by NAK Baldron
Adaku bit down her anger, and did as her brother wished. Their father would expect her to support Abaze, regardless of how little effort he put in himself, and to make it worse, her brother thrived off this. Instead of working as a team, he expected her to do the hard work and he would share in the rewards.
CHAPTER FIVE
DARK CLOUDS HUNG OVER THE HORIZON while swirls of mist danced across the grassy field, shimmering rainbows in all directions. Shaya thought it almost as beautiful as the time she chased the giant sea turtle for weeks to find their nests. Each of them was outfitted with a wardrobe of apprentice clothes for all the variant weather conditions the Amethyst Nation encountered; the weather changed often enough to drive any person mad. In the morning it would be hot and dry, and by evening the courtyard could be flooded, while ice formed on the dorm roof.
Shaya wouldn't have imagined herself growing to hate water, but she'd never realized just how awful ice could be. She wondered how Ren had dealt with it growing up in the Pearl Nation, where it was said to be covered in snow for months at a time. Until arriving in the Amethyst Nation, she'd never seen frozen water fall from the sky, but Ren made it clear that it wasn't snow. Snow was as white as a pearl.
"Open your eyes," Nadia said.
The five of them sat on the grass field, legs crossed before them, hands resting palm up on their knees. They were expected to clear their mind of all thought, and only hear their own breathing, something Shaya had mastered as a young girl. As Kaito Tanken, she trained to learn self-mastery so that she might impose her will on others. Her mother and Master Takumi prepared her well.
"Who was able to clear their mind? Show of hands."
Only Shaya and Goban raised their hand.
"Who remembered to bring their focus back to their breath when their minds wondered?"
The twins raised their hands.
"Ren? What happened?"
"Well..." he shifted his legs and leaned back, bracing himself with his left arm. "I wasn't thinking, so much as I was envisioning."
"You mean your mind wandered?"
"Yes."
"This will not do," Nadia shook her head. "For three weeks, you've been here practicing mental control every day. Do you think this is a child's game, to be taken lightly?"
"No!" Ren sat up straight, "Of course not. I—"
"I am not interested in your excuses. Let me try to say this in a way you can understand." Nadia stood over Ren staring down on him. "Fail to control your mind while casting a spell and you will die. Worse. You can end up killing those around you!" Nadia swung her arm in a circle pointing to Shaya and the others.
She walked back to the front. "Try again. Fifteen minutes starts," she closed her eyes; clapped her hands, "now!"
* * *
RAIN PELTED SHAYA'S FACE, and it felt like dots of fire, as the water was nearly frozen.
"Stop," Nadia stood before them snapping her fingers. "I cannot expect you to keep a clear mind with this rain. Return to the library and continue your studies, and know that there will be a team test soon. Each of you will be judged individually."
She didn't wait for them to stand up before leaving in the opposite direction toward the tower. Shaya desperately wanted access to it, to discover what they were hiding from her. Every day she spent in the Amethyst Nation rather than back with Akio, was a lost opportunity to prepare for the time of daggers.
"Want to study together?" Goban asked, as he bundled himself inside a slate colored hooded cloak.
"Sure," Shaya's thoughts were occupied with Nadia and the tower, and not focused on the young boy who'd become a tag along with her and Ren.
They passed through the doors of the apprentices' wing and Shaya sped up toward the stairs, "I have to go to my room first. I'll meet you in the library."
She could tell from Ren's face he wasn't happy to be left alone with Goban. The young boy could be annoying at times, but he meant well and probably missed his home even more so than she did. A little compassion in a place like this wouldn't get her killed.
Her room was quiet, with the other apprentices downstairs studying—the quiet lifted a weight from her shoulders. A trunk at the foot of her bed closest to the window, stored her writing supplies: parchment, fountain pens, bottles of black and red ink, and a leather satchel to protect finished pages. Underneath the window, running the full length of the wall, was a wooden table. Long enough that if need be, four students could all sit together working.
