The Kept

The Esidiem

When Nerys returned to the Esidiem's gates the next morning, Arthes was waiting with a group of twenty or so apprentices, including the pair Nerys had met before. Arthes passed a uniform through the bars and told Nerys to change. The group waited.

"Where?" Nerys asked, paling as she noticed the others avoided looking at her. "Here?"

"Nothing from your old life passes through that gate. Be quick about it, or we will be late and you will all be punished," Arthes replied.

Nerys kept her eyes on her feet as she changed, hoping the others were still looking anywhere but at her. Even so, she was thrilled to be there. Nerys's small bag contained enough gold to secure a well-regarded physician to tend to both her and Errol that same night. The kind-eyed woman told them it would be close, but she promised to do everything in her power to help Errol recover. Nerys felt that the hope the physician offered was well worth any humiliation or pain she might face in the coming days.

Inside, Nerys could see that the Esidiem was its own small city within the capitol. There were dozens of buildings- all accessible only to the apprentices, Keepers, and Kept. Though the apprentices spoke freely to each other as they journeyed toward the colossal arena that dominated the skyline, none of it was directed to Nerys. She took it as a sign that she would be ignored for the rest of the day.

"Your first lesson, Nerys, begins now," Arthes singled her out as they arrived in the arena. "Teegan, Rayla, you will be the Ithaan offensive." Two short, wiry girls with long black hair and porcelain skin nodded and stepped forward. They stretched and smiled malevolently at Nerys as they awaited further instruction.

"It looks like the new apprentice has already had her first lesson," someone whispered loudly from the group, referencing the awful bruises that had blackened and spread across Nerys's face.

Arthes turned on a circle of snickering apprentices. The tattooed girl was struggling to keep a straight face but failed. "Kalea, Thank you for volunteering to be our new apprentice's sole surviving ally in defense of the Cereban position. Begin!"

The rest of the class fell back, isolating the four girls in the center of the arena. "Just stay out of my way!" Kalea commanded.

Nerys intended to do just that, but the smaller of the sisters was on her in an instant and left her writhing on the ground, gasping desperately for air.

Kalea seemed to have no trouble defending herself until she tripped over her fallen partner. Both girls set in on Kalea before she even hit the ground. No one had given Nerys a second look after she fell, not even the Keeper, and it infuriated her that her opponents now had their backs turned to her as if she simply didn't exist.

There was a surprised shout from somewhere within the group when Nerys launched herself at the waist of the nearest sister. She had no idea what she planned to do after the initial tackle, but her action provided Kalea the opportunity to recover. By the time Kalea was finished with her opponent Nerys was again on the ground, and in the process of being savagely kicked everywhere from the ribs up. It was all she could do to protect her face. Kalea dispatched the remaining lead-footed girl, but had to retreat quickly when Nerys, noticing a break in the assault, jumped up, fists swinging blindly in desperation.

Her knuckles stopped short of Kalea's stunned face, and they blinked at each other as the realization that the fight was over sunk in. Blood poured from Nerys' nose, staining her new tunic, which was now missing a sleeve. She focused her attention on a smear of something on the far wall behind the class rather than their astounded faces.

"Well done, Kalea!" Arthes said. "Nerys, your ability to take a beating is impressive, but I'd be more impressed if you could manage not to get hit on occasion. The rest of you, remember this; judge your opponents and your fellow apprentices with care. Underestimating either could mean your life in the arena. You are dismissed. Kalea, take the new Apprentice to get cleaned up."

The class dispersed slowly. A small group of either curious apprentices formed a loose circle around Nerys and Kalea, slowing their exit with friendly exclamations of "good match!" and "welcome to Hell!"

A tall boy with all the appeal of a centipede, flanked by his equally charming friends, pushed through the group. He shoved Nerys to the ground and laughed when she jumped to her feet, glaring.

"Arthes was right; that is impressive. She's like one of those toys you knock over and they pop right back up. Great fun until they get broken. How long do you think it will take to break you?" He sneered at Nerys. "I think I could do it before sundown."

He moved toward Nerys again, but Kalea stopped the boy with a quick palm-strike. As blood gushed from his face, his friends attempted to exact revenge. Without thinking, Nerys launched herself onto the back of the nearest assailant, hooking her arm around his throat for a more solid hold. He thrashed and clawed at her arms, but she held tight- half out of fear of what would happen if she released him. A moment later, he collapsed, crushing Nerys beneath him and sending pain shooting from her shoulder to her pinky finger.

She and Kalea soon found themselves sitting before the Master of the Esidiem. Apparently, rendering other apprentices unconscious was frowned upon.

"They attacked the new Apprentice!" Kalea said, "She's obviously had her ass kicked twice over already; I was just trying to keep things fair."

It looked to Nerys like the Master was on the verge of losing his patience with Kalea. Instead, he turned his attention to Nerys.

"Keeper Arthes has informed me that, unlike Apprentice Kalea, you have no previous training of any kind. While this explains your complete lack of restraint, your actions- warranted or not- can not be allowed to go unchecked. Therefore, you both shall spend the evening in a confinement cell."

"But this is her first night!" Kalea argued.

The Master breathed heavily through is wide nose. In a man with a less dignified bearing, it might almost have been considered a snort.

"And a very poor start for her, at that. Both of you would be wise to take this as an opportunity to reflect on the consequences of your actions. Make sure I do not see you here ever again."