The Great Hall was aptly named; it was the largest room Kairi had ever seen in her life, with extremely high ceilings and a massive stone fireplace at the far end with a large fire burning merrily within. Sythrian weaved around the large wooden tables that filled the room, Kairi trailing behind. Most were full of people chattering and eating while some were covered in books and papers and a few quiet studiers. Kairi clutched her books to her chest, nervously wondering which group of Mages she would be meeting.
“Oy! Sythrian!” A wave and a shout from the far end of the room caught their attention.
Sythrian waved back, a big grin on his face. “Rodyn!” They moved to the table and Sythrian pulled Kairi forward. “This’s Kairi. She’s new.” He pointed to the Mage that had waved them over, dark-haired and smiling, “This is Rodyn.”
“Well-met, Kairi.” The boy smiled. Kairi returned the smile timidly and bobbed her head in greeting.
Sythrian introduced everyone around the table and then before she knew it she was squeezed in between Sythrian and Rodyn. Across from her was a pretty blonde girl named Aryllia and a sandy-haired boy named Theorr. On the other side of Sythrian was a boy named Gillyan, a shy, slightly chubby red-head, and Althia, a bubbly girl with black hair.
After everyone had finished greeting one another, Sythrian rubbed his hands together. “Well then, let’s show Kairi how it’s done.” Sythrian grinned at Kairi.
All together everyone at the table clapped their hands, and bowls of steaming soup appeared on the table in front of each person. A second later a basket of warm bread appeared in the middle of the table with a small “pop.”
Kairi stared openmouthed at the plate. “Where does it all come from?”
Sythrian pointed downward. “The kitchens are downstairs. They have some clever spell worked on the pantry to transport it up here during mealtimes, and some foods are available whenever for snacks. The food is usually pretty good. Occasionally you get something weird when someone’s experimenting with the recipes.”
“Wow.” Kairi pulled her soup towards her and they all began to eat, and Kairi mostly listened as the rest of them chatted about their studies. They were all slightly older than Kairi, and most had been at Tiethar for at least a year. Kairi learned that they would be studying elemental magic, herbalism, gayrr’goah which was the ancient language, alchemy and combat.
The conversation continued for a long while. Kairi found herself liking all of Sythrian’s friends, and was already feeling less anxious about living at Tiethar. Soon though, yawns were more frequent than the conversation and the youngest of the group, Althia, nearly fell asleep in her soup. Chuckling, they all agreed it was time to head to their rooms.
Kairi yawned, getting up from the table. “What about the plates?” she asked Sythrian, looking at the dirty plates left on the table.
“Same way they got here.” He clapped his hands and the plate vanished, along with the crumbs that had littered the area around it.
Kairi smiled. “Of course.” She clapped. Nothing happened.
“You can’t just clap. You’ve got to concentrate on it.” Sythrian smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I should have told you that.”
Kairi clapped again, willing the plate to disappear. With a resounding crack, the plate shattered, and everyone at the table ducked as the broken pieces flew across the room. Kairi gasped as a shard of broken plate came speeding toward her face. “No!” Crying out, she threw her hand up and shut her eyes, just in time, to protect herself, waiting for the shard to pierce her hand.
Holding her breath, she opened her eyes a crack. The entire room was silent, and she glanced around nervously. What happened? She looked back at the table, and gasped as she saw the plate’s shards hovering in midair, the point of the largest piece mere millimetres from the palm of her hand. She looked at Sythrian for help, and he clapped solemnly and the shards silently disappeared.
Sythrian looked at Kairi with bewilderment as conversations resumed around them, punctuated by the soft hissing of whispers. “What was that?”
Kairi let out a long breath, shaking her head. “I-I don’t know. I just didn’t want it to hit me.”
Sythrian shrugged. “You’re definitely something, that’s for sure. Come on, I’ll take you back to your room.”
Kairi nodded thankfully and picked up her books, trying to ignore the people staring all around her.
“Bye, Kairi,” Rodyn called quietly, and the others at the table echoed him. Kairi waved back at them, trying to leave as inconspicuously as possible.
***
Sythrian closed the door behind them as they exited the Great Hall, and looked at Kairi with concern. “You alright? It’s no big deal, you know. Strange things are always happening around newbies. They’ll get over it.”
Kairi sighed as they began walking back to her room. “If strange things are always happening, then why did everyone seem so shocked?”
Sythrian looked at her strangely. “The word you said.”
Kairi stopped and turned to look at Sythrian. “What word?”
