This day would be the first time Zane ever visited the arena. Up until now, his family were either too busy working on the farm, or too poor to pay for a ticket to watch any festivities going on in the arena. It was for this reason that he had no idea which street to take to go there. He knew where it was positioned within the city, but never learned of how to get there. He walked around aimlessly looking for directions or signs that could lead him down the right path. It was in the central market that he saw a troop of finely dressed people walking down the Western Street, and decided to follow them in the hopes of arriving at the arena.
They did seem to be bothered by his presence, but instead were ecstatic when they heard that he was applying for the academy. He received well wishes from them all, and even a good luck charm from an old, back bent woman. She explained that she had prepared many charms herself for her grandchildren, but one had decided to choose the sailing life to that of a mage so she had one to spare. He graciously accepted it causing her to smile ever so brightly.
They walked for a while before coming upon an even larger crowd gathered outside of an enormous wall that curved. From the top stood statues of men and women clad in armour, flowing clothes, animal furs, scaled costumes, and exaggerated masks. They were the Fifteen Effigies that stood high on the walls of the arena in honour of many famous actors, warriors, and heroes. At the base of the wall were three gates all of which were open. Seeing such a magnificent structure put Zane in awe as he imagined the effort and time it took to stack stone upon each other to such heights.
However, when his eyes drifted upwards to the statues, he felt uncomfortable. Even though their gazes were pointed at the centre of the arena, he felt them pierce into his heart shaming him for what he was about to do. How could he dishonour himself and the integrity of the Fifteen in front of almost the whole desert? They silently screamed at him to change this course he has set himself on, but he ignored them. He had made his decision to repay his debt to his parents, no matter what he needed to do in order to fulfil it. His heart was already at peace with his mind that he would not disregard his parents' kindness over his own honour.
The door on the right was busy with children his own age. He figured that it was the line for applicants to the academy, and so left his group to join the children but not before thanking the old woman for the charm, and the group for helping him find the arena. He walked to the back of the line and followed the rest inside.
A tap on his shoulder and some words made his heart jump a bit, "Glad to see that you're here. How are you feeling?" It was Maria greeting him. She was wearing a red and gold silk dress that wrapped around her body, with a dark crimson sash draped on her shoulders.
The sight of her caught him by surprise. He now felt overwhelmingly underdressed in his brown trousers and white tunic. A feeling that grew as he looked at the other children dressed just as fine as her. He answered her question truthfully, "Like I should have dressed properly. And nervous."
She giggled and replied softly, "I know what you mean. I thought that this was too much, but Sister Istra insisted that I look my best for today. Like it matters right?" She spun around giving him and the others around them a better look at her dress.
He felt his cheeks flush as crimson as her sash, so he looked ahead to the large door unable to speak to her in his embarrassment. A thought then came to him which he passed onto her, "What do you think they will have us do inside?"
She thought for a moment before answering, "Well something to prove our magical abilities, no doubt. Maybe a written test before that. In all honesty, I am not too sure what we're going to do. Just stay close to me… alright?"
He nodded his understanding to her. He only just hoped that they were able to stay close to each other. As the line grew shorter and shorter, they could see more of the insides to the arena. Walls, tables, and chairs were made with sandstone and often were inlaid into the wall or floor. He looked to the ceiling that stood high above their heads. Dust fell down onto his head signifying the movement in the stands above. Corridors passed through each other creating a circular maze. He looked down several of these corridors to see wild animals accompanying their masters, elementals curiously wandering around, and more smaller statues guiding the way to the centre.
Their attention was drawn to the front of the line where a hooded man dressed in orange robes sat behind a desk with a list laid out in front of him. In his hand was a feather quill that dripped thick black ink. One by one, he asked the child in front of him a question, and then marked them off on his list. A terrible realisation dawned upon Zane as he remembered that he had forgotten to register his name for the exam. He had planned to do so but was so busy with Maria that it had escaped his thoughts. His heart started racing as he tried thinking of a solution. Before he could think of something, the hooded man beckoned him forward, "Next!"
He slowly stepped forward in silence. He just stared at the hooded man. He only spoke after being asked to give his name, "Umm… my name is Zane Amber."
The hooded man scrolled through his list twice and then looked up at Zane, "I don't have your name here?"
