by Pedro Urvi
“This doesn’t look too good,” Erika said when she saw the arrows.
“Don’t worry, today you’ll be the archer, not the target.”
“Great!”
“So I’m going to be the target,” Axe said without enthusiasm.
“That’s right,” Gisli said, and patted him on the back. Axe nearly choked.
“Now listen to me, I’m going to explain the lesson,” he went on, and proceeded to tell them what it consisted of for half the morning. When he had finished, he said: “You three, hide in the forest. Deep inside it. Axe, you’ll have to explore it and come out of it alive.”
“And if we see him...?” Luca asked.
“You release, of course.”
“Yes, sir.”
Erika and Lasgol nodded and got their weapons ready.
“To the forest. And don’t let him cross it. Make it difficult, otherwise he won’t improve. If he’s your friend, make it impossible for him, and then he’ll excel.”
The three nodded and went into the forest.
“I’ll come with you, Axe. I’ll help you and tell you what you need to do.”
The first practical exercise ended with Axe stunned by an arrow of Luca’s in the middle of his chest. The second ended with him blinded by an arrow of Erika’s which had hit his shoulder. The third ended with him unconscious from an arrow of Lasgol’s which had hit him in the head.
“He’s fine, don’t worry,” Gisli assured them.
“I’m really sorry, Master, the bow isn’t my strong point,” Lasgol apologized as he knelt by the unconscious Axe.
Gisli smiled. “Well, nobody would say that. You knocked him out.” He wiped Axe’s face with the water-skin he carried on his back.
“I aimed at his shoulder...”
“In that case, your shot was a little high.”
“I’m sorry, master,” Lasgol said. He felt terrible at the sight of his friend unconscious on the ground.
“Now you know what effect an earth arrow has if it hits an enemy in the head,” Gisli said.
“We certainly do,” Erika agreed.
“These arrows are there to blind and stun, but obviously if you hit him in the head...”
Axe came to, coughing.
“Relax, lad.”
“I can’t see!”
“Don’t worry, it’s the effect of the earth arrow. It’ll be gone soon.”
Axe tried to stand up, but without success. “I feel... dizzy...”
“That’s the effect of the arrow too. Stay lying down for a while.”
“Yes... Master...”
“Axe needs to improve, so tomorrow we’re going to repeat the exercise with air arrows.”
“But, sir,” Lasgol said, “the effects –”
“That’s the only way you learn. Pain is our ally.”
“But –”
“And if he doesn’t improve, we’ll move on to fire arrows.”
Erika and Lasgol looked at each other in horror.
“And I’m not joking.”
“Oh, by the Ice Gods!” Axe cried in despair.
Chapter 18
That night, shortly before midnight, Sigrid appeared in the Cave of Spring and summoned Lasgol. Surprised, he hastened to appear.
“This is going to be a rather different night for you,” the Mother Specialist announced.
“Only for me?” he asked. He was looking at his fellow-pupils, who were following what was going on with great interest.
“Yes, only for you.”
“Oh, all right.” He was not very convinced. He did not know what was going on, or whether Sigrid was in a good mood or a foul one, and this made him nervous.
“Come with me.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
She led him to the Pearl without saying another word, which made him even more nervous. There was a full moon, and when he realized this, he understood that it was not by coincidence that she was taking him to the Pearl at midnight.
“Is Camu all right?” he asked uneasily.
Sigrid turned to him. “Yes, the creature is fine, don’t worry. Today we’re here for you, not your little friend. Do you remember we reached an agreement when I allowed you to keep Camu?”
“Yes, Mother Specialist, I remember.”
“Do you remember the part where I told you we’d be experimenting with you?”
“Ye-es...” he said, feeling more uneasy now. He did not like the direction the conversation was taking.
“Well, the moment has come.”
He swallowed. When he looked up at the sky, he realized it was midnight. The stars and the full moon came and went brilliantly among the clouds.
Suddenly, from behind the Pearl, the Four Elder Specialists appeared. Lasgol felt a shiver run down his spine.
