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Chapter 29

Only once before had Ezabel heard the deafening roar of an endless crowd. It was in a town not far from Alm, though she could hardly remember its name. To her knowledge, she was six or seven years old when Bastion took her and her brothers there. It smelled of raw meat and old pack animals. She had not realized it then, but the reason they stood among countless others in the decrepit town square was due to an open air auction.

Who or what managed the entire thing was beyond Ezabel’s memory. The only thing she could recall was sitting atop Bastion’s shoulders and waving her arms when told to. Xavier was busy standing firm beside him and Vance was stuck hiding between his legs for fear of losing himself in the crowd. It was a blur of a sea of people and sporadic shouting. Frankly, the intensity of the sound hurt her ears to the point that she begged to be put down.

For what reason Bastion had gone there, she could not say. There was a possibility that Xavier remembered, but that was not something she could confirm now. - So, Ezabel sat alone on the edge of her bed. Leonora had left to allow her some time to rest. Moreover, the Attendant mentioned that she had a few responsibilities to tend to concerning the night’s ceremony.

An hour had passed since then, and Ezabel could not help but pass out for a brief spot of time. The bed was entirely too comfortable and the constant rise and fall of her emotions that day had certainly taken its toll on her. It was not her intention to sleep at all, and waking to a bright sun had only caused confusion. It took a bit to gather her bearings and figure out that she had taken a very quick nap.

There was still time until the night’s events. As Leonora explained before leaving, it was a celebration of those who were to take on the trials. A ceremony made for the people and to welcome all that came to Gracewind for the realm’s busiest time of the year. ‘No more than a formality’, as the Attendant stated. There were certainly going to be a lot of people present, but there would also be a good number of candidates to pull their attention away. ‘There is nothing to be nervous about.’

If only that were true. Ezabel could not help but chide Leonora’s words as she sat there on the bed. Nothing for Leonora to worry about perhaps, but she was certainly feeling the pressure. What if she embarrassed herself? The whole city would witness! Or worse, what if the people found her unlikeable!?

She shook her head and loosened her hair. It tumbled down her face and adjusted back to her non sleeping state. Her first instinct was to chase away the uncertainty. As Bastion often said: ‘If you can’t find the confidence, take a walk until you do.’. It was practically his way of saying ‘Calm down.’ or ‘Breathe.’. It may have been simple, but it was Bastion’s advice, and Ezabel never once found it to be poor. - She took in a great breath and exhaled another. Both feet stepped off of the plush bedside and carried her to the uniform.

Aside from her fresh set of regimentals, extra clothes had been given in her wardrobe. They hung neatly and offered themselves as informal wear to be placed underneath. Even so, they still managed to be quite a bit more elevated than what Ezabel currently wore. She did her best to stay clean and put together, but the road had never been defeated. Luckily, a bath was afforded to her in the very same room. Or rather, the room beside it.

To her, it seemed as if everything was precisely designed to the pinnacle of opulence. Most would say that Ezabel’s standards were simply low as the Citadel’s fittings were, in all honesty, quite standard for those of high society. However, none could dispute the single most important luxury that the Citadel was able to offer. Sealstones.

In the bath connected to her room, a tub occupied one half of the space while a bench and a wide mirror took the rest. She had seen it earlier, when Leonora had departed and she decided to nose around the place. But, it was only now that she spied the shimmering surface of a sealstone. It was embedded into a conduit that was trained toward the pool. In an instant, it was clear to her that its purpose was to fill the bath with water.

She had never once been able to experience such an amenity, and yet, here it was ready to be enjoyed. Her chest rose and a spark of excitement carried her forth. Her hands could not press against the sealstone faster. It clicked and plugged itself further into the conduit. Before long, the gem glistened to life and emitted a hum that was soon pushed aside by the sound of a river.

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From the conduit came a flow of clean, pristine water. It splashed into the pool and quickly spread to every single one of its corners. Steam rose, and Ezabel hung her arms over the edge of the bath. It almost felt selfish to enjoy something that the entire village of Alm had not ever once seen, much less use. But, it would have been a waste otherwise. So, a smile cracked on her lips and her judgment called for the immediate use of the Citadel’s first offering to her.

When the pool had filled, she was already shoulder deep in its soothing heat. It moved none, save for what she caused, but it managed to dig deep into sore places and calm the nerves. It had only been a few minutes, but already she wished to stay there forever. It was comfortable, quiet, and the steam was beginning to block out the outside world. It was an escape.

