Author's Notes:
Hello, guys. Here's the third chapter. Hope you enjoy. Comments and criticisms appreciated.
Edit: Woops. Had an error in the title.
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Johan woke up before sunrise. His heart was already thumping hard, and calming himself was a struggle. He did light morning stretches and push-ups to take his mind off of things, and then sat down to meditate. There was a lot of anxiety in his heart, and he wanted to go into this situation as clear headed as possible.
He sat there for an hour, letting thoughts ease in and out of his mind. The sun began to crawl into the sky, painting everything a dim orange. He opened his eyes and called the name of the wind. He reached out his hand and made the wind caress his hand and travel between each of his fingers. His brow furrowed from the concentration it required, and a mild headache set in. After a minute of controlling the wind, he laid back and relaxed; the exercise taxed him a bit but it gave the feeling of a great workout.
He climbed down from the roof and went to the Forum to wait in line. No one was there yet. The only sound that could be heard was the gentle cooing of the wind. He stepped in front of the Academy Trial House door, sat down, and closed his eyes. Within minutes, a mob of youths excitedly ran up to the door, lining up behind him. He ignored it and continued sitting down in silence, trying to put himself in the right mood to tackle this situation.
People were talking excitedly until the door cracked open, and a volcanic voice called for the first applicant to come in. Johan's heart began to thump violently, and his hands became clammy. He stepped in and saw three men sitting behind a long table, their gazes fixed on him. Each of them wore a long deep-purple gown and had their cowls pulled back, revealing their aged, weathered faces. Before Johan could speak, the owner of the volcanic voice stepped in front of him.
"Payment," the man said.
"What? How much?" Johan asked.
"30 silver," he said. "Pay up or get out."
Johan grudgingly dug in his pocket and fished out 30 silver coins. He brought some money from his stash just in case something like this happened. Of course Darin would forget to mention the small fact that one had to pay to try out.
The man stepped out of his way and let him present himself to the three men at the table. Johan bowed respectfully, and awaited instruction.
"Tell us about yourself, kid," the first man said.
Johan fidgeted in place, "My name is Johan and I'm 14 years old. I'm from Fallon's Orphanage in the Lower City."
"Must be rough," the first man said. "Have you had any practice in the arts?"
"None, sir."
"Johan, there are hundreds of students out there that have been training in the arts since they were little. Why should we give this spot to you?"
"I'm confident that I can surpass all of them, if given the chance. I just need the books. That's the only thing holding me back."
The third man snorted and said, "You've got a mouth on you, peasant."
Johan stayed silent and gave the third man a withering look. The man sat back in his chair, his eyes hard and feral, waiting. Johan didn't respond. He didn't want to give that man a reason to kick him out. They held each others gaze. Neither of them were willing to back down.
"Well, let's get on with it," the second man said. "By the looks of it, your spark is still unrefined. What will you be showing us?"
Johan stared at the third man for a little longer, then turned his head to face the second man. He closed his eyes and took two deep breaths, ignoring the jeers from the third man at the table. His mind went silent and a gentle calm came over him, melting all of the anxiety away. Then he spoke the name of the wind. The wind blew at the table, scattering several papers and writing utensils. The first and second men gaped, while the third man just sneered.
"That's enough," the first man said. "You said you were never taught?"
"That's right sir."
"When did you learn the name of the wind," the second man asked.
"I learned it yesterday. I can't use it for—"
"Who cares?" the third man broke in. "Are we really gonna waste a spot on this kid? He has no connections, no family, no status, and he's a titan."
"Yeah, but—" Johan said.
"He came up with the name of the wind on his own though," the first man said. "Assuming he's telling the truth."
The three men at the table gave him a calculating look that made Johan fidget.
"He's not getting my vote, so you might as well send him out," the third man said, breaking the brief silence. "Unless you're gonna sponsor him."
"That's..." the first man paused for a long moment. "I'm sorry, Johan, but we—"
"I'll sponsor him," the second man said.
Johan stood there watching everything unfold, unsure of how he should feel. The third man glowered at the second man, while the first man looked indifferent.
"Welcome to the Academy, Johan," the second man said.
"Wait a minute. What's the catch? What does it mean to sponsor?"
