Chapter Text
It was a beautiful day in Delmora. For a few days now it has only been rain and clouds. But today has been especially bright. With sun rays shining through windows, women finally hanging clothes outside, kids running around happily and overall people just being happy.
In a cozy two-story house in the suburbs of Delmora, lived a girl whose life was getting more and more excited with each day. Being sick from the room she stayed in for the last few days, going outside with this beautiful weather was a must. Her messy room, full of books and empty potion pots was getting boring. Rushing out of the room, and down the stairs, she bumped into the family housekeeper, Nela.
Going somewhere miss Irene? I haven't seen you this cheerful in a while!
Nela chuckled. She is a cheerful and beautiful woman, her soothing voice calming every single point of your body as she speaks, giving a sense of comfort. Her hair is always in a bun, making it easier for her to do her job properly.
Ahhh Nela! I'm sorry, I almost ran into you. It's beautiful outside, I've been yearning to see the sun again! Ever since those clouds came I was shunned into my room. It got boring.
Irene said, apologizing for almost brushing her shoulder against Nela, her dark hair falling on her face, covering her jade eyes, making her face unseen. Her dress was full of faint stains from the potions and burn marks from the lamps, as if she did a whole lot of experiments while it was gloomy outside.
You can't go out like that Miss Irene! You have to at least look proper. Here, brush your hair and I'll get you some clean dresses.
Irene scoffed but agreed to the idea. She can't go outside looking like a total wreck, after all, she will go and meet her friend Gloria who just came back with her mother, from a meeting with her witch covenant. How cool is that?
Irene brushed her hair, tying a small part of it with a ribbon, her dark slightly curly hair now falling on her shoulders, elegant. She washed her face, putting on a bit of red lipstick on her lips, just for the looks of it. She came downstairs wearing a clean, newly picked dress, with sleeves made out of a silky material, falling beautifully around her slim arms, a blue west adding dynamic to the white dress, and cute blue shoes sticking out on the bottom, barely visible from the dresses length, going perfectly in combination with her jade-colored eyes, full of happiness and excitement.
Thank you for your time Nela, I'll be going now. I'll make sure not to take too long!
Irene sincerely thanked Nela, who's been her biggest supporter in life. Leaving the house, the sun kissed her face with the warmth that she longed for days. She picked a few daisies from her yard, as a gift to Gloria's mother, since those were her favorite flowers, and continued down the road, to a bit more isolated house. It wasn't that far from the town, but u did need to walk a bit. That walk is soothing to Irene. The distance didn't matter to her, the view and ambiance were what made that walk special. Flowers next to the river bridge, fish swimming through the river, avoiding wood scraps that the small flood brought with itself. The bridge looked cleaner nonetheless, people greeting Irene with smiles on their faces. Arriving on the spot, there was a small house, covered in moss and ivy, still looking cute and cosy from the outside. Small clouds of smoke coming through the chimney, and a never-forgetting smell of apple pie became stronger and stronger as Irene was walking closer to the door.
*Knock knock* Hello, it's Irene! Are you home, Gloria?
Irene knocked on the door, hearing footsteps coming at rapid speed towards the door. They opened wide revealing a slim, short figure, with long blonde hair, her deep blue eyes looking at Irene, as if she was waiting the whole day for this moment to happen. She hugged Irene tightly and screeched with excitement.
Irene! I've been expecting you ever since we came back! Come in, come in! Mum's making her special apple pie, so you're here at the perfect time.
*Irene laughs* I've been waiting for an opportunity to come here too, I've got so much to tell you about my recent research!
Irene enters the house, sitting down on a bench, covered in pillows acting as cushions, not the fanciest place, but it sure is comfortable to live in. The fireplace crackling on the side, giving them a nice and warm ambiance, perfect for talking and spending time together.
I've got so much to tell you..it was my first time at the covenant meeting! I'm so glad Mum let me join them for the event.
Gloria! We agreed not to share information about the covenant meeting with others!
Gloria's mum added from the kitchen. Well, it was obvious that she wasn't allowed to tell anyone, anything about the covenant meeting since those are exclusive information only available to covenant members, and leaking those would mean big trouble.
Agh mum. I know we said that, but it wouldn't hurt to tell Irene, right? She will be a member of the covenant soon enough too, right?
Ah, Gloria, it's okay, you don't have to get yourself in trouble for this
But--
No buts, we'll talk about something else, we shouldn't just spill out classified information like that right Aunt Maria?
Irene took the side of Gloria's mother, Maria. She didn't want to cause any trouble, though she was fairly interested in the covenants business, after all, she wanted to be a wizard on her own.
You should learn a bit from Irene, Gloria. She might be younger than you but she sure does understand the grown-up business!
Added Maria, coming out of the kitchen with the pie in her hands. It smelled delicious as ever. Being the guest, Irene was polite as always when being a guest at another person's house, she talked to them casually, about magic, about being a wizard... but then came the "plans for the future" subject, that was quite the sensitive subject for Irene.
So, are you going to try and get into the Wizard Academy, Irene? I might try and get in, but I'll start focusing on learning magic as soon as we finish school!
Irene looked at her with unease. She wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Her parents want her to pursue a career in trading, so she can inherit their fortune and their family job and continue the legacy.
I don't know... I'd love to go to Wizard Academy, but my parents already are complicated enough, I don't want to get into an argument with them...
But if you don't fight for yourself you will never reach your goal, we trained together, and you were even better than me in some spells! It'd be a big shame if you just throw away all that hard work and time that you poured into it.
Gloria told her, determined to make Irene stand up for herself, it shouldn't be much of a problem if she tried, right?
Listen, I'd try and talk to your parents for you, but you know how that would go, Irene.
Maria added, knowing that the history between her and Irene's parents could make this situation worse if she got involved. This is leaving Irene in a really difficult situation.
It's complicated. I will try my best and make them support my decision, otherwise, I'll just take all my allowance that I accumulated so far and leave!
That's a really tough decision, Irene. Are you sure you want to execute it that way?
Maria said with recognisable worry in her tone.
I've decided! It will be that way! I can't just let them project their lifestyle on me. I want to become a Wizard!!
Irene yelled, now full of confidence and resolve. This conversation led her to make a perfect plan. This plan is so well thought out, she spent the whole time coming back home thinking about it.
Maria promised that she would send a letter to the Grand Library of Duskstorm. Sadly, she is not able to tutor both Gloria and Irene anymore. Since the Wizard Academy is really hard to get into, she wanted to help Irene by asking an old friend of hers to tutor her. He is currently a librarian at the Grand Library. She told Irene that she'll get a letter of acceptance.
Irene, upon coming home, spotted her parents coming back earlier than expected. That was a bit unpleasant since she didn't inform them of her leaving to see Gloria. She tried sneaking so she could get to the stairs, lifting her dress's skirt so she wouldn't trip, making small, careful steps. As she got to the stairs, she heard her father talk to Nela. Something about Irene going out without their permission? That's awful. Poor Nela, it's not her fault. As she lifted her head after listening to her father's and Nela's conversation, she came eye to eye with her mother, now going downstairs.
There you are, young lady! Where have you been? Why didn't you at least leave a note or something?! I've been worried sick!
Her mother stroked her cheek, hugging Irene as if she hadn't seen her in ages. Visible worry on her face, she waited for Irene to answer her questions, guiding her downstairs towards the kitchen.
Irene looked guilty. She slowly went into the kitchen, walking in front of her mother.
Where have you been, Irene?
She asked her again, now with a more intense voice, almost yelling at her.
I was outside, taking a walk, haven't you seen the weather? I'm not a kid anymore, I can navigate myself in our neighborhood. I'm 22 mum... no need to worry about such minor things!
Irene assured her. Her mother looked at her with worry and suspicion. Now entering the kitchen, Irene sees her father yelling at Nela who currently looks like a dog in the rain. After he spotted his wife and Irene, he stopped yelling at Nela and turned to them. Walking towards them.
Have you lost your mind? Why are you walking out like that, don't you have parents to inform of your whereabouts?!
He yelled at her. Nela looked at Irene, worried, trying to console everyone.
I apologize about the commotion, it was my fault lady Pelina, sir Jeremiah, I didn't want young miss to spend another day inside the house, it is a beautiful day outside--
I heard enough from you! Now go and do your job! Let us handle this situation. You are dismissed.
Jeremiah turned and yelled at Nela again. Nela rushed around them and left the house to go to the backyard, visibly shaken and taken aback by Jeremiah's outburst.
Now you young lady, I want you to tell us where have you been.
Jeremiah sat Irene and Pelina down, now all of them sitting at the dining table. Irene raises her brow, confused about why are they so aggressive. It's not the first time I just left without saying anything, there is something fishy about this whole situation.
Father, I assure you, I was taking a walk near the river! I don't know why is this such a big problem all of a sudden. I've gone out like this before, and it wasn't much of a fuss, is everything okay now?
Her father, Jeremiah, looks at her with anger and disbelief in his eyes, burying his face in his hands, and going through his hair. Leaning back on his chair, he looks at her again. Irene's mother, Pelina, sat frozen and didn't utter a word.
Then, why did a little birdie tell me that u went into the forest... towards the witch's house?!
Jeremiah yelled out, hit the table with his fist, and looked right at Irene's jade eyes. Irene sat stunned, unable to speak from all the fright her father caused, a tear could be seen going down her cheek.
I... I really should go now, I don't want to repeat this conversation over and over again. I've told you numerous times that I want to become a Wizard, and not follow your steps!
WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS? WHAT DID I DO WRONG IN RAISING YOU?! I should've just married you off like your uncle did with your cousin, and I would've avoided this!
Jeremiah still yelled, spouting a bunch of sensitive topics. Irene felt betrayed and given up on. Her mother just sat there and put her hand on Irene's shoulder, still not saying anything.
You haven't changed your attitude not even a single bit father! No wonder none of your sisters want to talk to you, you always think about your benefit! You are making a fuss about me going out to spend time with your elder sister just because you decided to be an asshole, and not make up for something that happened over 15 years ago!
She stood up, shoving her mother's hand off her shoulder, running towards the stairs, her face wet from all the tears, her lipstick smeared from all the sobbing, she ignored her father's continuous yelling and locked herself in her room. Once again, she was alone. At this point, could only think about taking all her clothes, money, and equipment, and escaping in the night. Running away. Going to Duskstorm on her initiative, doesn't sound so bad right? She consoled herself, trying to get herself together. As she got up and took her suitcase, she heard a knock on her door. It was Nela.
Miss Irene, are you there? Can I come in?
Irene got up to the door, opened it, and let Nela in, closing the door behind her. Nela looked worried, as if she heard the rest of the conversation. It would be a surprise not to hear it, from all the yelling and screaming.
I know your father loves you, he didn't mean to be like that... you shouldn't hold a grudge against him.
It's easy for you to say, Nela! *sobs* It's been like this my whole life! Projecting his ideal life plan on me, I can't stand it anymore!
She said as she started packing her dresses, shirts, and pants.. some alchemy equipment she had on the side, her wand that she used for small cantrip spells. Nela got up and helped pack everything neatly, so she could have as much space available.
Why are you helping me, Nela? You know that this could get you in big trouble... I don't want you to suffer the consequences anymore.
Nela smiled, looked at Irene, hugged her tightly, and assured her not to worry. She wiped Irene's tears off her face and hid the suitcase under her bed.
Listen to me very carefully, Irene. If you want to get out of here, you know you would need to flee the country? That's the only way your parents won't be able to act in timely manner.
Nela said, holding Irene's hands and looking her in the eyes.
I know that. I just need to get to Duskstorm somehow, I could just wait for the letter from the Grand Library... if they accept me as their pupil though....
Irene said, looking at the side with uncertainty... not sure if her newly sewn plan could work, or would be just torn to pieces.
Don't worry Miss Irene, I'll give you a part of my savings. I know it will surely help you a lot. I don't have much but it's enough to keep you going for at least two to three months.
Irene looks at her, sobbing and crying again, hugging Nela tightly. She sure wasn't expecting her to say or do this.
Nela, are you sure? I could always take some money from my parents--
No no, Irene! I insist! I don't want you to suffer anymore, and taking your parents's money will just worsen the situation. It will be better like this, don't worry. Come and lay down, get some sleep, tomorrow I'll make your favorite breakfast.
Irene looked through the window as Nela said that.. damn, it was already evening. You could hear owls on the branches of naked trees. Autumn nights can really be peaceful and calming. Irene got dressed in her sleepwear and got into bed. Thinking about everything that happened. This whole day was a blast. Irene was filled with a mixture of excitement and guilt, but she knew this was the only thing she could do to live the way she intended to.
Good night Nela, thank you for everything. I hope they will have the heart to talk to me tomorrow, I don't want to leave without resolving things with them.
I'll be there to assist you, good night.
Nela nodded and slowly left Irene's room. As only sounds of owls and crickets filled the room, Irene used some of her magic to make small stars float around her room, making dim light and a cozy environment. Laying on her back, she couldn't help but pray to get the invitation letter, before she slowly drifted into slumber.
Morning came, the sun started shining through the window of Irene's room, illuminating it. Irene woke up, rubbing her sleepy eyes, she looked around the room. It seemed even sadder. Before, it looked unorganized and full of random things. Now, it looks as empty as ever. She got up slowly, brushing her hair and teeth, and changing her clothes to something more sophisticated. A white shirt, with frills on the front, and a gem button. Pants matching the color of fallen autumn leaves, and leather shoes. Holding a coat and a beret in her left hand, going downstairs into the kitchen. As she walked into the kitchen, she spotted Nela, baking pancakes with sweet berries. Irene greeted her, sitting down at the dining table. An uneasy feeling washed over her stomach, mixing with hunger she felt upon smelling the pancakes.
Good morning Miss Irene, have you slept well? *puts the plate on the table, a small tower of pancakes in it* I've just made you pancakes, they will need a few minutes to cool down.
Irene nodded, telling her how she slept. Still kind of sleepy, she leaned her head back on the chair. Nela then quickly got up, as if she remembered something. Got into the living room and from behind the stairs, got a small box and a letter.
Miss Irene, I think your new glasses have arrived today, I forgot to mention it earlier.
Irene leaned ahead, thanked her, and took the letter and the box. She first opened the box, since she couldn't quite read the letter well without glasses. In the box were sitting such cute, round glasses, with a black frame and purple shine on the glass. They were perfect. As soon as she put them on, she could finally see the world clearly again. Now, looking at the letter.. she realized that it wasn't a follow-up letter for the glasses. It was an unusual one- It had numerous colors on it and patterns that seemed as if they were moving! The letter was sealed with a greenish wax seal, with a pattern of a book on it. She slowly opened the letter, and as she did, the paper came out itself. Unfolding and levitating right in front of her eyes. Nela looked at her amazed, stunned in place. Reading the letter, it said:
" ----Regarding a formal request from my personal friend, I've read your resume. I'm quite impressed someone who barely started learning about magic is willing to become a great Wizard and learn at the Wizard Academy. That isn't an easy task young lady. I shall take you under my wing and help you get the knowledge you seek. Are you up to the task? Let us find out. There should be a carriage waiting for you in front of your house at 6 pm sharp. Don't forget anything, you won't be coming home soon!
