Chapter 5

Love & War

Olivia twirled her fingers, idly enjoying the way the grass and flowers danced and swayed to the tune of her movements. Sitting atop a hill, her back rested against a tree whose bark conformed to be as comfortable as possible, she sighed in contentment at the beauty of the world she found herself in.

The rolling meadow stretched out before her, an endless expanse of gentle, undulating hills blanketed in a lush, verdant carpet of grass. At the edge of her sight, emerald green turned to cerulean blue, where soft, cottony clouds drifted lazily across a canvas no artist could hope to match. Wildflowers of vibrant yellow, purple, and red hues were scattered throughout the meadow, beautiful in spite–or perhaps because–of their alien structures. The flowers' soft petals sway gently in the light breeze, adding splashes of color to the sea of green.

Oliva closed her eyes and took a breath, reveling once more as her nostrils were filled with the smell of life and dirt instead of the sterility of the lemony disinfectant she thought she had grown so used to. The air was fresh and crisp, filled with the earthy scent of grass, the breeze tickling her hair and bringing with it the sweet smell of blooming flowers.

In the distance, birds chirped in a melodious tune, their music harmonizing with the faint rustling of leaves from the occasional tree dotting the landscape. Olivia knew that for them, they were hollering their tiny little lungs out in hopes of mating, but she enjoyed the beauty it provided all the same.

Adding to the natural music was a narrow, meandering stream flowing through the meadow, its crystal-clear waters glistening in the sunlight as it bubbled over smoothed stones, creating a soothing, rhythmic sound she could fall asleep to.

Feeling no resistance to the idea, she tilted her head back to rest against the tree, the bark shifting to cradle her neck. It was in moments like these that she was glad to be free of an instructor. Her first teacher, though kind and the most muscular woman she had ever seen, was clueless when it came to magick. After her, a few others were sent to teach her—some old men claiming to be "Court Wizards," and one even proclaiming himself an "Archmage"—but none of them seemed to understand magick the way she did. So she left, clapping her hands together and finding herself here, her new favorite spot in this world.

They tracked her down, of course, popping into existence with loud cracks that echoed like thunder upon their arrival. Fortunately for Olivia—and them—they weren't there to harm her; they believed she had been kidnapped, of all things. After that day, instructors stopped being sent to her, and Olivia was allowed to enjoy her new lease on life with all the freedom she could ever want.

She was starting to get bored.

The soft crunching of grass alerted her to another’s presence, and Olivia peeled her eyes open to see a man making his way up the hill towards her. He was dressed in dark robes, highlights of purple the only color besides black. As he walked with slowed strides, he held his hands–covered by billowing sleeves–behind his back, yet several books floated around him.

Olivia stared in curiosity at the display. She had seen magick used before; each of her instructors tried cantrip after cantrip in hopes of impressing her, all of them far more impressive than simply hovering books. However, it wasn't the display itself that intrigued her—it was the manner in which he wielded magic. The energy, or mana as they called it, swirled around him in a chaotic yet harmonious dance. It was so unlike the others she had observed, who controlled their mana with choking restraint, as if gripping it in a tightly clenched fist to command its power.

The man came to a stop at the top of the hill, just under ten feet away from her. “A pleasure to meet you, Olivia of the Heroes,” he greeted politely, giving a small bow of his head, hands still held behind his back.

Now that he was close, Olivia could make out the handsome features shadowed under his hood. The man was surprisingly young, which was a funny thought to Olivia, considering he was at least forty. But compared to the octogenarians she was introduced to, the stranger was a spring chicken.

“Hello,” Olivia replied, her head tilted in curiosity, the tree conforming to her shift in posture. “How do you know my name, mister…?”

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“Seeker Zreuben, Olivia of the Heroes,” the man answered. “And I know your name because I learned of it from your captors.”

“Olivia is fine. But what do you mean by captors? I’ve been free to leave as long as I’ve been here,” Olivia stated, motioning to their surroundings as proof.

Zreuben chuckled at her words, shaking his head in denial. “You are here because none else could teleport on a whim. They let you be because you come back. Were you to decide to leave, they’d strip their mask of compassion before you could snap your fingers.” He huffed, his distaste bleeding through the mere exhalation of air. “Not to mention they kidnapped you from your world.”

