Chapter 1. The trial's night

In the long corridors, Varlag and Ferdorcha moved toward the exit. The doors in the living area opened, and their fellow students, boys, and girls joined them: elves, nudars, and humms. A total of thirty-one students attended their course, including Varlag and Fer.

Someone was so worried that they looked at the floor and did not say anything. They were rude, confident, and chatted cheerfully about some trivial matters. The two friends just looked at each other. Every one of them knew: what would happen—they would still be together.

It was already too dark outside. Lit up numerous lamps and lanterns, and braziers with blue flames dancing in them along the paved wide road, to specify a way to the main tower.

Varlag did not notice that the procession had passed through all the corridors of this grand structure, which seemed to support the heavens themselves. All the owners were gathered in the lobby behind the big closed doors, leading companies to the round hall, where they should go to the trial.

Varlag and Ferdorcha stopped behind the others, but they had a clear view of Mentor Katel: he was dressed in white robes, with the same light brow and hair, and he glowed.

Varlag felt a surge of strength and hope, some warm feelings about his childhood, and a home filled his gut. And it is also strange and unexpected, but there were many pleasant moments from his past here in Highhome.

This is the mentor's power—ownership of light. And it is very useful now because many of the youngsters were worried and shaking with fear of the trial.

Katel was an elf, tall, statuesque, and young as if he were one of the apprentices. Although it is difficult to determine his age, elves live much longer than humans, and Katel is also a luxor. This means that even right now (when he is just standing in front of the students) the mentor helped them gather their courage, using Luxis—his life is extended for years and years.

"We've been preparing for so long, and this exciting hour has finally arrived!" Mentor said warmly.

Teacher Katel continued to talk for a long time, but Varlag was no longer listening to him. Ferdorcha tugged at his sleeve, urging him to go. The doors swung open, and the young owners poured into the hall.

"Ready?" Fer asked, taking a deep breath, in an attempt to calm the excitement.

"Yes!" the guy nodded in response. What else was there to say?

And they followed the others. Katel entered last and closed the door.

The owners were arranged in a circle around the edge of the room, decorated with columns and paintings. Here shone lamps filled with unquenchable fire, flowers, which never wilted, fountains with rustling water. Lights swirled slowly from the ceiling, like so many suns, illuminating the center of the room.

This hall was created with all of Meriel's ownership.

Varlag expected to see someone else here: senior owners, other teachers and sages, and those guests about whom you are interested. Fer used to say, but there was no one inside but the mentor and their course.

In the center, on stone pedestals, were the relics that would determine the fate of the owner.

Mentor Katel briefly explained to students that they would need to use their power next to each of these items in turn. If ownership is sufficiently pronounced, the relic will respond on call.

Varlag counted six relics. The prince glanced at each of them: scarlet fire—burning in the air; by itself, he could identify a calidite. A bowl of water for a shidite. An idol made of rough stone for a terrester. And there is a ferrodite blacksmith's hammer. There is a palm-sized seed for arbors, of course. And the last one: a small mirror that's unlikely to be useful today, but he can assume its purpose is to identify conxurs, escurides, and luxors.

"Let's get started!" Katel exclaimed solemnly, inviting the first owner. Niame volunteered. She smiled and winked at Varlag.

"It's not for you!" Ferdorcha whispered to his friend to lighten the excitement.

"Of course, because we're—Oh!"

"I'm sorry."

"Well, let's not talk about it."

Now there was no time to talk about past sympathy, especially since someone had shushed them from behind because they were interfering with the sacrament with their chatter.

The elf girl moved toward the flame. She raised her hand and closed her eyes. The flame immediately flared up, rushing up, and then froze, turning into a lump of ice. When the elf removed her hand, the fire burned as before. Yes, Niame was the best in their Calidia class, and it was not news that she was capable of such a display of power. Nothing happened to any of the other items that Niame approached.

"It takes a lot of courage to be first," Mentor said. "And welcome, Niame the calidite combinator!"

There was a flurry of applause. The girl returned to her place.

Many exhaled, including Varlag and Fer: it's nothing to worry about. You should not have worried! And after the end, everyone was waiting for a magnificent celebration. What owners were looking forward to, because of the experience, some of them did not eat for a couple of days. Nina Amber, who's been throwing up all the time in the food halls these past few days, was already skinny, but now she looked like a skeleton. The girl quickly passed the trial, joining Niame as a calidite of the heat.

Everything went on for quite a long time. Varlag's and Ferdorcha's turns still had not come. Some students needed a lot more time than Niame and Nina. One by one, the owners joined the ranks of calidites, shidites, and terresters. There were no more combinators among them.

"See those balconies?" Fer asked quietly, nodding upward. Varlag looked up, but he did not even notice them. How can you even think about such a thing during a trial? "Do you know what they're for?" the elvin persisted.

"Do you care about balconies now?" Varlag chuckled. "For what purpose?"

"From there, they should see notable houses of the elves watching the trial," Fer whispered. "And choose the best of the best owners to serve them—"

"I'm the prince, my friend. It'll be hard to buy me."

"But for such… Ough! For someone like me, it would be a good opportunity—" Ferdorcha looked haggard.

"It's going to be alright, Fer. I'll watch you!" he smiled at his companion. "Not from the balcony, though."

"Oh!" the elvin nudged Varlag. "Your turn!"

"Why is it mine?"

"Go on! I'll go after you."

Excitement surged through him again. When he was ready, he walked past Mentor Katel to the door. The first relic—the flames dancing in the air. I took a deep breath and held out my hand. He felt neither heat nor cold. Nothing at all. The fire itself also did not feel the power in it and remained unchanged. Varlag turned away and moved on.

