Elly shut the book in her hands and rubbed her eyes, feeling the tension in them release as she let her thoughts rest.
“Feeling fatigued already?” her master said, “I suppose that is to be expected, given how inebriated you were last night.”
Elly grimaced, that was something she couldn’t deny no matter how much she wished to. The headache that throbbed at her forehead was proof enough of that.
“Perhaps it was just a tad too much indulgence,” she said, keeping her fingers pressed against her eyes.
Agatha snorted, “Far more than just a tad, and I’ve known my share of indulgences. Dwarven Fire Ale can make for an especially… heated night.”
Elly shivered, “Could we… not speak of that at this moment?”
Her teacher cackled, “Fine, be grateful that I am in a charitable mood today.”
Elly finally opened her eyes, wincing as light flooded her vision. When it finally cleared, her eyes fell upon Agatha’s aged face, looking at the dusk elf with a mischievous smirk. Piles of books surrounded her, the result of a month’s long study of the archives they sat in. Her eyes wandered to the grand chamber around her, the sight of it still bringing awe to her heart wherever she looked upon the structures that decorated it. Beyond the embellishments within the walls they’d discovered various other artifacts that ranged from the pottery that dotted various open parts of the archives to the very furniture that she sat on. It was fashioned from wood, carved into a simple and flowing design that both elicited wind and water at a glance. Even if it was millenia years old it remained as sturdy as if it was freshly built. It was not as if she hadn’t seen similar items in the past, but not in such good condition. And here she was, hungover at the center of it all.
“I must say I’m surprised,” Agatha said as she picked up a tome from one of the piles that surrounded her, “Here we are standing within perhaps one of the greatest discoveries of our age and yet you still find time to go galavanting off into the night.”
Elly flinched. Her master’s words possessed no malice or admonishment, but they still rung of truth. There was so much knowledge around her, and yet her thoughts continued to drift away from it.
“I apologize… my mind has been wandering as of late.”
“No need for such worries,” Agatha said, “I am surprised, but also understanding. I was young once too, and tis important for us to enjoy our youth as much as we can. Within reason of course.”
Elly snorted, “I suppose last night was out of reason then.”
Agatha held her fingers close together, “Just a tad,” the elderly woman stood up from her chosen desk, taking her chosen book with her. She strode across the ground, exhibiting that same speed unbecoming of a woman her age as her staff knocked against the ground. She made her way to one of the archive’s shelves, examining the Virtue lock that appeared as she tapped it with her staff.
“I must say, Azator has left quite the puzzle for us to solve,” the elderly woman mused.
“Well, if there is one thing for certain after our little excursion, is that the Smiling Architect loved to make things complicated,” Elly pushed herself from her desk, her headache fading slightly as she walked over to her master.
“Indeed, though to have each Virtue lock inscribed by a different person goes far beyond complicated, but at least the man was generous enough to leave us a gift…” she tapped the book in her hands, “It’s a puzzle fit for a scholar, and it tells us something important.”
Elly tilted her head, “What do you mean?”
Her master gestured over the shelf once again, “As you are aware, the works within this shelf belong to one Ada Theris, Spear of the Gray Maidens. We have seen many of the works on display here, but there are also many we have not seen before, just out of reach from us because scholars have yet to discern the nature of her Virtue Lock,” Agatha tapped the lower shelf of the bookcase, her staff meeting no magical barrier as it knocked against the stone, “And yet within this shelf was a journal written by the Spear herself, the key to solving the lock to reach the secrets within. It was by no mistake that Azator left such an important document out of protection.”
Elly tapped her foot on the ground, “He left it there for others to read, so that they may solve the lock for themselves.”
Agatha nodded, “Only after understanding Ada as a person, knowing her struggles, her triumphs. He did not want the information to only be found, he wanted it to be understood, and it is the call of any scholar worth their salt to answer such expectations.”
