> Mahina Gardner,
>
> In recognition of your exceptional field test results, we are pleased to invite you to attend the undergraduate entrance examination being held on the first day of summer, 3146, for study at the Qalarian Academy of the Artes. Present this letter upon arrival.
>
> Should you be granted admission, we are prepared to offer you a full scholarship conditional on academic performance, covering your undergraduate tuition, room and board. Your admissions officer will discuss the terms and conditions of this off with you after your successful examination.
>
> Enclosed you will find a small selection of introductory training manuals for awakening your potential. We encourage you to read each one thoroughly, and to practice the exercises daily. Admission is conditional on satisfactory independent progress with these exercises.
>
> The academy reminds you that admission confers preliminary Qalarian citizenship, with all of the rights and responsibilities that this entails.
>
> Warm regards,
>
> Phillis Yander
>
> Head of Admissions
>
> Qalarian Academy of the Artes
Hina put the letter back into her pocket with a smile. She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder and they set out, walking parallel to the road. It was slow going, walking around trees and bushes and over rocky ground.
She had read the letter over and over again, but it still didn’t seem real. It had just appeared on her pillow, the morning after she'd met the recruiter in the bakery. She had been dreaming of this day for so long, and now it was here. She was going to the Academy. She was on her way.
Even with the complications.
If the academy worked out, if she passed the exam and was admitted, Hina wouldn't have to go back to Grambe ever again, if she didn't want to.
And she didn't want to.
Even putting the—putting aside that she was a fugitive, she didn't want to go back. Not ever.
The academy was both her best chance at freedom, and what she had been dreaming of for all of her life.
It was a lot to take in.
She just had to get to the city, and then she could start her new life. When she arrived, she would have to study of course, and study hard. But that wasn't new or unexpected.
Hina was well aware that the education she had received in Grambe had been woefully inadequate, but the hundreds of hours that she had spent in the Grambe library had to be worth something. She'd read everything she could get her hands on, everything that she could bring herself to be interested by, and while the Grambe library was small—perhaps a couple of hundred books in total—it gave her a decent starting point. She hoped it would be enough.
But that was all in the future. Weeks away from being what she had to worry about. For now, she had to get there. They had to get there safely.
And that was going to be a challenge.
But maybe the exercises could help. She would have to practice them every day, one way or another. If she was lucky, something in there would help them get through the dangers of the journey.
If something had come along while they had been sleeping off the effects of the thorns... Or even if they had slept longer and the thorns had grown closer.
They had been lucky.
And luck wasn't something that they should be relying on. Luck ran out.
So they had to be prepared. Hina had to be prepared.
Ahead of her was a clear stretch of grassy ground, no obstacles in the way—she could walk and read. She took out the first exercise from the academy letter, a thick yellowed card printed with block letters.
> Cycling Potentia for the Practitioner-Aspirant
>
> Potentia, the source from which all power stems, is omnipresent within the natural environment, occupying wholy spiritual space that overlaps with the physical. It may be drawn from the natural environment and transformed by a practitioner into neutral power, which may be used in any number of workings.
>
> The process of transforming natural potentia into neutral power was developed in antiquity, and remains largely unchanged to this day.
>
> The process consists of the following steps:
>
> 1. Find a peaceful space, free from distractions. Tranquility is recommended but not required. Aspirants who experience difficulty in sensing potentia are recommended to seek an outdoor space under the light of the sun. Flowing water and environs with an aspect of growth, e.g. growing plants may also be helpful.
>
> Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
>
> 2. Adopt a tranquil state of mind free of all stray thoughts and images. Cultivate acceptance of the true self and a spirit of openness to the wider world. Closed eyes are recommended until the correct state of mind can be triggered reliably.
>
> 3. Feel the winds of potentia brushing against the edges of one's ambit, the edge of one's influence. The quality and nature of that potentia will vary by location, but even a poor location is sufficient for the suitably prepared aspirant.
>
> 4. Without moving physically, draw the potentia inward with a pulling action. Hold for a moment, and then relax and allow the potentia to flow away. Various metaphors and images may be helpful for visualisation. The analogue to breathing is a common and helpful association, i.e. draw potentia in through one's ambit on the in-breath and release on the out-breath. Care must be taken to avoid using metaphorical associations as a crutch, which may stunt a practitioner's future development.
>
> 5. Repeat the in-out cycle. Beginning practitioners should cycle for no more than thirty minutes per day. The most important thing is to listen to one's body, and not to cycle beyond one's own internal limitations, as these will develop with time. With time and experience, the aspirant may extend their cycling up to one to two hours per day, but no more. Personalised assistance should be sought out beyond this point.