Sincerely, Helion of the Grand Library of Dawnstorm"
Her eyes widened at the contents of the letter, and she suddenly got up and jumped from excitement, then straightening up before she tightly hugged Nela, telling her that she had been accepted. She picked up her coat put her beret on her head, and rushed as fast as she could, to tell Gloria and Aunt Maria bout the letter.
Wait, Miss Irene! You haven't eaten anything yet!
I'll eat when I come back, sorry!
Upon passing the river, she could see Gloria, picking up fallen chestnuts. She rushed to her, yelling her name to get her attention.
Gloria! Oh Gloria, I must share this with you!
Is everything okay, you look like you've been runnig since you left your house.
Because I was! Look! *shows the letter* I got the letter, that friend of your mum's, he accepted the request!! I'll go to Duskstorm!!!
Gloria's eyes widen, visibly excited for Irene, she hugs her, dropping the basket with all the chestnuts. After giving her a small spin she let her go and looked into her face.
I'm so glad, I'm so happy for you!
Thank you, Gloria, thank Maria in my name, I'm indebted to you!
They continue cheering, and as Gloria realizes she dropped all the chestnuts, she kneels to pick them all up again, Irene now helping her with them. After that, Irene said her goodbyes to Gloria and went home again to prepare for the long journey. Since the carriage will be here at 6 pm sharp to pick her up, she will have just enough time to say her goodbyes to her parents, who will come home an hour before her department. Nela helped her pack another bag with some food and rations since Duskstorm is far away from here. She finally had her breakfast, and now only needed to wait.
Irene was impatient. She got her bag into the living room, her suitcase next to the bag. Waiting for her parents to come home, so she can give them the news and give them a proper goodbye. She does know this could and will end up in a huge argument, but arrangements are already made and can not be interrupted.
Time slowly passed by, Irene filled out some forms that were required by the library, sipping tea and eating cookies with Nela.
Are you sure they won't cause much of a scene, Irene? I hope sir Jeremiah won't do anything bad...
Don't worry about such details, Nela. If I were to think about all of that right now, I would've gone mad long ago.
You are right, just.. please, be careful, alright?
Irene nodded. Not that she didn't think about that whole situation, but looking at it this way. Neither her mother nor father can change this now, they currently don't have the time to either think or act. As soon as they arrive, Irene will just state the facts, and they can't do anything about them.
They talked the time away, remembering many memories they've made together, making sure Irene hasn't forgotten anything.
Soon after, the clock strikes at 5:20 pm. Pelina and Jeremiah enter the house, not even noticing Irene and Nela sitting in the living room. Pelina immediately started brushing her dark hair with a brush, with an exhausted look on her face, her blue eyes gazing on the mirror, just now noticing Irene and Nela, drinking tea and eating cookies in the living room. Jeremiah went to the kitchen and got a glass of water, coming out to the living room and sitting down right opposite Irene.
His deep green eyes looking at her sharply, running his hand through his hair, he leaned back into the chair. It seems that Nela has given them a heads up too.
So.. this is it I guess? I think you have something to explain.
Irene looked at him, with a blank expression on her face, trying to compose herself. Her mother, Pelina, soon joined them at the table, looking at Irene with slight sadness.
I've always wanted this. This has been my dream ever since I found out about magic. I've got an opportunity to learn from one of the best Wizards. It is pretty far away from home, but I've already planned on writing you guys letters frequently. I want you to know that I don't hate you, I love both of you sincerely, but it broke my heart knowing that I'll never be good enough for you, especially for you, father. I'll do my best and become a great Wizard, and show you that it wasn't a waste of time and that it was something worth living for!
Irene said, looking mostly at her father, who she expected to yell and scream at her. After her statement, Jeremiah stood up and hugged both Irene and her mother tightly. She was a bit confused, but understood the action as an act of love towards her, which she rarely had to experience since they weren't home much. Her gaze narrowed, trying to prevent tears.
I just wanted my little girl to live a comfortable life, without having to sweat and work much, but if it's your dream and choice, you better fulfill that dream, and not let it stay a dream.
They all let their emotions take over, they hugged and cried, talked about the good times, and laughed. Irene hadn't experienced these moments with her parents in a long time. Most of the time they would come home from work, immediately laying in bed, exhausted, or just starting arguments about Irene's bad habits.
With time passing, they could hear the carriage arrive in front of the house. Her father, Jeremiah, helped Irene get her stuff on the carriage, they all hugged one last time, and Irene got into the carriage and left. It was hard leaving home, she never left her province before. Only once she went to Vindoville to visit her father's youngest sister, but that was years ago...
Slowly riding in the carriage, Irene was enjoying the view around her. Animals preparing for the winter, leaves falling from trees, and wind making them dance around the sky.
Is it really true?! I'm going to Duskstorm to study magic!?!
She asked herself, just now starting to think, this is too good to be true right? Everything went well, I mean, why wouldn't it? It all went smooth as butter. Now, all she needs to do is wait, and travel for a week or two, until she arrives. The pressure from overthinking the conversations over and over had let go, and she could relax through the journey, happy that her parents accepted her decision- even through she supposes it is just a part of their acceptance.
Notes:
Hello! I hope you liked the first ever chapter of my story! Feel free to give constructive criticism, as I'm new to writing and open for discussion! - Yours, SoyBeanNyan ⭐
Chapter Text
Arriving at the Duskstorm gates was a perfect example of an enhancing entrance. The gates were high, covered in various engraved details, supported by huge stone pillars on the sides.
It was highly secured. Everywhere you turn around, guards would be there. One of the guards that stood at the front of the gate approached the carriage, giving Irene a glance while holding a small journal.
"Coming from quite a far place, young lady?"
Irene looked at the guard nervously, as he asked her that question, she was looking at him with amusement, his armor was shining, bright as the brightest torch in the night. It has the same symbols as the engraved details on the gates- Half of a sun, divided by a line, and on the other side, half of the moon.
"Yes, indeed. I've come here to pursue my Wizardly education in the Grand Library."
She said now calmly, she wasn't doing anything illegal, she didn't have anything to worry about.
"Anything to report? Do you have anything else other than your personal belongings?"
"No, sir. Only my personal belongings."
She could now see the guard writing something down, his face was covered with a helmet, but she saw his eyes reflecting the sun. Some young guards in the back started throwing looks in her way, trying to be discrete, but ultimately failing. Irene just brushed it off, waiting for the guard to give her permission to proceed with her carriage.
"It looks like everything is alright young lady, you shall proceed. Welcome to Duskstorm and good luck with your studies, I hope you will have a great time here."
She could hear the softness, the sound of reassurance and kindness in his voice, as if he was reassuring his own daughter that she will be safe. Irene smiled, thanked him and proceeded to enter the city of Duskstorm.
Upon entering the city, a sudden breeze of warm air brushed her face through the carriage window, calling her to spectate. Looking through the window, Irene saw big houses, completely different from the ones she remembers at home. These houses were going high into the sky, with a bunch of windows and terraces. Below those big houses, in the ground area were usually markets, stores, and other kinds of businesses.
Passing through that street, there was a dwarven Blacksmith, a tough woman, strong and capable, bossing around some people, putting away equipment, and setting up her outdoor area. Seems like even blacksmiths need their shops to look good on the outside.
Reaching the center of the city, there was a beautiful fountain. Massive water currents splashing down the marble, the same carvings on it as on the gate, and in the middle- a Statue of a beautiful woman, covered in flowers of all kinds, holding a vase from which water comes out.
A really busy and beautiful street indeed. There is something with those two factors combined that just fascinated Irene as she passed through the center of Dusktorm city.
Now going uphill, she saw a really big building, by the looks of it, it was the famous Fillil Bard Academy. It had various engravings of instruments, and flowers on every single window there is. The door was wide open, showing a spacious room, filled with books, tables, and people.
"It is quite a lively city", she thought to herself. The carriage suddenly stopped as she passed the Bard Academy.
"Is everything alright?"
"We are here Miss. Welcome to the Grand Library of Duskstorm."
She got up and out of the carriage. In front of her is a beautiful staircase made out of marble and stone, its handrails covered in vines and flowers. A man was standing in front of the stairs, who waved at her, following with a small bow out of respect.
"Welcome, my lady. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Vermont and I will carry your luggage up the stairs."
Irene was taken aback, she did not expect such princess treatment here.
"No no, don't bow. I'm Irene, I appreciate your help."
Vermont nods and takes her luggage, leading Irene up the stairs. Seeing the library up close is even more beautiful than people described it. The pillars are as white as snow, a total opposite to the walls, which were in a combination of dark wood and stone. The high windows made out of a vitrage were a true sight to see. Every window has its own art piece.
"This place looks so majestic! I've never could've imagined it looking this beautiful!"
Irene said in a squeaky, excited tone. Her eyes darting all around the exterior of the building.
"Sure is, my lady. It's quite pretty this time of the year. Inside is even more fascinating!"
Vermont added to her statement. Both of them proceeded to go up the stairs. Finally arriving in front of the door, Vermont opened it for Irene to enter before him.
They entered the hall. Fancy golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, a wide space full of bookshelves, all marked with signs that symbolize their contents. Right in front of the door, there was a port, with a sign saying: "Info port - Librarian always present".
Vermont pointed at the port, telling Irene to approach. He followed her quietly and as they were nearing the port he went in front of her, greeting the librarian present. As she leaned on the port to see the librarian, she saw a slender figure, he seemed to be an elf. Long, pointy ears, with some nature-inspired piercings. A white buttoned long-sleeved shirt. His eyes looked kind of tired, but he radiated calm energy. He stood up, leaving the port to stand in front of them. He is tall, a whole head taller than Irene. Elegant pants with blue flower prints on them, and black shoes matching his equally dark hair.
"I see you finally arrived, I bet all the traveling was exhausting. I'm Helion Frost, the Librarian and the rightful owner of the Grand Library of Duskstorm. You must be Irene?"
Irene looked at him, kind of losing herself in his gaze. His sapphire-like eyes looked right through her soul. Vermont noticed her sudden loss for words and jumped in.
"Sir Helion, indeed--"
"Yes, I am Irene Solenight. The journey was quite interesting, to be honest, but I sure am exhausted."
Irene spat out the words mechanically, getting out of her daydream. She looked up at him with a confident smile, not wanting to leave a bad first impression.
"Ah I see, then I will not keep you here for long, Vermont can show you to your room and we can discuss your future lectures after you're well rested."
Helion gave her a small smile, obviously showing his kindness to his new pupil. Irene nodded, looking a bit nervous. She was never in the presence of such a person, magic radiating from him, giving her slight goosebumps.
"Y-Yes, if you say so."
Vermont held his chuckle in, but Helion just gave him a glare, warning him not to make the lady feel embarrassed. Helion excused himself and went back to his work and Vermont motioned Irene to follow him to the rooms.
"The rooms are this way, lady Irene. I'm sure you will find comfort."
He smiled, showing her to a wall. He waved his hand, a small shine of magical runes appeared, opening a door in the wall, and revealing a staircase that led to the rooms. Irene was impressed by how this place was so magic oriented, it was nothing like she imagined it. She followed Vermont up the stairs to her room. The door had a small silver plaque with a name on it- Irene Solenight-. She smiled at Vermont and he opened the door for her, entering after her and putting down her luggage.
"Feel free to decorate your room to your liking, lady Irene. Would you need any more assistance from me?"
He asked, his palm on his chest, bowing slightly.
"Ah, you've been of great help so far Vermont. Thank you."
Irene thanked him sincerely, signaling him to straighten up, there was no need for him to bow.
"Glad to hear that, lady Irene. Remember, you will always find me in the halls if you need anything. There is even a button enchanted with a rune by your work desk, it will notify me if you need any help and I will gladly come up to your assistance."
He genuinely smiled, waiting for her to dismiss him. She looked around the room but noticed that Vermont was still here. She figured she'd probably have to tell him that she didn't need his assistance for now.
"Alright. You can go now, I will get some rest."
Irene nodded and he nodded back, closing the door of her room behind him. Irene exhaled, her adrenaline rushing like crazy. She has come this far...her dream can finally come true, and there is even a really good-looking elf who is going to teach her about magic!
She blushed and cupped her face, trying to calm down.
"Don't get ahead of yourself Irene! You have to prove you're worthy of being his pupil! I better get some sleep now, then I can go downstairs and talk to him about my lessons."
She reassured herself, laying on the bed. It is a comfortable bed, it has so much space. After taking all the space on the bed when she poured herself onto it, she yawned and soon started dozing off.
As she woke up from her nap, Irene stretched on the bed and looked around. She remembered she wasn't in her childhood room, but rather in a much better place. She sat up on the bed, sighing as she saw her luggage which needed to be unpacked. After realizing she had no other choice, she stood up and started unpacking her stuff.
A whole hour passed and she finally unpacked everything. After she finished, she looked in the mirror and made herself look presentable. Leaving her room, locking it behind her, she went down the stairs slightly nervous, thinking about how could the conversation with Helion go.
"I hope I look okay...Did I not forget anything? No, I didn't. Ahh Irene! Get your thoughts together, you can't make yourself too nervous now!"
She indeed was overthinking it, lost in thoughts she walked down the stairs to the main hall- and there he was, Helion Frost.
He stood in front of some other guy, who was probably one of his pupils too. He looked like a wizard, he had nice robes, decorated with lace and silver dust. Irene gulped and walked towards them. The guy excused himself and left, not giving time to Irene to introduce herself, leaving her alone with Helion. He turned to face her, his surprised expression changing into a small smile, his arms behind his back.
"Oh, Miss Irene. You seem way more energetic now, that's what I like to see."
Irene looked up at him, returning the smile, figuring out what she should say.
"Yes, I'm not tired anymore, I'm ready for whatever you prepared for me."
She hoped to sound confident, she was kind of nervous while saying it, but Helion just chuckled at her enthusiasm, changing his expression to a more neutral one and motioned her to walk beside him. She slowly followed and walked a bit behind him, stealing glances occasionally.
"You see- I don't usually take pupils into my care, I'd rather focus on my Librarian duties...but since my friend contacted me, and I do owe her a favor, and I was willing to take you in."
She looked at him, trying to figure out if he was hinting at any disinterest in teaching her. He had a calm expression, stoic even. She couldn't read his motivation, but couldn't avoid feeling like a burden now that he said that.
He looked at her puzzled face and the corners of his mouth made a slight hint of a smile, but it did seem a bit fakeish.
"Don't worry yourself, I wouldn't take you in if I didn't want to teach. I'm ready to teach you everything I know, but of course, I'll need to know how capable you are of using magic."
She nodded. A knot formed in her throat, she was nervous but his reassurance made her not think about it for now. They walked out of the main hall into a wide room, it was empty, or so it seemed. He turned to Irene, gesturing her to enter.
