The Buried Symbol (The Ruins of Issalia Book 1) Read online

Brock groaned. It wasn’t that he hated doing push-ups. He was quite good at them. Most of the others would be unable to keep up. They were going to hate him.

  Having no choice, Brock crouched down and stretched out until he was on his hands and toes. He lowered himself to the ground and pushed up.

  “One”

  He did it again and again, many more times.

  CHAPTER 44

  Brock soon realized that he was in better shape than most of his classmates. If he felt sore and tired, then the others were really hurting. Two of the students were worked so far beyond their capacity that they vomited, and a third fainted.

  However, if the workout were torturous, the hot baths afterward were glorious. He still didn’t know how they heated them, but he appreciated it. When the bell rang, he reluctantly climbed from the pool and toweled dry. Minutes later, he was dressed and off to lunch.

  He went directly to the kitchens to deliver a tray to a senior student. After making a second trip for another student, he claimed a tray for himself.

  Brock, Benny, and Cam sat together. They were ravenous, consuming their meals without pause. With plates empty, the three sat back and discussed their morning classes until the bell rang.

  Searching for his next class, Brock headed to the Ecclesiastics’ Wing. Much like the other classrooms he had seen, an aisle down the center split the rows of tables crossing the room. Brock picked an open chair in the front row. He watched other students filter in, but he didn’t recognize anyone. A door at the front of the room opened, drawing his attention.

  Master Varius entered, followed by another familiar face. He waved to get Ashland’s attention, a hopeful smile on his face. She saw him and gave a small smile as she took position along the wall behind Varius. The bell rang, and the students quieted.

  Master Varius stepped forward, her hands clasped at her waist. “Good afternoon. I’m sure you’re wondering What is an Ecclesiast? You are thinking What are we going to learn? What are we going to study?”

  Nodding heads and murmurs confirmed her suspicions.

  “An ecclesiast is a human conduit to the core life force of the universe: Order. Using the power of Order, an ecclesiast can perform amazing feats.”

  “You’ve all been marked by Issal and have been chosen to help guide the citizens of the Empire.” Varius spread her arms wide in a welcoming gesture. “However, some of you have been chosen for something even more important. Some of you have the inherent ability to channel Order. You have an untapped potential to use this power to divine, to heal, or perhaps to perform other skills even less common.”

  Hearing her mention channeling a hidden power, Brock thought of what had happened with Hank and with the boulder in the cave. Was that what I did without knowing?

  “The focus of this class is to discover any abilities you have with Order and to cultivate those abilities to the greatest extent possible. You are to make every effort and are not to give up, no matter how futile it seems. Sometimes it takes months for a breakthrough. You see, of all the arts within the Ministry, ecclesiasts are the most precious and are unfortunately the most rare. The ability to heal using Order is worth more than any amount of gold. It’s priceless.”

  “My assistant, Ashland,” Varius gestured toward the girl, “and I are going to guide you in this effort. In fact, we will start today with some simple meditation exercises. This will be the first of many similar sessions over the coming weeks. The goal is to teach you to connect to your own sense of Order.”

  Varius approached the front of the room, pointing at a tapestry displaying the rune of Issal. She tapped on the tapestry as she addressed the class.

  “You know what this is, or you think you do. It is not just the mark of Issal, but this symbol represents Order. Order is in every tree, every animal, and every one of us. It is the life force tied to all living things.” She tapped on the rune again. “This symbol represents the embodiment of Order.”

  “For today’s lesson, you will need to listen and do as I say.”

  “I need you to clear your mind. Ignore the noise and concerns of your day. Relax and think of nothing but this symbol. Focus on it. Feel connected to it.”

  She paused, allowing the class to stare at the symbol. With a softer voice, she continued. “Breathe slowly. Relax. With this symbol in your mind, close your eyes. Now feel the calm of the symbol. Feel the cool peacefulness deep within yourself.”

