by NAK Baldron
"Is there a problem?" Nadia asked, as she stopped before them.
"No," Adaku lied before her brother could make things worse. She reached inside a small leather purse she wore around her shorts and produced three letters. "Could you deliver these for me?"
Nadia took them from her, "Of course. And you? Do you have letters to send?"
Abaze reached into the front pocket of his leather pants and pulled out a crumpled parchment. "This goes to my father, but I didn't address it. The court will know if this seal has been broken."
"No one here would read your letter Abaze Okonkwo." She took the letter adding it to the stack she had gathered.
Abaze met her glare and didn't flinch.
Don't do it, Adaku transmitted.
"Apologies," Abaze bowed his head. "Back home, court intrigue requires us to always be on guard. There are many spies inside court life. I forget we're no longer in such company."
Adaku picked up on the implied insult, but she didn't think Nadia did. Or she didn't care.
"None needed," Nadia said. "Enjoy the warm weather. I must attend to the other apprentices."
They all bowed their heads slightly to one another.
You should be teaming up with me, not these losers, Abaze transmitted.
They're not losers. It is a team test, And you had a chance to join us. You chose to place yourself apart from us. Now face the consequences.
Adaku saw Shaya sitting alone on the grass and walked toward her, hoping her brother wouldn't follow.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"DID YOU SEE THAT?"
Ren looked to where Goban was pointing—Adaku marched away from her brother, who stood like a statue watching, and Nadia headed straight in their direction.
Not a good sign.
Moments earlier they'd been discussing Ren's progress while both agreeing he still had a ways to go before the team test. Ren didn't mind, working with Goban was better than expected. Despite being overly excitable and downright distracted at times, when it came to studies Goban became a different person.
Goban's focus was as strong as steel, to the point that more than once Ren had been forced to tap him on the shoulder while he read, to gain his attention. The mystery of how Goban managed to read their assigned books and more, had been solved. With an unbreakable focus, Goban could devour a book in one sitting. What's more, when questioned about it he could recall the vast majority of what he read. Even days later.
"Do you have letters?" Nadia held out the stack of letters in her right hand.
Ren hadn't bothered to write. Brandon knew they admitted him as an apprentice, and until he had more good news, there was no reason to bother him. Telling him of his struggles wouldn't help either of them.
"Just two," Goban produced them from his inner vest pocket. "Do we pay postage?"
"No, Nadia said. "That has already been taken care of."
She looked to Ren who said, "I don't have any."
If she found this odd, she didn't show it, "Very well. Come with me."
They walked toward Shaya and Adaku who were tanning in the light. The light made Adaku's skin glisten and Ren noted she was as lovely as Shaya. Before he could get carried away by his thoughts, Nadia called their attention. Abaze walked closer, but kept a significant distance between himself and the other apprentices.
"Your test date has been set," Nadia announced. "The Archamethyst has decided we will hold it three days from now at first light."
None of the apprentices spoke, but they quickly glanced to one another. Were they ready to test?
"I have high expectations for you, and will be disappointed if you fail."
Great, no pressure then.
"Enjoy the next two days, and use your time wisely."
As usual, Nadia didn't hang around to see if they would have obvious questions. Instead she quickly crossed the line between the Apprentice's courtyard, and that of the rest of the city. A small group of sorcerers surrounded her upon her crossing, and they engulfed her in conversation as she strolled toward the main tower.
"We should go to the library," Goban said.
You're right, Ren transmitted. It would be best if we practiced our telepathy from now until the test.
Agreed.
Two days, Ren thought to himself. I'm so fucked!
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THEY'D STUDIED LATE INTO THE NIGHT, but Goban needed to make sure Ren was up at the first sign of light. Requiring less sleep than his brothers was one of Goban's unique qualities. While the rest of his family would be in a deep slumber, he snuck out their house to explore the city. By time he was ten, he knew it like the layout of their forge, and began to explore outside the city walls.
He liked to imagine himself as Brogan Ironfist as he explored the tunnels.
There were no tunnels here, but the library was a close substitute. Despite weeks of exploring, Goban wasn't convinced he'd uncovered all the secrets the room had to offer. Part of him knew. . .
With no windows he couldn't be sure—his internal clock was rarely wrong—if it was time to wake Ren. The windows in the hallways outside the library showed a faint red glow on the gray horizon. The source-light would be fully visible within the hour. There was no more time to waste.
They were down to just two days!
Two days in which they expected them to become a flawless team, working together as one unit. Goban feared they'd never be able to pull it off. Not because of Ren, but all of them. He knew he lacked the telepathic skills needed to pull off the attack spells they read about. Nadia hadn't given them any hints as to what they'd be expected to do, other than the books she had them read, and the constant reminder that they would be judged individually and as a whole.
Goban knocked on Ren's door, but there was no answer. He knocked again, and again silence. Goban turned the metal ring which released the latch inside, and tried to push the door open, but it didn't budge.
Dragon fire!
Ren had locked his door. Goban banged harder, but there was still no sound on the other side.
