10: Identity

"And cows poop glitter," I told Philip.

He stared at me in what could only be annoyance. "I'm not kidding. It makes the most sense."

"Dragons are extinct," I said simply.

"well then what are you?"

I hesitated.

"you know what else happened that night at the arena?" Philip ventured. I said nothing so he continued. "Your eyes seemed to morph into a distinctive reptilian form."

I bristled. That was no news. I knew that happened especially when I was in pain. But even then, I wasn't convinced. "You know children of different races aren't allowed."

"That's the whole point of the King's Guard. The King needs powerful, strong, fierce individuals to protect him and those are all the qualities of a Vuruk, those are all the qualities you possess."

"that's hypocritical. Then why does he have such laws?"

"We can't have people like them walking around all over the place, they're too chaotic. It may be hypocritical, but it at least gives purpose to mistakes like us."

"You, are a Vuruk?"

"I'm no ordinary mage, I should've known I could do magic at least when I was still a kid. My dad's an ordinary guy, a carpenter. Heck! Even he was surprised when I found out I could do magic. My mother was sort of like a nomad, she met my dad, they married, had me and before I could even walk she left. He didn't know much about her, she never spoke of her family or her childhood. But he was certain, my magic didn't come from him."

"Well that still doesn't mean I'm one. No one has seen a dragon since the last race war," I insisted.

"that doesn't mean they're gone, the last of them could be hiding somewhere."

I was adamant to the idea that I was anything but an ordinary person. But deep down buried somewhere in my mind I knew I wasn't. No ordinary person had scales, could breathe and was resistant to fire and could rip a decade old tree from its roots.

"I'm cursed then," I said.

"You do have immense magical energy which affected the damdam but that's not a curse, I would know."

Ok so what if I was a Vururk, then that meant I was never supposed to be born. But that was accompanied with the notion that my real parents thought so too, that's why they left me with a mage couple who at least saw through the scales and all.

"I'll sleep on it."

But I couldn't quite wrap my mind around it even two weeks later.

Finally after a long anxious wait, the day of my first test had come.

Philip and I took a carriage into the capital. Was I excited? More nervous but still very excited. People from the outskirts rarely get to see any official people, apart from knights. Many of us could go a lifetime without ever stepping foot in the royal castle, yet here I was.

The closer we got the wealthier the place became, better clothes, cleaner streets, steady buildings made of the finer materials. But nothing could compare to the castle, at least from its grand appearance. My jaw dropped the whole ride there, until Philip tapped me on the shoulder jolting me back to reality.

"What do you think?" Philip asked.

I met his eyes and sighed. "It's beautiful, but maybe a little too big."

"Oh come on, you know you love it."

I only smiled. It was magnificent yes, but too much for one person. How does the king deal with so much space?

"He has an heir," Philip said.

"What?" I asked, dumfounded.

"You're wondering how he lives in the castle all by himself."

"How did you know?"

"That's what most simple people think."

Point taken. "I didn't know the King had a child."

"No, he never had kids, at least that we know of." He suddenly leaned towards me. My back pressed into the side of the carriage. His face barely two inches from mine he whispered, "we're not supposed to speak of her but, the queen passed before they could have children." He leaned back and I could finally breathe.

"Then who is his heir?"

"His nephew. But I swear when he takes the throne, this kingdom will crumble to pieces in days."

"Why what's wrong with him?"

"He's to put it simply, a rough-tough guy who would rather use his sword before his head. James the Undefeatable, future King of Kreatier, I hope I'm not alive to see it."

"He sounds like a great guy." I cringed.

"Hah," he laughed dully. "Sure is, if you aren't at the tip of his sword."

We passed through the gates and immediately as we did the carriage came to a halt.

"That's our stop." Philip leaped out the carriage and onto the grass. I peered out with wonder at the landscaping of the castle lawn. Flowers of all shades and colors, blooming across the yard, willow trees whose branches drooped stood among the field of green, and hedges shaped like animals, birds and sheep and pigs and farm animals that didn't quite fit the magnificence of a castle yard.

