by P. A. Peña
“You’re giving them far too much credit,” Clayton said. “They got lucky.”
“We got lucky, Clayton. If Cordellia hadn’t happened to use her clairvoyance and warn us, we wouldn’t have been able to keep them from, well, you know what.”
“What is you know what?” Aurelia asked.
“I’m sorry,” Roxanne said, “but that truly is classified.”
Chapter 35
The following day, the Crusaders gathered in the coliseum. Virgil sat alongside Aurelia and Logan, but not a word was spoken among the trio. Roxanne, Clayton, and Cordellia were in the boxed seating with Roxanne leading the announcements, per usual. She began by informing the probationary Crusaders about Nobody and what exactly had transpired the previous day. Virgil heard her words, but they were little more than noise echoing in his ears.
“Unfortunately, we have not driven back our assailants without sacrifice,” Roxanne said. She waved her hand and a white void appeared in the middle of the battlefield. When the void dispersed, a pile of wood stacked in a pyramid was left behind. Virgil tensed up. A top the pyramid was Olivia’s body, wrapped in elegant white linen, and arrangements of white flowers were scattered around her. “It pains me to inform you all that Olivia Abernathy has been taken from us.”
Virgil swallowed the lump in his throat, fighting hard to keep his body from quivering. A warm hand fell upon his shoulder. He looked over to find Aurelia smiling at him, and he instinctively returned the expression.
“In taking our Crusader’s Exam,” Roxanne continued, “you each put your lives at risk to become a part of something greater than yourselves. You knew the risks involved and bravely entered the fire anyway. To lose someone who still had so much to learn. So much more to grow. So much more to contribute. It is beyond devasting and she will surely be missed.”
Tears began to fall down Virgil’s face, and he quickly wiped them away. Aurelia rubbed his back as she placed her other hand over his and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“As Olivia leaves behind no relatives, we will be the ones to set her soul to rest.” Roxanne turned her attention to the trio. “Would you like to do the honors, Virgil?”
Virgil nodded as he stood up and held his hand towards the pyramid. Blue fire swirled around his hand, and as he clenched his fist, the pyramid erupted in a surge of flames. A radiant blue glow lit the coliseum, captivating the crowd’s attention. The inferno raged for several minutes, and no one dared speak until the last ember was extinguished.
“All right,” Roxanne began again. “Let us move onto business. I’m sure you are all wondering how we will be proceeding with the placement tournament, seeing how our final round was interrupted. We’ve discussed it and have decided that we will forgo the remainder of the tournament. As such, we are awarding both combatants of the final round the position of rook. Please join me in congratulating Logan Bryant, and Virgil Truesdale.” A flurry of applause echoed throughout the coliseum before the crowd simmered back down. “As I mentioned before, this final phase of the exam will be a mentorship. You will each be grouped into teams and assigned a rook or queen Crusader. For our tournament champions, you will have the option to work alone and merely report to an assigned queen. However, to progress further in the rankings, you will need to work on a team at some point. Take time today to figure out which path you would like to follow. For the rest of you, you are free to form your own teams; however, if you are unable to do so, we will group you together into a team of at least three.”
Virgil looked to Aurelia and frowned. I’m sure she’ll want to group up, he thought.
“You feeling okay?” Aurelia asked.
“Y-yeah,” he said, turning back to Roxanne. “I’m good.”
“To ensure you are assigned the proper mentor,” Roxanne said, “each of you will be conducting the Crystal Divination ritual. This ritual will gauge your physical aptitude, your current mana reserve, your potential for learning new branches of sorcery, et cetera et cetera.”
She held her hand out towards the coliseum floor, and a white void appeared. As it disappeared, it revealed a massive crystal held up by a steel harness. The gem was so clear, an observer might fail to see it with a quick glance.
“This will be useful,” Virgil said. “If I’m lucky, I’ll have an aptitude for aquamancy. Then I’d be able to patch myself up for a change.”
