The Beginning Ch. 21-22

"The same thing applies to you and all your peers, Rayka. Training will be intensified across the board. The Proving is in one month, and I expect both of you to rank highly enough for me to recruit you."

We just nodded, and I was sure that Rayka was reeling from all this information just as much as I was.

"In a month's time, the Academies will stand ready for war."

Chapter 22- A Mother's Wish

6^th March, 2017
9:00 a.m.
Training Room 1

It amazed me just how quickly an air of seriousness descended over the Academy over the span of a month, an entire society turning almost militaristic overnight, like a switch had been flipped. I'd always known in the back of my mind somewhere that the Academies were all martial societies, but to actually see the transformation was something else.

Everywhere you looked, people were sparring or training. Finding a Training Room now required Lisbet and myself to race down the corridor with our augmentations activated. The Kitchen actually started to receive much more traffic as people preferred to eat there quickly, before resuming their training.

While the Academy did have a restriction on children below fifteen participating in the Proving, the younger ones weren't exactly given much time to frolic around, either. Any child above the age of six was put to work training with the Healers, although a few of the teenagers were put in charge of minding the toddlers.

Even with the entire Academy buzzing like an anthill that had been kicked, I got the distinct sense that there were fewer Wielders within the Academy than before. I learned from Senga that small five-person squads were steadily being deployed to every conceivable location in the world, with larger cities housing four or five such squads. The objective was to make it possible for a team of Wielders to respond to a potential Dark attack no more than five-to-ten minutes after receiving the call.

Each squad would be composed of a mix of Wielders from all three Academies, with at least two proficient archers and at least one Wielder with a hunter-type Companion. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at how well-planned and efficient the entire thing was, considering that the Academies had been refining their strategies for centuries.

The atmosphere within the Academy wasn't the only thing that had changed in the past month. Ever since the voice in my head had healed me, I'd started seeing weird flashes of color around people. Initially, they usually didn't last too long, and surrounded them like a nimbus. The colors were eerily similar to the ones the Academies had chosen to represent Tiers, but ranged form lighter to darker shades.

As the weeks went on, however, sporadic flashes started to become more frequent, and the nimbuses started lasting longer. I could be training with Senga, and she'd suddenly be radiating a dark, rich blue glow. Lisbet could similarly be bathed in an almost violet light. If that wasn't wild enough, I could sometimes see the spells people were casting.

As in, actually see the elements at play.

The first time that happened, I was training with Ronald, and he'd just cast a fireball spell. He was far enough away that I didn't hear which spell he'd cast, just that he was casting. As I watched and waited for the spell to materialize so I could counter it, his entire silhouette glowed yellow, before red strands started accumulating around his palms. I instinctively knew that red meant that he was casting with Fire, and something about the way the strands interacted with each other told me that it would be a spherical construction.

Thinking quickly, I whipped out a very particular Air spell. As I channeled Power into it, I could see yellow tendrils snaking out around me, seemingly parting the air in front of me to either side. Satisfied with my choice of spell, I waited.

The main thing to remember about magic is that it still has to follow the laws of the universe. And, perhaps more importantly, it still needs to draw on resources available around the caster. When casting a Fire spell, most of the magic pumped into the spell is actually redirected towards energizing the particles around the caster, pushing them into an exothermic state of being. The remainder of the magic goes towards shaping the spell as directed by the caster.

It's why spheres or balls are the most popular shapes for spells; they're more "natural" in a way, and easier to shape and control. More accomplished Wielders could even fashion arrows or swords out of elements, though any such shapes tended to work best with Earth spells. Clumps of dirt tended to want to stay together more than, say, gusts of air.

Suddenly, I blinked, and the tendrils had disappeared.

When Ronald fired off his spell, a roaring ball of fire zoomed out towards me, seemingly set to make a direct impact. As it entered the area my spell had affected, however, it just dissipated. I heaved a sigh of relief and let the spell go, a crack ringing out as air rushed back into the vacuum I'd created.

