Chapter 11: A New Way Forward

  A few days after the incident with the Oracle, the new year started for the academy. Sev returned to his old routine quite quickly, focusing a great deal more on his combat training. He was old enough this year to attend the introduction to swordsmanship class, as well as classes more focused on debating and politics. He wanted to understand what makes people tick, what makes them behave certain ways when under stress. After all, to be able to hunt down Adanon, he would need to understand his prey. But, there was something else. If he could understand people more completely, perhaps he could figure out how to further avoid instances such as the temple incident.

  It took only 2 days for 2 harsh realities to sink in. The first was how much he missed having Lilli around. She and he were alike in a lot of ways, including the fact that most of the other kids tried to avoid them. Lilli enjoyed going to the library with Sev and would spend hours with him. Now, Sev had to go to the library alone again. Lilli used to sit and watch him train his swordplay, and now he had to do that alone as well. It wasn’t necessarily loneliness; rather, it was a bit of disappointment. On especially long and boring days, he would catch himself losing motivation to continue studying or working out. Why am I struggling so much to stay focused? I need to get my shit together. Though these classes aren’t exactly helping.

  The second reality to set in was how boring the introduction class to swordsmanship was. Most of these kids had never held a training sword, let alone sparred with one. Sev was also not allowed to spar with the teacher, meaning he was constantly forced to stand there and ‘train’ with the other students by simply swinging the wooden swords through the air. The first few days, he caught several lectures about training ahead of the other students, and how he was endangering them when he sparred. So, Sev quickly dropped out of the class and took up another 2 classes, both focused on some sort of humanoid behavior study. The first semester was hell for him; each weekend he returned home made it harder and harder to go back to the academy. This is torture. This is miserable; there is no light at the end of this tunnel. I am going to die of boredom. Just kill me now. He thought as he finished yet another day of classes. There was only 1 week left of classes before the semester ended, but each day felt like a month. I don’t think I’m going to make it.

  As the semester finally came to an end, Sev all but kicked the doors down on his way out of the academy. He skipped the closing ceremony this time, having heard it several times before. He had something more important to do and was in a dead sprint to get there. He crashed through the door to the garrison, breathing heavily after running so far. A walk that would normally take about an hour had been run in just over 15 minutes.

  “I think I’m going to throw up,” Sev muttered, bent over, hands on knees as he tried to catch his breath. After a minute or two, he stood back up and quickly made his way into the barracks. “Theo?? You around??” Sev called as he walked through the halls. After a few minutes of searching, he found that Theo and Bryton were already sparring in the training room. Sev was so excited he could barely contain it. Finally, REAL training!! He made sure not to interrupt them, as Bryton and Theo rarely had schedules allowing them to spar with each other. They were objectively the most talented and technical of all the paladins, even more so than Arthur when it came to single combat. Sev simply found himself a seat on one of the benches and watched the spectacle before him.

  Bryton was on the offensive, as usual. He was making perfect use of the length of his glaive, leveraging the range advantage to keep Theo from rushing him. Whenever Theo tried to advance, Bryton would dash to the side to keep his distance. However, Theo wasn’t at a disadvantage. He thrived in single combat and was doing incredibly well at taking space whenever possible. He was blocking every attack that Bryton threw at him, and even got some parries and deflections in, throwing Bryton off balance. Bryton, however, was not giving in easily. He quickly adjusted his footing and used his glaive to vault himself off to the side, resetting his range advantage. His glaive was just over 9 feet long, and he was able to move almost 13 feet every time he vaulted in such a manner.

  He struck the base of his glaive onto the floor once more, throwing himself directly at Theo. Theo quickly rolled to the right and flipped back up to his feet to shoulder check the haft of Bryton’s glaive, catching him off guard and forcing him to give up momentum to collect himself again. Theo dashed in without wasting any time, catching the small metal crosspiece of Bryton’s weapon with the edge of his shield, pulling it out of Bryton’s hands. Bryton now stood there, short sword to the throat as he begrudgingly threw his hands up to mark himself as the loser of the match. Both of the paladins collected their equipment, breathing heavily from the exertion of their bout. As they walked towards the bench, they saw Sev sitting there, eagerly clapping as their match concluded.

  “That was awesome!” Sev yelled as he rushed towards Theo and Bryton.

  The two paladins simply chuckled and greeted Sev in kind. “What are you doing back so early, little man? We didn’t expect you for another couple of hours.” Theo said.

  Sev coyly explained that he had skipped the ceremony and had sprinted all the way from the academy. “It’s so boring there! I had to drop the swordsmanship class because ‘I was too dangerous to the other students to spar with them’. It’s not my fault that I’m not worthless like the rest of them!!” Sev said, arms folded and words filled with annoyance. “Is it really so wrong to be good at something?”

