Leading up to the release of A Warrior’s Legacy: Jamie, I am interviewing characters from A Warrior’s Legacy: Orestes to help everyone catch up in case they haven’t read it in a while. Check out the past interviews:
Chapters 1-4: Interview with Acules
Chapters 5-7: Interview with Orestes
SPOILER ALERT: The following contains major spoilers for Orestes chapters 8-10. If you’re planning on reading the book and don’t want spoilers, you won’t want to read this!
Character Interview: Levina (Orestes chapters 8-10)
Jennifer: Hello, Levina. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me.
Levina: Oh, of course, I’m happy to. What would you like to know?
Jennifer: First tell me a little about yourself.
Levina: Oh, okay. Well, as you know, my name is Levina. I’m an only child. My parents left Warrior Peak when I was a little girl to start Settlement Twelve—you know about the settlements in Serenity Valley, don’t you?
Jennifer: Yes. So who do you live with?
Levina: My grandparents. They’re civilians.
Jennifer: Meaning?
Levina: Meaning that they’re not technically part of any of the military divisions at Warrior Peak. It’s a rare thing. But they’re pacifists.
Jennifer: Are you a pacifist?
Levina: No. I mean, I’m not a great fighter, and I don’t like violence. But I am willing to stand up for what’s right, and unfortunately sometimes that means defending oneself or others with the sword. Does that answer your question?
Jennifer: Yes, very well. Now I heard about all the strange things that happened involving the Morroks at last year’s end-of-year school tournaments. Can you tell me what’s been going on since then?
Levina: Truthfully, it’s been a hard year since then for everyone. The War Council is preparing for any possible Morrok attacks. They’re trying to find out the extent of the problem by sending out scouting groups, but most of them have ended up dead or injured. The Army is undergoing training—which you think would be routine, but we haven’t had a war in decades, so being in the Army here is almost the same as being a civilian. Most of the country’s in the Army, but the older people are out of shape; they never thought they would have to fight, because they never knew about the Morroks. Not many did until now. Everyone thought there would never be another threat like this since we got rid of the Laconic Warriors.
Jennifer: Who are they?
Levina: Oh, they’re not monsters like Morroks. They were Humans—from Warrior Peak too, actually. They were a faction who sprang up within Warrior Peak a couple of generations ago. They started recruiting all the best fighters from the military school and gained a lot of political power as the years went on. They even moved to a different mountain, and it seemed like they were maneuvering to take over Warrior Peak itself. But two brothers—James and Caden—foiled their plans. It’s the last time Warrior Peak has ever actually fought an enemy—and even then, it was just a battle. Not a war, like what’s happening now.
Jennifer: How has what’s happened recently impacted you personally?
Levina: Personally? Well, I don’t know if this is personal, but my parents…I told you my parents are in Serenity Valley. And there’s been a lot of disagreement about what to do about the colonies there, because we’ve had trouble getting people through the Gravel Lands to get to the forest now that the Morroks have decided to show themselves. So the General—well, he’s of the opinion that we need to shore up our defenses here and just completely ignore—sorry, I mean, not focus on the settlements in Serenity Valley.
Jennifer: But you don’t agree with him?
Levina: Of course not. I mean, even if my parents… It’s just not right, that’s all. It’s not right to send hundreds of brave people to explore a new land on your behalf and then abandon them when danger comes. It’s awful. I can’t believe he would do that. Orestes’s father, Fallon, feels the same way. He’s been trying to persuade the General to set aside some resources, but they’ve had a terrible falling out. Fallon is ready to make a drastic move.
Jennifer: Which is?
Levina: Leave without the General’s permission. Well, I think the General will know. But leave without support from the rest of Warrior Peak. Just twelve of us, so we can go warn the settlements and train them how to fight Morroks.
Jennifer: You’re going with them?
Levina: Yes. My grandparents don’t want me to, of course, but I have a bag packed, and I’m just waiting for Orestes to give me word that we’re leaving, and I’ll go. I have to go. It’s the right thing to do.
Jennifer: You’ve mentioned Orestes a couple of times. What’s your relationship with him?
Levina: I—we—well… We’re friends.
Jennifer: That’s all?
Levina: Yes. Well, no. I don’t know. He…well, he kissed me last night.
Jennifer: Oh really?
Levina: It was a crazy day. It was the end-of-year tournament, and Orestes was all set to win this year. There was some tension because of everything going on between the General and Fallon, but the worst of it was—I have no idea how this happened, but a Morrok snuck into Warrior Peak and interrupted the tournament.
Jennifer: A Morrok in Warrior Peak?
Levina: Yes. Orestes spotted it, ran after it, and killed it before anyone else even realized what was happening. The whole mountain went on lockdown after that, but Orestes snuck out and came to see me. See, I was…disturbed after seeing Orestes fight that Morrok. It wasn’t that he killed it—I knew that had to happen—but he was just so angry, and he kept stabbing it even after it was down. Sometimes—I don’t want to sound melodramatic, but sometimes, Orestes seems to have this dark side, like this deep anger and fear that I can’t figure out.
Jennifer: Have you asked him about it?
Levina: I tried, but he just shuts down. I think he knows he can talk to me. We’ve been really good friends for a year now, and after that kiss last night… I’m sure he’ll open up when he’s ready.
Jennifer: I’m sure he will. That’s all for now. Thanks for joining me, Levina.
Levina: You’re welcome, any time. Let me know if you ever need anything else from me.