7

                         VII

Living without regrets.

A powerful thing to feel for anyone - an assuring thing, at the very least. Saridus pointed that out on one of many days Mikota spent lying in bed - back when Ried’s 'Classic Bongo' sessions hadn’t started off yet. To seize every joy one could find, and defend it at any cost.

…is that what I did?

And here he was again. Lying in that bed.

Time for a tried and tested remedy-

His hand pulled over to his chest, closing over the cool metal of the locket. Tracing around its perimeter, his thumb brushed against its pecking lip. Dipping the finger below, he flipped out the lid, tucking it behind.

“Sar-”

“I’M ALIVE! ALIIIIIIVE!!”

Mikota smiled, tears veiling over.

…finally

“I-I’m glad…how long have I been out?”

“Take a guess”

Oh dear…where is this going?

“Uhh…a day?”

“Not even close. Turn around the locket, Mikota”

That bad?

He flipped around the locket, meeting Saridus’s face. He had a soft sneer from his face, retaining the Rimondian Empire’s style of his appearance.

“What do you think of yourself now?”

“...several things…too many things…I have questions though”

“We’ll get to that. First, tell me, Mikota. Who do you think you are?”

…is there really another word for it?

“I don’t know…if I know anything about me…”

Saridus stayed his gaze, tilting his head as he smiled…softly.

“...yes?”

Mikota glanced ahead, shaking his head.

“After yesterday, I…heuh…everything I thought I knew about the world just…that mage…how do I even

But being alone was…

“That person is Lieli Ziekkah…let’s hope after the little bout you proposed - which by the way: WHAT IN GOD’S NAME IS WRONG WITH YOU!? - we’ll hopefully never meet ever again, till the end of time. That’s how an actual mage is, Mik. They’ll come as they please, take what they want, while you just get tossed around. How’d it feel?”

“...I think there was a point where my organs were profusely sweating- eeugh…that, or I was turning into water”

“Sane reaction you have there, at the very least. Fret not. That freak of nature has more mana than the literal Dragon we’re sitting on”

Mikota flinched up, sitting straight.

“...what!?”

“Reconsidering our actions, are we? Good, good!”

“That man? Stronger than a Dragon? How…how strong is a Dragon?”

Saridus knitted his finger, leaning back.

“You know, there’s an ancient saying…if there ever was a god, the Dragons would’ve hunted ‘em down and killed him. Out of spite, obviously. That put things in perspective?”

“...is this ancient saying hat levels of reliability?”

Saridus scoffed, crossing his arms.

“Your cap, my hat - let us leave aside that treacherous girl’s contributions to our worldly knowledge!”

“Saridus…that’s a bit too rude, don’t you think?”

“She’s a bit too…okay fiiiine. I’ll be a gracious divine being and retract the venom of my very justified words”

He does look pretty hurt about it

“...do you want me to bow?”

“While reciting a three line hymn of sweet condolence, yes - you may begin now”

“...hymn’s pushing it”

“Is not! And listen…Mikota”

Saridus looked at him seriously, leaning closer still.

“So…how viable do our adventuring prospects seem now?”

Mikota looked down, sighing.

“...Chanelle’s a mage”

“Yes, the same way humans consider mudbugs an animal. Mudbugs. You get what I’m saying, don’t you?”

“...yes”

“But I think you can make it work. Think of it as a self-fulfilling drive to strengthen our arsenal - to survive and thrive during our grand expeditions - trust me, somehow, you just gave us the best chance we could have…I thought it was over for good - not panicking or anything of course, why would that happen? This world is a wonderful, dangerous place - most of the goddamn thing hasn’t even been mapped! I’ll ignore the fact that humans in general have a terrible sense of direction as a contributing factor”

…yeah…oh my Yelion

“Nothing’s changed, Mikota. If anything, I can’t wait for the other simpleton mortals - Bongo Drums included - to bow down to our circumstantially elevated power!”

“...you’re not afraid?”

“While counting on you? Never. I’ve understood that much after your grand defense of Evaine…and me. Only a deluded fool concludes himself after an act, Mikota. It is your uncertainty - that doubt and freedom of your identity that sing stronger than anything to I, Saridus, that you are neither deluded, nor a fool”

His fists loosened, fingers slowly curling out.

