A Crumble of Walls (The Kin of Kings Book 4) (27 page)

The audience erupted with applause so suddenly it shocked Basen. He grabbed the medallion and lifted it in his fist. They grew even louder.

Basen figured he would never know the name of the man who had put so much focus on the Hiller name. There was no way to know what this man would do after his exile from the Academy, but Basen didn’t care as he gladly watched him escorted from the stadium. He hoped this man would take this experience as a lesson. Such focused rage doesn’t always require an equal response.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Life in the Academy soon returned to what Basen had expected, with a few big changes. He was reminded of the hole in his heart every time he saw Alabell or anyone who resembled her. Fortunately, though, there were a number of things that helped fill that hole.

He was pleased during mealtime when he noticed warriors and Krepps sitting together as they had during the Redfield announcement. Nebre and Cleve had become friends, or Cleve was just intent on learning Kreppen. Whatever it was, Basen saw the large warrior sitting only with the civilized Krepp.

Zoke had told Basen he should bring Nebre to Regash Forest. Nebre was one of the few Krepps, like Zoke, who could keep the others from doing anything foolish, like getting involved in the war. But Nebre seemed just as needed here, for he was constantly asked to translate.

Nebre’s father, Rickik, looked to have gained some pride in his son. Basen no longer saw Rickik dirtying Nebre’s clean face, messing with his combed hair, or forcing him to change out of his cloth shirt. Instead, he let his son speak to the humans as he looked on in apparent curiosity. Basen didn’t know what their relationship was like on Warrior’s Field, as he couldn’t imagine Nebre fighting with the same fervor as the other Krepps, but that didn’t seem to matter anymore. Not even Rickik could deny how useful Nebre was.

In time, Basen would mention the request from Nebre’s old friend, but not yet.
Sorry, Zoke.

Abith called Basen over to a table filled with troops from Tenred.

“That was some speech you gave on our behalf,” Abith said.

The speech wasn’t meant to benefit them, but Basen smiled anyway and said, “You’re welcome.”

He looked around to confirm Crea’s absence. “Where is she?” Basen asked, having no need to specify who he referred to.

“Crea left,” Abith said. “Did you really expect her to stay after you told Henry what she did to your mother?”

“She’s Crea,” Basen retorted. “She does whatever she wants, no matter the consequences to anyone else.”

“I suppose that’s right. She is a Hiller, after all.” Abith’s disarming smile showed he meant no offense with the jest. Besides, Basen couldn’t deny there was truth to it.

“Have you abandoned your plan to overthrow Terren, or just put it on hold?” he asked.

“It’s on hold,” Abith replied. “Why don’t you have a seat?” He gestured for everyone to make room so Basen could squeeze in beside him.

“Sitting at a Tenred table…I’m not ready for such a commitment,” Basen commented. Joining them meant so much more than just lunch.

“Very well,” Abith said. “But when you find yourself questioning the methods of your instructors, as you will, come back and speak with me.”

Abith had always been a bold man, so his statement came as no surprise.

“They’re not incompetent,” Basen said, “as you imply.”

“No, they just don’t know how to handle someone of your potential.” Abith made a shooing motion. “Don’t hover there with your food. Either sit and allow me to explain, or get going.” His friendly smile diffused the situation, though Basen didn’t smile in return. He was curious to know what Abith meant about his potential but decided against staying to find out. Terren and Jack treated Abith like an enemy, so Basen couldn’t be associated with him or his men.

He left to sit with Effie, Reela, and Steffen.

“I haven’t had the chance to thank the two of you,” Basen told Effie and Steffen. “Annah explained everything. I’m sorry you had to fight. If I had known that would happen, I would’ve come up with a better plan.”

“There was no safer option.” Steffen spoke with confidence and finality. “I’m glad we went. No thanks necessary.”

Effie pointed her fork at Steffen. “What he said. We got Neeko as a result, so it was worth it.” She seemed to realize her mistake as her eyes lit up. “Not to imply your mother isn’t important.”

As long as Juliana was here in one piece, Basen didn’t care what Effie thought. “Did my mother really…kill someone?” he asked.

Effie pursed her lips, looking impressed as she remembered it with a nod. “She’s a fierce woman when she needs to be.”

“That’s true.” Just as Basen was about to take a bite of his food, someone slapped his back and knocked the fork out of his hand.

“Basen!” Vithos cried with utter joy. “Good talking in Redfield! I’m very proud of you.”

“Thank you,” Basen said as he retrieved his fork from the floor and wiped it on his napkin.

The Elf danced over to Reela, kissed her cheek, and settled beside her. Just then, a group of students came to stand at the end of their table. There were four of them, all women Basen had seen before but never met. They asked to hear what happened with the Elves.

Vithos seemed excited to tell the tale, ignoring his food as he gestured emphatically with his arms. “Basen took us to Merejic in a portal.” He stopped to imitate the whooshing of a portal, then grabbed his stomach. “Make us sick, but necessary.”

Others gathered to listen, and soon there was a small audience of students of all classes. Effie and Reela politely took their plates and left, Reela patting Basen on the back on her way to another table.

“Sorry,” Basen mouthed to them.

“It’s all right,” Effie replied.

Steffen didn’t seem as uncomfortable, though, finishing his food quickly and listening intently.

It was a relief when Basen was able to slip away later. He was quite nervous when he showed up for Penny’s class. He arrived early so she wouldn’t scold him in front of the other students, but she wasn’t at the training grounds.

He found her inside the Group One classroom. She was leaning over her lecturing podium, making notes on her scrolls. At the sound of his approaching footsteps, she looked up and seemed surprised to see him.

