Three days have passed since Father Flet dined with the family. Elyar spent the majority of that time preparing for his triad trials. He read short accounts of his brother’s trials, along with his father’s, grandfather’s, and great-grandfather’s. Each one was unique, but the ceremony always followed the same pattern. The Triad Trial, also known as the Knighthood Ceremony, consisted of three parts which had to be comple ted in a single day.
The physical trial came first. It usually consisted of a hunt for a stag. But sometimes a boar would substitute the stag. Next, the mental trial would incorporate some type of puzzle or a calligromancy spell. Elyar hoped for the puzzle. The spiritual trial came last. This trial required the pupil to enter a special room in the local temple and pray to Theos the entire night. If the pupil remained awake and the candle remained lit they passed.
The day before, Pyke had told Elyar to meet him by the edge of Dasos. Things were still a little contentious between the two. Elyar tried to get some information out of Pyke, but he refused to tell Elyar why and kept dodging any questions. All he would tell him was they were going to work on the mental trial. Pyke had quickly exited Elyar’s presence and they hadn’t seen each other since.
Why is Pyke still mad at me? What I said wasn’t that bad, Elyar thought while standing beside a particularly large oak. Elyar stood at the edge of Dasos. A mighty branch bare of leaves stood ten feet above his head. There was no breeze today and grey clouds covered the sun. Elyar felt dreary, and the world matched his mood. Snow still covered most of the ground and the cold weather resolidifed the patches. Elyar slipped twice while walking to the forest that morning. The air was cold, wet, and it seeped deep into Elyar’s bones. He wrapped himself a little tighter in his red cloak to block the cold air. But it didn’t seem to do anything.
He was wearing his black tunic and a little cloak. Why couldn’t we do this inside? It’s too cold today, grumbled Elyar to himself. He didn’t like being cold nor did he like standing beside the forest for so long. He always felt one of the mythical beings of his father’s tales would jump out and attack him. He personally didn’t believe in goblins, fae, or any of the other creatures, but that didn’t stop his imagination.
Dasos was an ancient forest. Its trees stood tall with wide trunks. Large roots liked to arch high above the ground. They were interesting to look at, but terrible to walk around or over. A thick layor of leaves littered the ground. During the summer the leaves made a nice crunching sound when walked upon, but during the winter they made the ground traitorously slippery. By the summer’s peak, leaves darkened the forest casting a thick canopy over the eerie world below. The one-time Elyar ventured a few yards into the forest’s realm he felt like the darkness was conscious and the trees were alive.
Elyar kept his distance while he waited. It was early and he could see his breathe and his hands were started to get extra cold when he heard Pyke walk up. As usual, some ravens flew in the distance. They looked like black smudges against the grey sky. Snow and some twigs crunched under ever step as the older man slowly approached.
“Good moro lad. Been waiting long?” Pyke asked once he was close enough. He sounded oddly chipper compared to how he was the day before. He wore a dark green tunic similar in style to Elyar’s. His cloak was black and had a thick hood which was a feature missing from Elyar’s more in-style cloak. Pyke’s boots were also high on his shins providing more warmth and protection. Elyar wore boots that stopped closer to his ankles. They were all the rage in the large cities, or so he has been told, but they did not provide much warmth.
“Yes.” Elyar replied curtly, trying not to chatter his teeth while talking. “Why did we have to meet out here? Whatever the mental trial will be, couldn’t we have practiced inside the Great Hall where it is warm?”
“We probably could have, lad. But I wanted you to do something different in preparation. Your trial has been unusual compared to your siblings. Getting the scribe to quit, and then your father moving up your trial to tomorrow instead of next week has forced my hand.” He had motioned for Elyar to walk with him and now both men were strolling beside the forest heading away from the Great Hall. “The mental trial can be one of the hardest of the three. Especially for you. You will do well in the physical trial. I have taught you well. The spiritual component is easy and there is little to prepare for there. But the mental. The mental trial is challenging.” Pyke spoke with a small smirk on his face. He was a self-assured man. He knew what he could do, and he knew what he co uld do well. He was never afraid to shy away from his skills.
