Chapter Five: The Final Test, Followed by the First
It was a silence both magical and mental, which no other place had yet achieved during the hours he had spent far away from the crater, and the city that sat in its' shadow. Despite the fact that the Center was an entire world that played host to the magical heart of the entire Salak'patan, very little actually existed on the planet, for whatever strange reason might be behind it. At some ill defined point, about one-hundred miles beyond the crater in every direction, there was simply nothing but untouched wilderness. What was perhaps even more odd, to his way of thinking, was that the entire opposite side of the planet was restricted, even from the agents who lived on and protected that world. The official story was that the continent on the far side of the planet was used for confidential research, but the entire thing struck Raven as being a cover story to hide a far more interesting kind of truth. Still, it hardly mattered to him, since he had more than enough things to worry about than to focus on suspicious questions that might have already been given truthful answers. However one might look at it, it was probably not as hard as he might think to find a place that felt as isolated as the one he occupied at that moment, but even though he had spent many hours trying to do that very thing, he found himself returning there time after time, when the press of too many minds started to wear on his nerves. Back on Earth, he had never really felt the need to find peace through solitude, even during the seemingly endless year trapped within the borders of New York city. However, that had begun to change over the past six months, and more and more often, he found himself fleeing the confines of the crater and the things that made it such an uncomfortable place to be all the time. When he had tried to explain this need to LeShana, worried that it was indicative of a deeper problem, she had assured him that it was perfectly normal. Even when she had said it, there had been a worried shadow of troubled thoughts in her eyes.
There had been lots of similar kinds of looks during the passage of the last few months, so many, in fact, that he almost began to wonder if he was simply not seeing things correctly, that perhaps he was just reading too much into what could be, for them, simple everyday kinds of expressions. At other times, he had been concerned that he was pushing his friends too hard while he sought to obtain the full extent of his training and magical mastery with every ounce of his speed and ability. But that thought had been discarded the one day he had not felt all that well, and Sarath and Destin both had all but dragged him from bed to get him to work even harder to obtain the level of skill they felt he needed. While they were still able to cast doubts over his worries, he had come to believe that there was indeed something wrong that they were not sharing with him. The evidence had slowly mounted in an all too short time since he had first been brought to their world, but he had not reached the point where he was willing to confront any of them to demand answers, not even LeShana. The truth was, he had more than enough to occupy his mind and to fill his days without going to look for trouble where there might not be any.
With so much having changed so rapidly, where his once quiet life had been concerned, Raven had long since been dedicated to the idea of completing his training faster than anyone might have thought possible. He had long ago grown weary of the unsettled feeling that had prompted him to go to the Weslyn building and set into motion all that had followed. And where his training and his unspoken goal had been concerned, he had succeeded beyond even his own wildest ambitions. LeShana had been accepted into the program at the age of ten and a half, and had graduated just a few months after her fourteenth birthday. Sarath had finished her training in three years at the age of nineteen. The records showed that the fastest ever to complete their training had a been a young man named Orin some 300 years before, and he had managed to finish the program a week before his seventeenth birthday, taking a total of two years and seven months to graduate. At six months of training and still at the age of 25, Raven only had to pass one final test before he would obtain his badge and position within the ranks of the Center agents. Granted, he had received one on one training in the two areas most needed, and granted he had a racial legacy that made the absorption of so much information all too easy, but despite his advantages, he believed that even if some future critic added on an entire extra year to his number as a way to penalize him for getting special treatment, he would still beat the fastest record for training by nearly half.
