The Novice
Chapter OneThe Acceptance Ceremony
For a few weeks each summer, the sky over Kyralia cleared to a harsh blue and the sun beat down relentlessly. In the city of Imardin, the streets were dusty and the masts of ships in the Marina writhed behind the heat haze, while men and women retreated to their homes to fan themselves and sip juices or -- in the rougher parts of the slums -- drink copious amounts of bol.
But in the Magicians' Guild of Kyralia these scorching days hailed the approach of an important occasion: the swearing in of the summer intake of novices.
Sonea grimaced and tugged at the collar of her dress. Though she had wanted to wear the same simple, but well-made clothes she had worn while living in the Guild, Rothen had insisted that she needed something fancier for the Acceptance Ceremony.
Rothen chuckled. "Don't worry, Sonea. It will all be over soon and you'll have robes to wear -- and I'm sure you'll get sick of those soon enough."
"I'm not worried," Sonea told him irritably.
His eyes brightened with amusement. "Really? You don't feel even a little nervous?"
"It's not like the Hearing last year. That was wild."
"Wild?" His eyebrows rose. "You are nervous, Sonea. You haven't let t ... read full excerpt from: The Novice: The Black Magician Trilogy Book 2 ebook
