Magic Necklace

Libarius walks Gracia to the door and opens it for her. She walks through the threshold back out into the city.

“Gracia, it shames me to admit this, but without access to magic, enchanting a proper tool with spells is quite tedious, all time that could be spent better elsewhere. Would you assist me in creating a new tool for Lama?” Gracia turns around to face him quickly.

“Of course! Let’s do it!”

The two of them walk back into the house, back up the stairs, back into Libarius’ dark, empty room. As they enter, Gracia walks to the window covered by thick curtains, then looks back at Libarius.

“Is it alright if I open these curtains?”

“Yes, yes, that’s no issue.” Gracia pulls the curtains apart and lets in the light. As the light fills the room, it becomes much more clear that there really is nothing inside of it but the single chair facing the door and the bed wide enough for two people in spite of the room’s size.

“Libarius, why is your room so empty?” Libarius looks around the room, as if he’s never once considered it empty in the slightest.

“A man needs little to live. It is this space itself that is superfluous.”

“It doesn’t surprise me much, but I would have at least thought you would have some books.”

“It’s shameful to admit, but all my books are elsewhere and it would be quite a pain to retrieve them. And any book I need is already in my head regardless.”

“I really just don’t understand how you’re able to know so much more than me even though we’re the same age.”

“I’ve always had a talent for memorization. I had memorized all the books of the scripture when I was a child.”

“You only use scripture for your spells, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. In no small part that is what spurred me to learn with such joy. Learning magic is a wonderful thing, after all.”

“But you haven’t really read recent works?”

“No, they fail to hold my interest very long, save for Mr. Tetricum.”

“Well… I’ll come by again soon and give you the ones I think are most interesting.”

“Very well.”

“Ah! You wanted me to enchant something for you!”

“Indeed. I thought it best to make Lama a necklace, and I’ve already drafted up formulae.”

“So I just need to apply it?”

“If you wished to make alterations, I wouldn’t be opposed. It was only quick work.”

“I barely make magic tools, so I’m sure I can’t do much.” Libarius retrieves a silver necklace set with a deep blue gem and a slip of paper from somewhere or other and hands them both to Gracia.

“Don’t be so modest, Gracia.” Gracia reads over the slip of paper she was given.

“Well, it really isn’t modesty.”

On the slip, scrawled in small script, as all of Libarius’ notes are, is a list of symbols and shapes that form together the spells on the necklace. It’s incredibly thorough work and intricately designed, especially for a “quick draft.” Gracia can hardly believe he’s made it in less than a day. Though she’s not the most well versed in magic tools, she can identify several barriers set to deploy on their own, among other spells. She smiles as she reads it.

“I never would have thought that you were the doting type.” Libarius cocks his head.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s only been a day, but you’re already an overprotective big brother.”

“Truly, what are you talking about?”

“You put all these spells that will just keep her safe.”

“Ah, see it as doting if you wish, but isn’t that just good sense?”

“I guess it is. But I still don’t think it’s a completely logical decision you’ve made. From the very start, you’ve been the one trying to do the most for her, even if she was still fighting back.”

Gracia begins her work. She engraves on the silver body of the necklace the spells Libarius had written out. They glow with white light which quickly dulls and leaves behind no trace on the necklace. Even without much experience, with how well formed the spells are, Gracia moves through them quickly.

“Do you wish to know why?”

“If you’ll tell me.”

“She is a genius. It would be far too great a waste to allow her to squander that talent. Or to allow one as weak as Black Marsh to squander it for her.”

“Even still, I think you just want her to be happy in the end. That’s where you think learning magic will lead her after all.”

Gracia finishes inscribing the final spell into the necklace, then hands it back to Libarius.

“Then it seems our time together has come to an end.”

There’s a clack as Libarius lifts himself to standing. Then he again leads Gracia to the door, where Opera happens to be standing. She curtsies to the two of them.

“Young Master Libarius, dinner will soon be served. Would you like to join us, Ms. Gracia?”

“No, I shouldn’t. I can’t impose.”

“Very well. Young Master Libarius, you ought to see her home safely.” Gracia doesn’t need an escort, especially within Polaris, and she assumes that Libarius will make that same argument.

“Very well. Let us be off, Gracia.”

The two of them walk through the streets of Polaris in silence. As always, Libarius’ face is inscrutable. Gracia doesn’t know why he came with her. Though, given the time to think about it, she realizes she doesn’t even know why he needed help at all. With how quickly she finished the work, she can’t imagine he really needed her there. Anybody should have been enough. She looks at his face again and she’s sure it isn’t something cold. Or rather, Libarius is a man who lies often. A man who can rationalize anything, who hides his decisions behind logic. A man who follows his own desires to the end. And Gracia turns her gaze down to keep herself from looking at him, and allows herself to be walked home in silence.