The other man turned away, already starting to laugh with his friends, and Tolan headed back to his room, sighing heavily. At least Draln wasn’t going to force it right now. He wasn’t sure he had the necessary strength to do anything. After having faced Master Daniels, he wasn’t sure there was anything he could do. All he wanted was rest.
“You should have refused,” Ferrah said.
“What does it matter?”
“If he does something that hurts you—”
Tolan shook his head. “Even if he does something that hurts me, it really doesn’t matter. I’m not likely going to be here much longer.”
“You can’t talk like that, Tolan.”
“Because it’s true?”
“You know as well as I do that’s not true.”
He let out a sad sigh. “I don’t know anything.”
He reached the bedroom and dropped back on his bed, rolling off to his side and ignoring Ferrah. He ignored it when Jonas came in as well. As much as he wanted to sleep, it didn’t come easily. He lay there for a long time, struggling, and when he did sleep, dreams of elementals fluttered through his mind.
When morning came, he was up earlier than he had been in quite some time. He sat on the edge of his bed, his hand in the pocket of his cloak, gripping the furios. He traced his fingers along the surface of it, feeling the runes that were there, wishing he had some way of reaching the other elements. Fire would be useful, but it would be more useful to not be limited to only fire when it came to facing Draln. The other man had enough control over fire that he probably would be able to counter anything Tolan did.
“Tolan?”
He looked up and saw Ferrah already awake and dressed. She had brushed and braided her bright red hair and she leaned on the doorframe, watching him. Concern shone brightly in her eyes.
“You don’t have to do this.”
He forced a smile. His dreams had been filled with the possibilities of what he might have to face, but he’d come to one conclusion. “I don’t think Draln intends to face me to the death.”
“And if he does?”
Tolan shook his head. “He’s not going to. He wants to stay at the Academy. The worst he is going to do to me is—”
“Hurt you badly,” Ferrah said.
Tolan smiled slightly. “If he does, then maybe I’ll have a little bit more time before my testing.”
Ferrah watched him, and it seemed as if she wanted to say something, but bit it back. “You want to get food before you do this?”
“Why not? A last meal, as it were.”
They headed down the stairs to the kitchen. It must be early, as there was no one else out in the halls.
“What are you doing up so early?” he asked Ferrah.
“I would’ve asked you the same thing.”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“I couldn’t, either.”
Once in the kitchens, they grabbed some food and took a seat at one of the counters. They ate in silence. As they did, Tolan worked through what he might try, the various shapings he thought might be effective against Draln. He worked through all of the various elementals. That was going to be his focus. If nothing else, he could intimidate Draln. Seeing as how he wasn’t going to be at the Academy much longer, he thought that approach would be best.
When he was very nearly finished eating, the door to the kitchen opened and Master Sartan entered. He glanced from Tolan to Ferrah, nodding at them both.
“Shaper Ethar. It’s time.”
“It’s what?”
“It’s time for testing.”
They couldn’t really expect him to be tested so soon after what happened the night before, could they? The Grand Master would have known, and Tolan thought if anyone would have helped support him, to ensure he wasn’t subjected to testing before he was ready, it would’ve been the Grand Master.
“Both of us?” Ferrah.
“Your testing will be later, Shaper Changen.”
She reached for Tolan’s hand.
“I will be fine,” he whispered.
“Good luck,” she whispered.
“Make sure Draln knows I didn’t avoid him.”
“Do you really care about that?”
Tolan offered a hint of a smile. He wasn’t sure if he did, but more than that, if this testing went the way he suspected it would, it probably didn’t matter at all. If he failed—as he would almost have to fail—there would be no reason to even need to face Draln. He would likely be exiled from the Academy.
The only worse thing that would happen would be if he were forced to stay and serve in the Academy. But then, he thought punishment was reserved for those who failed to pass the first testing. As he had managed to pass that, he wouldn’t be confined to the Academy itself. Tolan still didn’t know what would be required of him, but perhaps that didn’t matter.
He followed Master Sartan, who led him through the Academy, out the main doors, and into a central plaza. From there, he nodded, looking up. The master shaper burst into the air on a shaping of fire, taking to the Shapers Path. Tolan hesitated a moment, reaching for the bondar before following. He drew upon that power as he followed Master Sartan.
Once on the Shapers Path, he trailed along after Master Sartan, wondering where the other was going to take him.
“The testing takes place outside of the city?”
“It’s often safer that way,” Master Sartan said.
“Why?” There were plenty of places within the Academy where they were protected from shapings, so he had to wonder why it would be necessary to travel beyond now.
“At your stage and training, the type of shaping we will ask of you is difficult. There can be a lack of control, and we want to ensure it is safe.”
They followed the Path until Tolan was sure they were no longer anywhere near Amitan. He pointed, motioning to what appeared to be a rolling grassy hillside. When Master Sartan shaped his way down, Tolan followed, reaching the ground. As he did, he hesitated. It reminded him of the park.
Much like with the park with the Keystone, there was a low wall surrounding it. It had a weathered appearance, and he noticed one of the symbols on the wall.