  With his eyes closed, Brock could feel a calm peacefulness. The rune of Issal, the symbol of Order, was still held firm in his mind’s eye. The rune glowed with a cool, pale-blue light.

  Her soft voice spoke from somewhere distant. “Feel the calmness of Order. It’s like a comforting blanket wrapped around your soul.”

  Brock began to feel connected to everything around him. The rune’s pale blue light sang to him. It was glorious.

  However, he felt that something was off, something behind him and to his right. He felt it pulsing, an ugly red glow in the calm blue of his mind’s eye.

  He opened his eyes, turning in the direction of the wrongness. A male student sat with eyes closed, clutching his arm to his chest.

  “Why are your eyes open, young man?”

  Brock turned to see Varius standing over him. He glanced back at the male student who still had his eyes closed.

  “Well…um…I don’t know exactly,” Brock responded.

  Varius focused her eyes on the other student. A grimace crossed her face, and her eyes narrowed. She looped around Brock’s table, passing behind him to stand before the other boy. She placed her hand on his head and his eyes opened in surprise. Varius closed her eyes. They were both still for a moment until his body shivered, and he began gasping for air. He stared down at his arm, his eyes open wide.

  “What…what did you do to me?” he asked.

  Varius removed her hand and stepped back. “I just healed your broken arm. You’re welcome.” She pulled an apple from her pocket and handed it to him. “Here, eat this. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

  The boy thanked her, biting into the apple as she returned to the front of the room. Varius stopped and stared at Brock with an inquisitive look on her face. After a moment, she shook her head and addressed the class.

  “Work on repeating this meditation technique at least once a day. You will learn to quickly find peace and calm at your center. This will be our focus for the next few weeks. When I believe you’re ready, we’ll begin attempting to channel Order and things will get really interest...”

  The bell rang, interrupting her speech. Brock wondered how class was over already. How long had his eyes been closed when meditating?

  Varius shouted to the students as they began to rise. “Remember to practice your meditation! Class dismissed!”

  Brock stood and followed the cluster of students funneling out the door.

  “Mister Talenz.” He heard Varius say from behind. “Please stay. I would like to speak with you.”

  He set his pack on a table and approached the master’s desk.

  “Why did you break from your meditation and open your eyes earlier?” she asked him.

  Brock glanced toward Ashland. Her intense blue eyes locked on his for a moment before she gave him a nod. He responded to the question, attempting to explain.

  “The meditation exercise seemed to be going well. It felt so peaceful, so calm and cool. Then, I felt something wrong, as if something nearby didn’t belong. That’s why I opened my eyes and looked over at that boy, the one you healed.”

  “Thank you for telling me the truth.” Varius stepped close, looking him in the eye. “You must never be afraid to tell me the truth, Brock. I can’t help you if you aren’t straight with me. If you trust me and dedicate yourself, you might become something exceptional.”

  Brock nodded. “Okay. I’ll do as you say,” he replied. Then he smiled. “It did feel wonderful though: The harmony of Order.”

  It was Master Varius’ turn to smile. “I like that. That’s a g
ood description.”

  CHAPTER 45

  The hall sped past Brock as he ran, racing the clock but clearly losing. The bell finished ringing before he could even see the door. Reaching the classroom, he paused to catch his breath. Expecting harsh words for his tardiness, he took one last breath and opened the door.

  Stepping inside, he scanned the room for an open seat. The only one left was in the front row, directly in front of the instructor’s desk. Making his way toward the chair, he glanced toward the desk, finding angry eyes staring back.

  “Apparently, my class isn’t important enough for you to be on time, Mister Talenz,” Pretencia growled.

  Brock groaned inwardly. The man had made it clear that he didn’t like Brock during the evaluation. This wasn’t going to help at all.

  “Sorry, Master Pretencia,” Brock replied as he took his seat. “Master Varius asked me to stay late after my ecclesiast class, and I didn’t have enough time to get here before the bell.”

