The Sphere (The Magi Series #2) (16 page)

Mr. Button led them down the purple-carpeted stairs and into
the massive training arena.  As they entered, the murmuring of their astonished
voices echoed across the oval walls.  Elijah looked at all the preliminary
students as they craned their necks to see the ends of the arena.  He
remembered this same feeling when he first stepped into the impressive room
with what seemed like hundreds of machines and training devices used to sculpt
even the scrawniest bodies into physical specimens.

Mr. Button again tried to get their attention by talking
over the students.  He stood up on one of the platforms used for physical
training.

“I will try to keep this as short as possible,” he said to
the crowd of standing students.  “First of all, I welcome you to the Savenridge
Training Barracks.  I know many of you know a lot about training, especially if
you’ve had a brother or sister come through here, but I would like to take a
few minutes to talk about the rules and procedures here.  Then, I’ll take time
for some questions, and then we’ll take a brief tour.”

Elijah looked around at the new students.  He was a good
head taller than most of them, and much more developed.  He was tempted to
throw out his chest and stand proud of his physique, but as he started to, he
spotted Thomas just two people to the left of him.  Elijah slyly shimmied over
to the right.

“Very well,” Mr. Button continued.  “As a preliminary
student, you will spend this first year learning just the foundation and the
basics of the training program.  Then, once you’ve graduated, you will move on
into your novice years, which for most students takes three years to complete. 
At the end of each year, we will meet with your teachers to decide whether or
not you are ready to advance into the next year.

“For this first term, none of you will work on elemental training.” 
Elijah thought Button should have saved that announcement until the end.  The
students quickly erupted into disappointed sighs and whining.  “Students,
please!” Mr. Button urged.  When they finally quieted down, he continued. 
“During the first term, you will focus only on physical and mental training.  On
top of those classes, you will work two days a week in the classroom learning
the essential and timeless subjects like literature, geometry, and logic.

“While the focus your first term should be solely on
developing your mind and your body,” Mr. Button explained, “I understand that
most of you are curious about your elemental training.  Therefore, I will
explain in generalities what you can expect the five years or so that you are
here.

“For this first year, most of you will just be taking in
information.  Do not—I repeat—do not expect to be able to manipulate the
elements this year.  Your job will just be to learn about them.  Take this job
very seriously.  Too often, we see preliminary students frustrated and
impatient because they want to move the elements as soon as possible, which
actually delays the ability, to be honest.  Just focus on the tasks your mentors
give you.  Very few students are able to move the elements their first year.”

Elijah tried not to look too pompous.  Last year, he was the
only student he knew of who could manipulate the elements.  In fact, he learned
how to move three out of the four and with impressive control for a young age. 
He still hadn’t told his friends that he could move them, but he figured by
this point, since they had had the summer to practice, they were probably able
to do something with the elements.

“However,” Mr. Button went on, “if you are able to move
them, remember that you are forbidden, during your preliminary year, to
practice with the elements unless you are in the presence of your mentor.

“By your second year, you should be able to begin accessing
one or two of the elements.  Some students take longer than others, so remember
to be patient. It will eventually become more and more natural.

“For the most part,” he continued, “the rest of the training
is up to you and your mentor.  However, you will begin using the elements in
defensive warfare your second year, so you should be working very hard to understand
what your mentors teach you, and by the end of your second novice year—your third
year here—you will be required to pick an element as your specialty. 
Therefore, your final two years will be spent exclusively studying that
element.  I only tell you this so you can keep that in the back of your mind.”

That was the first time Elijah had heard he needed to pick
an element.  He wondered what Olivia would say about that since she encouraged
him to work with all four.  So far, he had developed a talent for manipulating
water, but he was also decent with fire and earth.  It would be a couple of years
before he needed to choose, but Elijah suddenly felt anxious about it.

