Taking sides

Chapter 16: A little careless

Another nightmare had plagued me but it had felt so real, the water was so cold. There was someone pulling me down into the darkness but I never dared to look upon them, I merely struggled in vain as I drowned. It had felt so terrifying. The grip upon my leg was tight and had held me from the surface. Gasping for air I bolted upright in my cot. Once I found I could breathe I gulped in air and began to slowly pace my breathing and blinking my eyes until my vision cleared. I was finding it difficult to shake this imagery, and the feeling of dread it left me with. Looking around the tent in the hope of latching on to something, anything that would ground me. Maddox was studying the book before him with his usual unwavering focus, but this was not enough to settle the chill that still coursed through me. I pulled up slowly.

"I was informed that you are needed at the training field," Maddox stated flatly.

I would have to wear my new armour, there was no escaping it. Looking at my new armour I felt a stab of guilt as if putting this on would make me a traitor to the Inquisition. I wished I had never agreed to this assignment, but it was too late for that as I was in deep. Donning my red Templar armour was strange, as I attached each piece I found unexpected warmth enveloping me. A surge of energy coursed through me, akin to the rush of power when I took my doses of red lyrium.

"Maddox?" I pressed through a whirl of dizziness.

"Yes?"

"Is this armour different somehow?" I strained.

"I used specialised tools to infuse lyrium into the metal."

This would make my armour similar to Samson's. I wondered if this was a higher dose of lyrium than I could take. My genes could hopefully stem the tide of the corruption as it had done for me thus far. I felt stronger, and mildly drunk on the power of the lyrium coursing through me.

I moved swiftly to get to the training field on time, but I managed to be early as I outpaced many of my fellow Templars making their way. Our new lieutenant called us to arm ourselves and run combat drills with the Templar we found in front of us in the queue and should there be an uneven number of Templars on the field the last man would work with him, I thankfully found myself behind Warren. As I still found myself struggling to respect our new lieutenant as I couldn't stop comparing him to Lieutenant Cruise. Lieutenant Cruise was proud, tall and charismatic. Lieutenant Cruise was an inspiration and a good man. This man, I had not learned his name nor did I care to. He was tall and hard faced, old and bitter. He was not wise and more alike to a hammer to a nail, only capable of only one function. To bark orders and when he barked orders, I barely listened and felt little to no respect for him despite his demands for respect from us. I took a blade and shield and found they both felt lighter than air to me. As we all filed back out I couldn't help but notice that everyone's armour was the same with the exception of mine. It had to be due to my resistance to lyrium, Samson must have thought I could handle it. I followed after Warren, who smiled and readied himself as in anticipation of the order.

"Ready yourselves! Upon my order Templars to the left shield bash your opponent."

This made me first so I planted my feet and awaited the order. "Charge." the lieutenant called.

I charged and rather than meeting any resistance I found it easy to knock poor Warren off his feet. Although I felt for him as he reeled, I also felt desperate to fight on. I remembered this rush; it felt even more addictive now. Warren couldn't even move me when he returned the shield bash. The pauses in between the training drills seemed long and laborious, I grew restless. When we practised swordplay I managed to break his sword with the power I put into to the swing of my blade. It took focus and self-control to lower my sword. When training came to an end I found that I wasn't tired and hadn't broken a sweat and I was in no pain. I felt powerful yet on edge. Warren looked at me curiously and strained through gritted teeth with half a smile, "You certainly didn't take it easy on me did you."