28 A Familiar Face

Jacob wore his new armor with pride. It was a vast improvement over the loaner armor the city gave him. Three large, green scales made up the breastplate of the armor, covering his chest and stomach with the hard material. The rest of the piece was composed of chainmail, weaker in defensive capabilities than the city guards' plate but far more maneuverable. It suited him well.

His empty coin purse dangled at his side, thirty coins lighter than it had been the morning earlier. A gleaming sword was attached to his hip instead, the craftsmanship admirable but nothing special. It was likely made by an apprentice, so it couldn't quite measure up to the guards' weapons. But at least it was his own.

He'd been chewed out as it was for using city property while not on duty when he fought the shadows. While he was allowed to wear a blade even while off-duty, it had to be his own. For the past few weeks, he spent most of his time inside the guard compound, training. Leaving it without a weapon would invite trouble with the mysterious organization behind the shadows.

As he passed by a storefront, still in the more affluent sector of the city, he examined himself in the glass. His hair had grown longer than it ever had, the brown locks obscuring his vision on occasion. His face was clean shaven, something he still saw to despite the challenge of shaving with a knife. The armor accentuated his recently gained bulk. He looked every bit the medieval warrior all the history textbooks spoke of. Jacob was proud of himself. Smiling in happiness, he spung away from the window to stumble into someone exiting the shop.

The girl fell to the ground, dropping a couple of newly purchased books. Jacob offered her a hand up, curious about her interesting choice of attire. The robes were cumbersome, and would be liable to feel like a stove in the spring heat. She took his hand, brushing the dirt off her robes as she stood. When she brushed her hair out of her face, Jacob recoiled.

Angelica. Her honey hair was shared by many in Steelshade, but he would never forget her face. She had been his only friend for months. "Angelica?"

"Jacob? Is that you? Why are you here?" Angelica's mouth dropped, surprised that Jacob would leave the Golden Gizzard. Jacob's heart dropped nearly as hard as Angelica just had a moment earlier. Rod had been like an adopted father to her. His death would crush her.

"Can I tell you about it over a drink? I don't think this is a good place," Jacob asked, certain that the girl would want to be sitting for the news.

"Magicians aren't allowed to drink alcohol. It's in the Academy rules. We drink some bitter black stuff instead, but you get used to the taste," she explained, a pensive expression crossing her face. "How well-acquainted are you with Steelshade?"

"I've been here for more than a month now; I work as a city guardsman. I've seen most things around this area," Jacob told her. He'd been sorted into Patrol Two after word of his dispatch of three armed attackers made it to the captain. It was a promotion that Jacob was happy to take, even if only to avoid Sergeant Ross. The post made it easy to see all the sights of the city, both at night and during the day.

"But I bet you haven't seen the Academy!"

"No, I haven't. I was told that you could only visit if you were accompanied by a student." Jacob had inquired at the massive building, once. He'd be remiss to not visit the local center of magic in a world built upon magical principles. Even if he doubted they'd be willing to help him out of the goodness of their hearts, he wanted to see what life was like within the Academy.

"Well, aren't I a student? If you stop by a couple of weeks from now on the seventeenth, I'll wait at the gates and help you slip through the gates. I can show you all the sights, and then we can talk about how you wound up here," Angelica offered, smiling brightly. Jacob nodded, though his smile was far more muted. What would no doubt be a trip filled with wonder would also come with sorrow that he'd have to relive.

Returning to the barracks was like swimming through turbulent waters. The traffic on the streets had grown sharply with the warming weather. Merchants from all corners of the kingdom made their appearance in Steelshade, peddling their wares for anyone wealthy enough to buy them. Jacob had been tempted by an enchanted necklace designed to keep its wearer cold. Tragically, it sold for handfuls of gold coins, a sum of money he wouldn't have for years.

The guards awake at the compound hounded him, asking him how he got such exquisite armor. He promised to tell anyone interested over a drink at the nearest tavern. Mollified by the promise, they left him alone to put in some afternoon training against Lieutenant Edward. By now, having learned to implement pieces of Edward's movements into his own style, Jacob was far more competitive. He only lost two out of every three matches.

No longer would he be forced to rely on magic and the shock-and-awe value it brought with it when he fought. Every conflict he'd come out of alive had been by sheer fortune, and Jacob thanked whatever deity was looking out for him. Hopefully, those days were in the past now. From what he was told, Edward was a top competitor for being the city champion in the past martial tournament. Each year, the guards and other warriors gathered in Steelshade to prove their mettle in the tournament. The winner left with a guaranteed offer to join the Steel Guard: the duke's personal guardians and his most elite troops.

Jacob wondered if he would attend or not, but he shoved that thought to the side. He had two weeks to come up with the least soul-rending way to tell his friend her home no longer existed.