Olivia frowned, not liking his wording. “I wasn’t kidnapped. But that’s not important right now.” Olivia leaned forward, the roots and bark beneath her shifting to push her up, letting her stand in a single motion, hands on her hips. “Why are you here?”

Despite the bluntness of her question, it was asked in curiosity, no fear or worry on her face, though she was suspicious.

“I am a Seeker, a title I’m sure you know not of,” he began with a smile, his words tongue in cheek. “My job is to find talent and recruit them, to seek them out, if you will,” he quipped.

“For who?” Olivia asked the obvious, her attention grabbed.

“For the Gymnasium of Glaubenkeit,” he boasted, pride evident in his voice.

“Gymnasium? Sorry, I don’t really like fitness stuff,” Olivia refused, cringing at the thought.

Zreuben’s face scrunched up in confusion, before realization hit him. “Ah, my mistake. I did not take into account your foreign nomenclature,” he apologized. “A gymnasium is a school, where I come from–an academy, if you will,” he clarified.

Olivia nodded her head, perking up at the clarification. “Ohhh, okay. Are you inviting me to join? What does it teach? If it doesn’t teach magick I’m not interested, ya know!” Olivia rapidly fired out, finishing with a huff and an accusatory finger pointed at him, as if the man she had just met would be committing a great crime if, in fact, he did not know.

“In order: Yes, I am, Glaubenkeit teaches a path to magick, and yes, I do know now,” was his response, his amusement apparent but tempered as he remained focused on his task. “Should you wish, I can take you there right now, and your journey into the arcane shall truly begin,” Zrueben offered.

Olivia poked her cheek in thought, her other hand resting on her hip as she made contemplative 'hm's and 'mm's of varying agreeableness. After a few moments, an idea struck her, and she thrust her finger out in accusation at the other mage.

"Wait a minute! What do you mean right now? It’s summer—or spring, I’m not sure! School should already be in session!" Olivia declared, radiating smugness at what she believed to be the unmasking of his deceit, said deceiver scoffing in derision.

“We are not like those stick lovers at Roostpimple,” he sneered, though his condescension was not targeted at Olivia. “Glaubenkeit is always ‘in session,’ as you put it. We do not close for the summer, or ever, for that matter, giving our charges and guides the freedom they need to fully actualize their potential.”

“Oh. So I can begin right away?” Was Olivia’s simple response. Zreuber felt a vein twitch at the girl’s…uniqueness, though he couldn’t bring himself to be mad; he’d known enough geniuses to understand the price for their greatness.

“You can, should you wish it,” Zreuben replied with a smile, bringing his hands from behind his back to put them together in a clap. Olivia felt the mana around him begin to excite, swirls of purple emerging around his joined hands. Slowly, he began to pull them apart, his movements strained and focused, as if the air around him was replaced with molasses. The mana grew into a veritable tidal wave, its size and density dwarfing any showing Olivia had seen so far, and she felt as if there was a pressure on her skin from its sheer existence.

When his hands were brought to the height of his head and his fingers were pulled tight against his palms, Olivia felt a rip in the air that nearly made her gasp. Despite not never feeling such a sensation, despite that she shouldn’t feel it, Olivia sensed as space was pinched on itself, like folding a piece of paper and poking through it with a pencil.

The tear formed, and a window to a land across oceans appeared. She didn’t know why she knew it was so far away–she didn’t even know the geography of the world she was in–but she did. Through the portal, she saw a castle—or perhaps a fortress—carved into and along a range of snowy mountains, so seamlessly integrated that it was hard to tell where the mountains ended and the fortress began.

“So, do you?” Zreuben asked, his words sounding a whisper as Olivia was captivated by more than just the sight, but the all encompassing sensation of magick.

“I do,” she breathed out, a bright smile on her face as she found where she should have been a week ago.

Zreuben walked to the portal and turned around, facing Olivia. He took a shallow bow, arms bent to allow her the right to go first.

“Then I welcome you, Olivia, Aspirant of Glaubenkreit.”