Immortal || ONC 2021-COMPLETE

Chapter 14

Marcus had spent the rest of the day in the infirmary and was excused from physical training the next day. A week later, he found himself standing outside in the cooling weather, looking at the bookstore. His class had made it through the first portion of their training. Their evenings and weekends were now their own, and they wouldn't be subject to any more inspections. They had done well, and now their focus would be entirely on improving their fighting skills and learning what it meant to be a knight.

Marcus smiled as he entered the bookstore. Bastian's face lit up when he saw Marcus.

"So, you've made it through the first part of your training! Congratulations, a lot of people don't make it that far!" Bastian said, smiling at his young friend.

He was right. At the start his class had about two hundred trainees, that number had fallen to just under a hundred since then. Trainees would be kicked out for code of conduct issues, getting badly injured, or if they were deemed physically or mentally unfit to become a knight.

Marcus smiled at the compliment. "So, I was hoping to ask you a favour. My friend has been helping me write letters back home, but I was wondering..." he blushed, embarrassed that he didn't know how to read or write. It was common in villages like his, but not so much in the big city.

Bastian caught on right away. "You want to learn reading and writing then? Not a problem!" He gestured to his empty shop. "It's not a very busy time of year anyway. I have plenty of free time. I will warn you, though, it's a lot to learn, and I will have you on a rigorous schedule."

Marcus beamed, "Really? You'll do it?"

"Of course! No one should be deprived of the wonders that reading and writing bring!"

Bastian started with his lessons right away. He wasn't joking. He expected a lot from Marcus.

Now that Marcus's evenings were free, he had the time to practice reading and writing. It was slow going. He started focusing on what the letters looked like, how to write them and what sounds they made. After some time, he progressed to reading and writing short sentences.

Keith helped him practice and would give him a hand whenever he struggled. One day, after a couple of months of these lessons, Keith handed him one of his mother's letters and said, "Read it to me."

Marcus smiled and slowly started reading out loud. It took about half an hour to get through the short letter, but he read every word. He looked up at Keith, a big smile across his face and tears in his eyes.

Keith teared up too. He got up and gave Marcus a brotherly hug. "I'm proud of you Marcus."

From then on, Marcus read whenever he could. He started borrowing scrolls and bound books from Bastian. His reading was slow, but he progressed fast. With Keith's guidance, he finally managed to write his own letter to his mother. His penmanship was messy, and he had to scratch out several words, but he did it. He was so happy with his progress and the freedom that reading and writing afforded him.

With just a few more weeks of training to go, Marcus put his reading and writing practice temporarily aside so he could focus on his training and preparing for the final tests. Writing notes on the lessons improved his understanding of concepts greatly, and his sword fighting skills continued to improve.

Finally, the end of his training came. Marcus found himself standing in a field with all his comrades. They stood perfectly at attention in neat ranks as they listened to the instructors talk about their future as knights.

Marcus stood tall, proud to be wearing knight's armour for his graduation. Hundreds of the kingdom's citizens came to watch the graduation. His heart swelled with pride, pride for all his friends, and pride for his own accomplishments. He even couldn't help but feel a little moved when the king gave his own speech.

"This has been one of the most impressive groups of trainees in recent years, and I have no doubt you will go on to serve this kingdom well. Be proud and stand tall as brand new knights of the kingdom!"

Everyone cheered as this signalled the end of the ceremony. Marcus patted the backs of his friends as they all congratulated each other. As Ava talked with him and another friend, he had a nagging feeling that someone was watching him. He turned, still smiling, to see the king watching him. His face fell, and fear clutched his heart at the look the king gave him. He tried to brush off the feeling and returned to the celebration.

As the novice knight's dispersed to celebrate with close friends and family, Marcus felt someone tap him on his shoulder. He turned, not expecting what he saw. Gordon and his mother!

Gordon pulled Marcus into a long embrace. The two held each other, happy to be reunited. "You have no idea how proud I am of you, little brother." Gordon pulled back, tears threatening to spill over. "You've done so well."

"Geez, stop, Gordon. You're going to make me blush." Marcus said, wiping a tear on his cheek.

Marcus turned to his mother. She smiled at him, tears flowing freely. The two hugged. Marcus was happy to see her again.

"I knew you were meant for more than staying at home with me." She whispered to him.

After introducing his family to his friends, including Bastian, who was crying more than his mother, Marcus went to celebrate with Gordon and his mother. It was a day full of bliss and joy. A day of hope and excitement for the future. And yet, Marcus couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen very soon.