His jumpy nerves caused him to chuckle a bit while he answered, "W-well, I was going to register… b-but the storm came and… you see I-I kinda…"
Maria jumped in helping Zane finish his sentence, "He was busy saving a little boy's life from the sandstorm, so do forgive him for placing the value of human life over registering his name." Her stern delivery surprised Zane, while the hooded man remained unfazed.
The man groaned and sighed at the same time giving a monotone answer, "Fine. Just know that this is an irregularity, but it does matter to them anyways. Go on through."
Zane held his breath as he passed by, and then released a deep sigh of relief. His heart started to relax the further away from the man he went. He stopped to wait for Maria to catch up to him. He gave her a wide and open smile that made her laugh. She spoke first, "Glad I caught on quick huh? You would have been fine anyways, I'm sure."
"Still, you have no idea how worried I was. Thanks for help!" He hugged her in his joy, but almost immediately shied away in his awkwardness. She was left in confusion.
They followed the rest of the crowd down a corridor into a hollowed out auditorium that held a tall wooden door facing the seats. As more and more of the applicants entered, the echoes of voices and mumbles grew stronger and stronger into a final crescendo that deafened many inside.
He could hear many of the conversations happening around him word for word. Some of them were well wishes, others were formal greetings. Wherever he turned his eyes, he could hear the people in conversation. A group of three sitting at the bottom left of the stands were talking about how each of their families knew each other. A duo at the top right were happily chatting about their plans for the future. One boy sitting just five people over was whispering to himself, his soft voice hiding in plain sight within the uproar.
Zane and Maria were so overwhelmed by it all, that they sat side by side in silence the whole time. They looked around the room, waiting for something to happen. Then someone to the left of them spoke to them both, "You two look like ones' with potential."
They shifted their heads to see a boy their age smiling slyly. His blonde fell equally on either side of his head, and it curled at the tips. His eyes swirled an ocean of dark blue attracting them both into his gaze. Maria replied behind Zane, "Thanks. What makes you say that?"
"You're one of the people not saying a word. That's a sign of focus on what's to come. Look around and you can tell who is destined to pass. I know this because it is why I am quiet." His confidence oozed out with every word he delivered. Some would consider it arrogance, but hidden behind his tone crept a host of experience and truth, waiting to come forth and ambush any disbeliever.
Zane took the moment to reply, "Then why are you talking now?"
This sparked a chuckle from the boy, and a question, "What's your name?" He held out an open hand.
He shook the hand and answered politely, "My name is Zane, and this is Maria. What's yours?"
The boy gave a small bow with a smile, "You have the pleasure of speaking with Marcian of the Crismera family. If you don't mind, what family are you from?"
He recognised the prestigious name of one of the great noble families from both the name itself, and the sophistication in how he spoke. He felt himself open up to Marcian, "Amber. I'm from the Amber family, and she grew up in the orphanage."
"I see…" His attention seemed to move from Maria in the back over to Zane in the front. He continued asking his questions, "Amber, eh? Where have I heard it before?"
"Oh, we're one of the… My parents are one of the farming families out in the desert. They grow coal fruits. Well they used to grow coal fruit because-"
He was cut short by him, "Do yourselves, both, a favour, and leave now while no one knows who you are. Save yourself from publicly humiliating the academy and yourselves." His polite tone vanished from his words with no trace, and in their place stood disdain. It came as a surprise to the two, cutting them swiftly and deeply like a dagger made of sharp air designed to hurt before comprehension. Marcian left them sitting there before they could speak up to him, walking down to the furthest wall from them.
They looked at each other in shock, still not understanding what had just occurred. Before either of them could piece themselves together, the door opened to allow a blinding light to chase away the darkness. Many looked away and covered their eyes. In the centre of the light stood a silhouette who then started to approach the auditorium. As he drew closer, the light dimmed enough for a shape to take form, a form of bright red, yellow, and orange fire. It walked behind the silhouette, towering over the figure by a full man. The air around it shimmered immensely like still water disturbed by a boulder crashing down from the sky. With every breath it took, the chill in the stands grew hotter and hotter. The figure stopped in his tracks giving everyone else the moment to adjust. He stood in a dark crimson robe lined with golden stones, his head clean shaven, forehead wrinkled, eyes grey, hair white, and his beard tied to a knot just below his neck. His very presence expressed an intimidating youthful aura that contrasted with his old age. When he spoke, all eyes were drawn to him and all ears were listening, "Listen close for this will only be explained once. You will be given three tasks that must be completed. All criteria and rules regarding these tasks will be given to you at the beginning of each task. However, the one overarching rule is that you are not permitted to give aid in any way to your fellow applicants. Clear? Good! Then if you'll please make your way into the arena."