Raven Sinclair was no longer. The name had been a figment of his own imagination and chosen because it looked good when printed across the cover a book. He had discarded his given name to take on the created persona, and with two identities discarded in the face of his ever changing path through life, he had taken on a third; 'Monorth'. Suggested to him by LeShana and Sarath as his use-name during the years ahead, he hadn't honestly been too fond of the title when they had first suggested it. They had been all too quick, however, to remind him of the biggest event of the previous six months. The administrators that managed the training program had not been convinced that he could learn all there was to being an agent in so little time, much less all the basic information needed to be a citizen. Nor did they think he could absorb all of the magical theory in the same few months. The board of education, which ran the training programming, had insisted that he prove himself before he was even allowed to take the final tests he needed to pass in order to become an agent. While much of it had been simply spewing back vast stores of facts, when it had come time for him to prove he could indeed learn and apply magical theory in such a short time, they had put him in the ring with the only mage that could be considered his equal, his own sister.
Sarath, confident in her own teachings and eager enough to promise him a no holds fight, had nevertheless been taken by surprise when he had simply sat down and shielded himself once the fight had begun. Taking that as a sign of his inevitable defeat, she had merrily pounded away at him with spells, never realizing he was using a special kind of shield that absorbed the impacts and energy of any attack, feeding it right back to him. Using all her effort and energy, he had summoned up fire elementals, vague spirits of the abyssal planes that would do just about anything for anyone if fed. Given more than enough energy to feed a few million of them, when he had released them with instructions to burn, it had been up to him to ensure that his sister, himself, and the audience were not turned into crispy pieces of bacon, as the unfettered elementals unleashed a fire storm. Later, Sarath had teased him, claiming the demonstration was already becoming a modern day legend, among the students and agents alike. His new name was actually a reminder of the act which took those two words, Fire and Storm, in Dego and smashed them together to form the title 'Monorth'. Having thought it over, he had finally decided that he rather liked the idea of carrying such a dangerous sounding title. It went without saying that he had passed the administrators’ extra tests with flying colors, and had been included on the rolls of those who would participate in the graduation exams which were supposed to follow sometime in the very near future.
A piercing bird call rippled out across the mountain tops and cliff sides, shaking him from his wandering thoughts. The sight of the vast, deep pool of crystal clear water surrounded by hardy, cold weather tolerant trees, which were sitting at the fringes of the waters, was a familiar one. The dark cliffs which rose up on three sides were quiet something, as they formed a deep stone bowl, at the bottom of which was the waterfall fed lake. The site's isolation, more than anything, had brought him back time and time again when he needed to escape the pressure of so many other minds and so many of his own thoughts. That particular day, however, he had not come to relive the recent past, but had instead gone there to ready himself for the near future. With such a firm reminder stuck firmly in the forefront of his thoughts, he refocused his efforts and applied himself to achieving the light meditative state that had been one of his very first lessons in magic. At the Center, they taught a no holds barred approach to magic, and there were literal
ly hundreds of different schools, paths, philosophies, and ways of performing magic. Sarath had been fond of saying, 'If it works, use it. If doesn't work, your dead.'. The saying was a bit harsh and a bit of bad poetry, but truth existed in many forms.
There were six different basic types and techniques for controlling energy and creating spells. They were; ritual magic, direct magic, summoning magic, globe magic, set spells, and ungifted magic. The basic premises for all six techniques were the same; controlling energy, but there were many ways of accomplishing the same goal. Ritual magic controlled energy through symbols that focused the mind to direct the flow of magic, and to achieve whatever goal the caster was trying to accomplish. With direct magic, the mage acted as a conduit for the energies, and it was by far the most common technique. However, it had the disadvantage that the more powerful the spell, the more powerful the mage needed to be. Summoning magic brought creatures and beings that could be used and directed to the ends of a means. With such a technique, he could summon a demon from one of the lower ethereal planes to attack his enemies, or summon a wind elemental to add power to a storm. Globe magic used a combination of shields and energy to create spheres which could explode or be used to do other things. Light spells were the most common use for such a type of magic, but it was also possible to create a globe that would spit fire balls. Set spells were very similar to ritual magic in that runes and designs were used to direct the flow of energy. However, it took a great deal more power to create these types of permanent spells, and set spells were the most difficult of the 'gifted' magics. It took tremendous amounts of control and was normally very complex. Of the form of magic, the spells that would be used to restore the magic of worlds like Earth were the most notable of set spells. It took thirty mages four days to complete just one spell, and each planet had to have a web of ten or so spells to complete the restoration. The advantage of set spells was that they did not need a mage to control them, or feed them energy once they were completed. And finally, there was ungifted magic, which was the hardest of the six techniques. The other five forms of magic required a person that had mage-gift to control energy, but with ungifted mage-craft, there was no need for any ability. It took years of training and absolute self control, but it was possible to do magic without the gift. The one advantage to ungifted magic was that there were no limits to how much energy could be controlled and used at one time.
