Chapter Forty Six

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A/N -- Get your snacks and get comfortable. You're gonna be here awhile. In the meantime, here's me after writing for the fifth night in a row:

 In the meantime, here's me after writing for the fifth night in a row:

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Iris took in deep breaths, in and out. Today was the day. This morning, she was alone in her room. Kayde wasn't there. Hench wasn't there. Quietly, she pulled the Remordan black robe over her frame and tied the tassels in the front. A comb slicked through her hair next, and Iris twisted her locks into a braid at her back.

Everything was surreal. This could be her last day here. This would be her last day as Hench's trainee. For better or worse, things would change. Iris couldn't decide whether or not she was ready for that part. How bittersweet it was that training was finally over. Iris took another deep breath and slipped her boots on.

She stood. After a minute of collecting herself, she called out into the emptiness of her room. "Ready."

The door opened on cue. Two nameless guardians walked in, faces completely devoid of emotion. They checked her over without a word to make sure she had nothing with her but her robes. When she didn't, they moved to her sides and nodded at each other. The one to her right finally spoke. "Right this way, Miss Gwenneth."

One led her forward and the other walked behind her, escorting her to her guardian trials. As they walked through the empty halls, she could feel the nervousness building like a wall inside of her. The place, once again, looked completely vacant of anyone aside from the three that walked down the hall. It almost reminded her of her very first walk through these halls. All that could be heard were the thumping of their footsteps.

They led her down to the underground part of the sanctuary to a door that she'd never been in.

The one that had spoken earlier stepped up and opened it, and without delay, they all walked into a dark corridor. There were no windows there to let any sun in. The only source of light were small sconces on the walls, flickering near paintings of guardians that hung along the passage. Different faces stared forward, frozen in time with different eyes that didn't move. The poses were the same, and Iris wondered what these images meant. Every painting was of a guardian in their robes, holding the same medallion... looking the same direction. Under each painting, a golden name plate was inscribed with each person's full name along with a date. It was almost eerie here --like an old shrine.

Iris saw no one on the walls that she recognized.

"Welcome, Miss Gwenneth," began the one behind her into the disquiet, "to the honorary Hall of Guardians. You are standing in the West Hall."

"What is this place?" Iris whispered.

"If you pass your guardian trials today," the other man spoke. "Your painting will be added to one of these corridors with your full name and date of initiation." That was the only answer she got.

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