Chapter 35 Chapter 26: Her Test
Q: What is the most influential known Dominion?
A: They all play some vital roles. But Gravity appears to have an edge in that, as there is no limit to its power.
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Yasmine felt more nervous than any other day in her life. She was not this nervous a couple of weeks ago at her knighthood ceremony, nor was she a couple of days ago when she fused with a dominion. Perhaps it was a side-effect of the dominion, though her mind told her otherwise.
The reason for her nervousness was nothing other than the unknown test she would take in a few minutes.
She released a deep breath and looked at the image reflecting in the restroom mirror. On her body was a skin-tight battle plate, hiding all her skin from neck to toe, and it was not anything heavy she had worn before.
It was a dark-coloured, thick cloth-like object made of a mystical fabric that reacts to spirit force. Though it appeared only to be thick clothing, with the infusion of spirit force, it became tougher than any breastplate she ever wore. Also, it could absorb and divert shock waves of any impact, physical or spiritual.
Ward, as it was known throughout the mainland, and there are no more than 400 pieces of such battle plate on the mainland if you ignore the False-Wards.
Though Ward appeared to be skin-tight as there was no space for air in between, but it was super comfortable to wear. Moreover, if she infused even a little spirit force into it, it would seal away all the surrounding effects on her body and would have a better defence than any metal armour—considering the fact that she fuels it with enough spirit force.
It was something the empire presented her with, especially for the test today, and if she succeeded in the test, it would be hers.
Only a select few are given opportunities like this. Despite the fact that they had already given her something more valuable than the Ward.
They had already given her one Dominion that her body could handle. If she succeeds in the test today, then perhaps she will get another one when her body and soul are capable of holding another one. Then there's the prestige and honour she and her family will receive if she succeeds.
Be it the full-body Ward, or the Dominion, both were extremely scarce, even in the empire. Only the elite and loyal subjects get them after years of service.
She only got it so early because of the connection her father had with the Emperor's brother. With her father's connection and devotion, coupled with the result she had shown in the academy, they had shown high promise in her, giving her a valuable Dominion and Ward just after her graduation.
Even though they had fallen quite low, it was hard for even the empire to get loyal subjects that would risk their lives for the good of the empire.
'For my father,' She thought, and braided her hair behind her head and looked at her face again, as if trying to find the resolve she needed.
She already knew this day would come six months ago. However, that did not stop her from being nervous. This is the biggest hurdle of her life—a test that might seal the fate of her and her family.Not that she did not have other options.
The Academy had given her an offer, and in some sense—quite similar to this one, though there was no glory for Amaan in it. It would have been the best job for her if she had chosen the academy, but she had to leave her family behind for that, and there was no way she could do that.
All these efforts and hard work she had put in throughout the years would be for nought if she abandon her goal now.
"Yasmine, are you ready?" a voice called outside of her room. It was her father's voice.
"In a minute," she said and washed her face. Water was quite scarce here, but she needed all the clarity the cold water had to offer. She wore the battle-gown over the ward to distract herself from those thoughts. The battle gown was expensive as well, but it could not hold a candle against the Ward.
Still, she wore it as even though the ward concealed all her skin; she felt naked wearing it. What's more, the gown would give extra protection to her and the ward.
All her gear barely weighed a couple of kilogrammes. It was certainly an enormous improvement, and she was more adaptable with her thin frame. Weight is, after all, a terrible factor for her with her wind attributes, but with this new gear she could make up for a lot of things.
After completing all her preparations, she opened the door of her room and got out. The loving face of her father greeted her. Rogan Amaan, her father, had aged badly over the last couple of years. He did not have white hair like her, though a good portion of it turned white with age. With teary eyes like hers, he looked at her daughter.
"Father," she said, bringing out a sweet smile. "Why are you like this? It's like you are marrying off your daughter."
"It's no less than marrying off my daughter," he said, and embraced her daughter. After a few seconds, he let her out of his embrace, giving her a good look. Yasmine was tall for a girl and almost reached her father's nose when she stood straight. "Your shoulders are stiff, and I can feel you are more tense than usual."
"Of course I am," Yasmine admitted truthfully, as she could not hide it from her father. "This is the biggest test of my life."
"Yes," he said, and touched her cheek. "It was only yesterday when you were so little, playing with your brother in the backyard, yet now . . . I wish your mother would be here to see this day." He paused and sighed. Then he unfastened the straps around his waist to bring the sheathed long sword. He looked at it for a couple of seconds before giving it to his daughter. "I want you to have it."
"Father, I can't." Yasmine did not even consider it and pushed it towards her father.
"Yasmine, look at me," her father said, and she looked straight into her eyes. "After a lot of thinking, I have decided. I am retiring. My state has got even worse. I could not stop my arm from shaking when I gripped the hilt. I cannot protect the Lord now."
