Luke sat on his bed, completely perplexed.He couldn't stop thinking about what he had just learned about himself.A Dark Elf!!That thought couldn't leave his brains,just yet.How would he survive the wrath of the pupils once they found out he was a Dark Elf?The thought of him being torn to pieces kept crawling into his head.But there was something he didn't understand.What had the Dark Elves done so bad that they were given the gift of being killed on sight?He was so lost in thought and imagination.So lost that.....
"You seem to be lost in thought!"a familiar voice came from nearby.Seated on his bed, sipping a beer,was Clement."Want some?"he held out a beer for Luke."I needed that!"Luke said, reaching for the bottle of a now greenish liquid,not the blue one,this time.He immediately took a sip of the liquid,which trickled down his throat with a fizz.
"You know,boyo,you don't have to worry about being a Dark Elf.We aren't going to kill you.You can trust us!"Clement said.
"Why are you guys helping me?"Luke asked.
"We,as you have seen us, don't agree with the ideal of killing Dark Elves on sight,though most Elves are that way!"
"Why don't you?You could get expelled!"
"Getting expelled would save us the obligation of killing an innocent!"
"So..."
"You can trust us with your little secret, boyo!"
Luke was thankful that he had landed himself a bed among these peaceful people.He was glad that they weren't thinking of ripping him apart,much like the other Elves would think,and act on seeing him.
"Where are Eric and Asralyn?" Luke asked,finally sensing that they had left."Oh,them!! They've, probably,gone to the library to find out ways of hiding you!"Clement smiled."Thanks alot,guys!!"Luke sipped his beer.That liquid was super soothing and comforting.
"You know,boyo, you're kinda lucky you joined us before the Choosing!!"Clement beamed.
"What is the Choosing?"Luke asked,shooting up.He had sprawled back onto his cozy bed to think through it all.
"It happens tonight!". Clement was confusing Luke more."What happens tonight?"
"The Choosing!The ceremony to group the Elves and assign them to their mentors,"Clement sipped his beer."Now I get it!They are going to sort us into groups,and so...." Luke nodded,thoughtfulness visible in his voice.
"You might be lucky to be assigned to a Solitary Mentor,"Clement said. Immediately,Luke wore his perplexed face."Don't you worry,"Clement reassured,"You will understand that during the Choosing!!"
Krysmis suddenly turned, surprising them both,and walked out of the room.He never did shuffle or move at all,while the group did their Ability Test,or while they talked.He emitted that strange aura as he left, shooting Luke a glance from his golden eyes.His eyes were as fierce and as cold as ever.
"The two of you look very much alike,"Clement said,"the long silky black hair and golden eyes.You could easily be mistaken for twins."
"Oh,come on,now.There is nothing I share with that guy, especially his rudeness!!"Luke snorted.Clement scoffed,"We learnt to live with him among us!!"he said.
"Wait...how long have you guys been here?"Luke asked.They must have been here for a good time,if they managed to cope with Krysmis.Luke couldn't stand a minute with him around,though he managed to go about his errands with him around.If there was a choice to go away from that dude,Luke would come first.You would see him first in the queue."Since I was seventy one!!"Clement informed.Luke almost jumped up in surprise,"You're kidding right!".Clement almost laughed out loud,"It is funny, isn't it?How a seventy year old can look like a sixteen year old."
Luke couldn't believe his ears.Really,this Elven magic stuff was the heck of a confusion.First,the dome.Next,the separation of a soul from its body.Then,the kill Dark Elf on spot thing.Then,the age stuff. Luke's head was spinning already.
"You, probably,are the same age as I am!!"Clement boomed,with amusement.Luke sipped his beer, nodding doubtfully,"I can't be seventy years old,not really?"Luke doubted that, whole heartedly.
"It's no surprise,"Clement smiled,"I couldn't believe my age when I found out.I guess the Real World has some sort of curse.No wonder the Humans die so young!!"
Luke's head now started to spin.He couldn't believe everything around him.He stood up, trying to contemplate what he heard just now,while Clement gulped down his beer.
From the window,was coming a bright light,like from a torch.Luke walked over to the window,where Krysmis had been standing moments ago.
Suddenly...
"Whoa!!"he exclaimed,"what is that??"
The tree that he had seen while they came to the chamber with Eric was afire. Its stem flamed brightly,like it had just been lit by a torch.Its leaves shone brightly,like little flames on a Mother Flame.
"That what?" Clement asked, standing up and walking to Luke's side.He stared out the window,as if not seeing anything.
Luke was stunned.How could a tree be on fire and not even emit some smoke.And most of all, Students sat beneath its branches,not minding it at all."That!!"Luke said, pointing at the tree."Oh..that is the Dunédain of the West!!"
"What are you talking about?"Luke asked.Clement sat back on his bed,"Those are trees.They are believed to guard the campus premises at night,"he said.
"What about those students? Can't they see that the tree is on fire?"Luke asked, startled.
"Fire!!What fire!!"Clement asked, walking over to the window again."That tree.It is on fire."Luke said, pointing his index at the tree,beneath which the free willed students sat."I don't see no fire!"Clement said,gazing around at the surroundings of the boys' dormitories.
Luke was perplexed.Infact he was more than perplexed.How could he possibly be seeing a flaming tree and the others couldn't see it?He couldn't possibly be hallucinating,because that looked so real.
"Don't start hallucinating,boyo!There is no fire there!!"Clement patted Luke on the shoulder.