Traven sat back with wonder, contemplating how he had created the flame. It made so much more sense now. He was excited to finally somewhat understand what it was that he was doing when he used the ambience. The keeper’s explanation wasn’t exactly how it happened when he created a flame, but he didn’t think there really was any better way to describe the process.
“Why don’t you go ahead and create a small flame,” Eldridge said. “Just a small flame mind you, and think about what I just said while you are doing it.”
Traven agreed to do it and concentrated on a spot just in front of him. He noticed the world grow still as he focused on the specific moment in time. He also noticed the air begin to thicken right before his eyes and began to pick out the individual tiny particles that could be used to build things. As he studied the air, he began to think that he could even tell slight differences between the particles. Some types were larger than others and some types were much more numerous than others.
He then focused on imagining a small flame. He could clearly see it in his mind’s eye, just outside of the physical world. He now knew that he was seeing it in the ethereal realm. He slowly pulled the flame to the barrier between the ethereal world and the physical one and stopped. He watched with fascination as certain types of particles in the air separated and rushed to begin spinning around the exact spot where the flame would be pulled into existence. He carefully slipped the image of the flame through the barrier between realms and into reality. The particles instantly collapsed inward and a small flame leapt to life.
Traven let the flame disappear as the sounds, smells, and feel of the normal world rushed back around him. He turned and found the keeper grinning from ear to ear.
“It’s so amazing,” Eldridge said. “I know I already said this, but it’s so gratifying to finally see the ambience in use after all these years of studying about it.”
Traven couldn’t help breaking into a large grin as well. He felt even more excited than the keeper. He finally had someone to guide him as he practiced wielding the ambience. He would no longer have to be afraid of using his power. As he learned more about it, it would be easier to control.
“How long did it take me to create the flame?” Traven asked curiously.
“It appeared almost instantly after I asked you to create it.”
Traven shook his head in amazement. It was hard to fathom that his mind could move so fast as to notice and think about everything he was doing while creating the flame, all in a single moment. The ambience truly was an amazing thing.
“Now let’s try something else,” Eldridge suggested. “Try to make a drop of water.”
Traven concentrated, the world froze, and the air thickened and swirled. He imagined a small droplet of water and noticed that a different pattern of particles rushed to form the droplet of water as he pulled it into existence. The small droplet hung suspended in midair for a few moments while he stared at it, mesmerized. It then dropped to the table with a tiny splash. Traven shut his eyes, trying to rid himself of the small twinge of a headache that was beginning to appear.
“That sure would have been useful while we were crossing the desert to get here,” he said as he opened his eyes.
“I imagine so,” the keeper replied with a smile. “Of course it would have been a lot harder to make a droplet of water out in the arid desert than it is to make it here in the valley.”
“Why would it be any different?” Traven asked.
“When a wielder forms something using the ambience, it is created physically by the particles swirling around nearby. Out in the arid desert there aren’t many water particles in the air. You would have to pull them from quite a distance to create a meaningful amount of water.” Eldridge paused to let what he was saying sink in. “You can still do it of course. It just takes more skill and more energy. A wise wielder takes into consideration his surroundings when using the ambience. By creating things that have plentiful amounts of the necessary particles nearby, the wielder is able to conserve his strength and energy.”
“Is that why I pass out sometimes?” Traven asked. “Am I using too much of my energy?”
“Correct,” Eldridge replied. “A wielder gets headaches and can even lose consciousness when he wields more of the ambience than his body can handle.”
“I guess I’m not very strong,” Traven muttered. “I almost always end up with a headache.”
“You might not be strong now, but I believe you will grow to be quite strong,” the keeper stated. “All wielders begin weak in the ambience. The more they use it, the stronger they become. It is through continual practice that wielders are eventually able to reach their full potential.”
“So what makes you think I will be so strong in the ambience?”
“The liquid fire you created last night. Many of the less powerful wielders were only able to create something like liquid fire after they had reached their full potential. Seeing that you can already create it, having had so little practice, leads me to believe that your potential is very high. I assume your power will peak as high as some of the greatest wielders did.” Eldridge paused, and Traven could see that he was pondering something. “Of course, if I was a wielder myself I would know more easily.”
“What do you mean by that?” Traven asked.
“When wielders look at other wielders, they can see a glow around them. Depending on how strong the wielder is and will become, the aura will be brighter. It is not exact by any means, but it does show roughly what the potential peak of a wielder is.” Eldridge chuckled. “It’s kind of amusing how it works. A wielder cannot see his own aura even if he looks at himself in a mirror. He can only see the auras of other wielders. Therefore, he can’t compare himself against others. He can only judge between the strengths of other wielders and has to rely on their judgments as to how strong he will be.”
Traven sat in silence for awhile as Eldridge finished. It was a lot of information to take in. It was so different hearing about the ambience from the keeper than it had been hearing about it from Studell and others. Before, it had always just been stories or assumptions. Now it was facts supported by explanations. It made him more eager than ever to practice the ambience and learn more. The hesitation he had felt previously was gone. In its place was excitement and wonder.
“So when can I try more?”
14
Traven spent the next few days learning more of the ambience and practicing wielding it relentlessly. The more he did, the more other possibilities were opened to his mind. He soon fell into a routine that allowed him to learn and advance in the ambience as fast as possible.
He would get up early, exercise, and practice his sword work. He would then practice wielding the ambience, eat breakfast, take a short nap, and practice wielding the ambience again. When lunch time came he would eat ravenously, take another nap, and practice wielding the ambience again until dinner. The only time he rested during the day, other than for his short naps, was during his short sessions with Eldridge when the keeper would explain more of the ambience and offer suggestions about how to do new things.