Her master cast her eyes over the archives, admiration written across her face. Elly followed her gaze, and as the amount of books only continued to occupy her vision, she understood her teacher’s excitement. There was enough knowledge within this room to occupy many lifetimes of research and speculation. There would always be something new, some revelation just lingering around every corner. It was every scholar’s dream.
Yet why did it feel so hollow?
___
Helbram sat across from Leaf, observing his meditating companion. The half elf had his eyes closed, his still expression making the angular, elvish features to his face all the more pronounced. His breathing was calm, a gentle rhythm that seemed to cause the air around him to swell with each breath he took in. Tension threaded through the air, growing heavier and heavier as Leaf further concentrated.
All to be broke the moment that the half elf let a frown spread across his face.
He groaned, “It’s just not working.”
“Give it time, I am certain that you were close that time.”
Leaf fell back, laying against the wooden floor of the room they were staying in. It was the one that Helbram found himself in over a month ago, though he was not quite so battered this time around.
Rather, it was Leaf’s ego that had borne the brunt of that.
“Maybe I just won’t find it,” the half elf said, “It can’t be this hard just to start out.”
“I am afraid it is,” Helbram stood up and took a seat on his bed, “Were it easy we would see much more Awoken out and about, would we not?”
“Yes, but it’s been a bloody month,” Leaf sprung up and paced around the room, “It could at least give me a peek if anything.”
“You’re just anxious about losing more of your Marks,” Jahora said. She sat on the room’s windowsill, hefting a sizable purse with a grin on her face, “Anymore of this and I’m afraid I’ll have to start taking your property.”
Leaf frowned, “You know, gloating is mighty unbecoming of a lady.”
“Nonsense, it’s part of the charm,” she said with a casual tone, “Don’t forget, payment is due tomorrow,” she shook her bag to emphasize her point.
Leaf grumbled, but didn’t respond.
“Regardless, I do believe you have made some improvement,” Helbram said, “You are much more focused when meditating, less prone to distraction.”
“A load of good that does me,” Leaf stopped and drummed his fingers against a desk at the far corner of the room. It was in an increasingly irregular pattern, and a scowl was slowly returning to his face.
“Consider it as establishing a foundation,” Helbram walked over to the desk and placed a hand on Leaf’s shoulder, “the more time you take with it, the more careful that you are, the more likely you are to build a foundation that can tolerate any future growth. I admit my own circumstances do make me a bit biased, but it is not the power itself that matters at this stage, but building the state of mind to properly harness it.”
Helbram sat down on his bed and rested his head against his hands, “What matters is establishing a sense of focus that you can maintain to find your Core.”
Leaf took in a deep breath and leaned against the wall, “What else can I do? I’ve tried envisioning it like drawing a bowstring, like you said, and still I’m finding nothing.”
“But, like I said, you have improved,” Helbram said, “In fact I do not doubt if you continued on your current course you would eventually find your Core, but that does not mean we cannot think of different solutions.”
“What do you think of?” Jahora asked. Her face had shifted away from the coy expression from before into one of inquisitiveness, “ Perhaps that will grant Leaf some perspective.”
Helbram rubbed his chin, “That could work… but there is nothing special about what I think about, really…” he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, “Tis shallow… but it is nothing more than the desire to improve.”
The others did not respond, allowing Helbram to continue.
“That want, that hope that each time I grasped the small wisps of Ether at my disposal, it would be just another step to greater heights. A slow, plodding step to be sure, but one nonetheless,” he thought for a moment, “Perhaps that key. Tis important to look into one’s self to be sure, but also to where one wants to be. In your case, you may imagine the bow being drawn, but you are not properly focusing on where you are aiming your arrow,” he scratched his head, “Not the best advice I admit, my apologies I can only theorize on such matters.”
Leaf scratched his chin, “That could work…” he walked back to where he was sitting on the floor previously.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
The half elf took a seat and straightened his back. Focus came to him quickly, the air of restlessness that stormed around him instead replaced by a steady pressure that draped across him like a blanket. The shift was fast, a result of his repeated attempts from the past month.