That is, until her refreshed eyes once again caught a glimpse of the sealstone that was responsible for it all. The realization that she knew far too little of the Echo came then. So too did the reminder of her lack of confidence. Like two emeralds, she could spy her own eyes through the thick steam. They stared back at her through the mirror that hung broad on the wall across the bath.

Ezabel was no longer a girl of the countryside. Well, she still saw a bit of it in her face. But, all across her demeanor was the need to grow. The Citadel would chew up and spit out anyone who was not ready for its high demands. And, she was admittedly unsure of whether her reflection could meet them.

Strangely enough, Ezabel was not entirely consumed by her nerves as her appearance may lead many to believe. There was also the rising feeling of excitement that had been bubbling in her gut since the moment she had arrived in Gracewind. All around her in the Citadel was expectation, intimidation, and the unknown. However, the joy of being absolutely encompassed by all of the things she had read about, never left for a second.

Ezabel cradled her shoulders and a smile curled on the corner of her lips. The steam hazed around in circular currents and began to slowly sound like the faraway cheers of adoring crowds. She could be a hero, a figure of legend, an Attendant. It would only take another push.

°°

‘You should get acquainted with it before tonight. Just so you’re not too uncomfortable.’

Leonora’s advice made sense, a lot of it. - The uniform was intricate and certainly required finesse to see every piece worn perfectly. Ezabel had been out of the bath for a short span of time; her hair was still wet and her face glistened. Yet, the jacket of the uniform already hung sloppily around her shoulders. She put it there for the time being. The shirt underneath gave her a few too many problems but she simply could not wait to feel the warmth of the piece of outerwear. Or rather, she could not be patient enough to keep the famous white trademark off of her.

It was frustrating, or a bit unsatisfying to say the least. This was a moment she had imagined over and over again. A day dream that she pictured so often that it was impossible to keep count. She had one boot on right and the other struggled to fit all the way. Her left foot stomped until her foot popped right in. She was too hasty, that much would be clear to any calm minded individual. So hasty, in fact, that her pant legs could not be properly stowed into her boots. They collected at the middle of her shins in a jumbled mess.

How did Leonora make it all seem so effortless? Sure, the uniform would probably look just as good on Ezabel, but why was it being so uncooperative? - It took another spot of fidgeting for things to finally click into place. Luckily, her wet hair had kept her cool through it all and saw that her frustrations failed to latch on. Now, her jacket felt just as she thought it would. It was a piece crafted with near perfect care. Her silhouette was practically the same size, despite the extra layer of fabric; it was thin and light. Yet, anyone who ran a finger across its surface could tell its superb quality.

Ezabel’s gut wanted to burst out of sheer excitement. Her limbs shook and her smile simply refused to go away. A standing mirror beside the living space in her room quickly found itself bombarded with her presence. Careful eyes scanned vigilantly across every curve and every crease of her attire.

There were only two things left, which she held in each hand respectively. The first was the belt, a black, leathery piece that stood out by its golden center. It was unobtrusive, but did just enough to add a touch of finesse. The loop wrapped once and hugged her waist while a secondary band hung loose, slightly off the main belt as a space for various pouches. More importantly, it was the spot on which her blade would eventually hang.

Lastly, silver bracers clasped her wrists. Save for a few decorative pieces on the get up, they were the only sections that were made of metal. And, while the metal itself was unknown to Ezabel, they were surprisingly thin and usable. By her reckoning, they could quite possibly block a sword. - There was a radiance that flickered upon them as she turned her wrists. Not a single scratch ruined their finish and she could even see her own reflection upon them. Yet, the most curious thing about it was the raised portion that was placed on the center of her rightside bracer.

A singular, golden band was embedded around the piece and held forth a small divot. It was empty. Ezabel, however, gazed into it with hope and fire. That was where her knightstone was going to be. When her eyes shine with the light of the echo and course a brilliant force through her body, that small divot will be where her efforts draw from. - Her free hand brushed it over once. There was nothing to clean. No dust. No grime. She simply wanted to feel it against her fingers.

The ensemble was complete. No single thing in the realm, at that moment, was as precious to Ezabel as the regalia on her body. It was noble. It was iconic. It was hers. She may not yet be an Attendant and she may not have any right to claim. But, it was enough of a tangible experience to see the little girl inside her jump with joy.

The only thing left for her to do then was to make her presence at the evening’s ceremony. - The drapes of her balcony blew high into the room and a gust of warm air brushed against her cheek. The evening’s ceremony. Ezabel stared blankly at the clear, blue sky. The day time was still going strong and the evening was nowhere close. - A deep breath passed carefully into her chest. Ezabel, with an unmistakably curious look in her eye, turned for the door.

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