The Fifth Academy - Fantasy Direction / #Wattys2018

Chapter seven. One direction.

"For thousands of years, our glorious and gorgeous city of Luxard has been thriving between the mortal and demon worlds. We are white magirs, the only force which keeps the Earth in order and protects the light from the darkness and chaos. I, The King Lysander, son of David Highthrone, am glad to welcome you all to my grand dining room. Each year, for three centuries, I have hosted this dinner party to bring my annual report ..."

"Another veal chop or a piece of salted sturgeon?" I was making this very important choice inwardly, trying to chew as fast as I could, for this delicious food had lost it's taste, mostly because a smiling Diana was sitting near a smug Vadim. Oh, hell! Why is she sitting at the Firesteel's table? Is somebody missing from Vadim's squad? Who? Why? Damn! It will be much worse when the dancing part begins. Wine! I need more wine!

"Jace? Are you alright?" asked a frowning Max, his blue eyes were very suspicious, no worries, let him guess about my concerns. "Don't you dare drink the red wine! The strongest love potions known are traditionally made of it!"

"Nice" I murmured and dropped my hand on the table which was full of drinks and excellent high-calorie dishes. "What should I drink, my fellow-expert? Some milk after the salt fish?"

"No, Jace!" he whispered and leaned closer to me, I could now clearly see his small diamond earring, it's perfect round shape glistened. "Do you remember, how fair Rosaline has just healed your injured hand?"

"And what?" I almost shouted, a few guys from my squad even had stopped chewing, there were ten cadets at our half-round table, ten silver-armored young strong boys and me, their permanent Capitan. I have no idea why, but we even have an additional the eleventh oak chair and gloomy silent Phillip sat on it. I tried to think more about Rosaline problem, not his. "Must I marry her now?" All the men chuckled, well, not all, only nine of eleven. Phillip sat motionless; his black hair disheveled, big brown eyes looked sad, the golden plate before him was empty. No smile crossed his serious, yet handsome face as he wondered, why I had exchanged him, one of the best and fastest soldiers of my squad for the weak and worthless Max. And I began to wonder the same thing too.

"No! You mustn't marry her Jace! Don't play stupid!" Max answered softly, the boy made sure that no one heard us. "Rosa cleaned your hand with some handkerchief, didn't she? So now she has enough of your blood to make a life-time love-portion for you!" I shrugged, my new friend was right. If there were someone in Luxard more cunning than Rosa, it was Max. I licked my dry lips and put my empty goblet back. Time to listen to the King.

"... Here is the list of our lost people during this long and hard year," said sadly the tall slender men with long white-silver hair and a wise look of the big sapphire eyes, from his appearance no one could tell how old he really was. Could this handsome middle-aged man be a few hundred years old? I would never guess! Everyone in the great dining hall stood up silently, remembering his or her lost friends and relatives. The King didn't have a piece of paper with the names of dead magirs, for his Majesty had memorized them all. "There are one thousand two hundred fifty three men and forty two women. Goldstones, Ironwills and most of all...Firesteels. All our magirs, especially the guards of the Portals, fought bravely and died with honor."

All cadets and soldiers who were present in the hall simultaneously saluted. It was our traditional way to give respect for the dead soldiers. For every killed white magir a baby would be born in Luxard. But if someone was captured, he would be turned into dark and thus could never return or reborn again. That year was hard, fifty two our men and three women were captured alive and took behind the Portal.

"Jace, haven't you noticed something very strange?" said Max softly, waiting patiently while I was chewing the roasted chicken wing, then he lost his patience, sighed and quickly answered himself. "Neither Highthrones nor Dragonwoods have been taken or killed by darks! And this is not only for this year! Somehow darks avoid those two families."