Initium Novum: Dracones #1

Test of Fate (3)

The room was grand and clear, situated at the highest point in the Draylan Academy the Meilen Tower. It's space was large with countless glass fixtures on the walls overlooking the whole academy.

Not only was it the tallest point it was also centered in the academy giving those of whom have the highest titles in the school the best view be it for pleasure or curiosity of the students activities.

But Meilen was where the Elders of this place met to discuss important matters or whatever they would like.

This Elder committee thing included the strongest persons of the academy, these were who was willing to take disciples to teach, sadly their own principle of the school did not participate in this even though he was the strongest in the school, he wished not for the addings of troubles caused by disciples since he already had child like Eirate to take care of.

So these elders took this matter of the tournament directly in their own hands.

"This was not supposed to happen." The clear voice of a woman spoke aloud.

"Of course it wasn't, stop stating the obvious you stupid wench."  Man number one made his presence known.

"Ye old man who do you think-"

"You two stop it, we have no time for your foolish chatter." Woman number two stopped the starting of the argument immediately.

"Ye forgot that it was hibernating, it wasn't supposed to come out until two more winters." Man number two.

"Yeah but- the ministers daughters legs are in ruins. This will indeed bring down our favour and all those others that have died, it wasn't even in the intention of the test no one was to die-"   The aura of the room was instantly gloomy after the politics guru stated his thoughts. Man number three.

"But....Why?" A voice echoed and all stared. Man number four.

"Why what?" Man number one.

"Why did it come out at this time, something may have awakened him, these Mount. Lupel Diers don't wake for just anything. So there must have been a trigger. But what is it exactly what woke him up." Man number four ranted, it washis mind racing with all sort of possibilities. What things exactly, never the thought of a person itself being the cause.

"You are right-" The first woman said thoughtfully. "-however, the more pressing matters. What about the recruits how are we to deal with them."

"It is totally obvious, wench, we let them in, for they had completed the test and it is not their fault that that damn Dier had awaken. Plus if we don't let them in what type of persons would society picture us as, they deserve to be here. Who would have imagined that one would defeat the Dier-" Man number one smirked gleefully before continuing. "-Wench, you are too dense, don't not stress your puny mind on this fact let us elder brothers and sister deal with it."

"Why you little-"

"Stop it! This is the last time I will say this before taking action." Woman number two.

"You have to admit he is right, who would have thought that a mere child  could make the Dier would fall off that cliff. Who was it that took the Dier down again- ah- Acadius. Such a young child is promising." Man number four.

"Indeed." Man number three.

"He will be my personal disciple, after all a promising student needs a promising teacher-" Man number one.

"Pfft!!- you- Leniel, be a teacher of that disciple, I bet he would rather rot, after all there are better persons fit to be his master."

"Wait! You mean you, keep dreaming wench, you-"

Suddenly they felt chilled and stopped talking fully knowing that they were being glared at. Already knowing who it was.

"I will make it so none of you will, even walk near to him, much less to take him in as a disciple." Woman two said harshly and the two lowered their heads.

The others were greatly amused fully well knowing that they were at a better advantage of being the promising boy's master.

After wards man number two said, with his calming voice. "For now let us relay what happened to that girl's father of her well being, healers maybe capable of fixing those legs of hers and those recruits, the survivors get them all ready for the next test, if they fail to pass they will be sent home like everyone else."

~

The talent of disappearing was something that even experts who have been trying to comprehend this technique for majority of their lives still had not reached a significant level as of yet. It was incredibly hard to accomplish in even a hundred years and yet this was done flawlessly by a certain baby ravenette who hadn't reach nowhere near his hundredth winter.

The boy's presence faded from the group of seven, something he longed to do since walking aside them to the end of their test.

None realized at first, except for that one blonde boy. But, he decided not to pay much attention for the girl with her legs mauled to shreds demanded more attention.

Sadly, the blonde really did not feel anything for her. No sorrow or sadness, he simply could not conjure the feelings and that made him guilty.

For if not for idle quarrell this mess would have not been made.

The only bright side was that they were not the last couple of groups to cross over the line.

After, immediate check up with the healers, none was deemed critical and the traumatized group quickly part ways, preparation for the third test needed to be made.

Amongst a large group approximately two hundred recruits now resided. Awaiting for news what will happen hence forth, all while whispering of their neighbors unfortunate short comings with the Lupel Dier.

Soon after they were hushed as one professor walked from inside the building. Glaring intently at the mass, his aura demanding the now exuding silence.

Only after complete silence did he finally speak. Voice powerful and travelling evenly over the two hundred supposed Draylians.

