From the Skies of the Kingdom

The aroma of fresh tea fills the room. After a long day of work and studies, its scent is just what’s needed to bring a restful atmosphere to finish up the day. All around the office stand tall windows which give an open view to the city beneath from the heights of the tower.

The workspace is open and clean with bookshelves lining its walls and tables filled with equipment. The sheer amount of uncommon apparatus and greenery growing inside are an eclectic sense of taste revealing just how multifaceted its occupant is.

While the waning moon peers to the earth from behind the gathering storm clouds, its silver light streams across the rooftops and into the streets. That peaceful glow reaches into the room and accompanies its sole occupant left remaining.

The lunar rays brought focus to the white enveloping the figure of the woman who stands before the window and watches the city. Her lab coat is long and spotless as it carries its way down to the back of her legs. The tunic she wears is refined and fashionable with how it threads from its sides and leaves a space open at the sides of her legs. Yet it’s given an avant-garde appearance by the sight of chain mail peeking out from the end of the skirt’s hem. And just beneath are black stockings covering her legs and leading to her combat boots. Yet the most remarkably strange addition to her mixed styles of garment is her sword held to her side by the belt draping across her hips.

The moonlight catches upon her fair skin like glimmering silver. Her eyes ripple with as the surface of a pure lake would beneath the bejeweled night sky. How gentle and caring they are, no person could mistake her spirit while peering into them. The stray light of the candles brings a warmth to the golden brilliance of her hair as it falls to her center back, straight and smoothly as silk.

It wouldn’t be entirely uncommon that one would remark in awe that they had met an angel the day they’d first seen her. And how many would be quick to say her heart and soul are filled with a mystical divinity. That her hands hold miraculous strength that have brought many fallen knights and citizens back to health. Though she lives high in a tower at the edge of the city, by all accounts she is never far from anyone. Never lofty but always watching out for all, her tower is akin to a watchtower.

She slowly sips tea before letting it set to the saucer in her hands. Whether it’s in the morning hours or moments before she would lay to sleep, taking a moment to enjoy a warm cup of tea was long an irreplaceable ritual for her. Since her youth she’d never once missed a single day’s tea.

Her attention is taken by the sound of knocking at her door. Placing her cup and saucer down onto the desk at her hip, she makes way to the door and opens it to meet the one she had been waiting for. A bespectacled, woman with icy blue hair.

“I apologize if it was a moment longer than I’d intended.” Urania greets her with a small bow.

“Welcome. Of course it’s of no issue at all. Please come in right away and I’ll fetch you a cup of tea.”

So starts Urania’s meeting with the enigmatic healer who had even earned for herself the king’s own respect and honor. Hyla the curate.

✩ ✩ ✩

The two sit before a desk with various files organized on its surface. Charts, data, diagrams, if you’d name it, it would likely be included in the number. By this time it had begun to rain heavily and the sounds of the downpour hums through the room. Its noise adds to the relaxing aura of the candlelit glow.

Urania takes a sip of her tea and warms up her throat before continuing from where she’d taken pause in their ongoing conversation.

“This signature has been showing promise as of late. Out of each and every test that we’ve administered, it could be the one that we’ve been theorizing. But that would still mean that we have quite a ways to go and this is only the first piece to the puzzle.”

“Still, this is remarkable. But I would suppose that there’s every chance that it could end up being a false alarm when the next round of testing begins.”

“It may be unscientific, but I would hope that its being the answer is the case. After all that we’ve worked to build after all of these years. Even when we were in academy. The sheer amount of applications of this base could redefine an entire field of magical studies.”

“It’s never a fault to have hopes and dreams. Even if our research has advanced since then, you still have a few struggles left over from time as students.” An expression of nostalgia mists in Hyla’s eyes. “But I’d imagine you’re even more focused on every bit of this now that the Celestial Knight has been chosen. It’d be wonderful if we could manage to get a working prototype before his era is finished.”

“It has admittedly been a factor in my redoubling efforts that I’ve taken concern with the Celestial Knight’s health. Should we be able to at last configure even the most basic version of this spell archetype, then it could only be a net positive for his duties.”

“It is true that a spell used to mend oneself would be immediately applicable even if its range was mostly shallow. But there is the outstanding issue of his own affinity.”

Urania takes a pause for thought, struck by her friends words of wisdom. Hyla herself enjoys another sip of her drink while glancing through the pages and documents.

“Since you’ve been honored to be his own personal physician, you’ve undoubtedly seen his medical records. I would only know the baseline from the file I was given before our first meeting. He would happen to be fire dominant.”

“Not only fire dominant, but recessive as well for his primary affinity.”

“Is that right? That’s quite rare.” Though it’s barely noticeable, Urania is deeply taken aback.

“Given his elemental affinity, making a mending spell that he could reliably use would be even more of an issue we’d need to circumvent. Fire being offensive based takes more research into retooling its energy into mending. If he had even a recessive trait of water then he could easily accept the earliest form we could sequence. But as it stands, he’d be quite removed from being able to use even the most simplistic form of self mending magic should it theoretically be discovered.”

“Then it would be for the best we could do for the time being would be to focus on the greater scope of the kingdom. Which I had more or less shirked from keeping in mind.”

