Jahree didn’t intend to wake Tellic, but after wrestling with the heavy layers of his blanket cocoon, he had no choice. Tellic was strong, and when he swaddled someone, even accidentally, it was like being trapped in a vice. No one would understand, and Jahree certainly didn’t want to explain it. Claiming that he was late to training because a troll had overzealously tucked him in would be humiliating. He could already imagine the mockery from the others. Today was a training day, and Jahree didn't want to miss it. In their last post, there were more soldiers, enough to rotate sparring partners and keep things fresh. Here in Chervil, however, the numbers were slim. For the next three years, it would just be him, Tellic, and Marn. Sparring with only two others over such a long stretch wouldn't sharpen their skills—it would just breed familiarity. He’d learn their moves, their quirks, and even-tually, sparring would be as predictable as the sunrise. When they finally reached the training field, Jahree was surprised. Instead of the empty space he’d expected, a group of soldiers from the night shift was already gathered. They weren’t alone. Lanni was there too, standing apart from the group as usual. No one wanted to pair with her, and it wasn’t hard to guess why. She was tiny—delicate, even—and most were afraid they’d accidentally hurt her. Jahree, however, had other concerns. He figured that hurting her in training would hurt his chances of sleeping with her later. He kept that thought to himself, though. Tellic, predictably, was another outcast. He rarely found anyone eager to spar with him. Back at their last post, there had been other trolls, and they usually partnered with each other. But here, there was only Tellic, standing awkwardly on the sidelines. Jahree could see how much it bothered him, but Tellic never complained. Finally, Captain Trema stepped forward and paired Tellic with Lanni. The snickers from the other soldiers were immediate, and Jahree noticed the way Tellic’s cheeks turned a faint shade of blue—his version of blushing. Jahree overheard Lanni approach Tellic with a question. “Are you a mage?” she asked, her voice sharp but curious. Tellic shook his head. “No.” “Good,” she said, nodding. “Then I won’t use mine.” Tellic tensed, clearly uncomfortable. “Don’t handicap yourself,” he warned. “I don’t want to hurt you.” But Lanni didn’t seem worried. She rushed him, and within seconds, the massive troll was on his back. Jahree watched as she extended a hand to help him up, her voice quiet but carrying just enough for him to overhear. “I was the one who killed most of my cap-tors.” Jahree shook his head and turned his attention back to his own fight. His opponent was an elf named Samar, and unlike Lanni, Samar wasn’t holding back. He wielded mag-ic openly, throwing spells with precision. Jahree had been paired with mages before, and he was used to it. He couldn’t cast any magic himself, but he had a natural resistance to it. Spells didn’t affect him the way they should. They could still hurt him, but their power was dampened, and some barely fazed him at all. It threw Samar off. The elf’s spells seemed to fizzle when they hit Jahree, which gave him the upper hand. The confusion on Samar’s face was clear, and it allowed Jahree to hold his own in the fight. It wasn’t a real battle, but he wondered how it would have gone if it had been. Finally, Samar stepped back and prepared a large blast. Jahree could tell the elf was putting everything he had into this one. When the spell hit, Jahree braced himself, expecting to be knocked off his feet, but the force only pushed him back a step. “Hold!” Samar called out, eyes wide with disbelief. Jahree relaxed, catching his breath as the elf studied him closely. “How do you do that? I don’t see a shield, and I can’t sense any magic from you. Are you an augmenter or something?” Jahree shrugged. “I don’t do anything special. I’m not a mage. It’s just how I am.” Samar stared at him, then gave a slow nod. “Like an unreadable for mages. I can’t sense anything about you.” Jahree hadn’t thought of it that way. Unreadables were immune to healers' scans, though they could still be healed. His resistance was different—he wasn’t just hard to read; the magic itself had little effect on him. Glancing over at Lanni and Tellic, Jahree noticed that they were still sparring. Both of them were bruised and bloodied, but neither seemed ready to quit. “Is she using magic?” Jahree asked Samar. The elf shook his head. “She hasn’t cast anything, but she’s glowing. She always does, even when she doesn’t use magic.” “Is she immortal?” Jahree mused. “I doubt it. Loka doesn’t glow like that, and she’s immortal. You do know your heal-er’s immortal, right?” Samar replied. “I’ve heard,” Jahree muttered, still watching Tellic. His troll friend was beginning to tire, though he hid it well. Jahree knew the signs—Tellic's movements were slower, less precise. He was in a tough spot. If Tellic won, he’d be ridiculed for beating up someone so small. If he lost, he’d never hear the end of it. Jahree looked around for a way to help without making it obvious. He caught Captain Trema’s eye. The captain raised an eyebrow in silent question, clearly aware of the situation. Jahree nodded, and Trema gave him a subtle signal to wait. A moment later, Trema stepped in. “Alright, that’s enough. Both of you are done for to-day. You’re great fighters, but Tellic needs to get ready for duty,” he announced, breaking up the match. Tellic visibly relaxed as the crowd dispersed. He shot Jahree a grateful look, to which Jahree responded with a chuckle. “Jahree, Marn, I need to see you before you go on duty,” Trema called as he headed toward the barracks. “What did you do now?” Jahree asked Marn as they followed their captain. “Nothing!” Marn protested, raising his hands in mock innocence. “I’ve been a perfect gentleman.” Jahree smirked. “Not still planning to get back at Lanni?” Marn shook his head. “Not after seeing her fight. I’m not that dumb.” “What about you?” Marn teased. “Got your eye on anyone?” Jahree shrugged. “Maybe Lanni.” “Are you sure she’s old enough?” Marn quipped. “Knock it off, you two,” Trema interrupted as they reached his office. “Neither of you is in trouble—yet.” Trema shut the door behind them, lowering his voice. “I just wanted to remind you both: Rantar confirmed that all staff are of age. If either of you is interested in the single ones, be respectful. No public displays, and keep it professional while on duty. Clear?” Both men nodded in unison. “Yes, sir.” “That tiny pale, girl is of age?” Marn asked. “She is. Her uncle is Captain Tercala, one of the prince-general’s honor guards. She was a captain when she served, and she has a temper, according to Loka.” Marn looked to Jahree. “You can have her. Too dangerous for me. Besides, she’s too small. I’d worry about breaking her.” “You just have to know how to handle it,” Jahree said. “I don’t want any complaints, do you two understand?” Trema insisted. “Yes, Sir,” Jahree nodded. “Yes, Sir.” Marn agreed. Trema looked around and lowered his voice. “If we get through this assignment without trouble, we’ll get moved to Menthanla, one of the southern cities.” “Sir, I can’t…” Jahree started but the captain waived him off. “Not Thager, probably Sen-gan or Veslin. Jahree relaxed. So far they had honored. his request to not be stationed in Thager. He hoped they would continue for the rest of his time, even if they didn’t go to Sen-gan or Veslin. “One more thing,” Trema added. “Miss Jaina’s birthday is coming up, and we’ll have some neighbor servants helping with the party. They’re off-limits. I don’t care if they’re old enough to be your grandmothers. Do you both understand?” “Yes, sir,” they echoed again. Trema gave them a stern look before dismissing them. As they headed out to begin their rounds, Jahree felt a mix of relief and anticipation. With any luck, this post would be as uneventful as it seemed. But with Lanni, Tellic, and Marn around, nothing ever stayed quiet for long. #fantasy, #magic, #dragons, #hiddenlands