The Chronicles Of The Council #1: The Sun's Tears

Chapter 16: Laelia - Lesson

"Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and the thinkers, but most of all surround yourself with those who see the greatness within you even when you don't see it yourself." – Edmund Lee

Alachna City, Ardam 1216     

I look at the marble bowl of water in front of me. I see a glimmer in the surface, promising to transform into a clear image. It disappears and I groan inwardly. I suppress the urge to swipe the bowl off the table and settle on taking a deep breath: causing a scene would be ill-advised. That would emphasise my failure to the whole class. I exhale. I do not excel in this.

I quickly scan the faces of those around me. Everyone is concentrating. I can see some of them nod, and then whisper something into their bowls. Everyone else is faring better than I.

If Aedan was here, he might be able to help me, but the other half of the class, including him, is on the other side of the city, awaiting our contact. Earlier it was their turn to contact us, and obviously, Aedan succeeded within moments of starting. He is probably pulling out his hair by now. It has been almost an hour since we've started and the class is about to finish, and I haven't been able to get one successful call.

I frown and concentrate even harder. I try again. This time again nothing. Not even a glimmer. Not even a ripple in the water.

Luckily Elorhim doesn't have lessons with us anymore. He would have made my failure known to all in ArBrae.

Oliua Threetrees' clear voice rings through the room: "Class is concluded. Most of you did quite well. Please practice with your partner. I expect you all to have perfected this skill by our next lesson."

Next lesson? That is a week from now. There is no way I would even slightly master it by then.

She looks around the class. Her brown hair has a bouquet of different flowers woven into her curls and braids. Her brown eyes are emphasised by intricate flower designs on her eyelids. She turns her observant eyes on me: "Laelia, I would like to speak to you for a minute."

I nod. I don't even have to ask why. I am failing this class. Oliua Threetrees isn't the reprimanding type, but I can see the disappointment in her eyes.

"Laelia, you seem to have some difficulty with this particular skill," she says after the class emptied out.

She knows that I am struggling with anything to do with water, but trust the kind soul to downplay it.

"I struggle to hold the image," I start saying - that is,  if I get an image I add silently.

She nods absentmindedly. "It is not only this that you struggle with. You are having trouble mastering a few of the skills I teach."

I avert my eyes downwards.

"Have you mentioned this to your guardian?"

My eyes recoil to meet hers. "My guardian?"

A look of bewilderment settles on her face. "Have you mentioned your difficulty to our Lord during your sessions?"

Sessions? She sees my puzzlement.

"Have you had any tutoring sessions with your guardian?"

"No," I say slowly. "Was I supposed to?"

"I thought he has been assisting you in the curriculum, and that is why you have been excelling," she mumbles more to herself than to me. "Not the matter. I will speak to your parents. Please practise this with either of your brothers."