“You needn’t be afraid,” Sigrid said. But her gaze was not that of the kind, warm Sigrid, but the hard, lethal one.
Lasgol breathed out sharply and resigned himself without much conviction. “All right...”
The Four Elder Specialists came to stand behind Sigrid, with the Pearl behind them. Lasgol would have given anything to have had his friends there with him, but it was not going to be. Whatever experiment they were going to carry out with him, he would have to face it alone.
“I want to repeat the Harmony Test with you and try an experiment,” Sigrid said. She indicated the bonfire burning in front of her. “We’ve strengthened the fire and the potion so that the experiment will lead to better results.”
Lasgol looked at the bonfire, then at her, and nodded. He was in her debt for having let Camu stay instead of sending him to the King, even though he was extremely unhappy about the idea of ‘experimenting’ with him.
“I’m ready,” he said.
“As you know, the ceremony has three parts: the first Alignment, the second Choice, and the third Affinity.”
“I remember it well, Mother Specialist.”
“I’m glad you do. We’ll begin with the stage of Alignment.” She beckoned to Annika, who came forward. The Elder Specialist of Nature took out a large phial and a small tumbler from her Ranger’s belt.
“The Alignment Potion,” she said.
Lasgol remembered the effects of the potion, and the fact that it had been enhanced was not at all to his liking. He felt uneasy.
He stared at it for a moment when Annika handed it to him, undecided about the effects it would have on his mind and wondering whether they would be reversible. At last he drank from the tumbler. He had already been through this process, and he was wondering what they were aiming to do by repeating the ceremony in this way. Experiments generally ended in unpleasant experiences, especially if he himself was involved in them. He took a deep breath and swallowed.
The potion began to affect his mind. He found himself more at ease, with blurred vision and his head a little dense, as in a dream. He looked around him, and what was happening did not seem completely real. He had the feeling that at any moment he would wake up from that dream. It was a comforting feeling, and he let it take hold of his mind.
“Now begins the second part: Choice,” Sigrid announced. She turned to Gisli.
Elder Specialist Gisli took a step toward Lasgol. He showed him the pouch of medallions and took out the first, the one which showed an open human mouth and the profile of a bear. When he dropped it into the fire, the flames swallowed it up and there appeared a blurred figure: a Ranger, who was Lasgol himself. He had the feeling of becoming a Beast Whisperer, of whispering into the ear of a great brown bear. He felt what the Ranger himself was experiencing: the strong link with the animal, the trust, the love and respect they had for each other. He knew the bear would protect him to the death, as if it were a brother. He felt deeply honored.
The image vanished. Gisli now showed him the second medallion, the one with the image of several different prints. Lasgol felt himself turning into a phenomenal tracker who never lost a trail. He knew he would be capable of following any trail as far as the en
d of the world.
“Tireless Tracker,” Gisli announced.
The potion was having its effect. It was making him feel like the Ranger of whichever specialization the Elder was showing him. Now he was calmer. He let feelings invade him and concentrated on experiencing them with all the intensity he could.
Gisli now showed him the third medallion, the one which represented a forest, a river and mountains in the background with a running figure in front of them. At once he felt tireless, an explorer of all the lands of Tremia and other distant, yet-unknown continents. Exploring distant lands, beyond the seas, tirelessly, magnificently well-trained, filled his mind and soul.
“Tireless Explorer,” Gisli announced.
The Elder now took out the fourth medallion, that of Man Hunter. Lasgol saw himself hunting outlaws, thieves, deserters, across the entire kingdom, capturing them and bringing them to justice. A specialty which was deeply beneficial for Norghana and its peoples.
Finally Gisli showed them the fifth medallion, that of Beast Master. On it a bear, a tiger, a hawk and an owl were represented. Lasgol felt capable of dealing with birds, great cats, horses and every kind of animal. He felt that his mind possessed immense knowledge of the wildlife of Norghana which he did not yet have, and it filled his soul with joy.