“Draw your bow, find your target,” Helbram said. It left his lips out of instinct, but as he spoke the air around Leaf began to shift.
The air swelled around the half elf with each breath like before, but the breaths were longer, and Helbram could feel the pressure expand further than before, filling the whole room as sound itself started to dampen. Jahora perked up from the sensation and peered towards Leaf, excitement flaring in her eyes.
Time went still, and Helbram heard what he first thought to be his heartbeat pulse through the air. The more it occurred, the more it was evident that it was not his or Jahora’s heartbeat he was hearing, but instead the steady tremble of Leaf’s as it beat at a slow but steady rate. Helbram swallowed, a reflex to the rush that he felt in his chest as his fingers began to shake.
Leaf took in a final breath; a long, drawn out inhale that felt as if he was pulling in the room towards him. He held it, and for an eternity he was still as his heartbeat started to fade. It returned with a drum, thundering out from the half elf with an intensity that made both Helbram and Jahora flinch.
A small orb of bright red light appeared within Leaf’s chest. It was no bigger than a marble, and throbbed with every beat of Leaf’s heart, the sound getting louder with each pulse. A rush washed over the half elf the longer the orb was exposed, ruffling his loose clothes and his hair like a steady breeze was washing over him. His face did not change expression, and for the first time since Helbram had known him Leaf was completely calm, the very picture of tranquility itself.
The orb faded from sight, and with its disappearance the tension in the air was released. There was a new air about the half elf when he opened his eyes. Weight settled over his very presence, and even the slightest movement felt all the more prominent as his posture relaxed. His eyes held a sheen to them that pierced from his gaze, washing over Helbram and Jahora as he regarded the two of them with a serenity that made him seem a different person entirely.
All to be shattered by the grin that washed over his face.
Leaf stood up and strode over to Jahora, steps wide and purposeful.
“Give me my money!” he bellowed, his hand a blur as he snatched the coin purse from her hand. He held it up, weighing it in his palm, and pocketed it with a nod as he plopped back onto his bed.
Jahora sat still, mouth agape by the abrupt shift in the half elf’s tone, only able to find her words as Leaf’s humming occupied her silence, “Wait… was your focus winning our bet?!”
Leaf continued to hum.
“Of all the… I can’t believe I watched someone Awaken from such pettiness...”
The Awoken made an offended noise, “I take offense to that, that’s a lot of money!”
A laugh erupted from Helbram’s lips. It was a reflex to Leaf’s logic, but one that he prolonged to push back the tightness that took hold of his chest at the sight of Leaf’s Awakening.
“If it works it works,” he said as he pushed himself up from his bed. He walked over to Leaf and held out a hand, “Congratulations.”
Leaf smiled at the gesture and stood up again before he shook Helbram’s hand with a firm grip. It felt no stronger than any other handshake, but Helbram could feel something behind it, a weight that was ready to be released at a moment’s notice, “Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without your guidance.”
“You would have figured it out eventually,” Helbram let go of Leaf’s hand, “I just managed to point you in the right direction.”
Leaf frowned, “That’s not true, I know myself. I’d have given up if I was on my own long ago,” he held a fist out, “We’ll get you Awakened yourself, just you wait.”
Helbram snorted, feeling a pang of guilt from the envy that clutched at him only moments ago. He smiled and tapped the half elf’s fist with his own, “I am in your hands, though I still possess some knowledge that may be useful to you. For now, tis a moment of celebration.”
Leaf grinned again, “That sounds like a plan… but I can’t say I’m eager for another night of drunkenness.”
“Neither am I,” Jahora said with a grimace, “Our little competition yesterday left me with quite the headache this morning.”
“What, you were taking part too? I couldn’t tell from how you wandered off into a corner after the first drink.”
Jahora frowned at him, “That’s a lot coming from someone who woke up outside today.”
Leaf clicked his teeth, “Fair, we’ll call it square then.”
