Evian got up and walked slowly along the winding path that lead back to the village. The path was surrounded by a few tall trees and a dense thicket that mad it obvious where the many big deer that lived in the forest crossed the path.
Normally not many people used the paths in the forest because hunting was something you had to have a permission to do. Evian although enjoyed wandering in the woods where nobody but he came. It gave him peace to think and just be himself. He would miss the woods, as he was not expecting there to be big forest near Selvin Academy seeing that is was located in the capital and as far as he had heard the capital was vast and densely populated. Yeah he would miss the woods not only for the fresh air but also for the solitude.
Back a the outskirts of the village Evian meet his younger brother Tafte.
"Where have you been this early in the morning?" Tafte asked in an annoyingly cheerful and fresh way that was only fitting for a person that without question would be admitted to Pugnator in the future.
"Just out to watch the Suns rise" Evian answered dismissively.
"But why? They do that every day!"
"True enough, but today is just a little different. The Caravan will be here today, so I just wanted to enjoy the view one more time before I have to leave" Evian answered.
"It will be so boring and dull around here when you are all gone" Tafte sighed dejectedly.
"That's rubbish Tafte. It won't be long before you have to start school. And you'll probably be helping dad in the smithy seeing as Ryamus won't be here anymore!"
Evian knew that it was a lost struggle to try and cheer Tafte up, because the conversation they were having had over the last couple of months been a recuring one.
"You have to say that" said Tafte wryly while they were slowly made their way through the backyards towards the small house they were living in.
Already long before they reached the house could they hear their father and Ryamus was working in the smithy. The regular hammering sound that told the tales of a skilled craftsman made Evian smile meekly.
A way further into the village Evian found his mother and sister by the house that he for the last 18 years had called home. A home he until this moment had found to small and cramp. But in this moment there were no doubt in his mind that he would dearly miss this small, cramped, damped and at times prison like house.
Rina was in the midst of packing a small sack of essentials that she would bring for Selvin Academy.
Tafte ran up to them and immediately started talking nonstop and everything and nothing at the same time. As per usual their mother handled Tafte with a stoic calm and she would only answer him sporadic when he had to breath anyways.
"And the his was just sitting there on the hill, looking out into nothing like some loony" Tafte blurted out in the middle of his endless talking.
Evian felt some annoyance about being called a loony, just because he had enjoyed the rays of the rising Suns for the last time before he had to leave the place of his birth for a minimum of 5 years.
Although deep down Evian knew that he probably never would come back to the village and that today was in fact the last time that he would ever see his father, mother and baby brother.
"Don't call you older brother those kind of names" Renalia said absentmindedly in the manner that she always corrected Tafte.
"Evian, have you gotten all the things you need to bring packed yet?" she continued to ask in the same breath without even looking up form the things she was doing. Evian would miss her unique ability to always know which of her five children it was that was standing behind her. Evian and Ryamus had together tired to sneak up on her more than once when they were small kids, but their mother had always started talking to them before they could get close to her to scare her.
"I believe so" Evian answered.
"It is not like I know which department I'll go to anyway, not like Rina, Ryamus and Taliana" he continued.
His mother looked up at him with a very serious facial expression and said:
"Don't let those dark thoughts come to light when you reach the capital my dear".
It was not the first time she had warned him about his negative emotions and thoughts about himself, but Evian felt a lot of pressure and self doubt being surrounded by his 4 siblings that all knew for certain that they were going to Selvin and furthermore knew exactly which department they were going to.
Renalia was already a very skilled healer even though she knew no spells - their mother had straight out refused to teach her any.
Ryamus could already, despite only being 18 years of age, keep up with their father in the smithy due to his extremely well developed and muscular body.
Taliana never got wet even if it was raining cats and dogs and she could see better in the dark than most could in the day, all due to her very high aptitude for and quantity of magic.
And finally there was the 9 year old Tafte which was already so strong that he without much effort could beat up Evian if he saw it fit.
Evian on the other hand didn't have any special markers that could tell them where he would specialize. He wasn't as smart as his sisters or as strong as his brothers. He was cunning and a great pathfinder in any kind of weather but both of those traits came to naught if you were in the company of a skilled mage, because they could both shield you from the weather, create a light and find their way with the earths magnetism.
"I know mom, but why do I have to go, when I have nothing special to show for it?"
"Don't you want to go dear?" Renalia asked him softly and kindly.
"Of course I want to go, but what use is it, when I can do nothing?" Evian exclaimed frustrated.
"You just let those wiser and more powerful than you decide whether you are capable or not" his mother answer with resignation seeping into her voice.
She had seen the could of dust that indicated that the caravan was close to arriving at the village and decided to cut the argument with her stubborn son short.
"Tafte run to the smithy and tell Ryamus that the caravan is close and that he needs to finish packing up" she commanded of her youngest with a stern voice that invited no arguments what so ever.
Tafte ran like a flock of wild wolves were at his heels towards the smithy and you could here from far away how he complied whit his mothers command.
Evian found his modestly pack sack and sat on the bench outside their house and waited for his three siblings that was also going to Selvin. It didn't take long before they were all gathered and ready to go to the city hall, the biggest building in the village and the place where the caravan would stop and bring the young people with magic in their blood with them.