Steyer's little 'chat' with Anton - Second draft of a possible opening chapter for Under the Shade.
Word Count: 2.5k
So, I removed the pointless, jarring fight scene from the first version and instead put in a more natural continuation of Steyer's conversation with Anton. Rather than pitting him in a fight against someone (When everyone knows and has seen how Anton fights), he simply talks and hints a bit about what Anton has to do. A much more interesting version this time around, imo!
Would really appreciate if someone read this 🙏🥺
My thoughts are interrupted soon enough when —quicker than usual— I am called inside. That door opens to reveal a well-built man in the immaculate blue uniform of an officer, who looks at me like he knows what I'm thinking and beckons. “Academ Anton. Come.”
I recognize him from my previous times here. Oberleutnant Breise. He has a spiralled pattern on his pauldron, indicating him as a Psyker. He does know what I'm thinking. Forcing down the inevitable surge of annoyance at having to do so, I carefully cut off unwanted, unrelated thoughts and follow him inside. The door closes of its own accord when I'm inside, and I'm once again inside my place of ‘friendly’ interrogation.
“Good afternoon, Anton.” The tone is polite, affable even, coming out of the blonde-haired man sitting at the head table in front. He looks up and leans back, revealing a clean-shaven face almost completely smooth, except for the scar tracing from his forehead down to his cheek. Could heal it easily any time, but it is an affectation he deliberately kept for aesthetics.
“Good afternoon, Hauptmann Steyer.” I salute him with the rigidity expected of a star pupil, then take a step forward and sit in the chair opposite from him. I don't need to be told to sit, my fifth time here.
Breise, Steyer’s adjutant stands somewhat off to the side, his piercing gaze constantly on me. He makes no effort to soften it, or to make it less blatantly obvious that he's there to check if I lie. I try to ignore him.
“A moment, please.” Steyer continues working on some bit of paperwork, forehead creased in intense focus. It's a communique, I think? I don't let my curiosity make me peek at what it is. Breise will know.
Once Steyer is done, he stamps his initials into the bottom, folds the letter carefully with slender, practiced hands, slips it inside an envelope, then seals it with blue wax. Waving it at another adjutant opposite from Breise, he remarks when he takes it: “Have this read by Headmaster Vollen tonight, please.”
The adjutant, whose name I don't know, briskly nods. After checking and likely Psychically locking the seal himself, he strides out of the room, envelope in hand.
Steyer catches my curious look as he turns back to me. “Ah, that's nothing to do with you.” He does a dismissive wave. “Just something with the Academy's guard patrols.”
I politely smile. Of course, being the nearest compound and barracks of the Army to the Academy, this is where most of the Royal Guardsmen rotate in from for the Academy's protection. Steyer is responsible for those as his chief responsibility. I'm just a special, extra duty he has on himself, considering who I am.
“What is the issue with the guard patrols, sire?” I chance the question. Perhaps it may be taken as prying a bit too much, but I study at the place. It's arguably my business, even if I'm not an Army officer.
“Oh, there is no issue per se.” He smiles. “I just need the patrols increased, what with the increasing violence in Allarholde and all. Always better safe than sorry, especially with our beloved Academs, hm?”
I nod in agreement, and not completely false agreement either, because it really feels like attacks and fights have been becoming far too common in the capital. Just yesterday night, I had glimpsed a literal gang war in an alleyway while out on an errand to fetch some arcano-ink supplies. It hadn't been particularly close to the Academy, thankfully, but still…
“Damn Liliers and Aracians, always starting race wars.” Steyer mutters. He seems to remember I'm here, and perks up. His blue eyes study me with interest “Ah yes, where were we? About to get into your progress, no? How do your studies go?”
“Well enough.” I say breezily. Taking out the second object I hold in my hands —a file containing my last Quirium’s scores, compared to my most current ones—, I slide it over to Steyer, who takes it. “The masters say I have issues with spell control and biomagic, but otherwise, I think I can outcompete the other top students at the Academy.”
Steyer’s eyes rove over the file’s pages quite quickly. “Very good.” He says approvingly. “Everything is exemplary for your time at the Academy so far, except…” He frowns. “As you mentioned, spell control and biomagic. But we will return to that later. Let’s start on something else; how have you been keeping up with your physical conditioning?”
I blink. Out of all the things to talk about with my academic progression, physical conditioning is arguably the least relevant of all. Along with my spellpower. Fortunately, or unfortunately —depending on how you see it— no one at the Academy, not even the senior students outmatch me on those. I have blown well past the records set by every single student and alumni, including the Valorians, and that is why the Army feels so confident that I will achieve Valorian.
