Chapter 11 - The Trials

The next week passed by in a flash. The training he underwent was the most mentally gruelling grind he'd ever been put under. The whole point of this was not to increase the upper limits of his power but rather control it so it did not end up hurting the people around him but prevent it from destroying his very body itself. With Saxton's healing magic, his body had recovered quickly but it had sustained considerable damage after what had happened that Monday morning.

Saxton had explained to him that he'd been theorizing on Aramis' physicality and his guess had been spot on. His body never stopped producing Mana and it couldn't simply gather within his body, so it found another way to be utilised. Slowly but constantly pumping itself into his entire body, strengthening and fortifying it. This level of outflow wasn't dangerous but the amount that had just forced its way into his body was.

Mana was raw and unfiltered magical energy. If too much continued to be forced into him, Saxton was highly certain it would tear him apart. Aramis could feel it too, the amount of strain his muscles had to experience. Releasing so much force came at a high cost. There was a direct correlation between his emotions and how much Mana began to spill out from him. What he had to learn to do was to control those emotions properly.

What Savah was doing was not to make him never feel mad again but rather control the surge of anger and make it yield to him. It also made him think a bit more about what Kali said as they were walking back to Saxton's office. Was this what Nyx meant when she said she'd give him what he wanted? If it was, he wasn't satisfied with it. This didn't change the fact that he still did not have his magic. That was what he wanted.

Just being strong wasn't enough. If that was the case then every person from the South would be ruling the world.

The training did work though. He learnt how to somewhat control the level of outflow, even increasing it to the sweet spot where it multiplied his strength without doing damage. It also felt great when it was finally over because of how much he was moving nowadays. Of course, this didn't mean he could skip classes but he was spending less time sitting down and lazing around.

Aramis also fostered a strange friendship with Savah. Saxton told him that he'd just returned from the Borders after a year of slaying Beasts who were daring enough to cross the boundary between the Human Realms and Teras. He wasn't quiet, in fact he found that Savah was quite the talkative person. He just didn't like talking about himself. He wasn't wise like Saxton but he had a sort of knowing when it came to a lot of problems Aramis had. Aramis had the feeling that a lot of people got the wrong idea about him. It'd been quite the challenge but he eventually did get used to the strange aura that came with being around Savah.

Things were going quite well with Aramis. He was studying, training and helping out at the bakery. All of that was good and well but nothing could take his mind off of the fact that Kali still remained closed off from him. She was kind of like Savah in the sense that she seemed to love talking to him but immediately became distant when he tried asking her questions that actually mattered.

It was kind of like she knew more than she was letting on. Aramis had the slightest suspicion that she...knew exactly why she was here. He just couldn't prove it and he didn't have the time nor the energy to confront her about it.

That Friday afternoon, he found himself laying face-up on the snowy ground. Savah stood above him, watching the glowing sun in the sky. 

"Hey kid. You ever think of joining up with the Riders? It would be good to have another powerhouse in our ranks." 

Aramis laughed a bit until he realized Savah was being completely serious. He sat up and frowned. "Uh...I've honestly never thought about it. Why do you ask?" He was honestly flattered that the man would suggest such a thing, it always seemed he could never reach the Savah's expectations of him every training session. 

"So you have a plan in mind on what you wanna do after you graduate?" 

"Nope. I have...no idea what I want to do." Aramis was thinking about telling him about his goal of making it back to the Capital but he had a feeling Savah wouldn't like that answer. It would have been an understatement to say that the Lost and the Capital had a rocky relationship, even the oblivious Aramis knew that much. The Lost was the one place that the Capital did not have full control over and they've been trying to exert their authority over these lands ever since its creation. The Riders were the main reason why they could never truly accomplish this. 

"Then do you already have a girl in mind you would like to settle down with?" 

Now that question caught him off guard. He sputtered and turned to face Savah, realizing again he wasn't joking. 

"What? I got married when I was around your age, don't act so shocked." 

It is important to note here that what Savah is suggesting is completely normal in this setting. As the narrator, I understand marriage at such a young age does seem quite abnormal in this day and age but it was the norm during these times. A young man could be end up getting married as early as when he reaches the age of fifteen years old. That is currently how old Aramis is at this point in the story. 

Kali who had been listening in blushed a deep shade of red but continued to levitate quietly as she listened to the ongoing conversation. Aramis normally didn't pay her much attention when he was talking to someone else but suddenly he became much more aware of her presence. 

"You're married?!" He asked. He hadn't struck Savah as the entirely romantic type so it shocked him that he actually had a wife. The man cracked an amused smile, finding Aramis incredulous expression quite entertaining.  