"This way miss Irene, here we'll test your magic and see what you're capable of. "
Irene entered the wide room, it looked like a practice range, but for magic. The dummies and walls were covered in runes and weird papers. Some of them were damaged, some of them looked like they could move on their own, and they had legs and arms holding wooden swords.
Helion walked to a dummy, putting it in the middle and placing some kind of a sigil on it. After he did so, he turned back to Irene, showing it to her.
"This here is a magical sigil that will track the flow of magic through the dummy. I'll give you a few cantrips to try out on it, so I can get a little picture of your magic capabilities."
He approached her, giving her a small, petite notebook, containing a few cantrips. He pointed out the ones that she should try out and luckily, Irene already knew a few of those cantrips. Her practice with aunt Maria and Gloria obviously gave her some advantage in this early stages of her studies. She put out her hand, holding her small wand, using the cantrips on the dummy.
As he took note of her knowledge and magical capabilities, Helion couldn't help but notice her sudden confidence boost as she realized she knew some of these spells. He didn't make any expressions, but inside he felt like she'll be a handful when they start doing harder and more draining spells.
"You seem confident."
He commented anyway, but Irene just nodded, looking at the almost burned sigil on the dummy.
"I knew some of the spells- is the sigil supposed to look like that?"
She tilted her head, then Helion came in front of the dummy and took the worn out sigil off of it. After inspecting it, he gave her a rather complimentary smile and nodded.
"Good enough. You're free now until I give this further inspection and come up with a decent, personal study schedule for you."
Irene nodded, feeling a bit disappointed that it's over so soon. She hoped to study a bit more, and spend time with him in the same time, but she just followed him back to the library lobby and soon decided to just go to her room.
Upon walking to the wall, where Vermont previously did the hand signal and the "simple" magic to open it, Irene found herself stuck, as if it didn't want to let her in. She was constantly trying, and constantly looking around to see if anyone saw her struggle, which was embarrassing by itself. Soon enough she just called Vermont and he opened it for her, saying he'll look into the problem.
Upon entering her room, Irene sat on her bed, lost in thought.
"I hope I'll get to learn stronger spells soon- he must have seen the potential in me!"
She sounded so delusional in her head, but secretly hoped she'd be right.
After a while, Helion summoned her downstairs, and Irene was now sitting in front of him inside the info port. Helion scratched his head, took a look at her then at the paper, maintaining the stoic expression. No one could even guess what's happening in that guy's head.
"I've ran through it and...I must say you're uh, quite exceptional."
He nodded his head as he looked at her, and Irene's eyes widened slightly, as she didn't expect him to say she's exceptional. After he handed her the paper, her slight smile turned into an embarrassed frown, as she saw her grades on the list. It was a list containing magical capacity, durability, cost of energy, etc... and Irene was sure "exceptional", but in a "under average" way.
There was a blue line showing the average amount someone should have, and a red line which consists of a bare minimum...while Irene barely made it over the red line for most of her stats, her cost of energy was under the red line, making her even more embarrassed. She couldn't look at Helion, but he just cleared his throat and continued speaking.
"I'm afraid your studies might turn out to be longer, harsher and... way more exhausting and draining... but hey, you have over average in spell durability, which can be useful."
She nodded slightly, sighing as she clenched the paper in her hands, now taking a glance at his face. Her glasses slightly tilted to the side, she fixed them and opened her mouth to speak.
"I uh... I can not lie I am a bit embarrassed... but-"
"But you can still bloom and become a flower worth watering."
Helion added, leaning a bit in his chair, his elbows on his knees, cupping his face. Irene was flabbergasted by the metaphor, and she just blinked. His stoic expression while saying it made her even more doubtful.
"What I meant to say is- no matter the stats, everyone can become a wizard, it's just a matter of time and practice."
Helion added as he took the paper from her hands and put it on the desk to his left, while the paper folded itself and tucked itself away in a file. Irene spectated that small gesture and turned to look at him, her determination hinting in the overflowing embarrassment.
"I will do my best, thank you."
She thanked him, which made him a bit confused, but he still nodded and dismissed her. Irene had that urge to thank him, knowing that he was probably bound to teach her only because he owes aunt Maria a favor, but now that he had seen her poor magic stats she was afraid he'd give up on her and make her go home. Luckily, that wasn't the case, and she just fueled her determination with this new motivation she got from the small event.
"Poor performance, weak stats? Who cares! I'll make sure people know who Irene Solenight is!"
Irene thought to herself, walking towards the wall where the gate to the rooms was, waving her hand in the motion to open it- but a thud was heard, and Irene was soon on the floor, sitting and rubbing her bottom as she fell back from hitting the wall, failing to open it yet again.
Vermont sighed, moving the small couch to the left side of Irene's room. Irene looked at the couch, agreeing it looks good there, and Vermont silently thanked the Gods as she was making him do quite a lot of work, helping her decorate her room.
Irene smiled, looking at her newly decorated room. She went for a bit of a cottage core aesthetic at first, but then she decided she can't take care of that much plants. Deciding so, she went for a more sophisticated atmosphere. A nice blue and gray carpet, spread across the room and under the bed too. A banner from her home town over the door, serving as a reminder. A new alchemy kit on the desk near the window, a nice padded chair. New curtains, matching the blue color of the carpet, since Irene deemed the old ones too... well, old. These have a nice pattern of stars and circles on it, being a substitute for the starry night sky when it's cloudy. There was also a lot of candles, and she decided to just put a big chandelier to illuminate the whole room, and not just have spread out candles.
On the other hand, Vermont really did like the ideas Irene had, it's just a pain when you tell someone that they can ask for anything and- they actually do. It was his job, anyways, he'd get paid so he didn't have any complains out loud. In the end he just cleaned his hands, clearing his throat before turning to Irene.
"So, miss Irene, this is it?"
He asked with hidden anticipation. Irene nodded, her hands on her hips, proudly looking around the room. It looked a bit less than what she imagined, but eh, can't always have what you want, right? She faced Vermont and gave him a small paper, which was a coupon for the towns Tavern- a free drink.
Vermont blinked, looking at the coupon and shaking his head.
"No no, miss Irene. I can't take it-"
"Ah come on, you helped me a lot, this is the least I can do."
She said as she took out his hand and crumbled the coupon in it, making him put it in his pocket. He sighed as she was so stubborn about him taking it, but he still appreciated it. He knew her for only a few hours, but she was already starting to be his favorite student here.
"You're free to go now, Vermont. Take care."
Irene patted the pocket on his chest where the coupon was, and he nodded at her, bowing slightly before leaving the room, and then closed the door behind him as he left, leaving Irene alone in her newly decorated room.
She continued to look around and proudly check out every corner. She went all out, since her parents said they'll cover all the costs while she's in here. Irene was actually in a pretty good mood that she found a purpose to that old crusty cupon too, since she never been to a Tavern, she just gave it to Vermont without thinking...she doesn't even remember where she got it.
The night scenery was beautiful. The round window over the bed was the best thing ever happened to Irene, right after the acceptance to be a student here. It looks over the whole town, moonlight illuminating the walls, houses and cobblestone roads.
The Bard Academy was lit up whole, which made her question if she could sleep from the light. After a few more minutes, Irene decided to finally go to sleep. She pulled the curtain over the window, dimming the light in the room. The candles on the chandelier were already dimmed out, so she didn't have to get up from her bed. The soft mattress made her slowly bury herself in it, while the pillows seemed to have the softness of clouds.
She quickly found herself yawning, falling asleep soon after.
The morning sun was enough to make Irene let out a yawn, and wake up from her slumber. The curtain did a great job in hiding sun rays, but there was a small crack that was shining directly at her face, which made woke her up as she stirred in sleep.
Getting up from her bed, Irene got dressed in slick, brown pants, following with a yellow button up shirt, and her usual coat over. After picking up the necessities, she brushed her hair and made her face look more presentable. As she got ready she got out of the room, closing the door behind her and locking it.
Upon leaving her room she noticed someone go down the stairs- she never saw anyone else here in the dormitory part of the library, so she hurried a bit, curious to see the person, but it was going down the stairs fast paced.
"Hmmm, maybe they're not friendly?"
Irene thought to herself, but when she took a glance behind the pillar and down the stairs- the person wasn't there. She scratched her head, walking down the stairs, wondering how could have the person just disappeared that quickly.
"Maybe I imagined? Geez, talk about being sane."
She raised her brows and did a "heh", shaking her head to herself, but soon as she approached the entrance wall that led to the library, she put on a neutral smile, doing the hand signs and vocal requirements to open the passage through the wall. Finally she managed to do so, and pass through it by herself.
"Yes! I finally managed to do it myself. Now I won't need to nag Vermont to open it for me."
She celebrated mentally, making sure she didn't make a big reaction on the outside, since this was the bare minimum to know here. Irene just cleared her throat, walking to the cafeteria.
The entrance of the cafeteria was on the right side of the dormitory entrance, down the hall. On her way there, Irene saw some people, which only seemed to be renting books from the library, and are not actually here for the same reaso she is.
Before passing the info port, Irene stuck her head out to see if Helion was there. Sadly, people were swarming the info port, probably returning books and taking other ones. Shrugging, she continued to the cafeteria.
As she approached the door, it was actually a normal door, and not some magical wall like the passage for the dorms. She entered slowly, and saw a few people inside, but they were sitting i opposite corners of the cafeteria. It looks nothing like you'd expect in a place like this. The tables are wide, and there are only three of those tables, filled with chairs on both sides...and that's it. Only tables and chairs.
Irene looked around, rather confused on where does she get the food from? Is this just a place to sit, and not a place you actually get food in?
As she was about to gather up courage to ask someone what to do, Vermont appeared out of nowhere, holding a small scroll, looking a bit guilty. His tone apologetic.
"I apologize, lady Irene, I forgot to explain how the cafeteria works-"
He started bowing in apology but Irene shook her head and once again, stopped him from bowing.
"Stop bowing already- it's fine, you're here now to explain it, right? And what's the scroll for?"
Irene pointed at the scroll, her shoulders relaxed as she swallowed the fact that she will no longer look like a lost sheep. Vermont cleared his throat and offered the scroll to Irene.
"This is a summoning scroll- of some sort. It is connected to a small, external plain which sir Helion connected to it as a, well, 'kitchen' for the cafeteria. There are people working there, making the food you want to eat. For further example, you can tell the scroll what you want to eat- and as long as it's not something absurd, the scroll will summon your food in front of you. Let's sit down and I'll show you-"
Vermont led Irene to a place to sit at the table, making her sit down, while he held the scroll in front of her at the table. Irene was a bit confused, but she understood this is some sort of serious magic, an external plane in which people make food that we commission from here? Amazing! Vermont then looked at Irene, pointing at the scroll.
"Okay, open the scroll, and tell the scroll something you'd like to eat. Simple as that."
Vermont smiled and Irene shifted her gaze from him to the scroll, unfolding it slowly, afraid not to rip the fabric it was made of, which obviously wasn't normal paper. She gulped and thought, finally outing-
"I'd like a plate of three pancakes, blue berries on the side with syrup on top, and let's not forget a mug of milk."
And as she did so, the scroll folded and started spinning, gaining a blue outline, highlighting it. The magic quickly worked and the scroll fell on the table, turning into exactly what Irene asked for.
She looked surprised, her eyes wide, looking at the plate in front of her. She even got the necessary utensils with it. She took a fork, slowly poking the food, checking if it really is, in fact, the food she asked for. Vermont spectated and held in his chuckles, then turned professional again, getting Irene's attention again.
"Alright. You learned that part. When you finish, you just clap your hands and say you're finished, but don't do it before you finish! There are no get backs once the plate disappears. You can find the scrolls at the info port, and each student has a right of three scrolls per day. So be careful how you use this."
He stood up, ready to leave, but then turned back as he forgot an important piece of information.
"Oh, and also- You can't take the food out of the cafeteria. That's rather a policy than a magic restriction."
He shrugged, and Irene smiled at him and nodded, taking in all the informations.
"Thank you for everything Vermont, I would've been lost in here without your help. You're free to go now, I won't keep you here any longer."
She gave him a nod and he nodded back, bowing slightly before leaving through the door. Irene happily looked at her plate, watching the syrup drip on the side of the pancakes, the blue berries on the side, in a separate small bowl, and a mug of milk.
"This must be at least a litre of milk..."
Irene thought, looking at the mug, a bit embarrassed. The mugs here are clearly a lot bigger than in Delmoria. She made a mental note not to ask for mugs anymore, but rather a cup.
She slowly ate, enjoying her meal, thinking about the whole concept of having a whole separate plane of existence just to make food for the cafeteria. Though, upon further thinking, Irene figured it is probably some people who are friends of Helions, or rather they made some kind of a deal. Anyways, what is most important is that Irene had top-tier food to eat in the cafeteria, three times a day, all thanks to that smoking hot elf, who's totally contradicting his last name with how he looks. "Helion Frost, huh? Not so frosty if you ask me-" Thought Irene.
Upon finishing the delicious meal, she got out of the cafeteria, ready to go and greet Helion, hoping to get her agenda for today. As she patiently waited for the crowd to shrink in front of the info port, she continued to look around the halls.
The ceiling is THIS high up? She didn't notice previously, since the chandeliers are hanging low, but now that she pays attention, she can see that the ceiling goes way up. Now, that makes sense to her since the outside looks huge too, and the vitrage on the windows makes a big art piece, almost as if it's showing a whole story in one window.
But soon, her observations were cut short by a familiar, God given voice.
"Miss Irene, I hope you haven't been waiting for too long."
Helion stepped out of the info port, but there was still rows of people waiting, all eyeing Irene up and down as Helion approached her, clearly angry that he stopped his work to talk to her, in their perspective, unacceptable! Irene flinched slightly, smiling a bit awkwardly as she didn't expect him to come out and tend to her rather than serving everyone else first.
"Uhm, no, I wasn't- I uh, was just looking around in the mean time."
Helion hinted a tired smile on his usual stoic face. She wasn't here for long but she already got used to that nonchalant demeanor of his.
"Good. Then, you'll have to excuse me, there is a big row of book-hungry people here, so I'll give you this, and you know where the practice range is."
Helion handed Irene a small apprentice notebook, just like last time...but this time, there was stuff added to it, in beautiful cursive writing. Irene smiled at Helion and took the notebook, watching him go back to the info port. While walking to the practice range, followed by the eyes of the people waiting, she suddenly got a realization. People here are ACTUALLY interested in books and reading??
"Now that I think of it... back home in Delmora, people weren't so eager to read all the time. I guess this is just a way bigger city..."
She shrugged, walking to the practice range, seeing that Helion left some of the sigils he used last time in the notebook, knowing that Irene couldn't yet recreate them. She mentally prepared herself, and started doing the spells written down, one by one, all to the last detail of how he explained it.
It was a disaster.
Even though these are mostly cantrips, and only two first-level spells, Irene couldn't even budge.
On one dummy she didn't adjust the sigil properly, so it got a bit damaged. One of the only cantrips she mastered before this practice, was mending. Since the dummy got damaged, Irene panicked and rushed to the closet in the corner of the room to find any spare materials and luckily she did. Casting the mending spell a few times, she managed to make the dummy look like it was brand new. Wiping her forehead, she sighed in relief, sitting down on the ground to catch a break.
