After the intense meeting with Jaxon, Kael retreated to his room. The weight of the upcoming mission pressed on him, but so did the sheer comfort of his new bed. He fell onto it, grabbing his blanket and hugging it. "Oh, my bed!" he sighed, the stress of the day melting away as he quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, his peaceful dreams were shattered by a sharp pain in his arm.
Whack!
Kael shot upright with a jolt. "What the fuck?!" he yelled, his anger flaring instantly. He saw Brad standing over him, a smug look on his face.
"Brad, you asshole!" Kael roared, swinging a punch.
"Stop!!!" Maria's voice cut through the room like a whip.
Kael froze, his fist inches from Brad's face. He turned to her, furious. "What?!"
"It's already late!" she said, hands on her hips. "We were supposed to meet minutes ago."
"This asshole will make us late on our first mission," Brad said, jerking a thumb at Kael.
Kael took a deep breath, the fight draining out of him. The mission was too important. "Okay. Sorry," he muttered.
Maria's gaze lingered on Kael, and for a moment, she seemed to forget her irritation. "Nice. So, let's go. Grab what you have to grab."
Kael quickly pulled on his clothes, and the three of them hurried out of his room and toward Jaxon's office.
Jaxon was waiting, three crisp forms already on his desk. "The three of you, take these and fill them out. This will be the official proof that you are now active Marions, not students anymore."
Maria grabbed them first, handing one each to Brad and Kael. They quickly scrawled their names, the simple act making their new status feel real.
"Now, you have to leave," Jaxon said. "A carriage is waiting at the central gate of the kingdom. There, you will meet Charl Walmer. He will take you to your destination: outside the kingdom, near a place named Velmora."
He leaned forward, his expression turning serious. "Velmora is a kingdom where the Marion ranked as high as me is a friend of mine. If you are injured, you can go there for help. And don't worry, you will likely not be dead..."
He paused for effect. "...because some Marions from their kingdom will be in the area to assist you. But they can be late, as they have their own work to do. So, try not to be dead. Okay?"
Kael stared at him, a funny expression on his face. Is he warning us or threatening us?
The three new Marions left his office and began the walk toward the central gate. As they walked, Kael kept glancing at Maria. His mind raced. Should I ask her about her dream to be a Marion? But why do I have to ask? I already heard her answer yesterday... but I don't know... my heart wants to ask her.
Finally, his embarrassment lost to his curiosity. "Hey, Maria," he began, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Can you tell me why you decided to do the job of a Marion? I know I heard the answer yesterday, but I want to hear it from your heart. That was under pressure. Tell me with no pressure, if you're not angry."
Maria smiled, a genuine, soft smile that made her blush. "Actually, my father never let me do hard things. He never encouraged me. He always tells me, 'You have to do nothing; the servants will do all things.' But I want to prove to him that I can be something without him. I thought I was born for nothing, but I want to do something that will make my father proud of me. He loved the job of a Marion, but he doesn't want me to join because it's too risky. So... that's the full story."
Kael smiled back, feeling a strange connection. "So that's the reason. It's a good one."
Brad, who had been watching the entire exchange with a raised eyebrow, couldn't resist. "By the way, I have never seen you, Maria, talking with so much respect. I thought it was really impossible. Hahaha!"
Maria's soft expression vanished in an instant, replaced by pure fury. "What did you say?!" she shouted.
Before Brad could react, her fist connected with his face in a perfect, sharp punch.
THWACK!
Brad stumbled backward, clutching his jaw.
Kael stared, his mouth agape in a funny expression of pure shock. He looked at Brad groaning on the ground and Maria fuming over him.
What a team I have with me, he thought, a mix of dread and amusement washing over him as they continued their walk to the carriage, and to their destiny.
(Chapter 11 Fin)