Shaya stared out of her window, contemplating what to write, watching as black clouds moved closer to the floating island. A small stream of water wound its way through a trail of stones before falling off the edge of the city, creating a waterfall which in turn rained down on Fencura below. With a few pumps of the metal lever in her pen, she filled it with black ink, and began to write.
First Sworn Akio,
I trust this finds you well, and clan Kaito's affairs are being looked after with care. The Amethyst Nation is even more impressive than we imagined. Though they guard their secrets well, I'm confident I'll learn what I need in short order. There is nothing I wouldn't do to advance through their ranks and earn my freedom once more. While this is a far cry from the emperor's dungeons, it's a prison all the same. Ren's support has been invaluable, and I trust the two of you will hold to each other like brothers, not just clansmen.
We're left alone most of the time, and only have contact with one of their members, so I'm not sure when this will reach you. It would be of great comfort to me to know all is well with our holdings, and that the investigation progresses well. However, I've consigned myself to living in the dark, but with the knowledge that I left the only person in the world I trust—as much as myself—to look after my affairs.
Fight Well,
— Shaya
CHAPTER SIX
THE PROCESS TO BECOME A SORCERER wasn't living up to Ren's expectations. He'd always envisioned the halls of the Amethyst Nation to be bustling with young students and wise old wizards. Instead, he found himself sequestered into a tiny wing with access to three places: the apprentices' dining hall, the apprentices' courtyard, and the apprentices' library.
Damn print books made it hard for Ren to read fast enough to keep up with the others. The one bright side to the whole thing, was he spent hours in close proximity to Shaya. Though Abaze kept trying to butt in anytime they were alone.
Today they'd been rained out, and instead of Shaya for company he was alone with Goban. A nice enough kid, but not someone he wanted to share his failures with. His search for Mental Clarity in Battle came up short, and his temper grew hot from failure.
Ren crossed through a study alcove to search the other halls of shelves, only to find that Goban had already found a copy and was rapidly reading the book—each page taking him no more than a minute as his finger steadily slid down the bound sheet. What had been frustration at his own failure, grew to envy of Goban's abilities. At that moment, Ren would have killed to make his portable tablet work again.
Goban looked up from the book as he turned the page, "Couldn't find a copy?"
"No," Ren said through clenched teeth.
The damn library made no sense, and compared to the central database back home, the organization was nonexistent.
"Want to share? We can read the pages together."
"No thanks."
The last thing Ren needed was for this kid to know just how much he was struggling to keep up with their book lists. The second list that arrived last night made it hard for him to sleep, knowing he was now 5 books behind everyone else.
Mental Clarity in Battle
Becoming One with your Mind
Mindful Techniques for Beginners
"Well I'm nearly done with the mandatory sections. If you don't find a copy, I'll give you this one."
"Thank you," Ren said over his shoulder as he continued his search, as much for the book as a reason to get away from Goban.
It was nearly time for dinner when Ren re
turned to find Goban packing up to leave.
"Did you ever find a copy?"
"No, but I found other books to read," another lie.
Ren had spent his afternoon hiding to avoid his peers discovering his handicap.
"Well, you can have this one. I finished it."
"Thanks."
"Are you coming to dinner?"
"Not yet," Ren picked up the copy of Mental Clarity in Battle, "I need to get started on this. I'll see you there though."
"Okay," Goban handed Ren a sheet of paper. "Those are my basic notes. It lists out the pages I think are most important. Maybe it can help you read faster?"
Does he know?
The last thing Ren needed was for Shaya to find out he wasn't able to read the required material fast enough to keep up with the group. She'd regret allowing him to join her clan, and he'd truly be alone again. It was nice having a surrogate family. Shaya and Akio had become the closest thing he'd ever had to actual kin.
"I'll let you know."
