> [ Soul Reveal ] - 3th circle spell
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> Element: Underworld
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> Type: Soul.
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> Classification: Information.
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> Target: Creature touched
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> Reveals a small effigy in the shape of the target's soul image. Displays elemental and mana affinities as spheres orbiting the effigy, making it possible to evaluate with moderate precision the ranking of these affinities. Conditions and damage to the soul are visible in the effigy.
Modified from the 2nd circle 'Affinity Display' spell all students learn during their first semester at the academy, this otherwise general spell was enhanced with the deep affinity of the underworld element with souls. The imagery used to display the damage and the colors of the soul are a point of mystery. The meaning and the codification of these colors and diverse damage conditions is not entirely understood.
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The princesses' entourage went through the vast farmlands that supplied the capital with fresh produce. Some people ran alongside the carriage for a while, shouting in an attempt to get the princess to show through the window. After an hour they saw the first houses of the gate town. It soon became a parade. People crowded the sides of the street in the hope of seeing Princess Lumina for the first time after almost two years. Several town guards were added to the escort, making the last kilometer of the trip through the last farmlands and the sprawling gate city a slog.
They reached the inn and entered the walled area for carriages at the backyard. The walls were also full of people who climbed up to see the princess. Aidan signaled for one of the scout knights and pointed at the window of the carriage. He approached and knocked on the window shutter. It opened and Dawn came slightly into the knight's line of sight.
"Your Highness. How may I be of service."
"This jeering crowd bothers me. I demand a modicum of privacy. Disperse them and station guards around the perimeter. I shall not be disturbed. And one more thing."
"Yes, your Highness."
She spoke with her best angry face. "Lord Aidan's words are my words. His orders are my orders. Anyone who challenges or disobeys him defies me. Make sure all guards know that."
Dawn shut the window close without waiting for the knight to speak. Pearl gave her a thumbs up. She sighed in relief.
Outside, Aidan was spewing orders left and right. Tie the four traitors to the innermost stable stall. Better yet, get them in iron manacles. Get all the horses treated and bring a crate to stow the confiscated knight's gear. Remove all the furniture of the biggest room in the inn's second floor and another one. Get a bath ready for the princesses. Procure a score of sundries that the maids requested with some ritual materials mixed in before dusk.
They didn't like being ordered around by a snotty petty noble, but they liked their necks better. Lumina's tantrums were known to be a legendary calamity. Classy but still a calamity.
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"Here we go again, Pearl. I'm sorry there is no way to keep your modesty." Dawn apologized to her friend that was about to disrobe entirely. With the enhanced coordination from all the training and the expertise grown from repetition, they drew the ritual circle in record time.
"I made my peace on this. This is the third time I bare my naked body before you and now that I know your secret, I expect you enjoy the sight." It was a twisted sense of pride. If she was getting naked before a man, the least she expected was to have a reaction on that man. Because of course Pearl was considered extremely beautiful in Pearl's mind.
She took off the robe in a corner of the room and walked to her spot like she was on a fashion show runway. Sora handed the bowl with the herbal extract to Dawn but Pearl intervened.
"The glyphs of the spell have to be precisely drawn, right?"
"Yes."
"Didn't you say that Aidan's motor skills were better?"
"Yes, but..." Dawn tried to protest.
"Does it matter if you draw with the right hand or the left hand? Aren't they both your hands?"
Dawn wanted to look at Sora to see what face the squirrel-kin was doing. But something in her said it would be bad. Better roll with it.
"Fine. You deserve the best, Pearl. It's better if I draw the glyphs with Aidan's hands."
Pearl had no romantic interest in Aidan. She was sure of it after their talk in the village chief house. She felt good being held by him, but it was just the human warmth. It was no different than being held by one of her brothers, for example. But she was a healthy female with a big amount of interest in the opposite gender. If she could inconspicuously mix utility with pleasure, why not?
Aidan proceeded to draw the glyphs on Pearl's skin carefully. He had to do it with his own fingers, pouring minute amounts of mana in the mixture to activate the properties of the herbs. He tried to focus but seeing Pearl's naked body this close triggered memories of the dungeon bath. He would have an easier time enduring it if he was using Dawn's body.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
One thing he understood was that his perceptions and reactions to events depended on what body was experiencing the event. It was as if his personality shifted a little depending on what body he was using. He was more emotional and sensitive as Dawn, he was more aggressive and prone to stray thoughts as Aidan. His joint sparring sessions were helping him find a happy medium between both.
It was a shame he would not have the time to master this skill. Combining anima and animus perfectly in a single person. He would have to let go of Dawn soon. He felt ill at the thought. It was like asking him to cut off his right leg at the hip.