Clearing his mind as Adaku taught them, Goban found his mental image of Ren.
Get up, Goban transmitted. Get up, Get up, GET UP!
A loud crashing sound came from behind the door. Goban calmly knocked again, and this time the sound of footsteps quickly followed by the latch being pulled back, and Ren opened the door.
"Yes?" Ren rubbed sleep from his eyes.
"Morning," Goban said. "It's time for us to start the day."
Ren looked over his shoulder toward the window. "The source-light is still below the horizon."
"Yes, but first light is here."
Ren pushed to close the door, but Goban was too quick for him, slipping his foot at the base. The door didn't budge a hair.
"I need more sleep," Ren complained.
"You can sleep after the team test."
"We won't pass the team test, if I don't get sleep!"
"No," Goban emphasized the word. "We won't pass if you don't get in the library and study. There are still several spells we need to practice, and I'm not convinced you've really mastered the clearing of your mind technique."
"Nor will I if I, don't, get, some, SLEEP!"
Goban sprung out his right palm and cupped Ren's ear.
"Fuck!"
His father did it to him and his brothers any time they weren't paying attention. It didn't leave any lasting damage, but it caused a sharp pain in the ear for a split second.
"Library. Now."
For a second it looked like Ren would attack him, but instead he walked back to his trunk and pulled out a fresh shirt, dark blue like the ocean.
* * *
GOBAN POINTED TO THE PAGE Ren should have been reading. "Focus! We're supposed to be studying for the test."
"Maybe if you'd allowed us to eat before we began, I'd be able to focus."
"Food is a reward."
Ren knocked his head against the book page.
"Unless
you're planning to press the knowledge into your head, I don't think that's the best strategy."
Ren began to laugh—Goban joined—Ren's laughter was contagious.
"Where are you two?" Shaya called out—her voice muffled by the sea of books.
Use your thoughts, Adaku transmitted. We need to get used to finding one another with thoughts only.
Good point, Ren transmitted. We're at the large table near the back wall, two rights and a left from the front doors.
Goban found it hard to concentrate with so many speaking inside his mind, and put up a barrier to block the noise. A technique Adaku had taught them the day before.
* * *
REN STOOD UP TO MEET THE GIRLS—thankful for a reason to leave the boring books behind.
I was reading that it's possible to send images to one another, Shaya transmitted.
That would be great, Ren transmitted. I'm coming to you.
"Where are you going?" Goban asked.
To meet the girls, Ren Transmitted.
Goban stared at him blankly.
"To meet the girls. Did you not hear me?"
"I had to block it out," Goban said. "It was giving me a headache."
"Oh. Let's talk to Adaku about that."
"No," Goban said. "It's fine. I don't want to be a burden."
"Nonsense."
Thought you were meeting us? Shaya stepped from around the corner.
Talking to Goban. He's having a hard time with the team thought.
Adaku joined them, and Ren urged Goban to share with the girls. Goban gave in and shared how he kept having headaches when they were all in his head at once, and how he couldn't mass send his thoughts. He was compensating by sending his thought multiple times to each of them in turn.
"That's not going to work in the test," Adaku said. "We might need to react quickly, and even with the increased speed of thought, repeating yourself four times is too slow."
Goban hung his head.
"I'm not trying to be mean," Adaku touched his shoulder. "It's important that we all work together."
"Speaking of which," Ren said.
Ren forced Goban to share, it only seemed right that he did the same.
"Goban has been helping me study because I can't read fast enough to keep up with the material."
Ren waited to see if they would laugh, but Adaku and Shaya both sat silent.
After an awkward silence, Shaya asked, "Do you need any more help? Or did he get you up to speed?"
"I think we've got it under control," Goban said, and pointed to the book laid out before Ren. "This is the last book, and then he should know everything we know."
"He has been a life saver," Ren patted Goban on the shoulder. "With how fast he can read, he's able to get through a book first and point to the sections I need to read and summarize the other parts."
"Can you use your magic at will now?" Adaku asked.
Ren closed his eyes and began to chant his own personal mantra under his breath. A technique designed to clear his mind of outside distractions and cue his mind to focus on magical intent.
"I am the snow that covers the plains."
"I am the snow that covers the plains."
"I am the snow—"
Three spirals: orange, yellow, and white, emanated from Ren's palms and spun around his body. He opened his eyes, looked to Adaku and smiled as the magic swirled.
They were impressed!
With a clap the lights vanished, and the room was suddenly dim. It took a minute for Ren's eyes to adjust back to the glow of the amethyst lanterns overhead.
"Took you long enough," Shaya teased.
Ren couldn't stop the smile which strained his cheek muscles. It may have taken him two months, but he finally felt like a real sorcerer.
Or at least an apprentice sorcerer.
* * *
FOCUS ON THE TWO OF US and will your thoughts in our direction at the same time, Adaku transmitted. Don't focus on the distance, only that you wish us both to hear your thoughts.