The gnome nodded, “Agreed.”
Helbram chuckled, “I did not have that in mind, just something small. To cap off our business here.”
Jahora’s smile was bittersweet, “I suppose we have just wrapped up everything here, haven’t we?”
Leaf sighed, “Aye, that we have,” he looked out the window, peering at the market street it looked over. The evening was just in the midst of darkening the sky, and the bustling street was in the midst of winding down for the day, “Is it odd to say that I’ll miss this place?”
“Not at all,” Helbram said, “We have been through quite a bit since we met, and this town was the centerpiece to it all. I shall miss it as well.”
“Likewise,” Jahora said, “But for tonight let’s not think about such things, shall we?”
“Agreed,” Helbram pushed himself from the window, “for now I think a nice dinner is in order. We should probably hurry and get some ingredients before the market closes.”
A melancholy hung over them as they made their way to the door.
Helbram sighed, “I truly wish farewells were not so bitter.”
____
It was night time by the time Elly and her master were done with research for the day. In a testament to Azator’s abilities, the light that flowed in from the windows of the archive had transitioned from the bright light of the sun to the soft white glow of the moon. Shadows made themselves more known between the shelves, and the bright radiance from the white marble had shifted to a darker, bluer hue as darkness crept in. The large orbs of light at the ceiling were now replaced by smaller beads, producing the illusion of the night sky against the darkened stone above. Elly had moved from her desk, instead choosing to seat herself on one of the cushioned benches that lined the main aisle of the library. Her gaze remained fixed above, focused on the pseudo-stars above. Her thoughts were blank, a result of them trying to reset from the research that she was doing before.
At least, that’s what she told herself.
“It truly is beautiful, isn’t it?”
Her master took a seat next to her, joining the dusk elf in staring at the ceiling, “We’ve seen active ruins before, but an untouched building such as this… and from Azator himself no less, tis easy to believe that the Ruhians were capable of spanning the world.”
“Indeed,” Elly said with an absentminded tone.
Agatha snorted and looked at her student with a slight smile, “Tis the perfect retirement project.”
“Yes…” Elly responded. She went silent for a moment before sputtering, “What?! Retirement?”
“Ah, finally caught your attention, did I?”
“Yes yes, but what do you mean by retirement? You never spoke of this before,” Elly leaned in towards her master, confusion in her eyes.
The elderly woman sat further back, resting her head against the bench’s headrest, “I’m old, Elly,” she let the point sit for a moment before continuing, “I know it is hard to tell, given my youthful looks and energetic voice, but that is the truth, no matter what angle you look at it from. I’m afraid that my time delving into ruins is coming to a close.”
“But… do you not wish to see more? There are so many things to see, so many questions to reveal, to answer,” Elly did not know why, but she felt a panic in her voice.
“Answers I suspect are hidden where we are now,” her master said as she motioned towards the rest of the archives with her staff, “The Academy will no doubt send many scholars to peruse the contents of this Archive when I send my report, but I intend to study each text for myself regardless. After all, they need someone to correct their mistakes,” a self-satisfied smile pulled at her lips.
“How… how long will that take?” Elly felt a hollowness at the pit of her stomach.
“Years I suspect, hence…my retirement. My days of delving into ruins are over.”
Elly felt her shoulders slump at her master’s words, but she did not know why. She fell back in her seat, her mind a daze as she tried to process why her master would have come to such a conclusion, but more importantly, why it distressed her so. There was so much knowledge before her, so much to study, so much mystery of the Ruhia that was just waiting to be unraveled. Yet still, her heart ached.
“I hope you’re aware that you don’t have to stay with me,” Agatha said in a kindly, but coy tone.
“What?”
“You don’t have to stay with me in this endeavor,” her master closed her eyes, “As of this moment, I release you from your apprenticeship.”
The dusk elf froze, falling silent at the declaration.
Agatha started to clap, “Huzzah and all of that, there is no fancy ceremony awaiting you I’m afraid.”