"Don't you dare be distracted by something else this close to my naked perfection, Lord Aidan." Chided Pearl. Even in shame, a princess' pride should shine brighter.
"Yes, of course, your Royal Highness. I'm doing your inner thigh now so please open up. After that, I'll do your flank and lower back. Very slowly and with all my focus." Aidan made a mischievous smile and ran a finger down Pearl's belly past the navel. With Dawn's eyes, he could see Pearl blushing and twitching, her face showing a little bit of regret at her choices.
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Tears flowed, threatening to drown a smile. But the smile was the brightest, born from the depths of despair. Yet the tears flowed like a river, imprinting a salty taste on their owner's mouth. A body was trembling, a heart was racing. Chest muscles fought to keep the air flowing through the lungs against all the sobbing and spasms. Hands shaking, threatening to miss the steps of the simplest spell ever.
"Mana bolt."
A faint ball of mana floated across the room, striking the wall. It was weak and small, barely visible and harmless to anything despite being an attack spell.
Legs faltered and a petite young woman crumbled on the ground supporting her body with her hands.
"Don't overexert yourself." The girl's best friend reprimanded her before taking her by the elbows to help her stand up.
The smaller girl threw her arms around the other's neck and hugged with all the strength she could muster. Face buried in the friend's exuberant hair, she let the torrent of emotions flow freely. She didn't even mind the set of eyes gazing at her exposed and naked back.
There were two other people in the room besides the two princesses hugging but Aidan turned around and sat on a chair facing the wall. He had enough harassment from Pearl and the situation was one he could handle better as Dawn.
"You did it! You did it!" Was the only thing Pearl could mumble between sobs and attempts at laughing that ended in more sobs. Her diaphragm and throat were sore from all the crying.
But she cried like a newborn baby. She was feeling like a newborn baby. Breathing and experimenting this feeling of something previously foreign entering her body. But instead of air like the newborn's lungs, it was mana.
Dawn nodded at Sora and she brought Pearl's robe to cover the princess' modesty. Dried herbal flakes were falling everywhere. Separating slightly so she could touch the solar plexus, Dawn used a spell.
"Soul Reveal."
Pearl's pink effigy appeared. The dark spots darkening the magenta from before softened into a calm pink. A few of them still existed, seldom surfacing. Her fire and water affinities were there, and the white orb was still translucid but visible.
"You need time to rest and recover, Pearl. Please don't use magic because you might damage yourself with burnout. I think we need no more than two sessions to fully heal you."
Pearl could only bawl and sob.
"Nod if you understood me." She nodded. Dawn continued.
"We need to wait at least a week for another ritual. Your soul needs time to rest and mend. You will never be able to do the summoning ritual again. You'd die for sure."
'Why would anyone fully aware of the danger and cost of that wretched ritual ever want to do it?' Aidan felt heartburn as the princess of Yutis made her feelings on the ritual known to him. She would surface only when a subject of great personal importance to her was addressed in a wrong way or when they were in grave danger.
"Come, Pearl. Let's get you cleaned up and dressed. You need to sleep."
In the end, Dawn was forced to take another bath with Pearl, assisted by the two maids. The princess would not let go of her.
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A regal carriage arrived from the castle to pick up the princess. The one they borrowed from the village was okay, but it was a commoner's vehicle. And the courtesy from the castle governance was causing Dawn a headache.
"Get off the carriage, now," Dawn ordered.
"But your Highness..."
"Are you talking back to me? Stop making noise with your mouth this very moment, will you?" She propped her head up and stared at the coachman sent by the castle. The man shut his mouth immediately.
Silence.
"Didn't you hear my order? Why are you still sitting there?" She tapped her feet and glanced around, annoyed.
The coachman came down and bowed. Dawn pointed to the driver who took them north and he took his place in front of the carriage after checking out the four stallions attached to the carriage.
It was a difficult morning for Dawn. She had to act like Lumina, she was tired from spending the night casting the ritual to heal Pearl. All that annoyance and grumpiness were channeled into her mood and Dawn was apologizing inside at everyone she trampled over. For the people around them, it was like they were trapped in a burning house with a marauding bear. If you stay you'll be mauled, if you try to run you'll be burned.
Deep inside some of them were rejoicing. Their princess was really back, in all her glory and terror. A few of them missed her elegance, lacking a bit in the somehow blunt girl in front of them, but they dismissed it. After all, the trials the princess went through surely had an impact on her.
They loaded their belongings in the royal carriage, sent the four traitors with the two sworn scouts to the castle and departed in the road leading to the town gates. The imposing walls were full of people waving colorful pieces of cloth and cheering.
Soon the carriage crossed the gate.
Princess Lumina returned home.