Chapter 032

All things lie within the Infinite Sea. Horrors and glory alike.

The knife passed straight through the figure, clattering into the underbrush with nothing more than a ripple. The figure didn’t even notice.

They’re…made of Water?

Blue-green liquid stood tall, lit from within by the complicated crossing of silver and gold lines. It formed a body, tall and lanky, and was clad in something between robes and armor. Sleek panels that resembled layered horn clad their chest, shoulders, and hips. Pale hands lifted to its hood, and with a sloshing motion they tossed it back. A severe face emerged from the fleck of foam, bearing a close-cropped beard atop a strong chin and below an aquiline nose. Eyes as dark as onyx raked across him and Adhira both, his gaze sharper than Harker’s lost knife.

Harker glanced aside, hunting for Stillwater, but the Eidhrin was gone. A stroke of luck. He had no idea if the figure could detect a Gilken, but there was no reason to risk it.

Pressure pulled his attention back to the Watery figure. It swelled against him, as if something were moving through the Sea in his direction. A sonorous thrum came with it, as if the bells of an ancient shrine were being struck.

“Threllsnacht is three days past.” The man’s voice was sharp as his eyes, and contained the hint of an accent Harker couldn’t place. “The Charterstones have gone quiescent. All potential Aspirants are on their way…or should be.

“Chartermarked of the Phaar Region, I bid you welcome to the first step toward your destiny.”

Harker pulsed his Talent, expanding it swiftly to five feet. Seated as he was, the dizziness was far easier to bear, but there was nothing to sense. The figure before them might as well have been made of shadow.

“I am Magister Sivak of the Nine Spires Academy. I speak from the Travelspire, where I wait with the Ordeal Tribunal for your arrival.”

The man paused as if expecting applause. Harker remained silent, though he did shoot a glance at Adhira. She was likewise quiet, but her brows were drawn and her hand was tight around her axe. She only had eyes for the magister.

“Your mark is an oath, one designed in the forgotten days after the Seas tried to swallow all of Teyr. It calls upon those that would defend our lands from the dark denizens of the Sea, and in so doing, seize the glory of the Depths for their own.”

There was an almost vicious cast to the man’s bearded face. Bubbles roiled beneath the surface of his projected skin only to release from his shoulders with a trailing hiss. “None of you have taken this oath lightly, but know that it binds your soul as much as your body. As you traverse the islands on your way to the Travelspire, hold tight to that ancient promise. Do not fail the Ancestors or yourself.

“Now.” He clapped his hands, and again that deep bell sounded. It was distant and muffled by the Water. “You all are here today, eager to join the Nine Spires Academy. This is commendable and a credit to your family’s name. To master the Spires is to vie for a place amongst legends, and I do not say that lightly. Every momentous figure in the history of the islands has graced our halls at some point in their lives. It was there that they discovered the power of their Talent, and where they learned to fight the Aberrant threat on a scale you cannot imagine.”

The magister tilted his chin up, his beard not disguising his sharp jawline. “We are the first line of defense against all that dwells within the Infinite Sea. The duty of those with Talent is to serve—but power draws power. If you join us, you will grow beyond your limitations and Descend to the greatest of Depths! By the time you reach the top of the Spires, even your own mother won’t recognize who you’ve become!”

“However. While you have taken the mark, your place with us is not set in stone. Strength is earned, Chartermarked. Never forget that. Acceptance into the Academy is not so easily attained. You must all reach the Travelspire in your region and that alone might be an insurmountable task.” He bared his teeth. “From there, you take the Nine Ordeals.”

Adhira’s jaw flexed, and her hand gripping the axe went white around the knuckles. Her gaze was still fixed on the magister in a way that made Harker nervous—as if she was a hairsbreadth away from violence.

That…doesn’t bode well. Harker leaned closer to the Watery ghost. Who is he to her?

“You have all heard of the Nine Ordeals, no doubt, but in case you are unfamiliar I will list them for all of you. I am a magister, after all.” Sivak smirked and gestured. Lines of radiance broke free from his Watery shape, silver and gold arcs that formed into a list of words.

The Ordeal Of Maelstrom’s Passage – The Trial Of Power

The Ordeal Of Blackwake’s Descent – The Trial Of Truth

The Ordeal Of Breaking Reef – The Trial Of Change

The Ordeal Of Tidal Climb – The Trial Of Resilience

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The Ordeal of Deep Lantern – The Trial Of Harmony

The Ordeal of Drowning Sky – The Trial Of Vigilance

The Ordeal of Mist and Foam – The Trial Of Stillness

The Ordeal of Siren’s Undertow – The Trial Of Judgment