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Chapter 48
The amphitheater erupted in applause at the very moment the dragon collided with the ground. Their faces lifted into the air, entirely exhilarated by the sudden shower of crimson specks that flickered like cinders. But, as soon as their light faded from the air, the glow of the amphitheater suddenly dimmed. No longer was their music or the exciting sounds of a performance. There was only the curious chatter of the audience. It lingered for a moment until their interest was pulled away by the activation of a large spell circle across the theater floor.
“Looks like it’s time.”, Soren stated aloud for Leonora and Leland to hear.
Together, the pair of Attendants returned to the balcony of their lofted seats. Leonora leaned over the ledge and placed both arms against it to rest. Leland, in contrast, stood upright and focused his attention on the center of the theater. It was a strange sight for Leonora. Leland was typically so laid back and carefree. His posture was never earnest and his priorities were always questionable. Yet, at that very moment, everything about him seemed to be the opposite. It was as if he was another person entirely.
Below, the spell circle glowed with an ivory light, which could very quickly be traced back to the four Attendants that stood around it. Their hands had been lifted in unison and their knightstones activated to bring the spell to life. As a unit, they executed the spell and maintained it with calm strength. At once, it triggered a fierce quake which saw that the main floor of the amphitheater split open. Initially, it was worrying. But, in time, it was clear to all that the spell was intended to mold the land into a lofted platform.
It rose slowly and the sound of falling dirt meshed with the curious conversations of the crowd. It took several moments, but the spell itself was entertaining nonetheless. Not often did the people of Ardyn bear witness to true spellcraft, performed by Attendant Knights who had honed their craft for a considerable amount of time. It was entirely different to the spectacle of a piece of magitech. Whereas sealstones and magitech were ordinary in their use, spell craft as a whole was an art. It allowed an Attendant to manipulate the Echo in a way that could make anything possible, should that Knight be so talented.
So, the audience gazed on in complete excitement as the ground lifted and formed a flat, wide dais. But, it was then that a second spell circle appeared on top of the shaped ground. It may have been significantly smaller than the first, but it was far brighter. Its hum took over the entire theater and went louder than even the crowd. Fortunately, it was brief. Its spectacle ceased within seconds and left in its wake, a massive plume of smoke.
Leland perked a brow at the theatrics, but did not move any more than that. He knew from the start of this whole thing that the candidates would be brought in soon. So, his gaze remained focused on the newly constructed dais, where he expected this year’s class of candidates to arrive.
In a flash of white light, the dais manifested an enormous handful of pale silhouettes, their shapes were true and obvious. Then, in a second, each and every candidate had been summoned onto the dais in a loud roar of magic. The audience’s reaction was immediate, they even stepped onto their seats for a better look at the candidates. Everyone scanned the group and many already established a favorite among them. Someone to cheer on and possibly live vicariously through.
Of course, they had no idea who they were or what their names could be, but they now represented the heroism of the realm and the ideals of its people. They were in a place that every child and every adult wished to be in. They were right to celebrate them. - It was a ruckus of admiration and a shower of praise. Which was finally accompanied by an even more impressive rain of petals across the entire amphitheater.
Ezabel stood at the center of Group Eight, which had been reassembled towards the front of the class. She stood tall and proud. Or, at least, she wanted to. The spell that had taken her here was quite the experience. It twisted her stomach and threw her balance off for several seconds. Fortunately, she did not stumble any which way. It would have been supremely embarrassing to have done so in front of such a massive audience.
Her doe eyes gazed upward at the drizzle of flowers. It made her smile every time and blessed her with a warm sense of appreciation. This was something she would most likely never experience again in her life, regardless of her success here. So, she took it upon herself to absorb the entire experience. There was not a single portion of the amphitheater that her gaze did not stop on. It went from one end to the next and fell finally atop the center of the seats, where a large stone space had been constructed.
