Spring 4989, 08 Kuromoth
It was snowing at Hamerfoss...
Shon waved to the others as they passed him, making their way to the fortress while he went for the rain barrel and bench. It had been a particularly brutal practice. Going through each and every weapon they'd learned over four years, and all in platemail.
Gently falling snow dusted the thin ice coating the water. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Shon knew that it was too deep into spring for the snow to be normal. Even this far north. But perhaps he was just that tired because he hardly thought about it before breaking through the ice to splash the back of his neck and sigh in relief.
Ryuuko circled above and -folding its wings- dove into the water. Splashing Shon and causing freezing water to overflow before it resurfaced and took splashing flight again -raining more droplets over its human. Shon growled, swiping at the little dragon, turning to follow its flight down towards the bench.
A man sat there... He hadn't been there before.
The pseudodragon landed on the stranger's shoulder, nuzzling past his long white hair to rub his cheek with its own. Despite the white hair, the man looked young. He wore simple white clothes, like Master Veon-Zih, that glinted as he moved. Like metal. Not silver... Platinum...
There was a tug of longing in Shon's chest, and he felt himself take a half step closer before he caught himself and instead stepped back, shaking his head.
The man looked up and met Shon's blue eyes with a set the same shade. For lack of better words, Shon would have said the man's smile looked sad. But it was so much more than that.
"I'm sorry..." His voice was rich as freshly tilled soil in late spring and pulled at Shon again, filling his chest with a specific kind of warmth he'd only felt once before. Five years ago. At the divine compatibility test.
"I..." Shon started then stopped, looking down at his arms. His platemail had turned to scale mail. As he watched, the armor turned from silver-like steal to actual silver, and Shon's eyes widened. First in awe, then in horror, as it began to grow. Crawling down to his hands and fingers. Merging with his skin.
He fell back from the man and off of his bed.
Lathered in thick sweat, Shon struggled with his blankets, finally managing to throw them off and staring at his hands. Shaking, and normal.
Ryuuko twittered, flying circles around his room, and Shon ran his hand over his freshly cut hair, hearing again "I'm sorry..." and shuddering. He tried to stand only to slip back to the ground with a sound like breaking glass. His terror returned in full swing as he looked at his sword, its pommel clear as glass... As ice.
Shon tried to calm his breathing, needing to close his eyes to block the sight of the frost over his desk and clouding his window. He didn't know how long it took, but when he opened them again, his sword had turned translucent blue, and his floor was no longer frozen, merely damp.
Standing, Shon was glad his legs didn't shake. A dream... Just a dream... From nerves. He'd been having a lot of them in the last few weeks, and even Thom and Rerves had complained about nightmares a few times. It was normal. He remembered the nervous faces of the Squires before them. Had they had nightmares too? Probably.
Shon took another steadying breath and set about cleaning his room, making it immaculate before starting his simplest drills in the little space he had. Just like he had the morning of the divine compatibility test. That had been the first test, but this would be the last.
By the time he was done, Shon felt almost himself, still nervous, but no more than any other day in the week preceding this most important of days. He even almost donned his standard uniform before he remembered. Carefully folding the garments again Shon pulled out the pure white set for his vigil today.
As silently as he could, Shon made his way through the still-sleeping fortress, passing the mess hall and heading for the chapel. Rerves and Thom were already there, kneeling in prayer while the Cleric and some extra attending priests offered their blessings. Shon joined them, Ryuuko gliding soundlessly to perch itself on one of the pews as he bowed his head to the altar.
He felt the Cleric before him and didn't look up as the man reached for his head. He flinched, just a little, before pushing past the cold and resting his hand on Shon's head, offering an extended blessing as he had for the other two.
Shon heard the click of boots and felt the Major General round them to stand before the altar, turning a quick about-face to look them over. Shon looked up and Sir Selibra, chosen Paladin of Hengist, nodded first to them and then to the three open doors to the cells, "May Hengist be with you brave men. You have proven yourselves not only fully capable of serving him but fully willing in heart and soul, the rest is between you and Hengist..." he gestured for the rooms. As one, the Squires stood as he continued, "Bare your souls to him, gentlemen, hold nothing back, for he will see it even if you do."
Thom took one shaking breath, Rerves stiffened, Shon nodded, and all three moved for their cells. Ryuuko waited outside with a subdued whistle.
***