  Pretencia stood, placing his hands on his desk while staring down at Brock. “Do I look like I care what happens in your other classes?” he asked. Brock was wise enough to not reply. The master’s voice rose as he continued. “I expect you to be here on time, ready to contribute to this class. If you cannot handle that responsibility, you will be visiting the headmaster.”

  Brock swallowed hard. He certainly didn’t want that. “Yes sir.”

  Pretencia stared at him for a moment before addressing the class.

  “Hello, novices. I trust that you’re enjoying your first day at our illustrious institution.” He stepped to the front of the center aisle. “Welcome to your first Hierarchist class. I expect some of are aware of what this class entails while others have no clue.” His eyes had scanned the room until they landed on Brock as he finished the last sentence.

  “Hierarchists are the glue that holds the Empire together. Members of the Hierarchy include everyone from city clerks to magistrates, prelates, and even the Archon himself.” He clasped his hands behind his back as walked down the center aisle. “This class will introduce you to the structure and functions of our government and how the Ministry plays an intricate role in it all. You will learn the laws that citizens must follow and why those laws are critical to our civilized Empire.”

  Pretencia reversed direction as he continued. “In addition, you’ll be tested for your ability to reason and interpret the law. Someday, you may find yourself in the position of magistrate or city prelate.”

  The master smiled, as if at a private joke. His slick-backed black hair glistened in the light of the afternoon sun.

  Pretencia’s eyes lit up, and he spoke again. “I must also mention that we have someone special in this class. The son of the Archon of the Empire sits among you.” He held his hands out in a welcoming gesture. “Corbin, will you please stand and greet your classmates?”

  Heads turned to see this prized student. Like the others, Brock looked back as a tall dark-haired boy stood and nodded to the class. The familiar face had a bandage above one brow.

  “Oh, no,” Brock groaned.

  It was the same boy that he had tackled in the woods. On his first day at the Academy, Brock had assaulted the son of the most powerful man in the Empire.

  CHAPTER 46

  Master Nindlerod’s head bobbed as he cackled, laughing at his own joke. The students in the room looked to each other in confusion, not understanding the humor. Brock shrugged at Cameron’s questioning look. Only Benny smiled and nodded. Brock wasn’t sure if Benny understood the joke or if he was just playing along.

  Nindlerod waved to his assistant. The heavy-set boy hauled a bag over, setting it on the worktable at the front of the room. Unlike other classrooms, this one had workbenches lined in rows from the back of the room to the front. Each row had two workbenches back-to-back with three stools at each bench. Brock, Benny, and Cam shared a workbench.

  The engineering master reached into the bag, removing a black metal ball that fit in the palm of his hand. Next, he pulled out a pillow. He placed both on the workbench and smiled.

  “Now, we are going to talk about mass. I assume that everyone here knows about weight.” He scanned the room through his rounded spectacles before continuing. “Weight is pretty obvious. When something is difficult to lift, it is heavy. When something is easy to lift, it’s light.”

  Nindlerod stepped in front of the bench, his eyes scanning the classroom again.

  “How do you know if something’s heavy? Lars?” He pointed to a big, muscular boy with curly black hair sitting near the front of the room.

  “Um. Cause it’s big? You know, like a building?” Lars responded.

  “Really?” Nindlerod replied. “What about a cloud then? Those are even bigger than a building. Are clouds heavy?”

  The boy’s nervous eyes glanced around the room before he replied, “No. I guess not. If they were heavy, they wouldn’t be up in the sky.”

  “Correct!” Nindlerod said in excitement. “You see, the size of something is not what determines its weight. The mass of something is the true measure. Mass is related to weight but is affected by the density of the object. The more dense something is, the higher its mass.”

  Nindlerod pointed at the two objects he had placed on his workbench as he addressed a female sitting near Brock.

  “Salina, can you tell me which of these two items is heavier?”

  The dark-skinned girl brushed her black bangs from her forehead, tucking the hair behind an ear. “Well, the metal ball is surely heavier than a pillow. Everyone knows that.”

