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Chapter 1: Dawn

"Hurry up, Rowan," the young boy whispered hurriedly back to his friend. "If we don't hurry, we're going to get caught," he reminded Rowan.

"Give me a break, Evan," Rowan gasped back to his friend as he picked up his pace.

What am I doing here? Rowan asked himself as he struggled to keep up with his friend. If we get caught, Evan will certainly ditch me.

Rowan Ashford is the only son of Nolan and Lydia Ashford. His dark brown hair and pink complexion are typical for the Verden residents, but his amber eyes were unique to him and his father, Nolan.

Despite his father serving as the village sentinel, and a master of Empyrea, Rowan has struggled with his magical studies. Despite a year's study, Rowan has yet to master his first invocation.

Evan didn't fare much better, but unlike Rowan, it was not for lack of talent. Evan's cerulean eyes were always cast towards his female peers rather than the arts.

Thus, the pair had become known as the two worst first year Empyrea students in Verden, and possibly in all Solaria.

On this morning, before the sun rose, the pair stole away to the woods to spy on the first year Sylva's dawn ritual. Evan wanted to witness two girls' first attempts to form a pact with a light spirit: Ivy Merrin and Selene Alder, who lived near Evan. Rowan was less interested in girls; he just wanted to support his only friend.

Evan had picked up the pace, while Rowan struggled to keep up. The first invocation is the first step on the road to mastery, and fortified one's lungs and heart. The difference in speed and stamina is simply inhuman by mundane standards. Without a solid foundation, one's progress in the Empyrea ways would forever be inhibited, and no amount of cleverness could compensate for it.

As Rowan neared the bushes lining a clearing, he stopped to catch his breath, but an arm suddenly shot around him, hand cupping his mouth, and pulled him behind a tree instead. Evan had just saved him from being perceived by a guardian spirit.

That means one thing: They had arrived at the ritual site.

"Up," Evan whispered, pointing at the branches of the mighty tree that shielded them from the perception of the effulgent beast.

Without another word, Evan circulated spiritual energy and leapt halfway up the trunk of the tree, kicking off and landing at the junction of two major branches. Swiftly, he floated from branch to branch, barely making a sound as he encircled the clearing in search of a better viewing position.

Rowan rested his foot on a mighty root and prepared to follow his friend.

Thud!

Rowan hadn't expected the moss on the tree to be so slippery, and promptly fell on his back. He stifled the cry of pain as his head slammed into the damp morning soil.

Oh spirits, am I in trouble now?

As he sat up, he saw that his fear was misplaced. The Sylva in training were too focused on their chatter to have heard a word, and the guardian spirit took no notice of yet another child in their midst.

Guess I can't even reach the trees today, Rowan thought to himself.

"All right, that's quite enough from you lot!" a woman's voice was suddenly heard over the gaggle of girls.

The sky behind her was still a deep purple, though pink and orange hues from distant clouds began to shine through the treeline. It was time to begin.

"Today, you will take your first step in becoming a proper Sylva," she began her speech. "You will call out to your first light spirit. They will act as your protector from dark spirits and misfortune in equal measure. What spirit you get will depend on your talent and fortune, of course, but also your attitude," she looked each of the girls in the eye in turn.

"Remember to treat them with respect. They will be like family," her gaze panning back around the clearing. "But don't commit too much to one spirit, for you will also need a dark spirit to balance them out. You don't want to wear yourself too thin."

At this moment, the first ray of light from the sun began to creep through the treeline, illuminating the ground at the matron's feet.

"It is time!" she raised her gnarled staff to the sky.

At once, the girls pressed their hands together. A stillness fell over the crowd, followed by an eerie silence. The wind stilled as spiritual energy welled up in each youth.

Rowan watched from the bushes, mildly amused. As an Empyrea student, he was familiar with the basics of channeling spiritual energy within one's body. Despite their arts being so dissimilar, children of both sexes were taught similar practices until the age of ten, when they branched out to their proper schools. In this way, talent could be assessed as early as age four.

He had nearly caught his breath now. He couldn't see or hear his friend, who was no doubt surveying the class for Ivy or Selene.

Rowan sighed quietly out of boredom, then sat cross-legged. Might as well prepare for the trek back home, Rowan thought, as he began to meditate quietly.

With pressed lips, the matron stood like a gargoyle before her class. Two minutes had passed, and not a single one had succeeded in beckoning a light spirit. Typical; for it was only supreme talents worthy of one day being elected Skycaller that could succeed in the first five minutes. Most students would succeed within thirty minutes, if they succeeded at all.

Pacts involves three steps: Beckoning, communing, and binding. Although Sylvology can be extremely dangerous if anything goes wrong, the past centuries have led to a very refined process of communing that mostly prevented spirits from lashing out at their students. Light spirits, in particular, are renowned for being peaceful towards humans, so the risk of anything going amiss was extremely low. For that reason, the Skycaller was never tasked with overseeing the first pact.

