Over the next day, Alnor drilled all of them – but mostly Caeus about how the stones inserted into the weapons worked. They were all given a sword imbued with a smaller version of the stone that they used to pass the test. Supposedly, if you channeled your energy into the stone while holding the sword – you could direct the energy outwards. Caeus had never heard of channeling your energy and didn’t have the faintest idea how to even begin to do this. The idea that he had powers all this time seemed ludicrous to him.
Alnor showed them a small demonstration just outside the city walls. The nearly opaque shield still hovered for about another half kilometer beyond the walls, so there wasn’t any danger of any monsters breaking through to where they were at. Still, it was the first time Caues had ever been outside the city and so those first couple steps out filled him with a nameless fear. He was awed at the size of the open world around them. Dried, cake earth with strange yellowed grass that crunched under his feet at they trained.
Rocky looking slopes lead to mountains in the distance that must house the Cradle of the Gods, he knew the city was at the top of one of those famed mountains. The snow capped peaks looked almost comforting to Caeus after all his time seeing rock walls around him. It was the sky that bothered him the most, the way it seemed like he could just fall into the never-ending light blue, like there was nothing holding him down. And he was constantly reminded of the sun beating down on his back and slicking his arms with sweat.
Alnor’s voice reached him, and he realized he’d completely missed what he said – so absorbed he was in the strange blue sky hovering above him. Alnor raised his sword. A large beam of white-hot fire shot out from it and burned straight through a narrow tree some ways into the distance. Smoke blew out from the hole in the tree, and he could smell the smoke and the strange woodsy smell of trees – unfamiliar to him from all his time underground.
“It will be stronger, when you have passed the trial. But the stone should bring out your powers.” Alnor said. “If you will demonstrate, Reya?” Alnor asked the girl with the lightning headband. Reya, so that was her name. She simply picked up one of the swords, pointed it at the same tree impossibly far off that Alnor had struck.
Lightning exploded outwards from the sword, crackling so loud Caeus ducked, covering his ears as the lightning shattered the tree. He glanced to the others, embarrassed by his reaction. But their faces were pale and pinched as his must be, except Mereum who appeared almost bored and one short boy who was just frowning at the display.
Alnor merely nodded and Reya handed the sword back to him, stepping back with the others. Alnor had all of them test their swords, but Caeus and Mereum were the only ones who couldn’t get theirs to work. Mereum insisted nothing would happen with hers, that seers were not gifted with offensive powers like the others. The way she said it made it seem like she was hiding something. After all, her stone had glowed the brightest of anyone – that had to mean she had some potential, right?
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“Go ahead boy.” Alnor’s gruff voice came from behind him, as he lightly nudged him to the swords. Caeus grabbed one of the swords, staring at the stone inside and wondering what, if any reaction he would get from it. He aimed it sword at the tree, trying to focus his energy as they said and… Nothing. He heard a snicker from behind him, Caeus’ face turned bright red in anger and he turned back. Alnor grabbed him, pushing the pommel down. The short boy was laughing at him, and he bunched his fists. Mereum looked almost disinterested when he stared at him and Reya… Reya looked at him with an intensity that had him almost stepping back.
“That’s just your first attempt.” Alnor said. “You have the day to figure it out.”
Not all of them had powers like Reya’s or Alnor’s, that physical attacked at a distance. The short boy, when he grabbed his – his body seemed to shift, becoming taller and more muscular, his teeth lengthening and he moved with a quickness that was more than human. One of the girls went invisible when she grabbed hers, and for one – the earth shifted slightly beneath them when they grabbed it as if from a deep rumble.
But for Caeus… None of them knew, Caeus least of all what kind of power he could potentially have. A sinking feeling in his gut rose that maybe his luck hadn’t turned after all, that maybe fate had an even worse twist for him. Maybe he’d be the first one to die, picked just to get slaughtered by some monster outside of the city on the first day.
After a long day of fruitless trying, Alnor sighed as the sun set in the distance. A truly beautiful sight, to see the orange sunlight glowing in the distance as it collapsed over the distant mountain peaks. Strangely beautiful when compared to his dour mood. Caeus wondered suddenly how many suns he would get to see, if he had no power to protect him all the way to the Cradle of the Gods.
“That is all the time we have.” Alnor told Caeus. He motioned to the others. “Most of them have trained for months, for years to start to harness their powers. Many don’t figure them out until they have to, until they are under extreme stress. It is likely your powers just need time to attune to the stone, or that it will happen only when you truly need it.” Alnor’s assurance that it would come when he ‘really needed it’ did little to assure Caeus that he would survive in the deadlands.
“Don’t worry.” Mereum said from behind him, grabbing his shoulder. “I picked you for a reason, Caeus. Your powers will come in time.” Caeus nodded, doing his best to not look like he was about to crumble down in fear that they were going well outside the city walls, with nothing but these swords to protect them.
Mereum let his arm go and Caeus stood for a moment longer looking at the setting orange sun. He turned back, suddenly wondering if Mereum could be at all more specific as to what kind of powers he had. If she’d seen anything, but she was already heading back with the others.
Alnor stood watching him, seeming to read the expression on his face. “You want my advice, stick close to Reya and run fast.” Alnor said. Caeus could have laughed if he didn’t look so serious. What was out there that could make even a Blessed look that serious? He’d heard stories of harpies, hydra’s, of three headed dogs. But they’d always seemed so distant, so far away from his own world that they might as well have been myths. He had a sinking feeling he was going to know them very well soon enough.