----------------------------------------
Chapter 27
Not since the day Xavier left Alm did Ezabel see her eldest brother in the flesh. His voice had been unknown to her for the past four years. And, all semblances of her connection with him during that time were through letters. He was a busy man, that much was obvious when Ezabel realized that his letters would come only when there was big news to share.
The first came upon his official joining of the Order. He had passed the trials in expert fashion and garnered the eager eyes of many who wished to follow his career. ‘Genius’ was one among many labels that were placed upon him. Even in the secluded north, Xavier’s celebrity took little time to reach Ezabel’s ears.
The second, and last letter she received had come when he was officially made a member of the Rose Brigade. The people of Alm were ecstatic of course, that one of their own had become a figure that matched legend. If there was any proper way to measure Xavier’s talent, it would be by this very achievement. He had been recognized as one of the Order's finest.
‘I will make you and Vance proud.’; that was how his last letter had ended. And, it was those very words that echoed in Ezabel’s head when she met Leonora’s gaze. Yet, she was still confused. What did Leonora mean? Why did she ask? And, what did it matter?
The spell circle at the Attendant’s fingertips began to stabilize and resonated a low, arcane howl. It was similar to the sound that seal stones made when they powered a piece of magitech. Only, this was far more potent.
“I haven’t seen or spoken to him since he left Alm.”, Ezabel muttered reluctantly. She realized that Leonora may, at this point, be better acquainted with Xavier than she was.
“Then, I suppose you two have a lot to catch up on.”, Leonora replied before Ezabel could think any further.
“What do you mean?”
“Come closer.”, Leonora gestured with a small nod. “This is a spell circle I devised myself, although it’s partially based on the ideas of a few of my predecessors.”, she admitted subtly.
“What does it do?”, Ezabel made her way to the dais. The milky glow of the circle brushed over her already fair skin. She may have been hesitant, but there was no doubting her enthusiasm that lingered underneath. Through Leonora’s knightstone, magic from the Echo had manifested fully in front of her eyes. It laid there, like a lazy river of water that moved about slowly in the curves of the spell circle.
“With this, I can conjure a spell that allows me to communicate with anyone I choose..”, Leonora paused. “..so long as I have incorporated a piece of their spirit into this spell circle. Those in my Brigade are such individuals, including Xavier.”
Ezabel nearly forgot to breathe. A drop of joy had disrupted her timid expression. It was almost enough to coax a tear out of her. Her being in Gracewind, the trials soon to come, and her reunion with family. Everything seemed to be coming together. To her, there was no feeling quite like having life finally agree with you.
“May I!?”, Ezbael suddenly spurted out. She leaned forward and her fists were balled from the excitement.
“Of course!”, Leonora smiled and gestured for Ezabel to join her beside the humming spell. “Xavier was supposed to be here for the festivities, but there was business that required his attention. So, he sent Auguste and I in his stead.”
“Where is he now?”
“Our Brigade is stationed in the town of Redwater, in the Valley of Lords. Xavier is there.”
Aside from a small mention in Xavier’s last letter, the town of Redwater was unknown to Ezabel. The Valley of Lords, however, was a common moniker for the region of Caellum which sat east of the capital. She had become well acquainted with its history after having read a dozen stories that were set within its mountainous boundaries.
For her own brother to be out in the world and working in a place that she had read about all her life; it was just another reminder that the things they set out to achieve were more than attainable. They were an eventuality. Or at least, that is what her brief moment of confidence told.
There were so many things that Ezabel hoped to ask him and even more that she wanted to share. They made laps around her mind and pulled her focus in and out of the present.
“How do we start?”, she asked with an eager face.
Leonora did not respond, not with her voice, that is. Instead, she turned her attention to the dark stone surface. Her wrist turned and caused the bright silhouette of the spell circle to lift from the dais. It began to hover slightly above the dark stone, where it swayed slowly in place. It revolved around the two like a ring of cautious light. A gentle swell lifted her cloak and caught the loose strands of blonde around her face.
Even in the midst of conjuring, the Attendant had placed Ezabel toward the center of the encompassing spell with her free hand.
“There’s no need for you to do anything, just relax and stay within the bounds of the circle.”, Leonora instructed as she eyed the rings of light around.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
It was like a dome, and within it was another world entirely. To Ezabel’s best knowledge, this was what a piece of the Echo looked like. A peaceful, light, and still place that was set apart from the rest of the world. And, of course, it was a space filled with the tones of magic.
She looked to the ceiling, where the spell raised. Everything became matted over by a wall of luminosity. Then, Leonora closed her eyes to focus. There was a brief moment of nothingness. Only the drone of the spell could be heard. In an instant, came the whistle of wind.
Leonora opened her eyes and gave to the air before her a gentle smile. It was warm, and to Ezabel’s knowledge, it was uncharacteristic of the firm Attendant. Her lips parted, as if to speak, but her words were interrupted.
“Leonora.”, in the same room, Xavier’s voice called out of the nothingness.
Ezabel’s spirit lifted. His voice sounded just as she remembered, only it felt more mature, if that was even possible. There was experience in his tone and authority in his subtle delivery. It felt as if he was standing right before them. The clarity was almost unbelievable. To think that such a spell was possible. Ezabel agreed fully at that moment, that Leonora’s reputation as a rising talent was incredibly accurate.
“Do you have something to report?”, Xavier added. It was blunt and very quickly found Leonora’s smile sinking away.
“C-captain.”, Leonora nodded. “No, I’ve no news to share. But--.”