Another minute passed, then a girl towards the front of the class began to glow with a soft yellow light. A white fox suddenly appeared, as if it had been there this whole time, sitting in front of her and sniffing her hands.

Incredible, thought the Matron, Elara beckoned a fox spirit in only three minutes. Her stiff concentration remained frozen in a pensive stare, but if you looked closely, you could see a slight smile hidden in her eyes.

At this moment, Rowan suddenly broke out into a sweat. His peaceful meditation was disrupted by the sudden appearance of an ethereal wolf standing over him. Fear rippled through him as he gazed up at its majestic shoulders.

How deep did I meditate for a wolf to sneak up on me from the front? he wondered for a few panicked moments before realizing the truth of the situation.

Rowan, a male student, had just inadvertently beckoned a light spirit.

"Uhhh," he blurted out, not sure what to do next. Suddenly, a cold chill filled the air.

"What is this?!" the Matron had noticed the manifestation of a wolf behind the bushes and ran towards the edge of the clearing to observe the situation.

Rowan and the wolf both turned their gaze to the Matron. Her guardian spirit had also run over, perplexed by what was happening.

"Sorry," Rowan managed to choke out. "I seem to have gotten lost, and-"

"Don't lie!" the Matron spat out. "Do you know the predicament you're in?"

"No," Rowan admitted. He studied the Empyrea arts, not Sylvology. Why would he know the first thing about light spirits?

"That wolf before you is the mightiest light spirit a first-year can make a pact with," she explained quickly. "Unlike most, wolves can be extremely tempermental if beckoned without the proper respect." She reached into her pouch and tossed him a vial with an amber liquid inside.

"If you want to live, you must do as I say," she hurriedly said.

I'm doomed, Rowan thought as he nodded.

"Annoint your forehead with the scared oil, and then offer your excess energy to the wolf."

Rowan quickly did as he was instructed.

"Now, try to feel the wolf's voice with your heart," she said.

"What does that mean?" Rowan asked honestly.

"Don't be stupid, boy!" she frowned. "You couldn't possibly have beckoned a spirit without any training. Surely you're a first invocation Empyrea student?" she correctly deduced.

"Well, yes, but-" Rowan stammered as the wolf sat patiently.

"Fine!" the Matron gasped and put her hands on her hips. "First you need to calm yourself. Then, notice feelings that are different than you normally have. Focus on those feelings, and words will begin to manifest in your mind."

As she explained the fundamentals of communing with spirits to the lad, more soft lights sprang up behind the Matron. Most of the class had succeeded in beckoning a spirit. Some had beckoned two, and had to ponder which they would like to form a pact with.

None of them had beckoned a wolf.

How can I calm myself down at a time like this? Rowan thought as the impatient woman stood above him, impatient.

I bet Evan's having the time of his life in the trees. The things I do for my friends.

(Friends.)

Huh?

(Friends. Like family?)

Wait, is that your voice?

(You have a friend here, yes?)

Yeah. Evan. He wanted to watch the girls summon their first light spirit.

(I see.)

Suddenly, the wolf looked up into the treeline in the distance, then looked back at Rowan.

(You're not like the others.)

Well, I'm a boy.

(No.)

The wolf laid down before Rowan and looked him in the eyes.

(A young heart should be pure.)

What do you mean by that?

(Adults have tainted these kids' purity with ambition.)

The wolf's ethereal ear twitched.

Oh. I know what that's like. My dad-

(I understand.)

The wolf stretched, then stood up.

(Despite the shadow cast over you, your friend is most important to you.)

Uh, I guess.

Though the wolf's expression remain gazed, Rowan could feel as if the spirit was smirking internally.

(What is your name?)

Rowan.

(Rowan. That's a good name. You can call me Galeth.)

Sure. Nice to meet you, Galeth.

(So, how about it, Rowan? Will you let me be your friend too?)

Um, sure. I don't see why not.

(Excellent. So it shall be.)

The wolf let out a soft howl. Suddenly, Rowan felt an intense heat form on his forehead, where the oil marking rested.

An intense pain shot through Rowan's entire body, followed by a soothing and pleasant feeling. The wolf that stood before him vanished, but Rowan could still feel his presence.

"What? A boy?" a young girl's voice interrupted the stillness that followed the wolf's binding.

The Matron turned her eyes towards Elara and smiled softly. "That remains to be seen, Elara."

"That's no fair! Sylvology is only for girls!" another talented girl cried out.

At this moment, Rowan felt intensely embarrassed. The whole village will never let me live this down, he realized. The worst Empyrea student has formed a pact with a spirit?

Then, another thought crossed his mind. Does this mean I'm supposed to be a girl?

(No.) The wolf's voice reassured him. (Though your traditions may say otherwise, spirits can form pacts with anyone.)

"Boy," the Matron's voice silenced the cacophony of girls that began chattering in the background, "What is your name?"

"Rowam," he admitted.

The Matron groaned. "So you're the Sentinel's brat?" She shook her head. "I guess it can't be helped. I'm taking you to meet our Skycaller."

(End of Chapter 1.)