"See you soon," Goban slipped his final pen back in place inside his bag, and flung the strap over his shoulder. He waved a final goodbye to Ren as he turned a corner in the hall of shelves on his way to the dining hall.
Food sounded amazing to Ren, but there was no time to waste. If he didn't absorb the material he'd fall further behind. Nadia was already losing her patience with him—if she had any to begin with. It was curious that the Amethyst Nation would place her in charge of instructing the new apprentices. She seemed to have zero patience, and used any opportunity to get away from them. How wrong he'd been about her.
The first thirty pages of the book was a dull preface written by the chronicler, who'd updated the text with notes and references in the back. Ren skimmed the first three pages before skipping to the main text, where the author had written a long introduction on why mental clarity was paramount to magical performance. Ren looked to Goban's notes and saw the first page he marked was 113.
113 pages of fluff?
Ren skipped ahead to the second chapter,
"Duels are a battle of wits, not might. A young child could defeat the Archamethyst, if the child were focused, and the Archamethyst distracted. Thus, mental clarity is the root of great power, not age and wisdom."
The text went on for some time repeating hypothetical scenarios in which mental clarity would prove sufficient to win a battle. Ren found his eyes crossing and he was forced to read the same paragraph four times in a row without remembering what he'd just read. Pushing through wasn't going to help. He needed food.
Leaving the book on the table with a spare strip of paper inside to mark his spot, Ren gathered up his bag and Goban's notes. For himself, Ren had only written one sheet of notes, all of which were direct quotes from the text.
The dining hall was empty, he'd been in the library far longer than he'd realized. There was still a single menu, no doubt left for him. By the other apprentices or the staff Ren didn't know. Ren quickly glanced at the menu before ordering roast beef, extra roasted veggies, and coffee, even though coffee wasn't listed. Sure enough, the food arrived with a mug of coffee and a spare pot. Whomever was in charge of the food, must understand that if an apprentice ordered coffee with dinner, it could only mean one thing. A long night of studying.
Ren practically inhaled the first cup, ignoring the heat by using the technique he'd learned from Shaya and Akio when eating fresh fish stew. He barely chewed his food between each swallow, aided by the fact the meat was fork tender, and the veggies were crispy on the outside, but smooth as butter inside. If Ren hadn't been in such a rush, he would have noted the seasoning was excellent, each vegetable had its own unique spice to bring out the natural flavors hidden inside each plant.
With his stomach filled just under the point of painful, Ren hung his bag crossed over his chest, and carried half a mug of coffee in his right hand, while he held the pot in his left. No one had told them the rules about taking food or drinks out of the dining hall, and Ren was desperate to catch up. He needed the coffee if he was going to have any hope of pulling an all-nighter to read Mental Clarity in Battle, which had to be the dullest thing Ren had ever had the misfortune to read. Late nights were nothing new, he'd been doing them all month, but tonight called for foregoing sleep entirely.
Ren carefully crossed the threshold from the stairwell into the library, almost expecting the coffee to vanish.
It didn't.
Ren was in the clear, and picked up the pace as he walked to the table, a small spring in his step. The book was waiting for him, with the small piece of paper sticking out. The table was large enough for four students, so Ren had no issue finding space for the pot of coffee well out of reach. No reason to risk spilling it on the books, though he kept the cup close to his right hand. He spent the entire night skimming through the book, referencing Goban's notes of the key pages to read to speed up the grueling process. If reading hadn't been so painful, and required Ren's undivided attention, he would have noticed the coffee pot maintained itself at half full. No matter how many times he filled his cup.
* * *
REN POURED HIMSELF ANOTHER CUP of coffee, only to discover the pot was empty.
Shit!
Checking Goban's notes revealed he only had three more pages left. He'd done it! Or nearly. With a final burst of energy which had nothing to do with coffee, Ren managed to speed read the last three pages which were mostly filled with sketches of the correct poses a caster should take. Each designed to channel the mind, and clear the sorcerer's thoughts by focusing their body into a form which caused pain in an isolated part. By creating pain in one part of the body, the mind was able to focus on less of its container, and the sorcerer then only had one distraction to avoid, rather than the sea of distractions the body usually produced.