  Theo and Bryton just laughed. “Well, it might be wrong when you are years ahead of the other kids your age. You’ve been training with us since you were like 6. Of course you aren’t at the same level as the spoiled brats in the academy.” Bryton added.

  Sev just rolled his eyes and continued to complain. “I know, I know. But seriously, most of them couldn’t even HOLD the sword, let alone swing it. I’ve never wanted to die more than when I was in that class. And this semester is so boring! Why can’t I just graduate and start my apprenticeship already? I’ve gone through all the interesting books in the library already. There is literally nothing for me to learn there right now.” Sev was annoyed, and it felt good to vent. Theo and Bryton just listened and chuckled at his outbursts. It wasn’t often that they saw him acting his age, but it was always entertaining when they did.

  Theo had mostly caught his breath again, stretching the rest of the adrenaline out of his system. “Well, kid, you have perfect timing. Bryton here just helped me warm up, what do you say we go a few rounds??” He asked as he grabbed a training set of gear for himself.

  “HEEEEEEY! I almost beat your ass back there. Don’t call me a warm-up. And don’t ignore me! HEEEEEY!!” Bryton yelled as he stormed after Theo so he could keep lecturing him. Sev simply smiled, finally starting to unwind and relax back into the comfort of his life with the paladins. I hope these guys never change.

  Sev was eager to train and rushed to grab one of his training swords. Today, he went for his “greatsword.” It was about the size of a normal long sword, but for 8-year-old Sev, it was a perfect representation of what a great sword would feel like. He chased after Theo and Bryton, “Alright, let’s do this!” He couldn’t hold back the excitement. Finally, I can actually train and learn something. A minute later, he and Theo were sparring. Sev was grinning the whole time, finally able to focus on something other than how much he hated the academy these past 4 months. He, Theo, and Bryton went for several rounds, swapping every so often to keep them from getting too stiff since they had already been training. Before they knew it, 2 hours had passed. Sev was just getting warmed up fully, and that’s when he had an idea. “Hey Bryton, get in on this! I want to try and train against both of you!” Theo and Bryton just laughed and complied, immediately getting into formation.

  It only took a few minutes for the 2 of them to overpower Sev. However, he had lasted longer than they expected. “Damn kid, I’m impressed!” Theo said, plopping down onto the ground to rest.

  “Well, don’t be, you guys were holding back. If you weren’t, I’d be dead.” Sev said as he lay there on the floor. His calluses had softened at the academy, and he had torn some open during training. The blood ran down his hands and onto the floor. Despite all that, this was the best he had felt in months. “It’s so good to be home.” As he said that, Arthur and Magdin walked into the training room.

  Arthur was touched. Good, he does consider this home. I’m glad. “What’s this sorry sight?” Arthur asked as he walked towards the sprawled out Sevagoth. “What, don’t tell me you’ve gotten this weak already?” He said teasingly. Somehow, Arthur knew that they had been sparring for quite some time already today.

  Sev simply chuckled and rolled his eyes, his whole body sore. “In some ways, yes. I’ve missed the training. The academy classes are nothing but misery.” He said, slowly sitting up as Arthur offered him a wet cloth for his hands.

  Arthur nodded. “I know, I know. I’ve heard about it a hundred times. But either way, welcome home, kiddo. It’s good to have you back.” He said as he reached down and gave Sev a half noogie. “Well, since you are home early and have already gotten some training in, why don’t we get dinner ready?” Everyone eagerly agreed, excited for a warm meal after training. None of the paladins were trained chefs, but they still knew how to make some damn good food. Sev especially helped when it came to the food. He had a knack for cooking, and everyone looked forward to it when he helped prepare dinner.

  The next three weeks passed by quicker than Sevagoth would have liked. While the school months all dragged on, the month of reprieve seemed to end as soon as it started. He had spent most of his time at the garrison training or practicing runescribing with Orsen, but he and Arthur also found plenty of time to simply unwind and read in the study at home. A few days before Sev was due to return to the academy, they were enjoying one such evening. Suddenly, they were interrupted by a knock at the door. As Arthur got up to see who it was, Sev had a strange feeling in his stomach. Not so much anxiety as it was nervous excitement. It was strange; he wasn’t expecting anyone. And yet, it was as if he knew something big was about to happen. I wonder who that is?

  A few moments later, Arthur returned to the study. Behind him was a man of similar height and build. He was around 6’ 5” tall and was more slender than Arthur. Despite that, he gave off an even more powerful and menacing aura than Arthur did. “Sev, this is Tyr. Tyr, this is Sevagoth.” Arthur said, introducing the two of them.