"Do you like it?" Philip asked, putting a hand out to me.

I climbed off myself and took in my surroundings, it was definitely impressive, but he didn't need to know that. "It's alright." I was too busy staring at the castle to add more commentary to his work.

"Oh come on, it's not all that it seems. They're deadly, I swear, no one dares to touch my plants."

I nodded. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Philip?" Said an older man with greying hair in a bun and a neatly trimmed beard, seeming to appear out of nowhere.

Philip grinned widely when he saw him. "Lance!"

They hugged then Lance's eyes caught on to me. "You brought a friend?"

Philip waved me over. "Mo meet Lance, Lance meet Mo. She's trying out for the Guard."

The old man's eyes widened. "Oh, alright." We shook hands. His hands were rough, crow's feet at his eyes, smile that rippled his skin, and yet a strong grip that promised many more years to come. "Who did you study under, I might know them?"

"Uh, um—"

"A mage reserve, her father, you probably wouldn't know him," Philip answered in my stead.

"What made you want to join the King's Guard?" Lance asked.

"Uh, circumstances and I'd also like to put my skills to good use." I lied through my teeth and man did that sting.

"Word of advice, you probably shouldn't wear your scarf around here, it makes people suspicious." We shook hands again and Lance finally left round the gatehouse.

I hesitantly hooked the front of my scarf with my index finger when Philip said, "you don't have to if you don't want too. If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable let me know."

I was going to ask what he was going to do but a fleet of a dozen carriages arrived before I could say anything. They sped towards the gate so rapidly, they probably weren't expecting to stop so abruptly, especially by roots. The plant roots shot up and coiled around their wheels as soon as the horses passed through the gates.

Out of each of them dropped a very scary looking individual. Compared to them, I was a gecko.

"Don't let them intimidate you," Philip said quietly beside me.

"How can I not?" I mumbled.

"You should go ahead and join them." He nudged me towards them. I swallowed, but went ahead to join the group. None of them wanted to speak to me even if I only said good morning. They were mean, lean, and looked like they had killed a hundred man to get here.

We stood about, some stood in groups others by themselves, like myself. Until somebody stepped out the castle doors. That somebody happened to be Lance.

"Ahh-tention!" Lance yelled. All talking ceased. Everyone turned to Lance, standing straighter: feet together and hands to their back. I copied them out of fear and nervousness. We fell into a row, all heads facing ahead at, no one daring to speak, they all knew what they were here for.

"Many of you have travelled from faraway lands," Lance began. "Many of you have seen the harshest, bloodiest, worst of battles one could lay their eyes upon and of course even participated in them. Kreatier still stands because you all chose to stand. Loyalty, Perseverance, Bravery, Ingenuity and your own Individual Talents, was shown through your actions, that is why you are here today. The King requires men like you. Thus the first test of the recruitment, ethics."

Whispers fell upon the crowd of knights. I gulped and found Philip standing off to the side sighing greatly.

"You will be called into a room to take the test individually. We shall begin with Merse Yeal!" Lance announced.

The crowd split in half and out of it walked a large troll like creature with huge butterfly wings. He was at least five times as large as the ordinary troll and his wings were just as huge. He followed a pair of Knights in armor towards a door of the castle. Philip waved me over. Seeing that Lance didn't mind us breaking formation I met him half way as he walked towards me.

"Why the face?" I asked him.

"You're a good person. I mean of course you are, aren't you?"

I hesitated, for reasons unknown to myself. Was I actually a good person? "I don't know."

His face fell. "Come on trust yourself at least."

"Yeah I think I can do that. How many questions are they going to ask us?"

Philip avoided my eyes. "They won't be asking questions." Before he could continue the castle doors swung open and the troll/fairy stepped out, shaken up, pale-faced, looking like he was about to puke.