Vendetta's Rise (The Dragon Realms Saga: Book 1)

Chapter 13

Seventeen of the thirty elves that were recruited last year stood in a long line. They wore faces that showed both exhaustion and experience. Hands once only used to play with toys or help till a field were now used only to take lives and spill blood. Their eyes no longer widened with fear and dread at the thought of killing, but instead sought after the honor it brought upon them. These were no longer children, they were Black Rabbits.

Elucard stood among them. Like his peers, the remaining scraps of his innocence had been stomped out like an unwanted flame. A week had past since the trauma of the Blood Forest. His eyes were still weary. It was as if he had been forced to stare at the sun for an hour. Blinded by his experience, born again, and now as a killer. A year ago was now an eternity away and so were thoughts of his family, village, and of Jetta. His reward for crossing the threshold was now before him.

"Hold out your palms!" A command echoed across the compound. Vada paced slowly in front of the remaining recruits. Avalon stood watching all of them as her blade sister went on with the ceremony. The instructors stood off to the side, kneeling and hiding the pride that they had for their students. "Take out a dagger!" she roared. The recruits unsheathed their daggers, their hands outstretched with their palms facing up. "With your dagger, cut your hand!" Vada drew out a beautifully forged sword. It shimmered in the red light from the passing sunset. Although it was clearly as sharp as any other sword, it showed no chipping for it was never used in combat.

She held the sword flat with with both hands and walked up to each recruit, "Shed your blood upon this blade. For it is all that you now hold dear. It is Alanna. It is your Silent Master. It is your High Blade. It is your First Blade. It is your clan. It is yourself."

Elucard trickled his blood drops onto the blade. Each commanded shouted at him he followed without a second thought. He was like them now, his new heroes, his new comrades, his new family. He would kill for them and he would die for them. All for Alanna, all for the clan. Never before had he felt such loyalty for a cause.

Vada passed the blade by each Black Rabbit who watched from the sidelines. Each bowed to the sword as if it was sacred. Vada continued, "You are now bound to each of us, as we are now bound to you. Your hand will heal, but this binding will never be severed."

Finally, she handed the sword to Avalon, who bowed to it and sheathed it back into its scabbard. Vada nodded to her blade sister, signally for her to finish the speech. "Even in death, you will have that bond. Congratulations, you are now Black Rabbits!"