Twins of the Eclipse: Frozen in Time (eBook)

One

“Noel! There you are!” Octavia’s voice thundered across the courtyard. Her garnet-colored armor jingled, muffling the sound of her grumbling as she trounced through the garden of yellow daisies. “Must you be so insensitive with your training?”

She stood in front of him, arms crossed, tapping her mid-calf black leather boots. Her slender but formidable physique towered over his smaller body as he rested in the shade of the tallest tree in the courtyard. Her chain mail breastplate only covered her torso and shoulders, leaving most of her arms bare. The armor transitioned into a small, reinforced skirt with a pair of shorts stretching halfway to her knees. A portion of her legs remained exposed, which, by appearance, looked capable of crushing a bear. As Octavia held her arms close to her chest, her biceps flexed revealing a well-defined muscle tone, striking fear to anyone who witnessed her anger.

Octavia stared down at the young boy. Her brow softened only once when she inhaled the sweet perfume of lilacs from the garden, greeting the arrival of spring with its uplifting fragrance. “Why are you out here when you should be in the training grounds practicing your techniques?”

Cyrus followed his sister outside, tracking close behind her, monitoring her every move and the unraveling situation. He rubbed the back of his head. “Huh. Where have I heard that before?”

She grunted, glaring at Cyrus.

Cyrus lowered his hand. “Calm down, Tavi. He needed a small break. You’ve been working him to the bone.”

Octavia returned her gaze to Noel.

Noel looked up at her. His brown, puppy dog eyes relaxed her withering stare. “I’m sorry, Commander.” His voice squeaked as he spoke.

Octavia uncrossed her arms and looked away, trying to resist his overpowering charm. “Your apology is an unjustified excuse.”

She noticed the wooden bow on the ground next to him. Its design appeared childish with its simple arch, but the wood, crafted from a mighty oak, gave it durability and power.

“Indeed. Your skills as an archer are impressive, and you may be ahead of the rest of your class, but this doesn’t mean you can skip your lessons on a whim. These lessons should push you to the next level, to improve on your talents. How are you supposed to amount to something special with this lackadaisical behavior? Where is your passion, your reason to fight?” She emphasized her words. “You must remember to keep your focus. That is what you need to discover to become a true master of your craft.” She paused. “If you’re to remain under my tutelage, you must be fully dedicated to learning.”

Noel spoke, but his voice quivered with each word. “I…I am dedicated.”

His response sounded like music to her ears. Octavia took a step back. “Prove it.” She grabbed the sword sheathed to her back and pointed it at Noel. “Fight me.”

“Tavi, don’t be ridiculous. You’ve got the upper hand because you have a sword and Noel only has a bow. It wouldn’t be much of a fair fight.”

“True skill pays no attention to the weapon a person wields. If he is indeed learning by my methods, he can take a disadvantage and change the outcome to one that is in his favor.” She moved the sword closer to the boy’s neck. “This is the first rule I teach in my class, something you should know if you bothered to show up.”

Beads of sweat appeared on Noel’s brow. His face lost all color, and his body shook from fear. “Fight you? You’re the commander of the Solaria Knights. Wouldn’t that be disrespectful to engage in combat with a superior officer outside of the training grounds, especially when this altercation lacks proper cause and reasoning?” He scooted up against the trunk of the tree.

“Hmm. At least I know you studied the rulebook, but a rulebook won’t help you focus during battle.” Octavia sighed. “All right.” Looking around the courtyard, she pointed past Cyrus. “Grab me that apple from one of the trees.”

Cyrus picked the largest red apple he could find hanging from the tree a few yards away. He shrugged. “Okay. Now what?”

“Put it on top of your head.” She grinned, turning to Noel. “Since you won’t battle me, show me the extent of your training. Shoot the apple on his head with one of your arrows.”

Cyrus backed away. “Oh, no. Don’t use me for your target practice.” He removed the fruit from his head and tossed it on the ground. It rolled over the cobblestone pavement, across the garden, and came to a stop next to Noel.

Noel picked up the apple, holding it in his hand. “Sorry, Commander.”

Octavia grumbled and turned her back to Noel. “Pitiful. All you offer are unjustified excuses.” She glanced over her shoulder at Cyrus. “He reminds me of you. Two peas in a pod.”