One pose stood out in particular to Ren. It was nearly identical to the one Akio had taken when he threatened to kill Goruden-Tanken Hiroshi's men. He made a quick mental note to ask Shaya about it, and closed the book. Ren didn't know where Goban had found the copy, and realizing his stomach was hungry again, decided to leave it on the table. He gathered up the sheets of paper filled with notes from the long night of reading, but when he looked back up for his mug and pot, found they'd disappeared. Magic was far more interesting than he'd given it credit for.
He was just about to head downstairs when a thought occurred to him.
"Done reading," Ren said to the library.
A purple glow surrounded the book, and then it was gone. His hunch had proven correct.
Feeling rather proud of himself, Ren made his way down to the dining hall. The others were already there, minus Abaze. Adaku sat by herself waiting for his arrival.
Goban waved to him as he walked toward their table, "Good Morning. Late night in the library?" he asked as Ren sat.
"Yes."
"Wait," Shaya looked intensely at his face. "Did you spend the whole night in the library?"
"Well..." Ren didn't know what to say. He didn't want to admit his issues reading, but he couldn't bring himself to lie either.
"Eat," she said. "You look like you need it."
Relief pulsed through his body, and he forgot his intent to ask her about the form he'd discovered. Sleep deprivation had corrupted his mind. He ordered an egg platter, and extra coffee. But no amount of coffee would counter the slow deterioration of his mental capacities. At best it would mask them until he collapsed from exhaustion. Ren yawned, but didn't realize it as his mind took a micro-nap. When he awoke, two seconds later, his food was before him, and a fresh cup of coffee with an accompanying pot.
* * *
THE MORNING TRAINING BECAME A BLUR as Ren fought off the need to sleep, but he distinctly remembered the look of disappointment on Nadia and Shaya's face, as he failed to control two magic orbs, yet again. Instead of lunch, Ren decided to sleep and found a new list of mandatory reading waiting for him on top of his trunk. Pushing aside his guilt, Ren crawled into bed and fell into a d
eep sleep. The kind usually reserved for small children.
CHAPTER SEVEN
ADAKU WATCHED WITH LONGING as the other apprentices joked with one another.
"Let me have your attention," Nadia said. "We have decided that the five of you shall take a test. We wish to see if you can work as a team, but I will also judge you individually based on your merits."
"What kind of test?" Goban asked.
"It will be an obstacle course of sorts, and I will expect each of you to contribute to the team. To help you prepare, I recommend you read Team Dynamics: Multiparticipant Channeling."
Great, another book to summarize for you, Adaku transmitted.
Don't be such a priss. You know what's expected of us.
"When is the test?" Goban asked.
"The exact day has yet to be determined. I need to observe each of you individually to get a baseline. That way we can measure your performance against your team effort," Nadia waved his next question away. "There will be no tests today. You should read and prepare yourself for the team efforts."
Nadia looked straight to Ren, "And some of you should practice your individual channeling."
Adaku didn't understand Ren's problem. Back on Shinzo he'd rescued Shaya by himself—she'd seen it right before her eyes—but ever since they'd arrived in the Amethyst Nation, he failed each assignment. Not once had he managed to summon his orb of light. The basic test required to pass the original examination and earn a place as an Amethyst Apprentice. Had he cheated his way in? That didn't seem possible, but what other explanation could there be.
Lost down the rabbit hole of her own thoughts, Adaku hadn't noticed Abaze's growing anger. The thought of being reliant on the other apprentices didn't sit right with him. After all, he was the prince of Zaria, the greatest city in all of the Emerald Nation, and those worthless peasants should give the proper respect. Abaze knew he had to use this opportunity to teach them a lesson. It's what their father would expect!