…remedy mostly successful

Sighing deeply, Mikota reached out the chair, grabbing Evaine's clip, clamping it open as he gathered his tresses out in a tuft.

Still...really starting to miss Ried now…probably would’ve just knocked the guy out on sight

He snapped the jaw over the tuft, letting his arms fall back to his lap.

“How’s Ms. Evaine now?”

“Oh, is she every bit the school girl right now! It’s genuinely adorable seeing her like this, I have to say - she’s thoroughly preparing herself for her very first apprentice. First impressions and all - which by the way, I’m telling you now: Make it land, Mik. You gotta let the other guy know you ain’t messing around, okay? Knowing you, you’re probably going to bow my trademark bow - which is very sweet…and is going to get you ripped apart apparently, according to the members under Black Pickle”

“...Black Pith, you mean?”

“What’d I say? Besides, does their mood ever milk a word’s worth out of ‘shriveled’ - trust me, they embody in all states of existence a hideous, shrivelled black pickle - and that rhymes so you know it’s true”

“...moving on…to something else…oh, wait! Saridus, hear-me-out - oh god, I just remember again - I…Saridus…cube thingy…I was thinking about cubes in general…and something…well, I can’t really…I don’t really remember it that well now, but…I was moving…there were…tunnels? I…I don’t know If I’m even remembering it correctly now, but…I just started heating up somewhere and…”

Back in the dome…thinking about cubes…something had come into his mind…what was it? No, it wasn’t something - he was moving - tracing through through the entrails of some place with his awareness…maybe if he tried imagining a cube again-

Absolutely not…not until I learn exactly how I set myself on fire…visualising cubes is temporarily banned

“...well, all your answers and more lie within reach of the scrambling, giggling Ms Evaine who is as we speak preparing herself for a most grand welcome. Oh, and we’re finally going to meet face to face. For real”

“...I’m going to meet you? For real?”

“Yup. For real”

…didn’t that man also mention…

“...hey Saridus…I’m wondering…”

“You do tend to wonder much, Mik”

“...that demon Imona…she had a full body - she could walk and talk and everything…and since…Ziekkah replenished your mana…”

Saridus sighed, leaning back.

“For a demon to have that sort of influence…of that magnitude…you’d need to sacrifice…a lot”

“...I see…at least I’ll see you with Evaine though, right?”

“...you will. Flesh and blood”

Mikota sighed, hanging his legs over the bed.

To jump, or not to jump…

Pitting his palms into the mattress, he vaulted his legs in - calves tightening as he pressed them taut. The bed dented as he crushed his feet into it, steadying his body.

The key to jumping high is treating your legs like a lancerthorn’s branches, Mikky…wait…you don’t know what a Lancerthorn is? Pfff…bud, you really need to get out there. A Lancerthorn has this really weird branch, alright? It squeezes its…stems…spokes? No-no - branches, yes - so it squeezes ‘em real short, tighter and tighter - until it’s gone from my arm all the way to your itty-bitty pinky. And when you come too close….BAM! You’ve been stabbed. Faster than you eat sandwich - I know, crazy, right? That’s what your legs gotta do too. Come on, give it a try!

…I’ve done it before, so many times…so why do I…

Exhaling quickly, He sprang his legs loose, the white walls around hurtling down - the brackets above tearing towards him as he sailed through the air.

Higher than…I’m NOT slowing!?

He clenched his eyes shut as the tarp of ruddy wood hurtled towards him, fingers snapping around his scalp.

…maybe I won-

Planks cracked over his head as he slammed into the ceiling - pain fracturing over his skull as their bodies jammed into his lobe as he barrelled through - splinters spraying all over his flesh as hunks of lumber keeled away in jagged groans - torso crushing in as he groaned, stilling.

“ow-ow-ow-ow-ow….owww….oww…how the hell did I- what the hell was that? Oh-god…it hurts…where am I…?”

He felt around numbly, the pain quickly fraying away as his arms grazed past the splinter-flecked floorboards. Feebly, he peeled back his eyes.

He was facing the dark length of a bed, the floor cutting below his torso…no, half of him wasn’t even…

Second floor.

A thud wormed through the tower, the lumber falling to the floor below.

