"Yet, there were four of you against one. Surprise was on both sides, but it should have favored you." Gumnik said, his voice clearly carrying disapproval.
"Why is that?", he asked of the group. Gumnik paused, looking each of them in the eye. Relar felt a chill despite the sun's warmth. Gumnik's gaze was piercing, reading their reactions, assessing.
Master Gumnik stood with his arms crossed, his face etched with lines of disappointment. The team huddled before him, the excitement of their earlier victory evaporating under his stern gaze. The four of them had waited at the meeting place, the stone beneath them still warm from the day's sun. The triumphant air that had buoyed their spirits upon their return had quickly dissipated as time trickled by and the reality of their hasty retreat settled in. They had been the first ones back, by far, and the Master wasn't happy with what they had to say.
"Shadow Stalkers are ambush hunters. It would have been much worse otherwise" Lorena finally said.
"You went into the challenge like fledglings leaving the nest for the first time—no plan, no strategy, no coordination," Gumnik chastised them. "You didn't discuss how you would handle an attack or organize a defense. Light forbid something like preparation for an ambush. You all got in the way of each other. And it cost you everything.
Relar's cheeks burned with shame. The master was right.
Gumnik continued, "You didn't share your powers or any notes on the timing necessary for your powers. Yes casters need to be able to deal with surprising circumstances, but that doesn't mean blinding yourself. A caster's strength lies as much in preparation as it does in execution."
Relar glanced at his teammates. They all shared in the discomfort, their gazes locked on the ground or flickering away from Gumnik's disapproving eyes. Relar picked at the hem of his sleeve, the fabric foreign against his skin now that he was no longer fighting for his life. Beside him, Mai shifted her weight from foot to foot.
"And gear," Gumnik added with a sharp gesture towards the beacon. "You could have checked what gear you would have through the challenge interface before transitioning. But you did not."
He sighed heavily, a mix of frustration and concern bleeding through his typically unshakeable demeanor.
"This scenario was indeed designed to test your readiness—or lack thereof," he said. "It counted on minimal preparation from students, but even by those standards, your performance was lacking."
"Being the first team back is not a badge of honor in this case—it means you failed fastest. And now," he paused, locking eyes with the team in turn, "you are missing crucial training time because you cannot enter another challenge for twenty-four hours."
Relar," he turned to face him directly, "what use is summoning a spirit if you can't use it in the moment? You relied on the wrong tool in the moment and cost the team dearly."
Relar swallowed hard, words failing him. He had known that the fight changed little due to the help of Fletch. He hadn't thought about tactics, he had just wanted to use his pages as the others.
Gumnik moved closer to Mai. "You should have been the hammer and shield with your earth powers."
"You and Kian," Gumnik said as he turned towards him next, " could have had this alone. But instead of overwhelming it, you basically did the monsters work for it."
Mai nodded silently, confidence replaced by solemn reflection. Kian's shoulders slumped under the critique.
"Lorena," Gumnik's tone incredulous. "You wanted to show off. Sacrifice is only noble if it means something. What you did didn't help anyone."
Lorena's gaze dropped to her boots.
"This exercise is your drop into water. Sink or swim. And you sunk. But that is the lesson for all. I really hope you learned it harder than most. Adaptability and resourcefulness with minimal preparation is not the exception. It is the rule in the tower. Stop doing our enemies work." Gumnik proclaimed.
The group exchanged uneasy glances. None spoke; there was nothing to say in their defense.
"Go and practice. Team up in two's and fight each other. Training gear is over by that oak. I will heal minor injuries after the bouts." He left them then, amidst the whispering leaves and twittering birds that seemed indifferent to their chagrin. Relar felt the sting of failure, he could feel a bitter taste in his mouth as he confronted their reality: they had failed and it was their own fault, his fault.
The four of them had moved to a clear space near the towering oak, where training gear lay in neat piles. They donned protective vests and gauntlets, as the training here would actually leave them impeded if they weren't careful. Leaning against the rough bark of the oak, Relar glanced at Mai when she spoke first.
"You saw me. Now, what can you actually do?"
Relar shrugged. "Well, I've got Fletch, my Spirit Crane. It's good at distracting and such. Can't really throw a punch, though they don't really know that yet. Kian hasn't seen that much of it, and in the last fight the stalker reacted strongly to it."
Mai was shaking her head, "Okay, 'Bird Whisperer,' let's see if your crane can keep them busy enough for my earth magic to land a hit."
"Actually," Relar added, catching Mai's gaze, "there's more. I can use Fletch's eyes, see through them. It lets me see the streams of aether, maybe even anticipate Kian's vines or Lorena's wind attacks."
Mai considered this, nodding slowly. "That could work. If you can really see their magic building up, you might dodge better, or even warn me."
"Yeah," Relar agreed, feeling a bit more confident. "You'll have to take the lead, though. Go aggressive on Lorena. They will expect that probably, but not much we can do about it."
Mai's eyes narrowed, "So, I'm the bait?"
