The Conqueror's Day Festival

Morning light dragged Gwen from sleep before her body was ready. She let out a small yawn and stretched, her joints popping. Her stomach was still slightly full from yesterday’s meal. 

Hell, even the gluttonous Kira had taken her leftovers home; the portions were massive. Chris had really shown them a nice spot, a place she definitely wanted to return to.

A huge plate of beef, potatoes, and vegetables had cost only a silver, though it gave enough food for three people. Heck, she even had enough to eat for breakfast and probably lunch.

Thank the Duke Vanderick once again for giving me a dimension bag that freezes time inside.

Slipping into her morning workout clothes, she headed out the door. As usual, the sun was barely up, but the streets were already alive. Merchants hauled carts and hung bright banners—the mouth-watering scent of roasting meats and sweets filled the morning air.

Her boots tapped against the stone road as she started her light jog. While moving, her thoughts turned to the party, in particular the two new members. Adding Chris to the group had been a breath of fresh air. He knew how to joke and stayed quiet when it mattered.

Now, if only I could get Claire to loosen up, she thought, picking up the pace.

Sweat formed on her forehead as she pressed on. When it came time to turn, she decided to keep straight on the road. Instead of her usual route, she took a detour toward the Church of Hael. Questions about her magic had been nagging her all week.

Ten minutes later, she stopped in front of a decently sized building. White paint covered the walls, and a statue of a woman stood out front, staff raised high in both hands. Long stone hair fell down her back, and a metal plate at the base of it was rusted. Making any writing there too worn to read.

Compared to the God of War’s building, this one was less impressive, but at least it was clean.

She stepped through the door and let the cool breeze brush over her. Like the churches on earth, a podium stood up front next to another statue similar to the one outside. Brown benches lined the aisle, three on each side, enough to fit four adults comfortably.

A door sat to her left, and another was behind the podium. Ignoring both, her eyes locked on the Priest that was kneeling in front of the statue, head bowed.

Keeping quiet, Gwen walked to the small steps and stopped. She waited; with nowhere to be for the next couple of hours, she closed her eyes. Not praying, exactly. But thanking Hael for letting the church teach her a few spells.

Time passed until she heard a shuffling noise. Opening her eyes, Gwen saw the priest get to her feet. When the priest turned, relief hit her. It was the same woman she’d been dealing with the entire time. Dana’s former student, who looked around fifty, with her hair starting to gray.

“Well, I didn’t think I’d be seeing you so soon, Gwen,” the Priestess said, a weathered smile on her face.

“Mother Beth—” Gwen started.

“No need for the Mother; Just Beth is fine. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that, child,” Beth chided.

A small smile grew on her face. “Beth, I had some questions about magic.”

“Ahh, let me guess, you want to learn another spell?”

Gwen shook her head. “I want to learn how to enhance the spells I’ve been using to make them stronger before I start learning new ones.”

Understanding flickered across Beth’s face. “Come follow me. This discussion is best had in private.” She turned and headed for the door.

Gwen followed without saying a word.

Beth led her into an office lined with old scrolls and books. A small desk was in the middle with two chairs. Beth took a seat and pointed to Gwen to take the one across from her.

“Would you like some tea or any snacks before we begin?”

“No, thank you.”

Beth took a deep breath. “Magic breaks into seven elements: Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, Lightning, Dark, and Light. Most people are born with an affinity for one element, making other elements much harder to learn.”

“Right, you told me about that before.”

“Well, what you're trying to do is go beyond the basics in what we call enhancement and shape manipulation.”

“Is that doable? I know a flaming rock attack I called Meteor by mixing Fire Arrow with Stone Bullet.”

“You can…” Beth trailed, leaning back in her chair. “Magic starts with imagination, then willpower. But the third step is the most important: control. You don’t lack imagination, or willpower. Focus on control, being able to use the minimum amount of magic in spells without losing power.”

“That was the same conclusion I came to yesterday when I teamed up with my party.”

“You have a party?” Beth asked in disbelief.

“Yes… I do know how to get along with others.”

Beth snorted. “They must be saints to put up with you. Even now I can sense the urge to fight coursing through you.”

“It’s not that bad!”

“I bet your staff is already close to breaking from all the magic you’ve been forcing through it.”

Gwen opened her mouth, but closed it. Her shoulders slumped in defeat.

Beth smiled at her warmly. “It’s okay. All adventurers have their quirks.”

“I can’t even argue with that,” Gwen muttered.

“To control your spells, I’d recommend meditation. And in battle, learn how to use the minimum amount of magic while attempting to get the results you want.”

“I’ll make sure to work on that.”

“Good!” Beth said, clapping her hands. “Now, we can’t have you being a Cleric and only knowing one Light magic spell.”

“Ugh, isn’t healing enough?” Gwen whined.

“No! I’m going to teach you how to reinforce your allies and make shields.”

“Fine…” Gwen sighed, resigning herself to the old woman’s lesson.

***

The rest of the morning was spent learning more Light magic, which somehow led to her applying it to her understanding of fire and earth. Now all she had to do was practice with the other elements and make her own spells, which would help make her more versatile.

With the lessons done, Gwen hurriedly bathed and changed. She made her way to the Adventurer’s Guild. The old priest had kept her longer than she planned, causing her to be late in meeting up with Chris.

“I wouldn’t even be this late if the crowd wasn’t so packed,” Gwen muttered, pushing past people.

It was only the afternoon, but the streets were packed with people dressed in costumes. Adults and children dated between stalls, laughing. Banners glistened in the sunlight, catching her eye compared to the other decorations hanging up.

All in all, the Day of Conquering Festival was going well.

The walk, which normally took her ten minutes, took her half an hour today. As Gwen got closer to the building, a figure stood at the entrance, scanning the crowd. Spotting her in the distance, the figure smiled and waved.

Upon closer inspection, Gwen realized it was Chris. Out of his armor, she barley reconquized him.

“Huh, I didn’t realize you were so muscular,” she said, closing the distance.

Chris glanced down, flexing slightly. “I guess so… I never really paid attention to it.”

“Well, muscles aside, sorry I’m late. I got held up all morning.”

“No worries, I just got here myself! I wasn’t expecting there to be a crowd this early. I guess this year had a huge turnout.”

“That is true; I wonder what the reason for that is…” Gwen mused.

Chris shrugged. “More people equals more money. More money means more funds for the capital and the people.”

“Very true.” Gwen agreed.

She looked around the crowd one last time before turning towards Chris again. “Let’s head inside the guild and grab Kira. I also wanted to ask Mel if she’d like to join us too.”

“Lead the way, oh glorious leader!” Chris joked, stepping aside.

Gwen stuck her tongue out at him and pushed open the door.

Crash!

As soon as the door swung open, a body flew backwards, knocking over a table and sending the entire glass shattering across the floor.

“You punk!” A tall man yelled. He was so tall that Gwen had to look up just to see his head. He stomped forward, face twisted in a scowl.

Gwen’s eyes lit up in recognition. It was the same guy from before who tried to talk to her a couple of days ago.

The downed man lay sprawled out, his hair fanned out around his head.

Before the tall man could bring his foot down, Gwen slammed her staff into the ground.

Rock Wall, she thought

A slab of stone erupted from the floor, catching the boot mid-stomp.