Ikrei P.O.V.
“Please open your boxes, Sachears.”
We opened the small boxes given by the Kotari around our classroom. There was a pearl like bead, not much different from the one given by Claimere Freslia. Everyone was waiting for further instructions. Puri, Kletay and Krigsain were missing.
“Place a drop of blood on the magic device.” We did as instructed.
“They are projection devices that work like a floating mirror; where the instructions I have personally prepared for each one of you will appear. The blood has bound the items to you and to me. You just need to transfer a wisp of your energy into it for the pearl to activate. Read them in your rooms.”
We silently nodded.
“Now, let’s talk secrets of the world.”
“Can someone tell me what is the ultimate goal of awakening?” Lord Sarkan asked the class.
“Ascension, to leave this world, sir.” A dark skinned, curly haired Sachear answered.
“And how old is this world?” He posed a question again.
“Over ten thousand years, sage.” A girl responded.
Lord Sarkan accented and went into a monologue.
“We expect you to become prominent kotari, elders and for a couple of you, even sages. Therefore, let me clarify a few things that you wouldn’t know unless you become an elder. For starters, this world of Ladnahlayr, is over seventy thousand years old.”
Most gasped, the Dogran guy was the only one who nodded calmly.
“The world has been shaped and reshaped, built and destroyed many times over. Why do you think people use carts, mount horses and we use carriages? With such a vast period of time, the development of the world should be far more advanced in certain aspects than it currently is. The main reason is control.”
He was looking around making sure his words were being comprehended.
“The development has been intentionally skewed towards magic. Engineering, alchemy and all other disciplines have been directed with the intent to preserve the majority of the ruling power in the hands of the shadow factions. This is the tacit agreement that is in place. The development of magic is far more resource intensive than any other area and among many other fail saves, the common people are shackled through these methods.”
‘Does this mean the shadow factions talk to each other? They can agree to screw over the little guy but are willing to trample on their fellow awakened. This world is bullshit!’
I was getting angry but I couldn’t show it.
“Our conflicts are always difficult and curiously enough, they only continue to increase in complexity. The appearance of beloved ones and blessed ones are proofs of the upcoming major war.”
Sarkan pointed at the empty seat where Krigsain should had been and then to the Dogran guy.
“Today, I’ll tell you one of those sensitive topics with a little story. Once there was an elder of our order that defected and became a servant of Zur. He grew tired of reincarnating and watching his beloved ones die over and over. War, struggle, deceit, many things afflicted his heart. He wanted to ascend, he was done. And in exchange for many of our secrets and his area of expertise, Zur offered help. He betrayed us and our blades couldn’t reach him, the intervention of Zur prevented it.”
Murmurs immediately broke through the classroom.
‘What about the binding? The oaths, the rituals? Sensitive topics alright.’
“Ugra Ladnah, the Revealing of Ladnah or as it is known to all factions, the trial of the gods. This trial allows for someone to change allegiances from one god to another in a current life.”
The murmurs intensified, even Ciel and Iru looked perturbed. The Dogran guy was the only one that was impassive.
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“You have to be a being of special interest for the intervening gods, it is not a simple matter. As beloved ones appear in times of need, they too do likewise. They are also exceptional individuals. Some of you will be tempted now that you are young and inexperienced, comparatively speaking to us, your elders. There are many advantages that the other factions can offer, we are not so arrogant as to believe that we are absolute like those in the upper echelons of the empire or the zealots of Zur.”
He glanced towards the Dogran guy. The ‘beau prince’ just nodded with a smile.
“These people under the influence of this special trial are outside our purview. They are called deviators. They go against their orders to serve another, traitors. I tell you all this because there is a deviator among us, maybe more than one.”
Silence.
“As you have heard these past few days, there was quite a commotion caused by your fellow Sachears lead by your absentee beloved one. They acted unilaterally as bait to draw the deviator’s accomplices towards them. This is UNACCEPTABLE!”
An intense pressure filled the room. Sage Sarkan’s golden hair floated like tendrils.
“Argh!”