"Geez, I didn't know cantrips can be this hard too... but these first-level spells, they are very hard to cast- why?"
She asked herself, looking at the spells on the list. The spells 'Catapult' and 'Detect Magic'.
Catapult is rather an aggressive spell, throwing an object with the mass of 2 kilograms at most in a direction can be a good start, it's a simple spell, rather something that could be used not only to throw rocks around when cast at a higher level, but Irene couldn't manage to throw even a small half a kilogram stone cube that was made for practicing the spell.
Before losing too much faith in herself, Irene started practicing the 'Detect Magic' spell right after the 'Catapult' one. This spell gives you... well, as the name suggests- an ability to detect the presence of magic within a certain radius of her.
While the radius was supposed to be at least this whole training ground, she could only detect the magic on her wand, and a few items she had with her, which also had a very weak aura, supposed it should've been a bit bigger. She had no clue what magic school did the magic belong to, while she knew because Helion told her, she couldn't see it with the spell.
In frustration Irene just dismissed the magic she used, sighing in slight disappointment.
"Tch...I'm such a weakling."
She then remembered her stat sheet, slightly slouching when she did. Her brows furrowed as she thought about how much of a lost cause she can be... but then she remembered Helion's words. It doesn't matter how low her stats are, she can still work hard and come out as a great Wizard.
With that in mind, she straightened up and looked at the training dummies, slight doubt still lingering in her mind as she positioned her wand to practice the easier cantrips first, to master them before going for the ones she failed to manifest properly.
After hours and hours of practicing, small breaks, and more practicing. Irene could now cast...only a few of the spells listed for her to practice today.
The info port was full of people for most of the time, Helion couldn't catch a break at all. After giving the notebook to Irene he at least managed to get her to go and practice by herself, so he can finish this mess in here.
After the people left, and a whole bunch of fake smiles served, Helion leaned back in his chair, sighed in relief as he pushed his dark hair behind, wiping his hands with a clean piece of cloth.
"Why am I not hiring an assistant, again...?"
He asked himself, then Vermont came with his long awaited cup of tea. Helion gladly took the cup and pressed it to his lips, savoring the sweet taste of hibiscus. Giving Vermont a small look of approval, he tilted his head.
"Vermont, remind me why didn't I hire an assistant for the library?"
Vermont raised his brow, knowing this is a rhetorical question, but he still knew the answer. Before answering he readjusted his bowtie.
"Well uh, because it's too much work dealing explaining how everything works, and because they'll probably be a drag, not to mentio-"
"Alright, alright, don't mention it."
Helion raised his hand and stopped Vermont before he mentioned the previous 'try' of having an assistant, which became a disaster. He pinched the bridge of his nose, remembering that he should probably head to Irene and see how she's doing with her practice, but he just finished dealing with a bunch of people, and he felt like Irene was just going to make him feel even more tired.
Helion looked at Vermont, offering a slightly expecting look.
"Vermont, you checked on her, right? Is she...still practicing?"
Vermont couldn't quite read his expression. Not knowing if he was anticipating a positive or a negative answer, Vermont just clapped his hands together, giving him a nod.
"She's still practicing, I must say she managed to learn uh... well, most of the things from the notebook you gave her sir."
Helion just scoffed, shaking his head as he stood up, handing Vermont the now empty cup. He went back to a book shelf, searching through some books.
"Between us, Vermont, I honestly don't see what Maria saw in her... she's an under average wizard wanna-be, and she can't even learn the bare minimum I gave her, practicing for more than four hours and still not managing to learn, what, five cantrips and two of the most common first level spells?"
He gave Vermont a look, speaking in a mocking tone. He wasn't sure why did Maria go as far as to use the favor he owed her to teach such an unqualified person. Vermont on the other hand was slightly taken back, not expecting such a whiny outburst out of Helion. He looked over at the info ports window, making sure no one heard what he said, but still was in quite the shook. Turning to back to him with raised brows, Vermont put out his hand, as if offering an answer.
"I uh... sir, with all due respect, you accepted the offer without questions... I'm sure Lady Maria had a realy good reason she asked you out of everyone-"
Helion stopped him mid sentence. Approaching slowly.
"Maria is nothing but an acquaintance who I happened to owe a favor, but oh well. I did accept the offer, expecting someone promising, not someone who Mystra hides under a rug when they mention that they can cast spells."
Helion just put away the books he picked up from the shelves and sat back down in his chair, leaning onto the desk under the info ports window. With a wave of his hand he dismissed Vermont, wanting to be left alone.
"Now that I think of it, I might have overreacted, but sure is a drag working with someone which such small chances of becoming anything related to magic... Maybe only the fact that Maria sent her is pissing me off the most, that self-centred witch."
He sighed, leaning his face onto his hand, obviously annoyed by the whole situation. He set his expectations too high. In his mind, he was sentenced to babysitting someone who has too much confidence for someone who just came to a realisation that they don't have much magical capabilities... Well, he did feel a bit bad when she started to doubt herself, but he'd never admit that.
Helion needs someone who's worthy and capable to help him with fulfilling his ideals and goals... not someone's rich daughter with strong imagination, masked to look like ambition.
Notes:
Heya- I know it's maaaybe a bit too soon for another chapter, but I wanted to post this as soon as I finished it, so I could work a bit longer on the next one. I'll be busy with studies so it might take some time. Once again, feel free to give me constructive criticism in the comments! I changed the writing style a bit, hopefully it's easier to read. -Yours, SoyBeanNyan ⭐⭐⭐
Chapter Text
Three days passed since Irene started practicing the spells Helion gave her.
And for those three days she did nothing but practice only those few spells, which she managed to now cast at an average level. It was enough for her for now, but she'd focus on polishing them more in the future.
"Good, hopefully tomorrow Helion will accompany me here."
Irene sighed, as she called it a day. Helion hasn't been monitoring her practice yet again today, with an excuse of having too much work. Irene wouldn't believe him if she didn't see the bunch of stacked papers he has on his desk all the time.
Wiping her sweat off her forehead, and putting her wand away, Irene walked through the corridor, towards the library. She figured she should find a book that could help her magical focus, maybe something that would increase her Arcana weave.
As she browsed through the bookshelves, each had it's own marking, hinting on what kind of books were on it.
Soon she passed near a bookshelf with a big sign that says 'Arcane Encyclopedia'. With curiosity, she walked towards it, looking through the books. It was many types of encyclopedia regarding magic schools, history, the academy in the city and many of them were from different time periods.
"Maybe I should take something in between-"
Irene thought as she pulled out a copy of 'Arcana Integrated Knowledge', from just a few decades ago. The book was heavy, and it had a small lock on the side. Clearly, she needed to get permission for such a book, so that meant she'd need to stand in the row with some other people waiting to get their books approved or returned.
Upon walking towards the row, some familiar faces were standing there. A girl that was waiting here two days ago with bunch of romance novels...and an old grandpa, who looked like was a few breaths away from dying, holding a fish encyclopedia with him. Irene just smiled and nodded at all of them, stopping at the bare back of the row.
With time, they moved, and Irene finally got to the front of the info port. Greeting Helion with a small awkward wave, she smiled, not sure if he'd let her borrow the book.
On the other hand, Irene was the last person Helion expected to be waiting with a book now, rather than practicing. He slightly widened his eyes as he saw her, and cleared his throat, keeping that stoic demeanor.
"Irene? How can I help you?"
"I uh...wanted to study theory of magic so...could I borrow this?"
She placed the book on the port, and he raised his brows, not hinting any other reactions. Shifting his gaze from the book to her nervous face, and back to his papers. What on earth is she thinking, picking a book that isn't as beginner-friendly.
"You're aware that you're most likely not going to understand most of this book, since it requires a bit more of magical independence?"
Which she clearly didn't have.
"I am aware- but where's the harm in trying?"
He sighed, it was...a discouraging sigh. Irene had a feeling that he'd reject her, but he could've at least said so immedia-
"Take it, here's the key. Just lock it immediately after you're done."
He placed the key next to the book, and gave her a small card regarding the rented book.
Irene widened her eyes, continuosly nodding at him, slightly dumbfounded as she picked the book back up, putting the key in her pocket.
"Why...he allowed it?"
Irene questioned herself but soon brushed it off, glad that she could try and get into the theory of magic, since practice wasn't going as well these days. She might get some answers, as well as tips and tricks on upgrading her skillset. She quickly moved from the row, letting the next person come forth.
Passing the magical wall gate, she went up the stairs to her room. While unlocking her room, she could feel a strange shiver, unconsciously turning her head to look right, towards the other rooms. As she looked, a door closed somewhere near the end of the hallway.
"Suspicious.". Irene figured she would rather not overthink about it, entering her room and locking it from inside, just in case.
"I could swear I felt a gaze...but never mind, I have more important things to think of."
She reassured herself, placing the heavy book on her study desk, lighting up the surroundings with candles. She put down all her things, her coat on the rack, her bag with the wand and items on the couch, just getting comfortable in her own room. As she felt like everything was off her shoulders, she sat down, and slowly unlocked the book- which opened itself immediately, flipping onto the first page.
'Arcana Integrated Knowledge'. That book title was written with silver ink, glowing a dim light as the candle light fell onto it. Flipping the page, it immediately started with explaining certain topics- some were looking blurry, like she couldn't yet comprehend them.
Irene was intrigued by the style this book was written. The simple process of how magic works was probably available for everyone to read, but the other chapters looked blurry, as if hiding the contents of the chapters, not giving the reader permission to read. The pages were filled from corner to corner, with various little boxes filled in text and runes.
"Ah, an explanation-"
Irene said as she saw a small text in the corner of the first page. This many words on one page made her feel lost, it was a good thing they put an small notice. It was some kind of a quote, shimmering with silver glow.
"Thou who'm magic isn't dear, you should fear. If you're an arcane child, let your imagination go wild. Content of thy book ist holy to some, but worthless to none."
She couldn't quite pinpoint the meaning, but the sole purpose was there.
"Looks like I'll find out as I read. Let's hope I don't get too confused."
Irene flipped the page, seeing all the funky words Helion used, all the statistics he mentioned, but explained. This left Irene intrigued. Glued to the book, reading everything word by word, trying to understand as much as she could.
"Hmm so the magic independence he mentioned is...my own magic, without the outside effects of magical items and potions for arcane boosts."
Irene nodded to herself, looking like a child who was just learning how to read. It was unfamiliar to her to see such detailed explanations, but she couldn't understand most of the context, which was a waste of time as of now.
'Magic durability - the ability to hold the magic for as long as possible before dismissing it.'
'Magical Capacity - the capacity of one's arcane energy, usually measured in how many spells could be cast before complete exhaustion.'
Irene read and revised the already familiar sentences. More unfamiliar concepts were revealed, trying to understand them better, she read them, pondering what could they mean.
"Arcane stability...?"
Irene whispered to herself, raising a brow. It sounded like something aunt Maria and Helion should have already taught her, but...she hears about it for the first time. It itched her brain how both of them were not giving her enough attention to enlighten her further on this matter.
"...arcane stability is a natural compas that stabilises the magic in one's body..."
Irene widened her eyes in confusion, leaning back in the wooden chair, causing it to creak a bit. As she pushed her hair back and wiped her glasses, taking a look at herself through the mirror on her left.
"...why didn't anyone tell me about this?"
She stood up, and took the heavy book, holding it with both hands. There were not any tips on how to achieve arcane stability, but she wanted to try anything that would get hinted.
Putting the book on the floor, Irene sat in front of it, crossing her legs and placing her hands on her knees, breathing in and out, trying to focus. "What should I focus on? How am I supposed to reach this... stability?". The question kept popping in her mind, as she got up and got her wand from her bag, sitting down on the floor. She held the wand in front of her face... trying to focus.
"Humm magic....Humm arcane energy-"
Irene hummed to herself, looking like she's chanting a ritual. Feeling a warm ting she could usually feel with magic, she thought she was close to achieving it, which drove her to try further, and make sure to focus, until-
*Knock knock*
Irene opened one eye and got up, putting the book aside on her desk, closing it and locking it while frantically trying to fix her hair...did she assume it was Helion so she did so? Probably.
"W-who's there? I'm coming-"
She said as she cleared her throat and slowly unlocked the door. Strange, no one said anything when Irene announced she's coming. She pulled the door, and looked up at the tall figure that stood in front of her.
Helion was at the info port, doing his usual work...well, significantly more work than usual. Gritting his teeth, he hung up on a colleague from the Magic Academy, the magical connection was cut with just a swift move of his hand. His expression? As stoic as ever...but his aura was giving a sense of anger, because of which no one would want to approach him, with a fear of being banished to another realm. The constant nagging of his colleague to let go of the library and come to the Academy as a teacher was starting to make him feel sick to his stomach. He couldn't stop working here, he was basically bound to this place.
"This was supposed to be an easy job, why am I suddenly drowning in papers!?"
His inner monologue echoed through his head as he held it in his palms, pulling down the curtains on the info port, signaling to others that he's taking a break.
"I didn't have time to teach anything to Irene either. She must be still stuck on those-"
Then he stopped mid monologue sentence, remembering that he approved of Irene taking that book to her room, why in the world didn't he just give her those books in the first place?
"I'm losing my ground...I could've just given her the 'Wizardry 101' to read or something..."
He thought, chuckling to himself like a madman. Everything was getting to him, causing his patience to be thin. At that moment Vermont entered, his eyes widened as he saw Helion smirk and let out a chuckle to himself, which was a really rare sight.
"Uhm...should I leave-"
"No Vermont, it's- I've just been thinking about something."
Helion shook his head in dismissal, figuring he should try and relax. Everything can be fixed with just a little more work, and of course, determination.
He decided he should just give Irene something to work on alone, while he finishes his paperwork over the course of days. If he agreed to teach her, might as well give her what she asked for, right? He turned to Vermont and motioned him to come closer, while at that, Vermont cautiously approached, looking at him with curiosity.
He cleared his throat, speaking in a low tone. "Vermont, you're going to get all the books from a list I'm about to write, and give it to Irene." He said as he turned to the desk, using his magic to unfold a paper and an inked quill that immediately started writing the books he wanted Vermont to get.
Vermont looked at Helion in slight confusion, but he didn't question his decision. He almost never did.
As the small list made it's way to Vermont's pocket, Helion dismissed him, leaning back in his chair, pulling up the curtain so he could continue working on the info port, letting everyone know he's available while doing his paperwork.
"I bet she's a book worm, if she isn't, she'll turn into one soon enough..." He smirked to himself, remembering that confused look she'd have whenever she asks him something, almost thinking it's cute. He immediately turned back into a stoic expression as he heard footsteps approaching the info port, dismissing his previous thought, which subconciously lingered for longer than it should have.
"How can I... help you?" Irene looked at the tall man, wondering if he's...lost, or something? If he was here, that only means he's also some kind of a student here.
