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Chapter 52
For Ezabel, it was difficult to describe the weight that she so inexplicably felt when Atalanta was mentioned. There was fear and there was uncertainty. The Cardinal was an enormous presence that Ezabel knew she could not face as she was then. It was even difficult to imagine having a conversation with Atalanta. Ezabel could not read her face nor her body language. She was altogether an enigma.
The only thing that Ezabel was sure of, was Atalanta’s reputation as the most powerful sorceress in the entire Order. Such a person could not be avoided. Sooner or later, she would undoubtedly become an obstacle in her path. She only hoped that it would be far later than not.
The thought drifted in her mind as her steps echoed across the long, stone hallway. She had not yet come to this particular part of the Citadel, but Soren insisted that they began the day’s work in a space that was far from the rest of the keep’s inhabitants. The previous night had been long and the fatigue of socialization was still clear on her face. With any luck, she would have the morning to herself and Soren. She did not have much energy left to put on a veil of curiosity for anyone else new.
On another note, Ezabel felt genuine excitement to officially begin what she considered to be her training. She had initially believed Leland to be the one overseeing her development here in the Citadel, to which she was surprisingly receptive. Despite his indifferent and lazy nature, he was apparently a very talented Attendant. But, she was disappointed to learn that Leland had placed her training in Soren’s hands. It was not by any fault of Soren’s, of course. To be given such a task surely meant that he was far more capable than not. Yet, Ezabel could not help but feel somewhat cast aside.
Nevertheless, she steeled herself for the morning. Before having left her room, she went through the same routine she always had before any sort of training. It was a pattern she had developed out of habit during her time in Alm. Bastion and Xavier were committed teachers and required every ounce of effort she had. - It started with the thorough stretching of her body, from head to toe. It was the only way she could ever feel limber straight out of bed. Then, it was always important that she washed away the night with a brisk splash of cold water. This morning however, she spent quite a bit of time in front of the sink. She practically washed herself awake with a river.
It might have been because of her nerves. Perhaps not. But, all she worried about now was whether or not she had come to the right place. At some point, while being lost in thought, the hallway had led Ezabel outside. The walls around her had become the makings of a stone veranda. It lined the boundaries of a verdant garden within which was a wide grass clearing. It should not have been a surprise at this point, but the vast amount of sword bells that dotted the garden still found her in wonder. To anyone else, this phenomenon of flowers was an absolute rarity reserved for this time of the year. But, to Ezabel, it very quickly became a trademark of Gracewind. She absolutely adored it. She did not realize that all of it would be gone in a week’s time.
Every bit of the garden swayed lazily within whatever breeze managed to weave into the confines of the Citadel’s walls. Even the tall hedgerows around drifted to and from. From the veranda, she stepped into the sunlight. The way her shoulders melted under its warmth nearly had her falling to her knees. It had not dawned on Ezbel until that moment just how cold the interior of the Citadel was. It was like jumping into a natural hot spring or taking the first sip of a hardy soup; it was entirely satisfying.
The satisfaction did not last long, however, and it very quickly became confusion. To her surprise, Dani stood amidst the greenery. She idled by, occasionally looking around for something. Was she also here for her training? It was safe to assume that every candidate would be spending the beginning part of the day preparing for the evening’s trial, but she had not anticipated for anyone else to be here. Soren had specifically said that he chose such a place so that they could be isolated.
Before she knew it, Ezabel had caught Dani’s eye. They exchanged a startled expression but very quickly put them away in order to greet each other with a wave. Not knowing what else to do, Ezabel made her way towards the center of the garden clearing.
“Good morning, Ezabel!”, Dani quickly shouted.
“Good morning! - Where were you last night? I didn’t see you at all after we got to the ballroom.”
“Oh, yeah.”, Dani scratched her chin. “After I went to get some food, Leland pulled me aside. I think he wanted to talk to me about my training.”
“How did that go? Is he being hard on you?”
“No, not quite. A keeper pulled him away before he could even begin. I could not hear much of their conversation, but I think something big happened last night. - I also saw Leonora walk out of the ballroom at the same time. She looked pretty concerned.”
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“Do you know what happened? Are they okay?”
Ezabel’s mind began to spin without so much as a warning. Dani’s tone of voice was genuinely concerning and it did not mesh well with Ezabel’s inability to avoid overthinking. Fortunately, before she could even lose herself in thought, Soren arrived.
He came through an opening in the Veranda and nodded toward the two of them. There was a kindness about his face that had the unusual ability to push away Ezabel’s anxiety. And it could not have been better timed. Even Dani brushed aside their conversation.
“Good morning, ladies.”, Soren nodded. “I know the day has only just begun, but I think it’s important that we use this time as best as we can. Are you two ready to begin?”
“W-wait.”, Dani perked up. “I thought Leland was going to be helping me, is he okay?”
