The rays of sunshine worked their way amongst the leaves to finally fall on Christill's face. He opened his eyes slowly and let out a yawn. Once again they had slept past sunrise and the damp blanket of night was slowly melting away as the sun's warmth returned to the land. Looking around he noticed to the south that the grass had begun to fade to yellow. Dievu had warned him that the next two days were going to be uncomfortable. They were to pass through close to thirty miles of arid plains, Nyrune's last warning to those who would dare approach Karmena unwelcome.
After a quick breakfast, they once again mounted up and returned to the road that would lead them to the Misty Forest. By midday they had passed into the warmer lands. To take his mind from the weather, Christill had once again begun to probe Dievu with questions. And to his surprise he had yet found a question Dievu could not answer.
"You should have no trouble in the Academy of Nyrune," remarked Dievu as they paused to take a drink from their skins. "You catch on quicker than most students, and though you may not like to hear it, the teachers you had in Miirvk have taught you a great deal."
It did in fact pain Christill to think of Miirvk, but he had to admit that the Disciple and his aids had indeed taught him well. "Learning about Feldom and the other nations was the only thing that kept me going in that wasteland. I spent much of my free time pouring over the limited scrolls and books on the world outside of Miirvk."
"And it is a good thing that you did," commented Dievu. "With the amount of knowledge that you have already accumulated, you will be able to advance through the Academy at great speed. I suspect that within a few months, with a lot of hard work, you will be able to join the students close to your age."
Christill closed his water skin and urged Polthus forward. "How long do student usually study for?"
"Seven to eight years," replied Dievu casually. Christill's eyes widened at the thought. "But do not worry. You already know most of the things that students would learn in their first six years. The one area in which you lack knowledge is that of the magical world."
"So will I be able to join sixth year students straight away?" asked Christill eagerly.
Dievu smiled knowingly. "That is up to the council. I may recommend it if I see fit, but in the end the Elders will decide. Remember that sixth year students are the first to begin to use magic. At the end of their fifth year, students speak with Nyrune and those whom she deems worthy are given the power to wield the energies of Teefarrnur."
"And what happens to the others?"
"They leave the Academy," replied Dievu calmly.
Christill swallowed through a lump in his throat. He had not considered what would happen if he was not able to become a disciple. What if Nyrune looked into his heart and saw the anger and fear that he still ran through his veins? Would he ever be able to forget the past and forgive those he hated so much? Keeping his thoughts to himself, Christill rode on down the road silently.
After two days of solid riding a vast shadow emerged in the distance. Barely visible at first, Christill thought that a great storm was brewing to the south. As they made their way further down the highway it became apparent to him that he was looking upon Karmena. "The Misty Forest," he whispered.
"Correct," answered Dievu. "The largest forest in the known world."
"Have we left Feldom yet?"
"You could say so," replied Dievu. "You will not find any Feldonian settlements this close to Karmena. Most of the farmers stay closer to Royal Lake, especially since this last stretch of the highway is inhospitable to most livestock or horses."
They camped at the side of the road that night and woke early the next morning to set off once more. As the day progressed the forest grew larger and larger until soon Christill could see it in its entirety, with the sun gleaming off the top of the thick canopy. All manner of trees stood side by side so densely that it appeared that one would barely fit in between them. "I have never seen many of these trees," said Christill, trying to comprehend his surroundings.
"The Misty Forest contains every type of tree, flower, shrub, weed and fungus that exist. All in one place," pointed out Dievu.
"How is that possible? I thought that plants and trees need certain forms of weather and nourishment to survive."
"Outside of Karmena this is true, but within the borders of the Misty Forest, Nyrune gives life to all. It is a monument to all of the goddess's creations and it has been so since the dawn of man."
Christill could not contain the feeling of wonder within him and he suddenly longed to enter the forest. He rammed his feet into Polthus's flanks and set off at a run towards the forest. Dievu followed suit and caught up to him quickly, laughing at Christill's enthusiasm. After a long sprint they finally reached the true border of Feldom and Karmena.
Christill peered into the dark forest and his smile quickly faded. It was not as he had imagined and he shuddered as though a cold wave had hit him. The forest was so dark and threatening, with twisted trees and dangerous looking plants tangled over the ground. A blackness so profound that Christill could barely see amongst the thick trunks filled the forest menacingly.
Dievu observed the look of apprehension in Christill and moved towards him. "Focus your eyes on the beauty of the forest. Know in your heart that it will not harm you and that you will not harm it. Only then will you see its true form."
At first Christill was puzzled, but catching Dievu's stern face, he peered once more into the forest. After a while he found a single red flower lying in amongst the trees and wondered at how he had missed it before. Abruptly he noticed that the forest was filled with flowers of all shape and size and that colourful mosses were growing around the twisted branches of the beech and fir. He fixed his thoughts on the beauty of the forest and discarded any beliefs he had about coming to harm within the woods. Slowly the darkness dissipated and in its place was a soft green glow that seemed to come from the plants themselves.
Christill gasped.
Before him now lay the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. A garden of vibrant colour and shape with every plant and flower that he could have ever imagined. What had moments ago appeared dangerous and unforgiving, was now alive with the sights and sounds of nature's wonders.