Elly held a hand up. “Master, please just… let me process everything.”
“I’m afraid at this rate you never will,” her teacher said, “I speak facetiously of course, I know full well what has placed your mind in such turmoil.”
The student did not say anything, and instead looked towards her master, waiting for an answer.
“You possess the mind of a scholar, that much is certain, but you also possess something that I no longer have, and that is youth. Do not think I missed the panic in your questions, fueled by an instinct that told you if you followed me, you would be stuck within this building, spending years helping an old lady read books.”
“That is not what-”
“Of course you didn’t think it that harshly, but the sentiment is there. I know so because it is something that I am familiar with. That drive, that desire to see all of the world and discern its secrets. Tis something that I thought I would possess until the day I returned to the Cycle… but as I look upon all that lays before me now, I realize that I no longer have the need for such a feeling. Perhaps one day you will find yourself in a similar position, perhaps not, but it is clear that you do not have that satisfaction with you today. So therefore, I release you. Do not let the whims of this old lady smother the fire I know burns within you.”
“Master… I… don’t know what to say.”
Agatha giggled, “That is certainly a first,” she closed her eyes again, as if she was looking back to a distant memory, “You’ve always been the adventurous sort, but over this past month you’ve been more restless. Twas the dream, I suspect. The peril of that illusion kindled the fire that was always there. That sense of danger, that excursion, that effort in clawing your way to an answer that lay just ahead. Tis an exciting feeling, is it not?”
Elly bowed her head, “Yes… yes it is.”
“So go forth! Let that fire guide you. Seek out the secrets of this world, know its people, know its nature. Do not stop until every single stone has been turned…” Agatha opened her eyes, and Elly’s vision blurred as she saw the tear that escaped them, trailing down to the slight smile her master wore, “But do send a letter every once and a while, will you? Tis going to be quite lonely without you here.”
Elly pulled Agatha into a hug. They were silent, but she felt the heat from her tears trail down her face. Her master clutched at her with a soft, but firm grip, and the both of them shared a tremble as they let their tears fall under the artificial starlight. What may have been a lifetime passed before they let each other go, wiping their eyes as they both let out a weak laugh.
“I know it is good to cry every once and a while, but tis quite embarrassing,” Agatha said.
“That it is… thank you, for all that you have done for me.”
“Oh stop it, you’re going to make me wrinkle more than I already am.”
Elly laughed, “Fine, fine, we can’t be having that can we? Don’t want to ruin that youthful beauty of yours”
“Indeed, such a thing will mar the specimen that many a scholar will lay eyes upon as they are sent here for study.”
“And that would truly be a tragedy.”
The elderly woman tapped her staff on the ground, “Most definitely, from my scholarly observations of course.”
Elly giggled, but their conversation died down after that and they were once again left in silence as their gaze returned to the ceiling.
“Truth be told, I don’t even know where to start,” Elly said in a soft tone.
“Really? And here I thought it would be obvious. Wouldn’t you agree, Jahora?”
Elly’s eyes winded and her eyes darted from side to side, eventually falling upon the shape of the gnome who emerged from behind a bookcase. The mage wore an embarrassed grin over her face and she scratched her head as she let out an awkward giggle.
“How long have you been there?” Elly asked.
Jahora tilted her head and looked towards the ceiling, avoiding Elly’s eyes, “...since the beginning.”
Elly rubbed her temples, “Well, this is a bit embarrassing.”
Agatha shrugged, “Just a tad, but more importantly, what brings you here?”
Jahora straightened up under the elderly woman’s gaze, “The others and I were planning to have a celebration, and decided to see if Elly wished to join us,” she sputtered, “You can come as well, of course!”
Agatha snickered, “I appreciate the courtesy, but I decline. Elly, however, may be of a different opinion.”
The dusk elf raised an eyebrow at her master’s suggestion, but then realization dawned on her. She looked back to Jahora with a smile, “Yes, I’ll join you.”