The silver bracelet

1) The begger

The tavern was quiet for a Friday night, a few drunkards here and there but its never been the same since Duurland and Shantali went to war. Its been a hard time for us all, my father was a high ranking official until he was slaughtered trying to lead his men to safety behind enemy lines. Ever since then my mother wouldn’t leave the house, still waiting for him to return home despite already knowing he is not here anymore. Me and my older brother got dragged away when we were 11 and 15 to join up. Now, Bailey is somewhere in Shantali fighting the holy war while im stuck in training still.
I twirl my golden bracelet around in boredom as the barkeep called for last orders. I took this as my signal to leave, knowing full well that if i stayed any longer i would attract unnecessary attention. With my hood up, i walk towards the door, thanking the bartend as i leave. The streets of Bransgore were filled with vermin and plague, a stench of rot hung in the air. I turned down the street and was met by a beggar. He looked plain enough, rough clothes, unshaven and smelled like  he just crawled out of a tub of shit. This was a common enough sight, but it wasn’t until i was about to walk right past him after flipping him a coin did i notice a subtle glint of silver on his wrist. The man chuckled as i reached for my sword at my side. But i couldn’t move, i was frozen. This bastard had me and he knew it. He stood up and look me straight in the eye and raised a knife to my throat. At least his intentions were clear. He began to laugh hysterically as the edge of the knife nipped me neck; a thin line of red trailing where his knife had been. If i could have winced i would have but he had me frozen. It was clear that he was unhinged and that’s when the fear began to creep in. A man who wanted murder wasn’t a dangerous A man who was mentally insane was dangerous. He had no limits. Suddenly, the ragged mans face began to twist in ways not humanly possible. His body was flung hopelessly against the wall and fell to the ground. I gave a sigh of release as my own body was released from the capture. I look up and a shrouded figure was standing at the end of the street, lowering their arm. ”I had it under control” i growled as i approached the figure. They put down their hood and just stared long and hard, shaking his head in disappointing. Across from me stood a man in his early twenties, long bleach blonde hair. He was handsome, extremly handsome but he was tired. Many years of fighting reflected on his face, hints of suffering hide behind his eyes. His name was Enzo, he is my mentor, overseeing my training in Duurlands 2nd Royal Regiment army. The Army is split into three regiments, the first regiment being for the Elite. These are for the arcanists who can use their magic freely, without the need of aid. Those in the 1st regiment are for those born of high standing. They look down on the other regiments and they answer straight to Queen Estelle, The bastards are the law and the bastards should be avoided at all costs. The 2nd Regiment is for those with arcane ability, but need the help of an enhancer. Enhancers are special gold bracelets which draws out the power of the individual who wears it. They can be powerful tools for arcanists, however, should a member of the 1st regiment wear a gold bracelet, their magic would become unstable and start to burn them out from the inside. Insanity, alongside eventual death are certainties due to the magical output being too high for the arcanist to control. By doing so, the bracelet will eventually turn silver around the time the insanity kicks in. Nobody knows why. If they are caught wearing a gold bracelet then they must be put on trial on front of the royal family. Those with silver bracelets however, must be executed right on sight. These are dark times. The 3rd regiment are for those with no magical abilities. They are footsoldiers and are mainly use as disposable bodies. To the queen, their life means nothing, more of a burden so she feels no remorse for throwing them away like used toys. The first regiment can be identified by the pretentiousness of their outfit. Donned in a royal gold and purple garments with the royal insignia of a hawk carrying a crown on the shoulder, these guys stood out like a sore thumb. Us from the second regiment wear black garments with a black cloak with a purple trim. Those lucky enough to be placed in the 3rd regiment must wear purple garbs, these garbs are not weather resistant and provide just as much protection as a loincloth would. 
“You could have gotten yourself killed” Enzo said sharply, “You stupid, stupid girl.” As he said this, i barged past him out into the open streets. It has started to rain so I pulled my cloak tighter. It was silent all around, the street was empty. With only the moonlight to shine the way, i strode away, leading my mentor to follow behind. “What are you even doing here?” I asked.
“I was walking home and then i saw you” He shrugged
“Liar”
“It doesn’t matter anyway, im walking you back to the barracks”
Was he following me? How did he find me? Wanker!
We walked for a good half hour until we reached the barracks. It wasnt anything special but it has still been home for the last few years. It used to be cathedral a couple of decades ago, until the church was outlawed by  the queen. Allowing for monarchy to have full rule. Ever since then the cathedral had been decommissioned and rebuilt for the sole purpose of housing the 2nd regiment. The first regiment get the luxuries of the palace while the 3rd are holed up in a run down defensive fort a couple of miles away from the city. The cathedral used to be a majestic building which could hold thousands during a ceremony. Now, it looked like it has seen its fair share of conflict, with bits of wall cracked or broken, headless statues and moss covered steeple. It wasn’t much, but it was functional. We walked through the oversized doors, nodding to the guards on duty. We made our way through the vast corridors until we reached some stairs. Enzo laid a hand on my shoulder. “Skylar...”
“What?” I snap, i just wanted to sleep, not talk.
“Don’t.. Don’t do again, you need to be more careful. You are not ready to engage with a corrupt.”
“I am ready, i have proven more then many times that i am capable with a blade, that i am more powerful then most arcanists here. I am ready Enzo”
Enzo sighed “No, you’re not ready. You have not even completed your training yet. Fuck Skylar, you’re too impatient.” He began to rub his brow.
“Give me a challenge then” I snap “Let me prove myself, put me against someone. One of the instructors at least. Let me show you i am ready Enzo. Please”
Enzo let out a lengthy sigh “Go to bed Skylar.”
I walk back to my room without saying goodbye. I slam the door and throw myself onto a chair. My room, just like everybody else’s room, consists of: a small bed, a set of drawers, a table and some chairs and a mirror. I stand up and walk to the mirror. My cloak was drenched from the rain so i chucked it into the corner of my room. I look at my reflection in the mirror, my dark green eyes meeting my stare. My hand ran through my hair, which took a darker tone of ginger when it was wet. My nose looked a little crooked from the amount of times it has been broke and my slim body was almost too slim. I was by no means ‘attractive’ just.. plain. With a grunt, I laid down onto my bed and let sleep take control