The tall man gave her a nervous smile. His long silver like hair fell over his shoulders, pointy ears poking out of the strands, revealing his elven ancestry...but his skin was pale, maybe even gray. Dark circles under his eyes just a slightly darker shade of gray, outlining the ashy eyes that pierced through Irene.
Suddenly, Irene remembered. This person was talking to Helion a few days ago, excusing himself immediately after she came down and went on to the practice range together with Helion. Her thought process was cut short by his unexpectedly warm voice, it was a bit low, but not as rough as Helion's.
"I uh...saw you enter your room earlier, just wanted to say hi...and uh..."
The tall elf looked around her, as if to see inside the room, at which Irene just closed the door slightly, blocking the view with herself, raising a brow at him. Her expression filled with suspicion, looking at him over her glasses.
"...and to ask if you have any butterfly wings? I'm making a potion and I used up all of it."
Irene looked a bit dumbfounded, eyeing him up and down now, raising her brow again.
"And...what kind of potion is it, since you need butterfly wings?"
Irene knew enough about potions to know that butterfly wings are usually used for sensory potions, which included potions of minor stunning and numbness. The tall elf cleared his throat, obviously not wanting to reveal anything further, just nodded at Irene and looked at the door of his room, then back at her, leaning down to face her.
"Listen, if you don't have them or don't want to give them just tell me you don't have any and I'll move along-" he whispered but was cut short by Irene closing the door on him. He stood there flabbergasted on what just happened. Straightening up, he just stared at the door.
Meanwhile, upon closing the door, Irene placed a hand on her mouth, feeling her ears fire up.
"Why? Why did he get that close damn it-"
She just shook her head, not expecting the guy to lean so close to whisper. Jogging to her alchemy kit, she searched for a small bottle with a few butterfly wings and just decided to give it to him, without too many questions.
When she opened the door, she saw him stand there stunned, looking at her door, then down at her. The guy was surprised that she opened her door again, and now felt slightly guilty.
"I am sorry uh-" he looks at the nameplate on the door then back at her "Miss Solenight, I'll just go back to my room."
He bowed slightly but Irene opened the door and offered him the bottle, pushing her glasses up.
"Here, this is all I have, just give me the bottle back once you're done." Irene said, sighing, pretending she didn't just have to hide her red ears under her hair. The tall elf looked slightly confused again, but thankful in the end.
"Thank you-" he looks at the door nameplate, again. "Miss Solenight-"
"Irene, just call me Irene." She nodded at him, crossing her arms.
"Ah yes, Irene. My name's Verdan. Thank you I'll bring the bottle back-"
He said as he slowly skipped back to his room, seeming in a hurry. Oh well, Irene knew how it was with potions, you can leave it unattended for a second and it could blow up.
She watched him re-enter his room, and slowly closed her door, locking it from inside again. She felt fulfilled that she helped someone...and maybe even acquired a new friend this way. Or at least an acquaintance. But the choice in potions was slightly off-putting to her, why would he need those? It would be best to keep distance for now.
Back to her book, Irene tried focusing on what she was doing before this Verdan guy interrupted her, but again, she couldn't stop thinking about how weird and quirky he seemed, despite not looking like someone who'd interact with anyone. Shrugging that away, she focused on the book again.
Focus. That's the only word Irene was repeating in her head for the past two hours.
Her magic seemed to make an appearance, she could feel it inside her- feel it's flow through her...but it seemed as if something was limiting it, as if something was making it harder for her to reach magic stability. As she was about to flip a page, another knock was heard on the door, and she flinched- almost ripping the page. After looking at the page and checking that it isn't ripped apart, Irene sighed in relief, then stood up in annoyance and stomped to the door. Unlocking it, she swung it open.
"What is it-" she said angrily as she saw Vermont, standing there with a stack of books, looking at her with a raised brow.
"Miss Irene, is everything okay?" He asked sincerely, and Irene immediately felt guilty that she sounded harsh towards Vermont. He was the only sane person here anyways.
"Vermont, I'm sorry- what's with these books?"
Irene moved so he could come in the room with the books, and before she closed her door she could hear another door close from the corridor. She raised her brow and peaked out, but everything seemed in order, so she just closed her door and helped Vermont with the books. "Place them here" She pointed onto the small, empty table in the middle of the room, surrounded by cushions meant for people to sit on.
Upon placing the books down, Vermont sighed and straightened up, keeping his professionalism.
"Master Helion asked me to give all these to you, he said you should read them throughout." He nodded and gave her a smile, at what Irene nodded, looking at Vermont with a questioning look.
"Uhm I know it's not on me to pry- but is he okay? He hasn't been coming to any of my practices-"
"He's fine, Master Helion is just such a busy guy, he runs this whole place himself anyways-" Vermont shrugged slightly, even hinting nervousness. Walking slowly towards the door, he excused himself before leaving.
Irene watched as he left and closed the door, her suspicion raising. "Really busy huh? Why did he agree to teach me then...and just now he remembered to give me books, now that I already got one to read." She rolled her eyes, looking at those stacked books, reading the titles and prologues, then her door creaked open slightly and she sprung up, looking at the door- just to see that guy again...ugh...Verdan, was it?
"What do you need now? What happened to knocking!?" She asked frantically, he almost gave her a heart attack. Readjusting her glasses, she looked at him, waiting for an explanation.
Verdan just blinked, and showed her the bottle of butterfly wings, there was barely anything left in it, but he came to give it back... obviously. Irene fought the urge to facepalm herself.
"Ah, yeah- I did say you need to give it back."
Irene sighed, looking at him, putting out her hand as she got to the door. Meanwhile Verdan looked around her room, nodding as he put the bottle in her hand. Clearly he was interested in snooping around.
"Thanks again, and nice room by the way. Oh, is that a spider silk curtain-"
He wanted to make a step inside her room but Irene closed the door enough for her to block the path. She looked up at his face again, this time more annoyed with his audacity.
"Yes it is. Now, I have some work to do."
"Those books are too hard for someone who is basically a self-taught wizard."
He outed, looking at her with a dumb smile on his face, while Irene looked at the books then quickly back at him. The book table was not that visible from the door, expecially with her standing in front of it all the time. Ah, so it was him who closed the door earlier. He must've seen Vermont bringing in the books.
"What do you know?" She asked, now even more annoyed because of his audacity. She wasn't sure what his deal was.
"Look, I can help you study, to repay for the butterfly wings."
He glanced at her, as if he was sure she'd let him in. He put a hand on the door, and Irene immediately felt that she had no control over the door. He could swing it open if he wanted to, but he waited for her permission.
Irene gulped, looking at those books then back at him again, letting out a sigh. She didn't want a conflict, especially after seeing that he could easily overpower her.
"Alright, but only this time." She cautiously let him in, and he just nodded and entered the room, taking in the fancy decoration and aesthetic.
"As expected from a rich kid." He uttered, and Irene wasn't sure if she heard him right, looking at him as she readjusted her glasses. She figured she should just change the topic before he starts with more questions.
"Alright, where do I start with these books?" She sat on the floor next to the small table, putting a cushion under her butt. Verdan then sat down opposite of her, putting the books aside and taking the 'Theory of Wizardry' book from his bag, or 'Wizardry 101' in other words. Why did he have that with him?
"This one should be the first you read, I'll help you go through it, and it will help you enough to understand these." He said as he patted the books Vermont brought. He even stacked the books by study order.
Irene just nodded and scooted over to sit next to him, looking as he opened the book and started explaining.
Luckily, Irene was somewhat familiar enough to understand what he was talking about, but without his further explanation she wouldn't have known much. Just now has she realized that aunt Maria hasn't given her even a slight percentage of what Gloria has been learning, well, Irene wasn't there to learn 24/7 like her daughter, imagine the shock. But did he plan on helping so he brought this book with him, he probably did-
"-Hey, are you listening?"
Verdan snapped his fingers in front of Irene, trying to figure out if she's listening. Snapping her out of her thoughts, Irene shook her head and smiled awkwardly.
"Ah, sorry, I got lost in thoughts."
"Pay attention, you might not get a second chance to learn like this!" He smirked, placing a finger on her head, redirecting it to look at the book. "Now, listen."
Irene nodded and moved his finger, feeling slightly awkward by this...sudden private lesson. She wasn't complaining, of course. She had a fairly nice looking elf ACTUALLY teaching her, since her really REALLY good-looking elf teacher isn't doing his job. Dismissing the thousand questions she had about Verdan, she redirected her attention and listened to his teachings.
"It makes sense now!"
"See? I knew you could do it!"
Verdan patted Irene's shoulder as she understood everything he explained, standing up slowly. He didn't expect her to pick up the knowledge like a sponge, clearly it interested her a lot. Her determination was a big bonus at it too, making his lips hint a small crack of a smile as he looked at her. What an interesting girl.
"Now, try and cast a spell...maybe prestigitation cantrip is the best for this occasion."
Irene gulped, taking her wand and standing up, slightly embarrassed that she probably wouldn't be able to cast the spell properly. Especially with someone looking at her.
"Alright, I'll try-"
As she cast the spell, it started forming a small aura of flowers in the air. Irene was slightly shocked at how good it was working, since it never went this smoothly before.
She felt the magic weave inside her, her previous studies about magic stability must have had a play in this too.
Verdan clapped his hands and chuckled.
"There, though you seem too happy about being able to do a cantrip spell." He slightly chuckled again, but patted her shoulder in reassurance. "Once again, I knew you could do it. It's really simple."
Upon taking a look at her wand again, Verdan squinted his eyes, but soon went back to his usual expression. Irene looked at him, a big smile on her face.
"Thank you, Verdan. You're a life saver." She then cleared her throat and contained her excitement, acting nonchalant as if she could do it by herself. She still felt like she should be cautious in his presence. She started checking her nails, then fixing her glasses. "Khm. It's equal exchange. Now you don't owe me anything. Thanks anyways."
Verdan just waved his hands, feigning innocence.
"Ah, it's not a problem really- it's something we learn start going through in first year of academy-"
Oops. He slipped up, flinching slightly as he realized he said something he didn't want to. He just straightened up and cut Irene before she said anything, walking towards the door.
"Anyways, it's nice meeting a new acquaintance here, see you later Irene!"
"Wait, Verda-" thud, the door closed.
Irene scoffed in annoyance at how he just brushed her off, opening the door, he wasn't anywhere in sight.
"How does he just disappear immediately-"
Irene asked herself before closing the door and leaning against it from inside, a smile crept on her face. She met someone who was actually willing to help her...but now that she thinks about it again...
"... It seemed like he knew about my poor performance, as well as my backstory."
Mentioning being a self-taught wizard basically...also saying her room is 'expected from s rich kid' ??? He sure holds a lot of mysteries, which makes him a dangerous opponent, knowing he knows more about her than she knows about him.
"I have a feeling I'll see him a lot more often from now on. I should be cautious"
Irene shrugged, checking if she locked the door and laid onto her bed right after. The lights from the Bard Academy shone through the window again, Illuminating most of her bed. Just now has she realized how late it has got...she must have been studying with Verdan for at least a few hours. It felt comfortable, maybe that's why she didn't realize it...get a grip Irene, he might be cursed!
"I should probably sleep it out."
Irene started undressing and preparing for bed, thinking about how Verdan was kind enough to help her for hours with her studies, only because she lend him some of the butterfly wings... while Helion's job requires him to teach her and the only time she seen him in the past three days was when she is taking the scrolls for the cafeteria, and when she rented the book today. Talk about being responsible. Still, that didn't keep the thoughts about Verdan dissappear. She was still thinking over all his words, rewinding their conversations...
" I'll be on top of the world if this works."
Helion says to himself, muttering as he walked through his room. The blue robes covering his slender body after a hot bath, his wet hair letting a few drops here and there as he walked. His desk covered in various papers, diagrams and calculations. A book, widely opened on a certain page, slightly moved as he sat down and pulled his chair towards the desk.
"I only need more time...and maybe it will work."
He flipped the pages of the book, suddenly a picture flew from it. Before it hit the ground, he catches it with the 'mage hand' spell, and brings it in front of his face. A furrow appeared on his face as he recognizes the picture and where it was taken...especially the people in it.
An old, yellowish picture, printed with some of the first magic printers around. It was him, and his two brothers, sitting on a bench in front of the newly opened Grand Library. Instead of sparking a nostalgic feeling or a comforting memory- it woke up rage, deep within him. He crumbled the picture, throwing it to the side, making it roll under his bed.
No amount of feelings could describe how he felt about his brothers. One of them was a successful druid, living with nature and balance...while the other was none less than the Lord of the province himself. Helion looked back at the book, and quickly flipped the pages, making sure there were no more unwelcoming pictures inside.
"Those oblivious fools, I wonder if they learned anything by now."
Helion gritted his teeth, his hand brushing his damp hair back, leaving his fingers slightly wet. Anger has already ruined his mood, and he hoped he'd never have a situation like this ever again.
Just now, he wanted a distraction. Just now, has actually teaching Irene crossed his mind again, since he needed someone to unwind at, someone to be the sacrificial lamb.
"Then again, she did nothing wrong. She has a lot on her plate too."
He thought, thinking about her poor existence, she must've been thinking of herself as a nuisance. Plus, those books he gave her probably confused her even more, maybe he should spare some time and...explain them a bit further to her tomorrow. He would never admit it, but he did want to see her face again.
Lying in his bed, Helion thought about the future possibilities. His goal...his current position. Even the work around the library has gotten harder and more frequent, which hasn't happened in all these years he worked here, almost all his life.
Suddenly, he noticed a small pattern.
As soon as Irene arrived, the work slowly started to get more frustrating...but as that newbie from the Magic Academy arrived and asked to live in the Grand Library instead, his work started piling constantly, becoming more time-consuming. Just what do these insignificant brats have to do with that? He doesn't have a clue. Thinking it could be a coincidence, Helion pushed the thought aside, but didn't drop it completely. Something must be in play here, and he'll find out what in the meantime.
"Hm. I should start making a better schedule." He shook his head, sighing as he summarised all the tasks he just gave himself, and figured to start anew tomorrow morning. He closed his eyes, starting his evening meditation.
In her bed, Irene was preoccupied with her thoughts, and couldn't sleep. She thought about how just now she found out more about herself. More than ever before.
Her finding out how incapable of magic she actually is...this so-called "teacher" of hers abandoning her almost immediately...she thought that she might have been just digging her own grave all along.
"How did all of this go so wrong?"
She sighed, turning to lay on her side, remembering how Verdan encouraged her after studying, even went off and did her one for staying and helping her.
"Once again, I knew you could do it. It's really simple."
His words echoed in her mind. Suddenly, it didn't feel so wrong. It didn't feel bad, at all.
Figuring it's just a bad week, Irene decided to get her favorite outfit tomorrow, and actually go on and stroll through the town of Duskstorm. She actually hasn't gone out ever since she came here, and she loved going on walks back at home.
Maybe now it would be the perfect time to get to know the town, possibly meeting new friends and finding new interests. Duskstorm is a bigger city than Delmora, which would take her a long time to explore to its fullest.
"I'll make me a schedule. That will help a lot."