“I haven’t…” I lick my lips. My eyes almost flick to Breise in his corner. Almost. “I haven’t been doing dedicated exercise much… But most days there’s practical classes, sir. Quite a lot of exertion, I’d say. Some days, I’m even winded when I’m done with it all.” I manage a smile at Steyer.
He nods. “You must be quite busy with classes to do much else. But,” He adds, when I have just begun to relax. “I need to know your daily schedule to make a more informed judgment.” He sees my bewildered expression, and clarifies. “We can make suggestions to help you fit in more… practice in your days. To use your time more efficiently.”
My mouth tastes sour. It’s been just about half an year since I entered the Academy, and I am already being driven to hell and back with their absurdly hectic schedule. It is not entirely their fault; most students stick to a mix of subjects that fit them perfectly fine for the specialization in life they are aiming for. Not me, though. I am being forced to master —not just familiarize— nearly every single element conceivable under arcane knowledge. And then I have to deal with the humanities on top of it; the history, law, economics, etc of Halmland and the world beyond.
In short, I’m expected to be an 18 yr old polymath, and the Army is entirely happy with that. At least, as long as I apparently keep doing their training in my near-nonexistent free time, too. Because after I’m done with being their young little polymath, I must then become their grandest, newest archmage, too.
Steyer sees my expression, and probably knows what I’m thinking from his likely mental connection to Breise. He puts on a conciliatory smile and spreads his hands. “I don’t mean hours of gruelling stress, my boy. Just a little piece of time set out every now and then, perhaps an hour or half each day, where you can forget all the stresses of the mind and maintain your body. It’ll be surprisingly refreshing, I promise. And as we know, the Academy becomes much more physically demanding starting from the second Quirium. Much more.”
His ability to reframe things is genuinely impressive, but he is not wrong about the second Quirium. Done at the end of each academic trimester, the Quiriums are the largest, and most public tests of arcane merit and ability the Academs can display. It is based on those, in full view of spectators from the royal government, army, industrialists, clergy, scholars, academics, etc, that our scores, and thus rankings are determined. And those rankings will sort us into Valorian and Savorian. 1st to 5th as Valorians, then 6th to 15th as Savorians. If even a regular, barely-passing student of the Academy has their life set out for them, the top-rankers get absurdly more power to determine their future. Valorians may ask favors of the King himself, and have those granted. Whatever their dream profession or road in life may be, there will be no more obstacles to block it.
If I want to live an ordinary life like so many other Halms, maybe experience a taste of the freedom and prosperity that people like me dedicate our lives to defending, then I must achieve Valorian. The Army thinks I will pick a high rank with them, in an elite unit like the 1st Royal Guards Division or the 8th Rifles, and they are not even wrong. Come the time for my service, I will ask to be put with the 4th Mountain Division from my home region, a precarious borderland. A perfectly respectable, historied unit and one where no one can say I will grow fat and lazy in the cities.
But I will not spend my life there, and I will make sure my discharge will be in line with that of most Halms; a few years, and then back into civilian life.
I keep all thoughts of discharge well away from my mind, though, and simply think of the 4th Mountaineers as I look at Steyer and nod. “You are right, sir. I will try my best to stay in good condition for the Quirium.”
Steyer shifts in his chair. “That’s good to hear, Anton. Whatever needed to bring honor to the Army; and yourself, of course.” He considers me. “I believe you are well and far ahead of most of your peers at the Academy, by this point. There are some holes, bottlenecks you need to plug, but as we all know… you are a fast learner, so I believe that won’t be an issue by the time the Quirium comes around. We can talk about your spell control later on, perhaps give you some exercises to practice it, but first, before that…”
I can see there’s something he wants to say, but is contemplating how to. I pre-empt him and ask: “What is it, sir?”
He clears his throat. Then leans in. "Now, as you and I are both aware… There is a reason for your being at the Academy, yes?" he taps the table methodically. "Your task to…"
"I am aware."
Steyer nods. "Good, good. So, if I might ask: How has your progress been with that?"
I take a deep breath. "It's just been half an year." It comes out a bit ruder than I intended. "I don't have the level of access to the Volispire's facilities to glean what the Army needs yet. When I become Valorian though…"
The Volispire is the Royal Academy's highest, most prestigious tower. Where they keep their most jealously guarded secrets, the kind of research that just not any student may be allowed to touch. Only the topmost ones —the trusted ones at that— will even occasionally be allowed in.