“No matter what, you’re so very focused on what matters most ot you. If I didn’t know better, I’d imagine you’ve taken quite a shining to the Celestial Knight.”

“A shining? It could perhaps be stated so simply. I can’t deny that I’m curious to study his unique properties as the Celestial Knight. Since I was a young woman I’ve long been confused as to why our kingdom has seemingly fleeting records on the subject.”

While a small rest comes, Hyla’s azure eyes light up with intrigue. She locks gazes with her friend and speaks to her with excitement in her tone.

“Have you been notified yet? The Celestial Knight is to have an assistant forthcoming. They’re still being trained at this moment but they’ll be the first ever knight given official clearance in joining the Celestial Knight into a Class A Dark Seeds.”

“I had gratefully been given privilege to hear that bit of news.” She pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose and a sheen of candlelight reflects off their surface. “I’d also heard that you’ll be the one to act as their primary physician. I will regrettably only be able to tutor them on certain occasions. Though I would enjoy to study them myself had I the opportunity. I’ve heard that they’re a unique individual unlike anyone else in this kingdom so there must be something I can discover if I were given the right to include them into my studies.”

Urania’s cut and dry practical interest tickles Hyla to laughter. She cocks her head at her outburst and waits for her fit to pass so she can hear just what it is that’s so humorous.

“So you have heard. Then I suppose it’s likely to no effect if I would remain in secrecy over her. It always bothers me to keep anything hidden from you, but sometimes we’re called to do just that. Though as expected the first thought running through your head is research. It’s true that they are a very special person so that’s understandable. I’ve even been excited as to what I could learn from studying their case. By the day I’d met them I’d learned that their magical density is 5 times greater than the average person. Imagine what that could do for the kingdom if we’d somehow found a method to unlock that potential in everyone.”

“So high? Then there’s no doubt that they’ll make for the most fantastic partner for his exploration. Their magic should more than suffice. But what about their mending abilities?”

“That is where a small issue may lie. They’re dominant in fire and recessive with wind. They won’t be able to use greater mending spells without more of an effort, but they are sure to be a great assistance with boons. Their fire elemental will allow them to serve as a very capable fighter to take some of the weight off of his shoulders.”

“I’ve been told that there are even more of these knights to come, but I’m not entirely sure what that means.” Urania’s interest can’t be withheld from her words as she thinks over the future. “I’m curious as to why this Celestial Knight is such a unique case. Never before have I ever researched this phenomena and yet it seems that his majesty had already understood this would come to be. What a mysterious man our king often is. I hope that I’ll be given more time to study the Celestial Knight so I can uncover the answers to all the questions I’ve found myself with.”

“His majesty is a most interesting character. I suppose he’s taught many to hold faith in him by keeping his knowledge as an enigma to all. When this Celestial’s fellows arrive, we’ll be able to understand even more about their unique case. This may be a new era dawning for this kingdom.”

While the rain continues to fall, interspersed with brief claps of thunder, a single noise rises in the room. A whining alarm melded together with the sounds of rough vibration from the counter of Hyla’s workstation. She stands at attention immediately. All of her training had well conditioned her to know just what that alarm would mean.

A critical emergency.

She hurries over to her KNITE and plucks it from her resting place. Pressing it up against her ear without so much as checking the screen, a voice comes over the line.

“Lady Hyla, this is Barnard. I have bad news to bear and request your immediate assistance. A coach has been sent and it should be arriving at your location as quickly as possible. It will take you to the kingdom’s training facility’s hospital where your patient will be admitted.”

“Yes, sir Barnard, I’ll be on my way immediately.”

“Thank you, young miss. The Celestial Knight’s life is in danger and you may be the only one who can save him. We’re all counting on you.”

All of her senses spark high as lightning flashes outside of her window. The blinding shine illuminates the shock on her face as her eyes are left wide with fearful emotion. Her heart begins to race as if it had been struck with a stray bolt from the heavens. She takes a deep breath and forces herself to recover her serenity.

“I’ll do everything in my power, sir. I’ll be fast on the way.”

Barnard cuts the line and she roughly pockets her KNITE Her heels begin to click with more haste than she’d ever let flow through them. As she makes way to the door, she speaks an apology to Urania.

“I’m sorry, I have to be going immediately. The Celestial Knight’s has been just been admitted and it’s my calling.”

“Khiron?”

So happens a rare moment in both of their lives. Though the two had known each other since their years as teenagers, Hyla had only seldom seen Urania so struck. Her eyes stare into hers with nothing but surprise reflected in them. She quickly raises from her seat and strides towards Hyla.

“I’m going with you. They may not have called me, but I can serve as whatever backup you need.”

“Please do. Let’s be off.”

Urania focuses her mind and snaps her fingers. A few gusts of wind wave by the flames of the candlesticks and smother them into wisps of smoke. Soon all that is left of the room is the silver shine of the watchful moon peering out from behind the retreating rain clouds.

Both Hyla and Urania are deathly silent and contemplative while they’re driven at top speed towards the Celestial Knight. There is only one thing on Hyla’s mind as she firms her eyes to match her own iron clad resolve.

“It’s finally time that I’ll fulfill my promise, Solus.”