No More Choices (Void and Light Book One)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

~Ethen~

I watched the retreating form of the first woman to ever hand me my ass on a platter and shook my head. The men around me all clapped me on the back laughing and joking about the entire situation. I laughed and joked along with them but something was nagging me. Councilwoman Tanda's niece was with her. That meant that the girl, Akiriya, must be important.

I walked over to the main exercise pavilion and watched as the newer recruits sparred with one another. They were growing stronger everyday but, having just joined the palace training academy, they had a lot to learn.

"Basilah!" someone shouted behind me. It was General Nerezza. He'd been in charge for a few lunar rotations and now he thought he was hot shit. He thought that he'd gotten the position because he was the best option, the truth was that I had turned it down. Councilman Alik had asked me specifically if I wanted the job and I'd told him that I didn't. I had one job that I wanted; protecting the royal daughter. It was the reason that I had come here in the first place. I needed to protect the last bit of remaining hope in Helios.

I turned to look at the big nosed idiot. He was walking up to me with a stupid look on his face. He stood up as straight as he could and he was still shorter than I was. His slick, greasy hair sat on his shoulders and a large puffy mole sat underneath his left nostril. The thing was so big it almost covered the nostril hole.

"How you doing, Basilah?" His rancid breath blew into my face as he spoke and I had to hold in a gag.

I took a step back, "I'm fine, Philip."

He shook his head and began walking around me, "Tsk, Tsk Basilah. I'm your superior now. You have to treat me with," he grabbed the back of my neck and brought my head down so that I was looking him in the eye, "respect." The tension in the room as people began to look at us was thick. I grabbed Nerezza's wrist and removed it from my neck.

I looked at him and scowled, "Keep your hands off of me."

"Who do you think you are?"

I inhaled and pulled for the well of magic deep in my gut. A dark mist pooled around me and I knew that my Wraith was watching from the back of my mind. "I'm Ethen fucking Basilah. And it is by the grace of the gods that I let you breathe."

"Fuck you, Basilah." he spat.

I took a deep breath and reeled my magic back in staring at the crowd until they all started to mind their business.

"What do you want from me?"

Nerezza's face went red but he managed to calmly state, "The Council of Five is sending over some representatives from the Princesses group to select a test group for her royal guard."

I wanted to sound like an asshole, I really did, but the excitement running under my skin was almost enough to get me to smile. "What does it have to do with me?"

"You've been specially requested to join the group, no testing needed." he ground the words out and I knew he was furious because it meant that if I was put in charge of the royal guard I'd be his superior.

I looked at him incredulously, I knew what group had been sent to find the Royal Daughter. They were the best of us two years ago and then they were selected as the Elite. I recalled the rage and jealousy that I had felt when I wasn't chosen, but I had taken the time to hone my skills and become the man that I was to this day. I was going to walk away when a thought occurred to me.

"Who else is going to be on the guard?" Surely Akiriya with her raw talent would be recruited, and if not, I'd do what I could to get her there. I wanted to fight by her side because I knew that she could handle herself.

"No clue." and with that he walked away.

I stayed in the pavilion training for a few more hours until someone came and called out my name. I turned to watch as Calvin Fengari walked over to me with his signature smirk on his face. Everyone in the room went still at the power that he radiated. They all cowered or stared in awe.

"Calvin, to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing your ugly mug?"

He laughed and patted me on the shoulder. We were equal in height but he had a deadly skill that outmatched my own. "Oh, Ethen, how you wound me. I can't just come by to see an old pal?"

I scoffed and smirked at him, "I'm pretty sure we were more than just pals. Is there something you need?"

His smirk faltered and he became serious. It was then that I noticed the change in him. When he'd left two years ago he'd been a complete joker, a class clown. He never took anything seriously and was always ready to risk it all. He'd been Calvin the Gambler but now, he looked grown up. Like a real man.

"The princess has requested to meet with you."

I raised a brow, "Is this about being a part of her royal guard?

He nodded and turned. I assumed that he wanted me to follow him and so I did. He led me down a series of hallways in silence. We walked all the way to the west wing of the palace before it occurred to me that I was wearing workout clothes to meet the Royal Princess. What did you even wear to meet someone of high importance?

"Should I have changed?" I looked down at my sweat soaked outfit and scrutinized myself.

"You're fine, she won't care about all of that stuff." he said it so casually, that I almost swear there was a sliver of the guy I used to know in there somewhere.

"You still don't take these things seriously, huh?"

He looked back at my with a blank expression and I swallowed nervously, the smoldering look that he sent my way next ignited feelings that had long since been buried. The heat in my stomach pooled in a way that reminded me of when I had met Akiriya. I looked away from him and cleared my throat.

Calvin hesitated but continued walking until we got to a large set of immaculate doors.

Calvin turned to me, "Listen, the princess isn't...like normal people. She slightly insane and somewhat out of her mind and-"

"Calvin, you ass, I can hear you." Someone on the other side of the door yelled. He laughed and it was like his entire being relaxed. He pushed the door open and we walked into a large bedroom that was quite bare. I looked around and saw that the only people in the room were women and the rest of the Elite. Jarek Komitis was the only one in the room who was male. Atiyama seemed to be missing from the equation but I wouldn't ask questions. I needed this to go well for me.

As we walked across the room I realized that all of the women were soldiers who had been on a smaller all female squad that was constantly sent out on patrol in the lower provinces on the border of Helios.

I was the only male warrior here.

"Ladies and Ethen," I turned to look at the speaker only to see Akiriya standing in front of the crowd. She was wearing a black shirt tucked into grey genie pants. "Thank you all for coming.'' She looked to Saffron Asteri and Zelisa Lampros. They nodded to her and she seemed to grow in confidence. "So, it has come to my attention that the princess or royal daughter or whatever comes with needing guards and so, I have brought you all here today to find out who is willing to protect the princess."

I made my way to the front and stood in front of Akiriya, "Where is the princess?"

She burst into laughter and something clicked into my head. The realization must have shown on my face because all Akiriya did was smirk at me and say, "Yeah, that's right, the Royal Daughter of Helios kicked your ass in a sparring session."

"Can we take a moment? I'd like to know something." A woman with short brown hair and a nose ring near me looked to Akiriya, "are we to all be on your royal guard?"

Saffron answered, "A majority of you will be. We are hoping for a small elite group of soldiers led by someone of Akiriya's choosing to be the guard."

Everyone, including me, turned back to look at Akiriya as she announced, "Oh, I already know who will be incharge."

Everything inside of me thrummed with anticipation.

This is my time to be a part of the Elite.