Virgil paused, expecting a reply from Aurelia, but heard nothing. He turned to her and his heart skipped a beat. She was pale and her expression was blank as she stared at the crystal.
Right, he thought as a frown took over his face. How could I forget? “Aurelia,” he said. Again, she didn’t respond. Virgil slid in closer and nudged her arm.
“Hmm,” Aurelia uttered nearly robotically.
“Are you all right?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Virgil placed his hand on her shoulder. With a careful tug, he pulled her towards him so their eyes would meet. “Are you sure? You seem really distracted. Worried even.”
Aurelia’s eyes were sunken. “I’m fine,” she replied, her tone low.
Virgil paused. It was clear that something was amiss. A quick glance at Aurelia’s unique aura revealed she was a swirling mess of anxiety, fear, and doubt. “Aurelia. I know that you’re—”
“Everything’s okay,” she said sharply. “Honestly. I’m good.”
Virgil bit the inside of his lip. His mind was like a game of tug of war, debating whether he should press the matter further, or give her space. He took a deep breath and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “All right,” he said. “But know I’m here for you if you need it.”
Aurelia smiled, but as soon as she looked at the crystal again, her smile faded.
“Will Fynn O’Hare come down,” Roxanne called out. Fynn stood up and made his way down to the crystal. “For those of you who have no idea how Crystal Divination works,” Roxanne continued, “you should pay close attention.”
“All right,” Fynn replied. “How do I do this?”
“Simply place your hand upon the crystal. The ensuing reaction will reveal everything we need to know.”
Fynn nodded and complied with Roxanne’s instructions. In a matter of seconds, the rock began glowing a bright red. In the middle of the gem, the insignia representing pyromancy shone brightly, and fire began to shoot into the air in a roaring blaze.
“It appears you are a pyromancer through and through. While you can learn other branches of sorcery, it would undoubtedly be an arduous journey to do so. Other than that, it looks like you have quite the well of mana.”
One by one, the probationary Crusaders were called down to the crystal. For the first three or so rituals, the crowd’s attention was fixed on the ceremonies. With each one that passed, however, interest seemed to die down a little more.
“Would Logan Bryant please step down,” Roxanne called out.
Logan stood up and made his way down to the crystal. Virgil turned to Aurelia. She looked even worse than she had before. She was sweating, and nervously twirling her cross between her fingers.
“Aurelia,” he said again, trying to get her attention, but to no avail.
Logan placed his hand on the crystal, and nothing happened. A brief moment passed, but there was still no change in the crystal.
“Logan,” Roxanne said. “It looks like you have no mana whatsoever. It is a rarity, but not unheard of. After all, we have a number of Crusaders who serve dutifully without the use of magic.” The crystal trembled. It began to crack. Fissures spread throughout the rock. “Although, it does seem—” Before Roxanne could finish, the crystal shattered into hundreds of pieces. “Like you have tremendous physical strength. I don’t believe we’ve ever had someone with such raw brute strength.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Logan replied. “And I’m sorry about the crystal.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Clayton said, raising his fist. His hand began to glow, and the crystal started to repair itself within the harness.
Logan walked back to his seat.
“Will Aurelia Bryant please come forward,” Roxanne said.
Virgil took another look at Aurelia. She was trembling. Virgil called to her again, but she simply stood up, utterly oblivious to his attempt at grabbing her attention. She walked, but it looked as if her legs would collapse at any moment. She passed Logan on the stairway, and he placed his hand on her head. She stopped, and he leaned in close to her. After whispering something, he patted her on the head. Aurelia nodded and continued her descent towards the crystal.
“What did you say to her?” Virgil asked as Logan sat down next to him.
“Forgive me,” he replied, his gaze fixed on his sister. “But this is really a private matter. Please understand.”
Virgil turned his attention to Aurelia. By no will of his own, he held his breath as she placed her hand upon the crystal.
