7. Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
Kya
E amon was in his bedchamber on the upper residential levels of Morah.
The High Scholar had an entire floor to himself, while the other Scholars who resided in the library had bedchambers similar to my own.
From the dark disheveled hair on top of his pale head and the hands rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he must have been asleep when I knocked.
But even in his sleepy state, he immediately noticed my mark, still glowing, though more faint than before.
With a sad smile, he escorted me to his sitting room.
He listened intently as I recalled the events of the night, taking in every word.
“Kya, I know I don’t need to remind you that it’s imperative for you to stay here until you have to leave for the Trial.
Once the Nations’ rulers find out the Trial has been initiated, they will be even more desperate to eliminate any threat to them.
At least until you are all within the grounds of the Temple of Odes,” Eamon said.
“I know. Mal will gather supplies for me. I’ll remain on the upper floors until my departure.” I pulled my sleeve down, covering my mark.
Eamon eyed the motion. “You don’t need to hide your mark here. I’ll inform the Scholars that no one is to enter for the next few days.”
“No, it’s fine. Some of the topographers are having an assembly to update the cartography from the erosion of the coastline. They’ve been looking forward to it for months. I don’t want to take that from them.” I smiled, thinking of the enthusiasm.
He chuckled. “They have been anticipating this for a while. They’re quite excited. But I’m sure they would be more than willing to postpone for your sake. Let me know if you change your mind.”
I gave a subtle nod. I knew they would, but it would break their little scholarly hearts to do so. I could easily remain hidden so it wasn’t much of an inconvenience to me.
Eamon smiled but didn’t reach his eyes. These were likely our last days together. One scenario resulted in me having the ability to return here after the Trial. But then, it was likely my identity would be known. I couldn’t be a Roav anymore.
“I don’t want to go.” My voice was barely a whisper as I bowed my head, holding back tears trying to escape. I just wanted everything to remain as it was. I was happy there.
“What is it that you fear? You’ve trained your body and your mind far beyond anyone’s expectations.
You’re stronger than you think. Trust yourself that you can do this.
” I looked up at him, this male that has already given me so much and continued to do so.
“I trust that you can. And I trust that you will be chosen.”
My eyebrows creased. “You want me to be chosen? To be Worthy? I would have to leave here. I would have to leave you .” His smile spread, this time reaching his eyes.
“It is your fate, Kya, to obtain spiritual enhancement and powers beyond what you can comprehend right now.”
“But what’s the purpose? Those that are Worthy are meant to defend and protect their lands and use that power to help it thrive and prosper.
Yet they are defenseless against the Glaev that would destroy it all.
No one can stop it, Worthy or not.” Tears began to streak down my cheeks as guilt and sorrow overwhelmed me.
I quickly wiped them away, irritated that I couldn’t hold them in.
Eamon cocked his head to the side. “Do you think that is the purpose of being Worthy? From all your years of research, I would have thought that you knew the true meaning by now.”
I shrunk inwardly at that and scoffed. “What else could it possibly be? Everything I’ve read about, and every story I’ve heard explained it pretty well.
The Worthy are measured against the current Lord or Lady of that Gods’ Nation, whoever is more powerful takes over, and then they are burdened with the duty of protecting the lands of their Nation. ”
He grinned. “Come with me.”
By the time we entered his study on the lower levels, the rising sun had illuminated the large space in morning light through the tinted glass. I closed the door behind me as Eamon walked over to one of the floor-to-ceiling bookcases along the inner walls and searched the titles of the tomes.
“Do you remember when you came here, to Ilrek? You were so young, I would be surprised if you did.” My guardian said while he continued his search, not looking at me as he spoke.
I shook my head. “No, not really. Just bits and pieces.” Images of standing in front of the doors of the Morah library flashed through my head.
He moved to the next bookcase. “One of your elders, Hindella I believe, traveled here with you, Malina, and Nikan, each of you too young to be initiated as citizens of any Nation, even yours.” I nodded my head even though he couldn’t see.
“Your elder knew of the old laws and asked for refuge for you three, for you to stay here. No other Nation would take your people, but she knew that Riyah could take only the young that had not been initiated. I took you three to live here in Ilrek and reside with me inside of Morah and train to be its Roav. But after what happened to Atara, the rest of your people would have been left to find refuge on the Drift Islands, as you know.”
We were the only Roav at Morah. Protectors of knowledge, and hunters. There used to be more of us, but they had either left or been killed, and Morah went many years without any until Eamon took us in.
“I do know this,” I said, not sure what his point was.
Eamon pulled a dusty leather book down from the bookcase and turned to me. “Then you also know that without lands, they cannot return to the continent. The Drift Islands suppress their magic and they suffer for it. Their Spirit suffers too.”
I knew that magic had to be used or else it drained the Spirit of the wielder.
I hated knowing that my people, my mother and father, suffered that fate, that there was nothing I could have done to save them.
It was one of the reasons I tried to block it from my mind.
The constant guilt would have consumed me.
Eamon placed the book on a table and began flipping through old brittle pages. He gestured for me to come over as he pointed to a passage. It was written in an ancient language and I couldn’t understand what it said.
“This was written by Lord Alo, the first wielder of air.” His finger traced the lines of text as he read.
“‘Those that are deemed Worthy to receive the gifts of the Gods are entrusted to preserve the spiritual balance of the land and its people…’ It’s people , Kya.
The Spirits care nothing of the imaginary lines that our ancestors drew through the land to separate us.
Being Worthy is about protecting the balance of both. ”
I lifted my eyes to him and found that he was already looking at me. An emotion splayed across his face that made my heart clench. Pride.
“ This is your fate.” He leaned forward and whispered, “You are the only survivor of Atara that bears the Trial mark. If you are chosen, you can bring your people back. You can give them a new home.”
Determination and will seeped back into my veins at his words, his belief in me was something I didn’t know I needed. But still, I doubted.
The tasks of the Trial were ruthless. There was a reason that so few had been honored with the title of Worthy. Most contestants didn’t survive long enough to complete the second test, whether they were killed by something in the Woltawa Forest or by someone .
It wasn’t uncommon for contestants to kill each other, even before the Trial started—another one of the many reasons I kept my mark concealed.
Contestants would take down anyone they saw marked if it meant less competition later.
The fewer there were left alive at the time of the Trial, the more of a chance they had at being chosen.
It was vile, yet the Gods allowed it. Not only did I have to keep my eye on the task ahead, but I also had to watch my back.
Eamon and I continued conversing even through lunch, which was served in his study.
After I inquired about Nikan, wanting to see him before I left for the Trial, Eamon informed me that Nikan wouldn’t be back in time before I had to leave even if he found out now.
Nikan was sent to take care of additional business with the Lord of Oryn.
I hated that I wouldn’t see Nikan before I left for the Trial, knowing that I wasn’t able to say goodbye.
If our last encounter was the last time I ever saw him…
I didn’t want that to be our last memory together.
He was my brother and I loved him. I didn’t want to leave things the way we had.
I could have hoped an d prayed all day long that I would survive but there was no guarantee.
Afterwards, I headed back to my rooms and grabbed a stack of books on past Trials on my way.
I’d already read everything I needed to know about the Trials—but I needed to do something.
I needed some tangible task to make me believe I was helping my chances of not only surviving but also winning.
So I reviewed the material until the sun set and the moonslight shone through the obsidian walls.
Another light came from behind me. I turned to find a small, delicate orb of light hovering in front of my door, and I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my lips.
Always so subtle.