The surface of the water in the bowl also remained silent. The stone statue trembled as he approached. The rock cracked, revealing scarlet crystals—smooth and transparent. It was like a hedgehog sticking out its thorns in an instant, then everything was gone. Katel nodded approvingly.

"So I'm a terrester," Varlag thought, moving on.

"But it's not enough for me," he admits very suddenly. Now it's clear why he had a hard time handling rocks in training: they're an ignoble and rough breed for the crystallizer-owner. The young man had assumed—up to this point—that the bowl would choose him. "But I wanted to be something more—"

Hammer, seed, and mirror were unconcerned about his actions.

Varlag turned and slouched toward Ferdorcha, who, unlike him, was enjoying himself immensely.

"And—We honor Varlag the terrester! Crystallization is a very important skill!" said Mentor and the students clapped.

"That's not enough!" Varlag snapped angrily. Katel frowned. The young man quickly apologized, realizing that he had gone too far.

"Why are you sulking again? Still great!" Fer tapped him on the shoulder. "None of the terresters could do that!"

"Thank you, my friend! But it's not me, it's that statue—" Varlag smiled tightly. "Good luck to you!" he hugged Fer tightly. After all, he needed greater support than everyone gathered here. Owners from elvins in this room have not been seen in years. And Fer is not the most capable of the subjects.

He strode confidently to the fire, then looked around. Varlag clenched his fists, rooting for him.

At first, nothing happened. The calidite flame continued to leap merrily. Ferdorcha tensely gathered all the strength in his hand. After a few minutes, the flame went out.

"Calidia is good! At least Fer has the power! Varlag smiled sincerely, but then he noticed something strange. Shadow from shapes the elvin seemed to be divided into a good ten. One of them lay on a pedestal with the flame extinguished, the remaining quickly crawled to the bowl and by the way relics.

It all happened very quickly. The bowl fell to the floor, spilling rotten water. The stone turned black, and the hammer rang long and hard before it was crusted with rust, and the seed crumbled to dust.

"That's enough! That's enough!" Katel's voice boomed out. Light flooded the room, shielding everyone present from Ferdorcha with a dome.

"I can not !" Fer fell to his knees, a terrible grimace of pain contorting his face, and tears were running down his cheeks. He was trembling all over. "This is… I can not stop it!"

Katel's Luxis did not work. The last of the shadows were moving inexorably toward the mirror. The glass shattered, splintering in all directions. The light barrier was fading, and the shadows began to swirl around Fer, looking for someone or something they could destroy.

All that blackness rushed toward the students. Katel's barrier disappeared under the force. There were screams. Some students began to fall to the floor and convulse, foaming at the mouth as if they were suffering from their seizure.

That's what Escura was like… even more terrifying than the books described. All the pain, suffering, humiliation, and hardships of Ferdorci's life, which he had been saving up inside himself for all these years, burst out, destroying everything around him, and hurting himself. Fer, who was weak and inept, could not control this flow, which in turn caused him terrible suffering.

"Help me!" the elvin croaked. "Varlag—" he called breathlessly.

"He's going to die!" Varlag shouted. "Do something!"

He was numb with terror himself, and also with the fact that no one could help his friend. He is useless and helpless, just like everyone else around him.

None of the owners here could take Escura away unless it killed the escuride. And then it was all over. It was over for Fer and everyone who happened to be nearby… As a result, they were terrified of ownership and forbade its development. If power is useless in this situation, why is it even present? Varlag rushed to Fer. He needs to try something. A stampede and panic had already begun, with some students rushing out of the hall. Others were rushing out. They were rooted to the floor, and a third of them were still having seizures. Katel stepped in front of him.

"We need to leave."

"And leave him? If anyone can help him, it's me! Stand back! Your Luxis is useless!"

"Do you believe you can talk him into stopping?"

"I can do it. And without your intervention, Mentor Katel."

"Be careful, otherwise you'll not only get hurt but…" Mentor also warned the guy. "If you're not sure—"

Varlag did not answer him. Of course, he's not sure, but who else if not him? This is Fer. It's just that Fer was his best and favorite friend, with whom they laughed and dreamed. It can not be like this. This is all a bad dream. The reality was blurring; maybe that was why his fear had receded.

"Attention everybody!" applied Mentor to the bewildered and scared-to-death students who had not yet rushed out of the room. "Leave the hall immediately and call for help!" I'll take care of the wounded by myself!"

Light flickered in his hands, fading the shadows away from the unconscious bodies on the stone floor.

They recoiled, rushed toward Varlag, but when they came within an elbow's distance, they immediately dispersed. He felt the surrounding air grow thick, even heavy, electric as if suffocating. It seemed time slowed down, and all the sounds faded away. All he could hear was the pounding of his own heart, echoing in his temples. Varlag also felt hungry, as if he had not eaten in ages. Or was it starving his surroundings? It was hungry… And this power devoured the ownership of Fer, allowing the young man to get closer to the elvin.

"Fer! Fer, it's me! It's okay, calm down!" Varlag dropped to his knees beside his friend, hugging him. "You can control it! I'm here, I'll help you—We'll get out of here—To Gladia, anywhere you want! How we dreamed, Fer! Fer!" he called his name dozens of times, touching his cold face.

"Varlag—" Ferdorcha was crying, clinging to him.

The shadows were gone, as was the hunger. Even if no one else saw Varlag the power awakened in him, all of them felt it everywhere.

"So there are the escuride and the conxur," Mentor Katel said grimly as he hurried over to them.

Varlag looked up. The relics, as if nothing had happened, rested unharmed in their places. And the students lying on the floor came to their senses, looking around in fear.

"Did I do this?" Varlag could only ask.

Then everything became foggy. He lost consciousness.