I could tell the sun was beginning to come up at this point, because I could see small rays of sunlight seeping through the crags of the thatched roof, casting gentle light around the room. Taegin's mana infusion into the circle had provided us with most of the light we needed prior to this, but now, the gentle blend of azure and golden light bathed us all in soothing visuals.
The only sounds being made inside the room were that of Meliss' breathing pattern, supplanted by the soft hum of the circle's mana. Thorn, Pyle, and I sat on the bench nearby, patiently awaiting the results of her first contact.
Come on, Meliss. You can do it, I thought, knowing this process, even with the Gwynnleaf tincture, could take hours upon hours, if not days. Knowing there wasn't anything I could do to help her, I merely rested my head on my folded hands. Thorn had apparently decided to meditate as well, though I'm not sure entirely why. His powers, like Ren's, were still very much a mystery to me.
This went on for approximately ten hours, or at least that's what it felt like, as we had no way of keeping time inside the room for that explicit purpose. I had to hand it to her, as I knew it wasn't easy to sit in the same position for even two hours, let alone ten.
You can do it, I thought, closing my eyes, and picturing her sitting in front of me, with the Ethereal realm spinning its globe of bright mana above the empty space.
Suddenly, through my eyelids, I noticed a glow. It was faint at first, but it began to grow in intensity. I opened my eyes, feeling the warmth of mana brush against my skin.
She did it! I nearly shouted, getting up from my seat. Thorn, who had already sensed her drawing mana well before I did, held up a hand to stop me, softly shaking his head. I tore my eyes away from him, only to notice Meliss' once phthalo green eyes had turned into obsidian. Mana floated gently across her skin, like an artist's brush floating on a canvas.
I stood in awe, as I hadn't ever seen the awakening process myself, though Taegin's razor sharp focus didn't waiver at all. The mana suddenly began to coalesce and condense into her left hand, forming a small, swirling globe of pale blue and green light. Red streaks began to chase after them, followed closely by dark orange.
The Ethereal has responded to her call, I thought, thinking back on my first time. Obviously, I had seen something similar during my time, but that's because what I could see was in the Ethereal realm. Seeing it manifest here in the Real, however, was a beautiful sight in and of itself.
Once the trailing tendrils of mana finished coalescing, Meliss's eyes returned to their normal phthalo green. Without anyone saying a word, we allowed her to understand what she was experiencing, as she gazed at the palm of her left hand where the sphere had coalesced just moments prior.
"I… I did that?" she asked, as if unsure of what she was looking at. "It's beautiful… I can't even begin to describe it," she said, a tear forming in her eye. Taegin, releasing his hold on the runic circle, let out a gentle sigh of relief. "I'm proud of you, young Meliss," he said, a tired smile grew on his face. "Welcome to the Synners of Codrean," he said warmly.
She giggled lightly, still holding the globe in her hand, as she tried to sit up. "I… oh my. How long have I been here?" she asked, plopping right back down on her ass. "The sun has just set, and dinner is about to be served," Pyle said just as her stomach rumbled. "Do you want me to help you up? If so, you might want to do something with that mana first," I said, gesturing to the sphere.
"Oh, this thing. Right. Uhmm… one second," she said, closing her eyes again. The sphere began to undo itself, gently unraveling in the palm of her hand, seeping into her skin as if it was a part of her. Taegin, uncharacteristically, chuckled. "I've seen maybe twenty others able to do that in my time as the Master, each with exemplary talent for mana. I'm looking forward to watching you grow," he said encouragingly.
"No pressure," I added, a grin smeared on my face.
We all left the Awakening Chamber together, Pyle, Thorn, and Taegin were all talking amongst one another, while I helped Meliss back up the stairs. Her legs hadn't yet gotten used to moving again, so what little support I could give her, I did. "How do you feel?" I asked after clearing the stairway. "Hungry. Need food." she said, turning nearly primal at the smell of the meal just a few score meters away.
Never get between a woman and her food, I noted.