Mr. Button began to rattle off the general rules of the
barracks like curfew times and proper behavior in the halls, and then he led
the students around the perimeter of the training arena, a room with which
Elijah became very familiar during his one and only term at the barracks.  He
pointed out the different classrooms around the perimeter and identified each
of them.  He showed them his quarters and the teachers’ offices.

Finally, Mr. Button took the group downstairs into the
gargantuan library.  Even now, Elijah couldn’t help being impressed by the
towering walls filled with books.  But his reaction was subtle compared to the
amazed students seeing it for the first time.  Mr. Button walked them through
the process of checking out books and the studying areas next to the four fireplaces
on each of the four walls.

The students were then given the final minutes to explore
the library since it was too large for Mr. Button to guide them through each
nook and cranny.  Elijah sat down on one of the comfy chairs by the nearest
fireplace and spotted Thomas.  Elijah knew it was a bad idea, but his curiosity
got the best of him, so he decided to stalk his odd roommate just to get a
better sense of him.

At first, Thomas only piddled around one of the shelves in
the middle of the library.  Elijah watched from a safe distance.  Then, he did
something very peculiar.  He looked behind him suspiciously (Elijah pretended
to be engrossed in a book), and then went to the far wall where nobody was. 
Thomas peered over each of the books as if he was looking for something behind
them.  He would pull some of the books out, stare at the wall some more,
sometimes even feeling the wall behind the books, and then put the books back. 
Elijah couldn’t figure it out, and it made his reservations about Thomas—him
being from Malpetra aside—even more serious.

When the five minutes were up, Mr. Button showed the
students the doors to the far end of the library, not far from where Elijah
spotted Thomas.  He told them exactly what Hannah told Elijah last year when he
asked about those doors.  Only students in their second novice year could go
down there.  Having Mr. Button remind Elijah that there was a forbidden area in
the barracks didn’t help his curiosity at all.

The rest of the evening, the preliminary students were given
free time.  Most spent it getting acquainted with one another.  Even though the
fire pit was still unlit, that still seemed to be the spot everyone decided to
visit.  There were lots of board games and indoor sporting games rented from the
game room, and some of the more timid students headed to the cafeteria so their
hunger could be an excuse for the lack of friends around them.

Elijah decided to go up to the halls to read a book.  Some
of the preliminary students had the same idea.  On his way to the Novice Hall,
Elijah passed a few students already dressed in their pajamas, going to their
rooms for the night.  He unlocked the walkway door and let it close loudly
behind him.  Then, he took a seat in the very middle of the large hall.  He
pulled out his book from his pack and noticed that the note from his father’s
pocket watch had worked its way to the top of the bag.  Elijah picked it up and
read it.  He wished he had some clue to its purpose.  That way, he could stop
agonizing over it.

Where the nameless reside

If he could only figure out this first line, maybe he could
get somewhere.  But it didn’t make any sense.  Who were the nameless?  Everyone
he knew had names.  He tried to think of places people lived without names, but
he was pretty sure there was no such place.  Wasn’t the point of naming
something to give it identity?

Frustrated, Elijah decided to go to sleep.  He found a couch
at the back of the walkway and laid down.  The cushions caved ever so slightly
as he sank into the couch.  He threw his gear over himself to keep warm and was
asleep in five minutes.

He could have gone back to his room, but the thought of
being unconscious with only Thomas in the room freaked him out.  It was a good
thing Elijah fell asleep before he realized Thomas would have to come through
the walkway anyway to get into the room.

Chapter
8:

THE VERY MYSTERIOUS BARRACKS

The following morning, Elijah woke up to the sound of
footsteps.  He jolted up, fearing it was Thomas on his way to brutally attack
him.  He exhaled when he saw it was only Mr. Button, looking as rushed and
frazzled as usual.

“Up and at ‘em,” he said.  “We’ve got a busy day!  We’re
meeting in the arena in ten minutes.”

Mr. Button rushed past Elijah and then stopped dead.  “Hey! 
What are you doing out here?”

