Shahzad stood in front of the gate to the Imperial Ward, realizing the consequences of his decision for the first time. Suddenly, he wasn't so sure of himself. I can't turn back now, he thought. I've waited so long for this moment. It felt like a betrayal, like breaking a promise to his younger self.
He sighed and walked away. Surely postponing the decision wouldn't change anything.
The young man walked home slowly, lost in thought, and opened the door to his house, halfheartedly trying to be quiet about it. His mother stood in the kitchen cooking dinner; part of the kitchen was visible from the entrance. She didn't turn to look at him.
"Where were you?" she asked, still looking at her hands.
"What do you care?" he replied.
"I was just asking you a question," she said. She was trying to give the appearance of nonchalance, but Shahzad could hear the edge in her voice.
"You don't trust me."
She turned and looked at him. "I'm just worried about you, is all."
"I'm old enough to make my own decisions." His eyes narrowed.
"I just don't want you to..."
"Don't want me to what? Do something useful with my life?" Shahzad already knew the answer. They'd had this conversation many times since he told his mother he wanted to join the Immortals, to defend Al Zahbi. Last time he had stormed off insisting he would do it, he really would, no matter what she said, but he didn't.
"I just don't want you to get yourself killed like your father did. You know you're all I have left." Shahzad thought she was about to cry.
"Don't talk about him that way. He was a hero. He died a noble death!" His voice was low.
"You know I didn't mean it that way..."
"This city's always under siege. Why do you think we're still alive right now? Because of people like him! People who are willing to die so others don't have to!"
Tears filled the woman's eyes, and her voice grew quiet. "You're still young. When you're little, it's easy to think you're going to save the world and help everybody and no one's going to have problems anymore, but real life doesn't work that way. Nobody thinks of the families of the heroes who died 'heroic deaths.' Do you think your father saved the world when he died? Do you think he took Gurfurlur the Menacing down with him? In these troubled times, the world needs more 'heroes' than there are people to be helped."
"That doesn't mean the world doesn't need people like him. If no one fought, we'd all be dead."
"Honey, please. You're my hero. What more do you want?" Her voice was pleading, desperate.
"I don't care. I have the right to make my own decisions. I'm going!"
Tears ran down her face. "Please. Shahzad, please, don't do this to me."
He remained silent.
"I--I'm your mother. You have to listen to me. I forbid you to go!"
He turned and walked out the door. He kept walking, not letting himself stop to think, ignoring the noise of the crowded streets.
"It seems you meet the requirements. You will be enrolled in the training program, but I warn you, very few go on to become Immortals. That's a lofty goal. We get a lot of kids in here expecting it to be easy here. I'll tell you now: it's not."
"I'm willing to work hard."
"Fine. Please follow me."
Shahzad followed him down a hallway, impressed by how big the building seemed. Eventually he opened a door.
"These are your barracks. You may begin training tomorrow. You will be issued a uniform before then." He turned and left, leaving Shahzad standing uncertainly in the doorway. The room was empty; presumably the other occupants were training. He figured he should get settled in, but only then did he realize he hadn't bothered to take anything with him. Hopefully he wouldn't need much here.
Shahzad endured the rigorous training for several days. He was drilled in following orders and the use of various types of swords, and eventually he began instruction in blue magic. This was the hardest task; the one the recruits dreaded. He returned to his room every day thoroughly exhausted.
"Focus. Focus the energy into your hands; don't let it out. Keep it there. I don't care if it starts to hurt."
A Hume woman walked in the door carrying some papers. "Excuse me?" She turned to the instructor at the head of the class. "I must speak with you in private."
The man raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He turned and followed her as she walked out of the room. Those who remained visibly relaxed.
Once she decided they were far enough away that the students wouldn't hear, she stopped and turned to the man. "I'll get straight to the point. We have a mission and we need someone--well--expendable. I require a new recruit willing to follow orders."
"Am I authorized to hear the details?"
"We have located a blue mage outside the control of the Empire. The subject made it to the end of the training program, but escaped when expected to serve the Empire. Put simply, we're dealing with someone strong, but we don't know how strong. We plan to send one new recruit and two spies to observe the battle and attempt to gauge the subject's strength. Once this is known, further action can be determined."
He nodded. "I see. One moment, please."
Shahzad was deeply thankful for a break. He released the energy he had been learning to control and collapsed to the ground.
He tried to wait patiently and enjoy the break, but he couldn't help but think of his mother. Part of him wanted to apologize to her, but he also didn't want to talk to her again. She would beg and plead; emotionally blackmail him. Someday, he thought. Someday he would come back having done something big, something heroic. Something even his father couldn't do. Then she would be glad he left. Until then...
The instructor finally walked back in. "Did you hear me? I don't care if it hurts or you're tired. I told you not to stop! Get off the ground, dammit!"
Sighs and groans could be heard. Shahzad's muscles ached in protest as he pulled himself up.
"I have a mission for you. I need one person. Nothing too hard."
Shahzad wondered what this mission involved. He didn't know if he could handle it, but at this point he didn't care; at that moment, he'd volunteer for anything if he was allowed a break beforehand. Besides, it was a real mission! He wanted to do something, to make a difference.
"Any volunteers?"
"I'll do it," said Shahzad.
Author's Notes: Fair warning, I'm one of those people who has trouble finishing stories, but I do have a lot of plot points already planned, including the ending.
Constructive criticism very much accepted. I'm an inexperienced writer and I'm here to improve.
And finally, I must credit Yukixio on the Bahamut server. This is loosely based on something she and I cowrote. I've tried to use mainly my ideas, but some parts proved inextricable.