I jumped…to the second floor…

“...Saridus…do you know what happened? I think…I’m stuck…”

“...your urges are really peaking through the roof now, huh? Pull me up, Mik…I’m still dangling from your cieling…”

…I knew it was a bad feel-

“You said it, Mik - this ceiling’s such a buzzkill! Although I will say - this is a nice angle: full room panorama!"

~

Chanelle still seemed pretty rattled, utterly drenched in that still stupor - something she’d never seen from her until today - she’d been slouching there at the table all this time, about since the domes had cracked open which was around noon from the Sun. Assuming the Sun was still correct, because now even that was…

Fair enough though…I still had Mikota with me

Limani touched her shoulder, patting it gently.

“...how are you, Chan?”

“How do I look?”

Limani sighed, taking a seat next to her, folding her arms over the table. A soft thud emanated from the tower, before the calm of early evening swelled back in.

What’s that about?

A louder thud boomed, shaking through the floor.

She sighed, shaking her head. As long as it wasn’t another ‘demon’ walking up the mountain the size of…the mountain, it wasn’t going to rile her up right now. Which was absurd. She was jumping at cracking twigs just the other day.

…exposure therapy

Yeah. Everything since coming here around two days ago had been absurd. That demon - well, at least that’s what Mikota deduced…she could talk. Weren’t they supposed to be mute, like all the other figments of mana? They fueled artifacts, giving them their power, like Chanelle’s staff. But that demon - she seemed as alive...as that man.

She shuddered, tucking her hat in.

He was another story - another story she needed to bother with, but wouldn’t.

Contracts with a demon in any shape, form or use makes someone a mage - this staff uses a demon that Pops contracted. I had to build a ‘sympathetic link’ with the demon too, though - that’s why I can visualise anything I want, and the staff obeys it…pretty cool, right?

She really liked that staff. It was her father’s gift, from what she could understand while deciphering ‘Pops’...which was a pretty unique word for it, all things considered. Either way, if that being - who apparently controlled shadow itself at will - was a demon, that man was a mage as well. Although he didn’t have any artifact that she could make out.

…That demon was very much outside in the world - physically…Mikota went outside…and I collapsed…at this point, the world’s just innovating ways to knock me out…no, Mikota - this one’s on me…probably

She didn't know what he did, but 10 minutes later, it was over. The shell just evaporated entirely, dissipating into ashen flecks amid the noon gleam…like nothing ever happened. The man and his demon were gone, and so was the dusk that they brought. All she saw was Ms. Evaine gently settling an unconscious Mikota into bed…before stepping through a mirror.

Limani shook her head, scoffing.

This place was simultaneously the calmest things had ever been, until yesterday, which was the most eventful day in…a long while. Maybe since she first came here.

And Celia’s still slept through literally all of that…heh…amazing…we should probably still check on her now though. If I sit any longer…I don’t think I’ll ever…

“H-hey…Chan”

“...what?”

“How about we go check on Celia real quick? She’s upstairs, remember?”

Chanelle finally looked up, stray pink strands softly embered by torch stands - her eyes sluggishly darting around as they finally settled on Limani.

“...Limani…how are you taking all of this crap? Doesn't any of this - I don't know - not sit right with you?”

“...I-Its not the worst thing that's happened to us all-in-all…right?”

Her friend craned her neck above, gazing into the lights.

“...your bad habit’s popping up, Lamie”

I’m just making the best of…

“...you're probably right”

“I am…what were you saying earlier?”

“H-huh? Oh…no - I was just…maybe we can check on Celia now…she's been out for quite a while. Plus, I’d rather like to see if she’s really…”

“...let’s go then. Where is she?”

Chanelle dragged her chair out, pulling herself up as she looked around at the ring of doors around them. Touching her chin, Limani.


“Ms. Evaine said the door three rooms to the right of the window’s where the flight of stairs are…there. She’s on the second floor”

~

She was quiet for a very different reason than usual right now. Because if she opened her mouth for anything other than to respond, she would probably scream. A lot.

Chanelle gritted her teeth, clamping her fingers around the railings as both of them walked up the winding staircase behind one of the doors - Limani leading ahead of her.

Someone’s feeling brave

looking down, she counting the metal staircase as she climbed over its spine.

“...hey…how’s Mikota?”

“He’s still resting, I think…”

Chanelle clicked her tongue.

