“The only difference,” Elden interceded, “is that when they return, they are done with the Legion. It only goes to 19. And then they graduate.”
“And then what?” Thor asked.
“If they make it through their final Hundred,” Reese answered, “then they go before the King, and the King chooses which become Knights. Then, if they are chosen, the kingdom places them in posts for patrol duty throughout the kingdom. They have to do two years of rotation. Then they return to King’s Court, and are eligible to join The Silver.”
“Is it possible that they wouldn’t pass the Hundred? After all these years?” Thor asked.
Reese furrowed his brow.
“It is different for every age and every year. I know stories of many who have not made it, at any age.”
The group of boys fell silent, as Thor stared into the flames, wondering what lay ahead of them. After a long while, there was a commotion, and the boys turned to see Kolk marching into the center of the circle, his back to the flames, flanked by two warriors. Kolk scowled down at the boys, slowly pacing, looking each one in the eye as he went.
“Rest up, and eat up,” he said. “This will be the last time you do. From here on, you’re no longer boys, but men. You’re about to embark on the hardest hundred days of your life. When you return-if you return-those of you who return will finally be worth something. Now, you’re nothing.”
Kolk continued pacing, walking slowly, looking as if he wanted to strike fear into each and every one of them.
“The Hundred is not a test,” he continued. “It is not practice. It is real. What you do here, the sparring, the training-that is practice. But in the next hundred days, that is all gone. You will be entering a war zone. We are crossing the Canyon, will be beyond the shield, trekking for miles through the Wilds, into unguarded territory. We will be boarding ships, and crossing the Tartuvian Sea. We will be in enemy waters, far from the coast. We will be going to an island that is unmanned and unprotected from attack, in the heart of the Empire. We could be ambushed any time. There will be enemy forces all around us. And dragons lurk not far from there.
“Without fail, there will be battle. A few of us warriors will accompany you, but mostly you will be on your own. You will be men, forced to fight real men’s battles. Sometimes to the death. This is how you learn battle. Each year, some of you will die. Some will be injured permanently. Some will drop out from fear. And the select few who return-those are the ones who merit joining the Legion. If you are too scared to go, don’t show up tomorrow. Every year at this night, a few of you will pack up and leave. If that is you, I hope you do. We don’t want cowards joining us.”
With that, Kolk turned and stormed away, his men following.
A low whisper spread among the boys, as they looked solemnly at each other. Thor could see fear on many of their faces.
“Is it really that bad?” O’Connor asked a boy sitting beside him. The boy was older, maybe 18, and he stared into the flames, his wide jaw locked in a grimace.
He nodded.
“It is different every time,” he said. “I’ve had many of my brothers not come back with me. Like he said, it’s real. The best advice I can give you is to prepare for life-and-death. But I’ll tell you one thing: if you make it back, you’ll be a better warrior than you ever thought you could be.”
Thor wondered if he could make it. Was he tough enough? How would he react when faced with real life and death combat? How could they sustain a hundred days of it? And what he would be like when he came back? He sensed that he would not return the same person. None of them would. And they would all be in it together.
He looked at Reese’s face, and saw how distracted he was, and realized he was weighed down by something else. His father.
“I’m sorry,” Thor said to him.
Reese did not look at him, but slowly nodded, his eyes welling, looking down at the ground.
“I just want to know who did it,” Reese said “I just want to know who killed him.”
“As would I,” Elden echoed.
“And we,” the twins echoed.
“Did he tell you anything?” Reese asked Thor. “In those last minutes with him? Did he tell you who did it?”
Thor could sense the others all looking at him. He tried to remember exactly what the king said.
“He told me he saw who did it. But he could not remember his face.”
“But was it someone he knew?” Reese pressed.
“He said it was,” Thor said.
“But that hardly narrows it down,” O’Connor said. “A king knows more people than we ever will.”
“I’m sorry,” Thor added. “He didn’t tell me anymore.”
“But you were in there with him for minutes before he died,” Reese pressed. “What else did he say to you?”
Thor hesitated, wondering how much to tell Reese. He didn’t want to make him envious or jealous, or cause jealousy among the other boys. What could he possibly say? That the king said his destiny was greater than his? That would only stir the envy and hatred of everyone else.
“He did not say much,” Thor said. “He was mostly silent.”
“But then why did he want to see you? You specifically? Right before he died? Why did he not want to see me?” Reese pressed.
Thor sat there, not knowing how to respond. He realized how bad Reese must have felt, being his son, and having his father choose to see someone else in his final moments. He did not know what to say to comfort him, and had to think of something fast.
“He wanted me to tell you how much he cared for you,” Thor lied. “I think it was easier for him to tell a stranger.”
Thor felt Reese examining him to see if he was lying.
Finally, Reese turned and looked away, seeming satisfied. Thor felt bad not telling the complete truth. He hated to lie, and he never did. But he did not know what else to say. And he did not want to hurt his friend’s feelings.
“And what of the sword now?” Conval asked.
Reese turned and looked at him.
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean. The Dynasty Sword. Now that the king is dead, the next MacGil will have a chance to try to wield it. I hear that Gareth is being crowned. Is that true?”
All the boys around the fire, even the older ones, grew quiet and looked at Reese.
Reese slowly nodded.
“It is,” he said.
“That means Gareth will get to try,” O’Connor said.
Reese shrugged.
“According to tradition, yes. If he chooses to.”
“Do you think he’ll be able to wield it?” Elden asked. “Do you think he is the One?”
Reese snorted in derision.
“Are you kidding? He’s my brother by blood only. Not by choice. I have nothing to do with him. He is not the One. He is not even a King. He is barely a prince. If my father were alive, he would never be king. I would bet my life that he would be unable to wield that sword.”
“And then how shall that look to the other kingdoms, if our new king should try and fail?” Conval asked. “Another failed MacGil king? It will make us seem weak.”
“Are you saying that my father was a failure?” Reese snapped, on edge.
“No,” Conval said, backing down. “I didn’t meant that. I’m just saying that our kingdom will look weak if our new king fails to wield the sword. It could invite attack by others.”
Reese shrugged.
“There is nothing we can do. When the right time comes, one day, a MacGil will wield that sword.”
“Maybe it will be you,” Elden said.