She and Shaya had spent the past two hours doing their best to push through Goban's mental blocks. There was nothing stopping him from being able to team think, other than himself, and his false beliefs that he can't. Ren was two alcoves over at the large table, reading. He hadn't exaggerated about it taking him a long time to read.
I don't want to keep trying, Goban transmitted.
Well done, Shaya transmitted.
Goban collapsed into the chair closest to him, panting for breath as if he'd just run for his life. "I need water."
"Should we break for lunch?" Shaya asked.
Adaku didn't want to leave when they had just begun to make progress.
Look at him, Shaya transmitted. He's wiped. I don't think he can go any longer without a break.
Shaya was right. Goban looked awful, and she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she pushed him too far.
"Let's go to lunch," Adaku agreed.
The three of them walked through the labyrinth of books, backtracking to Ren. In the two hours, he'd only gotten half way through his assigned reading.
"What?" Ren asked half distracted.
"Time for lunch," Goban said.
Ren slammed the book closed, "About time! I'm starving."
They were a team, and that meant helping one another, but Adaku couldn't help but think of her missing brother and what he'd said about them not being equal. Goban couldn't use his telepathy. Ren couldn't read. And Shaya, well, Adaku wasn't sure what her short fall was. Yet. Regardless, there was no justification for her brother's actions and she refused to enable his behavior any longer.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
TOMORROW MORNING WAS THEIR TEST, and they were all anxious. Adaku could see it on their faces and felt it in her own gut, a tight cramp of knots. While they sat together in the dining hall sharing in their suffering, Abaze continued to sit alone, eyeing them.
Why couldn't he apologize?
His pride would be his own downfall because it was too late for him to join their team, and if Nadia asked Adaku intended to tell her exactly how Abaze had been acting. The team had forgiven her, and for once she wasn't being judged for the actions of her brother, but for her own merits. Stepping out of his darkened shadow, allowed her to discover how kind people could be.
Dinner was stew, but even that proved to be too heavy. She and Goban chose the beef stew, while Shaya and Ren ate fish stew. The four of them light sipped at their broth, but their appetites weren't there.
What if they failed?
Nadia said they'd each be judged individually alongside their team score. Would some of them pass and some fail? None of them were the weak link anymore. Each had their own strength. Adaku spent the past two days training Goban's telepathy skills, until he could send his thoughts to the three of them at once, but only if they were silent. If the test required Goban to share information, they agreed to stop their own thoughts while he shared. The constant chatter still bothered him, but he'd proven more resilient than at first.
The stew had gone cold.
They weren't hungry.
Only anxious.
As they stood to leave Abaze transmitted, Stay a minute.
Hesitation froze her, and the others looked back. "I'm going to stay for a moment."
"Okay," Shaya said. "Be sure and get to bed early."
The team left her alone with her brother.
"What do you want?"
Adaku closed her mind off to him. She doubted they'd ever return to who they were before. Rather than place family first, he'd chosen to value his pride and turn his back on her. It hurt, but she knew she was better off without him. Even if their father would disapprove of her.
"The test is tomorrow."
"Obviously."
"I need your help," Abaze looked helpless for a moment, like the time their father caught him playing with a city girl.
"How?"
"Tomorrow," Abaze said. "When they call us for the team test,
I need you to stand with me and be my team. Together—"
"No!" Adaku turned to leave.
"Adaku, please!"
"Have you learned nothing since coming here? It is a team test, that doesn't mean breakup into teams, it means we all work together." Her brother had never begged her for anything before. Tears burned her cheeks as she left the dining hall.
"Adaku, please!"
His plea echoed off the stone floor as she ran up the staircase.
Shaya stood in the hall, as she reached the third floor—tears poured down her face. For a moment it looked as if Shaya would reach out, but then she closed her eyes. Adaku rushed past to her room Grateful for the privacy Shaya had given.
Throwing herself onto her bunk, she cried into her pillow until sleep overtook her.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE DAY OF THE TEST ARRIVED, and the team gathered in the great hall, with Ren leading the way. Goban stayed close at hand, while the girls hung back speaking to one another. Something they'd done all morning. Ren thought it had something to do with Abaze, who left for the courtyard ahead of them. The twins had appeared to argue before Abaze stormed off.
Arriving separate was for the best—they were two teams: Abaze on one, and the four of them on the other. Maybe Nadia would have them compete against each other, since Abaze refused to cooperate.
We've got this, Ren transmitted, more to reassure himself, but he noticed Goban looked a bit pale in the face.
Together he and Goban pulled the doors open to reveal the courtyard bathed in light—not a cloud in sight. The scene felt unreal, for the source-light was directly overhead causing there to be no shadows. The whole island looked like an oil painting.
Nadia stood waiting for them, along with four other sorcerers, but thankfully the courtyard was empty otherwise. No doubt they had directed the others to stay inside. Ren didn't know if it made him feel better or worse, having only five sorcerers in attendance.
He looked back as they walked across the field and realized the girls looked just as unreal as the buildings. Their skin vibrant like paint.