Excerpt: Specks of Consequence

Aeron felt a strange feeling stirring up in his stomach – anxiety. It was true that outside of his classroom, Aeron was what most people would consider awkward. His eloquence was lost, he became clumsy, and he avoided conversation and hated confrontation. In the sanctuary of this room, his true confidence shined. This girl was slowly pecking it away, bit by bit, filling him with dread that started somewhere in his ankles. He was quiet for a moment, his head buzzing with several different retorts, before he took a deep breath and willed himself to calm down. Closing his eyes for just a breath or two, he found the answer flooded over him, as clear as his original lesson plan was.

“That’s an interesting question, Carys,” he said, raising his blue eyes to meet her own daring gaze. “I’m not sure I have a satisfying answer for you. There are always going to be skeptics to any part of our history. For every true account of a country’s past, there are several more that are elaborated or false. There will always be debates over which story is true, and it can often be left up to your own interpretation for what you want to believe.”

Taking a deep breath, Aeron forced his eyes away from Carys and instead glanced over the entire class. He spread his arms, almost as if beckoning everyone to listen. It worked; the class was once again completely focused on him, even Carys, although she seemed almost put out by it all.

"We are very lucky to live in Pridd,” Aeron said, his voice taking on a strangely serious tone rarely found in his lessons. “We have something that few other countries have. Our religion here is not just stories and legends from books and old wives tales, but something we can see and touch. There are temples all over this country where you can speak to a priest of any of the four gods, whichever you choose – all four if you want! That itself may not seem special, but remember that the word of these priests come directly from the gods themselves – and if you really want to, many times they can make this happen, right in front of your eyes.

“That doesn’t mean that everything in our history is not fallible – far from it.” He gave an acknowledging nod to Carys. “There will always be those who embellish the past, but that could be said about anything. I mean… I’m sure none of you have ever stretched or bent the truth just a little, correct?”

There were a few guilty looks shared between students and a little bit of chuckling. Aeron chuckled as well, before continuing on with his revised lecture.

“History is one of the most important parts of our lives. It is something everyone in this room shares – and I do not just mean our country’s history. I encourage every single one of you to explore history. Learn about the history of our country, the history of our religions and our magic. Learn about the histories of our allies and our enemies, our neighbors and friends! Learn about the history of this school, and learn your own history! It will teach you everything you need for not just the present, but for the future as well. It will help you realize there is a lot more to life than simple stories, than magic spells found in books, than words on a page. Each and every one of you in this room are living and creating history every moment! There are few things more powerful than that, my friends.”