Except for the affinity training. What little he had received in the military had come near the end of his training, and it had been little more than basic lessons on controlling the ability.
Here, the training was deep and varied. He observed exercises far beyond the simple practices the military employed. Though he hadn’t yet tested, the abbot, Kyla, had allowed him to participate. He suspected the permission was a kindness on her part.
After a few days had passed, he was summoned for his test. Most of the other monks had been kind and welcoming, inviting him to join them during meals and for training, but none of them spoke about the test. He understood whatever was to come was for him to discover alone.
He liked the monks that he met. Much of the day was spent in relative silence. Brandt had never been around a group of individuals so focused on their own development. Only in the evening did they gather around fires to share their learnings from the day. Every monk was unique, but they all ran toward the same goal.
He’d been willing to test right away, but Kyla had insisted he rest for a few days. She claimed she wanted him to be at his best when he tested, but he suspected a different motive. Though no one said anything aloud, he could feel the eyes on him throughout the day.
Brandt suspected they were searching for lingering effects of compulsion.
He didn’t feel any, though. As near as he could tell, he was wholly himself, and grateful for that. When he thought about what had been done to him, he imagined the pleasure he would enjoy when he found the one who had done it. It was one thing to fight and die, but to strip the will from another warrior was beyond excuse.
On his fourth day at the monastery, Kyla summoned him.
“How are you finding life at the monastery?”
“Comfortable. Thank you for all you have done.”
She waved away his gratitude. “Your presence serves us, too. I would like to test you today. Are you ready?”
“I am.” Brandt had watched many of the other monks closely while he’d been here. They had affinities more finely developed than his own, but he didn’t think he’d seen anything beyond his capability. He felt confident enough.
“Very well. You may use the flame from the torch behind you. Please create a small ball of flame and run it around the room, twice in one direction and once in another.”
Brandt didn’t even need to close his eyes. He heard the torch and pulled a small amount of fire from it. He kept the ball small. The energy was easier to manipulate, and she hadn’t specified a particular size. He completed her task with ease.
“Now add another ball and juggle them between us.”
Brandt did.
“And a third, the same.”
Brandt pulled more fire from the torch, almost enough to cause it to flicker out. He took a deep breath to center himself. The task by itself wasn’t hard, but he’d been supporting the flames for a bit now, and he couldn’t relax his focus at all.
“Can you do a fourth?”
Brandt wasn’t sure, but it was a test, so he tried. He managed to pull the flame away from the torch, extinguishing it completely. He could only hold all four for a few heartbeats before he knew he was about to lose focus. He let the flames burn out before he caused an accident.
Kyla’s face remained expressionless. Brandt couldn’t tell if she was impressed or not. But she passed over some tea. “Drink and take a few moments. When you are ready for the next task, please let me know.”
The warm liquid tasted like sunshine to Brandt. After he finished the cup, he told Kyla he was ready to continue.
“Put as much heat as you can into a ball of fire no larger than your fist. You may pull whatever heat you wish that doesn’t endanger your life or mine.” The abbot gestured toward a candle on her desk.
That was an interesting task. Brandt had just seen focused fire done for the first time the day before. He was grateful he’d had the opportunity to try it once before the test. He pulled the flame from the candle and fed the fire with heat from his own body and from the surrounding air. His natural inclination was to allow the heat to expand, but he forced it tighter, trying to keep it to the size Kyla had wished.
The challenge was greater than juggling fireballs, and he could only hold his final product for a heartbeat before letting it dissolve, the heat spreading back through the chilly room.
Kyla nodded, the first indication that she was satisfied with his performance. “You’re gifted, and are naturally stronger than many I’ve met. I have only one final test.”
Kyla put her hand to her desk and Brandt heard the shifting of heavy stones within. From the outside, the desk appeared rather unimpressive. But from the sound of it, the interior was quite the opposite. From the desk she removed a stone.
Brandt was no expert in rocks, but it appeared to be an uncut diamond.
“This is the final part of the test. I would like you to hold this diamond.”
Even though obedience had been a part of his life for as long as he could remember, it slipped at the moment. “Why?”
“This stone has unique properties. I cannot say more at the moment. I will promise you, though, that it will do you no harm.”
Brandt hesitated. Something about the stone worried him. But he’d never backed down from a challenge. He reached out and took the stone from her hand.
He’d been expecting something more dramatic, but he felt nothing. It was just a stone.
“Push some heat into it, but just