"The supreme elders have reached a decision. There will no longer be three tests, only one more for you to under go, seeing that many of you did poorly in the first test, there will not be a need for further termination." The man paused to look over each one spotting those involved with the Dier even at far range.

He continued.

"Those of you recruits who have mingled with the Dier even if not completed properly will be allowed to take entry for your last test. Those arrived behind them will be not fitting for this Academy and therefore have already been sent packing. All others who passed before them with all team members in check will of course take the last test, if you will please follow me I will lead all two hundred of you to where the last test will take place."

The blank slate of a man gestured with his palm, the mass followed in an organized bundle.

Looking at it now, after hearing the man say two hundred Zar realized that the people were alot.

He had stood at the back out of sight, hair now a stringy tangled mess blocking his outstanding face from those around.

The group walked across the campus, with the afternoon rays scorching Zarmeideus's back.

  The heat had bothered him the most not used to the constant warmth. Only then did he realized how parched he was, after waking up as early as he did without eating or drinking he was definitely thirsty, Daen brought on a longing of thirst he'd never felt on the cold continent.

Just then they arrived at the stadium. The Apheelon Stadium. The smallest out of the two on campus but it was still quite large, probably able to hold dozens of Vadars within it's capacity. Something Zar had never seen before. He gazed on the structure looking at the smooth surface of the metal stucture. It being black with a silver tint also circular in shape, and a roofless top for dragon landing on the field.

Double doors that easily towered over all by several feet opened upon the arrival of the large batch. Zarmeideus who did not like interacting with people stayed behind not wanting to constantly rub against others.

The two hundred persons gradually disappeared through door over time till it was finally the gorgeous ravenette's turn.

He went inside, face blank raising his head taking the interior of the stadium, tons of seating were filled in around the whole stadium, some seats closer to the actual field going down, as if descending down.

Apart from that there were two large exit ways like the one which they had entered. One on the opposite side of which he took.

Zameideus followed behind the large group already noticed the ones whom were at the front of the group had already settled on the broad field, legs criss- crossed butts planted in the dirt lots of space between each. The sun pelted on their skins through the opening of the stadium. The ravenette chose to find some shade at the far back away from all, his body not yet used to the angry rays.

The advisor had handed them over to an instructor from before, the one in the white cloak and sandals in front of the large group silently.

Hands folded behind his back.

The instuctor seeing the last boy take a seat he started to talk.

"Welcome to the final test, this is not not a battle to see who will rise to the top nor anything to assert dominance over one another. This is simply a test of the mind." He paused.

"You must have heard of luqi aetra, people usually call it energy mates-" Zarmeideus was immensely confused but it didn't show on his face nor eyes, for the term had never been heard by him but when everyone on the field began to buzz with excitement he felt it was nothing too bad.

....Probably.

"-this is the point in which you will find them, remember if you do not find your luqi aetra the chances are you are not apart of the Draylian race or they are simply not here, so don't get your hopes up." He was cold and looked bored the large group calmed and stayed silent when receiving this look.

"Now to begin you all need to relax. Close your eyes." The instructor himmed.

"Stop thinking and clear your conscience, then simply.... fall." The man's voice amplified and moved from his boring tone to soothing,

The ravenette narrowed his eyes but closed them either way. Silky hair fell in his face at the slight movements.

"Search the depth of your mind. Imagine your most comfortable space, with nothing but the thumping of your own hearts."

It was general knowledge that the Draylian race had several hearts, but what would a country bumpkin such as Zarmeideus know after all he was never accepted in his village and never had much knowledge of the other races, apart from animal and plants.

Thus he knew not of what the professeur spoke.

But made an effort, the instuctions were simple enough for someone of his caliber to understand. First and foremost the black haired boy drowned the entirety of others around him, willing them to be washed away from his senses, but he didn't particularly liked it. The ravenette was always just painfully aware of those who were around him. The dangers.

It sounded easy but one could tell that that was not the case for some.

Zarmeideus had managed to block it all, listening to his thumping heart before another sounding making said beating louder than before an echoe. And he did fall, the feeling like falling asleep, a dream, a very deep dream and not hazy like others. The space was just blank and an endless greyness not shaping to anything in particular. His body felt light in this empty space of his mind he never knew existed.

But....

Zar knew not what to do.

The attrative ravenette stood their silently feeling the strum of his hearts before the strumming changed to something different than steady thumps.

His heart felt more electric, more erratic and pulsing with slight energy.

It was something new and the energy felt a little overwhelming even if a small amount, this was close to excitement. But Zarmeideus couldn't tell how that should feel exactly.