Amidst the petals, Ezabel could see that it was a unique box, made solely for the use of very important individuals. One of which appeared without so much as a peep. Under the noise of the applause and the veil of sword bells, a man dressed in a brilliant white and red robe rose to the top of the box and took a seat on a singular chair built upon it. From this distance, Ezabel could see a healthy head of gray hair, which was kept short and swept to the side. On his face was an equally gray beard which sat short on his facade.
At once, he placed his arm against the armrest and leaned his cheek against his palm. Around him was a retinue of heavily armed guards and advisors that were dressed eerily similar to Priam. There were a good handful of them and they lingered at the man’s side, holding hushed conversations as they stood.
There was no question about it. Ezabel knew exactly who he was. It would have been dumb of her not to know, in fact. He was none other than Raziel Skyward, the High King of Ardyn, in the flesh. Never once did Ezabel think that her first glimpse of the king would be at a celebration of her own. In truth, she never thought she would see him at all! The title of High King seemed so far away, unreachable. As if it was an entity that existed beyond the realm and instead, ruled over it from a place in the sky. Was that so unrealistic or unrelatable? Perhaps. It could have been a result of her reading one too many stories.
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Still, it was an absolute treat to be able to watch the king assume his place amongst the crowd and view the spectacle as a member of an audience. Especially since Ezabel herself was a part of the main celebration.
“There she is!”, Leonora stated as she began to get a little jumpy. She would never admit to having been jittery from the excitement, but she was in the end. Her blonde locks waved to and from as she leaned forward over the ledge. There was no way that it would have offered her a better look at the candidates, but she did so anyway out of pure joy. Part of her wished that Xavier could have come in the first place so that he could witness his little sister become an Attendant, just as he did several years ago. But, she knew that he was a busy man, and one that did not allow the festivities to get in the way or continue his responsibility of keeping the people safe. Luckily, his personality was well balanced by Leonora’s own attitude. Which was the main reason why Leland had so often teased.
“Settle down, she can’t hear us down there.”, Leland uttered with his arms crossed. Not once did he look her way, His eyes were locked onto Ezabel from the moment the candidates all appeared. There was something new about her, as if there was a sudden change in her attitude or the way she carried her physical self. Leland could not help but stay observant then, even if he had hoped to sit and kick his legs up by now.
“Fine, fine.”, Leonora muttered. “But, don’t tell me you’re not excited now. This is the first time you have sponsored anyone. A lot of eyes will be on them and you.”
“Wonderful, they’ll be able to see me in all of my glory.”, Leland smirked. “But of course, they already know who I am. I should stay away and save the praise for Ezabel and Dani.”
Leonora’s attention suddenly went to Dani, who stood waiving beside Ezabel. “Are you worried for Dani? She’s had some issues in Angoulet, I don’t see how she’ll be able to get past the Last Labor if she remains the same.”
“What can I do? The girls tricked me into getting them here.”
“Can you help them? You know, like a mentor does?”
“Yeah, yeah. - Don't worry about any of us. We’ll be just fine.”, Leland shrugged off the topic.
Below, Ezabel’s gaze was stuck on the High King, who remained in the same position or similar for quite some time. But, when the rain of petals began to thin and the hushing of the crowd was prompted by something Ezabel could not quite see, her eyes shifted away.
She looked around and hoped to find some sort of focus for her attention. It was only when she spied the direction in which many members of the crowd had looked, that she decided to follow. Beside the King’s box was another, higher platform. It was there that the amphitheater suddenly gave its focus.
Ezabel watched in anticipation as it was clear that the ceremony would continue from there. And, she was right. - All sounds fell low, low enough for her to hear the distinct sounds of clicking boots. It came at an unhurried pace, but was nonetheless a growing presence with every step. The entire class of candidates gazed upward at the platform, it faced them head on like a lectern or a dais.