Christill could barely believe his eyes and he turned to Dievu and whispered, "How is this possible?"
"It is one of Nyrune's methods of stopping unwanted intruders from entering her domain. All those with impure thoughts will never see the forest in its true form and will eventually become lost within the dark maze that you first saw," replied Dievu.
Christill followed Dievu into the forest and slowly they made their way along a woodland trail, barely wide enough to fit one horse. The journey seemed to pass by in seconds for Christill who could not keep his eyes off the forest around him. "This is by far the greatest wonder of this world," he uttered under his breath.
Time passed an he noticed the small patches of sky visible through the bulky canopy of trees growing darker, yet the forest itself remained illuminated by a faint green glow. He sat in silence for the remainder of the trip, content to bask in the beauty of the forest until Dievu stopped his horse and began to speak into the forest.
"Dievu Ilphuki returns to Duathnin. I have been gone too long from the goddess's domain," he spoke.
Christill sat quietly peering into the trees ahead. He could not see anyone, nor did he hear a reply, but after a while Dievu continued and Christill urged Polthus to follow.
"Who were you talking to?" Christill risked asking.
"The guardians of Karmena," replied Dievu. "One day you will learn to see them, but for now you can remain content with the knowledge that these lands are well protected."
Christill searched the forest for any unusual signs, but found none. He wondered how many of Dievu's brethren they had passed on the long trip without him noticing and came to realize that it would be near impossible to make it into Duathnin without a Karmanian guide.
Finally as the stars appeared in th
e sky above, Duathnin came into view. They passed into a large clearing in the forest where hundreds of wooden and stone buildings stood amongst the trunks of giant oaks. As they moved amongst the buildings, many Karmanians turned to stare at Christill. He made note that most of the Karmanians wore simple clothes, in mostly simple tones and all stood at least six feet tall. Yet their most distinguishing feature remained their mesmerising eyes that seemed to shift colour with the light.
The city itself was unlike those that he had seen in Feldom. There were no paved streets and no visible structure to the way in which buildings were placed. It was almost as though the houses had been built wherever seemed easiest. Other than that, Christill did not feel that the Karmanian architecture was vastly different to that in Feldom.
"Follow me Christill," ordered Dievu. "I will take you straight to the Council. I will need to report to them."
Christill motioned for him to lead the way, but once again felt a lump in his throat. He had not expected to see the Council of Elders so soon and now his palms grew clammy with sweat. They rode past house after house, most of them single story buildings made primarily of wood with a stone chimney, and eventually a large structure came to view in the eastern end of the city. At first Christill thought he was looking upon an enormous oak tree, but as they drew near he realised it was in fact a building made to resemble a tree. It was made of large stone chunks and covered in vines and overgrowth that gave it an earthy appearance. Halfway up, the structure forked in two, to resemble an oak that had branched off into two separate trunks.
"Inside here lies the Shrine of Nyrune and part of the Academy," said Dievu as he dismounted.
Christill slid from Polthus' back and followed Dievu through the large door at the front of the building. They entered a well decorated hall that held numerous doorways on either side. Men and women passed hurriedly from door to door carrying piles of parchment and looking flustered. They had entered the building during an exceptionally busy time. Dievu motioned for Christill to keep up and headed towards the far end of the hall where a large double door stood closed. Dievu reached the door and knocked three times. After a moment the doors opened and they passed through.
Christill was once again amazed as he walked into the large circular room. The floor of the room was painted to resemble the constellations of the sky with silver jewels worked into the surface to represent the stars. On the roof was a splendid depiction of the symbol of Nyrune, a falling droplet of water with an open eye inside of it. On the other side of the room sat seven figures in spectacular hand carved thrones, all garbed in green robes that were decorated with fine stitching and gems.
Dievu bowed low to the ground and Christill did his best to copy. They then approached the Council of Elders and stopped in the centre of the room. Christill heard the double doors close loudly and turned to see that no one else was in the room. The circular walls around them were covered in creeper moulds and vines giving the room a natural finish and fragrance.
"Nyrune bless you all. It has been some time since I have sat in council with the rulers of Karmena," announced Dievu in greeting. Some of the Elders nodded, most remained stationary. "There is much I have to discuss with you, but first there is a matter that I would like to deal with."
Christill noticed several of the Elders now staring at him and shifted his eyes to the floor timidly.
"I have brought with me a young man whom I wish to enter into the Academy," continued Dievu.
An elderly man with wrinkled skin and bushy grey eyebrows, sitting in the centre of the Elders, responded to Dievu's request. "Who is this young man that you have brought with you?" he asked in a slow and powerful voice.
"His name is Christill Greyspell," replied Dievu, who then proceeded to retell Christill's tale to the Council. Christill felt slightly taken aback that Dievu had managed to sum up his whole life into a few short minutes, but said nothing of it. Once Dievu had finished his speech the council members began to speak quietly amongst themselves.
A woman seated left of the first speaker was the first to address them. "It is rare that the Council permits an outsider to enter the Academy. There have only been seven in recorded history to be allowed this privilege," she said in an awkwardly high voice. Christill found her odd in appearance, with a large pointed nose and extremely long black hair. Her strange voice only added to her peculiarity.
