The Sins of the God King

Chapter 5 : Lest

The sun blazed overhead, its relentless heat beating down on Lest, Elly, and the rest of the new conjurers as they ran through the valley outside of Xeldoria. This endurance training had been going on for five grueling hours, with only a single two-minute break. The strain was taking its toll, particularly on Elly. She was unaccustomed to such exertion, having only run when she needed to find cover from a heavy downpour.

Lest, however, had prepared himself for this. Growing up, he often found himself alone, running through these very valleys, playing out imaginary battles and fights. He had distanced himself from other children, who saw him as different, perhaps due to his parentage. Whatever the reason, Lest had never been sure. But now, it seemed things had changed.

The privilege of being part of this class, typically reserved for those who could already conjure, was questionable in his case. Yet, the grand conjurer, expecting great things from him. That was why he was here, despite his inability to conjure.

Elly struggled to keep pace, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She glanced at Lest, who, though weary, seemed to handle the ordeal with a surprising resilience. He caught her look and offered a small, encouraging smile.

The landscape around them was rugged and unforgiving, the dry earth kicking up dust with every footfall. The other conjurers, equally exhausted, pushed on, driven by the stern eyes of their instructor. The valley seemed to stretch endlessly before them, the distant mountains offering no immediate relief.

"I think I'll stick to conjuring bugs from now on," Elly said, her breath ragged as she wobbled from exhaustion.

Lest's lips curled into a faint smile, interrupting his own labored breathing. "We both know you don't mean that," he replied, steadying her posture with a supportive hand. They lagged slightly behind the main group, with Lest intentionally matching Elly's pace. Behind them, five other youths struggled to keep up. One bald-headed boy, though clearly exhausted, pushed on with visible determination. The others, however, frequently stopped to catch their breath.

Lest's own breathing grew harder, each step a battle against the temptation to stop. He refused to show any weakness, aware of how much was already expected of him.

In the distance, several paces ahead, Elly spotted a few men handing out water in wooden cups to those who passed by.

"Finally..." Elly whispered, a newfound determination sparking in her eyes. The promise of water gave them both the motivation to push harder.

They picked up their pace, feet pounding the dusty ground. As they closed the gap, the sight of the men with water became their singular focus. Lest felt his strength waning but pushed forward, knowing that reaching those cups of water would be a small victory in this grueling endurance test.

They finally reached the resting point, where everyone was taking a break and enjoying their cups of water. Lest and Elly gratefully took theirs and then moved to the shade of a fig tree to cool down along with the others.

"Now I know why fat women and men become messengers instead of joining the conjurer ranks," someone muttered nearby as he intentionally look at Elly, eliciting laughter from a few others who glanced at Elly.

Elly wasn't exactly slim, but she wasn't fat either. Lest didn't appreciate the comment or the laughter and decided to intervene, but Elly grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Oh, look at this one," sneered a boy with deep ebony hair, narrow eyes, and an auburn complexion as he stepped toward Lest.

"What can you do, huh? Besides not conjuring?" he mocked. Some of the others laughed, while some just looked away.