"Alright, slowly now. Take a deep breath. Feel the warmth in your chest."
I sat with Sari on the long, green grass of the inner gardens of Brackencliff Keep, my legs tucked to the side. The young foxkin sat cross-legged beside me, patiently guiding me into the depths of my soul. Wisp, her curse demon, hovered nearby, visible as a slight, vaguely humanoid distortion in the air. Apparently, one of his skills was hiding himself from prying eyes.
I did as Sari asked, taking a long, deep breath, letting the sensations of the garden fade away. The kiss of the gentle breeze, the burble of a nearby fountain, the caress of the morning sun on my face. All of it vanished as I looked inside, searching for the elusive warmth she promised was there. The warmth of my soul.
After a few minutes of silence, I opened my eyes, tail limp. "It’s not there. I can feel the souls of the demons, and Fable, but that’s it." I let out an exasperated sigh. "I just don’t know how else to look."
"It’s alright, don’t get discouraged. We’ve only been trying for a few hours," Sari said, patting my knee.
Selena, sitting on a stone bench a few paces away, nodded. "Think of this as penance."
I gave her a questioning look, and she smiled.
"That’s right. Penance. Do you know how jealous I was when you cast a spell on your first try? Most mages spend weeks learning how to feel their soul, much less cast a functional spell."
"But I know even more about magic than I did then. Why is it so hard now? I feel like I should have it by now!"
The outburst was unwarranted, especially after how patient the two had been all morning.
"Maybe it’s because you remember," Selena said. "Souls are like puzzles, but you’ve only got a few pieces. Right now, your mind is trying to put those pieces together, expecting to get the completed picture. Just slow down, step back, and look at it with fresh eyes. Don’t try to remember the missing pieces; allow yourself to learn them all over again."
My tail curled, but I smoothed it with my hand, taking a deep breath. "Alright, I’ll try."
"Are you sure you don’t want to use my ability?" Sari asked.
I shook my head. "No, I have to do this myself. If I remember anything about magic, it’s that there are no shortcuts. If I skip the hard part of establishing the foundation myself, I’ll regret it later on."
"Wise as always," Selna murmured, smiling faintly. "Now, try again."
Unfortunately, it seemed receiving her advice and implementing it were entirely different matters. Try as I might, I couldn’t get past the Primordial Mark and touch my soul itself. Three more hours crawled by with little progress, and Selena finally called a break. I stood, stretching, clenching my tail before letting it droop again.
"I don’t understand it," Selena muttered, scrutinizing me. "You can cast spells just fine, even with your ’soul casting,’ yet you can’t feel your soul? How is that even possible?"
I looked down, gripping my skirt. Even if she wasn’t censuring me, it felt like it.
"It just happens," I mumbled.
"Like muscle memory!" Sari said.
"Just like that." I gave her a grateful look before turning to Selena. "I wish there were some way for me to use my ability, not just Sari. That should be easier to follow than my mana."
She pursed her lips, looking me up and down. "That...might just be possible. Your ability to negate attributed magic is still effective, right?"
"Maybe? I haven’t been attacked yet, but Fate didn’t mention anything about it."
Selena flicked her finger, and a single magic circle materialized a few inches in front of me. I jumped, yelping as a small jolt of electricity shot out of the circle, arcing to my hand. A sudden rush of heat welled up in my chest, and the spell vanished, leaving a slight tingle where it had touched my skin.
"Hey!" I protested, hiding my hand behind my back, backing away quickly. "What was that for?"
"It still works. Did you feel that?" she asks.
"Almost. Like wind slipping through my fingers," I said.
"Good. Then we have somewhere to start," Selena said. "Now, let’s get to lunch. No sense working on an empty stomach."
Selena’s private residence was a short walk from the courtyard where we trained. Sari chatted my ear off about one of her ’secret’ adventures during her time with the Last Light Company. Wisp trailed us from behind, all but invisible to any idle observer.
"And that was when Jenna finally saw me, so I-oh, we’re here!" Sari said, forgetting her story midsentence.
She bounded up the steps, tail wagging excitedly. The guard posted at the door opened it just in time for her to skip through. He shot a glare after her and opened his mouth, but jerked as Selena leveled him with a look. He replaced his scowl with a salute, moving aside to let us pass.