It's a good thing for my sake, that thoughts of the Volispire slip my head most of the time. Otherwise, I think the Academy's Psykers would have found out already by now, of the real reason the Army let me in here.
And if they do, I'm never going to fulfill what they expect me to do.
"When you become Valorian," he agrees. "But there are still things you can do beforehand. Build the foundation."
I nod. There are many different pathways and vocations one can learn at the Academy. Artifice, animal-rearing, potion-making, advanced spellscribing, archaeology… the possibilities are endless.
In my case, though, I chose the formermost. Artifice, the one that would need use of the facilities at the Volispire the most if- no, when I eventually move onto more advanced artefacts.
"Have you been told what exactly you are to find, Anton?" Steyer asks suddenly.
I frown and mull over the question. No, I hadn't really been told what exactly it is that they want discovered in the Volispire. Some hints here and there, a few implications of what it might be. Some sort of wickedly complex, yet capable artefact or a set of them, for sure. But for what purpose?
The only other things I'm fairly sure about, are that those things were acquired by the Academy mostly from their archaeological digs. Buried labyrinths, mazes, dungeons, caves from primordial times, containing hitherto unknown sorts of items. The Academy masters certainly would want to make great study of those, especially given the sheer prestige they'd earn from doing so. And in the academic world of Halmland, or pretty much anywhere round the continent, prestige is one of the most useful currencies.
What I'm not sure about is why the Army is so curious about them. The things I've heard imply they aren't weapons, exactly, but still… That just makes it even more confusing. Why butt into the business of academicians when your job is to deal with the enormous threats outside of Halmland?
For obvious reasons, I don't voice these thoughts out loud, or even think about them as I sit there with Breise's steady, watchful gaze on me. "No, sir. I was not really told what to find at the Volispire. Only that…" I hesitate. "I would know when I did."
Steyer sighs and nods. "That you will," he promises. "And we will tell you more about what we need later on. For now, though…" he smiles. "Just focus on your studies, hear?"
"Of course, sir." I wait for Steyer to say anything more. When he doesn't, I ask again. "So would that be all?"
To my surprise, Steyer affirms it. "Yes, that'll be all." I give him a confused look, unsure. Normally, our monthly check-ins have involved some detailed dives into my scores and each little and how I can improve them. Mind-numbing affairs, they are, but admittedly, they sometimes help, even if they are somewhat more regimented, military approaches to things than that of the Academy.
He sees my face and waves me off. "No need to go further into that, Anton. We have already gone over these things quite a lot and you must surely be tired of this. Your masters have briefed me on them, so I think I can safely say you are making excellent progress."
With a not-entirely-fake smile and a nod, I get up, snap him and Breise a salute, and make my way to the door, hiding the relief from my quick dismissal. Instead, my thoughts are a messy blend of all my different subjects and pending projects, the conversation we just had, and the Volispire.
When I am turning the door handle, Steyer calls out. "Just keep your thoughts on the Quirium ahead, boy. Keep your thoughts on it, and win."
I nod again to show I understand, and then I am out of that ominous office room. The windows of the waiting room show a still-setting sun, a sliver of sky still red and orange from where it's sinking into the horizon. My 'chat' with Steyer was far shorter than normal.
Senator Bernie Sanders has a commanding nineteen point in the Nevada caucus, with 35 percent of likely caucusgoers supporting him. He is followed by Senator Elizabeth Warren, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Former Vice President Joe Biden who are all tightly clustered at 16, 15 and 14 percentage points, respectively.
Senator Amy Klobuchar, whose third place finish in the New Hampshire primary garnered considerable media coverage sits in sixth place with 9 percent of likely caucusgoers supporting her.
Sanders performs extremely well with Hispanic likely caucusgoers, registering 66 percent support, with no other candidate cracking double digits. He continues to see strong support among younger voters, with likely caucusgoers under 45 supporting him at 64 percent. Of those who have made up their mind, Sanders registers 47 percent support.
Democratic voters strongly support both Medicare for All (69 percent in support, 23 percent opposed) and a Green New Deal (93 percent in support, 6 percent opposed).
Data for Progress conducted a poll of 766 likely Nevada caucusgoers from 2/12/2020 through 2/15/2020. Likely caucusgoers were identified from the Nevada voter file and weighted to a likely electorate. Our margin of error is +/- 3.4 percent.
