Blackness surrounded her everywhere she turned,  no sign of life or movement. The wind swirled around her, whispering its eerie lullaby. Soon the whispering grew louder, echoing through the space like thunder. It was... her name?

Emery....

Emery...

 "Emery!"

No, wait. That wasn't the dream... Instantly, she was thrown from the foreboding darkness, eyes snapping open to reveal the golden hues of sunrise. "Emery!" Sure enough, the voice rang out again. Her sister's voice. Emery sighed, a mixture of dread, relief, and unhappiness swirling inside her. 

"Are you forgetting what day it is?" Again, her sharp and demanding voice sounded. And with it came memories and the regal, important tone of Andraeus.

"In a fortnight, you will take your training to the next level. I'm sure you've all heard of the Trial of Ascendance?"

The Trial! It was today! Immediately, thoughts of her dreams vanished, being replaced by excitement of the Trial.  Brown eyes wide, Emery leapt to her feet, launching the blankets halfway across the room as she did so. "Coming Amni!" The young girl ran over to her wardrobe, throwing open the oak doors and sifting through the clothes, all of which were lying on the bottom of the cupboard instead of hanging from the poles. How long had she slept in for? Would she make it in time? Why hadn't her sister called her earlier?

Probably to make it so you would fail.. A voice whispered in the back of her mind. Emery shook her head fiercely. While the two may have their... differences, she was positive Amni wouldn't do something like that to her, especially since she knew how important it was to Emery. Right?

Her eyes settled on a dark brown leather tunic, matching pants, and a green cloak resting in the corner of her wardrobe, a pair of tan fur boots next to them. Nodding once to herself, Emery reached over and plucked the items from their previous spot, tossing them onto her bed as she shed her previous clothes.

She donned the leather tunic quickly before proceeding to the mirror, tying her long chestnut hair in a hasty bun. Emery would do something to hold it in longer at a later time. Satisfied with her appearance for now, the young girl grabbed the sword that rested at the foot of her bed, slid on a pair of dark brown fingerless gloves, (it gave her a better grip when wielding the sword), and ran down the stairs to the kitchen.

Sitting at the table, impatiently tapping her fingers, was Amni. "You're late." Amni stated, giving a cool glance at Emery before turning back to her book.

Emery frowned slightly, looking around the kitchen as she did so. Not spotting her father,  she figured he was probably at work already. Her father had never really acted too fatherly towards her, however.  "I would've been up sooner had someone bothered to let me know." 

Amni looked up again, eyes showing a hint of resentment. "Blaming this on me, hmm? Not exactly the behavior appropriate of a Gem Wielder."

Emery sighed, rolling her eyes. "Whatever. I'm here now, aren't I?"

A dusty blonde hair poked out from behind the corner. "Emy, is that yew?" A small voice called.

At hearing this, a smile appeared on the young girl's face. "Morning, Kanger!"

Kanger was the youngest of the family. Out of all the family members, he and Emery were closest.  The young boy ran out from his hiding spot, wrapping his arms around Emery's waist. "Good luck at the Trial!"

Emery ruffled Kanger's hair. "Thanks!"  Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Amni looking at them. A brief flash of emotion appeared in her eyes, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared.

"You'd better get going if you don't want to be late, Emery." She said, returning her gaze to her book.

Emery nodded once. "Right." She picked an apple from a nearby fruit basket and grabbed her satchel from its usual spot hanging next to the doorway. "See you guys later! Hopefully then, you'll be looking at the newest member of the Gem Wielders!" She grinned, waving at the two - mainly at Kanger - before disappearing through the door-frame.

                                                                           ~~~~~~~~~

The sun continued steadily along its path, framing the clouds around it with an outline of golden-pink light. Emery bit into the apple as she moved, walking down the cobbled path. The road down to the village was fairly well worn, having been made quite a while ago. Moss had weeded its way through the cracks in the rough stone, adding small bursts of color to the greyness. She had walked this path several times throughout her life; it had become a familiar sight to her.

At last, the worn pathway was joined by two others from the west and north, forming a crossroads of sorts. The west path led up to one of the several temples that dotted the outskirts of the village. It had been built several centuries ago and yet still was in fairly good shape. Surrounded by a grove of trees, the temple was a beautiful structure. Tall, cylindrical pillars stretched upwards and met a dome of intricately carved marble. The walls depicted a series of events from the founding of Gem Wielding to the War of the Ancients. It was a sacred place in the village, especially to Emery. The shrine was dedicated to the legendary Iswold, who was said to be the founder of the art of Gem Wielding. Had it not been for him, her life would've been very different.

Smiling slightly as she passed the shrine, Emery's mind refocused on the Trial. Throughout her training, she had heard whispers of the test - a challenging feat that only those who had true potential would be able to pass. However, no matter how many times anyone asked, no answers would be given as to what exactly would be tested. The Councilors had often said that this was to ensure that no one would be able to cheat.

A call from behind her pulled Emery from her thoughts. "Hey! Emery, wait up!" The young girl stopped, confused. Who was calling her name? She turned around, expecting to see Saru, or perhaps Mallen for some last-minute teasing, but it was neither of them. Instead, she spotted Kaira, one of the other students in her class. The two weren't exactly close, but every now and then Kaira would ask  Emery to help her with a move or to  or go with her to the library. Now, the dark-haired girl was running up to Emery, a wide smile on her face and left hand waving in the air.

Kaira slowed to a stop as she caught up with Emery. "I was hoping I would see you before the Trial! Are you ready?"

It seemed that Kaira's cheerfulness was contagious, as moments later a small smile began tugging at Emery's lips. "As ready as I can be. How about you?"