"Not exactly," Relar clarified his thoughts "More like the storm they can't ignore. If we take the initiative, you press on Lorena, Kian might try to cut me off, thinking I'm an easy target. That's when I close in, use Fletch to help dodge or distract."
Mai smirked, "And I trust you'll be right behind me? We can't let them pin us down."
"Right," Relar affirmed. "The moment Lorena goes for you, I'll try to hit Kian from the side. If they come for me first, I'll use Fletch for a quick advantage. And you shoot some stones."
Mai stepped forward, "Deal."
Kian hollered from across the opening, "Ready?"
As Kian's voice cut through the air with the signal to begin, Relar braced himself. Almost instantly, the ground beneath him croaked in the quiet of the morning. Through Fletch's eyes, he glimpsed the aether streams weaving rapidly beneath the soil, aiming straight for him. Guided by the crane's vision, Relar sidestepped, evading the vines as they burst from the ground where he had stood moments before.
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Mai wasted no time. She stamped her foot on the ground, her affinity for earth magic conjuring a wave in the soil that shot towards Lorena. Lorena managed to stay on her feet, but was too occupied to aim her wind attacks well. She countered with gusts of wind that were easily avoided by Mai.
Mai thrust her palms towards the earth, sending a row of spikes at Lorena. Kian, undeterred by his initial miss, redirected his vine assault towards Relar again. This time, one managed to coil around Relar's ankle, pulling him off balance but Relar was able to use his sword to free himself.
In that critical moment, Relar felt Fletch push at his awareness, and through the birds eyes saw Kian closing the last meters, swinging at him with his own sword. Seeing the grin on Kian's face from a second perspective felt surreal and disorienting. Relar with his back turned, threw himself forward to evade the sword coming for his neck.
Mai turned her focus from Lorena, her hands on the ground. A spike of earth shot up from where Kian stumbled forward, poking him in the chest. Admitting defeat, Kian raised his arms in surrender. But this diversion allowed Lorena the chance to strike, a gust of wind slamming into Mai with unyielding force, knocking the breath from her.
Relar, now free again, rushed towards Lorena. Almost close enough to engage, Relar relied on movements suggested by Fletch's enhanced perception, aiming to be a difficult target for Lorena's wind attacks that she was forming.
Mai recovered quickly and cast her rock armor spell, encasing her in a protective shell just as another wind blast from Lorena aimed for her. With the armor taking the brunt of the assault, Mai joined the stampede on Lorena's position.
The fight intensified, with Relar dodging and weaving through Lorena's continued wind attacks. Relar, seeing Mai coming focused on closing in to distract Lorena as much as possible, utilizing Fletch to sometimes sweep in to add another distraction.
The skirmish between Lorena, Relar and Mai reached a crescendo, with Lorena's in a defensive stance. Mai had put her shoulder forward, low. Relar and Lorena were both bracing for the impending arrival of Mai in her rock armor. And were equally surprised when they instead found another rock spire erupting two feet from Lorena. A moment later Lorena raised her hand as well, recognizing the move for what it was—an ending to their mock battle.
As they all came to a halt, breathing heavily, there were no cheers or applause, just the quiet of the academy grounds and their own heavy breaths. Lorena extended a hand to Mai, helping her up from the ground with a nod of respect.
"You are something," Lorena panted, the wind stilling around her.
Mai, brushing off the remnants of soil, couldn't help but smile. "Rock beats wind any time."
In the solitude of their training space, their laughter mingled with the rustling leaves, a brief respite from the challenges past and ahead.
"Again?"
After what felt like an excruciating long time later, and a number of mock battles, Relar watched as the first of the other initiates began to trickle back from their challenges, faces flushed with triumph or twisted in frustration.
He turned his attention back to his own group. In the cooling shade of the towering oak, Kian stretched after the last bout. As the others began gathering their gear, Kian turned to Relar with a thoughtful look. The physical exertion had left them both with a sheen of sweat, their breaths coming easier now as they cooled down.
"You know," Kian began, breaking the silence between panting breaths, "we've been at this for hours. How about we take a break?"
Relar, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, raised an eyebrow in question. "Lunch? I thought we will skip it… unless Gumnik sends us off."
"I am beat. I don't think more training right now helps anyone. But… Remember the hidden page I mentioned?" Kian said, his tone casual but eyes alight with the thrill of the hunt.
"The one the grass talked about?", Relar answered but couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice.
"I've been thinking... maybe now's a good time to go look for it. I couldn't find it last time. But from what I saw from your performance—Fletch can actually go through things, and it sees magic, right?"
Relar's attention was captured, the fatigue momentarily forgotten. The mystery of a lost page hidden somewhere within the academy grounds was too enticing to ignore. "You think we could actually find it?" he asked, already imagining the possibilities such a discovery could hold, thinking back to how much different the booster had made for Mai.
Kian shrugged, a playful grin spreading across his face. "Only one way to find out. Besides, it doesn't look like the girls are eager to fight again."
