Chapter 75 — Lestina’s Advice

Feeling mentally exhausted as she settled into the carriage seat for the ride back to Keira’s estate, Ria let the fake aura fade and drew in the remaining energy. As the mantle of pride left her, panic at what she had done replaced it, and she hurriedly returned Hemse’s amulet to its usual place, the metal cool and comforting against her chest.

She took a huge risk! Not just telling Atresia earlier, but actually taking off Hemse’s medallion in front of so many people! Had the stress of so many secrets turned her brain to mush?!

What if one of Lady Asara’s servants was a spy for another House?! Or talked about what they saw to a priest of one of the faiths Ellnys’ high priestess warned her about?!

Ria almost had to use Lu Xi’s Tranquil Pool of Gently Rippling Calm to return her breathing to normal but, for the moment, cycling her energy was enough to keep complete panic at bay.

Sir Mage Korzen, the knight in charge of her security, sent a questioning glance, and Ria had to motion to him that she was fine. Even Ranger had his head up and swiveling around to find the threat until she assured him that the danger wasn’t immediate—probably.

Her moment of crisis diffused into a self-inflicted unease about future doom as her ride home progressed, unimpeded by her distressed state of mind. She would have liked nothing better than to have the rest of the day to herself before she did anything else that might result in regrets, minor or unfathomably terrible, but instead took out Lestina’s stone and contacted the girl.

“Ready for me to come visit?” was the eager and friendly voice that came from the stone.

“...yes.” The response was a lie, of course. “I’ve finished my visit with Lady Asara, and I’m headed to the Vorshan Estate now.”

“Sounds like your visit was… difficult?” Lestina probed.

‘Difficult’ was an odd choice of word, a choice with many potential meanings. With Sir Mage Korzen nearby on his horse and the driver close enough to hear, Ria didn’t want any misconceptions to occur. “I wouldn’t describe the afternoon that way. I’m grateful for the invaluable help Lady Asara has provided me.”

“Of course, of course,” the girl’s voice replied with a light chuckle. “You’re really lucky to have such connections. Most of us have to make do with the support provided by our Orders.”

“I had suspected it would be the same for me,” Ria admitted. “This past week has been one surprise after another.”

“You know, Ria, you can confide your troubles to me,” Lestina offered. “I’m not just your assigned tutor, Soulkeeper Renard wants me to be a mentor for you. Did you know that spirit magic is often affected by one’s state of mind? The most common cause of failure and setbacks for first-year spirit mages is difficulty adjusting to the stress of the academy environment.”

Was it really to such an extent? Had she been underestimating spirit magic by expecting it to work just by properly forming the spell constructs or accurately performing the techniques? If it was more like divination magic where intent seemed to influence the results… That was probably the reason for the focus on meditation exercises. “I had no idea...”

“Most don’t—unless their academy preparation was by a Soulkeeper or by someone trained by the Soulkeepers,” Lestina admitted. “And, as far as trusting me with your secrets goes, even if I have to report back to Soulkeeper Renard, politics among the families doesn’t particularly interest him, so you don’t have to worry about him taking advantage of such things or passing them along.”

Though the thought of her secrets being in the hands of Soulkeeper Renard was chilling, Ria suspected that Lestina’s assessment of the man’s interests was true enough—if his rage-inducing indifference to the plight of the peasantry in Revant had been any indication. That ‘politics wasn’t his field of study.’ She ground her teeth just remembering it.

“...Ah, but I’d like to avoid the kind of secrets which make people disappear or show up dead, if you could,” Lestina added with a nervous laugh.

Little late for that, Ria thought, snorting a rueful laugh of her own, and teased, “There might not be much we can talk about then…”

“...You’re just saying that to be cheeky, aren’t you?”

“Maybe,” Ria admitted. It was mostly true, though—at least for matters related to spirit magic and the causes of her stress.

Ria could almost envision the eyeroll as Lestina’s voice returned, “Well, I’ll be counting on your discretion then. I’m almost to the southeast gate. We can talk more when I arrive at your sponsor’s estate.”

“Okay. See you soon.” Ria withdrew the energy from the stone, breaking the connection. Fortunately, the carriage was already turning through the gates of the Vorshan Estate, so she would have a few moments with Ana before Lestina arrived.

