Rise of the Reaper by Chris Pastrana (most difficult books to read txt) 📖

if she was in trouble, or going to be praised for some unknown deed. With only one option, she waited for the Master to speak.
Dilemma

Slowly crossing the room towards them, Master Tyrour removed the delicately decorated robes he had been wearing. To Treasa’s surprise the man wore only a simple brown tunic and an even plainer pair of trousers. With all of his money and power she had the impression that his attire would be more, regal.
Carefully placing the master’s robe down upon his bed, the man sat down in a chair across from Treasa and watched the three of them for a few moments. Minding her lessons the young girl waited for him to speak. Taking the time to study him, Treasa was fascinated at how red his eyes actually were.
“I wish to begin by apologizing for placing you in this position. When you first arrived here within the temple it was brought to my attention that you had a very, special, skill set. Not knowing what you could potentially be capable of, I sided on the side of caution and placed you under the care of two Diatorn. In my youth I may have rushed to this decision, and caused you the trouble you saw today.”
“There was no way you could have known, Master.” Sade spoke first, clearly removing the girl’s need to speak. Still uneasy from everything that had transpired, she was glad for the distraction. Waving his hands in defense he sat forward in his chair, placing his weight onto his skinny elbows.
“There is no need for formalities at the moment Sade. Understand that I have brought you all here to discuss our current situation, and possibly rectify it.” Nodding his understanding he backed away from Treasa and let her speak for herself. Following in his place, Paqeal sat on the nearby window sill. “Treasa, please speak freely with me. I have been thinking on the options for you, and I have come to a few that I believe would work well.”
“Yes Master.”
“First, I need you to understand that your service to the Fare Tilwin Reath is unbreakable. You have seen our training, and learned from us, and for that you can never leave.”
“Yes Master.”
“With this in mind I have arranged for exceptions to be made for your future. If you wish I can place you into the service of the Diatorn. You would help them with tasks around the temple, and be granted the privileges of the rank. Your second choice is to be assigned to the foreign affairs sect and take become the ambassador of my will. This is the path women serving the temple usually take on.”
Listening carefully as he spoke Treasa weighed all of the options presented to her. In her mind she counted nearly five more Sects that she had previously never known of. From slaves to cleaning, every person within the temple was overseen by a sect master. The three she knew of dealt with warfare, and that’s why only they were covered in her training.
“Master, can I not continue with my training? I have grown attached to the idea of becoming a Reaper.”
“It is an option for you Treasa, but I want you to understand that Siped was not the only one angry with my decision to provide you special privileges. You have likely seen these looks within the eyes of your peers already. In addition this, the previous Sect Master has not been removed from the temple, only given a new position and title. He will still be a danger to you if you should cross paths and your Diatorn are not present.”
“I understand all of this, Master; it’s just that if others already dislike me for gaining special treatment, than wouldn’t more just make it all worse?” From the corner of her eye Treasa could see Paqeal smile. If nothing else, the woman was fond of a sly mind.
“That is a possibility. The path to becoming a Reaper is not an easy one, and you will never be given another chance to leave after today. Are you sure you wish to continue like the others?”
“Yes Master, I do.” Accepting the choice as final, Master Tyrour nodded.
“It’s clear that you wish to stay on your path to becoming one of the Fare Tilwin Reath. I accept your request respectfully. Please return to your quarters and rest. In the morning you shall be summoned for your assessment. No longer will you receive any treatment outside of standard protocol.”
“Master, may I ask for one consideration?” Treasa hoped the hesitation in her voice wasn’t as bold as she thought it was.
“What is it?”
“May I make some alterations to my uniform for the assessment?”
“You have asked to be treated fairly and with the same consideration as the rest. Altering your uniform would visibly make you different than everybody. I cannot grant this request. Please return to your room and rest.” Rising from her chair Treasa bowed in respect and made her way to the door.
“Diatorn, please remain behind for a moment, I still have things to discuss with you.” Sade and Paqeal moved to the table where Master Tyrour sat and waited for the door to close. When they were finally alone the master began. “Has she made any progress with her gift?”
“She trains in secret, hiding what she has discovered about her own talents, but she still does not understand how the Fare Tilwin Reath see. To us her abilities are as clear as day, even when she trains in secret.” Paqeal spoke after considering her words carefully.
“So my theory about training giving her to you both has worked?” A smirk lined the master’s lips, pleased with himself.
“We had no hand in her training. All we did was train her body and mind, honing it to the battle field. Everything else Treasa has accomplished on her own.” Sade answered confidently.
“Is she as strong as we originally thought?” Leaning forward onto his elbows once again, the fire master was focused only on the two Diatorn.
“Stronger than we thought. The girl could have killed everyone during that little show Siped put on.” Sade didn’t have a shred of doubt in his voice. He wasn’t speaking an opinion, it was clearly a fact.
“Then why didn’t she? It was clear she was going to die.”
“It could have been a confidence issue, or a simple lack in judgment from a girl who has never been in a real fight before.” Sade had left something out and Tyrour knew it. The man was perceptive beyond his years, and understood people very well.
“To be completely honest with you Master, I believe she didn’t want to kill them because they’re just like she is. They are only Trainees and recruits just following orders, and trying to survive in our world. A real enemy would have been handled differently.” Paqeal didn’t feel the need to hide the facts from the master. Even though she was far beyond her years in fighting prowess, the trainee was still a twelve year old girl. Tyrour considered everything for a few moments before continuing
“Please inform Treasa that I have changed my mind. Let her make the alterations to her uniform that she requested. Just make sure she hides them from sight for the time being. I’m curious what she’s capable of and am willing to test the boundaries to discover them.”
“Yes Master.” Bowing gently the two Diatorn left the room together, leaving Tyrour alone to his thoughts.

Briefing

When the nock on her door finally came, Treasa was already dressed and ready to leave. Sade had stopped by to inform her that Master Tyrour had changed his mind and accepted her request to alter her uniform. Knowing what she wanted to change on her uniform and not where to acquire the pieces she asked her Diatorn to help her. With only a nod he listened to what she requested and left the in search of the parts.
Pacing back in forth in her small room, Treasa had waited for Sade to return and then went about adding the small attachments to her trainee’s uniform. As the hours passed the young girl had been glad to have something to occupy her thoughts. It was a strange thing to have so much time off. By noon she decided to warm up her body with a short workout in her quarters.
Smiling as she thought about all the secret changes she had made to her uniform she followed the line of other trainees down the hallways and through a large set of doors. Passing under the large archway, Treasa could see a massive auditorium, with enough seats for easily a few hundred people. The Reaper guiding them began seating them from the front of the room, leaving no seats between them. After everyone had sat down, she looked around and chuckled that only the first row had been filled, making the room look empty.
A man stepped out onto the stage from a nearby staircase and stood on the center of the floor. Unlike every other Reaper before him, he wore a bright yellow coat, with a beautiful black trim. Even though it was entirely too ostentatious, the outfit fit the man’s features well. His square jaw looked to have been broken a few times and his nose seemed to have the same misfortune.
“Who the hell is that guy?” One of the other trainees said with a laugh. It was clear that he also thought the man’s uniform was ridiculous.
“That’s the Sect Master