Water
The clouds had parted after yesterday's storm, just enough to let rays of sunlight slant down from the heavens. A chill breeze blew in from the north, reminding all that winter was giving way grudgingly.
The young woman had no mind for the weather, however, sitting as she did on the lip of a white stone fountain, tracing a finger through the cool gray water. Situated in the midst of the temple grounds, the girl was surrounded by a white-stone plaza. Many students were out and about, but the girl didn't notice them. She was absorbed in the water as it rippled and waved, ever cool and serene beneath her touch.
Her long blond hair was ruffled by the wind, her heart-shaped face harboring an absent smile as her bright hazel eyes stared into the depths of the fountain. She wore a simple outfit consisting of a cambric supertunic worn over taut white breeches, cinched at the waist with a white belt, and knee-high white boots as well. Over it all she wore a white cloak with red triangles embroidered all along the hem...
Her ashen staff lay to the side of the pond, her ashen short bow and quiver of arrows as well.
The girl's final test was today, the culmination of all she had learned in her nine years as a student of the White Temple, home to the Order of the White Staff, of which she would become an official member after she passed the last test.
However, it was the farthest thing from her mind now. She was thinking back to her old home on the frontier. Her family had consisted of poor homesteaders out in the pocket provinces, a place long plagued by goblins and other foul creatures. She remembered herself as a small child, swimming in the many ponds of the Watery Wood before the Second Goblin War had erupted. It had been so peaceful then, in those serene times as a child, running and playing with her friends. Being taught to swim by her father.
The girl's mother had died of a sickness when she was still an infant and her father had tried to hide his sadness. She herself had been too little to really know how sad she should have been, but she could sense her father's loss and had done her best to help him...
Her father had died, however, when goblins and trolls had come in waves from the Deep Caves and many outlying towns and steads had fallen to their onslaught. The girl remembered paralytic fear as her father had rushed out with a pitchfork to stop a mob of monsters from breaking into the farmhouse.
He had never come back, but the girl had been saved when a group of men in white armor had charged in, driving the creatures back. A group of people had followed them, all in flowing white robes, armed with bows, staves, and able to call forth lights and sound that healed and protected the white-armored men as they fought.
The girl had cried out for her father, when a kindly faced man had appeared over her hiding place. He had lifted her up as she cried and held her, taking her away from the house and bringing her to the temple, which was to become her new home. Of course, she had only learned all the details of this later. She was still sad, of course, but she knew it was more important to remember the good times; the things that needed to be remembered. Her parents would always live on if she kept her memories of them close.
The girl came back to herself quickly, however, as she noticed someone standing over her. He was a middle-aged man wearing an outfit similar to hers and holding the trademark crooked white staff at his side. He had a full head of black hair and adjusted a pair of spectacles over his dark eyes. "Sana-Lynn, are you ready?"
Sana-Lynn Atha looked up with a smile and stood. "Of course, Brother Belman."
The man smiled back at her, eye-to-eye, both of them about average height. "Very well, Sana-Lynn, then gather your things and follow me."
The young woman did so, sheathing her ashen bow in a white case that hung across her back beneath the cloak. She then pulled her honey-colored hair back into a tail and tied it with a white ribbon, so that it would not interfere with the protruding arrows. Afterward, she took up her staff.
As they walked, Brother Belman spoke. "Today is a great day for you, Sana-Lynn. Know that several of the senior clergy are waiting to congratulate you in the Headmaster's study. All that remains is the final test."
The girl nodded. "Yes, Brother, I am excited as well. I have been working hard for years to become the greatest white mage that I could be."
The man smiled, looking back over his shoulder at her as he walked. "Your diligence has not gone unnoticed, Sana-Lynn. The Headmaster himself has been watching your progress more than all other students. There must be something very special about you."
The girl looked down, slightly abashed. "Well... I don't know if I'm really so special."
"A member of the Order is always special, Sana-Lynn. The power of the Holy that we wield cannot be used by just anyone. Only those chosen by the Guiding Essence can channel the sacred power of Creation." He paused to cough into his fist. "Anyhow... now with the formalities. What does the white of our robes and cloaks signify?"
Sana-Lynn did not hesitate. "Purity... essence of the Holy Aura and Light of Creation; granted to mankind in order to heal and cleanse. We exist to guide those who are lost, to protect those who are weak; these are the strictures of the Order in accordance with the sacred texts and symbolized by our white robes."