"They’re such sticklers for decorum," Selena muttered as we chased Sari’s tail through the hallways. "You’d think I’d be used to tradition after so many decades at the Divine Throne, but the elves really are something else."
The dining room was an appendage to the kitchens, separate from the rest of the structure. It was more of a walled pavilion, with lots of tall, tinted windows to let the light in. Two guards stood without the door, drawing up to attention as we approached. They both shifted, blocking the entrance. They were both young, as far as elves went, with immaculately polished and pressed uniforms. Both had a slender red ribbon tied around their sheathes, knotted without a bow and with a two-inch tail.
"Lady Sunsinger," the guard on the left, a tall, dark-haired man, said. "We weren’t expecting you so soon."
Selena raised an eyebrow. "You were expecting me? I wasn’t aware we were receiving company, and from the military, no less." She frowned, brow furrowing, before letting out a sigh. "My brother’s in there, isn’t he?"
The guards hesitated, exchanging a look, before the one who had spoken nodded. Selena groaned and gestured with her hand for them to move aside. They swallowed hard and didn’t budge.
"Forgive us, but Lord Sunsinger requested he be left undisturbed while–"
"Move. I won’t ask again."
Selena’s voice cracked like a whip. The two guards flinched.
"Even if it’s you, Lady Sunsinger, I’m afraid we can’t–"
Selena flicked her hand. The barest flash of a magic circle appeared before the guards shouted, tossed aside like children’s toys. I jumped, letting out a squeak as they slammed into the walls on either side, collapsing in crumpled heaps. They groaned, rolling over, staring stunned at the ceiling.
"S-Selena!" I said, tail twitching furiously.
Sari grabbed my hand, whispering, "She does that a lot. The elves really like getting in her way."
"Damn soldiers," Selena muttered, stalking through the doorway. It had blown open in the wake of her spell. "And damn Aerion. I told him to keep his plotting out of my dining room."
Aerion’s familiar figure waited for us in the dining room. He lounged in a chair, elbow resting on the table, a drink in his other hand. An elf with short blonde hair and a uniform bearing several golden stripes sat across from him. The officer looked startled, his hand on his sword, which also bore the red thread. Aerion just sighed, looking up at Selena, who loomed over him.
"You could have knocked, dear sister."
"Captain Theros, I believe your men need some attention. They were rather...rude."
The soldier flinched at the ice in her voice, quickly standing and giving her a salute. "I apologize, Lady Sunsinger, for any offence they caused. But please do not be so quick to resort to violence. There are certain standards and procedures we must follow, regardless of how powerful or important someone might be. It is the way of elves, and all that keeps us from descending to the level of the humans and beastkin."
Selena’s eyes flashed, but she took a breath and sank into a chair, gesturing at the door. The captain glanced at Aerion, who nodded, and gave another salute. He filed away, giving me and Sari a curious look as he passed.
"Aerion, we talked about this. No soldiers in the house."
"Oh, please. It was just an informal meeting. But, all things said, you could stand to be a little kinder to them. They’re only doing as they’re commanded."
She raised an eyebrow. "I’m surprised to hear you defending them. You’re the first to speak of throwing tradition and history to the wind."
He shrugged, giving a wry smile. "I did invite them here, after all. I’m not totally shameless."
A few maids entered, guiding Sari and me to our seats. More came, bringing thick slices of reddish brown bread, along with an assortment of fruit. The food steamed, making my sensitive nose tingle with the scent of cinnamon. They served tea alongside it, to my relief. Far better than the light wine the elves favor.
"Please, enjoy," Selena said.
I dug into the meal, tail curling with pleasure as the heavy taste of cinnamon warmed my tongue. The salty, savory food of the human lands was fine, but I much preferred the elves’ taste in cuisine. Simple, flavorful, and always warm. They also had more than enough pastries, even the cream-filled ones.
"So, care to share what the captain was doing here?" Selena asked.
"Ah, yes. Of course." Aerion dabbed his lips with a handkerchief, looking right at me. "I’ve managed to secure passage to Duskwood. You’ll be taking a skyship."