Chapter 8: New Jewellery

Daniel woke to the sounds of busy voices and creaky floorboards, the faint scent of herbs filling the room. The soft glow of the medical centre’s lamps illuminated the room, emitting a mild greasy scent. Kana was perched on a chair beside his bed, one leg crossed over the other, flicking absentmindedly through a small papyrus notebook.

“Kana?” Daniel groaned as he awoke.

"Finally, you’re awake." she said without looking up, her tone clipped. "Thought you might sleep through the results."

Daniel groaned, sitting up slowly. His ribs ached from the beating he’d taken at the hands of Zephyr Kalyndria. "I’m fine." he muttered, though the pain lacing his voice said otherwise. "Thanks for dragging me here, I guess. When did I fall asleep?"

Kana snapped the notebook shut and stood. "You were silent as a katen for most of the journey, I’m not sure when it happened but it wasn’t long after we’d left, you must’ve been quite tired after your fight… Anyway, don’t thank me. Just make sure you’re not late for the ‘Big Reveal’. It’s in an hour at the main hall by the arena. Be quick.” She tossed a fresh shirt and trousers onto his bed and strode out before he could reply.

***

An hour later, Daniel joined the rest of the competitors in the main hall, where anticipation buzzed through the air. Mr. George Calton, a stern but fair man with sharp features and an imposing presence, stood at the front with a codex in hand.

“Cutting it close, aren’t you?” Kana said to Daniel as he strolled over.

“As always” Daniel replied, nonchalantly.

"Firstly," Calton began, his deep voice cutting through the murmurs, "I’d like to congratulate everyone here on how far they’ve come, I’m sure you’ll grow into astounding mages should that be the path you choose. However, the results of the Thread Trials were about more than passing or failing. They were to determine who among you showed the potential to be the absolute best, to find out whose future was worth investing in."

He paused, scanning the room.

"Those who passed will be personally invited, by me, to take the entrance exam for the Royal Magic Academy of Luneah. Pass that, and you’ll earn a full-ride scholarship. All fees paid for including accommodation, food and of course a weekly allowance, no matter what we prioritise both your education, and equality among our students, despite being a predominantly noblesse institution."

Excitement rippled through the crowd, though Daniel stood with his arms crossed, his face betraying none of the emotions swirling within.

Calton flicked open the codex and began reading the names of those who had passed. "Zephyr Kalyndria, Kana Elysion, Kaelin Crown, Lena Sparrow, Daniel Crestfall, and Guy Harrick.” Daniel exhaled in relief after hearing his name called.

When Calton finished, he addressed the group. "To those whose names were called, congratulations. There will be an announcement in one weeks’ time at the Royal Magic Academy. There, you will learn more about the exam taking place 3 days later. If you plan to attend, come back here around 4 to see me and I will personally arrange lodgings for your stay in the capital, both leading up to and during the exam. To those who didn’t make the cut… my sincerest apologies, there is no doubt in my mind that you are some of the best mages of the current times, and I wish you well in future endeavours.”

Daniel exchanged a glance with Kana, who offered a rare smirk. "Looks like we’re headed to the academy!" she exclaimed.

Zephyr, standing near the front, barely acknowledged the announcement, his focus elsewhere. Kaelin and Lena shared an excited hug, their relief palpable. Guy, meanwhile, was grinning ear to ear, clearly thrilled to have made the cut.

As the hall began to empty, Kana nudged Daniel with her elbow. "Hey, Crestfall, care to take a walk? We’ve got time to kill before heading to Calton."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "A walk? What for?"

Kana rolled her eyes but kept her tone light. "Oh, I don’t know. To see the town, maybe grab some lunch? Or are you planning to sit in a corner somewhere until we leave?"

Daniel hesitated but shrugged. "Fine. Lead the way."

The streets were lively as they wandered through the market district, vendors hawking everything from enchanted trinkets to freshly baked goods. Kana kept the conversation flowing, her usual sharpness softened by a genuine excitement of their upcoming journey.

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"You ever think we’d make it this far?" she asked, glancing sideways at Daniel.

"Honestly, I never doubted myself" he said, proudly, "Although the maze was pretty tough.”

Kana laughed, a rare and musical sound. "Well, you still made it, despite having such a thick skull."

They stopped at a small café with outdoor seating, the bitter scent of roasted coffee beans filling the air. Daniel ordered a simple tea and cake, while Kana opted for a more elaborate pastry. As they ate, Kana leaned forward slightly, her tone teasing.

"So, what’s the plan, Crestfall? You gonna wow everyone at the Academy, or just try not to embarrass yourself?"

Daniel smirked. "Probably both… although I might struggle with the latter. What about you?"

"Oh, I’ll wow them." Kana said confidently. "You can count on that. No-one’s ever seen a mage quite like me before.”

“You can say that again.” Daniel remarked.