Lorena and Mai seemed to have settled down for a longer break after getting rid of their gear and joining some of their classmates as they returned from the beacons. After a brief discussion, it was decided. Kian and Relar would venture out in search of the hidden page.
With glances at Master Gumnik, who didn't seem to pay them any heed, the left the glade. As they walked, Kian shared his theories about the page's location. Their steps were light, energized by the possibility of discovering a piece of the tower's history, a secret kept from the many who had walked these grounds before them. The path they took wound through less-traveled parts of the academy grounds, and they passed a few beacons but didn't encounter other students or living things.
As Kian and Relar ventured beyond the well-trodden paths of the academy, the search truly began with Kian softly speaking to the surrounding flora, invoking his Nature's Whisper. The gentle rustling of leaves and the subtle shifting of the grass beneath their feet seemed to respond, Kian guiding them forward.
Relar, on his part, released Fletch into the sky. The spectral crane, with its ability to navigate and perceive the world in ways no human could, became an extension of Relar's curiosity. Through Fletch's eyes, Relar saw the landscape anew, rough, subtle streams of aether that wove through the earth and air, a vivid background of life and magic. Their journey took on a rhythm of whispered conversations with nature and silent flights of exploration.
Their path meandered through ancient rows of towering trees, their trunks gnarled with age. Moss clung to their bark, and from their branches, curtains of ivy descended, creating a green labyrinth that felt removed from the world. Statues, worn by time, peered out from their vegetal shrouds, faces of scholars and mages frozen in stone, their gazes fixed on long faded problems.
Above, Fletch circled, a ghostly sentinel surveying the land. Through the crane's senses, Relar detected anomalies in the fabric of the garden's magic—a series of markers, as if stars in a constellation, that drew them inexorably forward. It was not merely the presence of magic but its arrangement, an intentional design that spoke of purpose and protection.
"The natural aether seems to be getting stronger. Probably the academy uses it up where it is. And here it's untouched. But there are clearly spots where someone left something. Almost like a big array, but not very regular." Relar shared his observations.
Kian looked up, taking his hand from a fallen log and said, "Does one of those spots maybe have the page? I am not hearing much anymore, it seems almost like the part of nature i am used to access is suppressed here."
"No, I have Fletch check them out one by one and it didn't find anything like that. Just blobs of aether suffusing the areas."
They continued forward, following the aether concentrations, until the edge of an ancient garden. A forgotten corner of the academy, it seemed. Where the trees stood tall like ancient guardians, their branches weaving a thick canopy overhead, filtering the sunlight into slowly moving patterns on the ground below. More statues of long-past heroes and scholars dotted the landscape, their features softened by time and the encroaching embrace of vines and moss.
Using Fletch's sight, Relar noticed anomalies in the flow of aether around certain areas of the garden—pockets where the magic swirled in distinct patterns, indicative of something hidden, something powerful. Kian, in tandem, listened to the whispers of the ancient trees, which spoke of a guardian, a protector.
As they moved deeper, the garden's atmosphere grew dense. They moved cautiously, under the thickening overhang of trees under which they light gave way to shadow.
Finally, guided by Relar's spectral oversight, they found a source of the magical disturbance—a clearing where the aether seemed to converge, pulsing gently like the heartbeat of the garden itself. There stood an imposing statue of an ancient mage, that had been shattered by a tree. Wide and low, the tree barely reached half the heigh of the surrounding forest. Though it seemed the surrounding trees shied back, leaving space and light for this central growth.
In the clearing, the scene captivated Kian and Relar. The ancient mage's statue, that had stood on what looked like a fountain, was now fractured, its pieces partially absorbed by the tree's relentless growth. This tree, unlike any they had encountered, bore the marks of a life intertwined with the statue, its bark creased in patterns that mirrored the mage's robes, and branches that held fragments of the statue's face and hands, as if clutching them close to its heartwood.
The tree's roots had spread wide and deep, cradling the remnants of the structure in an embrace that spoke of decades, perhaps centuries, of slow conquest. Where the base had once stood, now massive roots curled and twisted.
Relar, through Fletch’s eyes, could see the streams of aether flowing more intensely here, wrapping around the tree and the statue fragments like ribbons of light. It was as if the tree itself had become a conduit for the magical energies of the garden, drawing them in, feeding off them.
Many leaves of the tree had turned white. Kian reached out tentatively, his fingers hovering just above one of the roots. The tree’s presence was overpowering, its essence a blend of the natural and the arcane.
Kian turned to Relar, his voice low and filled with wonder. "This... This is more than just a tree, or a statue. It’s a fusion, a guardian of sorts, maybe."
Relar nodded, equally awestruck. Fletch had landed close to him, perched on stone. "And there," he pointed, "Close to the statues chest, inside the tree. There is your page."
As they stood there, marveling at the integration of artifact and nature, the garden seemed to hold its breath, the earlier whispers of the trees falling silent.