Basen gave her a bashful smile.

When she smiled in return, he thought he might’ve been wrong about her all this time. Perhaps she wouldn’t punish him for leaving without permission. They
had
awarded him a medal, after all.

She was waiting for him to speak, her smile slowly leaving her face.

“Um, sorry I left.”

She drummed her fingers on the podium, showing him a confused expression.

He gave her the same look right back.

“Why are you apologizing?” she asked.

“You’re right. Allow me to specify. I’m sorry if you took my leaving as an insult. I did not mean it that way.”

“How else was I supposed to take it when you recruited one of my best mages—besides yourself—to go with you, and you didn’t ask me first?”

It felt awkward to receive a compliment from a clearly annoyed instructor, especially in such a bitter tone.

“We haven’t always agreed in the past,” he said. “That gave me reason to believe you wouldn’t approve of my plan.”

“Imagine how different things would be if your plan hadn’t worked.”

“Yes, I could’ve been killed.”

“Do you realize that, really? Because it doesn’t seem as if you do. I’m concerned about you, Basen. I’m concerned about the safety of all my students, but you in particular. Your audacity…has kept me awake nights. I’m glad you went on this
trip. You accomplished a lot, and, in doing so, proved what kind of young mage you are.”

Her tone made it clear that wasn’t a compliment.

“I spoke to Mage Trela,” Penny continued. “She agrees with me that you’ve missed too much training to be part of Group One any longer. It isn’t just their skills that allow your
former
classmates to work together so well, it’s practice.”

His heart dropped like a rock. “I believe I can make up for the time lost. I would be a valuable mage in any group, but more valuable in the top class where my skills will be of more use.”

“Your skills will be of use wherever
you
decide to put them. You’ve made that clear. But we can’t have you without a group. Even the troops who came from Tenred, some of them so far below others in their skill levels they wouldn’t have been accepted into the Academy otherwise, have been put in groups. It’s the only way to train everyone. With that being said, Trela and I agree you should join the group where you’re best likely to mesh after having missed so much training. And that is Group Eight.”

Basen bit his lip before replying. “I don’t suppose it matters whether I agree?”

“Be happy, Basen. Jackrie is the instructor of Group Eight, which is the only reason you weren’t put in an even lower group. She vouched for you, and she was the only one to do so of the instructors we spoke to. No one else wants the liability you bring because instructors are responsible for their students’ lives.” Penny looked back down at her scrolls, picking up her quill once again. “Everyone will be safer with you in that group, including you. It’s the right decision.”

*****

Basen didn’t get a chance to dwell on his demotion. He had to hurry to the Group Eight training area so he wouldn’t be late for Jackrie’s battle lessons. He had a lot more to lose if he misbehaved further.

Jackrie introduced him, though he already recognized most of his new classmates, and soon he was casting fireballs at training dummies with the rest of them.

During the first break, he asked Jackrie how this group would be different than his last.

“We aren’t likely to be the group that Terren sends to the wall unless every mage is to stand behind the parapets and cast at our enemies. We spend most of our time improving our skills rather than going through the different scenarios of attack.”

Basen soon saw why this was necessary. The skill gap between him and the others set him apart from them instantly. They couldn’t cast for as long, nor were their fireballs large or strong enough to fell an enemy in a single cast. None of them had enough skill with sartious energy to block a fireball, either. Basen couldn’t claim that ability yet, and he might never be able to, but Effie and others in his group could.

My old group,
he reminded himself. The sooner he accepted his new status, the better.

Gathering energy, forming fireballs, and aiming them wasn’t all that different from running a long distance. There was a proper form but no one style to fit everyone. It seemed that many in this group were still figuring out what suited them best.

Basen felt as if he’d already found his own style and that his time was better spent strengthening his mental endurance and physical ability to hold massive amounts of energy. He also wondered whether he should be training as a swordsman with the warriors. Much of this war had involved the sword already. It seemed prudent.

When Jackrie went to fetch a drink from the nearby water barrel, Basen took advantage of the opportunity to speak with her in private.

“You seem keen on helping everyone individually,” he commented.

“Penny doesn’t?”

“Not in the way you do. She demands things of each of us, but she doesn’t always follow through with instruction.”

“Well, that’s the benefit of being in Group One. You’re expected to have a better grasp on everything related to energy, so you’re given more freedom and responsibility.”

“That’s what I was hoping to speak to you about.”

“I figured,” she said. “Let me tell you what you need to hear.” She drank her water quickly, gazing at her students the same way a worried mother might at her children.

“I don’t take attendance in my class,” Jackrie said. “But everyone always comes on time. They want to be here, but more importantly, they don’t have anywhere better to be. If they did, I wouldn’t force them to be here. Do you understand?”

“I do. Thank you.”

When dinner hours came, Basen looked for Effie while waiting in line for his food. He found Cleve sitting with Nebre, like before, and the other Group One warriors taking up the rest of table. Next he found Alabell, sitting with the same female Krepp he’d seen her with before.
What an exhausting day.
There was room on the bench across from Alabell. He wanted to be close even if it would amount to nothing. But she hadn’t been clear about whether they could remain friends, and he didn’t want to impose.

The dining hall was enormous, making it difficult to locate a single person. Eventually he came to the conclusion that Effie wasn’t here yet and kept his eyes on the open doors instead. He had his food by the time she came in, and he stared at her until she noticed him. When she did, he gestured at the empty bench in front of him. She nodded.

There were no empty tables with all the new people here, but there were corners and middles just big enough for late arrivers to sit in small groups. He ate as he waited for Effie to get her food, his eyes drawn to Alabell. He knew he shouldn’t look but couldn’t help it.