"It means that I'll put you through the academy. Your tuition is waived and you'll be given an allowance. However, if your grades aren't up to par then..." he shrugged. "You'll be my slave and you'll spend the rest of your life working to earn back what I invested in you."
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Johan rubbed his chin in deep thought and then said, "How do you benefit from me doing well?"
"If I bring a talent into the school, I'll naturally be rewarded," he said. "Anything that increases the prestige of the school is a plus. You'll learn more about it later, go to the Upper City and wait for further instruction."
"May I visit a friend before I leave?"
"Go ahead, but before that..."
The second man pulled out a silver tablet from under the table, fished a chiseling tool out from the sleeve of his robe, and then began etching away. It only took a moment before he was done and gestured for Johan to come over.
"This is your new identification tablet," he said. "With this you can travel to the Upper City without running into any trouble."
Johan frantically stuffed the tablet into his pocket, afraid that he would change his mind. The man only looked at him with faint amusement. Then he stepped back, bowed deeply and promptly walked out of the building. His face was very serious when he stepped out of the building, and, because he headed in the direction of the Lower City, some people on line seemed to assume that he failed. They laughed at him as he walked off, but Johan didn't even glance at them.
Johan walked slowly down Scholar's Path to Fallon's Orphanage. He didn't take any shortcuts; he wanted to enjoy his last stroll through the slums. His heart was beating fast and hard, contrary to his extremely slow pace. His body was trembling and his steps were unsteady. Before he reached Fallon's Orphanage, he spotted Darin ahead of him, in front of a food cart.
"Yo, Darin!" Johan said.
Darin whipped his head in Johan's direction, "You took the test already? What's the news!?"
"I got accepted," Johan puffed out his chest proudly. "I'm about to head to the Upper City. Tag along."
They began to walk back up Scholar's Path towards the Upper City. The sun hung high over them, beaming brightly and energetically. Johan took a last look around him. The buildings were tattered, dingy, and on the verge of collapsing; people lay in the streets baking in the hot sun; shaggy animals scurry here and there scavenging for food. Yet it felt comfortable to him. This is the life he had become accustomed to.
"The trial was kind of annoying," Johan said. "Those three people had complete control over my fate at that moment. If they said no, then I'd be out 30 silver coins and sent back to the slums. I hate feeling powerless..."
"Well, this is your chance to change, Johan..."
"Yeah. You'll be hearing stories about how amazing I am in a few years," Johan said and then started to laugh.
"I don't doubt it..."
"Listen, I have two money stashes in the city—"
"Stop, you might need it."
"I'm getting an allowance, I'll be fine," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "The first stash is in a buried in the dirt underneath a crate behind the bath house. The second stash is buried next to the bush underneath the tree at the orphanage; it's marked with three rocks sitting side-by-side, so you'll know."
"Johan, I—"
"There should be about 120 silver coins all together. Use it to get where you need to go."
Darin's eyes started to moisten. He blinked the tears away and rubbed at his face. Johan sighed and put arm hand over his shoulder.
"Come on, Darin. I'll feel bad if I have to leave with you crying like this." he said, his voice starting to crack. "When I visit the orphanage, you better not be there. You better be in Abramiln working your ass off. Got it?"
Darin nodded and wiped his tears away. They arrived at the base of the endless stone stairs that led to the Upper City. The steep stone stairs looked as if they were carved into the face of the mountain. Numerous youths darted past them and bounded up the stairs with feline grace.
"Well," Johan said. "I'll come visit you when I graduate, brother."
"Show them who's boss," Darin said between sniffles.
"I'll do that. Take care of yourself."
Johan gave him a big bear hug and then began to ascend the stairs. He glanced back after a few steps and saw Darin standing exactly where he left him, watching him go, his eyes red from the tears. Johan waved goodbye, turned around before Darin could see him cry, and then began trekking up the stairs. There were numerous kids walking up at the same time, but the stairs were wide enough to fit four men, side-by-side, so it wasn't too cramped.
There were youths constantly darting past him, very nearly hitting him on occasion. By the looks of it, most of them were using their spark to strengthen their muscles, giving them frightening speed and stamina. Johan shook his head and continued walking.
This isn't race. Whether you get there first or last, we're all going to the same place.
Johan ascended the stairs slowly, wanting to enjoy his last moments of peace before starting his new life.