing it back up. Alidar smiled back and bowed slightly before moving back in Rus' direction. He knew he wasn't a cocky person by nature but he felt light on his feet, sure of his success. He knew he had passed, now he was just waiting for it to be announced to everyone else.