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Chapter 41
“So..”, Ezabel wondered aloud. “..is this right?”, she fidgeted with a scroll from the shelf beside her. Along with Soren, she had come to this particular section of the northern library in order to browse its catalog of known spell circles. Some, of course, were not recorded in such a place due to their ‘potency’. But, in general, a good majority of spells had been listed in the library’s many archives.
It was thanks to Soren’s status as an Attendant that they were able to make it past a metal doorway that gated off the rest of the place. Comparatively, it was far smaller and far quieter. The distance between bookcases hardly allowed even a single person to walk, much less two. So, Ezabel and her enthusiasm took the lead. Her ‘preparation’ had very quickly become a chance to window shop. To find a suitable ‘beginner spell’ was the purpose she had explained to Soren. But, it quickly became obvious to him that she was far more interested in simply gazing upon the collection’s vastness.
“I thought you said you wanted to find a fire spell, something easy to learn?”, Soren responded. He stood tall against the bookcases and stared curiously at her.
“Yeah, I did. Why?”
“That’s a blueprint of the amphitheater.”
“Oh.”, Ezabel gave it a second look, just to be sure. Then, she discarded it on a random shelf.
“The spell circles are over here.”, Soren gestured to his portion of the space, where a number of shorter bookcases stood. They held within them a great number of rolled parchment that nearly came off of their shelves. Many were old and tattered while others seemed brand new.
Ezabel was quick to make her way over, that is, until she realized that there was no room for her to walk by Soren. She was a bit too hasty and it brought her a little too close to bumping into him. She laughed nervously and took a step back. To which, Soren replied by making as much space as he could for her to pass.
“S-sorry..”, Ezabelt muttered under her breath. It was her intention to say it clearly, but nerves got the better of her. She lifted a finger and brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she squeezed by, doing her best to press against the bookcase.
“Not a problem. You’ll find a few fire spells on that shelf.”
When she was clear, Ezabel stepped avidly towards the collection of scrolls. She was quick to lean onto her side, bending to the right so that she could look into the low standing cabinet. A thin, undisturbed layer of dust blanketed the entire row. Her fingers reached in and plucked one at random. A considerable amount of the dust had stuck onto the parchment which made for a strange texture, but in the end, Ezael unfurled the scroll. It was rigid and felt close to cracking. An aged, yellow hue dominated its surface. And, written wide across it was the image of a spell circle.
It was made in black ink, or what Ezabel assumed to be black ink. It was very clearly gray now. Nevertheless, the spell circle took up the entirety of the scroll with its structure. Its line may have faded to a certain degree, but the details remained true and obvious. It was simple, perhaps a hair above spell circles carved across sealstone ovens.
“What about this one?”, Ezabel turned to Soren and held the scroll for him to see. In terms of spellcraft, she had no idea about what she was looking at. It was a spell circle, obviously, but its purpose was something she could not even begin to guess.
“Not bad.”, he shrugged. “But, a little slow.”
“Slow? What do you mean?”
“May I?”
When Soren stepped over to her, Ezabel gently placed the scroll into his outstretched palm. After a quick glance, he set it on top of the bookcase which stood only to his waist. A dim light soon manifested from his wrist and set a distinct glow against the room. - Ezabel fell speechless. Her gaze fell to his wrist, where the magic of his knightstone sifted softly into the space. Then, she followed it until she found his eyes, which were rich with the same pale light.
She had seen it before in Leonora and Auguste. It was a sight that was powerful and imposing. Yet, Soren exhibited a far less frightening version of it. Somehow, his eyes were softer but still retained the dense presence of power.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
He placed his hand across the surface of the scroll, directly flat at the center. At once, magic from his knightstone began to course through his body, down his fingertips and into the lines of the spell circle. It was the first time that Ezabel had ever seen the process up close, which made things far clearer than ever before.
When the entirety of the circle glowed with the magic of Soren’s knightstone, it began to hum. In response, Soren activated the spell that it weaved. First came the crackling of a fire, it was quiet, like the dying embers of a torch. Then, in a flash, Soren’s hand ignited. A red flame covered it like a glove, which he waved slowly from side to side.
Ezabel was worried at first, but it was strange to see that it did not burn him in the slightest. Instead, he wielded it freely and showed no sign of pain.
“This spell doesn’t seem to have a name..”, Soren stated as he eyed the scroll. “..doesn’t look like there’s any mention of a creator either.”
“Is it supposed to have them?”
“Generally. Though, I suppose it doesn’t matter.”, he closed his hand into a fist at once. The flames were extinguished immediately. “Compared to other spells, it’s not the most useful.”
“Maybe I can light a campfire, or slap someone around with it.”, Ezabel said innocently.