She smiled as she thought to herself, pulling the curtains to block the light from the window, while the sound of someone practicing violin on the outside slowly lulled her to slumber.
" Everything will be clearer soon, Irene. I will help you understand."
Notes:
Heya! A new chapter has arrived. Sorry for the delayed update, college is being a needy brat rn. I'll do my best to post the next one in the same time stamp, or maybe earlier! Feel free to give constructive criticism. -Yours truly, SoyBeanNyan ⭐⭐⭐
Chapter Text
The morning felt warm, even when the slight breeze brushed the window.
Standing in front of her closet, Irene was trying to figure out what she should wear on her
first ever walk through Duskstorm.
"I wore this dress recently..." commenting while putting back the green dress she held, picking up a blue one with frills. "This one is too much for a casual walk..."
Putting that one back as well, figuring the outfit should be as casual as possible. Last night, she dreamed about wearing her favorite outfit, but it turned out the skirt of the dress had a small rip, which there was no time to repair now.
"I suppose I'll go with the orange one."
Shrugging, she pulled out an orange dress with pale flower details over the skirt and white lace on the edge of her sleeves. After putting it on and checking herself out, Irene realized she had never really worn this dress before, finding this as a perfect opportunity to wear it for the first time. With her subtle make-up and a straw hat that had a white strip with a few flowers in it, Irene left her room and locked it from the outside.
"-going somewhere?" A sudden, but not strange tone greeted her as she left the room, but to her surprise it was actually her so-called teacher, Helion.
Flinching slightly, Irene turned around with a neutral expression, hiding away the surprise she felt as she was now face to face with Helion, only a meter away from him.
"I'm actually going for a walk, I haven't really seen the town."
She smiled, tugging up the leather bag she was holding, looking more like a lady's handbag, but with a bunch of small pockets.
Helion raised his brow, amused at how she announced her business so casually, crossing his arms over his chest.
"What about your training? You can't become a wizard by skipping around town."
Irene narrowed her gaze at him, keeping the annoyance to herself, trying not to be rude.
"I've actually made myself a schedule, so I planned on doing the training in the afternoon, supposing you wouldn't mind."
Shooting him a glance, she finished her sentence with a cocky smirk.
Helion didn't expect such an answer. "What a brat-" he thought, but only kept that nonchalant smile, giving her a nod.
"Then, I will see you in the afternoon."
He turned around, falling into step, leaving Irene dumbfounded.
"Will he really come and actually be there while I train? Heh." She shrugged again, touching up her face before walking past him, going down the stairs, her walk confident and proud. "I'll make sure to give myself the time of my life." Almost chuckling to her own thoughts, she shook her head. "Might as well keep him waiting later."
Then got downstairs and left the library, standing outside in the fresh air, watching the street as she walked down the marble stairs, her hands feeling the material of the pillar-like railing.
With the breeze in her hair and occasional violin tunes heard from the bard academy nearby, Irene walked down the street towards the fountain she passed by when entering the town. The lively atmosphere was contradictory to the brown/grey houses that surrounded the street, a few shops filled with customers, seeming to have recently opened- it was early in the morning, anyway.
"I wonder if they have any alchemy shops in the area." Irene questioned herself after she saw a kid running with some herbs and flasks in a bag.
Helion was standing on top of the stairs, watching her go down and leave the library. Scoffing, he pushed his dark hair back, the sapphire eyes revealing a small glint of envy at her carelessness. He straightened up, taking a step down the stairs, before his voice cut the silence, not even glancing over his shoulder.
"For how long do you plan on staring, Mister Lestering?".
A huff was heard from the end of the hallway, a few steps closing the still big distance between the two.
"Me, staring? I stopped as soon as Miss Solenight left my vision."
Verdan smirked, fiddling a glass marble between his fingers, glancing at Helions back.
"Hmph. I still don't get why you dwell here, when the Academy is on the other end of the town."
Helion finally gave him a glance over his shoulder, but a rather unwelcome one.
"You're lucky I didn't kick you out yet."
"Oh, you're gonna kick me out? For what this time, Frost?"
Verdan turned his back, starting to count on his fingers.
"Abusing the cafeteria system? Thinking too loud? Staring at you?"
Mockingly he retorted, which only made Helion turn back to the stairs and continue onwards.
"Don't get in my way, you drow prick."
Helion mumbled to himself, but not hearing what he said didn't stop Verdan from letting out a loud 'HAH!' before entering his room. The two clearly don't get along.
As he got down the stairs, Helion sighed, walking up to his post, the information port, currently occupied by Vermont while he was absent.
"Move, Vermont. The schedule changes."
Grunting, he sat down immediately as Vermont stood up, making him make a confused expression.
"How so?"
The young fella asked, scratching the back of his head with his bare hand.
"Little Miss had made her own schedule, and now she's on a walk, out in town."
He scoffed, not knowing if he's jealous of her freedom or annoyed because she basically ruined his well-thought schedule that he spent at least an hour writing after he woke up from his trance.
Vermont didn't miss the sarcasm and irritation-laced words from his superior. He just cleared his throat, slightly bending down.
"Do you...perhaps want me to find out her schedule so-"
He was cut by Helions words
"No need, I will ask her myself in the afternoon, when the practice starts."
Vermont just nodded, straightening up before walking towards the door.
"Well then- I will excuse myself."
And before Helion could even wave his hand in dismissal, Vermont had already left Helions presence. Ripping his own schedule apart, Helion took out a clear paper, dipping his quill before starting to write.
"Woah! Is this really-"
Irene chimed, looking through the tailor shop display, a beautiful satin dress, filled with small pearls around the collar. The colour of it changed as she looked from different angles, switching from dark green, to deep purple, to something within the lines of night blue. Before she could enter the store, a kid ran next to her, bumping into her.
"Sorry, Miss!"
The kid apologized, running away while kicking a ball around, followed by two more boys. Irene just let out a chuckle at the kids playing, shaking her head before responding.
"Be more careful!"
Thinking this couldn't get any better, she entered the store, seeing all the other displayed dresses, some jewelry, and a really pretty lady behind the counter, obviously wearing one of their own pieces.
"Welcome to Marlenne's Needle. I'm Marlenne. What are we looking for today, Miss?"
The lady smiled, looking Irene up and down, noticing her clothes weren't really an everyday occurrence in Dusktown.
"Irene Solenight, pleasure to meet you. I'm in love with the dress that's on the outside display. Do you have anything similar?"
Irene asked, her cheeks flaring slightly pink as she noticed the pretty woman approaching. It was her first time actually shopping for dresses without her maid Nela beside her.
"Ah, yes. I call it the Dusk Princess. That dress is unique, I've only ever made that one."
The lady shook her head.
"There is no other like it. The material is quite delicate- and expensive."
She looked at Irene as she noted the dress was expensive, trying to gauge a reaction out of her, testing her. Irene shrugged, a smirk appearing on her face as she reached for her gold pouch on the side of her bag.
"Don't worry about the money...the money?"
Irene didn't finish her sentence as she touched all over her bag, realising her pouch was missing. Oh no, sweet Heavens-
"Is something wrong...Miss Solenight?"
Marlenne asked, looking at her before looking at her bag in slight worry and curiosity. Irene calmed down slowly, trying to figure out where it could've gone.
"I had my pouch with me earlier, but...now it's gone."
She said, looking at Marlenne with a distressed expression, her eyebrows furrowing. Then it clicked.
"The kid."
Irene mumbled, walking towards the store door.
"Miss, I can save the dress if yo-"
Before finishing the sentence, Irene was already gone, pacing in the direction the kids went. She wasn't entirely sure, but she had a feeling they would be near. After asking a few bystanders, some told her they were robbed too, and actually ran after them too.
"Hey there, little rascals. What do you think you're doing?"
A ginger-haired, long-eared boy asked, gripping the arm of the same kid that bumped into Irene earlier. As she stopped in place, she watched the scene unfold. It seemed like these guys were some kind of adventurers. The ginger-haired boy was accompanied by a tall, goliath-like human with tattoos on his face and a big axe on his back, as well as a halfling with a weird mustache, and...a monkey? That was a monkey, sure, but why was it so tall and wearing armor?
"Hey, Polio! These kids have stolen gold AND potions, herbs..."
The monkey talked, doing a flip as it got all of the stolen pouches and goods from the kids, holding them with its tail up in the air. Irene's vision felt like it was blurry or deceiving, so she wiped her glasses, but after putting them back the group looked the same... and the monkey was still talking.
"Thank you guys, you're really saving lives here."
The bystanders from earlier approached them, thanking them for returning the stolen money. Irene realized that now's the perfect chance to approach and get her own pouch.
"Uhm, that one's mine-"
She awkwardly approached, pointing at the red pouch with a big "I S" embedded into it. The monkey sniffed her, making her slightly flinch, before it put her pouch in her hands.
"There you go."
The ginger boy said, then she just nodded, watching them walk towards the tavern, talking to each other. It was her first time seeing an actual adventuring group.
"Thank you."
She said, before turning around and walking towards the town again. Someone from the bystanders earlier had clearly called the parents of those kids, and they got a good spank and an earful of lessons.
Entering the tailor shop again, Irene awkwardly looked at Marlenne.
"Sorry for running out, I panicked."
She raised her pouch, then looked at her, ready to hear the price for the dress.
"That's fine, it's a reasonable response."
Marlenne said as she unlocked the small window that led to the outer display, taking the mannequin that had the dress on, putting it in front of Irene.
"It's...really a unique piece, are you sure you can afford it?"
Marlenne asked, not in offense, but rather giving Irene the chance to look at other dresses before settling for this one, knowing it would probably dry her.
"Just tell me the price."
Irene waved her hand in dismissal, confident that she had enough money.
"A thousand gold pieces."
Irene stopped looking through her pouch, a smile froze on her face, glancing at Marlenne.
"A thousand?"
A rhetorical question left her lips.
"Mhm"
Marlenne nodded, putting the dress back into the outside display. Irene just put her pouch away and scratched her head, not actually expecting to not be able to afford the dress.
"I might need to save up to get that one."
She sighed, and Marlenne brushed it off.
"Oh dear, I could always save it up for you, but I can't do that for too long."
She noted, crossing her arms over her chest, as Irene sighed in disappointment, stepping in front of the door with a determined gaze directed towards Marlenne.
"I will buy that dress, just give me time!"
In addition, Marlenne chuckled, watching Irene close the door to her tailor shop, the small bell dingling.
With that same expression, Irene clutched her leather bag, walking towards the centre, now in front of that fountain she saw when coming to town.
"It's way bigger from up close-"
She said as she threw her head back, looking up at the statue. Her straw hat was almost blown away by the breeze, but she managed to catch it before it flew away. Smiling to herself, Irene thought about how different this town is from her hometown.
Everyone is a stranger here...but she still felt like that, even though there were kind people, like those adventurers, or Marlenne from the tailor shop.
"I'll find time to warm up."
She thought, readjusting her glasses as she spotted a cute shop, surrounded by all kinds of herbs, looking like an apothecary. Subconsciously, she found herself walking there, curious about what they offered, as well as asking where to find the alchemy shop- if this wasn't the one.
"G'day, Miss."
A kind, older gentleman with a bald head and long braided beard greeted Irene with a smile. Irene smiled and nodded, greeting him as well, looking around the shop.
It was flooded with shelves, jars full of various dusts and liquids... herbs hanging from the ceiling, their strong scents hitting her nostrils in waves. The older shopkeeper clasped his hands together, looking at Irene with a curious gaze.
"Do you have anything specific in mind, miss? Anything you'd need?"
She looked at him immediately, then pressed a finger on her chin as she tried to remember if she actually lacked any of the materials.
"Do you perhaps...have the elven chamomile?"
She asked, pulling up her empty basket. (Elven chamomile is just regular chamomile, but it has longer stems, and bigger leaves as well takes longer to dry.)
The older man nodded, pointing at the ceiling near a shelf that held jars with blurry liquids inside. There it was, hanged and dried, the elven chamomile.
"How much do you need? It's two gold pieces for a kilo."
Irene watched the man take a stool, obviously made for the occasion where he'd have to put down the hanging herbs, quickly giving him an answer.
"I'll take two hundred grams, if that's alright."
The old man nodded, putting down the herbs, walking to his desk where the scale was, scaling two hundred grams for her, wrapping it in soft papyrus.
"That will be five silver."
Irene looked at him as he rounded it up for one silver more, but then just brushed it off and gave him five silver, taking the elven chamomile wrapped in the papyrus and placing it away in her basket, thanking the old shopkeeper. Gaining the courage to ask before she left, Irene turned around.
"Uhm, is this like, an alchemy shop, or is there another one in town?"
The old guy just smiled and nodded partially.
"Well, you could call it that. I have the herbs and other substances, while if you need the tools, you can go down the road to the blacksmiths. Next to it is a glass shop with some alchemy tools. It looks like a regular shop, kind of indistinguishable."
He noted, and Irene nodded with a smile.
"Thank you, I'll remember that. See you around."
Waving at the old shopkeeper goodbye, he waved back at her with that same customer service smile.
"Take care, Miss."
And so she left the herb shop, walking out on the street. After a while, she kept checking her watch.
"An hour more to spend, I could go get something sweet."
Eyeing the tavern, she strolled towards it, remembering a conversation she just happened to hear between two friends in the cafeteria the other day, about a certain handsome bartender in the Tavern, as well as a pretty good cream pie they make. "You don't know until you find out." Irene thought to herself, a smirk plastered on her face as she was nearing the tavern.
As she entered, a chair flew by her head, making her freeze in place. The adventurers from earlier were holding their goliath friend, trying to keep him away from the fight, making a run to the outside. As they passed her, she just rubbed her eyes under the glasses, confused and frightened slightly. "That's a good start." She thought, now looking towards the bar, and walking to it. When she got to the bar she pulled an empty barstool and sat on it, looking around for the bartender.
Not remembering the exact appearance of him that the two friends had talked about, she just waited for him to arrive.
Curiosity killed the cat, they say.
A big, scar-faced guy came out, looking like a butcher. He glanced at Irene as she was now gulping, looking at him in surprise, noticing the smirk on his face.
"Oh, hey there, Miss. What can I get for you?""I uhm- a glass of milk and the-the cream pie?"
She points her finger up, in a matter-of-fact tone, looking like a total stuttering mess. He let out a laugh, shaking his head.
"No need to be so stiff, Miss! Sorry about the chair flying by your head earlier. Your order will come right up."
Irene just blinked, nodding at him, watching him go somewhere back, moving a curtain that was on the way, pulling it back after him.
Intrigued by the interior, Irene looked around, noticing a lot of scratches on the walls, the floor... the ceiling... it must be from all the fights and stuff like that. The walls had shields hung onto it like decorations, as well as a flag with the Dusktown crest.
Some people were eyeing her, but she didn't look in their direction, focusing on the details of this tavern. It looked oddly home-like, pretty comfortable to spend time in. Not so long after, she got her order in front of her.
But the reward brought it back.