"But there can be no doubt that he is a Valiant," responded Dievu.
"There are many Valiant that live their lives without turning to the ways of magic, Dievu," replied the odd woman. "Why should we now grant this young man a privilege that is given only to the most honoured men and woman?"
"I have seen Christill's past and travelled great distances with him. I know that he has it within himself to become a virtuous disciple. One to rival the greatest of our time," argued Dievu. "Look into his mind and you will see what I have."
The elderly man that had first spoken called for Christill to step forward. "I am Kiril Poth," he announced. "This is Velski Ionin head of the Academy of Nyrune," he motioned to the strange woman with long black hair. "On my other side sits Dietrue Lithue," he said pointing to a slim man with plain features and a distinctly uninterested look on his face.
Kiril Poth continued to introduce the rest of the council members to Christill and he nodded to each of them as they were called. On the left side sat Bithi Oppos, a round man sporting a large bald patch in the midst of his wispy brown hair, and a lady called Yhu Fileith that had substantially darker skin than the rest of the members. Next to Velski on Kiril's right sat the blonde haired Vischia Iminuss and her cousin Sielvu Suifi who had dark marks under his eyes and a look of disgust on his face. Christill noticed that both Vischia and Sielvu did not return his greetings and instead shot sharp glares at him.
"You now know who we are. Perhaps we can learn something about you?" continued Kiril. He then slowly raised his hand and allowed a stream of magic to float over to Christill's head. "Do you give us permission to look into your mind?" he asked.
Christill nodded. He knew that the experience would be painful, but had no choice if he wished to gain their blessing.
Kiril twisted his fingers and the magic entered Christill's ears. Christill's vision slowly faded and he found himself re-living the events of the past. Images of his childhood and his time in Feldom flashed by and around him he could hear soft voices speaking. Finally he saw two men standing over him menacingly and the image burned his eyes. He screamed loudly and found himself back in the council room with the Elders now staring at him sympathetically. Christill rubbed his eyes and wiped the sweat from his face.
"You have seen tough times, Christill," said Velski compassionately, breaking the silence. "Tell us, who were the two men that you were so afraid of?"
"I was not afraid of them," blurted Christill. "I was only shocked, that is all."
"You cannot hide the truth from us," replied the Elder named Yhu. "If you admit to your fears you will be able to conquer them. Trying to hide from them will only make matters worse." She let out a little giggle after speaking which confused Christill.
"The boy clearly has a history of keeping secrets and being disrespectful to his superiors. He would be a nuisance in the Academy," Sielvu pointed out.
"It was the disciple Novokai and an assassin named Rhucia...my captors," said Christill defiantly. His frustration at being treated like a child was growing rapidly. "And you know nothing of what I have been through. You may have seen my life when you looked into my mind, but you will never know what it felt like to be there."
Kiril Poth raised his hand for silence. "Christill, the life of a student in the Academy is not a pleasant one. They spend every waking hour working to become a disciple and many of them fail to cope with the pressure. Do you think that you will be able to spend the next eight years in the Academy?"
Christill opened his mouth to speak but Dievu interrupted him. "Christill's knowledge is well beyond most young men his age
. This Miirvkin disciple did well in teaching him, despite his obvious hatred of the boy. I believe that Christill has the knowledge to skip straight to his sixth year."
A few of the Council members began to argue and Kiril Poth raised his hands once more for silence. "The boy may have the knowledge Dievu, but is his mind ready to take the test."
"I believe that I am ready," said Christill loudly.
Vischia replied with a sceptical look. "You honestly feel that you are ready to speak with the great goddess and ask her for the right to wield magic?"
"I do," answered Christill, trying his best to keep his voice steady and strong.
"This we cannot allow," said Velski shaking her head slightly. "It would be a dishonour to Nyrune if we were to allow him to speak with her without further knowledge of his skills."
"Then it is done," pronounced Sielvu. "The boy will not be allowed to join the Academy."
Christill's spirit sank, but Velski raised her hand and spoke once more in a flustered tone. "You did not let me finish. Dievu has served us for a long time and has never asked us for anything in return. If he believes that the boy should be trained, then we should give Christill a chance."
"What do you propose?" asked Bithi, speaking for the first time. Christill noted that the fat man seemed to care little for what was actually going on in the council and constantly cast vexed looks at those seated next to him. He then noticed that the Elder named Dietrue had still not spoken and was still sitting in silence. Yet his uninterested look had passed and he was watching the meeting intently, taking in everything with keen interest.
"I propose that we test Christill. If he passes, then we will allow him to speak to Nyrune," replied Velski to Bithi's question.
Kiril looked around and saw that most of the council members agreed, with the exception of Sielvu who was shaking his head in outrage, and Dietrue who was simply staring at Christill.
"Then we will test the boy. Make your way to the Academy tomorrow morn and Velski will do what she can to decide whether you have the knowledge and skills required to speak with Nyrune."
Christill let his shoulders relax. He was going to get a chance to prove himself. He was not going to fail.
Dawn of the Valiant (The Valerious Chronicles: Book One) Page 100