[Venn Drega]

2nd Cycle of Aperitus, Summer, Era II, XIV PF, Mid-Morning

It was a beautiful summer's day in Natura and there was a light mist near the ground in the Sacred Wood that was nestled against the sheer cliffs of the mountains in the northernmost corner of the temple grounds beyond the gardens. This only lent to the mystical atmosphere of the place where the rays of the twin suns were illuminated, appearing as ephemeral shimmering pillars among the deep jade green of the ferns that grew as high as one's hips in places but never enough to impede the ability to walk. It was a place of sudden silences and half-imagined whispers. Shadows were impenetrable and light shimmered upon whatever it touched. For those who could see the arcanic weave, the very air was a rife with energy. For the Temple it was a place of testing and a place of unbinding, at least for the rare few who had the aptitude for it. Few but the most experienced clerics would brave the place although all were drawn to it. It was one of the secret places that was rarely spoken of even among the clergy.

It was here that Venn had asked Austin to meet with him. At the very heart of The Wood was a perfectly circular opening in the high canopy of the trees through which light descended downwards in the shape of a cylindrical chamber. Curiously, even if the suns were not directly overhead, the light would enter the wood in this form as long as the suns were above the horizon. Looking up, one would see nothing but light. Venn paced quietly along the edge of the Circle of Light, just outside of it in the reflected glow. He was dressed in a manner few had ever seen him in; a blue silver trimmed robe. Even more unusual, he did not have the blade that was perpetually in hand or at his side.

He mused at whether or not Austin would be able to find the Circle of Light let alone be capable of being unbound. The simple fact that only one out of a thousand was given the gift was difficult to ignore. It was in fact one of the reasons the Temple had such limited numbers. At the same time, Venn was slowly and methodically gathering the energy required for the task before him. It was a very simple act but Austin's future as a Silver Star required that the procedure was executed correctly. The results, however were always unpredictable with each unique person. There was never a guarantee that a subject would actually be unbound let alone survive the process.