  “Ah, so you are the young man Arthur has told me so much about. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Tyr said, reaching his hand out to shake Sev’s.

  “It’s nice to meet you, too,” Sev replied, shaking the man’s hand. He felt deep calluses on the palm and fingers. So this guy IS dangerous. Sev thought as he and Tyr sized each other up. “May I ask how you and Arthur know each other?” Sev asked, curious as to why Arthur had never introduced them before now.

  “Well, long story short, Arthur here is my younger brother. We don’t exactly see eye to eye on many things, so we tend to keep our distance.” Tyr said.

  Wait, brother? Arthur never mentioned a brother. “That makes sense, I suppose…” Sev responded, obviously caught off guard a bit.

  “Look, I’ll explain a bit more later. For now, let's get to the topic at hand.” Arthur said. He was a bit shaken. Arthur didn’t fear many things. His older brother, however, was at the top of that list. He was cunning, dangerous, and heartless. He was a fearless fighter and a damn good leader. But he was cruel and twisted. There was a reason they parted ways, and ‘not seeing eye to eye’ was the least of those.

  “Very well. Now, young man, Arthur here tells me that you refuse to use magic. Even going so far as to ‘hate it’. May I ask why that is?” Tyr asked as they all took a seat.

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  “Well, a mage decided to play god and killed my parents. I refuse to use the same power he did to become strong.” Sev said, tone even and words meticulous. I’m not sure how much Arthur has told him. Let’s just go with the basics.

  “Very good. You were honest with me from the start. I like that. I understand that not using magic makes it almost impossible to join the paladins of the crown without it reflecting poorly on Arthur. However, I am not so constrained. Have you ever heard of the Order of the Claw?” Tyr asked.

  “No, I haven’t,” Sev answered after thinking for a brief moment.

  “Good, as I thought. The Claw works… parallel to the Order of the Crown. We both serve the king and queen, just in different facets. Think of The Crown as his armor, and The Claw as his sword. We are the king’s personal army. He is the only man we answer to, and as such, we are not constrained by the same restrictions as the Order of the Crown. The current number of civilians outside The Claw who know of its existence is very small. In fact, you mark the fifth. However, I’d like to keep that number at a minimum, obviously.” Tyr stopped for a moment, giving room for any question from Sevagoth.

  “So what you're saying is, you can accept whoever you find worthy, regardless of their use of magic or talents given at birth, since you don’t have to play face with the public?” Sev asked, making sure he was reading between the lines correctly.

  Tyr smiled, “My my, you are quick. It seems Arthur was not overstating your intellect. Yes, you would be able to join regardless of your personal convictions. However, the requirements for joining are a bit… unconventional compared to the Order of the Crown.” Tyr said, trying to measure Sev’s reactions.

  “And what are those requirements?” Sev asked, although he felt he already knew the answer. So this is why Arthur was so hesitant to tell me about these guys.

  “You have to have a mentality of steel. Our work can… put us in extreme circumstances. To put it plainly, you have to have convictions strong enough to kill someone, and the conviction to die in order to do so. But, I don’t think that’ll be an issue for you.” Tyr said, leaning towards Sev. “So, who is he?”

  Sev wasn’t surprised. Of course he knows. “His name is Adanon. He murdered my parents. I’m going to kill him in the most painful way I can think of.” Sev answered coldly.

  Tyr had a large, devious grin creep across his face. “Well damn, Arthur. Why did you keep this kid from me for so long? I’ll make a damn fine Claw out of you. I’ll make you a deal, kid. I know you want to work with Arthur and the paladins someday. Since The Claw acts in accordance with the king's orders, all we would have to do is get the king to order your assignment to them as a liaison. You wouldn’t be a proper member, so the public wouldn’t have to know anything about the assignment, and they couldn’t say anything about Arthur or nepotism. You would take direct orders exclusively from the king and me, making it so you were your own free agent essentially. How does that sound?” Tyr asked.

  “It sounds like you left out a ‘but’. So, what’s the condition?” Sev asked. If something sounds too good to be true, it always is.

  Tyr smirked. Clever bastard. “Well, that's simple. You give your life to me for 6 years. No breaks, no vacations, no visiting home, and no sending letters or receiving them. It will be hell. The Claw doesn’t half-ass anything. You will be trained for espionage and assassinations, among many other things. As such, you will be trained to torture and be tortured. You will not be allowed to leave. This is a permanent deal. We can’t have our secrets getting out, and therefore, we can’t have you running away when things get hard. A lot of candidates can’t handle it and end up killing themselves to get away from it all. The Claw is small, with only 27 members total right now, and we are in constant threat of death due to the lives we lead. We need to make sure everyone we accept is cut out for it. If not, we will kill you ourselves.” Tyr said with a smirk on his face. Let’s see if he squirms.