  “I see,” Nindlerod said. “Is there anyone in the classroom that disagrees with this statement?”

  Two hands in the class lifted high. Nindlerod raised one eyebrow and addressed Benny.

  “Mister Hedgewick. You don’t agree with this young woman’s assessment?”

  “Well, I would agree that the mass of the ball is a lot higher than the pillow. But it doesn’t mean that it’s heavier.”

  The old man nodded. “Interesting. Perhaps we should weigh the two objects to find out.”

  He stepped to a large balance scale resting upon his workbench. After setting the metal ball on one tray, he placed the pillow on the other tray. The arms of the scale bounced a few times before settling at the same height.

  “It appears that these two items are the same weight,” the old master said to the class. “As Mister Hedgewick so eloquently stated, while these two objects weigh the same, their mass is far from equal. The metal sphere is the same weight though it is far smaller than the pillow. That means it has a far higher density and, as a result, a higher mass.”

  The students in the room nodded, now understanding the concept. Brock wondered why they needed to know this. It seemed like simple logic.

  “Mass, weight, and density are just three of numerous topics we will cover over the coming months.” Master Nindlerod stated. “In addition, you will undergo hands-on training with forging and casting metals, cutting and shaping wood, and many other skills that are essential to a good engineer.”

  “To spice things up, we are also going to have a little competition that will allow you to put what you’ve learned to the test.” Nindlerod strolled back to the scale, facing the class. “In a few weeks, you will have an opportunity to form teams of five students. Each team will have full access to Foundry materials and resources. Your objective will be to create your own catapult for our annual Catapult Challenge. For this event, you’ll be launching a metal ball much like this one.” Nindlerod picked up the metal ball off the scale, holding it up in the air. “But much larger and far heavier. The catapult that launches the ball the furthest, wins.” Nindlerod smiled as he surveyed the students in the room. “Members of the winning team will no longer have to serve meals to the upper classmen. That means you’ll be served by other novices, among the first to eat every day.”

  The reward caused a buzz in the room. Nindlerod shouted to reclaim everyone’s attention.
/>   “The winning team will also receive twenty-five gold imperials!”

  The room fell silent. Nindlerod smiled a goofy grin at the looks of shock. Suddenly the buzz returned far louder. Exclamations of excitement ran through the room. That was a lot of gold. It would take a lifetime of working as a tanner for Brock’s father to earn twenty-five imperials. He glanced toward Benny, who was tugging on his arm in excitement.

  “We can win this, Brock!” Benny whispered. “I’ll come up with an awesome design. You and Cam can help me build it. We can win!”

  Brock looked at Cam, who smiled back. They would have to come up with something special. The competition was sure to be fierce.

  CHAPTER 47

  Exhausted after a long first day of school, Brock finished dinner and headed toward his room to relax. His thoughts wandered as he traversed the quiet hallway, reflecting on the day’s events. Reaching his room, he unlocked the door.

  “Hi Brock.”

  He turned as a pretty blonde girl stepped out from the lounge. His gaze locked onto her large blue eyes.

  “Amber. Um…I didn’t expect you.”

  “Aren’t you glad to see me?” she said, her eyes searching his.

  “Oh, yeah. Of course I am. I mean…I’m glad you’re okay,” he stammered.

  Amber smiled, glancing down before her eyes flashed up to meet his again. “I’d like to speak with you in private. May I come in?” she asked, her eyes pleading.

  “Um…sure,” he stammered.

  Her eyes flicked toward the room then back to him. “Aren’t you going to move so I can get through the door?”

  “Oh, sorry.” He stepped back, waving her inside.

  He could smell the sweet scent of her perfume as she swept past. Brock stared at her with a dumb smile on his face as she sat on his bed. He was feeling flustered by her beauty, as he had been when with Meg.

  “Will you please close the door?” she asked.

  “Oh yeah. Sure.” He pushed the door closed and sat across from the pretty girl.