"That was pretty smart," he congratulated me, walking up to me. "Most people wouldn't have realized what spell I was casting, let alone use a vacuum to snuff it out. How did you think to do that?"

"Dumb luck, I guess," I replied, not really wanting to tell him or anyone about the colors and strands till I'd spoken to the voice in my head— really needed to get the chap's name so I could refer to him properly— about them. "I figured that short of an equally powerful Air spell, there was really nothing you could cast that wouldn't be negated by a vacuum."

"That was quick thinking, indeed! However, if I'd used a ball of ice or a molten rock spell, the vacuum would just have accelerated them towards you. And well, if I'd used an Air spell, you'd have been blasted backwards from the resulting collision. Remember, there is no universal solution. The best thing to do when facing a Wielder is to have strong shields up and stay alert."

"I will, I will."

He just laughed and ruffled my hair, a quick moment of joy that had honestly become rather rare recently. It faded as quickly as it had come on, and we reset our positions, readying ourselves for another round of training.

After that first time, I saw the weird strands off and on again. It wasn't always when I was actively Wielding; sometimes, it was when I passed other people training or practicing, or even in the Kitchen, during meal times. I quickly learned that red was Fire, blue was Water, green was Earth, and yellow was Air. A bit of a cliché, really, but that just seemed to play into my instinctual recognition of the type of spell based on the elements at play, so I was more than happy to stick to the trope.

All too soon, a month had passed, and it was time for the Proving.

Rayka and I actually got to sleep in on the morning of the Proving, waking up only by seven in the morning. We went about our morning routines in silence, both of us focused on the days ahead. Owing to the number of Wielders participating in the Proving, both of us needed to win at least forty fights each, just to place amongst the top fifty.

That meant winning every single fight for the next twenty days.

It was going to be fucking exhausting.

After a quick, light breakfast, Rayka and I headed to the Academy. Rahul and Sneha were waiting out front for us, and after a quick round of hugs, we made a beeline for the Training Rooms. All the elimination rounds would be fought in the Training Rooms. Once the top two-hundred-and-fifty emerged, the battles would be moved to two clearings behind the Academy that had been specially prepared and warded for the event.

Since the Training Rooms were magical constructs, pocket dimensions within pocket dimensions, they could be expanded or collapsed as needed. Training Room 1 had been expanded to be large enough for all the fifty-seven-thousand-and-change Wielders who were participating in the Proving to assemble in. There was an elevated platform in the front that served as a stage, upon which Vaishnavi and Rishiji were standing.

"Thank you all for answering the summons," Vaishnavi said, her voice carrying out across the crowd. "As I'm sure all of you know by now, Dark Wielder activity in the outside world has risen to alarming levels. As such, the Sapt Senapati, Rishiji, and myself, in coordination with the corresponding decision-makers for the Roman and Greek Academies, have decided that it would be prudent to prepare ourselves for any eventuality, including an all-out war.

"For all of you assembled here, this Proving will be the first time you have actually faced other Wielders in battle. Real weapons; deadly spells; blood and gore; Companions; this is what all of you will face. The time for training is over. This is real. This is battle. You will give it your all."

A wave of murmurs broke out throughout the room, and even I couldn't help but exchange a grim look with Rayka. For all the wondrous aspects of this new world that I'd been amazingly lucky enough to be a part of, there was a cost, too. One that would be paid in blood, time and time again, for as long as the struggle between Light Wielders and Dark Wielders went on. Such was the price for magic and wonder.

A price that I was now signing up to pay.

The old me, the one who was blissfully unaware of the hidden, ethereal aspect of the world, would have cowered at the thought of battling someone else to the death; add in the aspect of facing super powerful and larger-than-normal animals composed of pure energy? He would have run away as far as he could, and would never have looked back.

I was no longer that person.

This was my world now. My Academy. I would do whatever it took to defend it. And all of that started right there.

"Each of you will be facing off against twenty-nine opponents in the elimination rounds," she continued. "You will pick your weapons and Media from the racks around this room, and they will be what you use for the duration of the Proving. There is no limit to the number of weapons or Media you can pick, but neither will there be refills for exhaustible resources like arrows or more fragile Media.