It was almost as if Sarath was still hovering over his shoulder and barking the words of the lesson while his mind reviewed the information. He summoned energy from a nearby energy-field to fuel the slow progression of spells he was there to practice. In general, there were four types of energy outside one's self, where energy could be gathered from. Energy fields, mage-streams, mage-nodes, and energy reserves. Energy reserves were pools of stored energy created artificially that could be tapped by mages, like storage tanks of water, ready when needed. The other three were natural forms of mage-energy. Energy-fields were the weakest of the three and he likened them to being like a recent rainfall on a concrete parking lot, where the energy lingered on the surface for a short time. From the energy-fields, recently released energy flowed down the surface and into mage-streams. The energy in mage-streams was stronger and more concentrated, running through the earth like the flowing paths of streams, creeks and rivers. They were also known as ley-lines by some cultures on Earth. Where two or more mage-streams crossed, a mage-node formed, but only high level mages dared to tap into them. The energy inside the nodes was triple the strength of the streams and heavily concentrated, making them potent but highly dangerous. Only strong set spells, powerful attacks, and summoning spells required the use of a mage-nodes. Since not all worlds were as abundant with magical energy as the Center, they were taught to use energy conservatively and make the most of simple spells.
The spells he was there to practice were spells that actually served no real purpose in terms of practical effects, beyond their effect on the mage who cast them. They were meant to test a mage's ability, control, and focus, while relaxing the mind and easing the tensions of the body. They were a progression of shapeless, formless spells that, when he performed them, reminded him of the twisting trunks and sweeping branches of willow trees made out of light. The spells had no effect on the real world, beyond feeding the plants and animals in the immediate area when the magic was released and the energy flowed back into the environment. Sarath had told him when she had first shown him the spell progression that it took only moments to learn but a lifetime to master. This was because there was simply no limit as to what those spell forms might take at the direction of a mage's will, nor was there a limit onto the scale a mage might choose to build them. She had told him all about the monk who first showed her the meditative process as well as the awe and wonder he had invoked in her younger self. Monorth had to agree with her assessment of the spell progression, at least the part about taking a lifetime to master, since her creations put his to shame. With his physical eyes closed and his vision in darkness, he could create a glowing forest of rainbow hued trees or a vast cityscape floating on the calm surface of the lake around him. His mind followed a different path on his current visit, however, one of swirling, shifting cloud shapes that filled the space all around and above him as they moved, collided and broke apart, as if shifting in the changing winds.
As if on cue, at the very moment when he was about to begin the final and most delicate part of the spell sequence, an all too familiar and normally all too welcome presence touched his mind and brought his long and difficult process grinding to a halt. No matter how hard he might have tried keep a hold on the spells and continue the progression, the touch had been a warning, and from within his pocket, his portable communicator started ringing. While the bond they shared could probably let them know what the other was thinking and feeling at any given time and place, neither of them were strong enough telepaths to communicate over a distance of more than fifty miles. Sighing as the spell simply crumbled away and its' energy dispersed to the four winds, he shifted enough to retrieve his infernal device from his pocket and answered LeShana's badly timed call.
"You're annoyed with me." She commented with a falling expression, seen clearly on the softly glowing holographic screen.
"My beloved, I am annoyed with the Universe. It seems to be behind a grand conspiracy that will prevent me from ever bettering my performance with my sister's favorite spell progression." LeShana gave him a half amused smirk of sympathy.