He frowned to himself. That couldn’t be coincidence, could it?
“Why here?”
“This is a place pre-dating the Academy,” Master Sartan said. “The earliest shapers placed protections upon it. It allows us to work incredible power and ensures that power does not escape beyond the borders.”
It was similar to the Keystone.
“Why not have earlier-level students come here and work?”
“As it is a place of ancient power, it’s dangerous for those not fully trained. If you pass beyond the second level, you would be granted an opportunity to come here. Until then, you will require a master shaper to attend.”
Master Sartan approached the wall, and Tolan noticed one difference from the Keystone. A narrow opening led inside. It was an archway that curved overhead, and Master Sartan had to duck beneath it, avoiding the stones, and when Tolan followed, there came a tingling sensation across his skin.
He paused. He wasn’t alone here.
“Shaper Sar will be finished soon,” Master Sartan said.
Tolan looked toward the center of the grassy space. The park was not nearly as wide as the one with the Keystone, and yet, as he looked around, there were the similar walls framing it, and symbols marked those walls. They had to be symbols of power. Would he be able to shape the same way as he had within the Keystone Park?
He had to push those thoughts away. Draln worked in the center of the park, an enormous shaping of fire spinning in a funnel as it tore out of the earth. The shaping built with immense power, and Tolan didn’t need to be able to reach each of the elements to know that somehow, Draln was pulling on earth and wind and fire at one time. The only one missing was water.
It was an impressive shaping, and he knew whatever else might happen, he wouldn’t be able to replicate that.<
br />
At least he didn’t have to worry about Draln thinking he had abandoned the duel.
Draln’s shaping twisted and the flames turned to smoke before fizzling out.
It was a level of control he hadn’t seen Draln possess even within the classrooms.
That surprised him.
The other man was a skilled shaper, and Tolan worried about what would happen when they did have a shapers duel, but he also knew he was still inexperienced, much like they all were. To do a shaping like that required power Tolan had not yet seen from Draln. And having spent the last year in classes together, Tolan had enough experience to know what Draln was capable of shaping.
“What’s the nature of the test?”
Master Sartan glanced over, and Tolan suspected he wouldn’t answer. They had been friendly, and Master Sartan had never been unkind to him, especially since Tolan had demonstrated some predilection toward fire—however artificial that might’ve been.
“You have been taught many shapings in classes over the last year. You are asked to demonstrate some of them.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it? Shaper Ethar, I believe you have some difficulty with reaching various elements.”
“I have had some difficulty. I guess I was just expecting the testing to be a bit more.”
“It’s always a bit more,” Master Sartan said.
Almost as if in point of emphasis, the shaping Tolan had been watching struck Draln, throwing him back.
It wasn’t Draln’s shaping at all.
The other man scrambled to his feet and the shaping changed, earth erupting from the ground, wind whistling. There was an attempt at fire, but he wasn’t able to use it. Tolan could feel the attempt, but there was a sense of resistance.
It was an attack.
Not just use what they had learned in class, but they were expected to be able to defend themselves.
And here he thought he was getting out of a shapers duel.
Another blast struck, the ground rumbling, and Draln was tossed into the air. He crashed down, and at the last moment, wind whipped up, catching him.
Draln sat up. He was managing far better than Tolan would’ve expected. Reacting like that involved keeping a clear mind, knowing the nature of the shapings, and being prepared for whatever might come their way. In this attack, he wondered if he would be able to do something similar.
“Why do I get to watch?”
“Do you think it will help?” Master Sartan asked.
It seemed unnecessarily cruel. “No.”
A circle of fire surrounded Draln, and a shaping built from him. As it did, the fire continued to press inward with more and more force and Draln scrambled, spinning in place.
He wasn’t going to be able to escape.
Earth shook, and from where he stood, Tolan could see the panic on Draln’s face.
Everything pressed in upon him.
The other man continued to fight, but he was overwhelmed by the nature of the shaping.
And then it blinked out of existence.
Draln sank to his knees. There was a hint of ash smeared across his cheek and sweat streamed down his brow. Three master shapers approached, one of them Master Marcella, Tolan realized. They whispered something to him, and one of the master shapers helped pull Draln to his feet. He headed away, reaching the wall with Master Sartan and Tolan.
Draln shot Tolan a look. “Good luck, Ethar.”
Tolan met the other man’s eyes, and he couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not.
“Did you pass?”
“I don’t know.”
Tolan stared at the three master shapers. They were moving away from the center of the clearing and taking up space once again around the outskirts of the park. If Draln hadn’t survived, what chance did he have?
Master Sartan nodded to Tolan. “It’s time.”
Tolan nodded, starting forward.
Master Sartan reached into his pocket and pulled something out, handing multiple things to Tolan.
Tolan took them, frowning. All were slender rods, and all had symbols he recognized marked along the sides.
Bondars.
There was one for each of the elements, including fire. They were shaped differently than the bondars they used in the classroom, but there was no doubt in his mind they were bondars.