That boy…he’d done something again. For everyone. And yet again, she had no idea what he gave for it. If their last collective group meetup/weirdest table moment ever had proven anything, Mikota was timid in ways that were slightly confusing, but mostly endearing - keeping himself away from steering everything himself.

…and really hitting that sweet spot too, with all of that…maybe that’s why it’s so easy to tell him stuff…and the fact that he looks more girly than the Guild models

But it was quickly apparent, even from the very first moment. He made decisions quickly. And when he talked, you understood he knew what he wanted. It was the strangest thing, to see someone so genuinely riled up about adventuring for the sake of adventuring, so much so that all the three years she’d spent living out the glorious life of tending to gardens and delivering mail seemed so…irrelevent - like it never even happened. She was ready, more than ever. To start again.

It was the trait of the best ones. Better than them at the very least…and if he finally joined their party… with their training - which she still didn’t understand - wasn’t that Yelion supposed to be fake? How did he have that lying around? What kind of magic did Ms. Evaine possess?

“Chan…can you hear that? I think…”

“...Huh? What’re you…is that…”

She squinted her eyes, slowing down as they climbed over the last step, meeting another door at the end. There was a voice…Mikota’s voice?

“Oh dear…what do I- no, my saber’s below!”

“Welp. Let’s start with dislocating your hips so we have a bit more leeway.”

“What? Okay…so I just-”

“...Mik…what are you doing? You know I was joking, right? Ho-ho! For a moment there, I thought-”

“OWWW-OW-OWW….I am hurt - I am very much hurt!!”

“...WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?”

What is he…is he talking to himself? When did he even get up here?

Chanelle brushed her hand against Lamina’s, gently pulling her behind.

“...Stay here, Lamie. I’m going in”

“Oh, would you look at that? Now she’s onto us…pff…would you look at her…hands trembling as they reach for the door knob….of course, our wonderful Ms. Two-bit hasn’t the foggi…of this completely censored commentary, because that way would be…bizarre”

“...I don’t like how you’re asserting…Saridus…did you…?”

“Shhh…it’s all a dream, Mik…all a sad, woeful dream that will to an end…soon”

Chanelle’s fingers closed on the doorknob.

…what is he doing?

She wrenched the doorknob around, swinging the door open.

“Miko…”

He was waist deep inside the floor. And his hair was…blueish?

And untied…wait, what - no, help him!

“What happened to you? Why’re you…Mikota? Hello?”

His eyes rolled up to her, mouth trailing down.

“Eh? Oh…wait, what? A-ah…hey…hello there”

“Mikota, what the hell happened to you? Was there a hole in the ground or something? No, no wait, I’m coming…how did you fall in?”

“Uhh…you’re not gonna…”

She bent down, hands hovering around his waist.

What…what do I do?

“...okay, Mikota…how are you stuck exactly? Are you holding yourself up?”

“Uh…I think I’m sitting on something as well…bent lumber I think? It’s okay, I’m alrigh-”

“No, you’re not!”

Mikota looked up at her, pink eyes quivering as he screwed them slightly. Chanelle bit her lip.

“...you’re not okay, alright? And I-I’m not going to leave you like this…”

“...right”

So just let me…just once…

“...okay…I think we’ll have to break a bit more of the floor”

“N-no, wait! That’ll be a problem for Ms. Evaine - she can’t fix-”

“Ms. Evaine would care much more about you not dangling the god damn ceiling, Mikota! Listen, I’ll break it with my staff…just tell me where I should hit, so I don’t accidentally…”

Mikota stared at her for a second, then looked down, clutching his locket as he brought his mouth closer to it.

…is he…mumbling to his locket? Did I…scare him?

“...hey - I-I’m not angry or anything, alright?”

Mikota looked up from the medallion, tapped gently the floor board.

“I know…hit here”

…is he really okay?

“Okay…”

She closed her eyes, concentrating on the shape of the new weapon she and him had come up with - it was clear in her mind, as clear as when they first worked it out on paper. A semi-ranged weapon. They’d made it just for something like this…together.

Idiot! Focus!

Slowly, the shape of it poured over dark - the hilt doming over her fist as she clutched its handle…the thin pole of its blade shooting from the hilt - except it coiled over itself in a tight bronze helix in a width sparser than her finger, ending in the length of her arm as a spoke jutted out at the end of the looping braid.

