Free Obsidian Sky by Julius St. Clair

he wanted a young slave, and that it had to be a girl. Diana fought hard, and for a while it looked she might win but...she had used her Yen already, and he obviously had a lot of experience in facing those with Water Arts. I was about to use one of my seals to save her, but before I could, he performed the trick that you just witnessed, except it was one giant sword exploding into hundreds of smaller blades, not a fan into shards. She died instantly.”
    “What happened to you?” Isaac asked, afraid of the answer.
    “I became his slave,” Aidan said flatly, staring straight into Isaac’s eyes. Isaac wanted so desperately to look away. “Naturally, that didn’t last long.”
    “Why do you use that technique?” Isaac asked in disbelief. “Especially considering the source?”
    “Because like advice, a good technique is also a good technique,” Aidan smiled. “Out there, we don’t always have the luxury of morals.”
    Aidan walked away abruptly and left Isaac in the field. Isaac watched his friend’s back and sighed heavily. He had wanted to go on an scouting mission so badly, but after hearing Aidan speak of the outside, suddenly, being inside Lowsunn’s shields didn’t sound so bad.

 
     
    Chapter 4 – Higher Learning
    No one was forced to attend every single survival class in Lowsunn, but it was strongly encouraged. Even the most boring of classes had valuable insight into the outside world that each and every graduate would one day have the pleasure – or horror – of experiencing first hand. The village was more like a train station than a town in that no one could permanently stay for sure, except for the Elders who had built the place. It was their vision after all, and when Advent had changed the world for better or worse, depending on whom you asked, they knew that the people of Obsidian would need guidance and safety, even if only for a short amount of time.
    No one simply arrived at the village’s doorsteps and got in, of course. It wouldn’t still be standing if that were the case. Most got in through referrals from the Elders – back when the Elders were mentors and went on scouting missions, they had found new and promising candidates while in the outside world. Safety and comfort was a precious thing, so few fought against the wishes of their benefactors. But every so often, discontent arose. Though there was little action, no one could deny the fact that candidates with two or more wishes were preferred over those with one. That they were given preferential treatment and ensured that they would receive the best that Lowsunn had to offer. Such simple observation brought on suspicion, but silence would still grip the voices of the discontent. But not Bailey’s.
    Bailey was not one to be silent.
    “If you have any chance out there,” Bailey shouted aloud. “You need to study the information acquired from the scouting missions. Knowledge is the only thing that separates you from life and death. Once you know your enemy and more importantly, their abilities, then you can formulate counter measures. Take out your pencils, and don’t you dare tell me you left them at the cabins. I remembered to bring ten. Surely you managed one.”
    The class shuffled around in their small fanny packs as Aidan leaned back in his creaking chair and watched Bailey pace behind her desk, her head down in concentration as she recited the lesson she was about to relay. Occasionally she would grab one of the several pencils on the surface of her desk and began chewing on the end.
    They were back in the one-room schoolhouse, now with the desk/chair combos that Bailey was fond of. Although they were far more comfortable than the pews, or the stools that Mr. Young used, Aidan was surprised that Bailey had not been accommodated better. Perhaps she had requested no special treatment in order to blend in with the teaching staff better. Who knows. She was mysterious like that. Even when she spoke, you weren’t sure if