by Dixon, TJ
Epilogue (Peter)
Not long after we spoke to the queen, Elucia arrives with the book we asked for. We leave Elucia and Rin to catch up as they have been apart for so long and were clearly good friends. Other than me nobody else from our group has even met Elucia before and whilst I am glad to see her again it is not the same as with Rin.
Unfortunately none of us are able to read the book even with the translation magic that Yu Kii has on her. Perhaps Elucia or Rin will have more luck but I am not holding my breath. Lucy on the other hand really might have more luck but we will need to wake her first. To wake her we probably need to kill this David guy. There is no way we are ready to do that but there may be a clue on where to find him or what his weaknesses are from this book. If we need Lucy to read the book, and the book to wake Lucy we are in real trouble. Or it may be coincidence that he shares a name with this book. I ask Jimmy to keep an ear open for rumours, especially any relating to David Ishki.
In the back of my mind I am still scared but with everything that is going on I am finding it easier to put that aside. If there is something to do then I will focus on that. We put aside the book and focus on our training instead for now. With the power that the queen gave me I have plenty to use on our training despite giving most back to her. I would be tempted to save it but it is more important that I improve my skills than horde the slight increase of my power.
The next day we continue our training in the forest, and Rin and Elucia join us. I had forgotten how bad Elucia is at magic. I try to show her how to control wind, but end up blasted off my feet. Yu Kii tries to help her with earth magic next but Elucia ends up causing an earth quake and knocking down a few trees. I pick us all up with flight magic to avoid anyone getting hurt.
We decide to go somewhere less flammable for the next attempt. At the top of a small rocky hill Jenny tries to help Elucia with fire. Unfortunately it goes as expected. With help from Rin, Jenny and myself we don’t get turned to ash but it is a close thing. We try water magic next and the snow reminds me of the first time we met. It is at least pretty and less harmful than any of the other attempts.
“I wonder whether the issue is that you have too much power…” I say looking at Elucia. “Normally if you failed it would just fail but the result seems to be much more dramatic than that. Would you let me take your power to see how much you have?”
“That means kissing doesn’t it?” Elucia says embarrassed.
“Yes.” Rin says and glares at me. “Peter loves to kiss girls. Any old excuse.”
“It’s not like that!” I protest.
“I’m not sure I’m comfortable kissing.” Elucia says awkwardly. “It would be my first kiss and I want to save that for someone special.”
“Special how?” I ask.
“Someone that I love. I don’t think it is right to kiss a boy you don’t know well. I know I said back when we first met that I want to get to know you better, but I didn’t mean by kissing.”
“I’m not going to force you but even if you can’t use your magic, if you have enough and are willing to share it then it would help a lot.” I tell her.
“I’m sorry.” Elucia says shaking her head.
“Don’t worry. We’ll just have to work more on your control. Water seems to be your least bad element, so perhaps it would be best to focus on that.” We spend the rest of the day training but without any luck.
During our remaining time off we do a few more bounty hunts, more for the experience than the money. The money is helpful too though. We will need to keep up our payment for the rooms and food, and who knows what other expenses we may have?
I look up at the stars each night but they are silent. Not once do they answer me. Not even Hades. I have never known them to be silent before for more than a night or two. With Lucy gone I miss them even more than I would have normally. Did they see what I did and decide that I am no longer their friend? I feel betrayed and abandoned, but most of all it reawakens my desire to go and meet them. To prove that I am still their friend.
Before we can travel to the stars we have a war to win, and before we can do that we need to become better mages, and recruit more people. We should aim to reach 2A before the end of the next year. The students who soon start at the academy may be easier to win over than the students in our year too. They will not count towards our twenty people because they will not be able to join the company until they graduate. We will still want to recruit after we have formed the company though, and having students at the academy will help us influence future years’ recruits.
When I was a slave I never dreamed I would one day be willing to fight whole heartedly for Contractia, but it is changing with the new queen. The people I have met and befriended are nice people that I want to help. Of course there are people like Perry and Claire too. I hope that Perry does one day rebel so I will have a chance to repay her for the ruthless and cheerful murder of those innocent people. The chance to change Utopia Camerona would be good too. Contractia may be changing but it is too slow for my liking and that place seems to be changing for the worse. I just hope she doesn’t rebel too soon. I can’t understand what she can be thinking. The Fallen Angels will kill her along with the rest of Contractia if the queen is killed.
The new school year is almost here and I am both hopeful and nervous about what it holds. Whatever may be ahead though, I will meet it with everything I have. I must not fail. Not only my hopes and dreams, but the lives of those most important to me are at stake.
Author’s Afterword
I hope you enjoyed reading the first book in The War of Contractia, which is part of The Chronicles of Contractia. Peter’s story will be continued in Peter and the Elven Songs, the next book of The War of Contractia. I hope that you continue to follow Peter and his friends as they strive towards their dreams.
If you bought a legal copy of this novel you have my thanks. If you downloaded a pirated copy of this novel and enjoyed it, then please consider supporting the continuation of The Chronicles of Contractia by buying a copy. The more copies that sell, the sooner each book will be available.