CHAPTER 6

As she followed Tevel into the room, Kairi was surprised to find the room lit by candles set at intervals around a circle in the centre of the floor. In the shadows at the circle's edge, Kairi could make out the shapes of five hooded figures.

“Step into the centre of the Circle of Power, Kairi.” The figure closest to her, a tall elderly man, stepped out of the shadows, and Kairi involuntarily took a step backward, glancing at Tevel. 

Tevel nodded, his expression slightly sheepish. “It’s okay, Kairi.” 

Kairi reluctantly turned back to the robed figure. This was not how she pictured this meeting.

The flickering candlelight played off the man's features, causing his wrinkles to appear as deep gashes along his aged face. His eyes remained in shadow as he beckoned Kairi forward. When Kairi hesitated, the Mage’s face softened, and Kairi hesitantly stepped over the charcoal line that marked the edge of the circle and stood at the centre. She realised her hands were shaking, and clasped them in front of her.

"Turn, slowly, and greet each of the Mages,” He instructed.

Kairi obeyed, nodding to each of the five Mages that sat cross-legged at the circle’s edge. Each Mage returned her nod, gazing intently at Kairi.

As Kairi nodded to the last Mage, the tall wizard spoke again, pushing his white, billowing sleeves up over his pale forearms. “Kairi of the Forest, you are about to be presented with your first Test of Power. Henceforth, should you choose to accept it, you will be subject to the tutelage of the Tiethar Tower’s Masters. Do you agree to accept their guidance and abide by the Tower’s code?”

Kairi glared at Tevel. He hadn't told her anything about this, and she felt a moment’s indignation that he hadn’t warned her. He gestured for her to answer. Kairi returned her focus to the robed man, swallowed hard and nodded. He continued, “Very well. I, Jaspyrr, declare that you may now begin your first Test of Power.” Jaspyrr motioned for her to sit and stepped back, his face retreating once again into shadow. 

Kairi looked wonderingly at him for a moment, surprised that this was the High Mage of Tiethar Tower. She had expected a younger Mage in his prime. Seeing Jaspyrr in person however, Kairi was struck by a profound sense of humility and awe. For such an old man the control and fortitude behind his voice was astounding, and while it had never risen above a normal speaking level, Kairi was sure he could instantly command the attention of an entire hall of people with a whisper.

The Mage sitting to the right of Jaspyrr spoke, drawing her gaze from Jaspyrr’s shadowed form, “The first element is water. Water is essential to life, but it can also end life. We must ever be conscious of its significance, for it is within the very air we breathe, the ground we walk upon, in our very bodies. It is tied to all things.” Her voice wavered with age, and she brought a shaky hand up to her brow in the sign of greeting Kairi had seen Tevel use earlier: two fingers drawn from left to right across her forehead. The Mage made the gesture slowly, then nodded at Kairi expectantly. Kairi returned the motion, her pulse quickening with excitement and trepidation.

A ceramic bowl of water was set before her, and Kairi gazed into it, watching as the ambient candlelight in the room played off the rippling surface. The woman spoke again and the water became still, reflecting her gnarled face like a mirror, “Begin.”

Kairi looked at her, stunned, waiting for her to explain, unsure of what she was meant to do. The Mage, however, remained silent. What on Gelarrial was she supposed to do?

Kairi sat staring at the bowl for a moment, furiously trying to think, but her mind was filled with a blank buzzing. Feeling somewhat foolish, Kairi used her Sight to examine the bowl. Seeing nothing unusual, Kairi tried sending a thread of her own Power to meet those of the water. When they met, the liquid was drawn up the line of power like a straw. 

Kairi's curiosity was peaked, and by some instinct she continued drawing up the water with her power, shaping the water into a hollow sphere of undulating threads above the bowl. She gently nudged one side of the sphere with her power, causing it to spin slowly.

As it spun, faster and faster, the swirling currents of her own power spiralled to the centre of the sphere, creating a sort of watery shell around her power. Kairi watched the sphere in awe, her mouth slightly open as she examined the swirling ripples that formed with each breath she took.

"Enough," the Mage broke the silence, and Kairi lowered the sphere jerkily back to the bowl, accidentally sloshing it over the edge of the bowl as it fell the last few inches. "I, Rosamynd of the Water, determine that Kairi has passed her first Test of Water. You may proceed, Kairi of the Forest.”

The next Mage looked up, and Kairi was struck by her youth. She had long blond hair, tied in a braid at the nape of her neck, falling around the folds of her light blue robes and just barely brushing the floor behind her where she sat. When she spoke her voice had a silvery quality to it, and she spoke with an almost musical lilting.

“The next element is air. Air is essential to our very being. It is all around us. You cannot see the air, but it makes itself apparent in the breaths we take, in the movement of the trees, in the flight of the birds, in the waves upon the ocean, and in the passage of clouds in the sky.” She made the sign of greeting, which Kairi returned. A large leaf was brought out in front of Kairi, and placed on the ground before her. “Begin, Kairi of the Forest.”

Kairi thought for a moment; perhaps all she had to do was lift the leaf into the air. She focused her Sight on the air around her, and saw the lines of air barely visible moving in the darkness. Using her power she nudged them, directing their flow toward the leaf. Kairi felt the hairs on her arms rise as a slight breeze rippled through the room. The leaf began to waver, and Kairi pushed harder, urging the blue mist to swirl faster and faster, whipping her hair into her face, but still the leaf only fluttered on the ground. After a few minutes of this, Kairi could feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She realised that she was holding her breath, and let it out in a whoosh.