She smiled, clutching her staff as she let the light of the world fall into her gaze.

“Tiron N’modea”

The staff shuddered, bronze sinews quickly thrashing and unwrapping as they clicked, whirred and tightened into her visualisation, finally settling into the weapon she’d called forth.

Her very own completely original weapon. The Helical Rapier.

“I’m aiming, Mikota…ready when you are”

Mikota gulped, blinking rapidly as he pointed quickly, before snatching back his hand.

…heartshot

“Fire!”

Her weapon’s coil sprang open, gutting into the floor boards. A loud crack shuddered through the ground - Mikota suddenly falling deeper as the planks fractured all around him.

“I-It’s - the foundation’s gone! It’s all going to-”

“Hold me!”

Chanelle grabbed his arm, spreading her legs wide as she readied herself to heave him out.

“Coil!”

Her weapon retracted back, the planks peeling out as the floor gave away - Chanelle wrenching him out before the whole back section splintered away, falling down in clattering thuds as the jagged gape in the floor slowly broke wider.

…that was close…doesn’t look like it’ll spread till here…okay, okay…

“...thank you so much, Chanelle”

His voice…it was rippling in her chest.

…wait what-

Her chest. She’d squeezed him against herself.

“Y-you’re wrong! I-It’s not…”

She pulled his head away, quickly stumbling back to the wall.

What is wrong with- I pushed him too hard!

“Are you…”

The boy brushed off the wooden splinters from his clothes as he stood up, smiling as he turned to her.

“Can I help you up?”

“I-I’m…”

He was looking at her with that…face of his. Eyes curious, careful, mouth hanging in a little gape - he never seemed to know how much to open his mouth while smiling…so utterly artless, so undeniably…

Sweet…you’re the sweetest boy ever, Mikota…how did I ever find you? Your hair looks even better…wait - why is it blue-er now? Did he…dye it like me?

Mikota knelt before her, offering his hand.

“I know it wasn’t easy pulling me out…oh, hey Limani! Why are you outside?”

“D-don’t mind If I do…”

She didn’t even-

“Limani, get in here!”

“Y-yes - I’m in the room…n-now. I’m now in the room…”

Chanelle reached out to his hand, fingers hovering over his.

Why…is it so-

“M-Mikota?”

His hand pit against hers. Mikota screwed his eyes slightly, delicate dusk-light strands swaying back as he gently helped her up.

“...I’m glad you all seem to be fine…I assumed that man would leave you two free after he went…but, either way, I should’ve checked for sure. By the way…why are you guys here?”

Why were you talking to yourself?

“W-well, I came up here with Chan…I thought we could check a bit on Celia, you know…since things have died down a bit…where is she?”

Mikota looked around uncertainly, before pointing to a parted white curtain.

“If this is the second floor, she’d probably be somewhere behind. Ms. Evaine’s sick bay”

“Wait, Mikota - how are you here? Weren’t you sleeping?”

The boy shook his head, looking up

“I was…I woke up a little earlier. And against my very much better judgement regarding an appropriate exit from my bed, amongst the sundry of perfectly valid options…”

He looked back at Chanelle, pouting sadly.

“...I jumped”

…he’s joking, right?

~

She had short, brown hair - a little lighter. Her skin had richer tones than the three of them, faint hues of bark mixed in her flesh - listless, puffing - embered gently in the candle light.

And to think…it all started with you, Celia.

He didn’t let her die.

There’s a world…where she isn’t in front of me…and there’s a world where I never had the chance to go and see the wonders of the world if I never got out of that shell…if that man took Ms. Evaine away…all these girls…they saved me too, didn’t they?

It was a strange feeling, to have such a blank mind. What kind of mind did he have, when he proposed his offer to Ziekkah?

Am I right now…even the same person - when I say all of those things, do all of my acts? It doesn’t make sense, but…

He shook his head lightly.

It doesn’t make sense…something to suppress, something to follow, what is my instinct?

“Mikota? What’s wrong?”