"Another day, my love, you are needed back here now." She informed him rather pointedly. Knowing only too well that any effort aimed at arguing with her was an effort ultimately doomed to failure and disgrace, he sighed and nodded. Pleased that he was learning his lesson, she giggled at him and made a face before she closed the connection. Sliding up to his feet he refilled his personal energy reserves as he readied himself for the short trip back towards home. One decided benefit of having gone through so much frantic work in order to attain his magical mastery was the fact that travel had never been quite so easy for him. With pass-throughs and gates, he could literally go to any location on any world in the Salak'patan and travel those distances in a heartbeat. With both spells, it was recommended to make them with doorways or something solid and open in the middle in order to anchor the spell so that it did not flux, collapse or otherwise fail. For him, he had not needed a place to anchor either spell since just after he had first cast either of them. Of course it was also recommended that one know exactly where they were going and having been there before in order to ensure they weren't making a mistake, but this too was a restriction that he seemed well able to bypass. For him, it was just enough to have some good photographs of the area and some small sense of what the world was like in order to travel there. It was something that had surprised no few people when he proved able to do this. Pass-throughs were a general place to place spell that let a mage travel between different locations on
a planet's surface. Gates were much stronger and were used for inter-planetary travels.
The pass-through formed in a flash of light and he stepped through it. On the other side, he reappeared in the living room of the apartment they had shared that past half a year. Monorth could hear LeShana splashing around in the shower, so with a shrug he walked towards the bedroom, glancing in the mirror as he passed and was once again surprised by how different he looked, even to his own eyes. His hair had faded to pure white, his face had thinned so that he looked even more like a predatory bird. LeShana was of the opinion that it made him look more distinguished, which Monorth supposed could be true. His body had been honed to a point where there was no extra flesh and he rippled with muscle. Much like his skills, he had been sculpted and shaped so that there was nothing but what was needed. He would never be handsome, not that he really wanted to be, but the changes his training had wrought had left him with a far more sinister appearance. Of course, if he truly wanted to, he could use magic to change his appearance to be anything he wanted. With enough energy and time, Monorth could change his appearance so that he could look like anything or anyone he choose to. But what was the point of looking like a young god when he had already meet a woman that he loved more than life itself?
"Don't get comfortable, we have a meeting to go to." LeShana called from the bathroom as the shower shut off.
"All right." Monorth replied, but there was something in her voice that set him on edge. Though she had spoken with bored tones, Monorth had the distinct feeling that there was something he was not being told. The final tests instantly came to mind. He reacted to this by grabbing a few extra weapons and hanging them on his person, adding noticeable weapons to distract from the hidden ones. The most noticeable of these was the sword belt that Monorth strapped across his back and the dagger sheath that he placed on his belt. LeShana emerged from the steam-filled bathroom and looked up at him. If she noticed the sword belt and the dagger, she did not let on. She kissed him as she walked towards the closet to pull on some clothes. She dressed as she explained that this was a meeting that was meant to tell the students taking the test the rules he would have to follow. All the students that had applied to participate and the instructors were going to be there. She was going to be one of the moderators, like many of the agents on leave or between assignments at the time. A great many active agents were going to be helping with the final test, since a large number of the agents that taught classes regularly were agents that had suffered a debilitating injury in the line of duty. This was on purpose, it was an open reminder to all the students that they put themselves on the line when they went out into the field, and that crippling injuries and death were a reality every agent might face in the execution of their duties. This was to ensure that the young and stupid were discouraged from becoming agents.
"Time to go." LeShana told him as she looked up at the wall clock. Monorth nodded and headed for the door. She was just a step behind him and, just to make her smile, he opened the door for her with his best courtly bow. LeShana smiled warmly up at him as they both stepped into the hallway, and, as always, their part of the hall was eerily quiet. Of course, there were no other students staying in the bonded hallway, but it was still a little eerie. "You're awfully quiet." LeShana commented as the started down the hallway.
