The Young Elites // Sanders Sides AU

Chapter 7 - Virgil Amouteru

They descend into the gloom. Logan lifts a rickety lantern from the wall and expertly lights it. The dim orange glow casts flickering shapes into the darkness. The steps before him and Logan's rippling robes are the only things visible.

In front of another blank wall, the stairs eventually come to an end. Logan unlocks that one too. They step into a faintly lit room, the light filtering through the grate in the ceiling. The gentle glow illuminates the dust hanging in the air. A table in one corner is overflowing with maps and parchments, dangling orreries depicting the paths of the moons.

Walking over to the table, Logan pushes some papers aside. "Don't be alarmed," he says.

The statement makes Virgil tense. "Why? What are we doing?"

Instead of replying, Logan opens a drawer and pulls out many different types of stones. Stones isn't the right word, really. They're gems, freshly broken from the earth, raw and unpolished. Something about the setup seems familiar. Then he remembers, how, on the street, operators would take two copper lunes for them to placed a painted stone before a child and tell their personality.

"What is this, some type of game?" Virgil asks warily.

"Not exactly." Logan pushes up his sleeves, and even the simplest motion is something to marvel at. "Before you can begin training as one of us, you must take a series of tests. This is the first."

Virgil gulps and tries to maintain his composure. "So what's this test?"

"Every Elite responds to energy in their own unique way, and every Elite possesses a different strength and weakness. Some people respond best to strength and bravery. Others are wise and logical. Still others are ruled by passion." Logan glances down at the twinkling gems. "Today, we're going to figure out who you are. How your specific energy connects to the world."

"And the gemstones? What are they for?"

"We are all children of the gods and angels." A kind smile touches Logan's face. "It has been claimed that gems are lingering reminders of where the gods' hands once touched the earth. The specific type of energy that flows within you will align with one or more gems. They often work best in their natural form." Logan holds up one gem between two pale fingers. It appears jagged and clear in the dim light. "Diamond, for instance." He sets it down gently and picks up another, this one with a blueish tint. "Veritium. There's prase quartz, moonstone, opal, aquamarine..." He lays out one after another, the gems clinking on the wooden table. When he finishes, there are 12 gemstones on the table, each one glinting a different shade. "...and nightstone. One for each of the gods and angels. Some will call to you more than others."

Virgil scans the line, more confused than wary now. "So why did you tell me to not be alarmed?"

"Because you are about to feel something very strange." Logan beckons to him, and Virgil obediently steps into the center of the room. Then he begins to place the gemstones in a careful circle around Virgil, until he's surrounded by the gleaming rocks. "Try not to fight it. Just relax and let the energy flow through you."

Virgil nods hesitantly.

Once he's finished, Logan straightens. With rising curiosity, Virgil surveys the stones. Logan steps outside of the circle, watches Virgil for only a moment, then crosses his arms smoothly. "Clear your mind. I would like you to relax."

Virgil gulps and tries to do as he says.

The silence remains tense. Virgil thinks of the gentle waves rocking gondolas on calm nights, to clear his thoughts. Beside him, Logan lowers his head imperceptibly.

An odd tingly feeling spreads up the back of his head and down his arms. When he glances down at the gems, he notices that five of them have begun to glow, like a lantern lit from within, in brilliant shades of crimson, white, blue, orange, and black.