Brother Belman nodded. "Very good, and what does the color red upon the robe's hem signify?"
"Sacrifice... as dictated in the writ of the founder, Alexander The Pure of Aramy. A white mage is to put the well being of others before her, even if it means shedding her own blood to do so. We are given the power to protect others and we must pursue this actively if we are to retain the blessings of the Holy."
"Excellent, Sana-Lynn. Now, what is the story of our Order?"
The girl hesitated a bit, trying to summarize all she had learned about the history of the order during its millennia of existence. "The Order of the White Staff was founded as the Order Hospitaler during a thousand year period between the Cataclysm of Tides and the Cataclysm of Storms. After the horrendous floods of the Tides began to recede, the survivors found the world around them utterly devastated and had to start civilization anew. One of the first city-states to rise to prominence was that of Aramy, a seaside town with one of the most renowned ports of the age. While many of the other city-states vied with each other over resources or land, the scholars of Aramy built universities and funded expeditions. Explorers of Aramy began to discover the greater world beyond the peninsula reawakening the spark of discovery."
The girl paused again to think. "Alexander Samar was born the second son of an influential diplomat in the city of Aramy during a year of great tension. This was due to the jealousy of other city-states towards the vast commercial success of Aramy. Because of its powerful navy, Aramy survived many attacks, and this is the time during which Alexander came of age. His older brother became a politician and it was believed that Alexander himself might aspire to study philosophy and science, but war foiled his ambition. Mercenary pirates attacked Aramy while a combined force of other navies curtailed their mighty fleet at sea. The fighting spread into the city, and Alexander's father and brother were killed. Not trained in combat, and with no weapons at hand but a gnarled old staff of ashen wood, Alexander managed to fight off a group of pirates before gathering what he could of a resistance. It was little short of a miracle that the defenders were able to hold out until a white ship came from a foreign land. Having met a diplomat from Aramy, the ship had come seeking trade, but instead came upon a city in flames. The captain, however, was no stranger to combat, and the white ship was unlike any other vessel known to exist. Armed with weapons of metal that belched fire, they single-handedly decimated the pirate long ships and sunk the galleys of the attacking navy alike. Thus did the war end."
Sana suddenly cleared her throat. "After the city was liberated, it was found that only Alexander and his handful of defenders were left alive. Thousands had died, and Alexander had found everything he loved brought to ruin. He thanked the people of the white ship, and him and his followers were taken to their lands beyond the South Sea. During the voyage, Alexander had a revelation. In it, a white light spoke his name and granted him visions of the future where of a just organization that wielded awesome powers would protect and heal those who were pursued by dark forces with a strength borne of purity. In the foreign land, known only as Urai, Alexander was driven by his vision and became a great orator, garnering funds from many wealthy patrons to found the Order Hospitaler, an organization he devoted to protecting the downtrodden and healing the destitute. In time, Alexander returned to Aramy with his family and followers and rebuilt his home. The city became greater than it had ever been before when a new threat arose... that of the Black Art -"
Brother Belman stopped her as they came near the western edge of the campus. "Very good, Sana-Lynn. We are close, and you have obviously learned and retained a great deal. The test of your historical knowledge is duly verified. Now comes your knowledge of mastering the Holy. You are aware of the final challenge, yes?"
Sana-Lynn nodded expressly. "Yes, the Holy Arrow. It is the pinnacle of white magic."
The priest held up one finger. "Yes, the Holy Arrow. Unlike summoning the Holy and using its power to create a healing light or neutralize a poison, you must now learn to focus the power acutely, binding it to the metal head of an arrow. Such a process is called enchantment and it is how our apothecaries create healing potions by binding the holy power to ordinary water. The Holy Arrow, however, is much more powerful and more difficult to bind, due to its offensive nature. As you know, there are very few such spells within the White Art, and this one is as potent as it is unique. Come; it is time."
The priest continued and Sana-Lynn followed. They walked a white path that led passed decorative gardens and thickets of trees with small ponds in their center. They circumvented the old administrative building, built of heavily worked white stone, and finally wound around a pond filled with lily-pads and croaking frogs, to come near the western portion of the white wall that separated the grounds from the rest of the city without.
A number of archery targets were set-up here near the wall, and Sana-Lynn stopped. She noticed many seven and eight-year students practicing with their archery skills, since it was only in the final years that pupils learned to use the mace and bow. A white mage's true power was within her; weapons were only an auxiliary means of self-protection and learned only after students gained proficiency with the Holy.