“C-Chan, just give him a little…”

Well, at least she’s bowel-full right now…I really hope our ‘happy accident’ slipped under their noses - if Chanelle finds out…we’re so screwed

“Guys…I just want to say - well, I actually have to ask Celia first as well, but…I’m really glad you’re letting me join your party”

“Mikota - come on. You know we’d lov-ahem…appreciate you onboard with us…if anything, we’d only go higher with one more person behind our ba-Mikota-what-are-you-doing?”

Mikota looked back up at Chanelle, mid-peeling Celia’s shirt off.

“Y-yes? I was just checking if she’s completely healed - back in the forest it was pretty dark, so I couldn’t really tell back there”

“...Y-yeah…why else would you do that- o-obviously…anyway…”

Limani smiled faintly, putting an arm over Chanelle’s shoulder as she looked at him.

“Anyway…what we’re saying is that there’s nothing you should feel obligated for, Mikota…because I am…”

Chanelle arched an eyebrow, flashing her a side eye.

“...very grateful”

Limani finished, returning the side eye.

And now…

“There’s…kind of a change of plans, Limani, Chanelle…so I hope you’ll understand”

He rolled down Celia’s shirt, tucking it back in. Completely healed.

“W-what is it?”

“What’s up?”

“...I’m going to be Ms. Evaine’s apprentice”

Chanelle looked at him, mouth gaping a little…was that elation? Her eyes…they weren’t unkind, nor weary - closer to Ried’s after he ‘bongoed his drums real bad’. Okay, maybe not that bad.

“You? As her apprentice? Oh…that’s both of us as mages in our party then…that’s great!”

They don’t need to know about the duel…not yet…not right-

If he delayed it any further…would what happened with Ms. Evaine kick off all over again? But that was a one time scenario - how could that sort of problem ever happen again? It wouldn’t…it couldn’t…

…If they learn everything…but if they don’t-

“...you don’t look too…happy about getting to be one though…what’s wrong? Ms. Evaine seems pretty nice”

“....I’m not uncertain of that at all…it’s just…”

….what do I say?

“Chan…let’s just simmer it down for a bit, okay? Mikota will tell us when he’s ready…”

“...alright, I guess - if there’s anything you’re concerned about - you know about mages…because I can assure you…they’re not all evil”

…Evil

“...they use demons, though, don’t they? Every single one of them”

“Mikota, that’s part of being a mage…humans don’t have mana…they just don’t…I know they can be a bit much to deal with at first-”

“Demons…how many of them…talk?”

“...well, mine can’t. They’re not supposed to be able to talk…in levels of intelligence, they’d probably be like a five year old in terms of understanding - they can understand simple things - like my staff, for example. It houses the demon Tiron N’modea, who my Pops contracted - this is technically just an artifact that’s holding a bit of its power…”

“So it doesn’t store the actual demon…but a fragment of its power? What exactly does that mean?”

“Well…uh…I never really…”

Chanelle shifted her feet, gaze falling to the ground.

You don’t know…you only wield the artifact…but what then what’s ‘having aptitude’ for magic? A demon’s Domain is their power…how do mages control that at will? If it’s not having mana in you…but didn’t Ziekkah have mana? Nothing’s making any…

Mikota sighed, burying his head.

I…don’t know enough…and I’m off track…but either way, at the very least, I know more questions

His hands slipped away from his face. Then blinking out the haze, he faced Chanelle again.

“Chanelle…thank you for confiding in me… I’m not opposed to being a mage…I suppose…I was afraid I would have to give up one for the other - mage and adventurer, especially after yesterday…but I still met you”

Mikota smiled, watching as her eyes peeked up again.

“...so, I hope I can follow in your footsteps…I just wanted to say, our training schedule will be a bit different now. I’ll have to ask Ms. Evaine when she’d like to hold our classes, but the way I see it - during when I train under her, you guys might have to find something else to do - I-I’m sure there’s plenty of things I don’t know about adventuring, so maybe that’ll fit in somewhere there?”

“...okay…okay”

“O-of course, Mikota…there’s plenty of things to do…”

…there’s plenty of things to do, right?

“I-If you don’t mind…I can help brainstorm…or something?”

Limani glanced at Chanelle, slowly wrapping an arm around her

“...I think we’d both appreciate that, Mikota”

…No…I’m still…

“And…there was something I had to do, to get that man away from here…and I will tell you…but, right now, I still…there’s a lot I need to understand”

“...Mikota…a ‘team of leaders’...you know what that means, right?”

