The Last of the Sages (Sage Trilogy, Book 1) (12 page)

“Dominic’s the only one, remember? I’m going to be in the infantry.”

“Oh,” James said, satisfied that his other question was answered now too. “You sound like you’ll like the infantry.”

“It won’t be so bad. What made you think I was training to be a Sage?”

“Just wondering. It would’ve explained why you’re in with the superiors.”

“Nope. Sorry. I failed the Sage test before it even began,” Catherine laughed, grabbing the bowl of oatmeal and eyeing it over.

“Was it that hard?”

“Not really.”

James raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Why are you so interested? You want to have more ideas on how to beat Dominic tomorrow?”

“If you don’t mind…”

“Not at all. Yep, I’ll give you some sure-fire ways of beating him, but you have to do one thing with me first.”

“What’s that?”

“Take me to the village beyond the Academy wall.”

“Why?” James asked carefully, thinking about seeing his father again. It felt like a whole different life, being in the village. Already he had become accustomed to the Academy’s way, and he couldn’t deny that as long as he had a chance to be a Sage, it was kind of fun.

“What’s outside the Academy you haven’t already seen?” James continued. “I mean, if you wanted to see the castle, now that would be an idea.”

“I really want to see the village.” Catherine said quickly. “It’s been so long.”

“You haven’t been here that long…and since we’re on the subject, where exactly do you live in the village? I definitely don’t remember you walking around.”

“James, you think too much. C’mon, let’s just get out of here and I’ll tell you what you need to know.”

“Can’t you go yourself? Or is that not allowed around here?”

“Not during school session. We have to concentrate on our training, but I have to get out of this place. It’s driving me crazy.”

“Fine, I’ll help you escape, I guess. It’s not like I have anything better to do today.”

“Gee, don’t sound so excited. I thought a little alone time with a girl would get a guy’s hopes up.”

“Well, I don’t really see you as a girl...”

“Such a charmer… C’mon, we’ll leave now while Arimus is away on business.”

“Do they go away on business often?”

Catherine sighed in annoyance and rolled her eyes.

“What does it matter if they do or don’t? They’re not going to take you along as their mascot or drummer boy so stop asking.”

“Why would they need a drummer boy? Is it some kind of secret mission?”

“Hardly. I can’t remember the last time anyone’s been outside the Kingdom line, even the teachers. It’s probably an in-service or a workshop.”

“What could they possibly have a workshop about?”

“Oh you know,” Catherine said slyly. “They may need to teach a health class coming up or something and they need to know about women’s - ”

“ - okay, that’s enough,” James interrupted, cupping his ears. “I guess I don’t really need to know that badly.”

“I knew that would shut you up.”

“You did that on purpose?!”

Catherine didn’t answer, grabbing James’s wrist and pulling him out through the cafeteria doors. James strained to see if the lunch lady was going to pull out a tray of waffles now that he was leaving but she made no move, simply staring at their leaving. James could swear that Kyran was conspiring against him and she was a spy.

“As long as we get some food in the village, I don’t care what we do.”

“What’s to eat there?” Catherine asked curiously.

“Wow, you have been gone a long time. I don’t know. Lots. Bacon or chicken. Maybe some noodles or steak would be nice.”

“Bacon?”

“Yeah, it’s this strip of pig muscle fried in grease until it’s nice and crispy. It’s wonderful.”

“Sounds unhealthy.”

“Yeah, but what isn’t these days?”

“I’m surprised you’re so nonchalant about it, Mr. Sage. Shouldn’t you watch your figure?”

“Oh, I got the metabolism of a stallion,” James declared, patting his stomach in pride.

“And what kind of metabolism is that?”

James frowned and muttered something inaudible under his breath. Catherine giggled as she led him outside to the courtyard. He was surprised that no one was in the lobby or hallways.

“What are you so paranoid about?” Catherine asked. “Everyone’s probably in the cafeteria.”

“I know, I know, but sometimes Kyran is so sneaky, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was watching us from the shadows right now.”

“Yeah. He’s sort of like the truant officer of the Academy.”

“He sure has the personality of one: stale and by the book.”

“Don’t say that so loud,” Catherine giggled. “He might hear you.”

“I almost wish he did hear me. He gets on my nerves.”

Catherine deducted that Kyran was nowhere to be found and led James to the courtyard doors. Pushing it as lightly as possible to minimize any squeaking, she welcomed the cold air that pinched her warm cheeks. James grunted as he realized he had forgotten his jacket again.

“Are we seriously going outside? I thought there might be a secret entrance you knew about.”

“Can’t say that I do. The only way we’re going to get to the village is if we make it to the eastern entrance. It’s not too far. About twenty miles or so.”

“Oh, twenty miles, that’s nothing,” James muttered sarcastically. “ARE YOU KIDDING?! You don’t even have a jacket on!”

“Neither do you, James.”

James grunted and Catherine laughed and whistled into the wind. James gnashed his teeth from the biting cold, letting them chatter extra loudly to ensure that Catherine heard them loud and clear. Catherine listened intently before grabbing James’s hand and leading him to the courtyard exit doors. They were already suspiciously open but James had little time to consider why. The wind fought their escape with increasing fury as they ran with dedication to the exit. Catherine laughed playfully as James shook his head in amazement. A horse-drawn stage coach came into view. It was much more elegant than the one James had ridden in.

“How were you able to pull this off?”

“I have some contacts that owe me a favor.”

“You sure know a lot of people. Could make a guy jealous.”

“Why? Are you?”

