In the red tent, where the excitement was now palpable, a new stone was quickly brought in to replace the broken one on the table. Then, for long minutes, they waited for the arrival of the prince whom the celebrant had sent for. It seemed endless to Elenael, whose future was being played out. He was suddenly signaled to begin the ritual and the child complied without saying a word. His throat knotted with emotion, he would have been incapable of it anyway. The second time, the result turned out to be the same: the dazzling light and the breaking stone. The king's son, who was standing behind Elenael, then approached him and lowered himself to his height. Their faces were now face to face and they watched each other in silence for a few moments. Prince Reginald, Crown Prince of Alnaetis, was a young man in his twenties, very handsome and with medium-cropped brown hair. There was a natural elegance and authority about him that reminded Elenael of the knights in the tales he liked to read in the evenings by the fireplace. Finally, after he looked at him like a merchant appraising a rare acquisition, the noble gracefully rose up and announced, "My master, Alisan, wishes to meet the boy." Then, without saying anything else, he gestured to Elenael and his grandfather to follow him.
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The prince led the boy and his grandfather inside the tower and guided them through a maze of hallways and stairs. Elenael followed as fast as he could but he quickly felt completely lost. The majestic building was even larger inside than it looked like when facing it. There was a buzzing activity there: they met several magicians, some alone, others in small groups discussing various subjects. There were also many children: some as young as Elenael, but most older than him. He quickly realized that these were the students of the academy and that he would soon join their ranks. His future companions all seemed very busy and none were interested in him, although a few gave him curious glances after they greeted Reginald.
All of this was fascinating for the provincial boy who had just arrived from his village. For once, the usually talkative child said nothing as he tried to look everywhere without hiding his admiration. Alric burst out laughing when he saw his grandson's bewildered look, but luckily for him Elenael was so captivated by this new universe that was unfolding before him that he didn’t hear it.
Finally, after walking for several minutes, Reginald stopped in front of an intricately crafted door. Without hesitation, he knocked lightly, waited a moment, then opened the door and entered, motioning for Elenael and his grandfather to follow him. Alisan's office was big, probably as spacious as the living room in Alric's house. On the walls, there were large shelves covered with books and strange devices. In the background, Elenael could see more furniture, but at this moment, his attention was completely fixed on the bizarre phenomenon in the center of the room. In fact, he froze as soon as he entered, frightened by what he saw in front of him: just in front of him, almost within arm's reach, stood a sort of dome. It had a shape similar to that of an igloo, those houses of ice built by the peoples who lived in the north of the continent, and it almost touched the ceiling. The only difference, and it was a huge one, was that the dome was made up of flames, or rather, of a kind of liquid and concentrated fire, similar to lava. Yet, incomprehensibly, Elenael barely felt the heat that, at this distance, should have crushed him. The spectacle was so inconceivable that he remained standing speechless...
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Next to him, Reginald was looking at the scene as if he was used to it. After a few seconds, he stated in an indifferent tone: "Master Alisan is still in stasis, we will have to wait a bit."
Alric nodded, but Elenael couldn’t help but ask.
"Stasis? What is it?"
With patience, the prince explained to him: "When a magician reaches a sufficient level in his practice, he can use what we call a stasis, a space created by the power of his affinity. The element surrounds him, protects him and allows him to meditate, to perceive the secrets of his power. We use this way to practice and get better at magic.”
Elenael realized what that meant and asked out of curiosity. "Master Alisan is still learning? He is already so powerful!"
Reginald smiled and his eyes shifted to the fire dome. When he spoke, he seemed lost in thought as if he was contemplating something far away. In a slightly dreamy voice, he replied, "Learning magic never ends. Wanting to become a good magician, the best... this takes hard work and perseverance."
Elenael stared at him for a moment, etching the words in his mind, then his eyes returned to rest on the dome of liquid fire, which he stared at first in silence. Finally, unable to hold it any longer, he asked again, "How come the floor isn't burning?"
"There is a magic circle drawn where master Alisan is meditating. It protects the ground, the building and the people who approach, and it also improves his concentration."
The boy opened his mouth, probably to ask another question, but Alric put his hand on his shoulder and placed a finger in front of his lips, indicating that it was better not to disturb the prince any more. Elenael nodded and waited patiently.
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Recommended music : Dark Fantasy Studio - 13 sins (link in the footnote)
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A few minutes later, without a sound and as if it never existed, the dome suddenly disappeared. In his place appeared a middle-aged man dressed in black, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. Long flames replaced his hair, no doubt due to the effect of the meditation, and it made him look eerie and strange, like a magical and dangerous creature straight out of a legend. Fortunately, the phenomenon lasted only a few seconds. The man then let out a long breath and white smoke appeared in front of his mouth. As if awakening from a deep sleep, his eyes flew open and his gaze caught Elenael's.
Alisan, nicknamed the flamboyant by the inhabitants of the kingdom, was a powerful magician whose affinity was that of fire. His achievements had been the inspiration for many books that Elenael had read with admiration. He couldn't believe he was now faced with this legend: he was so impressed that he had even lost his tongue. Beside him, Reginald bowed slightly to his master, his right hand over his heart, and said reverently, "Master Alisan, here is the boy."
From the moment he'd opened them, the wizard's eyes hadn't left Elenael's, like a predator before a tantalizing prey. Slowly, the corners of his mouth curved into a smile that the child hoped was welcoming, but mostly seemed eager. Nervously, Elaenael swallowed his saliva, not daring to greet the one who would apparently become his new master. Tense, he waited for the verdict of Alisan the flamboyant, true legend of the kingdom, one of the pillars of the mage tower of Alnaet and seemingly his new master...