Pyke stopped in front of a particularly large tree with what looked like a door at the base. From a distance a passerby would never have noticed the tree. It looked like every other tree near it save that it stood a little more isolated. The door looked like a section of the trunk had been repurposed as an entrance. There were carvings from the bottom left along the entire side until it met the bottom right of the door. Elyar thought they looked like normal runes, but he could not read any of the inscriptions. A leather handle rested on the right at hand height. The tree was a mighty oak that towered over one hundred feet in the air. Surprisingly there were no leaves around its trunk. Yet there were no leaves in its branches. An empty circle surrounded the tree. No other tree, root, or plant beside grass lay within the circle. The circle was maybe ten or fifteen feet in diameter.
Overall, the tree had a weird calming effect on Elyar. His mind still dwelled constantly on the dream from the other night and the never ending whispers seemed to quiet while near the tree. Elyar knew that they would be back. They always came back, but for now, he would enjoy a moment of silence.
“What is this place?” inquired Elyar. He had walked along the treel ine his whole life, but he had no memory of this tree.
Pyke didn’t answer at first. He quietly walked toward the door, opened it, and gestured for Elyar to walk in. Still no reply. Hesitating for a moment, Elyar ducked his head and stepped in. The door didn’t require him to duck, but he felt the need to bow his head anyway. He couldn’t place why. Just a feeling of reverence came upon him. Once inside Pyke stepped in and quietly closed the door.
The tree had a radius of about twenty feet, maybe. Which still made
it a large oak, but once inside, the room stood nearly double that. The ceiling toward close to thirty feet up and paintings covered the entire room. From floor to ceiling, every inch was covered in beautiful intricate paintings. Beside the art the room was sparse. A small table, two chairs, and a tea kettle stood on the left side of the room. That was it.
A chandelier hung from the ceiling with what looked like real fire. Outside of his fireplace at home, Elyar had never seen fire candles. He was fascinated by the way they flickered. The flame danced in a more chaotic and random pattern than digitorches. Elyar’s gaze started drifting over the paintings after staring at the chandelier for a moment. He didn’t know what he was looking at. There were castles, cities, battles, and strange beings he couldn’t place. None of the stories looked familiar.
Neither had broken the silence since entering the hovel. Finally, after a few minutes, Elyar looked at Pyke, who had walked over and taken a seat, and asked, “what is this?”
Taking a sip of tea Pyke looked at Elyar with his head slightly tilted,
“this is a place where truth lives.” He took another sip and waited for Elyar to respond. Where had the cup come from? Elyar thought before
Pyke’s words fully processed.
“Wait, what do you mean truth? What truth?” Elyar’s brows furrowed looking completely confused. Pyke genstured for Elyar to sit in the chair opposite him. He pulled another cup from a hidden compartment, filled it with steaming tea, and handed it to his pupil.
“Before we begin, I must confess. I lied to you yesterday. We are not working on your mental challange. You are more than prepared.” Pyke spoke softly, almost to himself. His eyes though, bored into Elyar’s. An intensity that Elyar had never seen.
“Why are we here then?” Elyar slowly asked before burning his tongue on his scorching hot tea. “Ouch,” he mumblled before placing the cup down to cool.
“We are here so that I may tell you a story away from prying ears.” Pyke began slowly. He was now looking at his tea and wouldn’t meet Elyar’s gaze. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts for a moment before he stired and began again, “tell me what you know about the empires founding?”
Elyar was surprised by the question. He had been taught multiple times the history of Korax, how it was founded, and why the empire is a prosperous nation. He responded, “Korax began a thousand years ago when Mathius Oranum united the five kingdoms and became the first emperor. Everyone knows that story. Father Flet made sure to retell it the other night. You were there.” He was confused by the question. Why would he ask such a basic question?
“Yes, I was there. And yes, it is a story told to young and old alike. Both Korax and the Kleros Temple both want you to remember that
story. And know it well.” Pyke trailed off again, but this time he was fidgeting with his cup. He finally began again, “what if that is not the real story?”
“Of course that is the story. Why wouldn’t it be?” Elyar interjected. A little bit of steel had crept into his voice. “The empire was founded by our glorious emperor and brought peace to a ravenged world.”
Sighing, Pyke looked at Elyar with red eyes and a dark line where a tear had slid down. “No. That is not the truth. The empire did not bring
peace to the world, but intensified it. Oranum brought fire and death…” Elyar jumped from his seat and yelled, “No! You are lying. Why wo uld you dishonor Korax?”
