Chapter 2 part I

The Test of Magarius

The crowd moved along the curved path. There were no birds singing, no animals scattering in the Underwood. The sun shone dimly through the thick canopy. As the students walked a clearing opened up in front of them. There were 5 paths, each path protected by a colourful aura. Felicity walking at the front of the group said:" Since we all have to choose a different path and I'm the most important, I choose first. Hmmm. I wan the one in the middle!" she stepped forward but before she could take a second step a giant riot broke out. "You are a liar and a stuck up cow!" Kazhan shouted. They all started arguing and shouting at each other. Idiots, Telen thought. A blue sphere exploded in front of the fighting students blinding them temporarily. "Now, since we are all sensible and educated people, let's decide in a simpler way. I hope you all realise that we don't have much time. We'll pick our path in ascending order. So whoever's name was called out first will choose first and so on and lets not start fighting like a bunch of Goblins over a shiny coin again." There was a murmur of agreement going around and everyone seemed happy except Felicity. "You just want to pick first you greedy goblin eared freak!" she yelled. A magical fist knocker her back. "Don't you call any of us elves that again you pale faced ghoul!" shouted Viola Nightstrider who's face had taken a dark shade due to her anger. The riot broke out again, Idiots, bloody Idiots, wasn't one warning enough?

He approached the path on the right, there was an icy blue aura protecting the path. It spread across the like a huge force field. Ancient elfish runes shone in the force field, Telen wondered how to lower the field and decided the easiest way might just work. "Memories" he whispered. The strong vagrant light started fading. The crowd had stopped arguing and watched silently. Each student slowly walked over to the other barriers and tried to lower their force fields, with varying success. Telen's barricade had at last vanished and before he left he turned and said:" Good luck to all of you." And stepped onto the silent path ahead of him. Telen took a deep breath and started on the path.

The path ahead descended into darkness, the voices of the forest fell silent. He reached a round room or cave. There were dark shadows, there was a sudden movement ahead moving in the darkness. The shadow was big, maybe a little bigger then a tall elf. More shadows started joining the existing one, all with different shapes. The temperature had started to drop as well; it wasn't a nice summer day anymore but a cold winter morning. Telen started readying spells in his mind. Rule number 10: always be prepared. The shadows began to murmur too. Telen knew all of these voices, some were very familiar but others he could have only heard once or twice before. Telen noticed clearer silhouettes but still there wasn't enough detail to make out what these creatures were. Shadow magic and its creatures were ruthless and could strike any moment. Telen shook his head, if these were shadow creatures they would have tried to attack or pull him into a shadow hole. Abruptly there was a giant burst of colour that blinded Telen for several moments. After his eyes had grown accustomed he saw the silhouettes clearly, orcs, trolls, humans, elves, dwarves, goblins, shadow creatures and more all swirled around him. Telen spied castles, forests, schools, mountains, all the places and people he had ever meet where rushing past him. He smelled, tasted and heard everything he had ever tasted, smelled or heard before. Bit by bit the noise died down, smells vanished, colours faded until there was nothing left apart from a silver sphere hovering in mid air.

The sphere started floating away from him; once the sphere reached the middle of the room the silvery fragrance started spreading until it reached the corners of the room. There were three ghostly looking creatures were the sphere just had been. Telen was so amazed at their beauty that he almost ignored the women's song:" Come my little elven boy, we won't hurt you, come closer, come closer, we will take care of you, we won't hurt you we just want your warmth…" a blue flash soared through the air and caught one of the women in her ribs. The atmosphere changed immediately, the women's song changed to screams. "Party is over ladies!" Telen shouted. There faces contorted to grimaces and their screams froze Telen's blood. The colour drained from their faces, only a papery waxy skin was left, their eyes changed to a sickly yellow shine. Before Telen could throw another spell at the banshees, they had changed into three people. He interrupted his spell; he couldn't hurt his mother, his cousin or Celia. "You wouldn't hurt your own mother would you Telen?" his mother asked and started approaching him with spread arms as if wanting to embrace him. He waited for two seconds, which would have been his last if he hadn't broken the charm and noticed the yellow gleam in her eyes. He pushed his arm forward and sent a shining bolt of energy into the mum/banshee. The sphere drilled a fist size hole into her chest where the heart would have been. That made her brake off her stride towards him, but now the other two were closing in. Sword like claws grew from their hands, big enough to pierce Telen's chest and exist on the other side. He drew his staff from his sleeve, unfolded it and made PSI-blades appear from the ends. He dodged the claws that swung at him; he brought the blades up and chopped his cousin's hand off. One of the banshees opened their mouth, but Telen realised too late what was about to happen. She let out a scream that hurled Telen across the room; he impacted into the wall, falling to the ground he dropped his staff.

The banshees flew towards him; he clenched his fingers into a fist and one of the banshees (that had assumed his cousins form) crunched to a ball, her body twisted into a ball of torment. She didn't move after Telen had flung her with the flick of the wrist through the room He fabricated two new PSI-blades, which sprung from his hands. Telen jumped onto his feet, rotated in midair to chop an approaching banshee in half at the torso, her lifeless body collapsing to the floor. Trying to let out a scream, the last banshee opened her mouth. Not going to repeat the same mistake twice, Telen opened his hand and sent an enormous bolt of holy light in the banshee's direction. Once the light reached the banshee, she began to burn, her skin melting due to holy light. The two corpses on the ground turned to ashes as well as her sister that burned standing up.