Many of the students stopped shooting as Sana-Lynn came up with Brother Belman. It was well known that the priest administered many of the final tests of the Order, and all the older students knew of the Holy Arrow and were always curious to see it performed. Sana had seen it done as well. She knew performing it correctly would cause the arrowhead to shine brightly and anything struck by it would be consumed in sacred fire.
Stepping off of the path, Sana was led to an open area before an unused target, standing about thirty feet distant. Brother Belman stopped and pointed at the target with his staff. "This will be yours Sana-Lynn. The test begins now. Do not worry about time constraints, you will have all the time you need to perform it this first time - mastery can come afterward. Like all spells, the Holy Arrow will become easier to use as your experience with the Holy deepens."
He stepped back and Sana came up to take the finger-guard from her robes and fit it on her right hand. With it secure, she slung back her cloak. Hazel eyes forward, she reached back with a short tug, and pulled her ashen short-bow out of its case, testing the pull to confirm that it was good and taut.
She reached over her shoulder with her right hand and pulled an arrow from her quiver, notching it to her bow. She did not draw the arrow to sight, however, just held it in place. She would have to summon the power first before she drew since it wasn't known how long it would take to enchant.
Strangely, the girl felt nervous as she noticed students coming around to watch. They stayed at a respectful distance, several teachers among them... but their watching eyes made her uneasy for some reason.
She wasn't certain why. Indeed, she had always been adept at tuning out the world around her to focus on feelings within. This ability had made her a prodigy at spell-casting; many had said so. Her cures were more potent, her ability to repair diseased tissue acute. She had been able to cleanse a lethal poison from a trapper bitten by a blood snake, something even several members of the clergy hadn't been able to do. Now, however, a foreboding overcame her, and the holy power resisted her call.
Then she felt something... dark... swirling about her. It was suddenly everywhere, invisible to sight, but no less palpable. The girl gritted her teeth, trying to fight through, but this dark something built turmoil within her and she could not focus.
She was suddenly weak and very self-conscious. The watching eyes of her peers suddenly seemed to be mocking her, Brother Belman judging her failure coldly from where he stood. All manner of irrational thoughts entered her and made her afraid.
Her knees weakened and she faltered as these feelings assaulted her.
Then she heard a sound, something small. In the lake behind her, a colorful fish flopped in the water...
That was all.
The girl immediately thought of the ripples in the fountain, flowing, reverberating, and coming together. Indeed, a single action could spread and rebound with ten-fold strength, just one person, and just one action.
The world melted away as the girl heard the crashing of waves in her mind. Fear was suddenly crushed, doubt swept away, and the holy power entered her being with its serene warmth.
Her bow had lowered, but it now straightened. Wholly focused, the girl pulled the arrow to sight and the power gathered. Instantly, a sphere of light the size of a fist enveloped the arrowhead.
Sana-Lynn fired –
The arrow shot off like a blur, hitting the target dead-center and obliterating it. It continued through to strike a section of the wall behind and suddenly the whole area lit up like the sun. A shockwave blew bystanders to their backsides; Brother Belman was lifted up and flung back into the lake behind.
Only light and wind touched the girl, and she lowered her bow; words coming from her as calm as still-water: "With a strength borne of purity..."
As the dust cleared, everyone managed to stand, some helping others up. Many simply gaped at the ten foot wide hole blown through the stone wall. There was no debris, however, it was as if the stone had simply evaporated. The wall that remained above the hole weakened and suddenly collapsed, providing a plume of dust.
Some of the students were gaping at her, but Sana-Lynn did not notice. She merely stood there, feeling the holy power reverberate through her with a gentle hum.
Sopping wet, Brother Belman managed to extricate himself from the lake and trudged up beside the girl. His glasses were askew, but he didn't bother to fix them as he gaped between Sana and the hole in the wall.
The girl suddenly smiled and turned toward him. "Does this mean I pass?" she asked sweetly.
The soaked priest could only manage a slight nod of his head.
Hours later, Sana-Lynn sat anxiously in the waiting room outside of the Headmaster's study. Several members of the senior clergy were inside along with Brother Belman, and the girl could only believe that she was the topic of debate.
She fidgeted on the waiting bench, the only piece of dark wood in the room. Everything else – the relief carved walls, the cornices, the polished floors; it had all been made of ashen lumber.