He gradually came to the conclusion that his body was having a reaction to something being close. And then he  moved purely out of instinct towards a certain direction. His body felt more electrifying the more his energy legs moved in that direction.

Then he came up on it.

A thin thread amongst the grey, looked up on him like it had a head, wriggling ever so slightly to maybe maybe worm it's way towards the other. The thread gold in colour and  covered in flames, golden flames normal at times the flames changed to a more calming green settling , then a raging scorching white.

Then back to normal gold.

For some odd reason Zarmeideus's body moved on its own getting closer to close the distance and squatted , right arm stretching out in which the thread immediately wrapped itself around and squeezed.

At some point the moved up to his biceps, it burned and was unfamiliar but familiar at the same time. Zar looked at the golden thread for the last time before walking further into the grey domain.

It looked and felt endless maybe several hours have already passed from the walk the thread now quieted down and layed still. From time to time he warmed up the right arm then cooled again.

The grey domain quickly changed upon a further step from Zarmeideus, the space fluctuated and the difference between the grey domain and this one was painfully obvious.

This one domain was scorching hot, dessert like and grainy. With a hint of metallic scent in the air.

Whips of sand blew against Zarmeideus skin them being squished beneath his toes -sandals long gone- and caused a burning sensation sometimes cooling. Said sensation though produce no harm than the light stinging every few minutes.

Not too far in front of them a new thread appeared. This thin thread -a nice grey in colour- broke apart in small sand particles then rearranged itself once more forming different shapes and often glowed brightly and exuded little heat like the little golden thread, but had no flames. It then turned to sturdy metal grains then back towards sand.

It wriggled it's way towards the two, upon close range the strumming of luqi (energy) from the string became more prominent mixing to what the two already had.

The thread looked them up and down its head with no eyes turned away from them almost dissaprovingly maybe scoffing before the thin grainy body turned back towards them continuously changing form.

It required no help, as it moved from bottom up sliding along the boy's tunic trousers to his waist then the  unoccupied bicep and settled. Briefly she looked unto the golden thread before smacking him awake.

If you could call it that.

The gold luqi awoke and look towards the sand one, strangely in that moment the two threads grew only a bit thicker and gave off a slightly stronger aura.

The luqi's travelled together and out of the sand domain, it was quite awhile before the next domain, that looked like that of lustrous green land.

The sand space once again disappeared and the and the luqi (energy) once again change. Sturdy yet fresh the circulation of cool breeze also.

Pure nature.

Trees of all different sizes and rocks of any shape. It was a whole new turn of events, none of the energies have ever seen anything akin to this ever, the sand and gold threads looked on in wonder.

They payed attetion to the decent amount of luqi wafting their way. And followed it.

The three came across a clearing with luscious grass a spread never ending. With few rocks here and there and a clear view of the blue sky no presence of their Daen. Just blue sky.

At first none noticed the slight movement of the other luqi threads but soon they emerged. One appeared to be by the side of the only non-grass plant present in the field wrapping it's thin body around. It looked thicker than how it should have looked, like the threads he brought on his biceps.

The little thread pulsed green and seemed happy next to the little plant. Just then the little thread pulsed brighter due to another thread appearance.

Matter a fact it was two threads.

One came rumbling its colour that of the earth coming at a speed unlike any other the earth having no interest to stop the little thread.

It only stopped on its own the first to realize the newly joined energies as opposed to the others still in their own little world, it paused its luqi no longer being used widely like before and remained cautious.

The other was a colour ranging from clear to white, it's thin body enjoying movements in the air. Free to feel the wind rush over its thin simple energy organelle.

For only a second the thread lost control of its wind and that same wind took him straight over to the other unknown energies a few metres away.

It had a soft landing opposed to the earth beneath feet, only to see that it was not earth but soft silky locks of black cushioning his fall, strangely the little thread of white further snuggled itself in the shimmering locks deciding not to leave the new found nest. And thus another bond was formed the thumping of energy around the four getting more intense.

Unknowingly, the little thread had further linked the other two threads, the brown and green with the sand, gold and humanoid energy all together in one swoop.

In other words the green energy had finally noted the others and had immediately wriggled itself taking up residence on the right shoulder and looked on to the brown.

Almost a silent telling, the brown's head dropped and it then wriggled upwards refusing to accept help only after a while it admitted it did needed aid. And took up the left shoulder.

After all new passengers were situated the journey resumed few squirms from the white luqi at the peak of the humanoid energy and every now and then a few whacks to the gold energy from the sand energy.

The journey was not long before the space and or domain had warped changing from the domain of forestry to a water body in only seconds.

At first the luqis frames were none existent, fully submerged in a body of water with no ending and starting, neither a top nor bottom, simply endless.