The gem began to flash a spectrum of colors. It moved from black to green, to red, to yellow, to white, then back to black again. As the crystal cycled through each color, the insignia present inside the rock shifted as well. Virgil breathed a sigh of relief, as did Aurelia. The gem continued its glorious light show and began to shoot out a mix of water, flower petals, fire, stones, and swords.
“Well,” Roxanne said, awe evident in her eyes. “You are an omni-mage capable of learning any branch of sorcery without restraint. It has been quite a long time since we’ve had one in our ranks. Congratulations, Aurelia, and thank you for choosing to serve the Crusader’s Alliance.”
Before Aurelia could respond, something peculiar began to happen. The flames emitting from the crystal dispersed. The water evaporated. The flowers withered. The stones crumbled into dust, and the swords shattered. The gem became muddled, clouded with thick black shadows. They were few in number at first, but within seconds, the crystal became filled with darkness. Aurelia took a step back, her body trembling once again. Her eyes widened as they darted around the coliseum.
The crowd exploded in a collection of gasps and whispers as everyone was focused on Aurelia. Virgil’s heart skipped a beat, and he ground his teeth as he analyzed the crowd. He saw a mixture of emotions. Fear. Pity. Anger and disgust. Worst of all were the looks of hatred.
“I knew something was wrong with her!” Paisley yelled as she rose to her feet. “She’s a fucking demon!”
“Everyone calm down,” Roxanne commanded, trying to regain control of the situation.
“How could you let that thing take the exam?” someone called out.
Roxanne continued trying to get everyone’s attention, but it was no use. Everyone was in an uproar, their attention focused on the demon in their midst. Aurelia looked like a puppy cowering in the corner of a cage as beasts rampaged outside the bars. Virgil had only one thing on his mind: rushing down to Aurelia.
Virgil stood up simultaneously with Logan. The two men locked eyes with one another. “This doesn’t concern you,” Logan said, his voice stern. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll—”
“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Roxanne shouted. Her eyes glowed white and her voice sounded almost primal. Her aura intensified, and the room shuddered, rendering the crowd silent. She then looked to Aurelia. “I’m truly sorry—”
Aurelia took off running, stumbling as she hastily left the coliseum.
“I’m warning you,” Logan said. “Stay out of this, or else.”
He ran off after his sister. Virgil paused. Aurelia was his friend just as much as she was Logan’s sister. Making up his mind, Virgil proceeded to chase after them.
“Let’s get back on track,” Roxanne said, her tone and eyes returning to normal. “Will Virgil Truesdale please, ah, I see you are already on the way.”
Virgil groaned and hastily walked down to the crystal. He placed his hand on the gem, barely able to keep his palm steady. The crystal began to glow a vibrant red, and a pillar of flames shot high into the air.
“My word,” Cordellia said, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Forgive me,” Virgil replied as he removed his hand, “but I must be going.”
“Hold on a moment,” Roxanne said. “The ritual has not finished yet.”
A collection of swords appeared and began dancing around the flames. The crystal alternated between red and white light, and the insignias switched between pyromancy and allostry.
“It appears you have a dual aptitude. Given that I am an alloster myself, I hope you consider exploring this branch of sorcery.”
“Thank you,” Virgil said abruptly. “But I have to—”
“Hold on,” Cordellia said, standing up. “There’s something else going on in the crystal.”
A bright light began to shine from the core of the gem. It was small, but lustrous like a star in the night sky. There was another light, and then another.
“What is that?” Roxanne said, peering deeper into the crystal.
The crystal exploded, leaving a cloud of fine dust looming in the air. The crowd was speechless, the coliseum eerily silent.
“This is unfortunate.” Clayton stood up and walked next to Roxanne. “But I suppose it was bound to happen eventually. We have been using this same crystal for decades now, and I’m sure being shattered didn’t help. Let’s take a short recess while we secure another one. Everyone report back here in one hour.”
Virgil hadn’t the slightest clue what was going on. Even so, it didn’t bother him one bit. The only thing present on his mind was reaching Aurelia. He turned and left the coliseum.
