The carriage rolled to a soft halt at the edge of the Elowen estate, the crunch of gravel beneath the wheels dissolving into silence. Before Silius stood a grand manor, unlike anything he had known in the North. Its white wooden doors, banded with gold and flanked by flowering ivory vines, seemed to gleam with their own light. A pair of rune-inscribed lanterns flanked the entrance, their blue flames flickering with gentle magical hums.
Silius hesitated for a moment before stepping out.
Immediately, butlers in clean ivory uniforms hurried forth from the doors, bowing in perfect sync and moving to carry bags, direct guests, and offer warm, efficient greetings. The scent of crushed lilac and old cedar floated from the entryway, like the ghost of something beautiful and long passed.
Inside, the air was noticeably warmer, enchanted to remain steady regardless of season. Pale marble floors reflected the soft yellow glow of floating candles that hung midair from enchanted sconces. Paintings of Elowen ancestors, most with silver hair and serene expressions, lined the tall halls. Tapestries of flowing rivers, spellcraft, and floral fields adorned the walls in vibrant detail. Magic shimmered faintly through the embroidered threads.
Odin took in the grandeur with wide eyes. "They say the Elowens were healers to kings and sculptors of cities... but this is something else," he muttered, brushing his gloved hand across a wall as if to check it were real. "Your mother came from good stock, lad. A rare kind of strength."
Lonnie, ever quiet, added, "And from beauty too. This place feels… alive. Like it's listening." Her helmet was under her arm now, revealing her scarred, weathered face. The candlelight shimmered against the silver strands in her braided hair.
Silius didn't respond. He was caught in the silence of memory.
A butler gestured toward the upper floor. "Young master, your chambers await. Please follow."
He did, climbing a spiral staircase of polished stone and carved vine railings. Halfway up the hallway, he stopped. His eyes landed on a framed portrait just outside a tall set of doors.
It was her.
His mother, standing gracefully in a white robe embroidered with soft gold filigree, her hair tied with a violet ribbon. Beside her, two older figures—her parents, no doubt—stood proudly. There was a light in her eyes. Not magic. Just kindness.
Silius stared. He tried to etch every line of her face into memory.
The butler coughed gently. "Sir?"
Silius nodded and continued on.
The doors to his room opened to reveal a sanctuary of light. A four-pillar bed stood at the room's center, draped in sheer white fabric that danced in the breeze from the open balcony. The floor was carpeted with white fur, the pelt of some majestic beast with spiraled horns hanging as a trophy on the far wall.
The walls bore mounted plaques—some bearing swords, others shimmering feathers, one with the curling fang of a Glill, a sky serpent known for its razor-teeth and shimmering skin. Crystal vials sat on polished oak shelves, each glowing faintly with preserved spells or alchemical essence.
Beyond all that, the balcony called to him.
Silius stepped forward and looked out.
The estate's rear courtyard stretched below. A training yard of polished stone and enchanted dummies stood at its center. To either side bloomed sprawling flower gardens—violets, sunblooms, and whispering lilies that glowed faintly in rhythm with the moonlight. Tall hedges formed a natural wall, beyond which lay the full majesty of Glicent.
The capital unveiled itself like a painting come to life—golden spires, suspended bridges of glass, and towers woven with living trees. Cascading waterfalls tumbled from rooftops into canals that laced through the streets. Above, griffins wheeled in the sky, bearing armored mages in deep indigo cloaks. The Mage Towers rose to the east and west like twin sentinels, and in the heart of it all, the Coliseum of Radiant Battle loomed—a perfect ring of marble and rune, pulsing with anticipation.
Silius exhaled slowly. "Wow... they weren't exaggerating. This is…"
"More than stories can tell?" Odin's voice came from behind, now in the doorway. "That's Glicent, lad. A city of light built on the backs of titans and dreamers. You can feel it in the air."
Silius chuckled lightly. "And smell it too. Like roasted honey and something… magical."
Odin stepped beside him. "You've earned this view. But don't let it lull you. Many a boy's been broken beneath that coliseum."
"Thanks," Silius said, looking down at his hands.
Lonnie joined them a moment later, her gaze sharp as ever. "You plan on exploring?"
Silius nodded. "Thought I'd get a feel for the place before the tourney. Maybe meet some others."
Lonnie tapped the hilt of her hammer. "Then I walk with you. No arguments."
"Fine by me," Silius said with a shrug.
And with that, he turned from the balcony, eyes still burning with awe—and just a hint of fire.