"But, Father—"
"Listen to me, girl," her father said, cutting her off. His arms softened her shoulders. "Even if I do not retire, I can't do the things I used to do. I'm ageing. Lord Gareth is not saying anything because of the good relationship I have built with him through the ages, but people talk. It would be better for me to retire with some dignity before I am asked to do it."
Yasmine burst out in tears, and her father hugged her again. They stayed like that for a dozen seconds as Rogan caressed his daughter's back soothingly.
He could not help but wonder if his decision was right. Not about his retirement, but sending out Yasmine, even after he lost his other child.
"Alright, stop crying. Lord Gareth will preside over your test. You should not let them see you in such a state." Her father strapped the sword onto her back before giving another look at her face. Seeing the resolute look on her face, he nodded. His only consolation was that if she passed, her job would be a lot safer.
The father-daughter pair walked out of the stone building, and the sight of a dry canyon greeted them. Rows of stone buildings were curved along the ridge of the canyon, and most of them had been built similar to the ones they were in a moment ago.
The temperature was hot and extreme at times, though it was not currently. It was still too hot for ordinary people to stay here. She heard that Haktshin Canyon was once, long ago, a sea in some old poems and tales, but there were no historical records of it being one. Though, for the last decade, it has been nothing but a battlefield.
Soldiers trained in the middle of the canyon. The numbers were well over thousands, and the ones that were doing their job were multiplied a few times higher than that. They were all in maroon dresses—the code of Lord Gareth's army.
With her father's guide, Yasmine went to the middle of the canyon where the soldiers were practising. Precisely speaking, they were moving towards a certain man. A man who was sitting in the sun, seemingly appreciatingthe morning sun, though it was too hot to appreciate.
There was no sword or weapon on his body and he appeared harmless, yet no one in the realm could say the man before them was unarmed. He was a man in his late prime, clean-shaven with half his black hair having gone brown. He was in a maroon dress as well, but he was far darker than the ordinary soldiers.
"My lord," her father greeted, cupping his fist on his chest before bowing. She followed and did the same.
The one before them was none other than Lord Gareth. Highprince Gareth Sholinar, brother to the Emperor, the Prince of War. If the emperor was the mastermind behind the prosperity of the Mahenar Empire, then Gareth Sholinar was the strength behind it.
Lord Gareth gave a look at her father first, noticing no sword on him, then looked at her. Yasmine's heart shook a little. She felt the power she gained a few days ago, rumbling in her chest before going silent.
Swallowing silently, she recalled the other time she had seen this man before, when she was little. He had come to her home, and even played with her when she was little, but that one look told her he was something else.
"Relax," Highprince Gareth said, and whiffed at the soldier he was speaking to. "Bring Aaelin here."
Yasmine and her father stood straight, as if Lord Gareth's word had the exact opposite effect.
Gareth looked at the both of them and could not help but think both the daughter and father pair were alike. "Rogan, your daughter is just like you."
They still had not relaxed. Then Gareth's eyes drifted off towards the sword on Yasmine's back. He recognised it at once. It was the sword that he had presented to Rogan a decade ago, after winning a war against Ruthalyn. How could he forget that? It was a prize from the war.
"Rogan, what does that mean?" Gareth asked, knitting his brows. Rogan had hinted this to him before, but he never thought it would be so early. After all, Rogan was only a couple of years older than him.
"Yes, my lord," Rogan—Yasmine's father—the aged knight, admitted. "I'll give you an official paperwork for the retirement in a couple more days."
"Have you thought through all this? What will you do after this?"
"I have thought countless times, my lord," Rogan said, breathing out softly. "In the end, I could only retire. As for what's after this, I'm not sure myself. Perhaps I might consider teaching young soldiers, or going back to my land."
Gareth sighed. "We will talk about this later," he said, and his eyes moved to the girl with silver hair next to him. "You can relax now, girl."
Yasmine ignored the 'girl' in which Highprince addressed her, as she learned from her father, Lord Gareth addressed novices with Girl or Boy until they went through some real battle.
"I'm relaxed, sir," Yasmine answered stiffly. If this was called relaxed, then people would come to see her tense appearance.
"As you say," Gareth said, amused. "I reckon the fusion went with no issues?"
"Yes, Sir," Yasmine answered. After the infusion with the Dominion, it could have had some side effects if they could not fully digest the new power, but that was not the case for her. Her spirit and body accepted it whole.
"Good, we will start your test here now," the Highprince said and looked behind towards a few soldiers coming. "Your test will be a duel with him."
The one Gareth was pointing at was a rather handsome man and had some resemblance to him, though the newcomer's hair was golden, unlike his dark and brown.
Yasmine had seen this person before and knew it was none other than the eldest son of Gareth Sholinar, Aaelin Sholinar.
She could not help but let out a deep breath. For her first hurdle, she has to duel against the son of the greatest general. No pressure.
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Edited by Mysteries. Proofread by kqwxz.
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