Sana wondered if she had done something wrong. She could hear raised voices beyond the thick double doors that led into the study.
In all honesty, she was a little afraid. After she had come to her senses, she had realized that no one she had ever witnessed using the Holy Arrow had even done a fraction of damage she had.
She wondered what it all meant.
The girl adjusted her white cloak before leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees, cupping her hands before her lips to think. She could still remember the sense of dread that had entered her, wondering where it had come from. She didn't sense the dark whatever-it-was now... but it had been about to strangle her with fear when she had tried to bind the Holy Arrow. It had been everywhere –
There was a sudden croak and the girl sat up, startled. She looked down beside her and saw a big, sleek green frog with streamline yellow lines down its back. It stared up at her, its throat bulging as it croaked again.
Perplexed at its sudden presence, the girl smiled at it anyhow. "Oh, hello, are you in trouble too?"
The frog simply croaked again, blinking one eye reflexively.
Sana quickly searched her person. "Um, I don't have any tasty bugs on me, but I might have some berries in a pouch somewhere. I don't know if frogs like berries, but I guess it couldn't hurt – " she stopped short as she looked down again.
The frog was gone.
Sana-Lynn frowned, looking all around her for the whereabouts of the frog, but it was nowhere to be found. She continued to search when the double doors suddenly opened and several elders came out, a couple of them giving the girl worried looks. Sister Nat even scowled at her.
Sana was taken aback, before Brother Belman appeared. He looked a little stricken himself, but managed to smile at her, adjusting his glasses. "The Headmaster will see you now, Sana-Lynn."
Hesitant, the young woman stood and walked into the Headmaster's study, wringing her hands. The room was a tall pentagonal chamber of pale paneling, lined with tall bookshelves along four walls. She came up to stand upon a white carpet lined with red triangles before the huge ashen block of the Headmaster's desk, tidy stacks of reports, finances, and requisition papers sitting behind a row of silver statuettes depicting a number of sea creatures. She had been in here a few times before, and was always fascinated by the middle statuette the most, the one in the likeness of a great sleek water serpent. She seemed to forget where she was for a second, as she studied the silver ornament.
Dalton Samar cleared his throat across the desk, a fatherly smile on his face. "Does Leviathan interest you, Sister Atha?"
The girl snapped back to herself quickly. "I'm sorry, Headmaster, I was just... um..." She bit her lip.
The old priest chuckled and stood from his plain ashen chair, clasping his hands behind him. "She is said to be the Goddess of all sea creatures great and small. That is Leviathan, Guardian of the Seas."
The girl looked down. "I... I'm sorry for what I did to the wall, Headmaster. I suppose I went overboard."
The man nodded, stroking his beard. "Yes, that is what many of the senior clergy thought as well... that you lost control and could have hurt someone. They fear your strength, Sana-Lynn, and you are inexperienced. Great power combined with inexperience can be dangerous indeed... but I have faith in you all the same, Sister."
Sana-Lynn registered the title for the first time. "Sister? You mean I was accepted?"
Dalton nodded. "Of course, Sana-Lynn. You have exceeded expectations for years, and your connection to the Holy is undeniably potent. You did bind the Holy Arrow after all and passed the final test. Working to fine-tune your control is all you need to do now..." He suddenly paused, looking off. "Unfortunately, you will have the chance to do so in spades."
The girl frowned. "Why is that unfortunate, Headmaster?"
Instead of answering, the old priest looked squarely at the girl, his gray eyes harboring a sadness that perplexed her. "I imagine that in your many studies, you have read the Prophecy of Lukhan, have you not?"
Sana-Lynn gave a quick nod. "It describes how the ancient Warriors of Light destroyed the primordial demon, Chaos, some five thousand years ago? Yes, I have read it."
The old man stroked his beard some more. "And the legendary Crystals?"
The girl nodded. "It is said that in the beginning, this world was a lifeless rock adrift in the void, bereft of life and plagued with sinister spirits of the Abyss. Then, at one time, four gods of light appeared and their power reignited the heart of the dead sun, and brought life and light to the earth. The fiends were all sealed away, and order came to be. For life to flourish, however, the gods had to leave their essence upon the world to maintain the balance of creation. These four essences became the legendary Crystals of the Elements."