As she did so, the silence of the room was rent with a loud crash, and Kairi looked up, startled. A window to the side of the room had blown open, and a ferocious wind ripped around, tearing a dark, velvet curtain off the wall and whisking the leaf high into the air. Kairi’s breath quickened, and with each second the wind grew stronger. Her heart was pounding in her chest, echoing the window’s banging against the wall. Kairi glanced around the circle with wide eyes at the Mages around her, half of whom were glancing about nervously, the others looking at Kairi with mingled expressions of awe and concern. 

The Air Mage, however, continued to watch Kairi calculatingly. Kairi gulped, forcing herself to slow her breathing, and withdraw her power from all of the room but the Circle. After what seemed like ages of the shutters clattering against the wall and the howl of wind through the open window, the room slowly returned to calm, and Kairi watched the leaf fall, concentrating a small portion of air upward and bringing it down to hover in front of her nose.

"Enough." The Air Mage spoke, a trace of respect in her voice, “I, Lianna of the Air, declare that Kairi has passed her first Test of Air. You may proceed, Kairi of the Forest.”

The Mage bowed her head as the third Mage spoke. “The third element is fire. With it we cook our meals, light our paths, and warm our houses, but fire has a darker side. Fire is one of the most dangerous elements, for it can kill the very Mage who wields it, and can be used as a weapon against one’s foes. We must not forget how the Mages of old were killed by King Olbin, and what death awaits those who wield magic recklessly.” He spoke with a quiet but stern voice, and as soon as the sign of greeting was exchanged, Kairi began to concentrate.

Some of the Mages shifted nervously as an unlit candle was placed in front of Kairi. Kairi took a deep breath. She supposed that all she had to do was simply light the candle, so she focused her Sight on the candle, now almost instinctively reaching for the power inside her.

She drew a strand of red Power through her arm to her hand, feeling the warm tingling as it flowed through her. She let it pool in her palm, concentrating on keeping the power within the confines of her cupped hand. She stopped the flow of Power, and with a great flash she found she held a roaring ball of flame in her right hand. Kairi cried out in surprise and out of the corner of her eye saw one of the Mages shrink back from the flickering fire she held. 

Concentrating furiously, she withdrew her Power, letting the flame shrink. As she took the Power back, Kairi was surprised to find that the pleasant tingling sensation was replaced by a hot, prickly, pain creeping up her arm. She bit her lip and ignored it, gazing at the fire she held, now the size of a small marble. She carefully transferred it to the wick of the candle, sighing with relief.

The Fire Mage spoke in his solemn voice, looking at her curiously, “I, Friion of the Fire, do hereby state that Kairi has passed her first Test of Fire. You may proceed, Kairi of the Forest.”

The fourth Mage spoke with a deep and powerful voice. She made a great sweeping motion with one large arm, her brown sleeves dragging along the floor. “Look around you. The floor beneath you, the walls that shelter you, and the ground that supports us all. All are of the earth. The Power of earth is the most difficult to wield, because the very thing you are drawing energy from is so vast. However, earth is also unique, for not only does the Mage specialising in earth draw power from the soil and rock, but also from the plants that take root in its soil. Because of this, the Earth Mage strives to protect the Gelarrial and all its resources.”

A bowl filled with soil was placed in front of Kairi, and Kairi puzzled over it for a moment. She used her Sight once more, yet saw nothing. She reached for her Power and sent a small wisp out toward the bowl, questioning its contents with her mind. As it reached the middle of the soil, Kairi sensed a weak life force emanating from within. Realising it was a seed, Kairi sent a thread of green Power into it, watching the small glow of life grow brighter. Slowly she guided small amounts of thread into the seed until she could sense the seed begin to take in the power as it’s own, the power pulsing like a heartbeat throughout it.

Kairi let the Power coming from her fade, hoping she had not overdone it as she had the last few tests. She smiled slightly as she saw a thin, green stalk reaching upwards from the pot, no more than a finger length, and topped with two small leaves. 

"Very good." Kairi looked up at the Earth Mage, who was smiling and nodding. “After this test," she continued, "keep this small plant and nurture it as a reminder of the precious nature of the world, Gelarrial, in which we live. I, Torrie of the earth, declare that Kairi has passed her first Test of earth. You may proceed, Kairi of the Forest.” The sign of greeting was exchanged and Kairi found herself facing Jaspyrr.

“You have nearly reached the end of your first Test of Power," Jaspyrr intoned. "The final element is light. In all things there is a light and dark side, day and night. Light is used to illuminate the dark of the unknown, but as the light grows, so too do the shadows.” Jaspyrr looked Kairi directly in the eye as he continued, “I sense in you a profound curiosity for the world around you, and a spirit full of light. Be careful of those who would turn those traits to their own devices.” His gaze intensified as he bade her begin the last of her Tests.

She looked around at the dark room around her, realising that the candles had been extinguished. She had seen spheres of light interspersed through the hallways of Tiethar, lit by something other than candlelight, and settled on attempting to replicate their effect. 

She held a hand out in front of her, Watching the power pool as she drew a strand to her hand. When she allowed the power to form a ball above her hand, it's pale, iridescent glow perplexed Kairi. The corridor's lights had been white and had not flickered at all. Why did her Mage-light sparkle with an almost reflective sheen, instead of the soft white of the thread? 

She frowned as the ball pulsated as if it had a life of its own, growing bigger with each pulse. Kairi tried to stop the flow of Power, guessing by the murmurs from the Mages around the Circle that she was doing something wrong, but the power refused to cooperate. Kairi's head was beginning to feel hazy, and with a sudden weariness she found herself unable to focus on the sphere, which was slowly growing dimmer, along with the whole room. Kairi heard one of the Mages say something in an urgent tone, but could not understand the words. Her eyes closed of their own accord, her head falling forward onto her chest. She heard Jaspyrr give a shout, and then—

Nothing.