Chapter 2: Caden

　　Eight Years Later

　　In the heat of battle, Caden ducked underneath an attack from a bladed mace. He dropped to the floor and rolled backward, then lurched to his feet and landed like a cat. Sparks scattered as his sword collided with Elwin`s mace. A loud clang echoed throughout the training ground. A few onlookers surrounded the room, surging with anticipation.

　　"You know, one hit from this and you`re dead," said Elwin. He had this stupid smirk on his face.

　　"My choice of attire makes me much tougher to hit." Caden lunged forward, causing Elwin to stumble.

　　He went on the offensive, offering glancing blows to his adversary`s heavy bronze plate armor. Despite this, he couldn`t land a winning attack, and he`d never try to kill his own superior.

　　"Keep your game face on," called Kaelea. She stood in the same room, participating as a witness. "Don`t let the squire beat you. Elwin, you need to counter his offense!"

　　"I know how to fight!"

　　"Then prove it!"

　　How could these two find time to argue in the middle of a duel? Caden thought.

　　Elwin thrust his mace forward like a rapier. This was such an odd way for him to attack that it threw Caden off his guard. He paused, and in a moment of superhuman dexterity, he fell into a low crouch, leaned back, and curved his body. The mace nearly collided with his face, slicing off a tiny sliver of his black hair. Elwin tumbled forward under the weight of his attack, and Caden dropped completely to the floor.

　　Perfect, he thought, then kicked Elwin in the chest and used his own momentum and weight to toss him backward. Elwin tumbled over; the weight of the impact on the sandy floor probably hurt him more than the squire`s attack ever would have.

　　Caden leaped to his feet, lifted his sword, and stuck it in Elwin`s face, all before his adversary could get up. His heavy armor was a disadvantage. "I win," said Caden.

　　"The squire is victorious!" Kaelea came running over to them.

　　Elwin got to his feet, wiping sand from the joints of his armor. He glared at Caden with dangerous eyes. "It was a fluke!" he shouted, "There`s no way I lost to a squire! This must be beginner`s luck or something. You`re a low rank, a punching bag. You`re supposed to be helping me get stronger!" He threw his arms up into the air as best he could in his heavy armor. "You. . . you cheated!"

　　Caden gave a blank expression, "I`m sorry I beat you," he said solemnly, "But your armor is too heavy. You couldn`t dodge any of my attacks. You could barely move in that suit. Maybe if you use some chainmail like most knights? That could help."

　　He cared not for Elwin or Kaelea, but they were his superiors, and he needed to be respectful.

　　"You could wear what he does," Kaelea said, gesturing to Caden`s tunic.

　　Elwin threw his head back and laughed, "You want me to wear leather armor? On the battlefield? Are you insane? One hit from a stray arrow or spear and I`m dead! I want to live."

　　Caden nodded and sheathed his sword. "Wear what`s best for you."

　　Kaelea placed a loose arm around Caden`s shoulders. "Who knew you could fight like that though," she said, "You`re pretty good, even for a squire."

　　He didn`t know what to say. Communicating with this squad was hard. He had just been placed with them a few months ago, and they were both equally annoying.

　　Kaelea assisted Elwin in removing his hulking armor, and they placed it on a rack in the back of the room. He now wore a chainmail vest and a helmet resembling a dinner plate.

　　"It wasn`t that good," Elwin was saying, "he only won because I was going easy on him."

　　Caden scoffed. Which is it? Beginner`s luck, or were you going easy?

　　"I thought it was just a fluke," Kaelea said sarcastically.

　　"That too."

　　She laughed, "Caden, come on, Vance is probably waiting for us." She had walked to the exit of the training room and opened the door for them.

　　"No, he`s probably still eating his meal," Elwin snickered. "He takes forever to eat."

　　Caden left the training chamber with them. The place had glass walls and sat in the heart of barracks four. An entire hallway surrounded the space as if it were built inside an existing room. On the walls were various paintings of famous Elite and a few recognized knights for their heroics. The golden plaques stood out against the spruce wood walls. Four corridors extended from each corner, and he followed his squad down one. They stopped in front of the double doors to the mess hall.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

　　Kaelea put a hand behind her head, "Okay. . ." she leaned up against the wall, "I got him from his lunch last time. One of you get him this time."

　　"Nuff, you go," said Elwin, pointing a shaky finger at him.

　　Caden couldn`t help but smile at the fact Elwin`s cocky exterior was shattered by the existence of Elite Captain Vance. However, he had to admit the man was formidable. He definitely did not want to bother him while he ate his meal.

　　"I think it`s more fair if you go since you lost the fight," Caden said softly.

　　"What did you just say?" Elwin turned on him, "I don`t like your tone, squire. I gave you an order. I outrank you. Do what I say."

　　"Easy, El," said Kaelea, "don`t get drunk off power again."

　　"No! He can`t just beat me in a duel and humiliate me afterward. He needs to learn some respect!" Elwin shouted, slamming a hand into the wall. One of the lit torches nearly fell out of its sconce.

　　Caden sighed, "We didn`t duel to see who was stronger, for me to humiliate or disrespect you. You made Mia cry -"

　　"Yes, and? She`s a squire! I can do what I like!" Elwin said, cheeks red.