“Unfortunately, an important matter has called him away. He has left you in my hands for the time being. - But, he’s fine, so there’s no need to worry.”
While Leland was apparently ‘fine’, Soren’s words only served to push more curiosity onto Ezabel. What could have happened? More importantly, was it going to change their situation? This arrangement could very well be temporary, but Ezabel had a strange feeling that Leland was never going to be any help in the end.
“I see..”, Dani muttered. “..then I’ll try my best to keep up with you, Soren.”
“I’m told that you are both astute learners. I’m sure neither of you will have any trouble. Still, don’t be afraid to ask any questions you might have.”
Ezabel had hardly any time to process the sudden change in events. So, she followed Soren without another thought when he began to lead them deeper into the garden. Overhead, the hanging branches of many oak trees began to hide away the crisp, blue sky. Below, old roots slowly pushed away the lawn in favor of a far more worn woodland floor. It was almost like there was a small pocket of forest in the middle of the garden.
It soon became clear that it was a space that was often used for ‘practice’. Both Ezabel and Dani let their gazes drift against the space. There were divots in the ground and heavy disturbances in the brush. This was not some well maintained leisurely garden. It was heavily used and heavily beaten.
“Good morning!”, a small voice suddenly shouted.
It called from above, to which they soon lifted their heads. Sat with his small feet dangling off of a thin branch was Zo. He held tight in his grasp a scroll that was as tall as he. With it, he floated down with a bright smile.
“I asked Zo to give us a hand.”, Soren explained before turning to the spirit. “Let's begin.”
At once, before Ezabel or Dani could even greet him, Zo unfurled the scroll and placed it flat against the dirt below. A spell circle revealed itself then and there, atop which Zo soon pressed his paws. The golden aura around him grew bright, then, it suddenly dimmed. His ear twitched.
“Wait.”, he hesitated. “You all might want to take a step back!”
Soren chuckled and moved off to the side, closer to the treeline. Dani and Ezabel followed suit, entirely unsure of what was about to unfold. When Zo returned his paws to the spell circle, his silhouette once again grew a bright gold. The magic around his tiny body then fed into the scroll, where the details of the spell circle lit up in totality. The ground began to rumble beneath their feet. It shook from side to side and made their knees so unsteady that lifting a single foot would probably mean falling. Ezabel and Dani braced themselves low while Soren stood patiently.
Not a second later, a host of stone boulders began to spring slowly from the ground. They were covered in dirt and torn roots. Most striking however, was their size. Each boulder stood taller than even Soren and casted a great shadow underneath their frame. They were dense and felt as if nothing could move them. Not even with a hundred horses could a single one of these rocks be shifted in the slightest, Ezabel thought.
When the ground settled, Soren took a step towards the garden of boulders. Before the first one, he turned and gave a glance towards Ezabel and Dani.
“I’m sure by now, you both have been well acquainted with the enormous possibilities of spellcraft. To be able to shape magic from the Echo and do something like this is a powerful tool in the arsenal of an Attendant.”, Soren stated.
“We are!”, Dani’s eyes lit up with excitement. This was perhaps going to be the first official lesson she would receive on the subject of spellcraft. The fact that it was going to be given by a real Attendant was all the more riveting. “Is that what we’re doing today?”
“Not quite.”, Soren answered bluntly.
Without warning, the knightstone embedded within his bracer came to life. It was a subtle glow that appeared, dimmer than even that of Zo. Yet, it caused within Soren’s eyes, a magnificently intimidating glimmer of white. Both of the candidates had seen this many times before in Alm and here in the capital. But, it was the first time it was ever shown to them with full intent.
“Spellcraft is responsible for many of the miracles an Attendant can perform. But, before you can even think about shaping the Echo, you must learn to condition your body to accept its strength.”
There were no words between Ezabel and Dani. They were both equally attentive and gave Soren every bit of their focus as he began to speak into the array of boulders.
“The Echo is volatile. From it comes raw power that can be used to do most anything. It is dangerous in the wrong hands and fatal in the inexperienced. But..”, Soren’s head of silver dangled across his eyes as he looked over his shoulder. “..when you learn to be one with this power, it will course through your veins as easily as your blood does now.”
Soren trained his gaze towards the closest boulder.
“With it, our bodies can achieve what should be impossible. With it, we can do things like this..”
Without warning, Soren fired his fist into the boulder before him. His speed was astonishing and his precision was incomprehensible. But, the most staggering of all was the destruction that he so easily caused. The boulder was devastated on impact with a sound so loud that it practically ripped the air around them. In all directions, the rock shattered like glass.
Ezabel’s lips broke from the sight. She did not even bother to shield herself from the hail of stone. A cocktail of apprehension, excitement, and hope washed over her. Soren met her gaze then and there. This was the power she read about for so long. This was the power she hoped to gain.
“Are you ready?”
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