Traven spent the first week doing simple things over and over again. Eldridge had assured him that this would help him build his strength in the ambience. He continued practicing making fire and water. He also would make wind and occasionally lightning. After a few days, Eldridge explained how to make ice by pulling cold wind around water. Traven had fun making different shapes out of ice. He also mixed water and fire to make bursts of steam.
As the week went on, he practiced making the elements appear near him and far away on the opposite side of the courtyard. He would also create things high overhead. At first, many of the guardians would gather to watch him practice. But they soon grew used to seeing him wield the ambience and returned to their normal routines of practicing with arms and maintaining the keep.
When Traven got bored of the repetition, he would practice moving and manipulating the elements that he had created. At first everything but the ice would disappear almost instantly. However, with more practice and some suggestions from Eldridge, he began to be able to hold his creations together for longer periods of time. The trick had to do with a more precise imagining of the object and a slower and more focused creation of it when pulling it into the physical world.
Eldridge also assigned him to start meditating every day. By doing this, Traven began to hear, see, and more than anything, feel things that he had never consciously noticed before. He began to feel the flow of the particles around him and around other objects at increasingly further distances. By the end of the first week he could sense when anyone entered the courtyard, even if his back was turned to them.
The new awareness of the world around him was exciting and invigorating. He had never felt so alive. He even began to feel what kinds of particles were in the air around him and instinctively knew what would be easiest to create under the given conditions. The week flew by with Traven lost in his new awareness and power.
At the beginning of his second week in the keep, he suddenly realized that he hadn’t talked to Studell or anyone else in the keep besides Eldridge for over a week. All he had done for the last week was think of, wield, and dream of the ambience. Each day seemed like years as he learned and grew in the ambience. It had all passed by in a blur, yet looking back, it was hard to even remember all that had occurred when they had first arrived at the keep merely a week before.
He finally managed to pull himself out of the new world that he had been lost in. He decided that he needed to take a small break from his training in the ambience. After practicing his sword forms in the morning, he went looking for Studell. He thought it would be nice to have a chat with him before breakfast. He also wanted to see how the philosopher was doing and what he had been up to all week.
He stopped by Studell’s room but found it empty. It was still so early that Traven was surprised to find the philosopher already up. Then an idea struck him, and he headed to the library. Sure enough, he found Studell soundly asleep in an armchair surrounded by a scattering of books. He could tell by the philosopher’s disheveled appearance that he hadn’t made it to his bedroom the night before. It appeared that Traven was not the only one who had gotten lost in this new world of magic and knowledge.
He walked over to Studell and gently shook him awake. The philosopher slowly opened his eyes and looked around in confusion.
“Where am I?” he asked sleepily.
“In the library,” Traven said with a smile.
“Why am I in here? I should be . . .” Studell frowned as he looked around. He then suddenly smiled as his eyes fell upon a certain book. He picked it up and handed it to Traven. “This is the most fascinating book that I have ever laid eyes on!”
“What’s it about?” Traven asked, indulging the philosopher.
“Take a look at it,” he said eagerly. Traven glanced at it and then handed it back.
“You know I can’t read the ancient script.”
“Oh yes. Quite right. Sorry.” Studell stared at the book in his hands. “This book is the history of Faldor’s Keep!”
“Eldridge already told us the history,” Traven responded.
“Yes, but he left out so many details. This book contains everything that happened. It mentions the greatest accomplishments of the wielders who had gathered here. Last night I was reading about all of the specific might stones that were created. It was just so interesting that I couldn’t put the book down.”
“Tell me about them,” Traven said. He was very interested in knowing about the stones, especially the ones he had in his possession.
“Well, as you already know, there were ten might stones created. Each stone had some connection to the wielder who created it and imbued it with power. The first stone created was the ‘protection stone’. The wielder who gave his life for it had spent his life focusing on ways to use the ambience in defense of others. Of course, that is the stone that you had and destroyed in the cave. The other stones that are currently accounted for are the loyalty stone, the invisibility stone, the longevity stone, the energy stone, and the healing stone.
“The loyalty stone is in the hilt of your sword. The invisibility stone and the longevity stone are still firmly in place in Faldor’s monument. The energy stone and the healing stone are the two that we found in Faldor’s chest. The other four stones could be anywhere. They are the endurance stone, the deceit stone, and the two seeker stones. I suppose the endurance stone could still be in the possession of the elves, but who knows where the others are.”
“I’ve seen one of the others,” Traven stated. “It was black and turned red when in the presence of the ambience. The assassin that kidnapped the princess and me had it.”
“One of the seeker stones!” Studell proclaimed. “I guess if the elves really do still have the endurance stone, then there are only two might stones that are unaccounted for. I find that fascinating. After all these years most of the stones are still accounted for.”
“I wonder where the other two stones are.”
“Who knows?” Studell replied. “I bet Faldor’s apprentice sold some of them for money. Valuable objects like the might stones have a way of switching hands many times over the years and traveling to all parts of the world.”
Traven wondered once again how one of the might stones had wound up in the possession of his father. Had it been inherited? It seemed like his father would have never had enough money to buy such a precious stone. Perhaps it had been passed down from father to son over the years until it ended up with him. He wondered how long the protection stone had been in his family. Was he the descendent of someone wealthy who had bought the stone, or worse, was he the descendent of Faldor’s treacherous apprentice?