their Master was, but some claimed that it all depended on how much the Master actually liked their apprentice.
“And?” Eridan said, unsure where Master Ferev was going with this.
“Out of that small number of telepaths capable of telekinesis, only a fraction can affect the object for more than a few moments. Sustaining the pressure like you did with your classmate is…” Master Ferev shook his head. “It is unheard of, even for a Class 5 telepath like yourself.”
Eridan frowned, not understanding. “I thought it was well known that high-level telepaths could physically hurt a person?”
Master Ferev got into the t-chamber, gesturing for Eridan to follow him in. “You are confusing two different things, but it’s not my place to explain it to you. And frankly, I’m not qualified to deal with this. District Four,” he told the computer and the transport started moving.
Eridan looked around curiously. The few times he’d used t-chambers in the past had happened during his excursions to the mainland of Calluvia. In his understanding, Hronthar’s t-chambers were a little different. Normal t-chambers couldn’t function in Hronthar, because the korviu deposits in the mountains caused too much magnetic disturbance to receive a teleporting chamber from the other parts of Calluvia. Hronthar’s t-chambers had special modifications that allowed them to jump between the local addresses of the town, but they couldn’t teleport to the mainland of Calluvia, either.
Hronthar was effectively an autonomous world within Calluvia. Not that the rest of the planet had any clue about the town’s existence. As far as Calluvians were concerned, the High Hronthar was a small order of monks that inhabited a monastery in the middle of a desert, which, technically, was true, Eridan supposed. The ancient monastery in the Araal desert in the foothills of the Kavalchi Mountains was part of the High Hronthar, just a very small part that the outsiders were allowed to see. A front. The tip of a giant iceberg. Other Calluvians had no idea that the Order’s main settlement was located high in the impassable region of the Kavalchi Mountains. The korviu deposits prevented satellites from scanning the region and discovering the town.
“Are you sure we’re supposed to be here?” Eridan said as they arrived. He got out of the t-chamber and looked around curiously. He’d never been to District Four: the Masters’ district. The atmosphere here was completely different from the outer districts. The buildings were spaced out, and most of them were big enough to be called mansions. High above the district, Eridan could see the spires of High Hronthar, though the clouds obscured the view of the castle.
“Supposed?” Master Ferev said. “Definitely not. But your Master lives here.”
Eridan flinched. “You’re taking me to Master Idhron?” He added belatedly, “And he isn’t my Master.”
Ferev continued walking, as if he hadn’t heard him.
Scowling, Eridan reluctantly followed him. “He isn’t my Master,” he repeated. “I haven’t seen him in years.”
“He may not have claimed you yet, but he does have a preliminary claim on you,” Ferev said. “Unless he cancels it, he might as well be your Master.”
Eridan pursed his lips. “Don’t I get a say in this? Maybe I don’t want to be his apprentice.”
Ferev’s head whipped toward him. He stared at Eridan incredulously. “Don’t be ridiculous, Eridan. Castien is one of the best mind adepts of the Order—some say he is already the best, despite his age. Most of the initiates would give their right hand to be his apprentice.”
“Then they’re idiots,” Eridan said with a scoff. “What’s so special about him anyway? People always talk about him like he’s the next Grandmaster, but no one ever says why he’s so special and great besides—well, besides belonging to the Idhron lineage.” The Idhron lineage was one of the oldest in the Order and famous for producing great Masters.
Master Ferev shook his head a little. “You do realize that I can hardly gossip with you about my superior, right?”
Eridan rolled his eyes. “Who would I tell? Master Idhron?”
“Oh, come on. It’s not like he’s the Grandmaster. Isn’t he about the same age as you?”
Ferev gave a tight nod. “We were in the same class as initiates, actually.”
“Really?” Eridan said, looking at him with interest. “Then why are you so scared to talk about him?”
Ferev glared at him. “You’re forgetting yourself, Eridan. And I’m not scared. Has it not occurred to you that I don’t want to gossip about Castien because I know him well enough to know better?”