  “Espionage and assassinations, huh? And torture too. Sounds like you are training me to hunt men instead of monsters, though there isn’t always a difference. I gotta say, it all sounds like skills I want to know anyway. It’ll go a long way in getting revenge on that bastard. And if the king gave you the order, you would help me hunt down Adanon, right?” Sev said, shooting an arrogant smirk right back at Tyr. 2 can play at that game.

  Tyr couldn’t help but chuckle and smile. “Oh, I like this one. You might just be crazy enough to make it through the training. Boy, if the king gives the order, every member of The Claw would kill themselves without a second thought. Hunting down a killer who wronged our own is a given.” Tyr stared into Sev’s eyes and immediately noticed the steel inside. This kid is no joke. This is by far my best find yet. “So, what do you say, kid? You wanna be a Claw?”

  “I won't lie, I very much do. Arthur, what do you think about all this?” Sev asked. I already know what he’ll say.

  Arthur simply sighed. I was afraid they would get along. “I’d be lying if I said I was crazy about the idea. But, this is the easiest way to get you to work with the paladins, if that’s still what you want. The public would never need to know your name, talents, skills, or anything else that the paladins have to release. And I won’t lie, I think you’ll thrive. You don’t fuck around, and you have more mental fortitude and acuity than most adults I know. If you decide you want to do this, you have my full support. But I have one condition. Just like with the academy, make the most of it. Learn everything you can from it and be the best there is. Otherwise, it's a waste of your time. And obviously, don’t lose yourself.” Arthur answered calmly. I hate this. There might as well be 2 of them here with me.

  Sev was shocked. Or I don’t know what he’d say. “Thank you, Arthur. I mean it.” Sev smiled as he nodded to Arthur. He turned back to Tyr with a smirk. “Well, it sounds like I’ll be accepting your offer then. I have one request, though.” Sev said arrogantly.

  “Oh, and what might that be?” Tyr smirked. I can’t wait to hear this.

  “You don’t hold back. I want to learn everything, even the ‘secret’ stuff. There will be no holding back because of my age or because I'm not high enough rank. I want access to everything The Claw has to offer. I don’t care what it takes, I want it all. I have a steep debt to pay. Adanon tortured my mother before she died. I will return the favor. And if you try to sabotage that, I will add you to the list. Deal?” Sev said, no doubt or hesitation behind his words. If I do this, I go all the way. I refuse to be held back. “And you will train me personally. I won’t accept some second-rate teachers. All or nothing.”

  Tyr laughed a hearty and devious laugh. “Oh, it's a deal, alright. Don’t worry, kid, I’ll turn you into a damn wolf in sheep’s skin. You’ll make him beg for death. That fucker will never know what hit him.” An evil smile crept over Tyr’s face. This kid really doesn’t fuck around. He’ll be the pride of The Claw, I can feel it. “Well, with that said, I believe our business here is done. Enjoy your last year at the academy. Once you get out, I’ll come pick you up. Be ready. Oh, but don’t worry, I’ll give you enough time to say your goodbyes and steel your resolve. Then, shit gets real. Hope you’re ready.” Tyr said as he stood up and began to leave.

  Arthur stood as well and escorted Tyr to the door. He stepped outside and said, “Listen, Tyreal, I’m trusting you with his life. He is like a son to me. If you fuck with him, or get him killed because of a mistake you made, I will kill you. Actually, better yet, I’ll let Amalee do it. If you fuck this up, you might just get to test out that death order from the king. Tread lightly.” Arthur rarely stood up to his brother. Right now, he didn’t feel fear. He felt anger. This was far from the first thing he wanted for Sev, but he understood the necessary evil.

  Tyr simply smiled. “Damn, all it took for you to grow some balls was taking in a kid? I’m impressed. But don’t you worry, little brother, I won’t let him die. Potential like his is once in a lifetime.” He added, rubbing his hands together excitedly. “You can see it in his eyes. He’s the real deal. He was sizing me up instead of cowering. He never broke eye contact. He added conditions to our deal like he held the reins. This kid is going to outshine both of us. I promise you on every ounce of my being, I’ll make him strong enough to survive. And after I do, The Claw will be the strongest it's ever been. I have nothing to gain from his death. And believe me, even I’m not dumb enough to piss off the queen. You have my word, brother.” Tyr said firmly. Usually, he was cryptic or hid behind his words. This time was different. He wasn’t lying, nor was he hiding the truth. He said it how it was, and even Arthur noticed.

