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Chapter 54
This was nothing like the first time Ezabel held a knightstone in Angoulet, mostly because she could hardly even remember picking it up then. It was a memory clouded in chaos and violence. The only thing she could recall was the feeling of her heart nearly pounding out of her chest. This time, there was only quiet. A swift breeze combed through the treetop canopy and rustled its leaves into a lively buzz. Ezabel was amazed when she realized that the sound of the wind was more provoking than the knightstone in her hand.
“So..”, she looked up at Soren. “What now?”
She was right to be a little unsure. Never once did she think that a knightstone would feel like a pebble to her. It had no presence, no weight, and no sign of changing. She felt as though she could drop the thing onto the ground and no one would care. Was this really a knightstone? - Soren stood two feet in front of her and gave a waiting look.
“Apologies. I assumed from the incident in Angoulet that you would already know how to activate a knightstone.”
Ezabel stood silently and blinked several times before she was able to process what he meant. Right, she had taken the knightstone in Angoulet and used it to stop that creature. The incident happened recently but her recollection of the entire event was already off. In her defense, it seemed all too surreal. She had done it all off of instinct alone. Before any of it, she lived in an exceedingly remote part of the realm with nothing else but books to learn from. Angoulet was far too stimulating for someone like that.
“R-right.”, Ezabel hesitated. “How do I do this again?”
“How do you feel right now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you feel any different now that you are holding that knightstone?”
Ezabel turned her gaze downward and watched the stone roll between the seams of her fingers. It was cold to the touch and nothing more.
“I don’t think so? I don’t feel anything at all.”, Ezabel shook her head.
“Close your eyes.”
She exchanged looks with Soren, who nodded to reassure her. Funnily enough, her cheeks grew warm and made it that much easier for her to look away from him and close her eyes. Even though she did as he asked, she only did so because she was embarrassed to look for so long and nothing else.
“Empty your mind, think of nothing but the air around you and the stone in your hand…”
Soren continued to speak, but his words soon trailed off into nothingness. Ezabel knew that he was talking to her. Yet, she slowly lost his voice to the depths of her own mind. She lingered in the emptiness for a moment. Then, suddenly in her hand was a weight that grew. It was as if the knightstone began to feel heavy. By all factors, it should have dropped from her hand and crashed into the floor. However, she realized then that also growing was the strength of her arm.
The void of her mind was chased away by a sea of light, like distant stars that flickered alive. She could no longer feel the ground beneath her. At that moment, every star came racing past her head. Every ounce of her wanted to turn and follow them, but it was then that it occurred to her. They did not fly past. They raced into her body and fused with her spirit. It was the Echo.
Ezabel’s sudden awareness shocked her eyes open. The sun was blinding and the silhouettes around her were hard to make out. But, in time, the haze cleared. She noticed the weightlessness of her body. It was strong, but easy to move. Then, above all, her palm opened to reveal the knightstone glowing in a glorious light.
“I’m impressed, you catch on quick.”, Soren crossed his arms and smiled.
“Ezabel!”, Dani called out. “Your eyes!”
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Her eyes? It took a moment for her to comprehend Dani’s shock. But, when she turned back to the knightstone in her hand, she could see the smallest hint of her own reflection. Her eyes shimmered like the very sea of stars that she saw in the void of her mind. They glistened and flooded her facade with a magical glow. - Ezabel could not believe it. Was it really that easy?
“Steady yourself now, don’t overthink anything. It’s important that you keep your mind clear and your body balanced.”
“O-okay!”, Ezabel nodded. She did her best to keep her attention forward, somewhere within the garden of boulders.
In any other circumstance, she knew herself that all focus would be broken the very moment she was asked to keep it. However, for some odd reason, Soren’s presence allowed her to keep cool. What was there to do but listen anyway? She was on the verge of the first trial, there was no time to be acting up. She needed every bit of help that she could get.
Ezabel balanced herself as best she could, widening her stance to match her shoulders. She was by no means uncoordinated. Her training with Basiton and Xavier had made sure of it. But, this was a new situation and she assumed that most anything could happen. Not to mention the fact that wielding such a power was surely going to be taxing.
Very soon, she felt a surge of energy rush through her body. It started from her right palm where she held the knightstone. From there, it slowly spread like reaching vines throughout her shape. Her joints felt loose and she noticed a distinct liveliness in her muscles, as if they were at the peak of their energy. The best way she could describe the sensation was as if she had just awakened from the best sleep of her entire life. There was no muddy vision or slow period. It was spry energy right from the start.