I couldn’t breathe properly. I was flailing my arms like an idiot, gasping for air. Ciel and Iru were doing no better.
‘I can’t control myself. Help me great Will!’
“Gurg! Argh!” Ciel’s nails were scratching the wood.
Iru was turning pale.
“Why are you overstepping the safeguards we carefully crafted for you? Because the Will told you to? Is it because a beloved one told you that the Will was guiding him?”
“Argh!”
‘Somebody help me!’
“If the Will was truly guiding you all, your sister wouldn’t have been on the verge of death when she returned! Did you accomplish what you set out to do? The answer is debatable. Therefore, in my eyes it is a failure! Presumptuous!”
An immense force caused my head to bang itself against the wooden furniture. I almost fainted.
“The Will told me. Ha! Soon enough you will be sounding like the Zurians do. God told me this, god told me that! There will always be chosen ones, still the Andurin order stands above it all. If the elders are wrong, then the Will must intervene. Are you the personification of the Will? Why have you kept silent if that’s the case? Presumptuous!”
The pressure on my body disappeared. A bang was heard from behind. It was Iru’s turn to get pummeled.
“Why do you think your future brother Isoray is here? Do you think the eldership is blind to the tendencies Krigsain displays? A Thresen disobeying orders? The Thresen have bled and died for the Andurian cause for millennia and not once have they ever done what you have done. Of the lot, I expected you to stand on the side of reason, you disgrace your grandfather. Presumptuous!”
An incredible loud bang was heard. The furniture cracked and Ciel completely passed out.
“We will decide what to do with you when Lord Akathos returns. The Patriarch and the Archsage will surely send their word with him. A reckless chosen one is useless to our cause. I must correct that; he is my charge after all.”
With my blurry vision I could see the Dogran guy almost laughing. The rest of the group was deathly still.
“Let this be a lesson to you all. Because of all the circumstances explained, we will have to take measures of strict surveillance from here on out. Do not deviate from the instructions given to you inside the magic pearls, they are for your eyes only. If you find anything suspicious report only to me, using the mirror. Ask your assistants on how to use it if you need to.”
Lord Sarkan motioned for our troublemaking trio to be removed from the classroom.
“Take the rest of the day to meditate and prepare your training will be even harder, we will reconvene here in thirty-two days. Dismissed.”
I was groggily dragged out of the room by the guarding Kotari.
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Darin P.O.V.
‘It has been decades since I last came here.’
I walked slowly through the orgon cave, the stridulating caused by the eight legged cracklers was a warning. I kept going down the cave while being surrounded by hundreds of orgon fed spiders. They are dangerous but not something I cannot handle with one exception, their Queen.
Before long, in the underground tunnels of the orgon deposits I stood before her. A magnificent magical beast, large, her core emission was powerful. She was asserting her dominance.
‘She would be classified as an insect, technically.’
“It has been many moons and many suns Queen.” I greeted her.
“I never expected you to return human, what brings you here?” Her hissing voice was still uncomfortable.
“I have a Sachear that requires training. We need your help.”
“A seal coin in his or her hand would have sufficed, there is no need for you to come for this request.”
“His training must be done by yourself, Queen. Please use your abilities.” I explained.
“Oh, so you found someone like you? You want me to train the Sachear under the same conditions then.”
“Be throughout this time, just don’t kill him.”
“The more I see of you, the less I understand you humans. If we go that far, it is not that different from torture. Since this will be a special case, I expect the corresponding payment.”
“It will be done Queen. He will be here tomorrow and stay here for twenty days.”
“Twenty days? He could break by the end of the third. He must be an exceptional one, somehow I am intrigued.” The hissing kept bothering me.
“He’ll return later on too, once he condenses everything he needs to learn. You can explore at your leisure when that happens.” I adjusted my cloak and nodded slightly.
“Let me see your plan.” I presented my forehead to the Queen.
She gently tapped it with one of her legs. Information flowed into her as our minds communed.
“I am glad we are not enemies, human. Your methods are vicious.” She opined.
“Only when necessary, Queen.”
‘I hope everything goes as planned. Sorry my brother, master’s orders.’