Soon, a womanly shape made itself known atop it. She was tall, perhaps a head taller than Ezabel by her own estimation. A lithe figure hugged her presence, which itself was draped over by a crimson red cloak. Long, curled locks cascaded down to her chest, where a red dress hung bright. When the woman made her final step towards the ledge of the platform, her ruby lips came into view, just beneath a set of amber eyes that stared down upon the candidates.
She brought with her a beautiful menace. It was frightening to be in her sights, yet the sight of her was exceedingly impressive. Ezabel, at once, was intimidated. There was not even a single glance exchanged between them and already was she beginning to feel anxious. This woman was, without a doubt, Atalanta Silverton. The Cardinal. The most powerful sorceress in the Order. Dani did not even have to confirm it.
Atalanta was the ideal in so many aspects. Which only served to make her unattainable, without equal. Yet, despite the intimidation, Ezabel could not help but feel an underlying sense of admiration for Atalanta. She was, by her account, everything that she hoped to be. She was everything that Ezabel did not have. Confidence, presence, knowledge, and skill. This was the first time in which she had laid eyes on the Cardinal, but already did Ezabel know that she was a woman beyond anything she could ever imagine. Not even the books of her youth ever had someone so supreme.
It was enough to make Ezabel nearly forget where exactly she was and what it was she was there to do. - The audience fell silent as Atalanta laid her palms wide against the ledge. Her posture was perfect. She was a noblewoman in every sense of the word, so much so that it made many other important bloodlines seem like lowborn rats. - Her lips parted and he chest raised high.
“On behalf of Raziel Skyward, High King of Ardyn, it is my honor to welcome the candidates of this year’s selection trials!”, Atalanta’s voice was pristine and flowed with a commanding air. Yet, it somehow managed to remain unemotional. At once, the crowd erupted in applause. “You have all come a long way to reach this point. A hero’s journey is not one of fame or fortune. It is that which is taken for the sake of the people. Know now, that when you embark on this journey, you do so without a single selfish thought in mind. To be an Attendant is to serve. Always must your resolve be poised to act in the defense of the realm.”
Ezabel held her breath without even realizing it. Atalanta spoke with elegance and control. Not a single word was shaky and not a single sentence was off beat. To think someone could be so masterful. Ezabel longed to meet her. She hoped that, with some luck, she would be able to pick her brain. It was strange to think about, much less say, that Atalanta was exactly the woman Ezabel hoped to be in the future.
“Isn’t she a little scary?”, Dani whispered under her breath. She stared up at the platform but her head was clearly tilted toward Ezabel.
“A little?”, Ezabel whispered back with a perked brow. Her eyes too remained on Atalanta and the platform whilst she joined the conversation. “But..”, she hesitated. “..she’s also kind of amazing to me..”
“What? What do you mean? It feels like she’s staring right through me as we speak.”
“She’s not just an Attendant Knight, she’s a Cardinal! Her spellcraft is probably more powerful than anything we could imagine. And, she’s gorgeous. I hope I look just like her when I hit that age. - I don’t think she’s scared of anything. Better yet, I don’t think she would be scared to say anything to anyone, maybe even the High King!”
It was clear now that Ezabel was a little too impressed by Atalanta Silverton. Dani perked a brow and was beginning to feel worried for her friend.
“Ezabel stop, you're getting distracted. You’re going to have to focus on yourself as much as you can this week!”, Dani leaned in and whispered a little louder. “Ezabel?”
It was at that moment when Ezabel’s gaze was caught by Atalanta’s piercing, amber eyes. It was brief and yet, it flattened her confidence. The very notion of being looked down upon by such an impressive individual was soul shattering. So, why then could Ezabel not pull away? Even when she began to feel contempt from Atalanta’s glare, she felt the need to watch her. It was a strain on her mind, it ached at her temples. With both hands she hoped to cradle her head, but then within them came the frightening heat of a flame. But, when she looked, there was nothing between her fingers. The image of the crystal below beckoned.
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