  “Thank you, Tyr. I mean it.” Arthur said with a sigh of relief. One thing I know about Tyr is that he never goes back on his word. He may be cruel, but if he promises something, he delivers.

  Tyr left, and Arthur went back inside. It had gotten late, so he and Sev prepared for bed. Sev quickly said, “Arthur, I know this might seem like a rash decision to you, but it really is my only option. I promise I’ll come back. I swear it on my life. I’ve already lost one family, and I absolutely refuse to lose another.” Sev’s words were earnest and cut Arthur deeply.

  “I know, kiddo. Trust me, I get it. All I ask is that you make sure you come back home. The Claw leads an incredibly dangerous life, and death is around every corner. But if you can make it through your training and pass the test, you’ll have the most reliable man I know in your corner. I may not like my brother, but he is an absolute man of his word. There is no one in this world I trust more, despite how I feel about his methods.” Arthur said, more trying to convince himself than Sev. “Do you truly believe you can handle it?”

  “I do. Something in my gut is telling me this is my path forward.” Sev said firmly, conviction and determination in his eyes. “I don’t know what or why, but I’m sure of it.”

  Arthur nodded softly. “Then it’s settled. The Claw it is.”

  The two went to bed, and Arthur stayed up thinking about Sev’s words. So we are a family. I’m relieved, I was worried he would think I was trying to replace them. I just want him to be happy, healthy, and safe. But at least he feels the same.

  Sev was lying in bed, trying to sleep. The Claw. I’m honestly excited. Something about Tyr… He seems like the exact teacher I need. And now, all I have to do is make it through a year and a half at the academy. But I have another goal at least, and that will make things easier. Sev sighed deeply. His mind was racing, and he wasn’t able to sleep. He slowly got out of bed and retrieved his parents' ashes and belongings from the closet. He set them on the desk and quietly looked them over. “Mom, Dad, don’t worry. I’m sure you don’t approve of my decision, but I promise it’ll be worth it. I will keep my promise. But, on another note, I really like my life here. Dad, I think you and Arthur would get along really well. And Byron, too, although you might feed off of each other a little too much.” Sev chuckled softly as he pictured Murak and Byron swearing at each other over a lost hand of poker. “Mom, I think you’d really like Amalee. She is so loving, but is also the only person that everyone is afraid of. Reminds me a lot of you guys.” He whispered silently. He smiled softly, sad and yet happy at the same time.

  “It’s kind of neat, the way our family has grown so much. Before, it was just mom and me. Then Dad came back to us. Now, we’ve added Arthur, Byron, and Amalee. Orsen, Camilla, and Lilli too! And I guess I should include the castle paladins as well, they are a lot like older brothers to me. I never knew I could gain so much after losing everything. I’m truly grateful that you saved my life. I’ll live it fully enough for all 3, no. All 4 of us. Don’t worry, grandpa, I haven’t forgotten about you either. I love you guys more than anything.” Sev slowly rubbed his mother’s pendant, comforted by the familiar weight in his hands. “Can I ask you guys for a favor? And please, don’t take offense to it. I never really got to know you, Dad. But Arthur has been raising me for the last couple years. I just think it might be right to consider him a dad too, ya know? After all, he saved my life. He has sacrificed so much just to make my life better. So would it be okay if I called him pops, or something like that? I promise I’m not trying to replace you, Dad. Arthur just treats me like I’m his son. It just feels like I should return that love and kindness in full, ya know? If it's not okay, I won’t do it. I just fe—” As Sev was rambling nervously to his father's blade, he suddenly felt a very slight touch on his shoulder. As he looked, he saw that a small owl’s feather had floated in from the window and had rested itself gently on his right shoulder. He fell silent for a second. “Thanks, Dad. I mean it.”

  In dwarven culture, it was believed that the deceased left guardians to watch over their descendants. Often, it was believed that a small piece of the parents’ soul was bound to the first bird the child saw after birth. Sev’s first bird had been an arctic owl. And now, lying on his shoulder was a small feather belonging to an arctic owl. It was as if the feather was assuring him that everything was going to be okay. His father had never had the chance to put a hand on his shoulder, yet Sev firmly believed that this was what it would feel like. Sev carefully took the feather and held it for a few moments before wrapping it up with his father’s sword. “It was really nice to talk to you guys again. I’ve missed you. Hopefully, we can talk again soon. I love you guys. Be safe, okay?” He whispered as he carefully returned the items to the safety of his closet. I wish I could introduce them to everybody.