“What is this?” he asked Master Sartan. He flicked his gaze to Draln. The other man carried a set of bondars as well.
“To pass through the second level, one must demonstrate mastery of shaping. It does not require you to reach that shaping on your own. You may use the bondar if you feel it will help. Not all choose to do so, but the expectation is that you will be able to reach each of the elements.”
Tolan’s heart started to hammer.
Had they tested him only a few weeks before, he doubted he would have been able to do this. Even now, under this situation, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to.
“You will be tested until you fail,” Master Sartan said.
“Until I fail?”
The master shaper nodded. “Good luck.”
Tolan started toward the center of the park. Once there, he looked around, half expecting to see some residual effect of what had taken place when Draln had been here, but there was nothing. The shaping had been completely smooth, eliminated, leaving the ground unmarked.
He squeezed the bondars.
What was the best way to hold them?
He didn’t even have a chance to process. Power built.
It was a strange thing facing an attack again. After facing Master Daniels and the others the night before, he was battle tested, but in this case, the stakes were equally high. With Master Daniels, it had been a desire to ensure he would survive. In this case, it was a matter of wanting to stay at the Academy.
And he did want to stay.
He gripped the bondars in one hand, turning in place.
What technique would he need?
He tested fire, pulling on various shapings he could think of, drawing upon his image of the elementals as he did. They came one after another.
Shifting to earth, he worked through the various shapings he had practiced while in the Keystone park. Once again, he was able to reach them.
What about wind and water?
There was no chance to test them.
The earth heaved, tossing him into the air.
Tolan took a deep breath, gripping the bondars. He pushed off with a shaping of fire, using the same sort of shaping he used when he reached the Shapers Path. It was a blast of heat, and it carried him up, letting him twist in the air. He noticed Draln watching from the far side of the park and wondered what the other man was thinking. He was likely already planning his attack for the duel.
He didn’t have an opportunity to see anything else.
The flames holding him in the air faded.
He started to crash and Tolan shaped, using an image of cilika to catch him, cradling him softly toward the ground.
When he landed, he solidified the earth again, stepping forward.
As it had with Draln, a circle of flame worked around him.
This was one Tolan thought he could manage. At least with the bondar.
He ignored the furios Master Sartan had given him, reaching for the one in his pocket. He was familiar with the shapes upon it, and he focused, searching for which elemental would absorb those flames. Earth might do it, but if you used the right shaping of fire…
He focused on lisinar and it swept through, circling him, practically swallowing the flames.
Wind struck him, threatening to knock him over.
He needed some way of burning that off.
He could use fire as well.
He shaped, this time using saa. It was an easy elemental to burn off the wind, and the heat flowed up from the ground, an enormous shaping, and it swallowed the wind.
He had to demonstrate the other elements. If he were to pass the test, he would need to
do so.
When sharp shards of ice started batting at him, Tolan focused on what he could remember of water. He needed to change it. Could he turn it to mist?
Masyn.
The elemental drifted into the front of his mind, and he focused, thinking about what he knew. The ice continued to batter him, and he turned in place. When he did, he saw Master Marcella staring at him.
This was her shaping.
She had already tried to hurt him once, drowning him, and though she had intended it to try to draw out his shaping ability, the fear of death had been real.
He wasn’t going to let her succeed when it came to this.
Tolan squeezed the bondars.
Had he not shaped the night before, had he not experienced that terror, he wasn’t sure he would have been able to react.
But he knew what was needed.
Focusing through the water bondar, he shaped, drawing upon masyn.
The ice shifted. It twisted, becoming something else.
There was resistance to his shaping through the bondar, and as he looked up, Master Marcella gritted her teeth, trying to oppose him.
Tolan scanned the inside of the park, and his gaze fell upon a wall behind Master Shorav.
Water was there.
He used that rune, focusing. Whether or not this place was like the Keystone didn’t matter. He thought the power was similar.
He pulled upon that, drawing even more power.
The shaping exploded out from him. He directed it toward Master Marcella.
Wind slammed into him again, and again he reacted, pushing out with saa but he twisted it, using his connection to the bondar, sending out a pulse for ara.
As the wind elemental swirled, he directed it outward, forcing it toward each of the walls. He was determined to overpower the shaping used on him.
It continued to build.
Tolan forced more and more power through the shaping, through the elemental, unmindful of the fact he was drawing upon elemental power. In this place, he could argue he was doing something else.
He needed to be careful, not wanting to harm the master shapers, but then, Tolan wasn’t sure he even would be able to do so.
The pressure continued to build.
Suddenly, his hold on ara faded, and heat and wind and water and earth all slammed into him. They swirled around, forming a cage, and as they did, he was pushed backward. Tolan tried to fight, pushing outward with fire and earth. He added what he could of water and wind, but was still exhausted from the night before. Missing sleep the night before, he hadn’t had the opportunity to fully recuperate. Although he continued to attempt shapings, he was stuck. The power built around him, squeezing, and he resisted, trying to fight, but couldn’t.
The Earth Awakens (Elemental Academy Book 2) Page 28