The panic had settled in, second nature at its best. The luqi's were no longer calm at where they were most comfortable. Nor at first could they breathe the panic had only seemed to subside after the realization that they were only energies and the domain would not affect them settled in and before they knew it new entity had revealed herself.

She was blue.

Her natural energy shining brightly the little blue seeming to have no way how to control her energy at will. A child at heart to say the least.

The thread hurried over to the six other energies moving fluently, no currents to hold the thin thread back. She wasted no time in getting close towards them and firmly wrapped itself around the humanoid's slender waist.

Seeming happy.

No longer would it be alone in its own domain surrounded with no escape.

Almost as if the depth of Zarmeideus's mind decided now that the group had ran out of time the domain warped once more.

At this time they had now ended up in a familiar blank grey domain.

A domain that had no end or depth.

The Zarmeideus felt that his humanoid body parts were empty only to discover that the luqi threads were long gone from where they resides.

At first he turned to look in the grey environment for them. Strangly Zar himself felt empty but he shook that feeling away.

Surrounding him the threads were all place in a circle, the space between them equal, they were all connected through energies, they being connected to each other individually and so was he.

When the seven had just arrived they were divided and felt nothing but now it was all too clear, the constant electrifying strumming in their second heart being connected to them all.

But something was amiss. That same heart felt a bit empty like they lacked something. And it seemed that he was the only one who realised.

Before it could be questioned time ran out. Zarmeideus experienced the second headache for the day this one less intense than the first.

This headache resulted in the scattering of the distorted space the visualized energy disappearing from sight and a feeling akin to falling descended onto the only humanoid energy left.

Zar's vision faded to black and the distorted space completely disappeared.

~

On the mighty soles of Dralan Academy Apheelon Stadium only few students remained. Over eighty have already been sent home for failure of falling in the trance or waking up from the trance without energy mates present. All of them with a gloomy air around them but could not dampen the joyful one of others.

Those with their own energy mates already left the stadium, servants had already led twelve groups of eight to their dwelling places. That being ninety-six in all, now only seven remained on the field.

The sandal clad instuctor sat patiently more poised than any other instuctor would have been with a leather book in palm named Murex Theories. Murex a famous journalist.

This professor was quite patient compared to the other instructors on campus more calm and broad minded. That came along once he realised he hadn't a knack for anything.

He was just there.

Anyways he waited.

And waited for quite some time, he thought that it was strange for beginners to have such mental strength. This professor knew that they were in their space he could sense and minded not before but it was time for that experiment from the Murex Theory and started to grow tired of these kids. They had been there for too long now.

The group of seven woke, being forced out of each others mind. The first thing they had noticed was the abnormal empty field of the stadium.

The length placed between each made them appear to be only ants from afar and not immediately noticing the others.

Had what they imagined to be an illusion?

No it couldn't be for they felt the energy pulses, connecting them together. They wandered across the field dazed a headache between the brows at sudden movements. They were forced out of their spaces their minds not having adequate strength to stay there for long.

Six of the seven rose and brushed the dirt off of their tunic and they walked in order to the middle in order meet and greet each other. Whilst Zarmeideus was still at the back sitting cross legged and clutching his head in obvious pain his mind by far more sensitive than others and being forced out took quite a toll on him for without knowing the others six were relying on his mental strength to make a connection. The others with barely any mental strength.

On a normal day the six in the middle would be easy to make out but now the boy's vision was hazy and the distance made it harder to see.

Those in the middle saw him at the back, trembling slightly that immposible to be seen by the untrained eye.

One confident aetra went to approach him, not nervous a bit.

But.....

In their eyes it was a boy arrogantly shifting away his head. Not acknowledging the greeting given to him by the hazy figure. Not seeing him clutching his head to his discomfort vision not yet back to normal to see in the dark as yet.

Zar turned his body away from them, not giving much face to them, not that the ravenette aware of what he was doing even before that person start to say something. The person, she, flushed and stared at the shadowy figure not making out a face.

Mouth opening and closing. Before another simply called her over. And led her out of the stadium along with other following along to seek out their dwelling.

At this time the boy seemed to gain a bad reputation amongst his own energy mates, simply a misunderstanding that not even he was aware of.... for the time being at least.

Maybe he thought lowly of them, who knows.

But of course he felt the luqi coursing across the strings connecting him to each, said luqi between him and them dimmed to tap. The  distance growing and the strings stetched in his mind getting weaker by the second.

This.... the ravenette didnt have any sort of feelings nor never will he pertaining to this.

Only sat there feeling the threads weaken till his hazy vision would once again become clear.