The Lunar Trials

Chapter 3:Bloodlines

He stared down as the hot shower water pours down on the rigid muscles on his upper body due to years of training.At school,besides the essential learning they were taught how to wield weapons and to defend themselves.They even learnt how to pound on their enemies into submission.They were trained to be soldiers since they step their foot into first grade.

Once they manage to completed The Lunar Trials,they are given a choice either to walk the path of a noblemen or choose to guard the nation or go back to their homes and serve Ventrice anyway possible.If they choose to be a noblemen they will stay in the Royal City and shall be trained as Royal Guards or Knights but they will be evaluated again to filter out the most elite amongst them.The Chosen ones are admitted into The Ventrician Circle,of which the king's trust is fallen upon their shoulders.

Thats what Luke ever wanted,that is what he dreamed of all along.What better way to restore his family honour which has been tainted by ashes of dark past.

He could feel his fist clenching under the thought of it."Just because of one bad apple,it doesnt mean the whole basket is rotten" His father,Angelo used to tell him whenever Luke gotten picked on.Luke took a deep breath and unclenched his fist,he could taste blood in his mouth.

His family's history is tainted by numerous names of dark warriors and traitors.One of them,by the name Augustus Pererian was the one who spoke out in defiance agaisnt The Royal Court.Augustus had a lot of followers backing him up,they were the ones who believed that Ventrice should not be ruled by tyrants and based on bloodlines.

Their shouts of disagreements was ignored by King Henry,and so they roused up an army of warriors which was close and loyal to our family and attacked King Henry during one of his Court Hearings.

In result they managed to kill King Henry Darcian but Prince Gabriel vowed to take vengeance and erupted a full fledge war where families were broken up,animals drove to extinction and a whole division wiped out.The Dark warriors only ruled Ventrice for only 3 days.It ended up with The Pererian family name went down in history as traitors and war criminals.

The Royal Court decreed that in return of the uprising,every year on the 12th of December each Division shall hand over their sixteen years old boys and girls to go through three trials in order to mark their loyalty to The King.

Luke gets out of the shower and stop to look at his image in the mirror.He noticed that his dark hair has thickened and his face look more structured than a week ago.He wasnt suprised as he signed up for intensif training
school.His mother,Belle was always pestering him to eat,Luke appreciated her efforts but who could eat when your about to face something that has a statistic of high casualties.

Luke got out of the bathroom and noticed that his father Angelo was waiting for him outside Luke's room.He was holding some black padded clothing.

"Goodmorning Luke,i brought the gears that they sent for you and to be honest,its awfully heavy.I could never imagine running and jumping in that thing for someone my age" He chuckled and handed it to Luke,He stepped back to let Luke enter his room.

"I cant imagine it either but i bet you've kicked ass in this thing" Luke smiled to his father,the only one in the family(besides Luke's mother) who had given any hope to Luke in redeeming their family's honour

"That was a long time ago, my back is not suitable for ass kicking anymore"

"I'll leave you to change then,and Luke meet me in the basement aftr your done" He gave Luke a smile,which made him look older due to the wrinkles on his face.Angelo's hair which used to be the same colour as Luke's had turned grey.

He was once a handsome man,by looking at his old pictures where he had completed The Lunar Trials,he brought back a scar almost identical to Luke's but it has faded away.Angelo gotten it during the second phase of the trials,where they had to escape a maze filled with monstrous creatures which was found only in the Drein Division.

The Drein Division is also called the Land of The Damned.No humans had inhabitated that Division after the war,because it was the battlefield and there were too many corpse to be carried out.Eventually it became Ventrice's dumping ground where they kept all the unwanted enhanced creatures which was saved for The Lunar Trials.

Luke was prepared for all the possibilities of challenges.He quickly got change into the clothing the Royal Court sent for him.His name was sprayed on the right shoulder pad and The Royal Emblem on the left side of his vest.These pads may look soft but they can withstand numerous slashing and no arrowheads can pierce them no matter how sharp they are.

Luke left his room and made his way downstairs to the basement as his father had requested.He greeted his mother goodmorning with a bright smile when he pass the kitchen on the way down."Goodmorning Luke,remember after your done down there breakfast is ready.You need to take your breakfast today" Belle said,looking at Luke momentarily and continue to mend the frying pan.He could smell scrambled eggs.Belle was like any other women in the Division,graceful and timid yet stunningly beautiful and fierce even in her old age.Her brown hair now with streaks of grey was tied up in a bun as she work away.

Luke nodded an approval,he
opens the door which lead to the basement,he walk down the stairs and found Angelo holding a box in his hand.On the lid of the box,a symbol etched into the wood was a rose,a sword,a book and a moon positioned perfectly on the petals of a lotus.His father was lounging in one of the old armchair as he gazed upon the brown wooden box,his thoughts probably far away as though the box brought back some memories.

He didnt even realize Luke's presence,not until Luke put a hand on his shoulder.Angelo startled and look up at Luke,expressionless.

"Oh my boy,dont frightened me like that i could have had a heart attack" He said as he rubbed his chest.

"Im sorry dad,but you dont look frightened.You're more frightened by the ghost of your past by the looks of it" Luke said,he was not sure why his father wanted him down here,to dwell up in the past??

"Its the wrinkles Luke,they cover up my scared expression"He manages a grin at Luke

"And yes,this box brings back memories,good and bad ones" Angelo added as he begans to unlock the box,Luke was intrigued by whats inside the box.When he was done,he took out a dagger from inside the box.

It was a majestic sight,none of the blacksmith in the division had or ever had such delicate and precise hands to forge a beautiful dagger such as that.It had a curved blade,a ruby was intact at the hilt and it had a silver handle which had engravings of words and scribbly lines Luke never seen before.
"et in manu inimicorum vestrorum fero sanguine" was carved neatly in cursive on both side of the blade.Angelo handed the blade to Luke.Luke took it in his right hand

"Its name is Illuminare" Angelo said.Luke tighten his grip on the dagger with such force that the ruby lit up,and the blade caught on fire,and he saw flashes of vivid memories he had,he saw the moment he met Marie,he saw his mother cradling a baby and a small boy with golden eyes.Luke dropped the blade,the flames now distinguish.The pain was unexpectingly excruciating,he dropped to his knees beside the dagger.

His hand was shaking,while his mind is trying to process what is happening "W--what was that?" he says in a croak voice,not sure why his voice was functioning that way.

"The blade was claiming you Luke" Angelo said in a grave voice.

"You have magic in your blood,same as me" and with that he open up his right hand,palm out and a tiny flame ignites there.Luke's eyes widened at his father in disbelief and shock.
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