>
> Note well: the aspirant should under no circumstances engage in the meditation of a sign or pattern while cycling at this early stage in their development.
Hina put the envelope back into her pocket while she considered the card. She'd read it before, of course. She'd read through both the letter and the exercises several times, and attempted this exercise many times.
There wasn't anything in this one that seemed like it would help with the journey, not directly, at least. And the other one was similar—they both had the air of being foundational, rather than being directly practical. But there were hints and implications that seemed promising. Perhaps succeeding with the exercises along with a little more information would be enough.
She wasn't sure where she was going to find that information, but there had to be some way to get it. She'd have to ask around when they were in towns and when they met with other likely people. Brampton was the first city along their route—maybe there were some practitioners there that she could ask.
And in the meantime, she would have to practice what she had.
Success with these exercises would be part of the admissions exam, and she had to be ready for it. Was going to be ready for it.
Failure was not an option.
But the problem was that Hina hadn't had any success with the exercises so far. And this one was the most basic of them all—foundational. If she couldn't do this one, she wouldn't be able to do any of them.
When she'd sat down to practice in her bedroom at Grambe, the most she'd been able to feel was a slight tingling—and that might have been her imagination.
But maybe a change of location would help. Her bedroom hadn't been the most tranquil place in the world, after all.
Hina resolved to try again—after lunch. As many times as it took.
Her stomach rumbled.
The sun was high. Ahead was a break in the trees, the curve of the road visible in the distance. Perhaps it was time to stop for lunch.
"Let's stop for lunch over there?" she said.
"Yes, I'm starving. I didn't want to say anything, you seemed lost in thought."
Hina walked off the path onto a grassy patch and sat. It felt good to stop—her legs and feet ached. She wiped her face with her hands—carefully, her face was swollen and tender to the touch.
She slipped her bag off her shoulder, let it fall to the ground and lay back. "Give me a minute," she said.
They hadn't even come that far. And Hina wasn't unfamiliar with walking, but she could already feel blisters forming where her feet met the straps of her sandals.
Hina reveled in the luxury of being off her feet for a few moments longer, then sat up. There was a lot to do.
But first, food.
"What are we having?"
She opened up her bag and started sorting through it. "Today we have a selection of the finest local delicaces: crusty bread and sharp cheese."
"Fancy."
Hina pulled out a loaf of round bread that was more than a little bit stale. She ripped it in half with two hands, passing one half to Kai and taking a bite from her own.
It was good bread. Lagi rarely woke up early enough to help with the bread these days. Or he had rarely woken up early enough. The thought left a dull ache in her chest.
She found the cheese and passed some to Kai before biting into her own. It was beautiful: salty, tangy and delicious. A fine distraction, and a great accompaniment to the bread.
Before she knew it, bread and cheese were gone, leaving only a faint sense of satisfaction.
"I'm going to be sad when we run out of bread."
"We'll get more." Kai paused. "How long until we get some more?"
"Maybe a week of walking before we stop in any towns? We're good for a bit longer, but I figure that's about where it'll be safest to show our faces. Maybe a day or two earlier if we need to."
"It'll be fine. We keep going until sunset?"
"Maybe a bit before? It'll take a while to set up camp," Hina said. "But let's sit and rest a while here before we get going again? I want to try this." She flourished the exercise card.
Digging into his bag, Kai pulled out a battered paperback book: The Blood Queen. "I'll be here if you need me."
Hina read through the card again, then crossed her legs and closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing.
The sun was warm on her face, and there was a faint breeze, the grass smelled fresh and full of life. She could feel a connection—like she was closer to the world, more in touch with it. And hopefully with the energies of the world.
There was an electric crackle of energy at the edge of her awareness, just beyond her skin. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not—her wanting.
Hina focused on her breathing, in and out, and nothing else: she was a being, an entity, embodied within the moment.
The crackling energy around her intensified. She breathed in and out and in.
And on that last breath a hint of something buzzing and powerful came with the air into her lungs.
Hina breathed in potentia.
She felt a jolt of pure power and a sense of rightness. Like she was on the edge of transcendence, more real than reality, like the world existed to respond to her desires.
And then it was gone. The feeling faded, leaving her drained. She buzzed with left-over energy, but under it was a bone-deep weariness that felt like it went deeper than the physical.
She lay back on the grass while she caught her breath.
The memory of power was right there. And Hina wanted more.