“Oi, finish up then let’s get moving. I know we have a whole ‘nother week, but it’s the capital! There’s so much to do! So much food to eat and places to see!”

As the afternoon sunbathed the town in a warm glow, Kana tugged Daniel’s arm. "Come on. Let’s go check out the market before we leave this place behind."

He shrugged, following her as she led the way into the bustling streets. The market was alive with chatter and the scent of freshly baked bread, spiced meats, and blooming flowers. Kana stopped at a stall selling trinkets, her fingers brushing over a delicate silver bracelet. "Think it suits me?" she asked, tilting her wrist to catch the light.

Daniel barely glanced at it. "Sure. It’s nice."

She rolled her eyes. "You’re hopeless, Crestfall."

They wandered further, stopping occasionally to admire street performers or sample snacks from vendors. At one point, Kana spotted a small group of children playing with each other, their laughter filling the air. She paused, a soft smile crossing her face. "Makes you wonder what it was like before all this competition, huh? When life was just... fun."

Daniel glanced at her, surprised by the wistfulness in her tone. "Didn’t think you were the nostalgic type."

She shrugged, her usual sharpness returning. "Don’t get used to it."

They continued wandering around after lunch, checking out the various shops and stalls propped up beside the streets. One stall in particular stood out among the rest. While most boasted banners in a multitude of colours to attract attention, this stall was made up of blacks and greys, a stain on the canvas of wonder the market district contained.

Curious, Daniel and Kana edged closer. At the front there was a table spanning the length of the stall, on it were various pieces of jewellery and other odd items. One such item was a box, opening it revealed a small ballerina which spun slowly as music played out from the bottom. Placing it back on the table, Daniel noticed rustling coming from underneath one of the tables in the back, which housed a large quantity of boxes, most of which were overflowing.

“Hey, someone there?” Daniel asked, warily.

A head poked up from the back, a wide smile growing as they noticed Daniel and Kana standing at the front.

“Oh yes yes, I’m here, I’m here.” They said, carefully moving some of the boxes out of their way as they made their way to Daniel. “See anything you like?”

“If I’m being honest, I’m honestly not sure what any of it is. Care to explain?”

“Oh… yea sure, well… in the past, around a thousand years ago, when the order of mages was still around, they constructed a few lairs, catacombs, and whatnot. But recently, in these places, strange items and the likes have been dug out from crates hidden away, very good spots as well. I mean we’ve known about all their underground hideouts for decades but these… these places… somehow, they’ve eluded us for all this time. I mean it was only, what… last year, I think, the first ones were uncovered. Either way that’s what all these are. No-one really knows what they’re meant to do… but if you buy up you might be the first to find out, eh. How’s that sound?”

Kana slowly turned to face Daniel, her puppy-dog eyes piercing straight into Daniel’s heart.

“Fine, which one?”

“Yessss! Oooh, there’s so much choice! This necklace is nice… what d’you think?”

She spun to face Daniel, a beautiful silver necklace with a piece of Jade hanging at the bottom, surrounded by encrusted diamonds.

Blushing, Daniel turned away sheepishly.

“Y-yea, it looks good…”

“Oh, come ooon. What a boring answer.” She says, turning back to the stranger. “We’ll take it!”

Gazing over the various items, Daniel spots a bare-bones, platinum-coloured wristband and picks it up, inspecting it.

“And this please”

“How wonderful! I’m sure you’ll love them, I wish you well in uncovering their mystery! That’ll be 1 Aur 50.”

Begrudgingly, Daniel handed over the cash and sighed before they continued down the market.

Eventually, they made their way back toward the main hall to meet Mr Calton for the allocation of their lodgings. They stood in line behind Guy, he hadn’t left since they’d been dismissed, clearly impatient and excited about his potential future. Although a capable mage, from what Daniel had seen, he wasn’t exactly talent of the century.

***

After having been assigned somewhere to stay, the rest of the day seemed to pass in a blur of celebration and farewells. Daniel wandered the training grounds of the academy with Kana, their conversation ranging from their fights to idle speculation about the academy. They passed Zephyr, on his way to something apparently urgent judging by the vigour with which he was walking. Guy was nearby too, chatting animatedly with a few of the other competitors who hadn’t made the cut but seemed to be in high spirits, nonetheless.

As they entered the guest accommodation, they veered off from each other on their way to their rooms. Daniel on the fourth floor, and Kana on the second.

By the time evening fell, Daniel found himself cosied up in his bed, the invitation to the academy resting in his hands as he held it above his head. The embossed seal gleamed in the dim light, a tangible reminder of how far he’d come - and how much further he still had to go.

He turned it over in his hands. A slow smile spread across his face, equal parts determination, and anticipation. The Thread Trials may be over, but his position still wasn’t certain. No information was allowed to leak on the entrance exam so for all he knew, the worst was yet to come.