“...I do. I will tell you, Chanelle, Limani - I just don’t want to give you any skewed assumption before I know for certain…”

“...okay”

Let me be earnest, Saridus. Earnest, if nothing else

Staying his gaze on Celia, he watched her chest surge and give away liquidly, then slowly trailed it out to the black-licked oculus spanning all across the right wall.

The olive slopes keeled away from the tower as he traced his gaze beyond - milky vapour roiled over the peak: fumes lacing along sluggishly as stray curls flecking from its spraying churn flushed, weaving down the pleats of the peak.

…Mist’s on fire…sunset

And at furthest, tar-dark figments of bark mullioned over the sky light, hastening away in wavering, skeletal bands - the forest that lunged to the heavens ebbing away in a bleaching shroud.

Mikota placed his palm against the pane, the glass wetting coolly into his flesh - early dusk on the mountain veiling darker still, leaner and leaner its gleam as the seconds pooled away, through the gape of glass.

Ms. Evaine…from now on…

Right then, he’d said it. In front of the man. In front of Saridus. And in front of the mage he’d woken up to in his bed, and taken into the tower.

He was her apprentice now…so couldn’t he-

No, no…I can’t yet ask her yet…only when she-

Two knocks.

Mikota tensed, spinning around.

Chanelle glanced at Limani, slowly trailing her gaze back to the knob.

“...m-might be Ms. Evaine, I think?”

“Gotta be…she’s probably here for you, Mikota”

She’s here already?

~

“Again…good evening, Mikota”

“Good evening, Ms. Evaine”

Ms. Evaine wheeled her chair against the window, sliding behind the table as she muttered mutely.

Wasn’t her preparation going to take a little longer…will we start now?

Mikota stood still, hand clamped behind as he stayed his gaze below.

“Oh, please - have a seat…sorry about that”

Mikota smiled faintly, sliding out a chair and sitting down. Her voice really was quite soothing - he was always torn between falling asleep, or straining harder to hear more of it.

She smiled back warmly, nodding her head.

“You’ve been asleep for…around 4 hours, Mikota - how do you feel?”

“Mostly…energetic, actually. Like waking up in the morning - I feel I could start saber training right now…oh, uh - yeah about that…I was able to jump through my roof somehow”

Ms. Evaine arced an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling brighter.

“...interesting. Till the roof you say? That’s 8 feet above the window - which from the ground is another 4…are you sure?”

“Definitely. I got stuck in the floor actually - Chanelle had to help me up, so…hehe…”

The mage chuckled softly.

“...well, I’m very glad to hear that after what you managed to do today, you’re invigorated. That’s very admirable, Mikota. And yes, don’t worry - I know you have many questions for me, and although I’d like nothing more than to go through all of them, I do want to be on track…for our classes - I mean”

She glanced away, shaking her head blinking quickly.

“...Ms. Evaine?”

“Yes?”

Should I just…

“Can…you tell me about that man?”

Her eyes locked into his, lips slackening.

“...I-I’m sorry…I-I…”

Ms. Evaine leaned closer, gently placing her palm against his cheek. Plush…warm…it sank over his jaw, her touch slackening his maw.

“Don’t you ever be…you have every single right to know who that was…that’s the least I can give you today”

“...o-okay…thank you”

Her hand slipped away, braiding with her left as she tucked them behind the table.

“That man is…was my master. His name is Lieli Ziekkah…and his moniker, the God Mage, is exactly what it implies”

“...because he has mana?”

Evaine squinted at him, leaning closer

“...you could tell?”

“No, Saridus told me this morning - that he had more mana than a Dragon…which I still really don’t get - what exactly does that mean?”

Evaine closed her eyes, tilting her head.

“...well, well…Saridus not mocking someone to death in every breath…the world truly is full of possibility - I’ve known him almost since the beginning…from when I first came to my Master’s tower, finding him in Liebraugh’s Looking Glass…”

She opened her eyes, eyeing his locket.

“Apparently, he was volatile enough that his previous contractors had to enact an Essence Bind, making him purely reactive in a conversation - they couldn’t stand him initiating contracts - but either way, even without an Essence Bind…I know he likes children…maybe even me, though that’s…probably unlikely, given how we…”

“...you don’t trust him?”