"Forfeiting or choosing to step out of a battle is allowed, but be aware that doing so will disqualify you from the rest of the Proving, and will freeze your ranking where it stands. All of you will start at the lowest rank, with each victory propelling you higher. There are no points for 'style' or 'flair'. This is battle, pure and simple. Survive for as long as you can against all odds; that is the only way to proceed.

"With that said, remember to pull back before landing a fatal hit. Killing your opponent is tantamount to murder, and you will be dealt with accordingly. This entire exercise is meant to strengthen our position, and killing your fellow Wielders is not going to achieve that.

"You will have one hour, starting now, to enchant your Media as you see fit. May the Fates be with you all."

Rayka and I exchanged a quick hug and a kiss, before separating to head to opposite sides of the room and pick our weapons. We'd both agreed that should we face each other during the Proving, we would give it our all and not hold back. That was how much we loved and respected each other.

"Remember, Chris," Sneha said, tagging along behind me, "conserve some of your Power for your next set of battles. If you use it all right away, you'll be at a severe disadvantage, especially since you're Unbound."

"I know," I retorted, smiling to show her that I didn't mean it harshly.

If I'm being honest, the thought of fighting against Companions for the first time was definitely gnawing at my confidence. I also knew that I didn't really have a choice; I had to win. I just had to.

Ronald, Senga, Lisbet, and even Rayka, had all had the same advice: If you see a Companion coming for you, just run. Target the Wielder. Take them out, and the Companion will follow. I repeated that to myself, almost like a mantra, while I equipped myself.

A hand-and-a-half, single-edged sword strapped to my waist, on the left. A short bow and quiver full of arrows strapped to my back, alongside a seven-foot, thick, cylindrical quarterstaff. After a few test draws to see whether the placement of everything was just right, I headed towards the Media stands.

A fortune larger than the reserves of some of the largest countries in the world stood there, crates upon crates of all sorts of materials stacked next to each other. My guess was that the miners had gone overboard over the last month, all in order to prepare the Academy for what was coming.

Filling my pouch to the brim with what I thought I needed, I set off, searching for a quiet corner to start enchanting my chosen Media in. Finding one, I set my weapons down on the ground, sat down, and got to work. I had a lot of enchanting to do, in a very small window of time.

"Chris?" Vaishnavi called, her feet coming into my field of vision. "Could I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure," I said, having just finished the spell I was inscribing on a small platinum disc, "what's up?"

I looked up at her to see an expression on her face that I'd never seen before: fear tinged with concern.

"I have something to ask of you, Chris, that you might not be comfortable doing," she stated, her voice almost quivering.

"What is it?" I asked, standing up and placing my hands on her upper arms, which made it clear to me that she was definitely trembling.

"The twins," she whispered, looking at her feet. "I don't want them involved in the battles to come. If you face them during the Proving, I want you to eliminate them as quickly as possible. Do you understand?"

"Vaishnavi, I don't—"

"Promise me!" she demanded, looking up at me, tears shining in her eyes. "Promise me that you will take them out. That you will protect them as their older brother!"

I was speechless. I knew how hard Rahul and Sneha had been training over the last month, all in order to do get the chance to fulfill what they saw as their duty to the Academy. For Vaishnavi to ask me to take that chance away from them like that... it was unfair, to say the least. And they would undoubtedly hate me for it. But as I looked into her eyes, the eyes of a mother scared for the lives of her children, I was reminded of the extent my own parents went to, all in order to protect me.

I was reminded of how they died doing just that.

Could I really turn down a mother's wish like that? What would Mom have wanted me to do?

I knew then, that there was only one thing I could say.

"I promise," I breathed, my hands tightening around her arms.

She just nodded gratefully, pulling me into a tight hug, before hurrying away. I stood still for a second as a whole bunch of emotions flooded through me, before steeling myself and shutting them down. There would be time for mourning, for regret, later.