With that, the stands started to empty as children slowly shuffled towards the large door. The old man and his flaming companion stood aside allowing the children to pass. The heat from before lessened as they walked past the elemental, but the blinding light still remained. Although, the light was not coming from the elemental, but from the sun shining down into numerous spy glasses aimed at the door, creating a wall of spectator light. Their eyes were still attuned to the darkness of the indoors, and it ached for them to change to the outdoor light.
The troop emerged out into the sand to a roar of cheering from a stadium packed to the brim. There they stood, in the middle of the arena surrounded by an oval wall of stone with happy faces staring over the railing directly at them. Names were called out in excitement, and children happily waved at faces they recognised. On the other side of the arena was a private booth with three men and women wearing the same robes as the man before. A seventh seat stood bare.
Zane was too busy admiring the view around him that he did not notice himself straying far away from Maria. She had to yank him by the arm to keep him close. She guided him towards the centre of the arena, hidden from many eyes. The glance she gave was a questioning gaze asking him if he was ready. He looked dead straight into her hazel eyes, and nodded once.
Another voice echoed around the arena. It came from the private booth drawing all eyes towards it, "Welcome! Spectators and, of course, our young mages to be. Today is an important day as you all know. Today we personally witness the future unfold, right before our eyes! We, the archmagi, give our gratitude and good fortune unto you, hopeful children." Everyone applauded to show their support. The archmage continued, "Now unfortunately, our great lord, Phyrior the Unending Flame, is unable to join us, but he still watches from deep within his volcanic home! Know that no matter how today might go for each of you, he will not be disappointed." He pointed over towards the dormant volcano towering over the entire city. The crowd applauded again and cheered for their elemental lord.
He sat back down onto his chair, and another archmage took the stage. He did not seem as enthusiastic as the previous one, and spoke just soft enough so that his voice would carry, "The first task will begin shortly. You will all be given a bag with three items inside. Your task is to create a campfire. The rule is you must finish within three minutes." While he spoke, several people walked around the children giving them each a bag. Confusion swarmed their minds as each item was pulled out: a stone, a fruit, and a stick. He then gave them the order to begin.
Zane held all the items in his hands. The stone was edged sharp and misty clear, the stick was ordinary, and the fruit was charcoal black and cold. From the first moment he laid his eyes on it, he knew that it was a coal fruit that had cooled. A strange sense of irony overwhelmed him for it was a coal fruit seed that had sent him to the academy to begin with, and now it was going to help him pass. The stone was unfamiliar though. Its shape and colour were all a mystery to him.
He looked around at his fellow applicants. They all stared at the stone and fruit with a pained look on their faces. He could almost tell what they were feeling, a similar sense to what he was feeling. What purpose does they serve in building a campfire? Some of the students were already working on making a fire. A few already had fires burning away. Then the rest looked upon those who had finished and copied them by dropping the stone and the fruit, broke the stick, and simply used their magic to make a fire. One minute had passed and many were already finished, but not Zane. He was still looking at the strange stone. He shifted it around in his hand inspecting it further, and he noticed how it shined in one position. A thought brewed in his mind. Coal fruits only are black when they are cold, and this stone somehow reflected the light of the sun when angled the right way. Perhaps he would need not Maria's help with this task.
He placed the fruit on the ground, broke the stick into three, and then took the stone and held it up high at the sun. He watched the reflected light on the ground shrink smaller and smaller the closer he brought it to the fruit. He stopped when a white beam started to smoke the skin of the fruit. A smile spurred across his face as the signature red streaks of coal fruits reappeared. He held the stone in place until the streaks reached the sticks causing them to burn, and with a minute remaining he had created a small campfire. He showed off his smile to his friend who in return smiled back proudly.