Kaira's smile didn't falter. "I've been training long and hard ever since Councilor Andraeus made the announcement! I'm actually feeling confident in this for a change." She said, chuckling slightly.

The two resumed their journey, now walking side-by-side. "That's good to hear. Any idea as to what we might be tested on?" Emery asked.

She shrugged. "No clue. It could be about absolutely anything we've learned! I just hope I don't forget anything important.." A small frown weeded its way past Kaira's barrier of happiness. Emery, noticing this, placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, smiling.

"I'm sure you're going to do great today."

Kaira looked back up at Emery, the frown disappearing yet again. It didn't take much for her to regain her positivity. "Thanks! You're going to do great too, I have a feeling."

And so the two spent the rest of the time taking in each other's company and talking about what adventures the future could hold.

                                                                                ~~~~~~~~~~

Kaira and Emery arrived at the Courtyard - the circle of ancient stone and trees that had been transformed into the academy for young Gem Wielders. Several students had already appeared, creating a rainbow of colors. Some had chosen to wear the shades of their respective Houses, while others like Emery had decided to wear simple leather armor - strong, but still flexible.

Emery and Kaira stopped underneath the entrance to the Courtyard - a large stone archway that had become overgrown with ivy and other various plants. "I can't believe it's already here.." Emery whispered, her left hand subconsciously drifting towards her hip.

"Hey, don't be nervous! You're going to do great." Emery looked over at Kaira, surprise written on her face. Kaira simply smiled. "Whenever you're stressed you tend to reach for your sword." She noted, then moving to join the others.

Emery remained by the archway, shocked. She cared enough to notice? Even Emery hadn't really realized what she was doing until Kaira mentioned it... A small smile appeared on her face. So maybe she did have a friend she could rely on after all.

As Emery took her place besides the other students, a loud and strong voice rang out, echoing through the otherwise empty Courtyard. "Students! It is time." Then, in a flash of silver and purple light, a figure appeared.

Councilor Saeyan stood upon a make-shift podium, arms outstretched. She wore an intricate robe of royal blue and gold as well as a gold circlet upon her head, in the center of which resided her Gem: Amethyst. Swirls of purple curled around her fingertips, remnants of the spell she had cast moments prior. Her eyes shone with authority and power, framed by her ebony hair.

"Before I begin, I must first congratulate you - the students before me - for making it this far. You have trained long and hard, and I truly believe each of you has the potential today to become a permanent part of Wielder society."

Murmurs of awe and shock wavered through the crowd. It was rare for Councilor Saeyan to give such praise.

"This Trial will test your loyalty, endurance, strength, and intelligence, among several other things. Should you pass, you will proceed to the Ceremony of Ancients in two sunrises' time. Should you fail, you will be returned to your village lives as ordinary citizens."

Emery forced herself to remain calm; that wasn't going to happen if she had anything to do about it. She'd worked hard for months in preparations... she wasn't about to fail now.

Still, Emery couldn't resist at glancing around her at the other competitors' reactions. For the most part, they stood still, staring straight ahead. A few others were nervously fidgeting, trying to blend in with the background. However, one girl in particular stood out from the rest.

Mallen Sarintos. A girl about 14 years of age who had short dark red hair, the left side of which hung over her eye. She was cool, relaxed, top of the class... and Emery's arch-rival.

The two, even from the start, hadn't gotten along well. Mallen was incredibly skilled with everything she did, be it meditation, strategies, or battle techniques. Emery, on the other hand, had to work for days on end to perfect some of the stuff Mallen could do. Every time she'd offer to do a demonstration, Mallen would show her up. Not to mention the fact that she would always pick on the younger students, or the ones who couldn't preform the tasks as well. This infuriated Emery to no end.

Emery returned her gaze to the podium as Councilor Saeyan began to speak again. "Now, to begin the Trial each of you will step through one of these portals.." She paused, closing her eyes and raising her left hand. Her lips moved quickly, muttering the words to a chant only she could hear. As she finished, a flash of silver light emitted from her hand. Behind Saeyan, five glittering portals appeared. "You will go in groups of five. Inside these portals, you will encounter challenges that will prepare you for the path of a Gem Wielder. Any questions?"

The Courtyard was silent.

Councilor Saeyan nodded. "Alright then. Mallen Sarintos, Kaira Briggen, Saru Kazari, Reid Canro, and Emery Liyrnson. Step forward. You will be the first five to go."

As she heard her name called, Emery took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. Here it was... the moment that could potentially decide the rest of her life. I refuse to fail. She thought. As each competitor - including herself - stepped forward, bursts of color appeared in the portals until they were transformed into circles of gold, ocean blue, emerald green, blood red, and vibrant orange.

"Each of you will take the portal that corresponds with your House. I wish you good luck."

Without another moment's hesitation, Mallen vanished in a swirl of reds and blacks. Kaira followed, stepping into the ocean-like portal. Saru and Reid were next, each swallowed by their respective colors. And last left Emery. She glanced to the now-empty spots, taking a final deep breath. A determined look appeared on her face as she turned her gaze to the portal. Gathering her courage and running through everything the Councilors had taught her, she stepped into the portal and vanished in a flash of gold and white light.

A/N: BAM! We are officially back on track with the story of Peridot! A lot of things have changed, including the overall plot. And hopefully the quality of the writing! (In a good way, I'd like to think XD) For one, Alis (the old main) is now known as Emery. And she has a sister, brother, and father! She's not alone anymore! (....For now.) I hope you enjoyed the new chapter, and sorry it took so long! Updates for this book will likely be slow. See you in the skies!

~Raven