Gisli nodded to Sigrid and withdrew. The Mother Specialist tapped the ground with her staff, and a series of silver flashes caught Lasgol’s eye. At that moment he realized that the staff was not merely ceremonial. The effect of the potion, of the fire, and particularly of the staff, were an intrinsic part of the ceremony. He felt a tingle at the back of his neck and knew there was magic at play. Magic which was affecting both the ceremony and himself. He did not know what spell the staff was casting on him, but he knew it involved one.
“Now begins the third stage: Affinity.”
This time Lasgol began to feel a great deal more nervous. He would have to choose, and the choice would not be an easy one.
“Your choice?” Sigrid asked. “Leave your mind blank and your soul at rest and choose with serenity.”
“In fact, I felt all the visions intensely. I’m finding it difficult to choose. They all satisfy me in some way.”
Sigrid arched one eyebrow. “The five elite specialties?”
“Yes, Mother Specialist. I’m drawn to all of them. They all have qualities my heart yearns for.”
“Good. In that case, the choice has been made. Let’s see if it’s been accepted.”
Gisli and the other Elder Specialists exchanged glances. They were all looking at Lasgol with curiosity in their eyes – and something more: suspicion?
“Let’s find out the Alignment.” Elder Gisli handed the medallions to Sigrid. She in turn handed them to Lasgol, who took them with some anxiety about whatever might be going to happen next.
“Go ahead, serenely,” Sigrid said.
Lasgol dropped them into the fire. The image showed the medallion which bore the symbols of an open human mouth and the profile of a bear.
“Beast Whisperer,” Gisli announced.
They all went on watching as another image appeared.
“Tireless Tracker.”
The Elder Specialists exchanged glances.
A third image appeared above the fire.
“Beast Master.”
Gisli snorted. Ivar moved restlessly.
A fourth image appeared.
“Tireless Tracker.”
The Elder Specialists murmured in surprise. Engla was looking at Annika, and she did not look at all pleased. And lastly, a fifth image appeared.
Man Hunter.
The murmurs grew louder. The Elders began to comment, amid whispers of surprise and denial.
“It can’t be...” Ivar said.
Annika nodded. “And yet it is.”
“Remarkable and unheard-of,” Sigrid said. She was staring at Lasgol, her eyes wide in surprise.
Engla was shaking her head in annoyance. “We’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“There’s no mention of anything like this in our records,” Annika pointed out thoughtfully.
“Two alignments is surprising enough, but five is simply unbelievable,” Ivar objected. “How can this be?”
“That’s what we need to study and understand,” Sigrid said.
“Lasgol is a very interesting anomaly,” Annika said. “We must analyze these unheard-of results and determine their cause, since there must be one.”
“Maybe it’s not such a good idea to analyze it,” Engla put in. “There are forces it’s better not to interfere with...” She waved at the moon and the forests beneath.
Lasgol was listening to the Elders debating as if he were not really present, as if he were listening to them from afar. Now that everything had happened, he felt more relaxed. He was unharmed, and the experiment seemed to have had no adverse effects on him, which reassured him.
“This finding is too important not to be studied, for fear of forces superior to our understanding,” Sigrid said. “That is my feeling.”
“I too feel we need to study and find the key,” Annika agreed. “It might open a new door in our understanding.”
Sigrid pointed beyond the mountains. “We might end up with Specialists in multiple elite specializations simultaneously. It would give our Rangers out there an enormous advantage.”
“You’re talking about creating Superior Specialists,” Engla said. “That’s dangerous, and I don’t agree. The single specialization is the way it’s always been. One elite specialty per pupil. That’s the secret of our success.”
“But a Ranger with several elite specializations would be a prodigy who could deal with practically any situation, no matter how complicated,” said Sigrid. “He could carry out important missions for the King. He’d be able to avoid almost any obstacle or enemy.”
“It’s a concept that’s been tried before,” Ivar said. “Even with magic. And it didn’t end at all well...”
Lasgol did not know what they were referring to, but the conversation interested him. Magic and Superior Rangers? What had they tried to create? What had happened? From what he had heard, it had not ended well...