The old priest smiled and came around the desk to look up at Sana-Lynn, shorter than she. "I expected no less from you Sana-Lynn. I sense you will undoubtedly be the most learned of the four in ways of prophecy."
The girl shrugged. "Four what, Headmaster?"
The man slowly went back around his desk. "The four Light Warriors, Sister. You are one of them, the Chosen of Water, and I have a gift for you."
The girl merely gaped as the old priest reached into a drawer in his desk and took out a plain wooden box that fit in the palm of his hand. He set it on the desk and pushed it toward Sana-Lynn. "This belongs to you."
Sana shook her head. "Wait, Headmaster... the four Light Warriors? You cannot mean..."
The old man sat. "Yes, Sister Atha, the four are to rise again soon, chosen by the Crystals. It isn't any part of any of the texts you've studied, but a prophecy learned by some of my closest friends. I wasn't to reveal it to anyone until the appointed time. That time is now."
The girl was quickly afraid. "I don't understand any of this, Headmaster."
Dalton sighed. "I know it is sudden. I wish I could have told you long ago, Sana-Lynn. That I must drop this burden in your lap now is something that went against every instinct I had as an instructor, but it was necessary. Absolutely no one but a trusted few can know about this." He paused, tugging at his beard. "Have you felt the darkness, Sana-Lynn? It pervades this city, but is exceedingly difficult to sense despite it. Still, it is a harrowing dread that plagues the mind with fear when it can be sensed. Only a few of the senior clergy were aware of its presence. Its debate was the reason for the shouted words earlier, much more than your display."
Sana-Lynn suddenly shivered. "Yes," she said softly. "I felt it earlier when I tried to bind the Holy Arrow. It was stifling, choking me. I was terribly afraid. I don't even really remember how I fought it off."
The old man looked up, suddenly grinning. "Your resolve, Sana-Lynn, and the power within you, even beyond that of the Holy. They may be linked, these sacred powers, but they are not the same. What I have felt within you is another power, something that reverberates and buffers the Holy, much like waves in the sea. I believe that is the reason for your uncanny strength in using white magic."
The girl suddenly looked a little dizzy and the old priest stood and got her an ashen chair from the side of the chamber and brought it over.
Sana sat, and the old priest looked down at her, his face hardening. "I would normally not be one to bring up your past, Sana-Lynn, for I know you have suffered. Still, you must know this. That day when you were but four years of age, the Knights of the Sacred Dawn, and my supporting cadre of white mages, did not happen upon your farmstead by accident to drive off the goblins. I knew that would happen, and I knew I had to be there to save you. That moment was foretold."
The girl lowered her head, clenching her fists on her knees. Her eyes suddenly began to tear over. "...And my father?"
Dalton turned to profile. "I am sorry, Sana-Lynn, I only knew of you. We were not in time to save your father."
The girl said nothing to that.
The old priest nodded. "I do not expect your forgiveness, Sana-Lynn, for keeping this from you. I did what I had to do to see you here at this point in time. There is so much more at stake than just ourselves." He took a few steps toward the double doors before speaking again. "I will leave you now, so take as much time as you need. When you are ready, you must look at what is in the box. I was granted it in an old temple far to the west of here on an island filled with ruins. After the orb came into my hands, there was a great quake and the island temple sunk beneath the sea. I should not have lived through that experience, except that I was suddenly able to breathe underwater." He said nothing more, leaving the chamber, and pulling the doors shut behind him.
Sana-Lynn sat there for a long time, before she managed to stand. She went up to the desk and reached over the statuette of Leviathan to lift the box. She turned back and opened the lid to see a simple orb of what seemed glass or crystal. Simply gazing at it, Sana suddenly felt an incredible weight settle over her. She instinctively knew that taking the orb would bind her to some kind of powerful obligation. It produced within her a sudden anxiety, but she reached for it anyway, tears still leaking from her eyes.
When she grasped the orb, a light flared, purest white. Suddenly she was flying west over the land so fast that it was a blur beneath her. Soon, the vision reached the ocean – and descended sharply, rushing beneath the waves until the world became inky black with the weight of water overhead. There below, she saw a huge building of stone, lit in places with what seemed a blue bioluminescence.
Then she was suddenly back in her body, her hazel eyes wide, her form shaking. She quickly slumped to her knees, weaker than she could ever remember being. It took several minutes for her to gain her strength back, but she did not stand, merely clenching the orb to her breast... and crying silently.