Chapter 36
Virgil walked through the corridors of the castle. There wasn’t a moment to lose.
“Wait a minute,” Clayton called out behind him.
Virgil rolled his eyes and stopped. I don’t have time for this! “I thought you were off getting another crystal,” he said as he spun around.
“Roxanne is headed to the Aetherial Realm as we speak. We need to have a little chat.”
Virgil’s shoulders were tense, and his breaths were quick. “With all due respect,” he said, “can this wait until later? I kind of don’t have time now.”
“No, it can’t. Tell me, Virgil. Where is your family from?”
Virgil’s eye twitched, and he couldn’t help but clench his fists. “You already know that. It was in my application. I’m sure it’s in my record, too.”
“Yes, but as we said yesterday, our record of your family isn’t complete. Apart from what you provided, we have next to nothing. I just—”
“And?” Virgil said with a shrug, trying with all his might to temper his frustration. Clayton huffed, clearly irritated by Virgil’s interruption. Virgil sighed. “I’m sorry, but I’m kind of in a tight spot here. Aurelia is out there, probably more terrified than she’s ever been, and I fail to see the problem in what you’re saying. Hunters are private people, and as I’m sure you know, many of them don’t like your organization.”
“That’s not good enough,” Clayton said folding his arms. “Your family history, it’s—”
“What do you want from me!” Virgil exclaimed. “We were a small family from Arythbelle. Why does it even matter anyway?”
Clayton opened his mouth to speak, only he didn’t say a word. He just looked at Virgil before turning around. “N-never mind,” he said. “Go on and tend to Aurelia. And forget I said anything.”
Virgil returned to the surface. He stopped in place and began to focus his aura perception. He found Aurelia, and his heart sank. Her aura was a raging vortex, much worse than before.
He made a mad dash for her location. As he drew closer, the presence of Aurelia’s turbulent aura was more intense. He entered the northernmost courtyard and found her with Paisley. She was on the ground, and Paisley was towering over her. A conjured wall of stone blocked Aurelia from running away.
“Why are you doing this?” Aurelia cried.
Paisley dug her foot into Aurelia’s back. “You know damn well why I’m doing this. The world doesn’t want your kind!”
“Knock it off!” Virgil shouted as he approached the two women.
Paisley looked back at Virgil. She waved her hand, and a rocky prison appeared around him. Virgil held out his hands and began pouring out flames in an attempt to break free.
Paisley turned her attention back to Aurelia, her face lit with anger. “Look at you down there. I can’t believe I ever compared the two of us. You’re nothing but a stain to be wiped away from this world.”
Aurelia whimpered. “I just want to be left alone. Please—”
“Bullshit!” Paisley reached down and picked Aurelia up by her hair. “I bet you led Nobody right to us, didn’t you? Why don’t you stop pretending to be a human, and show us what you really are?”
Aurelia tried to break free, but Paisley’s grip was too tight. “This is it, isn’t it?” Paisley said as she took hold of the cross around Aurelia’s neck. “This is the seal locking all that evil away.”
Paisley yanked the necklace from around Aurelia’s throat. A foreboding sense of dread shot out from around Aurelia in an enormous wave. The air in the yard became thick, so much so, it was nearly tangible. Although her aura was still distinctly hers, it had morphed into something else. It was dark, twisted, and full of bloodlust. Aurelia’s gray eyes changed to a bloody red. She looked up at Paisley, and Paisley released her hold.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Paisley said, taking a step back. She was quivering, her voice shaky.
Aurelia let out a shrill giggle, and Paisley tensed up. “What’s wrong, Paisley? Isn’t this what you wanted?”
Aurelia darted toward Paisley and placed her hand over Paisley’s face. The prison she had summoned crumbled. “W-wait,” Paisley whimpered, the force on her face clearly making it difficult to breathe.
“Wait,” Aurelia taunted. “You wanted this. Right? We can’t stop now.”