“Those were other times, other pupils,” said Gisli.
Engla indicated Lasgol. “They were pupils with potential, like him.”
“And all the experiments failed,” said Ivar.
“Not all of them,” Sigrid corrected him. “One came through.”
“By a hair’s breadth,” Engla said.
“Yes, but it worked. And it was a pupil who, judging by his characteristics, would suggest to us that this one too could be a success.”
Engla shook her head. “I don’t want his death, or his madness, on my conscience.”
“Neither do I,” said Ivar. “Let’s follow the Path of the Specialist as we know it. Let’s not alter it, or we may pay dearly for our daring. The methods and rules that have served us so well are the ones we ought to value and encourage.”
Lasgol was beginning to be unhappy about the way this conversation was going. But the potion had made him feel so calm and at ease that he doubted whether he could react, even if someone were to try to stab him in the heart. He was watching the scene as if he were not there, as if the dream were going to end in a moment and he were going to wake up.
“If we don’t adapt to different times and situations,” Annika said, “we won’t evolve and we’ll end up obsolete. It’s one of the basic laws of Nature. Evolve, adapt and survive. Or else perish.”
“I won’t force you to investigate this new path,” said Sigrid. “Nor will I do so on my own if I don’t have your majority support. I want to hear your vote.” She struck the ground with her staff.
Engla folded her arms. “I vote No.”
Ivar’s face was stern. “I vote No.”
“My vote is Yes,” Annika said.
“Mine too is Yes,” said Sigrid.
They all turned to Gisli, who had kept silent and apar
t from the argument. The Elder Specialist of Wildlife glanced at his pupil Lasgol and considered his reply. At last he spoke.
“I agree with Annika: if we don’t evolve and adapt, we’ll perish. The animals teach us that, from the chameleon to the alpine fox. Adapt and survive, or else die. Lasgol is my pupil, and he’s my responsibility. I understand the risks implied by experimenting with him, and they trouble me. I know there’ve been failures... painful ones. But I also believe that Lasgol presents us with a unique opportunity which we must take. A Ranger with five elite specializations would be a force few enemies could fight against out there, as well as a loyal servant for the King. Norghana would benefit immensely. But I’m concerned about Lasgol. My vote is Yes on the condition that Lasgol accepts, of his own free will.”
“Very well, then it’s decided,” Sigrid said. Once again she struck her staff on the ground.
Lasgol understood what was happening. His mind had taken it in and made sense of it. But in the state he was in, he ought not to decide. This he knew, because something in the deepest part of his mind was telling him so. Not to make a decision, not under the effects of the potion, because it was affecting his reasoning.
“I’d like to try something else,” Sigrid said. “It’s something I suspect, but need to prove. In the Schools Test in the Camp, Lasgol passed the four tests. He could have chosen any of the four schools...”
Annika nodded. “I understand. You want to see if the same thing would happen with the other specialties.”
“That’s right. Can we give him more enhancer?”
Lasgol was standing still as a statue, watching everything that went on. Annika raised his eyelids and examined his eyes. Then she took his temperature, his heart rate and his breathing.
“He’s strong as an oak. He’ll be able to bear it.”
“Then let’s experiment,” said Sigrid.
“We shouldn’t...” Engla protested.
Ivar was shaking his head.
Sigrid nodded, and Annika took out the potion and gave it to Lasgol to drink. “It won’t do you any harm, so don’t be troubled.”
Lasgol looked at Gisli, who nodded.
“All right,” Lasgol said. He was not entirely convinced, but neither did he want to refuse. Obviously he was not in full possession of his faculties, so he did not know whether what he was thinking was being influenced or not. But he trusted Sigrid and Gisli. They would not hurt him, so he drank. At once his mind felt numbed, the feeling that he was in a dream became more intense and he felt completely calm. The Elders seemed to be very far away, like blurred outlines. He was trying to tell his mind that he knew they were there in front of him, but his mind was not paying attention.