The crowd cheered in small groups at first, but then all at once when the horn blew for the time. The same archmage stood up again and spoke, "Your next task will be to take one torch from the blaze, and extinguish the flame in any way you see fit. However, the one condition is that it may not touch the floor. You have ten minutes." A platform in the centre of the arena floor started to lower. Several children stepped back in surprise. When it came back up, there was a bonfire with many torches surrounding its base. All the children approached it and took a torch. All of them burned lightly.
The order to begin was given again. This time Zane did not have anything else to help him instead his own breath. He tried blowing it out but it had no effect, causing the flame to burn a little more. He watched some of the other children extinguish the flame with their own hands, by either snuffing with their palm or using their magic to twist the fire from the torch. It gave him an idea. He then tried swatting at it with one hand, causing bits and pieces to stop burning. Eventually, his hand started to hurt, and every swat sent a jolt a pain up his arm. Parts of his hand were covered in soot and blisters. He changed hands, and continued. Soon, both of his hands were in pain, and the torch was just a mere ember with no flame. The horn suddenly bellowed in the arena. His heart started to race as he realised how close he was to missing the window of time.
The crowd cheered again, and the archmage returned to the spotlight to speak, "And now for your final task. Relight the torch. You have two minutes. Begin!"
For some reason, he felt differently about this task. Somehow he knew that he could not think his way out of this task. He tried blowing into the small embers to brew a bigger flame, but it was not working. Sudden cheering caught his attention so he looked around to see several kids holding flaming torches high into the sky. He noticed the familiar face of the noble boy, and saw that he held two flames, the torch and a ball of fire in his open palm. He watched him juggle the two flames between each other. It intimidated Zane a bit, seeing him play around with fire magic like a master even though he has not learned a thing.
"Psst!" Maria cut quick into his ear. He looked at her eyes point down towards his torch, and then saw her left hand open up just behind her thigh. He knew that he needed to be secretive so he swung the torch around first making it seem as if he was fooling around. Then he swung at her hand. His torch caught a small flame which grew larger as he held it in front of him. He waved his other hand around it to give off the act that it was him making the flame grow. He held it up to show his completion of the task, but he did not hold with pride. It was with shame.
The crowd cheered its loudest after the final horn blew. Excitement filled the arena sending hairs to stand up on their ends. The archmage returned seemingly a little more jumpy than ever. A hint of a smile crept on his face before he spoke, "That was your final task. We thank you all for coming out to the arena. Now if you'll please return to your homes, and await our call for-"
"WAIT!" Every sound halted. No one moved a finger. Not even the wind howled in this silence. Everyone and everything watched the private booth waiting to discover the person behind the sudden silence. The archmage sitting on the leftmost chair stood. Gasps and mumbles echoed around the crowd. He stood next to his fellow archmage and spoke to him, "My apologies, Archmage Beyust. But if you'll humour me for just a moment…"
The man approached the railing and stepped off. His elemental shaped like a serpent coiled around his waist, and helped lower down to the sand floor. He marched furiously into the crowd of children. Those who did not step aside were indirectly shoved away by him. He marched deeper and deeper into the crowd without any sign of slowing down. He pointed a finger and shouted, "You there! Boy in the plain shirt!"
Zane's heart panicked. All sorts of thoughts jumped around in his mind. He knew that he had been caught. What else could have caused this? All he could in the end was stand motionless and wait for his punishment. The archmage stopped just in front of him. He stared coldly into his eyes. They showed just how deep his rage went, "I will ask this only once, and your answer will determine what happens next. Did you, or did you not accept aid from this girl over here?"
All eyes were directed at him now. Even though he did not look at them, he knew just how many were judging him. They seemed to pry away at his guilt to reveal the fraudness of his soul. He answered truthfully, "Y-yes… I did." He bit his tongue to hold back the tears.
"I see. Were you informed of the one overarching rule?" The man's tone did not change.
He could not answer verbally this time, and instead nod his head.
"Well then, that makes things simple doesn't it?"
Maria jumped in to try defend their actions, "I-it's not what you-"
She was silenced with a point of the finger, and harsh words, "Quiet, girl! I was not speaking to you." He turned his finger towards Zane, and asked another question, "Did you perhaps register beforehand like everyone else?"
He shook his head in response.
"There's the cause of it then. If you had, then you would have saved us all and yourself the trouble of going through this. Why did you not register?" His tone only grew more aggressive.
Maria jumped in again, "He was bus-"
"Girl, if you speak again you will suffer the same consequence as your friend!" His eyes opened wider.
