The Morningstar Brigade

Chapter 22

XXII

URIEL

Day Three. Ten Days Remain.

Infirmary, Morningstar Keep

"I guess I went a little overboard, huh?" Daken chuckled nervously as Meddy wrapped gauze tightly around his arm.

"A little overboard?" she said with a scowl. She tapped her foot on the training mat as she dabbed his forehead with a wet cloth, cleaning the blood. "A little overboard? You know, most people who lead this exercise don't wind up with puncture holes big enough to be a mail slot. Most people who lead this exercise don't wind up looking like they use their forehead for a hammer. Yet you insisted it be you. And I don't know what I expected."

"Hey!" Daken began, raising a hand in protest. "That wasn't my fault! He's the one who head-butted me. I'm the victim. For once."

"Mm-hm," Meddy said with a condescending nod. "And was this before or after you swaggered around the room talking about how great you are?" She glanced over at Uriel and Kat. "Let me guess. He's trying to get that 'Angel of Death' nickname going again, right?"

Uriel glanced at Kat as they both suppressed a smile.

Daken looked over sheepishly at his pair of pupils watching and turned slightly red. He scratched the side of his head uncomfortably. "Well, I-" he began.

"So, after?" Meddy interrupted.

Daken sighed in defeat. "Yeah. After." He turned to face the students and shrugged. "So, apparently it's procedure to treat puncture wounds in the infirmary and I'm not going to be able to proctor your exam, Uriel. I'm sure you're crushed, but we'll find some other time to go head to head."

"Oh, darn, I was so ready. But now," Uriel began, doing his best to perform some kind of faux disappointment, complete with a bashful kick of his foot. "As much fun as it would have been to try to stab you, I guess that I'll just have to settle for someone else. Drat."

"Oh, shut up," Daken grumbled. "So, taking my place will be-"

"That's all right, Apostle Daken. I will take it from here," Lady Vigilant announced, walking through the doors and into the gymnasium.

"Lady Vigilant?" Daken said in confusion as the commander walked to the center of the circle. "I thought Jonathan was going to be stepping in."

"The plan, much like the amount of blood you have compared to this morning, has changed," she said, glancing at the dark stains on the floor around Daken.

Daken looked at Vigilant inquisitively for a moment and then nodded. "Alright. Whatever you say, Lady Vigilant," he replied as Meddy helped him to his feet. Turning to his erstwhile students, Daken grinned and gave them a thumbs-up as he and Meddy began to walk out the doors. "I guess I'll be seeing you all around, then. Do me a favor and try not to fail. Or lose any limbs. That looks bad on my record."

Vigilant watched as the pair walked out and then turned to the remnants of her new team. "It is a pleasure to see you all again," she said warmly as she rolled back the sleeves of her robe. "Jonathan spoke highly of the time he spent in class with all of you. Well, except for Isaac. I look forward to seeing your abilities as well, albeit in this slightly less... nuanced arena." Her flames flickered excitedly as she spoke. "Uriel," she said, locking eyes with the aspiring Shepherd, "you know what this test is about. You know what it represents and what is at stake. Let's begin."