Cyrus scoffed, clenching his fists. “Hey! I wasn’t that bad.”

She looked over at him once more, her face void of all emotion, and raised one eyebrow.

Cyrus rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay. I was that bad.”

Octavia focused her attention on Noel. “Do you know any magic? If so, what have you learned? Surely you possess some other skill that proves useful in battle.”

“I do know some magic, but…” He hesitated. “I was told never to use it unless necessary.”

“This is a necessary time. As your superior officer, I command you to show me your magic. I need to evaluate the skills you possess, or lack thereof.”

Noel took a deep breath. “Okay. If you’re sure.” He concentrated on the apple. His cheeks shook as his gaze intensified. In a quick flash of cerulean light, a thin sheet of ice formed around the fruit.

Octavia’s eyes widened. Ice magic. A sharp pain shot across her head, causing her to flinch. Visions of the past screamed in the darkness of her mind. I haven’t seen ice magic since…her. She took a deep breath. Calm yourself, Tavi. Don’t lose focus. Don’t alarm the others. That was then. What’s done is done. There’s no connection between them. Her heart raced. She felt her face turn red. What was Father thinking? Does he know about this? He’s got to know or else he’d never have allowed Noel to enter the Chaos even with Lady April’s recommendation.

She watched the perspiration roll down Noel’s face, dripping onto his orange tunic and black vest. Octavia sheathed her sword and tossed her long ponytail over the shoulder of her garnet breastplate. “Fine.” She pointed at the boy. “Don’t think you’re getting off the hook so easily. When you’re finished with your studies for today, the real training shall begin. I’m putting you in charge of cleaning the stables.” She picked up his wooden bow and handed it to him. “Come. None of this larking about. You’re late for your next lesson. Make sure you show up this time.”

Noel rose to his feet, brushed the dirt off his black trousers, put the frozen apple on the ground, and adjusted the quiver on his back. He stared at the grass before granting Octavia eye contact. “Yes…Commander.” He put his hand in his right pocket and held on to his bow with his left.

She stopped him before he could go very far. “One more thing, Noel.”

He caught a glimpse of her stern face.

She crossed her arms and shifted her body weight onto her left foot. “You haven’t shown anyone your magic, have you?”

Noel shook his head. “No. Only you.”

“Good. Keep it that way. If anyone asks, tell them you don’t know any.”

“But…Commander, that’s a lie and—”

“That’s also a direct order! It’s okay to keep some secrets from others. This is one of those times.” She shifted her legs, kicking something under her feet. Glancing down, she found one of last year’s acorns by her boot. She bent to pick up the tiny nut, studying its brown features, rolling it between her fingers. Walking over to Noel, she handed him the acorn. “See this acorn? It might seem small and insignificant next to the other trees, but it, too, has a secret. Deep inside, it has the ability to grow into a mighty oak tree. You might not think so by first looking at it, but it’s true. It’s all right there, in the palm of your hand. So, do you see what I mean? It’s okay to have a secret, Noel. One day, you could even show the world this secret, but only when you’re ready and when the world is ready. Do you understand?”

Noel put the acorn in his pocket, his vision drifted away from her again. “I think so.”

She motioned with her chin. “Okay. Now, go. Don’t be late for class.”

He kicked a pebble into the garden as he walked away, fumbling with his quiver, pausing every few steps to pick up an arrow he dropped.

When Noel was out of earshot, Cyrus spoke up. “Boy, am I glad that’s not me anymore. I hated being on the receiving end of your wrath.” He noticed Octavia staring at an all-too-familiar tree in the middle of the courtyard. He patted her on her shoulder. “Tavi? Are you okay?”

She tilted her head back to look up at its magnificent stature. The morning sun trickled through its budding blossoms, warming her face. A gentle breeze sent a shiver up her spine. When her senses calmed, a pattern on the trunk of the tree caught her eye. There, on the left side, she noticed a name carved into the bark. Cyrus. Octavia reached out to touch the faded carving, causing flashbacks to dance in her mind. Her childhood. Her mother. Her last battle with…her, and…bringing her brother back from the dead. It became too much to process at once,...