“I am not dishonoring Korax. I want you to know the truth. There is a wide world out there and things are stiring. You have to know! Please sit and listen.” Pyke pleaded Elyar. Elyar stood baffled at Pyke. He had never seen his mentor act like this. Pyke looked volnerable, weak, almost…broken. Another tear slipped from Pyke’s right eye. His breath was jagged, like a man who just finished a long run. Elyar’s anger slowly subsided as he looked upon Pyke. He would listen to him, even if it was to humor his mentor. What could he have to say that would cause such an emotional scene? Elyar thought while he moved back to his seat. He had to pick the chair up from the floor where it had fallen when he leaped. He set it back at the table, sat back down, and picked his cup back up. It felt safe enough to drink. He took a small sip while he waited for Pyke to begin.
Taking a deep breath in, Pyke looked scared to begin. But he did, “The empire did begin a thousand years ago, but it was not through peace. There were five nations, but there were not nations of terrans. Korax was one of them, but it was a new nation. Terrans had just migrated to the continent. From where no one knows. It has been lost to time.
As terrans settled their land an imbalance appeared amongst the people. You know this land as Korax, but then it was called Alvera.”
Pyke took a sip and then continued, “Alfaheima had four unique kingdoms with many small peoples surrounding.” He paused for a second pondering how to say his next statement. “I must pause for a moment to make something clear.” His eyes flashed at Elyar and heat had returned to them. Elyar shifted a little scared of Pyke. “This world is not just full of terrans. There are other beings in Alfaheima. There are beings the priests of Kleros would call monsters. Giants, goblins, fae, and many other types of beings. None of them are mosters. But in times of war everyone not like you becomes a monster.” Pyke grew quiet again. Another tear trailed down his cheek.
There was a tremor in his voice when he began again. One kingdom possessed something that some terrans wanted. The two courted kingdom of the fae contained magic and the lords of Korax desired it above all things. At that time terrans could not perform calligromancy. Thus a terrible war began. The Korax army knew that it couldn’t destroy the Summer and Winter Courts of the fae without help. Therefore they attacked the goblin confederacy first. They were a loose collection of tribes united for protection. But they could not fight against the swift onslaught the terran calvary caused. What the terrans lacked in magic, they made up in technological creativity.
Soon the goblens fell and were encorporated into the Korax legions. Next came the centaur kingdom. They put up a strong resistance at first. But eventually even their mighty armies perished. Another piece added to the empire. The third kingdom was ignored because they lived far out in the ocean. The kingdom of the merfolk was hard to get to, and their armies were nearly useless on land. Thus, the legions full of terrans, goblins, and centaurs marched onto the fae courts. But, the fae were ready.
A stalemate met the legions. They could not easily breach the forests and mountains were the fae lived. Calvary was useless and the fae easily ambushed the Koraxian soldiers. But, the terrans would not give up. The terrible war raveged the land for three hundred years. The empire could last longer than the fae courts and slowly victory turned to the empire. Families were massacred. Villages burnt to the ground. All in pursuit of one simple thing: magic.” Pyke went quiet again for a long time. Elyar sat in disbelief. He couldn’t believe the story he was hearing. Pyke told it well, but Elyar was having trouble believing it.
Pyke emerged from his thoughts all of a sudden and said,
“eventually, the empire got what it was looking for. The ability to become magical. No one knows how they managed the feat, but after three hundred years, terrans could perform magic. Not wild magic like the fae, but calligromancy. Now the legions were armed with magical weapons and armor that no one could withstand. With victory in their grasp the fae courts sought peace. Korax had what it wanted and found no reason to keep the war going. A deal was struck where Korax would keep all the lands it had conquered while magical beings could live in peace in a baren wasteland known as the Hinterlands. The Summer and Winter Courts could keep a small ection of their mountains and forests, but the empire would be watching. After centuries of fighting, the empire blamed the fae for the wars. But peace was another lie. This is an empire built on lies, greed, and destruction.” Master Pyke ended his story, and both sat in silence for a while.
“If you story is true, why did the Olacs invade the empire decades ago?” Elyar asked testing Pyke’s story.
“The Olacs don’t exist. The empire does not want it known that the fae courts are real. That is why the empire decided decades ago that it was going to destroy the Summer and Winter Courts completely.” Pyke had placed his cup down and was looking at Elyar expectantly.
Elyar realized he was testing him. Pyke wanted the challanges. “How do you know this? Why should I trust you?”
“Have I ever lied to you before?” Pyke struck back firmly.
“No, but you are expecting me to believe that the history of my peo ple is a complete lie.”
“Yes.”