The rest of the night was rather uneventful. Meliss was too exhausted after the meal to really stay up and talk much, so I led her back to the female dorms and dropped her off at the door. I, on the other hand, had already spent much of my day focusing both on her and the twin flasks Thorn gave me. I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out what they were for, so I ended up falling asleep more quickly than I anticipated.
The following morning I woke up, and packed my gear. Ren, who was already awake by the time I got out of bed, silently helped me gather and pack my things. He never really said much, but I could tell he had a good heart underneath his cold exterior. I thanked him silently, as Bernar and I were going to leave before dawn broke to make it as far as we could the first day.
Knowing him, he'll probably want to stop by Coltend Castle to visit Leona. I wouldn't mind seeing her again, either, I thought.
I carried my bag, sword, and rations I had prepared after dinner the night before, and headed toward the stables. Bernar was already there, though it seemed he hadn't been there long. "There you are. Do you have all your shit you're going to need?" he asked. "Yeah, I've got my stuff. Oh, right, almost forgot," I said, pulling out one of the twin cerulean flasks.
He eyed it carefully, and perhaps saw something I couldn't. "Who gave this to you?" he asked, gingerly taking it from my hand. "It was a gift from Ren, Thorn and Taegin, though we're not supposed to drink them until we get to Caegwen," I said. "Really? Huh, can't imagine why, but if Thorn said so, I'll take his word for it," he said, wrapping it in a piece of cloth and sticking it into one of his saddlebags.
"Did you think you were going to leave without saying goodbye?" Ed's voice called out, Meliss, Thorn, Ren, Taegin and Pyle following close behind. "Not a chance," I chuckled. "You'd hunt me down, and she would kill me if I did," I said, pointing to Meliss as well. She was still sleepy from the day prior, and rubbed her eyes gently.
"Why did it have to be today?" she asked. I realized, then, that it wasn't that she was tired, but crying. "I-It's just time, Meliss. The Master said it, and I'm ready to face my next challenge," I said, trying to sound a little more positive than how I was feeling after seeing her in that state. "I don't want you to go," she sobbed lightly. "Darling, you have a whole world of training ahead of you. By the time I get back, you probably won't even notice I left in the first place," I said, cupping my hands around her jaw.
"Of course I will, dummy!" she said, lightly punching my shoulder. I kissed her forehead, and turned to face Taegin, my grandfather. No words needed to be exchanged, save for a silent nod of understanding between us. "When you get back, I'll reach the second stage, I promise," Ed said, holding out his fist toward me. "I'm sure you will," I replied, bumping his fist with my own.
Thon and Ren now approached with Pyle, as if they had waited their turn to speak. "I will ask the gods to watch over you and your brother in your travels. Oh, I forgot, Ren had one last thing for the two of you," Thorn said, motioning his friend forward. Ren's dark hair and scarlet eyes seemed to float against the still-darkened background not lit by torches as he approached us.
"Please, stand together," he said in his soft voice, motioning for us to stand side by side. Bernar and I followed his orders, and closed our eyes. With his hands placed just where our cores lay, he pushed mana into them, as if searching for something. I can feel him digging around in there like a mole in the ground, I thought, flinching slightly at the strange feeling in my chest.
After about a minute, Ren pulled his hand away, and what I could have sworn was a smile appeared on the corners of his mouth. "I anxiously await your return, cou- … " he said, cutting himself off. "Thoma, Bernar. I'm sorry I don't speak much, but I will say this: you will both need to speak to Queen Aurae when you arrive. Keep those flasks on you, and I will speak to you when you return," he said.
I didn't even know he could talk that much, I thought.
My brother and I thanked him for the flasks once more, and stepped away from the group. "Don't cross into the fourth stage without me getting to spar with you in the third, little monster," Pyle said, crossing his arms like some stubborn child. "I'll keep that in mind," I returned with a warm smile.
Meliss and I shared one last glance, her tear-filled eyes glazed in torchlight. I tried to give her an encouraging look, but knowing I would be away for as long as I would be, I couldn't muster anything other than a thin-lipped smile. I turned my horse and glanced over at my brother.
"So… ready to see mom again?" Bernar asked.