A cup of milk, and a beautiful slice of a cream pie. It looked fluffy, jiggling when moved. With sparkles in her eyes, Irene took a bite with the wooden spoon from the side, the flavors melting in her mouth. The sweet and creamy texture rising her dopamine. Seeing that, the scar-faced guy smirked and wiped his hands. "Enjoy." He put down the rag and turned around, while Irene was still preoccupied with taking in the sweet, sweet delicacy that is this cream pie.
"Hey Eita, I served a pretty lady while you were gone, hope you're not mad."
The scar-faced guy teased, joking as his words echoed from the room in the back, and a handsome tattooed man, looking a little greenish (probably had an Orc family member), got to the bar, taking the rag and putting it into the pocket of his apron. His hair is short and dyed blue, according to the brown roots already creeping from his head. Irene couldn't get herself to be caught staring, and just looked back at the cream pie, taking another bite.
"I hope he didn't make unnecessary comments."
A confident yet sharp voice emerged from the guys lips, looking at Irene. She looked up at him, then sipped the milk to swallow and wash down the sugar leftovers in her mouth.
"Oh, he didn't. He just apologized about the flying chair that met me when I entered."
Irene awkwardly chuckled, preparing to take another bite.
"Ah, sorry about that! It actually doesn't happen that often- I swear-"
Immediately, he answered in a defensive tone, clearly not wanting to scare her off, but Irene just smiled and took another bite, placing a hand in front of her mouth as she spoke with her mouth full.
"Don't worry, I wasn't hit. Plus, the pie is definitely worth it."
She pointed at the pie with the spoon, then looked at it again. For the first time, she wasn't that swayed by the handsome man in front of her, but rather by the cream pie that opened her mind to new ideas and flavors. The bartender laughed, wiping some wooden plates.
"I'm glad to hear it. You're welcome to come anytime you want to taste it."
He smirked, eyeing her appearance. Irene noticed that, but didn't pay any attention to it. The pie was more important.
After she finished it, she paid and made her way to the library. Only in twelve minutes does her practice start according to her schedule, but she didn't mind being late. Plus, that would mean Helion would have to wait for her more.
As the sounds of instruments came clearer, she went up the stairs of the library, listening to the tunes from the bard academy. It really did make this part of town seem more lively.
After entering the library, Vermont greeted her, and she soon went up to her room to change into her practice clothes, as well as to put away the things she bought into the stash.
As the clock hit half past noon, Helion closed his record book, finishing the recordings of the book retrievals and book rentings. After glancing at Vermont, he got a nod of approval from him, meaning that Irene had gotten back. He stood up, picking up a small notebook from the side, leaving the info port and standing beside the stairs, waiting for Irene to come back down.
Eventually, she did.
And as she walked past him, he spoke.
"Miss Solenight, I suppose the walk was satisfying?"
He offered a polite smile, the customer service one. Irene matched his expression, not giving more than he deserved. Well, he was lucky that she gave him as much as a smile. His handsome face was her weakness, making her step down her game every time.
"It sure was. I've met tons of people and found tons of new places."
She nodded, but after he glanced down at her outfit, his eyes lingered a moment longer than they should've. As if he felt disappointed to see her in the training outfit, and not yet again in that nice orange dress from this morning. "What am I thinking..?" He thought, clearing his throat, offering her the notebook he held.
"This, Miss Irene, is something I wrote while you were out in town. I wish you would read the first three pages before we start practice."
He took a step in front of her, motioning her to follow.
"Oh, and please, share your schedule with Vermont, so I would be able to match it. I will make sure to attend your practices more frequently, if not every time."
He offered an involuntary smile, glancing at her over his shoulder, while Irene looked at the notebook, then at his glance, feeling soft warmth rush to her ears, before quickly looking back at the notebook, readjusting her glasses.
"Oh, uh, I will, I have it in my room. Consider it done."
She nodded, inspecting the notebook. The title was also handwritten. 'A guide, for beginners :)' Even adding the smiley face.
"Damn you. Helion. Why must you melt my anger every time you do something even as small as this?!" She thought, cursing internally. Why was she so easily forgiving him? Every time he'd show any kind of interest or note that he spent time doing something for her made her heart do jumping jacks all over her chest. Gulping, Irene shook her head, opening the notebook.
"What..." She widened her eyes slightly, looking at the contents of the notebook. His handwriting neat, and so easily readable, explaining everything into detail what she should do to perform the noted spell. Even before the spell casting, there was a small workout to release more Arcana into the body, as if getting warmed up. Yeah, a warm-up.
Helion noticed her surprised expression, a smirk crept onto his face as he turned back ahead, leading the way towards the practice room, feeling oddly proud and satisfied that he made her so intrigued and... flustered. Arriving at the practice room, Helion let her in first, closing the door behind them, immediately getting to business.
"I'll give you a few minutes to read those pages, then we'll slowly go one by one spell."
He then approached her, Irene looking at his slender figure nearing her, not able to look at his face, putting hair over her ears to hide the slight redness.
"But first, the Arcana warm-up."
He pointed at the small exercises at the beginning of each page, giving her a nod before turning around and unfolding a fold chair, made out of something like bamboo and a pretty strong fabric. Irene pondered her orb and figured the exercise, doing the exact steps as he described them, even doing it for a bit longer than he intended. Next, she found herself looking at him for approval, at what he just nodded, which made her satisfied with herself, confidently stepping in the middle of the field, trying the first level spell he wrote down for her.
It has been weeks since Helion made his schedule match that of Irene, in a way. He'd always wait for her at the end of the stairs before they could go to practice together, updating the notebook he gave her for each practice. As of the old one? He held onto that one too, but decided it should be used in the future, when Irene is ready. He knew damn well those spells were not that hard, but as time passed, he grew fond of the time he spent tutoring her in the practice area, making it his little break from other duties, as he was just sitting and reading most of the time.
He found a way to make it about himself.
Irene, on the other hand, wasn't struggling that much with spells as before. It became a routine for her to do certain Arcane exercises in the morning before going out of her room, and today was no different. After studying a bit from the books Verdan gave her in the morning, she prepared to do the warm-up, lost in her own thought bubble.
"Hm, now that I think of it...didn't Helion start actually putting in effort right after I had my study session with Verdan?"
She narrowed her gaze, looking at her mirror reflection while doing some weird stretching method, folding like a pretzel. "Nah, he wouldn't know about that, unless Verdan had told him? I don't think he would, though..." Irene quickly dismissed the thought, finishing the warm-up, wearing her usual practice gear. The leather pants started to change color on the ends, probably because of all the acid-oriented spells she was practicing yesterday. Feeling nothing in particular, Irene closed the door to her room, locking it from the outside.
"Hey there, Miss Solenight-"
Verdans voice boomed from the other end of the hallway.
"Oh, hi Verdan. I told you to just call me Irene."
She put her hands on her hips, watching him pace towards her, stopping right in front of her with a smile on his face, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. Irene was slightly taken aback by the gesture, but allowed him to do so, fixing her glasses on her nose, before clearing her throat.
"I, uhm, what's up?"
She raised her brows, subtly placing her hair over her ears, feeling like they might redden a bit.
"Oh, nothing. Just haven't seen you that much, thought I'd say hi."
He nodded, crossing his arms over his chest, walking with her downstairs towards the cafeteria.
"So, how's everything going? Any new books you might need?"
He asked, as if she didn't already have access to the books in the library herself, but his question still warmed her up, since he clearly was offering his help again.
"No, but thanks. Helion has been updating a notebook for me. He writes down everything I need for the day."
Verdan paused, but then quickly recovered and walked beside her, actually speaking a bit lower, as they approached the info port where the tall, dark-haired librarian was.
"You sure? Maybe it's not enough."
Verdan noted but silenced himself as they stopped in front of the info port. Helions polite smile immediately twitched when he noticed the other elf standing right next to Irene, smirking like a cocky prick. Irene felt a weird spark between the two, but still brushed it off, putting her hand up.
"Two scrolls for the cafeteria, please!"
She sounded so polite, but comfortable and friendly at the same time. With a quick hand motion, Helion placed two cafeteria scrolls in front of her, giving her a genuine smile before he changed it into the customer service one.
"Here you go, I see you have some company today."
Shooting a subtle, but seeping glare at the guy.
"We just happened to bump into each other earlier, we're colleagues in a way after all, right Irene?"
Verdan replied before she could even make up a reply, taking the two scrolls and waving them around. Irene just brushed him off, chuckling before she readjusted her glasses.
"You could say so, you did help me study... once."
She said as she waved to Helion, continuing towards the cafeteria, while Verdan huffed proudly, walking beside her. Nodding at her, Helion followed them with his gaze, shaking his head at their antics, especially at the audacity of Verdan Lestering.
Scoffing, he continued his work. Writing down today's practice for Irene, adding up some theoretical questions in between... He'd never admit it out loud, but he started to enjoy the free time he spent with her during her practice, not for the break that he takes from his duties, but rather for having the time to actually give away his knowledge and brag to the young lady with his magic and other abilities...once again, he'd never admit that out loud.
So, getting close to Lestering... was quite the throwback. It wasn't jealousy (he thought), but rather fear of her growing more attached to Verdan than she should. Helion always saw him as a laid-back Academy wizard who, for some reason, sits here in the library rather than actually attending the academy lessons. He just plays with the alchemy kit in his room until Gods know how late into the night. A pretty unreliable person who would only set back Irene rather than actually help her.
Scratching his head, the dark-haired elf closed the notebook as he finished the update, putting it aside for her, his gaze secretly lingering on her back longer than it should.
The seat felt off, as if one leg of the chair was shorter than all the other. Readjusting, before sighing and giving up, Verdan just pulled the chair towards the table, taking his scroll and looking at it blankly, trying to figure out what he should eat.
On the other hand, Irene was already munching on a vegetable-rich chicken sandwich, with an iced tea on the side. She never drank cold tea, but this peach-flavored water made her head spin. Taking a glance in front of her, she noticed the guy shift his demeanor.
"Everything good? (in a mouthful tone)"
She watched his face for his reaction, trying to figure him out. Her hand in front of her mouth as she spoke, her mouth full.
"Ah, I'm fine, just... don't know what to eat."
The silver-haired guy awkwardly smiled, pushing his hair back behind his ears, looking at the sandwich that Irene was eating.
"Is that thing good?"
He raised a brow, pointing at it.
"Mmmmmm sure is"
And with a smile, she took a big bite of it, savoring the taste, taking a sip of the iced tea. Verdan shook his head in amusement, using the scroll to take the same meal she had.
Watching her eat made him soften his gaze, holding it a bit longer than he should. Before he realized, he was staring. Suddenly shaking his head, the realization hit him, scolding himself mentally for being so mesmerized at the way she enjoyed her food. "That was weird." He thought to himself, ignoring the confused look she shot at him as he feigned innocence while taking a first bite of the sandwich.
"Ha...ha...can we take a break now?"
Letting her hands fall next to her body, Irene wiped them onto the rag that was tucked slightly into a small pocket on the side of her leather pants.
"Sure, we can even stop here. You did great today."
Helion smiled, closing the book he was reading, putting it down on the seat he was sitting in after he stood up. The sapphire-eyed elf approached her, giving her a smile of approval.
"You're actually getting better faster, good thing you started doing the exercises every morning."
He genuinely smiled, making Irene look at him in slight surprise and awe. Once again, she readjusted her glasses, putting her hair over her ears, smiling back.
"Well, ever since you gave me the notebook, it went easier and easier."
She couldn't help but let out a small laugh, at which he laughed too. This small moment of comfort and closure made them both feel fond of each other, rather enjoying the company. At one point, Helion just cleared his throat, patting her shoulder.
"Alright, go back to your room and freshen up, we're done for today."
Then quickly, turning around, he almost paced outside. Irene felt a bit lonely now that he stormed off. She had a feeling that he was restraining himself from getting close to her. "That behavior is not gonna get us anywhere." She thought to herself, picking her stuff up and going towards the opposite exit, thinking to herself. A subtle smile still lingering on her face. "He's starting to look hot again, now that he actually gives me attention." She laughed mentally, knowing that doing so outside of her thoughts would probably make her look like a maniac. Well, I mean...Helion was an asshole in the beginning, acting all sweet and such...but now he actually feels genuine, like he IS sweet and...such.
Walking to her room, Irene was making up fake scenarios of her practicing with Helion... Cliche moments happening, fangirling over herself.
Meanwhile, Helion, who had to run away as soon as possible, felt himself having a flutter in his chest. Scolding himself mentally, he paced towards his chambers. On the way, Vermont watched the tall elf hold a hand to his mouth, completely out of character, pacing towards the stairs.
"Uhm- Sir Frost?"
He politely asked, rather formally, then Helion just brushed him off with a dismissing motion of his hand.
"Not now, Vermont."
He uttered into his hand as he got to his room, lowering his hand, slapping himself.
"Get your shit together. You can't afford to get attached."
He locked the door behind him, walking to his desk, plopping himself into the chair as he opened a leather-covered book on a certain page he had marked for reading later, his mind clouded with thoughts.
"Don't forget our deal, Frost." A resonant voice rang in his head, reminding him, making him shiver slightly. After getting his shit together, Helion let out a deep sigh, uttering.
"I know."
Then, shifted his focus to the book. "Good...and let it STAY like it." the voice responded, fading away in his head, rather hiding somewhere in the back than completely disappearing, making it known to him that it's still there.
The bath was refreshing. Nothing beats a bubble bath after a long afternoon of practice. Hearing the violin from the Bard Academy again, Irene got the idea of dressing up and going out, craving the taste of that cream pie again. Opening her closet, she searched through, not wanting to wear the same outfit she did last time when she got out. Then, she spotted an older dress she got for one of her birthdays. It was a simple one at that, with velvet sleeves, puffy on the shoulders. The skirt folded with every step, silky texture flowing over her legs. Remembering those details, Irene nodded to herself and put on that dress, and as for accessories, she put a ribbon in her hair, in addition to the reddish makeup.
"Maybe I overkilled it for a tavern visit."
She chuckled, checking herself out in the mirror, taking in her own appearance.
"I could dress up like this more often."
After that comment, she snatched her belongings and got out of the room, making her way out of the library. On her way out, she catches Vermonts attention, who immediately informed Helion about her whereabouts, sending a magical message to him.
"Sir, Miss Irene has-"
Before he could finish, Helion scolded from the other side of the line.
"Why would I care? Don't come around with such meaningless information, Vermont. You will use up your weave and be unable to use your magic effectively if you inform me of every little thing she does."
With a gruff sigh, the connection cut, leaving Vermont with a shameful expression, crouching in the info port, regretting his previous decision of informing his master.
"How come...he acts so different every time."
Vermont let out a rhetorical question to himself, slowly readjusting his uniform as he stood up, going back to his duties.
On the other hand, Helions focus was now broken, subconsciously wondering...Why was she going to town again? Everything she needs she can just- order through Vermont, plus, most of the stores are closed in the evening...where the hell is she- "Thinking...again?" The voice returned, radiating through his mind. This time felt like it was seeping through his skull, making him wince slightly, shooting his hand to his forehead.
