Novel November Day 5 Excerpt

Gryr was lined up next to six other trainees.  Ryk was to his right and the man that was being tested was on the other side of his shaman friend.  To Gryr’s left were the last two shamans, their new tattoos still red and irritated.  He wasn’t able to get anyone’s name in the busy afternoon he was thrown into, but he was certain he wanted to get the name of the beautiful girl next to him.

“The runes have never been discovered, there magic only gifted to us!”  The trainee shouted.

“Correct.”  The tester sneered.  He moved to Ryk.  “Which birth moon grants the weakest connection to the runes?”

“Black moon.”  Ryk didn’t have to think.

“Correct.  Careful of your confidence.”  The tall man stepped in front of Gryr, his eyes glowed with intensity.

“Which birth moon grants the strongest connection to the runes?”  He hissed.

“Blue?”  Gryr shouldn’t have asked.

A ball of wind blasted Gryr’s ribs, driving him to the sand covered floor.  “Incorrect.  The blind moon, now stand.”  The man’s eyes flickered purple once more, but nothing came.  “You must answer correct for me to move.”  The shaman spoke to everyone, but Gryr was certain it was only at him.  “How many runes can a person be blessed with?”

“One.”  Gryr didn’t ask, but he didn’t know the answer.

A second ball of air thrusted into his suck, a weez leaping from his lungs.  His knees crushed the sand beneath him, defeated.  The other trainees dared not to move.

“Do not fall!  To fall is to fail.”  The man’s eyes flickered as a gust of wind lifted Gryr to his feet.  “Bryt of The First wielded all the runes at once, since him, no one has ever had more than two.”  He stared at Gryr’s tear filled eyes.  “What are the four birth moons, in order from weakest.”  An angry ball of air swirled in the Shaman’s hand as he waited for the answer.

“Black…Blue…Red, and the blind moon.”

“Incorrect…”

The orb of air rocketed toward Gryr’s sternum.  It impacted with a vicious force, but Gryr stood.  His knees buckled as the two free tears wet the sand he stood on.

“Black, Red, Blue and the blind moon.”  The man didn’t smile as he gave Gryr the correct answer, he didn’t take pleasure in hurting the trainees; no proper trainer would.  “What caused the First King’s War?”

Gryr knew this!  Master Taybus made sure Gryr knew why there was such a hatred between Nilfjard and Autria.  “The self proclaimed true king of Autria demanded absolute rule over the Jarl’s of Nilfjard.”

The shaman’s eyes didn’t flicker, there was no pain.  “Correct.”  He moved onto the woman next to Gryr.  “What abilities are granted by the death rune?”