Everyone was waiting for his answer. He kept his head down while he spoke, "I-I was busy… busy saving Little Tin from the sandstorm…" He hoped the truth would help him even though it sounded a bit fantastical.
"That so? Courageous. Commendable. Reckless. Foolish. And, you do deserve some respect." He bowed slightly showing his respect causing many in the arena to gasp. He continued, "But nevertheless, we don't accept applicants based on courage." He stopped to turn at the booth, and then waved a hand before speaking again, "I will give you one more chance to show your worthiness."
They waited for someone who was running into the arena with a log in his arms. By the time he had reached them, he was gasping for air, and sweating profusely. He dropped the log at their feet and left as the archmage spoke, "Use your magic to burn this log to a crisp. I will give you… hmm, two minutes. I will keep the time and only start when you start."
He muttered senseless words in shock. There was no way an applicant would be able to burn the entire in two minutes. Not even that noble boy would be able to do it. He knew that he would not be able to pass this second chance. Yet he also knew that it was what he deserved for his actions. Perhaps this way, Maria would be exempt from punishment.
He knelt down in front of the thick log and looked up to the archmage, "I'm ready." He spoke with determination. The archmage took a small hourglass from his sleeve and flipped it to begin the sand flowing. Zane placed his hands all over the log willing for flames to burst forth from his fingers. He tried everything from his time by the river with Maria, but once again no flames. If anything, the log felt colder on his fingers. He tried new and unconventional methods to spur himself on: kicking the log, cursing at it to burn, and even staring at it intensely. The time seemed to run away with a blink of the eye. By what he could tell, he had thirty seconds left.
The display of him shouting at the log brought on some laughter from the other kids. Hearing them laugh at his struggle hurt him even more than his shame. With so little time left, he knew that it was hopeless for him. The despair within grew larger. Then the laughter grew louder and louder. It danced in his ears and into his thoughts, stomping onto every nerve along the way. It irritated him. Soon that irritation turned into anger, and then that anger turned into rage. His heart beat against his cage, his lungs expanded like great bellows blowing air into a furnace, and his fists shook clenched tightly in on themselves, "RAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHH!"
With his mighty rageful scream came an eruption that shook the world. Wherever his scream echoed, steam followed shortly behind as the air burned away. He felt his hands burn through his own skin right down to the bone. His eyes opened wide and wild and gazed at the log before him. They pierced through the wood like hot knives, and in the flutter of a bird's wing, the log erupted into a wildfire. Plumes of thick black smoke roared high into the sky darkening everything. Dark crimson flames licked and spat at each other in spite. The flames grew higher as he kept screaming, powered by his rage. All the laughter disappeared at his glorious display of power. None even dared to gasp or even acknowledge what they were seeing.
Then it all ended just as quick as it started. The roar of the smoke softened to mere squeak as it rose higher into the sky. The flames snuffed out their own life in their spiteful attacks. All that remained of the raging wildfire was black ash on the floor. One could be forgiven for assuming that it was only a twig that caught flame from the size of the ash pile. The sand at his feet still smoldered away. Parts of the floor closest to the blaze cracked and shattered in its new glass form.
The silence was broken by the archmage who smiled smugly as he spoke full of surprise, "And with seven seconds left, you pass the test."
*****
Molten fire flowed through the rock bubbling away. Steam and smoke mixed together to rise up to the peak of the mountain. The rocky walls stained with scorch marks and soot. All was normal in the volcanic depths of Phyrior. He sank himself deep into the liquid fire that was his home. In there, he was nothing. In this form, he was one part of many a way to blend in with his surroundings, a way to connect himself to his element. The lava was warm and soothing for him like a hot bath drawn on a winter's night. He was nothing within his bath. He was just part of the world.
Then he felt a ripple course through magma. He opened his eyes and saw nothing enter his home. It rippled again, and again until the very volcano shook under this wave of power. He felt it course through his body, an energy both ancient and recent. A power that he had not felt in what could have been an age. His connection to the world seemed to renew under this power. He rose from the pit, and once his face emerged to the surface he laughed. It started small at first, a chuckle. Then it grew louder and more erratic. Eventually, he was convulsing with laughter that echoed throughout the volcano for all inside to hear. He calmed down and spoke a single phrase to himself, "This will be interesting…"