“Yes! Tha’ts all you have to say!?” Frustration was going in Elyar’s voice, “let me ask you this, if you know so much how can you do magic? You are neither a lord nor a magical being. Answer me that and I might believe you.” Elyar had stood back up becoming more annoyed at Pyke. What kind of idiot did he think Elyar was? Who would believe such a fanciful story?
Pyke did not respond for a long time. Elyar was afraid he would ignore his question. Eventually Pyke looked up at Elyar and whispered,
“what makes you think I am terran?”
Elyar was not expecting that answer. His mouth opened a little and his brows met in a face of bewilderment. “What do you mean? Of course you are terran! You have lived with my family since before I was born.
You helped raise me!”
“Yes I have, but when did I come to your family?”
Elyar had to think for a moment. When had Pyke come to his family? “ I think my father mentioned that he met you after a Hinterland raid when Yonn was young.”
A smile broke Pyke’s sad appearance. The first smile either of them shared that day. “Yes, your father met me when Yonn was very young. To
young to remember anything. But that story is only mostly true.”
Elyar threw his hands in the air. “Of course that story is a lie!”
“hold on lad, let me explain. Your father did meet me on the raid he was leading. He saved me before you were born. When the emperor began invading the Hinterland again, your father led his soldiers against what he thought was a group of warriors. They were families running from the onslaught. Your father let them flee, but one of them had been wounded in a skirmish the day before. He had told his brethren to leave him. When your father found him, he thought his time had come. That his time to meld back into Alvera had come. But your father saved him, brought him home, and made him one with his family.”
“You expect me to believe that you are a fae my father rescued?”
Elyar said quietly. Disbelief in his voice.
“Yes. It was I your father saved. I who your father let live with his children and wife. And I who now owes your family a debt that can ne-
ver be repaid. And yes, I am a summer fae.” “But you look terran,” Elyar stated.
“I do, yes. Fae have the ability to look like terrans when we wish. It is a survival tactic we picked up a long time ago.”
Elyar sat for a moment trying to wrap his head around what he had just learned. The history of the empire was a lie. Magical beings were real. So real, that one was sitting in front of him. He couldn’t believe it.
He still didn’t believe it. “Show me.” “Show you what?” Pyke asked knowingly.
“Show me your real form. If you are a fae and the world I know is a lie you can show me. Until then I do not believe you.” Elyar stood expectantly. He had his hands behind his back and his right foot was slightly taping the ground. Pyke slowly stood up, took a deep breathe, held it for a moment. Nothing happened. Pyke stood there for a moment.
“See I knew you were lying.” Elyar sneered.
Suddenly Elyar noticed Pyke’s skin started to change. It was as if his skin was turning into bark. It looked more fleshy and had hues of greens, pinks, and yellows, kind of like a flower arrangement but deep in the skin. Pyke’s ears elongated and the ends drooped a little. His nose flattened just a little. Small antler horns grew beside his ears as well. Pyke’s eyes turned from their normal color to vibrant sunflower yellow. Elyar noticed that he had taken a step back. Pyke still looked like himself, same height, same smile, but he looked like a forest diety had entered the room and replaced his mentor.
Elyar couldn’t find the words for a long time. They looked at each other until it started getting awkward. Finall Elyar said, “you were telling the truth.”
A soft chuckle emerged from Pyke. It sounded like his normal laugh mixed with a soft creek. “Yes, how about that?” Just as quickly as it had come, Pyke grew back to his normal self and motioned for Elyar to sit. They sat for a while longer with Elyar asking every question that came to his head.
“How old are you? Where were you born? Do you have any cool powers? Is that why you are so fast?” Master Pyke raised his hand before Elyar could get any more out. He could not stop a small smile form over his face.
“I will answer most of your questions in time. There will be a time and place. But it is not now. I wanted you to understand why your comment about vassals bothered me so much. Service can be an honorable life. Leading can be a burden. Never confuse priviledge with power. Never confuse your born status with earned merit. You have to earn the respect of those around you. You have to earn love. Remember that.”
Elyar nodded his head trying to keep track of what he was hearing. His mind was swirling. He couldn’t think straight. It was all too much. “I think I need to go for a walk.”
“A walk could do both of us good.” They both stood and before they exited the magical treehouse Pyke turned toward Elyar, placed his hand on Elyar’s right shoulder, and said, “tomorrow you become a man. I
know you will be a good man like your father. Remember where you
came from and you will always go down the right path.”
Elyar nodded and they both stepped out into the bright day.