Sythrian raised an eyebrow. “I don't know what it meant. It sounded like a word of Power, only I’ve never heard it before. By the looks of the older Mages, they haven’t as well.” Kairi frowned, shrugging, and they continued walking in silence back to Kairi’s room.
As Kairi opened her door, Sythrian put his hand on her arm. “Tomorrow morning we’re to help out in the library. Two rights and a left. Come whenever you wake up.”
“What are we doing?”
“I’ll explain when you get there. See you.” He looked at her for a moment with concern, then turned and walked off down the hall.
“Night.” Kairi closed the door and leaned against it. So much for fitting in. She placed her books on the desk and flopped down on her bed. Kairi rolled over and lay staring at the ceiling until sleep fraught with confusing dreams overtook her.
***
Jaspyrr sat down in his armchair and passed a hand over his brow. “I believe Olbin is under the impression that she is the one. I also believe he knows she is here, and it is only a matter of time before he learns the location of Tiethar. He might have already learned it from Mather, much as I would like to hope that he withstood the torture.”
“But how can she be the one? She is only seventeen! Arieyhl had that child well over a hundred years ago and there’s been no sign of it since!” Diander threw his hands up in the air, exasperated.
“The point is not whether she is or isn’t,” Tevel said sharply. “She has enough Potential to attract Olbin’s attention regardless, and if Olbin does indeed believe she is the child, she will be in even more danger. We must protect her as best we can and make sure that she is Trained as soon as possible.”
“I agree with Tevel,” Diander replied, “I saw what happened in the Great Hall earlier. We can’t have accidents like that happening often. Someone could have gotten hurt.”
Jaspyrr rubbed his chin. “What word did you say she used?”
Diander shook his head. “I’d never heard it before. It sounded like Elvish.”
Jaspyrr frowned and looked at Tevel, who lifted his hands and shrugged. “I didn’t teach it to her.”
“It seemed sort of a reflex reaction. I’m not even sure she knew what she was saying.” Diander tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling.
“This is troubling indeed,” Jaspyrr sighed. Jaspyrr gazed into his scrying stone, watching his reflection. Suddenly he narrowed his eyes, and looked up at Tevel. “Have you noticed her eyes?”
Tevel nodded. “They should have returned to their normal colour by now. What do you think it means?” Tevel tapped his fingers together in thought.
“I am at a loss for ideas.” Jaspyrr shook his head. “It seems we are just going to have to wait to see how events pan out. I don’t think we have any other choice. I have assigned her to you as your assistant along with Sythrian, Diander. Hopefully keeping her in the library during her spare time will prevent her from getting into trouble.”
The three men nodded in agreement before getting up in silence to go their separate ways.
***
Kairi blinked in the sudden light. She was dimly aware that she was in Tiethar, asleep, but now she stood next to a man bent over a table, his dark, oily hair obscuring his eyes from view. On top of the table lay a vast map of Gelarrial. The man rubbed his chin, frowning. Finally he looked up at two guards, the ones who had chased Kairi and Tevel, speaking in a sinister voice that sent chills down Kairi’s spine, “Well, Gavin? Was she the child?” He seemed not to notice Kairi standing there, for which Kairi was glad.
“M’Lord, there was no way to tell. She could not be found. Her house was indeed not far from Fehn’s Ravine, but we cannot be sure she is the one.”
The shorter soldier looked uncomfortable, and Olin frowned at him. “Is there something more you have to report?”
“My Lord, Sir,” he hesitated. “I couldn’t help but wonder how this could be the Child of Prophecy, after so many years—.” His voice shook as he bowed low, remaining completely still even as the evil man slammed a fist down on the table in front of him.
“Just find her, and kill her. I will NOT,” he spat on the floor in front of the soldier’s feet, “have my orders questioned by soldiers!”
“M’Lord.” Gavin bowed again before backing out of the room, his shorter and more nervous companion following suit. As the door closed behind them, the man let out a blood-curdling scream of rage that echoed around the stark room.
***
Kairi jolted awake, shuddering at the feeling her dream left her. She tried in vain to recall the contents of the dream, but all she could remember was the man’s scream of rage. The feeling of pure evil would not leave Kairi’s memory, even with the light pouring in through the window.
She stood up and stretched, and went over to the basin to splash some water on her face before pulling her robes on.
“Two rights and a left,” Kairi whispered to herself a short time later as she left for the library, hoping that Sythrian had not been waiting too long for her. She nervously smoothed her wrinkled robes and pulled her hair back into a braid as she walked, reaching the doors to the library in just under a quarter mark.
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