The Will of the Many

Ulciscor and Veridius clearly know each other and Veridius says he looks forward to seeing Vis again when he officially enrolls. Vis and Ulciscor leave to go to Caten.

Vis explains what happened after Ulciscor was shot with the arrow, leaving out the fact that the Anguis are trying to recruit him. Ulciscor confides that his younger brother, Caeror, died at the school during the Iudicium, a final test between the six highest-ranked students at the end of the year. This is part of his motivation for sending Vis there. Ulciscor also points out the location of two ruins on the island, outside the school walls, where Vis should search for clues.

They arrive in Caten, and Vis is horrified by its size and decadence. He reflects, “This is my enemy. […] The Hierarchy’s shadow lies over all, […] but this is something else” (101). They go on to Ulciscor’s family villa, where Vis will live and train for two months before entering the Academy. Ulciscor introduces Lanistia, a Sextus who works for Ulciscor. She will be Vis’s main tutor while Ulciscor is away at the Senate. Lanistia wears dark glasses.

Lanistia and Ulciscor speak respectfully to each other. Lanistia knows about Ulciscor’s plans and that he planned to adopt someone, but she is not happy with his choice. She is also angry that Ulciscor has not told his wife, Relucia, about the adoption. Relucia travels often and will likely not return home for several months.

Vis also meets Kadmos, the villa Dispensator (housekeeper). Kadmos distrusts Vis but shows him around the grounds and makes him comfortable in a room with new clothes and good food. He implies that the door of the room is Will-imbued to alert him if Vis tries to leave without permission. Vis climbs out a window instead to spy on Ulciscor and Lanistia. He hears that several high-ranking citizens have recently been murdered by the Anguis and the Senate are routinely testing blood for some kind of infection. Kadmos finds him and sends him back to his room.

Lanistia tests Vis’s knowledge and finds him lacking. She gives him a large stack of books to study overnight. Vis realizes that there are many gaps in his education. Chastened, he returns to his room to study.

Lanistia attacks him in the middle of the night while shouting questions to test how quickly he can think while under stress. Horrified, Vis insists the Academy is only a school; how can this be necessary? In response, Lanistia takes off her dark glasses to reveal empty sockets where her eyes should be. She tells Vis that the Academy took her eyes.

Lanistia uses Will to imbue the air around her so that she can see. Vis is shocked by the power and concentration this requires. They move on to physical training next. Though Vis believes he is a good fighter, a match with Lanistia proves otherwise. Finally admitting that he has much to learn, Vis submits to Lanistia’s lessons.

Lanistia shows Vis a special training room hidden in a basement. It is filled with an enormous maze and a platform above that looks down into the maze. She explains that it is a replica of a similar maze at the Academy where students train. Ulciscor and Lanistia broke several laws to recreate it.

Lanistia demonstrates the Labyrinth. Using Will-imbued stones specially arranged on a leather arm bracer, she can make sections of wall within the maze move. Students learn to manipulate the stones while simultaneously running through the maze to test their skills.

Lanistia focuses on Vis’s physical training, while Kadmos takes over his education. Kadmos was once a high-ranking academic in Styrece before the Republic took over that country.

After 16 days of training, Vis receives a visitor: Magnus Quartus Advenius Claudius, a Governance senator. Claudius pretends to be merely curious about the boy Ulciscor adopted. Claudius says that Ulciscor unjustly blames Veridius for Caeror’s death, when everyone knows Caeror took his own life. Vis fears that Ulciscor’s scheme is based on denial and there will be nothing to find on the island.

Claudius also asks that Vis train with his daughter, Aequa, during the school break. Refusing would be an enormous insult, but accepting will make it harder for Vis to keep his secrets safe. He then recalls that he needs to meet Sedotia in Caten for the Jovan Festival. Vis accepts the request on the condition the Aequa show him around the festival.