“There are better spells for both.”, Soren shook his head and smiled. “Anyway, is there a reason why you are looking for a fire spell?”, he asked as he rolled the scroll back up.
Ezabel’s gaze slowly drifted aside. “There was a moment in Angoulet, when I was about to be struck by that monster..”, she paused for a moment, unsure of whether or not her account was reliable. “..I felt a sudden flame rise in my hands. It was bright and I couldn’t see much. It helped me stop it, but that’s about as much as I could remember.”
Soren listened with diligence as he stowed the scroll back into the bookcase below. His attention was solely on Ezabel, evidenced by his studying of her tone. “Do you remember using a spell circle?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think I did..”, Ezabel shook her head.
“Then, let's keep looking. Maybe we can find something that will help you remember.”
°°
The striking of the chains sounded for the final time as the main gate of the citadel opened wide into the city. Whatever worry could have plagued the candidates at that moment was quickly forgotten as the call of the townsfolk hurried through the threshold like a thick gust of wind. All looked on ahead with raised heads and tipped toes.
Among Group Eight, Ezabel, Dani, and Hubert were placed in the center. It left them struggling to look ahead save for the fleeting glimpses they were afforded by a brief hop or two. Despite that, they could hear the sound of Gracewind proper and it thrust upon them an excitement like no other.
As a row of five, Gilford and Kieren were placed on the flanks. It was they that were going to be closest to the sidewalk and the people. They were, after all, 3rd Line candidates as Zo had revealed. Dani, while being another 3rd Line candidate, had elected to give up her claim on either of those spots in favor of standing next to her friend. Ezabel, as a 4th Line candidate, stood at the center along with Hubert. He too dreaded the fact that he had been ranked so low.
Nevertheless, the way they had all been arranged by the Keepers mattered little in the end. The joy was the same all around and the route to the amphitheater was taken by all, regardless of rank. - Around the candidates came a line of town guards that encompassed each side of the procession. They had been draped in full plate and armed with tower shields. It was they that led the parade and ushered its beginning.
“Where’s Zo?”, Ezabel asked aloud as she hopped into the air, just enough to see over the shoulders before her.
“He went on ahead to the amphitheater. This parade is just for us candidates!”, Dani replied, also whilst in the midst of her own hopping.
A symphony of horns blared into the evening sky and the call for the start of the parade came forth. Through the gate, the procession started off along a lengthy stone causeway. It spanned the distance between the Citadel and the neighboring cityside, which stood below it against a rocky slope.
As the candidates stepped across the gate and onto the causeway, the view suddenly opened wide before them. The entire evening horizon was covered by the capital’s skyline, which itself had been lit with a sea of lanterns. It was a grand sight that greeted each row of the procession as they slowly descended.
As the silhouettes of the candidates in front of Ezabel began to fall low, her eyes glistened with a thousand orange flickers. They were magical, awe-inspiring, and even tear jerking. She was speechless. No where else in the realm could she find this sensation. It was everything she had ever imagined since youth. She may not have been an Attendant, but this moment made her feel just as important.
Ezabel clenched her fists from the delight. She could not wait to make her way through the city. Already was there an innumerable amount of sights to see, people to greet, and places to be. When it came time for her to move forward, she did so with utter delight. There might have even been a small spurt of skipping in place.
The crossing of the causeway was brief. No longer did the walls of the Citadel shield them from the soothing wind of the streets, though it was a refreshing thrill of cold anyway. Ezabel’s largest episode of elation came when she touched down onto the Windroad. The cobblestones at her feet were entirely uneven thanks to the wear and tear of use. But, it was not they that had grabbed her attention.
Like a gentle snowfall, a drizzle of white began to trickle down from what seemed to be the sky above. At once, came the thick aromatic grace of flowers; it fluttered through the street like a wisp of smoke. It took several moments for Ezabel to process her senses. But, when she did, the realization came like a thundering horse.
Falling gently above her and the procession, brushing lightly against their uniforms, and blanketing the road was a soft flow of white, were the petals of sword bells. They danced in and out of her view and captured her admiration in its entirety. This was what it felt like to be celebrated. This was tradition. It was more than enough to see Ezabel teary eyed. There was no embarrassment or anxiety; no need to hide and no sense of fright. She was proud.
A smile broke wide on her lips as she chuckled to herself. To think that this had finally become reality; her heart was brimming with appreciation for the people and the realm. They waved baskets and handfuls of petals, tossing them into the air like a bundle of fall leaves. The whistles and cheers of the crowd chimed high above and mingled with the brilliant luminosity of the moon.
It did not matter what happened before or after. This was a moment to remember for the rest of her life.
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