“No,” James said flatly, and Catherine laughed.

“Sometimes I just don’t understand you.”

James didn’t say anything to the comment as he entered the stage coach, barely noticing the identity of the driver who was hidden under a massive cloak and hood. Catherine sat opposite of James and looked at him out of concern. His sudden silence and solemn demeanor disturbed her.

“What’s wrong, James?” she asked gently, placing a hand on his.

“I’m sorry I kind of brushed you off, Katie.”

Catherine lowered her eyes as his nickname for her sunk into her heart. The coach began moving.

“It’s okay, James.”

“Every time I think of men and women together, my father rears his ugly head. All I can think about is how he was such a ladies’ man and how he used to say that, even when he was with my mother, he would still flirt with other women simply because he could. He didn’t seem to care about how my mother felt. She was like a trophy to him. The only reason he got her to marry him was because she was the only woman who refused his advances. He saw it as a challenge, and pursued her with all his might. She eventually gave in. The guy has always been stubborn, but…of course, they couldn’t be happy together. She actually thought it could work out, but after seeing how he wouldn’t change, she left him…and me. So every time I think about a relationship, I get scared. I don’t want to lead women on if they’re interested in me, you know?”

James stared into Catherine’s eyes and she turned to glance out the window.

“I never said I was interested in you, James. I was just having a little fun. I don’t get to be myself with too many people and I like the fact that when I’m around you, I can just let go.”

“Oh,” James said, his mood improving at her words.

“Were you old when your mother left - I mean, if that’s not being too forward.”

“No, to be honest I barely remember her. And I don’t really think about her much. Mainly when my dad is being stupid, and then I wonder how happy she must be elsewhere.”

Catherine rubbed the right side of her jaw in thought
before folding her hands back into her lap.

“Did she ever tell your dad how she felt?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think it would’ve made a difference though.”

“Why not?”

“Because a lot of men don’t change.”

“People can change.”

“Most men don’t. And certainly not my father. That’s what I believe anyway. I think we’re all too stubborn. Too proud, and honestly that scares me sometimes. When I was fighting Dominic, I got a glimpse of the arrogance that was within me. If he had been the student and I had been the one giving the test, I don’t know how much different I would’ve been from Dominic.”

That’s speculation. You don’t know how you’ll act until you’re in the situation itself. And I don’t believe that men cannot change. I think we all choose who we want to be.”

“Maybe…”

A pause of silence ensued, causing James to dwell on the very words that had come out of his mouth. Did he really think of himself that way? Proud? Stubborn?

“So what did you have to do to get this stage coach hidden?” he asked, trying to change the subject. “You must’ve had to save a bunch of money and give out a lot of bribes to keep people quiet. This thing isn’t exactly inconspicuous.”

“My father had plenty of money in his ‘savings’ which I can use whenever I feel like.”

“So he’s been pulling some overtime as the court jester lately?”

“James, my father is dead.”

James’s smirk fell and he rubbed his forehead awkwardly.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t know your father had passed.”

“It was a long time ago, when I was four. I don’t remember him that much.”

“Do you miss him?”

“I miss his presence, but nothing more than that. I don’t so much miss him as I miss what he did for those around him. People were a lot happier when he was around. He was a man of order, and that gave people a sense of purpose and balance.”

“He sounds like a well-respected man.”

“From what I hear, he was. I myself rarely saw him. I only heard about him through my mother, who, by the way, died in the same year as he.”

“Was it disease or - ”

“No, it - ”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“No, I was going to explain this to you earlier. See, they died in ‘88.”

“The siege? The same siege I’ve been hearing so much about?”

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

“I was four, so I wasn’t particularly aware of my surroundings - how old are you, James?”

“Nineteen.”

“So you were three at the time.”

“You’re older than me?!”

“Is that a problem?”

“I guess – no – I don’t know…”

“James, you’re digressing…”

“Sorry. Continue.”

“I was at the Academy most of the time, where my mother was an active professor. She wasn’t a Sage in case you were wondering, but she did know basic combat and she had a knack for teaching. So, while she stayed at the Academy, my father worked in the castle. They were separated a lot, but my mother used to tell me she preferred it that way. Back then, all the people you know now weren’t there. Arimus, Kyran, not even Scarlet, who had left with her parents to live in the countryside beyond the five Kingdoms. That didn’t last of course as Scarlet joined the Academy as soon as she was seventeen.”

“So she hasn’t been a proctor for long.”

“Not at all. Arimus is actually the oldest. No currently active teacher besides him has been there for more than a year.”

“How is that possible?”

“Listen, and I’ll tell you. See, in those days, there wasn’t such a distance between the village and the castle, the royalty. The king loved to interact with his subjects, for better or for worse, and the people got to make their requests to him face-to-face. The siege changed that forever. In that time, the infantry was about a hundred thousand strong with over thirty Sages at the helm. Not Sages in training, either. Full-blown Sages. The ones of legend. The best of them all was Lakrymos, their leader. He alone could defend an entire Kingdom from an army of soldiers. His speed, strength, and wisdom were unparalleled and he was an inspiration for all that met or heard about him. He believed that anyone had the power to be a Sage. Our failure lied only in our own expectations and limitations – the notion that we limit ourselves and that this is what holds us back. The tests and classes were the same as today, but even when someone failed the preliminaries and it seemed like their only hope was to be an infantryman, he stressed how even an infantryman could rise to new heights and accomplish much - that some are just not meant to be a Sage. That the Maker had other plans for those particular recruits.”