Sentences started appearing: "Memories are treasures that no one can steal, but can hurt more then a thousand daggers." Telen read out. A door framed on the other side of the room. " Learn from what was taught, now move on!" cam a booming echoing voice, Telen didn't need another warning.

Telen followed a passageway that let out into another glade. There was an elevated patch of grass, forming a little hill covered by shade given of by a giant old elder tree. An elder tree? What do they do again? Elder bark helps to relax, from its leaves you make sleeping potions and its wood is used for making wands and staffs. Hmmm, it helps relaxing, giving easier access to the green dream. He moved over, sat down with legs crossed, arms in his lap forming a cup and relaxed. He waited and waited. He was a patient person, but now more then ever he could feel the urge to ump up and do something. But there was a light brush of air on his cheek. He nearly jumped up, ready to hurl spells around the space but was intermitted by a soft chuckle and a unisexual voice said:" I'm the spirit, answer this riddle and you can head for the next test." The spirit didn't wait for a response and moved on:" People think it's a right, they don't value it until they lose it. What is it?" what do people not treasure, even f they have it? Love? Friendship? Or Life? "It is life! People don't treasure and value their life until they either die or come back as undead. They think life is a right, but it's not a right because it can be taken from someone so easily." he couldn't see or hear a laugh, but the spirit let out emotions that made Telen feel secure and happy. "You are right Telen, Life should be treasured, for unravelling my puzzle, I promise if you need guidance I will always be with you. Continue your journey." Telen stood up and left for the pathway that had become visible. The gravel screeched under his boots as he walked.

He continued to the next test and heard the splutter of a little river. It cut across the room. A warm spring wind caressed his cheek and the warm sun warmed his elven skin. Giant and over-towering grew a huge oak tree at the banks of the river. Telen judged that a whole village could have fitted on that tree, having enough room for a big backyard for their house. The water from the river glistened in the bright light, no reflection was to be seen on the mirror like surface, white and pink water roses bloomed and swam on the surface of the river. Too interested in thinking of how to get across the river, he didn't notice the asp that hung from the oak. "Hello, my darlings, trying to crosssss the river are you? Wouldn't try without cracking the riddle, otherwise the guardians of the water won't be too happy with you", the snake hissed and laughed at Telen who had jumped in the air, not knowing that there even was a snake." Don't be ssssscared dear, thissss isssss what you have to do, you have to find the missssing piece that gleamssss sssssso bright, follow it'ssss ssssssong, but let not the chiming of their voices misssslead you. You need this to exisssssst, thissss element isssss one of ssssseven, Follow through the planes of dreams to help you find It." hissed the snake. "So all I have to do is find it? Does that mean IT is an object or artefact? Hello?" Telen turned to face the snake… but it was gone. Examining the tree closer he identified a snake looking tree branch.

The Plane of dreams. Does he mean the Green dream? It gleams and sings, of what? Is this thing substantial or imaginary? What elements is he talking about? Elements that belong to live? What if the thing is in the water? Staring at the water, he stretched out a hand trying to touch the water. A cold, slimy and scaly hand shot out of the water, gripping the young mage's arm. Trying to escape the deadly grip, he began pulling; he slipped in the wet dirt and fell to the ground. Yellow piercing eyes looked at him from the river, the hand kept pulling him closer to the edge of the riverbanks. While he was wrestling with the hand, more yellow eyes cam closer. Further grisly hands started emerging from the water. Starting to panic Telen used the first spell that came to his mind. "Tangalar, Lighticerious boltious cloudornum!" nothing happened, a gurgling drowning sound came from the depth in front, they were laughing that his spell hadn't worked, cheered, they couldn't wait for his tender elven flesh. Their laughs adjusted when a yellow-white lightning struck from the skies. The smell of burning and charred flesh was all around, as the lightning smoulder the hands trying to grab Telen, the lurkers shrieks boiled the water, as they died. At last Telen pulled his arm away and sat back, clutching his chest.

"Well… its…definitely….not in the water…", he panted. He watched the water and saw it had resumed its perfectly still and mirror like appearance. "Looks just like a mirror again. Wait, mirror, mirror, Mirrion, Mirrion's theory was that life consisted out of seven elements!" he said excitedly, jumped to his feet, he started brambling "Seven elements make up life according to Mirrion's speculation, but which one is it? The snake said: through the plane of dreams. Dreams, memories and spirits all help but its not what I'm looking for. A shining beacon yet a dark Abyss that those who don't know what to do will be lost in forever. Your mind! It's a dark Abyss but a shining beacon and right before it there is the dream layer or plane of dreams.", he looked at the snake branch searching for a response, it moved, looking like bowing in respect. Crashing, the water split in the middle, revealing a passage down a hill. The passage was just big enough for Telen to pass through. He stepped onto the path and started walking downwards, the path was dry although seconds ago tonnes of water had flowed across it. The piercing sun had disappeared and there was a cool mountain wind around him. Telen just walked briskly, thinking of what crazy thing would happen next.