Camouflage. It had to be. It was some of the best Kira had ever seen, making the user indistinguishable from the rock.
Every one of the Tuann above wore the deep blue-black of House Roake's synth armor. More than one set of eyes lingered on Kira before taking in the rest of those assembled.
One man, in particular, drew her eye. He was tall, broad-shouldered, even more muscular than Graydon. He had the fierce countenance of a warrior who had seen and survived many battles. His hair was half pulled away from his face, a shade nearly identical to the wine red of her own. A vertical scar ran over one eye and down one cheek. Whoever had given him that scar had missed taking his eye by millimeters.
His stare was intense. Penetrating. A trim beard shadowed his jaw and above his lip.
This was a grizzled veteran, powerful and formidable. He was a tank, able to level any obstacle in his way. His hands were clasped behind his back, and his expression inscrutable as he took her in.
The man had a superb poker face. Better even than Liara.
Unlike Luatha, Roake didn't posture. They simply intimidated.
"I am the marshal of House Roake; I welcome you on our Overlord's behalf," Makon said.
Kira's gaze rose to meet the man above who had still not looked away from her. The Overlord she was willing to bet.
"You are our treasured guests and will be treated as such. Yet trespass against us, and you will die," the marshal said in that slow, controlled tone.
Raider let out a small scoff. "Quite a greeting you've got there."
Kira agreed.
What kind of host welcomed you in one sentence, then threatened you in the next? A dangerous one. Someone who didn't intend to give second chances.
Makon's smile was brief, barely touching his eyes. "We've learned it’s best to be blunt. It cuts down on misunderstandings."
Raider grunted and cocked his head. "If you say so."
"Many of those present have answered our call in the hopes of being accepted for an apprenticeship that will prepare them for the adva ka and what comes after," the marshal continued as if Raider hadn't spoken. "But first you must pass the uhva na, the Trial of the Broken. Over the next few weeks, we will observe you. We will test you in many ways. Some will be obvious; others will not.”
Makon’s gaze moved over those assembled. “Those we deem worthy will be chosen for the trial. If they succeed, they will be paired with a seon’yer who will prepare them for the next phase. We wish you luck. The path you've chosen is not an easy one."
That was quite the speech. A real confidence booster.
"To begin, you must ascend. As is the case in most things, there is more than one path," Makon said.
He paused, and Amila and Noor, another of Graydon’s oshota, grinned before sprinting straight at the wall. Amila reached it first and leaped, clearing ten feet before finding a ledge and jumping to the next one. Noor took a slightly different route. He landed on the wall, running up it like he had grav boots on.
Raider glanced at Kira and lifted his eyebrows as Joule made an admiring sound beside them.
She nodded. She saw it too. It would be tempting to dismiss Noor's feat as a tech they had never seen, if Kira hadn't once been able to do something very similar.
"This is your first test. There are many who come to us. Few are considered worthy of our attention and effort. To be accepted as an initiate, you must reach the top. You may keep anything you can carry." His lips tilted. "Choose carefully. Anything you set aside will be given to the sea."
Both Kira and Raider glanced up at the thousands of steps twisting above the marshal. Whatever they kept would likely feel like it weighed a ton by the time they reached the top.
"If you should decide this is not your time, the gate behind you will take you home," the marshal continued.
Kira's mouth pulled down. If only that was an option for her.
The marshal stepped aside and bowed his head. The Tuann behind them whooped, nearly a dozen racing for the cliff and the paths Noor and Amila had taken.
Their leaps weren't as high or impressive, though a few, including the tall youth who had tried to stare Kira down, managed to make it look easy. None took the stairs to their right.
Joule quivered at her side, staring at where the most talented had disappeared. It was easy to see he wanted to take that path.
"Twenty credits most of them gas out before they reach the midway point," Raider challenged.
Blue scoffed as she turned toward the stairs. "Nobody is foolish enough to take that bet. It's obvious they're weeding out the stupid and the arrogant."
As she spoke, there was a cry above them as one of the initiates faltered. They plummeted. Oshota, unseen until now, appeared next to them, catching them before they could fall to their deaths.
The oshota stepped off the cliff, the boy in his arms. He landed with a thump, setting the boy near the gate before turning and leaping to his post, where he almost faded into the rock.
Makon regarded the boy steadily. "Perhaps the next time you come to us, you will succeed."
The boy sent Kira and her friends a sulky look before bowing respectfully and striding through the gate.
"See, told you so," Blue taunted over her shoulder as she started up the steps.
Joule's eyes were wide before he grinned and raced for the stairs, passing Blue easily.
"I wish I had his energy," Raider grumbled as he bent and reached for his two bags.
Kira's headache intensified. Before she could think, she'd grabbed one of the bags, her hand closing on the handles at the same time as his.
She bared her teeth at him. "Thanks for carrying my bag until now. I've got it from here."
Raider's expression was careful. "Are you sure? It doesn't hurt to let someone help you every once and a while."
Kira's eyes narrowed. Who did he think he was kidding? "Sometimes, when people think they're helping, they're creating a bigger problem."
His smile was sharp and cutting. "Perhaps—or maybe it's simply that there are those who don't accept help gracefully."
Kira was conscious of the marshal, and no doubt countless other oshota hiding along the cliffs, watching the byplay between the two of them. It made her bite back her normal response. Instead, she said carefully, "I've carried it this long. I can carry it up a few steps."
If her voice contained a harsh edge and her expression looked mildly murderous, there was no helping it.
Raider raised his hands and backed away. "Whatever you want, Phoenix."
Kira straightened. If only that were so.
Raider hesitated at the base of the stairs. He switched to Japanese, a language she was reasonably sure those listening wouldn't understand. At least, no one from Luatha had understood it. "Don't kill anyone." He started up, saying over his shoulder as an afterthought. "Don't let yourself be killed either."
"If I were you, I'd be more worried about myself," Kira muttered.
His smile was cocky. "I'm not the one with the reputation."
Bullshit. His record was as bad as Kira's. Worse, in some ways, since he also tended to mouth off to people in authority. Hence, the reason he was still a chief petty officer instead of a senior chief petty officer. If he wasn't such a good pilot, he'd likely have been kicked out of the Space Force ages ago.