Stepping out from the archway, Trygg was momentarily blinded as he returned to the full light, unfiltered by dense trees. When his sight normalized, he realized that the Sun had past the midpoint of the sky. Though illusory, the test still consumed time, not to mention the pulsating pain of his wounds.
Stepping off the stone platform, he approached the three deans who oversaw the trial of the Eye.
"Well done," the central dean said, still holding his staff and keeping a watchful eye upon the portal archway. ""You performed admirably and made a fine showing of yourself, and for your ancestors."
The third dean stepped forward. He was younger than the others and held a grey stone, smooth but for the runes engraved upon its surface. "Hold still as I treat you," he said, attention focused upon the stone as its runes began to glow blue, separating and beginning to hover around Trygg's injuries. "You could have done better," he muttered, as Trygg felt a cold, itchy aura envelop his shoulders. After half minute, the discomfiting feeling of his skin moving made his face twist, as the edges of his wounds slowly closed over.
"That should be enough," the dean spoke, "It should take a bit more to heal fully, but you won't experience much difficulty now." With that, he stepped back in line with the other deans.
"You successfully defeated the enemies set in front of you, evidenced an honorable character and a passable control of your magic, you have passed the trial," the second dean stated. "Your magical potential appears to be potent, but your control and manipulation left much to be desired. Step to the right and join the ranks of those that have overcame their own trials."
Trygg bowed his head in respect, face aglow with relief. He turned to his right and approached the group of those who had succeeded. To the other side of the portal, there was a similar group, probably those who had failed, for one reason or another. It appeared that some of them were still being treated for injuries, and even one was being carried away into the gates of the Academy. All told, he estimated that the groups were approximately equal in number, about 55 in each, and more still within the Eye, the test stretching onwards.
A few minutes later, one of the academy staff approached him, bearing a tray of food. Trygg thanked him for the offer and dug into the proffered meal: a combination of roasted goat meat, glazed with a spicy mustard, and several rolls of still warm wheat bread. A few minutes later, the tray was practically sparkling and he tracked down another member of the staff to return the tray, thanking them once more.
As the Sun drifted down in the sky, Trygg kept a close watch of the archway, observing those who emerged, some unscathed, other with wounds worse than his own. Strangely, sometimes even those who were unharmed were turned away, and some of those who sustained many injuries joined Trygg and those who had been accepted.
Finally, the last examinee emerged from the archway, the runes fading behind him as the arch withdrew into the stone circle and it returned to its static, sleeping state. After a quiet exchange with the deans, the young man, dejection clearly evident, walked to the left.
The deans turned around, facing the two groups. The first and lead dean evoked the red runes to amplify his voice and announced, "That concludes the annual trial. Congratulations to those who passed, please follow Dean Tyrn," he indicated the second elder standing on his left, "he will provide you with your academy accommodations and will orient you to your new duties in schedule the following morning. To those of you who failed today, take this to heart and work to improve yourselves. You may try again here, but remember that there are other honorable paths, forge your destiny and achieve great things!"
The scarlet runes faded around him and he began to return to the academy accompanied by the third dean. Dean Tyrn, his blond hair softly tussled by the late afternoon breeze, approached Trygg and his fellow students.
"Again, congratulations," Tryn said, "This marks your first step within the Mage Academy. Always keep in mind your purpose: to learn magic for the honor of gods, ancestors, and the Kingdom of Kyrgard."
After a slight pause, he continued, "Your classes will begin tomorrow at first watch, covering preliminary magic and a continued focus upon your martial abilities, which some of you were quite lacking. For now, I recommend that you rest and recover from your trial, the adjustment will be quite swift."
Dean Tyrn spun around, leading the 100-some exhausted victors into the Mage Academy and their new life.