“Uh…it got cold in the room,” Elijah replied.

“Hm,” Mr. Button said thoughtfully.  “I’ll have a word with
the grounds crew.”  He hurried off, counting intently on his fingers.

Breakfast was a feast of scrambled eggs, dinner plate-sized
pancakes, sausage links, hash browns mixed with onions and peppers, bacon
strips, and more pastry choices than Elijah could imagine possible.  It was a
welcome change.  Elijah always enjoyed the food in the dining area and usually
helped himself to doubles, but today there seemed to be a little more put into
the food quality and overall dining experience.  He wondered if it had anything
to do with orientation.  Although not every preliminary student had their
parents with them during orientation, they were welcome, and more than a few
parents chose to explore the barracks to help make the transition easier for
their children.

The presence of adults also looked much more deliberate than
during the rest of the year.  Clusters of teachers roamed the barracks,
prepared to answer any question a parent might have.  Soldiers, although
present during the year, were scattered more liberally than Elijah remembered. 
In the dining area, there was no waiting in line like usual.  A waiter or chef
was stationed at every corner, ready to serve the new students and, of course,
their parents.  Elijah chuckled to himself.  If it took all this to convince
the parents that the barracks were adequate to house their children, what was
their living arrangement at home like?

After scarfing down a small pile of eggs and five and a half
links of sausage, Elijah sprinted downstairs to the training arena.

Mr. Button began the second day of orientation by informing
the students that they were going to be doing a few icebreaker activities to get
more acquainted before the year began.  Elijah always hated the awkward
atmosphere during icebreakers.  It always took him a while to feel comfortable
in a new setting and these activities always felt forced and fake.

The students were divided into groups of six and told to
spread around the oval arena.  Elijah sighed and followed his group to the far
end, right next to an obstacle course he remembered practically passing out on
last year.  The rest of his group gazed upon it with wonder and naivety. 
Elijah wished he could tell them how much they would hate it in a couple of
weeks, but thought it would be best if they found out themselves.

The group had specific instructions to introduce themselves,
tell each other where they lived, describe their favorite food, which was a
question Elijah always hated since he had many favorites, and finally they had
to say one thing they heard about the Savenridge Barracks and training or a
question they had.  Elijah was thankful he didn’t have to start as a boy with
brown, curly hair and a crooked smile took the lead.

“Well, I guess I’ll start,” he said with a cheerfulness
Elijah was not feeling.  “Howdy, everyone, I’m Tobias Bradshaw.  You can call
me Toby.  Or Tobias.  Or Curly.  Or Meathead for all I care.”  The rest of the
group laughed nervously, a release from the anxiety they felt awaiting their
turns to speak.  Elijah laughed too.  “Let’s see,” Toby continued.  “I’m
supposed to talk about where I live next right?  Well, I’m kind of out there a
ways, close to the Northern Gates, I suppose.”

“You mean by the Western Forest?” another boy with dark skin
and eyeglasses interrupted.

“Sure,” said Toby shrugging his shoulders.  They all chuckled
again, but not as heartily as the first time.  “Anyway, my favorite food has to
be potato soup with ham hock and extra cheese on top.”  The rest of the group
nodded and approved, a couple starting a quick side conversation most likely
about their extensive experience with extra-cheesed potato soup.  “And let’s
see, one thing I’ve heard about here.  I honestly haven’t heard anything.  I
have no brothers or sisters that went here, so that makes me the first.  And my
parents didn’t go here.”

“Why not?” asked a sandy-haired girl with a sneer.  Her question
had a hint of judgment to it, as if she thought less of Toby for not having a
connection to the barracks already.  The others in the group picked up on her
tone, and the atmosphere quickly turned uncomfortable.

In a voice as carefree as a robin in the morning, Toby said,
“Because I don’t have parents, but if I did, I’d sure hope they’d raise me to
be as cheerful and polite as you.”