“How is your recovery?”
Ezabel’s attention fell to Leonora, who seemed much less assertive than before. In fact, there was something familiar about her at that moment. Whether she was nervous or flustered, it was hard to tell. But, it reminded Ezabel strangely of the habits she had when uncertain.
“It’s going well. I’m practically back at full strength, it was nothing, really-!”, a faint pink hovered on Leonora’s cheeks.
“What of Auguste?”, Xavier interrupted again.
“U-um..”, Leonora hesitated. “Auguste is still looking into it, just as you asked. But, he has nothing to report at this time either.”
Ezabel perked a brow. She knew business when she heard it, even if the conversation was between two people she felt relatively comfortable with. ‘It’? What were they talking about exactly? Was Xavier searching for something?
The thought only served to remind her of their collective curiosity. ‘The One Armed Knight’. Was that the ‘It’ they referred to? Ezabel was already overjoyed to hear her brother’s voice, but her excitement only lifted when the rush of questions came roaring to the forefront of her mind. But, how was she to start? Xavier did not even know she was there listening. Was she to simply interrupt their exchange? Should she announce herself then and there?
She practically swayed in place out of her deliberation, which Leonora gave a quick glance to.
“Then contact me again when you’ve made progress. I have other matters to tend to.”
“Apologies, captain..”, Leonora hesitated. “..but I do have something for you at the moment!”
“What is it?”
Leonora turned to Ezabel, who looked on with wide eyes. Xavier was always stern, but something was off about him now. As if, he spoke with less compassion and far more command. It was slightly intimidating, and Ezabel found less comfort than she thought she would.
“There’s someone here who would like to have a word with you.”, Leonora reassured her with a smile.
“Um..”, Ezabel took a revitalizing breath. “..hello, Xavier.”. Her voice was soft and wary.
Silence fell upon the room. Again, only the hum of Leonora’s spell made any noise as the circumstance settled.
“Ezabel? Is that you?”
Xavier had recognized her voice and seemed almost in disbelief. Ezabel could not see him, but it was surpassingly easy for her to picture the astonished look on his face. However, she could only do so in the context of Alm, where she knew him best. Whether he was any different now was still to be determined.
“Yeah, it’s me!”, despite it all, she was thrilled. Four long years and now she was finally returning to some sense of familial solace. She could smell the old stove and the countless pages of Bastion’s bookstore. She could hear the crunching of snow and the splitting of firewood.
“You’re in Gracewind?”, he blurted out. “What are you doing there?”
“I’m about to take part in the trials, just like you and Vance! I told you I wouldn’t fall behind.”, she leaned forward and giggled out a smile. Part of her hoped that he shared in her excitement. She expected some sort of congratulation.
“Leonora.”, Xavier called out.
“Y-yes, captain?”, she responded abruptly.
“Why is my sister with you?”
“She was in Angoulet as a candidate, I proctored her assessment. In truth, she was the one who saved August and I.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me this before?”, Xavier took on a grave tone. “Ezabel, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
Ezabel’s demeanor shifted. Why was he not excited for her? Where was the happiness? They could finally become Attendants together like they had hoped for since childhood.
“I-I’m fine. It was nothing at all! You and Bastion trained me to handle far worse than that thing!”
“No, Ezabel. You could have been killed.”, he cut the exchange then and there. Ezabel fell silent and Leonora could only look on with concern. This was supposed to be a gift of sorts. It was supposed to be an opportunity to raise Ezabel’s morale before the trials. None of it was working out. And, it was clear on Ezabel’s face that she was dismayed.
“Captain, she’s shown promise and I’ve seen what she can do. I don’t know how she’ll do in the trials but I can say that she’s ready.”, Leonora gathered herself and responded in a manner much more akin to that which Ezabel was used to. She was direct and unwavering.
“Being an Attendant is about much more than using a sword.”, Xavier replied, although it was unclear to whom he spoke. “Leonora, you and Auguste are to keep an eye on her. No harm comes to my sister. Prepare her for the trials as best you can.”
“We’re in the capital, what harm is there to be had--?”, Ezabel cried.
“You know we would do that in a heartbeat. But, we can’t.”, Leonora responded. “She has a sponsor. No one else is allowed to be her mentor.”
“She's sponsored? By who?”
“Captain Leland Hart. He offered to escort her to the city and guide her during the festival.”
As far as she could recall, Ezabel had believed Leland was only present to be her sponsor on paper. He was adamant about not having to do any teaching. To her, he was the lazy type and far too nonchalant to care about anyone else other than himself. In fact, he had left her and Dani the very moment they arrived in the Citadel. So then, why did Leonora say that he offered to be her mentor?
“No good will come of his--.”, Xavier paused halfway through his answer. Something had taken his attention away for a brief moment. There was significant change in the air of his voice. He exhaled, then continued. “Apologies, something has come up. - Leonora, contact me when you and Auguste make progress. Ezabel, stay safe. Don’t do anything stupid.”
There were still so many things Ezabel hoped to ask him. How was he doing? Where was Vance? Could they see each other again soon? - It all tried to come out at that very instant. But, Leonora’s spell began to dissipate and the walls of the Citadel slowly manifested around them. Then, she forced out what she hoped to ask most.
“Wait, Xavier!”, Ezabel called out. “Did you find him!?”
The light of Leonora’s knightstone faded and with it went the glow of her spell circle. Her cloak fell limp on her back and all notes of magic disappeared at once.
“I’m sorry, Ezabel. He’s severed the spell.”
----------------------------------------