My resolve hardened further, I continued enchanting my Media, using every second I had left to try and improve my chances in the battles to come. The hour was up before I knew it, and the first set of matchings and the Training Rooms they'd be held in were posted up.

To my relief, I wasn't facing Rayka or the twins in this set, though I was in with Auset and Mahala. Idris and Sylvia were in the same set as Rayka, while the twins were in two different sets again.

As I was leaving the room to report to Training Room 5, I ran into Auset and Mahala, who were heading there together. From the expressions on their faces, I knew that they were taking this just as seriously as I was, and all I could do was nod at them respectfully. We walked to Training Room 5 together, reporting to the referee as instructed, before separating and taking up positions to ready ourselves.

The Training Rooms had all been expanded to the same size as Training Room 1, which gave us plenty of room to fight freely, and without restrictions. As the others started Summoning their Companions, I drew my sword and took a minute to center myself.

And then it began.

From the get-go, I seemed to be the popular candidate for elimination. I suppose that being Unbound made the others assume that I would be an easy target. I was going to prove them wrong.

A Rhinoceros and a Gazelle thundered towards me, both clearly aiming for a kill. Pumping Power into my body, I launched myself into the air, jumping over both of them.

And into the path of an Eagle.

"Fuck!" I yelled, as it tightened its talons around me. "I forgot about aerial Companions!"

The Wielder who was riding the Eagle burst out into laughter, and that distracted him just enough for another Eagle to grab him and fly away. Squawking in challenge, the Eagle carrying me punted me into a wall, rushing after the Eagle that had snatched away its Wielder.

Hoping it would be enough, I spun in place, sheathing my sword and throwing a Water spell at the wall as I faced it again. Channeling Power into it, I activated the spell just before I hit the wall.

A large sphere of water sprouted along my path, and I splashed into it, the impact pushing all the air out of my lungs. The shock broke my concentration and the spell collapsed, leaving me to fall to the floor. Fortunately, I wasn't too high up, so my shields took the brunt of the impact.

I didn't have too long to rejoice, however, as I saw a Lynx pouncing towards me. Rolling away from it, I augmented myself again, before rushing towards the Wielder who'd summoned it.

She was someone I hadn't interacted with before, but was dressed in green. Mentally acknowledging that I was significantly stronger than her, I drew my sword again, moving all the magical energy suffusing my body into my right arm.

Yelling in challenge, I slashed at her with as much strength as I could muster, hoping that the 15% augmentation that I'd pushed my body into would be enough to overpower her shields. I was right, my sword only feeling like it was gliding over a small bump as it broke through her defenses.

I'd been so fast that she hadn't even been able to get her physical shield or short sword up to block my strike. I pulled my hand back, just short of cleaving through her neck, the ricochet from which actually propelled me into a clockwise spin. I managed to arrest my motion, coming to a stop a little distance from her, my sword still pointed at her.

"Do you yield?" I asked her, keeping a close eye on her Lynx and redistributing my augmentation energy, just in case.

Thankfully, she just nodded, dismissing her Companion and heading towards the referee, who was still standing near the door. I took a second to reinforce my shields and check on my magical reserves, happy to see that they were still at 93%. Looking around quickly, I saw that most people had paired up and were going at it, though there were a couple of small clumps of Wielders fighting as well.

One of these clumps seemed to have cornered Mahala and Auset, and were steadily chipping away at their defenses. It was seven-against-two, the group full of Tier 3 Wielders. Deciding to even the odds, I pushed my augmentation to 45%, catching up with the group in the blink of an eye.

Without wasting any time, I shoved one with my shoulder, driving him into range of Auset's spear. Leaving her to deal with him, I squared off against two others, who just so happened to be the ones Bonded to the Rhinoceros and Gazelle that had rushed me at the very beginning. One of them was armed with a spear and the other had a polearm, so I sheathed my sword and drew my quarterstaff. I couldn't see their Companions at the moment, and I knew better than to let down my guard, but if I managed to defeat them while they were still on the ground, it would make my life a whole lot easier.