"Am I not allowed to think about what my student might be doing? You're being ridiculous."
Helion talked back, looking at the mirror on the right side of his desk, which stood just beside his bed. The voice let out a wicked laugh, as if mocking him. "Aw, is the little elf scared he might lose his student? Don't make me laugh!" It snapped suddenly, tone lowering dangerously. "You mustn't think of her outside your duty, she is nothing but a spawn of that wench, but you'll make her into a great asset for the future...I thought we agreed?" Goosebumps overflew him, making him grit his teeth, the burning feeling in his chest changing into something...almost hurtful.
"What are you implying? Don't dare drag her into this, too!"
Raising his voice, he walked to the mirror, clenching it as he looked deep into his reflection. The voice just huffed, continuing in a commanding tone. "Don't blame me, you're sinking faster than you realize... might drag her with you yourself." Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine, the previous anger shifting into concern. Clenching his fists, he stayed shut, aware of the truth in the words of the voice...while it just went back to the vegetative state in the back of his mind, leaving him to dwell in his own thoughts.
Meanwhile, amidst the drunken citizens, flirty maidens, and the smell of freshly cooked food, Irene sat at the same spot in front of the bar, waiting for her cream pie piece, unaware of all the mental luggage Helion was carrying. Matter of fact, she felt happy, peaceful even. Her studies were now going in the direction she wanted, while also getting attention from pretty handsome elves in the library. Trying not to think of it that way, she looked at the other companion she recently met- the bartender, whose name is Eita.
As he approached and gave her the piece of the pie, she smiled and thanked him, rather fond of dismissing her thoughts about the two elves, taking a bite from the delicious treat she craved.
However, the thoughts only flooded her mind further, making her think of the two. "There must be some backstory to all this?" She pondered, taking another bite with the small spoon.
The two elves didn't get along, obviously. As much as they pretended in front of her, it always gave off that sort of energy. Like, when you try to be in two friend groups at the same time, but they don't get along with each other. After her mind ran a good kilometer trying to figure them out, she turned to Eita, giving him a curious look, before adjusting her glasses.
"Uhm, hey. You know a lot of stuff as a bartender, right?"
Nervously, she asked, not wanting to call him by his name, because he never introduced himself directly to her. The guy just shrugged suspiciously, smirking at her.
"Why, of course. Interested?"
He glanced at her, moving closer so he didn't have to speak loudly, wiping a cup with the same rag he usually tucks into his apron.
"I am actually... What do you know about... Verdan Lestering and Helion Frosts relationship?"
She asked shamelessly, leaning onto the bar, looking at Eita, who now formed a thrilled expression.
"The two are in a relationship?"
Irene immediately widened her eyes- her breath hitching.
"No! No, not like that!"
Earned a laugh from the blue-haired guy in front of her.
"I'm joking, I'm joking!"
He retorted. She sighed in relief, relaxing her shoulders when she noticed him inhaling deeply to continue his sentence.
"The two are not that connected. Neither one goes out or lets information about them slip away so easily for me to know."
Irene frowned, taking a slow bite of the cream pie, already disappointed at the lack of information, until Eita continued again.
"But, I do know some basic things. Like, Mister Lestering was supposed to be some top Academy wizard if I remember right, but due to some events, he came back from the Academy and settled into the Grand Library. He is to this day living in the Grand Library and using all of the benefits...don't know much about what exactly happened there, but someone from the Academy would definitely know the details."
Putting down a cup, he started wiping the plates from his side and taking the time to refill the cup in front of Irene with water.
"On the other hand...the librarian does have some interesting facts about him. I've heard he became a librarian as a punishment."
Eita eyed Irene for a reaction... and boy did he get one. Irene dropped her spoon in the pate, looking at him with anticipation and surprise. Helion? On punishment? That guy did seem like an irresponsible jerk in the beginning when he ignored his duties of tutoring her, but now he is acting way nicer and has gotten closer to her.
"What kind of punishment?"
Irene eagerly asked, but Eita leaned onto the bar, looking at her face. For the first time, Irene didn't flinch at the proximity of a nice-looking guy getting in her face. She was too invested in this backstory stuff.
"For further info, I'll need some...ya know."
He tapped the table with his finger, clearly requesting money for the info. Irene immediately took out her pouch, paying for both the food and info with two gold pieces.
"This is enough?"
Rather stating, than actually asking, she pushed the gold pieces in front of him, at which he just snatched them and put them in his pocket, leaning back.
"Very well. Mr Frost is coming from a royal family, and as far as I've heard, he's the middle child- or the youngest, I don't remember. But the point is, they probably didn't care enough about him, and put him in the library while his brothers maintained higher positions or more important jobs."
That information got her mouth open, staring in shock at Eita. When she recovered, she took a sip of the water and readjusted her glasses, clearly flabbergasted.
"No wonder he looks like a prince..."
Irene commented, her hand shooting to her mouth, holding it over her lips as she uttered that. Eita pretended not to hear and just shrugged. Nodding at her. Enjoying the energy she brought to this conversation.
"You're welcome."
He said before turning around to serve some other people that we're at the bar, before coming back for a brief moment, wiping his hand and offering a handshake.
"Name's Eita, nice to meet you, Miss-?"
Irene snapped out of her inner thoughts. Taking his hand, shaking it softly while offering a kind and grateful smile.
"Irene Solenight, very glad to meet you."
She chuckled a little less awkwardly, earning a nod from him, before he rushed to the side to serve other customers. Irene quickly finished the rest of her cream pie and got down from the barstool, walking towards the door as another tavern fight was cooking in the background.
The sounds of violin practice grew louder. Irene couldn't focus on sleeping at all. Ever since she came back to her room from the tavern, she had waves of giggles and theories regarding both Verdan and Helion. Especially Helion, since she knew more about him now than about Verdan... though she couldn't get herself to ask him anything, because of the way she found out. If they knew she was going to the tavern for information, they'd definitely get wrong impressions about her. Perhaps it wasn't that wrong of an impression? Finding out that someone who acts so elegant and perfect actually isn't what he really seems. "If I only had the guts to ask him." Irene thought to herself, letting out a chuckle, trying to keep herself from making up stories in her head as much as she could- but she never had such content to think or talk to anyone about. What could poaaibly make the two grit their teeth and make sarcastic remarks almost every time they see each other?
Suddenly, she found herself listening to the violin which occupied the room from the open window above her head. The tunes made her feel whimsical and even more fluffy than she already was from all these Helion and Verdan theories.
It lulled her, carrying her mind towards the gates of dreamland, her eyelids getting heavier and heavier by every second...
On the other side of the Grand Library, in the chambers of our dark-haired librarian, his blood pressure spiked through the roof. After countless attempts to think without getting interrupted by the voice in his head, he stomped around the room, seeking clarity in the repetitive motion of walking around. The heat in his chest still burned, threatening to swallow him whole every second. What will he do? He can't continue like this... There is no way he can guarantee safety for Irene with this whole ordeal. Meanwhile, the voice that was standing by in his head... only let out occasional pulsating waves through his head, reminding him of its constant presence. Stopping in place, with his breath heavy, Helion checked the schedule for tomorrow, and laid into his bed, clenching the paper in his hand, not even sure what he is searching for in it.
"The world needs cleansing, Frost. You can't find happiness... because it doesn't exist." The voice announced rather proudly, as if repeating his own words, something Helion mentioned in the past.
"I know, just let me do this my way."
He replied, almost scrunching the paper. He just put it on the side, letting out a big exhale- before sitting in a meditating position, enveloping his trance.
The morning felt refreshing, but the cold air in her room didn't give her any justice. Irene quickly stood up and closed the window, since she left it opened last night, rubbing her arms to help her stay warm until she put her clothes on. Her practice uniform was the closest clothes she could grab at the moment. After putting them on, she used the prestigitation cantrip spell to warm herself up a bit. Nevertheless, she made herself look presentable and left her room, of course, locking it from the outside before making her way down the stairs.
As soon as she did, she was met with Helion talking to those adventurers she met in the town. The monkey was...frozen solid in a block of ice. Other members were frantically talking and breathing heavily, all dirty and sweaty. Clearly, they rushed here, seeking help. As soon as she took a step towards them, Helion noticed her, motioning her to approach with a wave of his hand. That customer service smile never leaving his face as he responded to the adventurers.
"...I guess I do owe you one for earlier, I'll take care of your friend."
The rest of the group sighed in relief, thanking Helion, then the ginger-haired guy shifted his gaze to Irene, giving her a smile of recognition.
"Hey, you're that lady in an orange dress from the town."
He proclaimed, making Irene slightly nervous and shy, since everyone shifted their gaze to her now, even Helion, who was now leading the way to a big ballroom somewhere further down the hall, after passing the cafeteria door.
"Uhm, yeah, that's me. Name's Irene."
She looked ahead, towards Helion, as if seeking the presence of someone who wasn't a stranger. He lingered his gaze a moment longer on her before turning ahead, focusing on getting them to the ballroom while the big goliath-like person carried the monkey ice cube.
"Nice to meet you, Irene. I suppose you're some kind of a wizard if you're here?"
The ginger guy politely asked, his freckles being a cute addition to his pale skin, and vibrant green eyes seeping through her as he spoke, clearly interested in her position in all this.
"Ah, well- I'm a student here, trying to become a wizard that is."
She nodded, letting her hair cover her ears, afraid they might get red from all the nervousness flooding over. This was way past her comfort zone. Never was she in presence of too many men.
The ginger guy just chuckled, noticing her fiddling and shy expression.
"Oh, that's great! That means you'll help with unfreezing Gonk."
Irene raised her brows, looking towards the frozen monkey, whose name seems to be Gonk. Helion nodded, hearing his words, then he looked at Irene over his shoulder.
"You came down at perfect timing, you can at least watch and learn. I suppose you did your morning warmup?"
Helion asked, turning ahead, not quite expecting an answer, but Irene answered anyway, her tone uncertain and embarrassed in a way.
"I...I actually didn't, I thought I should eat first today."
A "tch" left the elfven lips, but little did he know, that low outing was enough for Irene to hear, and it made her heart sink slightly. He probably expected her to be ready to help, but now he has to do this alone without any assistance. Irene, trying to figure out a solution, before Helion could continue his sentence, murmured an outrageous suggestion.
"Maybe I can bring Verdan down to help-"
Then suddenly she stopped herself, noticing Helion stiffen his shoulders, then replying in almost a snappy tone, which was definitely laced with tons of irritation.
"I don't need his help, it's fine. No need to make a fuss out of it."
"If you say so, then."
She quietly replied. Sensing the tension, she stayed shut the rest of the small walk as the ginger-haired guy continued bombarding questions. After finally entering the ballroom, Helion motioned the Goliath to put the iced monkey in the middle of the ballroom, while Helion wrote down some kind of ritual circle under him, standing back when he finished.
"Irene, you can use the ray of frost cantrip spell, right?"
"Mhm, we practiced that a few days ago."
"Then, make sure to freeze the floor in a circle around the ritual drawing, so we can avoid property damage."
Saying it so casually, Helion immediately started casting some unknown spell to her- but then realizing she should start immediately, Irene started freezing a circle on the floor around the ritual, and after several minutes, the monkey was unfrosted, numbly lying on the ground, seeming lifeless. Helion pushed his hair back, as well as rolled his sleeves up, approaching him. Irene approached as well, looking at what Helion is gonna do next, but he just took out a bottle that looked like a potion of superior healing to her, holding the monkey up and making him drink it.
"We're lucky you brought him here so fast, otherwise you'd have to find either a really strong cleric... or a necromancer."
Helion made a joke, but Irene was too focused on how cool he looked to laugh. He even had that rare of a potion prepared on him at any time? After he stood up, her eyes stayed glued to the empty potion bottle in his hand, lost in a daydream clearly-
"Irene, you okay?"
He asked, making her snap out of it, shaking her head, already nervous enough to be coolheaded. She just brushed it off, waving her hand away, pushing her glasses up as the group flooded Helion to thank him for saving their friend, but just as Irene was thinking about sneaking away, the halfling bard of the group took her hand, bowing slightly in gratitude.
"Thank you, Miss Irene! We appreciate it a lot."
They all thanked her, making her even more flustered. She just smirked, feigning confidence.
"No problem, even when I didn't do much, but I'll take a bit of praise too."
They all talked, continuing the conversation as they headed out of the big ballroom, carrying the monkey wrapped in a warm blanket. Helion and Irene walked in front of them, leading the way, feeling the tension between them. Irene felt awkward, while Helion still had that leftover irritation from earlier, but due to the task ending up successful anyway, he relaxed almost fully.
"I uhm...sorry for not doing the warmup."
Irene suddenly apologized, forcing an immediate glance from Helion, which was rather a surprised one, but he knew how to hide those expressions of his.
"Don't worry about it, you still did a great job. Now I don't owe them anything anymore."
Irene raised her brow, looking at him, not able to bite back a comment.
"You really do owe a lot of people, huh..."
Now THAT comment earned an actual expression on his face. He turned to the guys, stopping in place.
"You guys go on ahead. I need to discuss something with Miss Irene."
They all nodded and waved, saying their goodbyes, leaving the two standing in the middle of the hallway. Irene tensed immediately, looking at his... rather offended expression. His brows furrowed, jaw clenched, a deadly glare directed right to her eyes, their colors almost mixing from the duration of the stare.
"I do. Unfortunately."
He turned to face her, making her take a step back for some reason.
"I uh-"
Before she managed to say anything, he cut her sentence.
"I don't want to owe you anything either, that's why I need you to do your best and make sure that you're ready for anything the day brings you, every day."
Suddenly, his words sounded more like a plea than a statement. Her gaze shifted from him to anything but him, not able to keep it on him for too long. Pushing her hair again, making sure it's covering her ears.
"I will, I-I'm really sorry, I'll do my warmup immediately after leaving the cafeteria."
Helion just nodded, noticing her antics again. She'd do that with her hair almost every time she talked to him. Wondering if she does that even when talking to others.
"Good, now here's a cafeteria scroll, make sure you eat properly before getting to practice."
Then his fingers flicked her forehead softly, adding a head pat before actually walking away. Irene shot her hands to her forehead, but froze in place when she felt his hand land on her hair, like a blessing bestowed upon her. Lowering her hands down, she followed him with her gaze as he walked further away in the hallway, not uttering a single word. Her lips parted, as if trying to reply. To say anything- but she was too stunned to speak. Moving her hands from her forehead to her head. Where he patted her hair.
After the moment of confusion passed, she made her way to the cafeteria... not able to hide all the blush that appeared on her face.
The warmth of her chest was unexplainable.
This moment felt oddly intimate...
...more than any interaction she had ever had with him.
Notes:
Heyaaaa I apologize for the HUGE delay, college happened and I've been really busy. But hey, I've wrote around 9k words for you here, to make up, hope you like it! ⭐⭐⭐ -Yours, SoyBeanNyan
neh (Guest) on Chapter 1 Mon 21 Jul 2025 08:21PM UTC
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SoyBeanNyan on Chapter 1 Mon 21 Jul 2025 09:40PM UTC
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