TBC: Chapter Seven
The new master warriors looked at each other in confusion.
"One that uses magic?" asked Hoshi. "What do you mean? Another wizard? I thought Malik was the only one of his kind alive."
"As did we all," replied Syam.
"It would provide answers to many questions Malik has had about magical energy lingering in the Ice Mountains," stated Faelán.
"And possible reasons as to why we have failed to detect the presence of Mordán's ships at certain times," Syam added.
"So, you believe that whoever it is, is working with Mordán?" Tarak asked from the back of the group.
Syam nodded. "It may very well be the reason for his boost of confidence in provoking the Order with his attack on Solara. She must be very powerful if she has remained hidden from Malik all these years. She does not wish to be discovered by him fully yet or she would have attacked us outright. We will know more when Malik and Elder Master Zareb return."
As Syam finished his last statement, Jabari and the other masters emerged from the trees into the clearing.
Jabari shook his head. "There is no trace of her. Sir Malik continued further into the forest, but she is moving very fast so I am skeptical of what he may discover."
"We will conclude tonight's ceremony then and meet tomorrow to discuss this further," Syam replied.
The elder masters gathered closer to the others, and the warriors lowered their hoods.
Zareb stared at Gyan's gladaé. "There have been many unusual activities tonight, certainly making this master initiation one of the most memorable."
Gyan resisted the urge to hide his gladaé behind his back. He looked down at his sword and back up to Jalena's eyes, which matched the streak of violet that shone from the middle of his blade.
"Master Tarak, you received both the markings of a san warrior and of a master in one ceremony," Syam stated, "marking the significance of both stages of training."
Tarak nodded and smiled politely as he lifted the sleeve of his robe. The tribal circular markings winding down his left arm now matched that of his teammates.
"As I have mentioned before, the appearance of your weapon will be different and unique from other warriors, even those on your team," Faelán said as he gestured to Gyan's sword. "Unless I am mistaken, Master Gyan, this is the first time we have witnessed such a transformation in a gladaé."
Gyan raised his eyebrows. "Do you know what it means?"
"Each weapon has its own purpose," Syam said. "Why your sword is different than what we have seen before supports our theory that the power of light continually evolves in all things, even with respect to the weapons we use."
"It also means that the purpose for the difference will not be revealed until it is meant to be," Nyhra added. Her smooth voice helped reduce Gyan's uneasiness as she turned her piercing eyes to his face.
"If you will look closely at the blade of your gladaés, you will see an inscription in Faborn runes," said Faelán.
The warrior peered closely at their weapons. Two symbols were inscribed in the middle of the blade near the hilt.
"Every weapon of the Order that is anointed with moonfire possesses the same inscription," explained Zareb.
"One light," Danika read aloud.
Syam nodded. "This means that the bond and principles of the warriors are inscribed in your sword." He smiled. "You may now sheath your gladaés."
The new masters slid their weapons into the sheath strapped to their back beneath their robes.
"The gladaé that each of you possess is an extension of your will and soul," continued Syam. "It carries a part of a warrior's light energy that will remain in the sword for an extended length of time, even after we transition into nonphysical. This embedded energy will serve your desire and will unite you as a team when it is needed." He gestured to the new masters' blue robes. "The embroidery that has appeared on your master cloak is another unique transformation that your light team experiences. As you may notice, the master warriors that have transformed before your time all have different patterns on their cloaks."
Gyan and the other warriors looked closely at the cloaks of the five masters before them. Where Gyan's team had a geometric pattern now weaved into their cloaks, the patterns of the other masters differed. Jalena's and Shamira's cloaks had fluid curvaceous markings that reminded Gyan of the ocean waves. Cahira's, Jabari's, and Asia's cloaks carried black square tribal markings that formed a circular pattern on the back of the cloak. A trail of black squares followed their hems.
Syam held out his sleeve to reveal a pattern of vines and leaves along the hem of his cloak, then turned to reveal the image of a large tree in the center on the back. "The embroidery that you receive during your master ceremony remains on your cloak even if you decide to petition for elder master later," Syam said. "The pattern on your cloak may not make sense to us until a later time, but it is a symbolic representation of your purpose as a team. We will study the symbols of your cloaks more closely at a different time. For now, you may return to the domusé. Arrive at the temple chinálei at the regular time tomorrow morning."
The masters bowed in dismissal and set out along the main forest trail back to Yevani. The new masters followed in silence. As the group neared the neighboring fields not too far from the temple, Gyan saw his father, Eamonn, walking ahead.
"Dán!" Gyan called out. He waved a quick goodbye to the others and ran ahead. "I haven't seen you since I returned," he stated as he caught up.
"Fane has been keeping us buried beneath grime for as long as we will allow him to." Eamonn smiled and embraced his son. "Work has been hectic since the destruction of the Celestine Temple, so Fane recruited as many as he could that had experience in maintenance or advanced technology."
Gyan smiled and nodded. "Nán told me."
"You nán is not too happy with my late nights. She'll go easier on me tonight if she knows I walked you back to the domusé."
"She said she worries," Gyan replied as the two set off toward the warriors' lodgings. "How did you get her to agree to you working for the Order more?"
"I explained that I wouldn't directly experience any combat and that it was only temporary," He replied as the two entered the garden at the back of the domusé.
Eamonn touched the side of Gyan's neck, where his Lumsigne marking now rested permanently. "The sign of the illuminated. I am very proud, Gyan."
"Thanks, dán. Tell Mili that she has to bow when I come around now."
Eamonn smiled. "Good luck with that." He looked up at the large house before them. "I thought you didn't have to remain at the domusé any longer after becoming masters. It's generally used as a place for sans to stay when they travel to Yevani from Solara now."
Gyan stared at the old house. "We don't have to stay. We can live where we want to now, but we all agreed to stay here together as a team since our time during san training was shortened."
"Well, it will be a while before more sans are around."
"I heard that there has been only one child that has gone through the initial warrior transformation since our group."
"Yes, Master Danika's younger sister. Just a couple of days ago, in fact," Eamonn said. "The process is unpredictable. Sometimes the warriors experience changes at the same time and at other times one will transform a year or more before the others."
"It's like the elder masters said tonight," Gyan responded. "We don't always understand the purpose of things until later."
"That's why, as I have always taught you, that you listen to your heart before all else." Eamonn put a large hand on Gyan's shoulder. "I expect you to still honor this teaching regardless of what the Order demands of you."
"Sir Malik would agree with you," replied Gyan. "He told us the same thing after blindly following his orders without question in Solara. It was one of his tests."
"A wise instructor then."
Gyan laid a hand on his father's forearm. "He's not the only one…I'll remember, dán."
Eamonn smiled. "Then you will always know what to do."
***