"Kid, you're still young but these years aren't going to last. Use it wisely," he paused before continuing, "Give it some thought kid. I would like it a lot if you became my Prospect."

More jargon that he didn't understand. "The fuck's a Prospect?" 

"It is something you are underserving of, boy." Another voice replied and it made Aramis flinch. Savah was already facing the new figure who stood behind them. It was a cold and harsh voice, he didn't like it one bit. "So this is what you've been nurturing Savah. I must say I don't agree with your decision. There are others more deserving of the position." 

The man was huge. He towered over the both of them and he was built like an absolute goliath. Aramis honestly felt intimidated but Savah let out a soft chuckle. "Don't worry about me. You talk as if you've found someone worthy to be your own Prospect. Have you?" They knew each other. Who was this man? What were they talking about?

The man looked at him like he were a pet, someone he did not need to acknowledge. He barely gave him a second glance, choosing only to look Savah in the eyes. "I'm actually having trouble choosing which one I've found. There are two, both of them so full of potential...it's a shame we're only allowed one each. If it were up to me, Hale's son would not be a contender." 

Hale's son. They were talking about Thomas Hale. Aramis knew his father was the First Captain of the Riders, the leader of the Lost's greatest noble household. He was a Prospect? He said nothing though because a realization came over him. The man standing before him must have been...a Captain of the Riders. One of the four most powerful individuals in all of the Lost. There was just something about the man that infuriated him and the rising irritation was starting to wash away any sense of intimidation he might have felt earlier. What the fuck did he mean he was undeserving of it? He was feeling like he should smack him in the face when Savah stepped forward. 

"Is that all? I'm sure you have better things to do with the Trials coming up. Better get to picking your Prospect and let me worry about mine." 

For a second, there was a flash of tension and the two seemed like they were about to swing until the goliath laughed. "You are right. I must be on my on way now. One of my chosen ones go to the school, maybe you've heard of him boy. Roland Miel will soon become one of the Rider's greatest assets." 

Aramis froze and finally he spoke. "Don't mess with Roland. He's a good kid." 

"I know he is. That is why I know he can become great. Who are you to tell me what I should do?" There was a dangerous glint in the man's eyes, daring him to do something. Aramis clenched his fist and gritted teeth. 

"I should fucki-" Savah put a hand on his shoulder and interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. "Go on now. There isn't any need for this." The man stared at Savah, deciding whether or not to push it any further. He decided not to. Without another word, he walked through the snowy grounds towards the school. 

"That is a man who you don't want as an enemy. He is a good man, though he can be a little gruff. Relax. He was trying to provoke you, kid. Don't let him get in your head." Savah finally said after he had walked some distance away from them. 

Aramis realized that Savah was right. Except he wasn't sure about him being a good man. "So what's a Prospect? It sounds pretty important." He wanted to know the answer especially because...Roland might become one. 

He was given a look that told Aramis it was something he should know about. That was also something he was coming to understand this past week, there was so common knowledge here that he didn't know. The culture and the people, he felt so distant from them all the time but he knew the only person he could blame was himself. He was the one who had chosen to lock himself away and now he was simply dealing with the consequences of it. 

"A prospect is someone from the next generation, chosen especially by the Captains of the Riders. They are different from the normal Riders who enter our ranks and are seen as the apprentices who will eventually take over our command. Choosing a Prospect can take years but it seems a majority of the Captains have decided to announce all of theirs now." 

Aramis was even more honoured that Savah was asking...him to be his Prospect. "Why now? Why are all the Captains announcing it in a single year?" 

"The Capital is growing more aggressive than ever. If we are to simply focus on the present, the Lost will fall into their hands. We can't allow that to happen." The political relations were much more desire than Aramis had previously understood. The upcoming Trials to see who would join the Riders this year was a declaration in it of itself to the Capital that the posterity of the Riders would not be easily pushed around. 

"And...you're asking me to become your Prospect? Savah, I think there are many others more deserving of-" 

"I'm simply giving you the chance to become it, kid. Don't get too ahead of yourself. What you do in the Trials will decide whether I choose you as a Prospect. What comes after holds great responsibility and duty, it isn't something you can back out of. It's up to you. Think carefully. I need an answer by the end of this week. Can you do that for me, Morricone?" 

"...Yeah. Yeah I'll think about it." 

Aramis had been certain that the end goal was going to the Capital and eventually regaining his former glory. Right now, he wasn't so sure any longer. Maybe...just maybe participating in the Trials and seeing where that went wouldn't be such a bad idea. 

Savah was right. He did have a lot to think about.