“...you talk to him often, don’t you? I’m sure he can…fill you in - as he is, he can do nothing to you nor me…but I still can’t…”

Ms. Evaine palmed her brow, sighing as she smoothened out her grey robes.

…what happened to her?

“...anyway, my life as mage has been with Saridus for a very long time - he’s been under my contract since I was 14…but my master’s place…”

Her eyes flicked back into his.

“...his tower is the most obscene, oppressive…horrible place to live and learn anything…everything I hated about the way of magic he taught me was crammed in one place. In Hierdelauc tower, you’ll be stuffed with a hundred other apprentices in a small barred off cell…constantly drenched in the reek of blood both human and animal…vomit from the sick that continue to toil away in their work…urine from people so utterly estranged from their own bodies - continuing to soak in their own accreting wastes as they search for answers - their ‘magic’...for the average apprentice under him is supposed to stay at least for a decade. All my master ensures is that you will never die, no matter what happens to you”

Sniffing, she leaned back her head.

“I ran away after 6 years…I couldn’t take it any longer. Saridus came with me - he was willing to take any chance to get away from there…even if that meant trusting someone like me…but Ziekkah found us again. In just three days…”

“I-I…don’t understand…I…talked to him and…he listened to me…how could he let his own apprentices live like that?”

“...he’s as brilliant as he is delusional, something you find that’s rather common that type person…although his is on another level entirely…he can ignore every bit of the world and and what it does to him in the search for answers…and so expects the same from those who follow him…but if you’re to believe Saridus, his standards are beaming compared to what he’s seen in his 1000 years of being awake…humans and magic are so fundamentally estranged, that the lengths one has to go to find it…use it…I wanted to change that, more than anything. He taught me what I needed to start, but I knew what I wanted I would have to find on my lonesome…on a place like this mountain. And so when he came again, I persuaded him to give me 5 more years…and he did, in a place like this, just as I wanted”

“...did he know about the Dragon?”

“Maybe…I know I didn’t - not until three years back, when I first journeyed down the basement out of curiosity, and found a hatch leading further down. As I quickly found out after reading through the studies shacked in the basement library, this tower belonged to a mage serving the Empire - and as far as I can remember, they used the power of Divine Beasts in the Great War…this tower’s mage was likely a researcher for the Dragon specifically - although it’s fairly obvious he didn’t care much for the Dragon’s magic itself as far as I could understand…under that hatch, I found a sort of…drill, that buried deep into the earth, and into what I can safely assume…the Dragon itself”

“...and it's been extracting its blood…ever since his time…”

“Indeed…ever since then…having accreted no more than two vials the length of your arm, and the width of your saber…I’ve gave up half the first one for Ried, and vial’s worth for you”

“...so is that why…I was able to…Ms. Evaine I-I…something happen- I was able to…use fire?”

Evaine looked back down, her lips drinking back a gentle smile.

“...yes, Mikota…somehow…someway…you used a Dragon’s magic…I have my theories, but…”

She leaned closer, grin widening.

“Magic molds the world…is not anything but travesty, watering it away with mere words?”

“...but the duel…w-what should I…”

“Shh…”

Leaning her arms towards his head, her fingers cloaked over his head, slowly pulling him closer. Until his head sank to her chest. Plush. Warm. He clenched his eyes shut.

“...You’ve come so far from when we first met, Mikota…trusting someone you know nothing about…when you’ve had nothing but terrible things happen to you for it…I know how difficult it is - how much hurts when you don’t know if someone would lay down their heart as you would yours…but you did…you gave me a chance to show you magic - let defend the dreams I thought so utterly forsaken when my master walked in today. I…want you to know that…you’re such a beautiful boy, Mikota…I want you to know…that you are cherished…loved…that I will never forget what you’ve done for me…nor the courage you showed today…for every one of us here”

Her hands stroked his head, slowly herding back his tresses.

“Your faith, Mikota…spread it wider…wider than you ever have before. The rules of the duel never said anything about winning - he wants to see the power I’ve studied - the power that’s beat every second in your body. Both of us have questions, so many things we want to know…so one at a time…we’ll find every answer there is in this world - answers that will show Ziekkah that he has nothing, my child…nothing, against the wrath of a Dragon in the dancing star…of you”