　　"I told you to stop, then you challenged me to a duel. I accepted. We fought, I beat you, and maybe it was a fluke, but I still won. You disrespected someone of the Order. So, it is only fair for you to interrupt Vance. I`ll even get him next time," Caden said, fiddling with his hands. He wanted to prove his strength to Elwin, and show him a fair answer. . . but that guy never played fair.

　　Elwin`s face was red with rage, and he attacked swiftly. He punched Caden in the gut in a swift yet surprising attack. "Don`t give me orders!" he shouted.

　　He could barely lean away from the attack before it hit him. He stumbled back and caught himself on the wall. The wind was taken from his lungs. His instinct was to fight back, but he shook his head. This man was a knight; saying a few words to explain fair values was one thing, but striking him? No, he may be annoying and rude, but they were on the same side. They were both good men.

　　"You owe me an apology," snapped Elwin. He towered over him.

　　"Easy," Kaelea stepped between them, pushing Elwin away, "We`re all friends here, right?"

　　No. Caden thought. Why would I be friends with either of you?

　　Caden rubbed the bridge of his nose, "My point is that we are all on the same side. Respect should be equalized among the Order."

　　Elwin was furious, "You are a squire. Do you think I care what I say to you? You`re all pathetic and weak. The real warriors are the knights of The Crown. Squires are no better than academy students! They only exist to help us get stronger. You`re fodder, and you, specifically, will never be a knight." He poked Caden in the chest and took another step forward.

　　Caden flinched.

　　"Apologize, now, or I`ll tell Vance," Elwin snarled.

　　"Tell me what?"

　　Everyone froze. In fact, Elwin stood up so quickly his helmet fell off and clattered to the floor.

　　Even Kaelea looked frightened, which was uncommon. She stood up straight, at attention, not bothering to fix the tuft of dark hair that obscured her right eye. Her skin was darker than Caden`s; she had this bulky look about her and cut her hair short like a boy.

　　Vance had come out from the mess hall during the argument. Caden swallowed harshly and looked up at his Elite Captain. He was, by every definition of the word, imposing. The perfect example of a Crown Knight stood in front of them. He was tall and strong and wore golden plate armor with a red scarf around his neck to signify rank. The lack of gloves symbolized him as a user of Pyromancy. He was still holding half a sandwich and glared at all of them with fierce, calculative eyes.

　　"Well?" he asked, taking a bite of his sandwich, "I`m waiting."

　　"Nothing, sir!" said Elwin, "Just a small quarrel between comrades, nothing else!" He placed his hand over his chest in salute.

　　Vance narrowed his eyes at Elwin, and Caden almost laughed at how he was shaking in his boots. Eventually, he just shrugged, "Very well, if you say so." He turned to Kaelea, "I`m going to need you to guard Princess Felisha of Talvira. She has just arrived in the palace on a diplomatic mission, and you are high enough rank to be assigned to her. So, you, Will, and Reed will guard her in shifts, sound good?"

　　"Yes, sir!" said Kaelea.

　　"Good. And you, Arkell."

　　Caden saluted with a hand over his heart.

　　"Tomorrow evening, Felisha is expecting a visitor. I`m having you escort her into the palace. It`s someone you know - she specifically asked for you."

　　He raised an eyebrow, "May I ask who?"

　　"Didn`t catch her name," he sighed, then ate the last bite of the sandwich. "Alright," he wiped his hands together, "Let`s get to work. You two," he pointed to Kaelea and Elwin, "With me, on patrol. And squire, go meet with Mia, clean up the mess hall from breakfast."

　　Caden swallowed, "Captain?" he asked.

　　"What?"

　　"Permission to travel with you on dawn patrol today, sir." He stood up straight, trying to look as strong as possible. "I have been working hard. I defeated Elwin in a duel today. My combat skills are -"

　　"That was a fluke, and you know it!" Elwin shouted, pointing at him.

　　"Silence," said Vance.

　　Elwin jumped, then took a few steps back.

　　Vance approached Caden and backhanded him harshly. He didn`t even process the pain. He clenched his jaw and furrowed his brow. He glared up at Vance with such ferocity he thought he`d be hit again. Just because they were both in the Order does not mean he had to like this man.

　　"Permission denied," he said. "Know your place; do not ask for privileges you have no right to have."

　　He had spent months on this squad and hadn`t been out on patrol yet. He had no leads on Isabel and needed to get out there. He needed freedom. He needed the Order to trust him enough to investigate, and he had to do it by following their rules. Caden wanted to protest further, but fear shackled him to the floor.

　　Follow the rules that are in place for you; don`t make your own. Isabel`s words echoed in his mind. He felt like he was on fire and clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.

　　Vance wasn`t even looking at him anymore. Instead, he was distracted, aloof, looking at a snuffed torch on the wall. He seemed appalled by it, as if torches don`t just randomly go out.

　　Exasperated, Vance sighed, "I`ve reconsidered. You may go with us on tomorrow`s dawn patrol. But hold your tongue. I want no more disrespect from you. And I expect you to be cleaning the mess hall for the next week." He turned, heading for the door, and waved his hand, "Let`s go."

　　Elwin stuck his tongue out at Caden before following Kaelea and Vance out the door.

　　He was astonished Vance had reconsidered. He never does that. Tomorrow would be his first patrol in the city, and he would finally get a chance to find answers. And perhaps, by following the rules of the Order, he could talk to the vagrants and get a lead on what happened that night eight years ago. Then, in a duel of glory, he would take the life of the one who killed Isabel.