Hunters of Sian - Book 2. The Užaren Canyon

Committed to Memory

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Chapter Thirteen

Committed to Memory

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'What is this?' Arlen barked as they stood outside in the cobblestone courtyard the next day.

'Your sigils exam,' Arabella said in a bored voice. This was certainly much different from their sigils exam of the previous year. Last year they had gone up to the tower with their chalk and had each been tested on their base sigils. This year the demons had set up a sort of obstacle course.

'You will each have your own "camp" to set up as such. Traditionally, most of this would be without magic but for this test, you will use all the sigils you have been told to practice. The area you have been assigned to will determine the sort of camp you will need to build. Now line up.' The students did as they were told. Nell felt the first tingle of adrenaline. He could do this. It felt like forever until it was his turn. The only advantage to waiting so long was that after a student was finished, they could leave, cutting down on the amount of eyes staring at those yet to have a go.

Sumaya did very well. She moved with a calm quickness that Nell envied. The camp setup for herself as well as Arlen, Maeve and Denzel seemed to be a swamp or seaside. The ground, kindling, and logs were all sopping wet. She had to evaporate the water, set up the campfire and light it with magic and lay glowing markers at the edge of the little campsite.

'Very clean. Next.'

Sumaya gave Nell a small, encouraging smile as she left that he struggled to return. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous. He was usually alright at magic. Jeremy went next. Despite a few fumbles, he did well. He had to freeze the water instead of evaporating it. For an extra flourish, he collected some of the water in a bucket and used the purification sigil he had learnt the previous year. He did struggle a bit to get the fire to light but managed it on his third attempt. Afterwards, he returned to Nell's side.

'Mind if I stay and watch?' Jeremy asked, sweaty, but quite pleased with himself.

'Sure.' Nell waited and waited until there were only four of them left - himself, Arlen, Denzel, and Jeremy. Nell took a deep breath and stepped forward. His campsite had been set up differently again. The ground was covered in sticks and leaf-litter. He now knew that the canyon was filled with many kinds of poisonous scorpions, insects, snakes and even a few venomous rodents. He was expected to clear away the debris before setting up. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the hot wind. He scrawled the wind sigil neatly on the dusty ground. A ground breeze suddenly filled the space. He had to control it carefully, guiding it to stay low to the ground. In minutes, the area was cleared.

Lighting the fire was easy, as was laying out the light stones that would illuminate the area after sundown. Finally, he had to charge up the guard stones. They had already been laid out by Arabella before he began. He went up to each. He was shaking and sweating by the second stone. Powering up the guard sigils felt a little like losing a lot of blood. The magic swept sickeningly from his body, almost dragged out by something mad and hungry. Nell panted, trying to hold his concentration. He made it through the third and over to the last stone.

He stared at it, his body shaking with fatigue. It was the same stone he recognized from his youth. He swept the sweaty hair from his face. This was the last stone. He just had to power this one up and he would be done. He took several gulps of dry unsatisfying air and crouched down over it. The sigil looked so unfriendly to him, like it was screaming at him from within the stone. He held out a trembling hand and called on what little reserves of magic he still had. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to concentrate. Even behind his eyelids, the sigil burned. He opened his eyes.