“Think of the knightstone as a gateway through which the Echo can enter our bodies. Once it opens, it’ll flood through like a river. The wider it opens, the harder it is to close. It is your job to keep the gate steady. Don’t let yourself drown in it.”
It made sense to Ezabel, especially when an inconsistency appeared in the power she felt. It bounced between being too potent to not potent enough. She made every adjustment to her mind and body she could and did her best to identify exactly what controlled her ability to ‘steady the gate’. Unfortunately, it was something she could not do at that moment. It was as if taking even a single step would alter the way the knightstone cooperated. None of it was easy after all. - Soren kept a careful watch over Ezabel and made sure not to interfere too early. It was important that she was able to get accustomed to the way the Echo felt.
“Make your way over to the first boulder.”, he said aloud.
Ezabel nodded and took a deep breath. She lifted her leg and stepped forward. At once, she could feel the difference in her body. The first step was weak and her body felt heavy. Yet, her second step was easy and her body felt light. It was clear that anything that required effort on her part would ultimately end in her taking effort away from maintaining the flow of the Echo. This was going to take an impressive amount of discipline to be able to control. She could not believe how easily Soren, Leland, and Leonora were able to do something like this on a daily basis. Her respect for them lifted higher than she could even think.
It was a struggle, but she eventually reached the face of the closest boulder. It stood many heads higher than her and was covered in loose dirt. When her feet finally settled, so too did the magic that coursed within her. Unfortunately, that did not mean Ezabel’s control over the knightstone was ready. In fact, she felt as though breathing a little too hard would cause a surge in the knightstone. Whether or not her body was ready for that was unknown.
“How do you feel?”, Soren asked as he stepped a small distance beside her.
“Like a chair with a broken leg.”
“That’s a good way to put it.”, Soren laughed. “I want you to focus on the magic inside you; take it away from every part of your body and move it to the palm of your hand.”
Ezabel stared into her hand and pondered the thought. Part of her wanted to ask Soren exactly how this should be done. But, another part of her wanted to figure things out for herself. She would not have her hand held if she ever became an Attendant, so there was no reason for her to start now. - Her mind focused on ignoring everything but her right arm. She tried her best to push away the feeling in her feet, legs, shoulders, and neck. It helped to close her eyes again. Every time she did so, the twinkling of the Echo’s innumerable lights were clear for her to see. She hoped that in doing so, she would be able to coerce them into the palm of her hand. Soren and Dani turned to each other for a moment and then quickly looked back at Ezabel. She lifted her chin and opened her eyes.
Her hand was heavy with magic and it threatened to spill through her arm and back into her body. Yet, physically, her hand was lighter than ever. It was an astonishing sensation, one that Ezabel was a little too eager to utilize. Every joint and every muscle within was complete with energy.
“What do you think, Ezabel? Are you able to--?”
Soren was not even halfway done with his question before a flash of white light ripped through the garden. A violent storm of wind bellowed out from where Ezabel stood and nearly pushed everything aside. Dani braced herself with both arms over her face while Soren lifted a single arm to shield his own. A thick cloud of gray misted over the scene.
“What was that!?”, Dani shouted out. When the light ceased to cast a blinding ray over them, she peered over her arms.
Leland did the same when his cloak no longer lifted from the wind. To their surprise, Ezabel went on ahead and threw a punch straight into the boulder before her. Her chest rose and fell as though she had just run the length of the city. A smile was clear on her face, one of complete joy and thrill. Then, it suddenly dropped into a look of shock.
Her punch placed a wide crack that ran diagonally across the boulder’s surface. But, that was it. It was a far cry from the power Soren had just displayed. What did she do wrong? Why was there not more? It was close to frustrating. Thankfully, Soren interrupted any chance of it.
“As I was saying..”, he scratched his head. “..are you able to feel the magic within?”
“S-sorry!”, Ezabel perked up. “Sorry sorry sorry!”
The glow in her eyes dissipated in an instant and the magic within her retreated back into the knightstone. At that moment, a jolt of pain wrung her knuckles. They didn’t bleed or bruise, but a sharp ache throbbed across each one. Ezabel did her best to fight back to pain whilst she apologized. She even held her hands together as if Soren was about to fail her.
“Enthusiasm is not a bad thing.”, he smiled. “But, let’s take this one step at a time, okay?”
Ezabel nodded and was instantly relieved that her moment of excitement did not paint her in a bad light. Perhaps Soren was impressed by her display? She assumed that she caught on quickly!
“With that being said. That was a terrible first try.”
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