In the silence that suddenly pervaded the clearing, the Archdruid’s voice rang out all the more clearly. “Today is neither the longest nor shortest day of the year. For what reason have I been summoned from my studies?”
His words were soft, but something about them made the very air around Jeb tremble. The Magic that had settled around Jeb like a mantle since increasing his Tier was cast away. Jeb had never met the President of the Republic, but he could not imagine that he was any more powerful than the Druid standing before Jeb.
Reality had seemed to shift in the presence of all the Circle leaders. In the presence of the Archdruid, it was actively reshaping itself. Each breath that Jeb took in was cleaner than the one before. Civilization and all that it entailed eroded where the Archdruid moved, and Jeb had to wonder if that was why he remained mostly secluded.
His musings were interrupted by the bickering of each of the Druids. Even if they were not as awestruck at the power radiating from the man, it was clear that their behavior changed in front of him. No longer were they proud leaders, each carefully plotting their own triumph over one another. Now they acted as little more than children shouting at their father as though being loudest would gain his favor.
The Archdruid listened quietly, reinforcing the paternal air. Jeb was reminded of the way that his own father had stood quietly by as he and his sister bickered over something trivial. He found himself remembering one particular time when the two of them had argued over who had the proper claim to eating the last cookie.
Each had presented impassioned claims for why they needed the sugary treat, and his father had let the two of them talk to exhaustion. When they had finished, he nodded solemnly. He slowly grabbed the cookie, and both Jeb and his sister expected him to break the cookie in half, as had happened so many times in the past. Instead, suddenly breaking out into a cheerful grin, his father took a large bite out of the cookie and chewed with obvious relish.
After he swallowed, he spoke over his children’s stunned silence, “it is important for you to learn that when both of you fight against each other for the same prize, someone else may take it instead.” The two had taken the lesson to heart. Half a cookie was absolutely far better than no cookie, after all.
Shaking himself from the memory, Jeb realized why it had come to mind. The expression on the Archdruid’s face was almost identical to the one his father had worn when biting into the cookie, even down to the mischievous twinkle in his eye. When the blame had fully settled on the Druids of Swarms and Trees, he gestured for them to step forward.
“I can tell from the residue,” he waved a hand and all of the roots, lights, and other Magical effects in the clearing suddenly vanished, “that the two of you were the ones who initiated the call.”
The two nodded, and Jeb waited for them to speak. Before they could, however, the Archdruid turned slightly and made eye contact with him. Jeb suddenly found himself hovering in mid air directly in front of the Archdruid.
It was a strange feeling. Gravity hadn’t disappeared, the air beneath him was just as solid as stone.
No, that isn’t quite true, Jeb amended his thoughts. The air was not solid, it was simply pushing up with a force that counteracted the pull of gravity on him. He was tempted to fall limp to see what that would do to the effect, but the Archdruid’s eyes killed that thought.
Looking into them, Jeb instantly lost himself. The man in the cloak of stars returned, drawn by the lure of untamed Magic. Unlike during his travels, however, Jeb was able to pull himself back in control of his own mind. He still could not control his body, and watched as the part of him that had given itself over to Magic entirely puppeted his body.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
The Follower, as Jeb decided to think of that shade of himself, stood at perfect attention. The Follower would happily comply with whatever the Archdruid wanted.
With another casual wave of his hand, Jeb found himself spinning in a slow circle. As his eye contact with the Archdruid broke, he was able to wrest control of his body back from the Follower. When he had completed a full loop, however, the Archdruid’s eyes once again enspelled him.
“You are no Druid.” Unlike every other word the Archdruid had spoken, these were not quiet. The land and air called back their agreement, echoing the Archdruid’s words “no Druid, no Druid.”
“No, I am not,” the Follower agreed stoically. Jeb found himself somewhat grateful that the Follower had taken control of his body. There was no way that he would have been so calm after the world around him spoke.
“You can Speak.” Once again, it was not a question. Once again, the world around them cried out, “Speak!”
“I can,” the Follower said. Something in his tone resonated with the world, and Jeb felt the air around him thrum.
The Archdruid nodded once, and Jeb was again standing where he had been, once more fully in control of his body. If he hadn’t seen the looks of admiration and horror on the faces of each Circle leader, he might have thought he had imagined the interaction. As it was, though, Jeb was simply grateful that he had apparently passed whatever test the Archdruid had just given him. He had no doubts that, should he have failed the test, he would not have reappeared after being dismissed from the air.
The Archdruid raised a hand and the two Druids who had brought Jeb to the clearing were suddenly cloaked in what were clearly their robes of office. The other Druids took the hint and shifted into ornate garb. Even the creature that reminded Jeb of Bearson was bedecked, though only in ornaments of bleached bone and stone.
When Jeb once again looked at the Archdruid, he was no longer wearing the simple robe he had first appeared in. Or, at least, the robe was no longer as simple as it had appeared. Each stitch radiated a sense of pure ownership, and Jeb saw careful embroideries woven not simply through the fabric, but into dimensions of Magic and time. The staff had sprouted a few leaves and gave off the feeling of growth and life. The Archdruid’s other hand was empty, and Jeb felt the emptiness of death radiating from it. Seeing the two opposing powers so intermeshed in the person of the Archdruid, Jeb suddenly understood what Druidic Magic was at its core. Far from being simply a more primitive Ritual Magic, Druidic Magic was where nature and reality met Magic.
“You have done well to summon me. Jeb, partial heir to a broken and reforged name, you have come to the Enclave of your own free will. You stand now before the assembled Circles. Do you, of your own will, accept the burden of the trials?”
“Um,” Jeb said, breaking out in a sweat. The words had a formal cadence that let him know there was an expected response. Unable to think of what it could be, he replied, “I think so?”
“Then a Trialist you shall be. What Circle lays claim to the Seeker, seeing in him a partial understanding that sings to theirs?”
“The Circle of Swarming Insects lays a claim to the Seeker.” The Druid was covered in not simply locusts, but every kind of swarming bug that Jeb had heard of, and plenty more that he had not. The bugs echoed his words, and the Archdruid nodded.
“The Circle of Living Wood lays a claim to the Seeker.” The wooden woman spoke with a symphony of voices, and Jeb saw a rainbow blazing in her eyes. Once again, the Archdruid nodded, and the construct stepped back. Jeb expected the ceremony to end there, and so he was surprised when another Druid stepped forward.
“The Circle of Stars lays a claim to the Seeker.” A Druid wearing robes that matched Jeb’s own stepped out. She radiated the coldness of space unfilled.
“The Circle of the Wild lays a claim to the Seeker,” the Bear called out. His tone was hesitant, as though afraid of reprisal from the Archdruid.
One by one, each Circle’s representative stepped forward to lay a claim on Jeb’s education. Whether that was standard or not, Jeb did not know. Seeing the shock on the Swarming Druid’s face, however, he had to assume it was not.
“I find merit in each Circle’s claim to the Trialist. To find the Circle you will join, you will be tasked with many burdens. As you come to us as one tainted by broken understandings, these trials will break down the flaws in your thinking. As you come to us strong, these trials will make you weak. As you come to us in humility, these trials will make you proud. And, as you come to us in good faith, these trials will respond as such.”
Each proclamation the Archdruid made resonated deep into the earth. Jeb suddenly found himself wondering, what, exactly he had just agreed to. Before he could ask, the Archdruid waved a hand, and Jeb fell to the ground, consciousness fading.
“The first trial will begin when he awakes,” were the last words Jeb heard before the darkness overtook him.