"Just worried about the test." He told her in return.
"You'll do fine." LeShana replied, bumping her body into his playfully. She hung onto his arm and Monorth smirked back at her. They were headed towards the student sections of the of the crater, which was clear as soon as the entered the transport and she typed in the destination, but the specifics were far less clear. When they arrived in the area, the halls became suddenly crowded, and most of them looked far too young to be able to take the final test. His thoughts were confirmed in the next moment by LeShana's sharp tones. "Are all of you taking the test?" LeShana asked, projecting her voice so that everyone in the hall could hear her. All eyes turned towards her and there were a great number of embarrassed and fearful looks as the hall quickly cleared of people. It made sense that most of the students were curious about the tests, after all, it was the one thing that was withheld from them about their training. Once most were in full retreat, the two of them started moving, taking a course that twisted and turned through the halls. As they moved, they saw other agents clearing out the hallways of students whose curiosity had overruled their judgment. Further along, the two of them joined the flow of students and agents that were heading towards one of the large workrooms. Combat magics took up a lot of space, so there were a number of large shielded rooms where such magic could be practiced. It also had the advantage of being heavily shielded so that no one could listen in.
The floor was packed with chairs, a small stage had been set up at the far end, and the walls were lined with agents acting as guards. The sense that something wasn't right about the situation increased the moment Monorth stepped inside. LeShana kissed him goodbye before she headed to join her fellow agents along the walls. Knowing he couldn’t go about making accusations, he took a seat near the back to wait for whatever was to happen after all the other students arrived. There were a lot of nervous looks being exchanged between the students. The meeting was either a surprise or most of them were having second thoughts about the test. Monorth was ignored, and he ignored them in return, since there was no love lost there. Like his days in high school, Monorth was considered to be an outsider, and therefore below their notice. The beginning of the meeting was signaled by the Dean, who stood up and walked to the podium in the center of the stage. The doors were slammed shut and the shielding on the room was thickened, all of this happened in the space of two breaths, increasing the sense of unease in the room.
"This meeting has been called to finalize the rolls of those who will be taking the final examination to become a fully fledged agent of the Center, and to inform those of you who will be participating of the rules." The Dean began, his voice echoing through the silent room. "Before I begin, are there any that are having second thoughts about taking the test?" Several hands were raised reluctantly. "You may leave." Looking all the more uncomfortable, ten students rose and headed for the door. The Dean remained silent until they were gone, and the doors were closed once more. The shields around the room strengthened again, nearly tripling their original force. He then became aware of an insistent humming in the room, the kind assigned to a mass spell. Monorth strengthened his defenses, although none of the other students seemed to have noticed it. The Dean was speaking, but Monorth knew that he was the distraction. The spell started to come into force slowly, lulling the students into sleep, but he fought against it. One by one the other students fell, drooping in their seats. Very soon, Monorth was the only student left awake.
> LeShana replied, and with her words he could not doubt it, it was her. She was the same, down to the exact detail, even the music of her voice.
Monorth trailed off uncomfortably as he struggled to sit up, LeShana settling on the edge of his bed.
LeShana asked, and then laughed in his mind, a sound that filled him with warmth and intense loss.
LeShana replied.
> She whispered to him in soft, gentle tones, her ghostly fingers reaching out to caress his cheek in a tingling touch.
Monorth asked uncertainly.
She told him with a sadness and regret that he too could feel echoing through him.
> Monorth told her.
He could only nod once to her whispers, and then the pain began flowing away like water, lessening the pressure of the aching hole where LeShana had been. For the first time in an endless sea of days, Monorth could breath for the time, free from the terrible ache and emptiness. As LeShana drained it away, he glimpsed images and people that he did not know, but might one day meet.
He whispered. Monorth felt one final tear roll down his cheek.
br /> With that, LeShana disappeared, returning to the after life. He tossed away the sheets and dangled his legs over the side. Monorth was tired of lying in bed. As LeShana had told him, there were things to do.
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