It was a different page that helped Ria down from the carriage, and once down, Ria gave the knight in charge of her escort a curtsy. “Thank you for seeing me safely to Lord Jevaran’s estate and back home, Sir Mage Korzen.”

To the guards’ amusement, Ranger woofed his appreciation with a formal-seeming nod as well.

The knight bowed slightly from his saddle. “Stay safe, Ria of Shadewood. The lord and lady have high hopes for your future.”

With that, he gave orders, and the five horse-riding guards and the carriage left, leaving Ria standing in front of the manor with the butler and his eldest daughter waiting to receive her.

“Ethan, I’m expecting a guest shortly, if that would be okay?” Ria asked. She had already received Keira’s permission earlier, but advising Ethan was only polite.

There was a slight eyebrow raise, but Ana’s father simply asked, “Is there a specific room you would like to receive this guest?”

“The garden-viewing room would be best,” Ria decided and, after giving a noncommittal answer to whether Lestina would be joining for dinner, got Ana to help her freshen up a bit before meeting with her new tutor.

“It’s a very nice elemental garden,” Lestina was saying when Ria walked into the garden-viewing room with Ana following behind.

“Ethan does most of the tending with the help of our gardener,” Keira replied. “Though Ria has been making some additions of late.”

Keira was still wearing her academy robe, likely having just returned, but tea and sweets were already served, and Miela was standing nearby, kettle and extra snacks ready on the cart beside her, should refills be needed.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Lestina,” Ria spoke up as she approached the seating area where Keira was entertaining the Soulkeeper girl.

“It’s nothing to worry over.” Lestina cheerily waved away the matter. “Young Lady Keira was keeping me company. The mentioned garden renovations are the changes for your soul-strengthening meditation?”

“They are,” Ria confirmed, giving Keira an appreciative smile and a nod of thanks before turning back to her third-year tutor. “I’ve only just started on the changes, so there’s not much to see just yet. I’m thankful to Keira for letting me make use of the garden. Shall we head outside?”

“While you two are enjoying the garden, I’ll go freshen up,” Keira declined and motioned for Ria and Lestina to go on.

Lestina returned her teacup to the table before standing. “Thank you for the hospitality and refreshments, Young Lady Keira.”

“It is my pleasure. You’ve saved me from the extra studies enforced by my personal maid,” Keira joked with a light laugh met by hooded eyes from Miela.

Ana was quick to open the outer door for Ria and Lestina to head out into the garden.

Seeing Keira in good spirits, Ria wondered if Aldri had helped her with her punishment again.

Ria told Ana she could return to her duties before leading Lestina along a round-about path through the garden toward the bridge and the small water-attuned pond.

“This really is quite nice,” Lestina evaluated. “Excepting the Greater Houses, I doubt many nobles in the capital city have such energy-rich and well-balanced elemental gardens.”

Ria stopped on the bridge and motioned to the surroundings. “This is where I use Lu Xi’s Tranquil Pool of Gently Rippling Calm.”

“Oh?” Lestina went quiet and closed her eyes, listening to the faint sounds of the water. “Yes, I can understand how this would be a good place for practicing that technique. I’m interested in watching you practice it, to get a gauge of your current skill.”

Noticing Ria’s reluctance, Lestina asked, “Is there a reason you’d prefer not to?”

Ria nodded. “It worsens my attunements, fire in particular.”

The response drew a double eyebrow raise from the Soulkeeper girl. “I’ve never heard of that happening… If you’re having an issue like that, it’s even more important for me to see how you’re making use of the technique.”

This time it was Ria’s turn to raise her eyebrows. If Lestina could help her better avoid the technique’s side effects, that would certainly be worth some temporary setbacks.

Encouraged, Ria sat in the unified meditation pose and began working the magic to calm her mind, creating the ripples that would bring tranquility. As usual when she performed the technique, her aggression and burning worries cooled, bringing about a temporary harmony and allowing her to view the troubles she faced unblinded by the passions they normally stirred.

“Oh. That’s… fascinating,” Lestina evaluated, sounding conflicted. “It may be inspired even. But that’s not Lu Xi’s technique.”

Ria stopped what she was doing and looked up in surprise. Huh?

“Did you know that when you master the technique, you can project the calming aura out to others?” the girl asked and sat opposite Ria.

Ria shook her head. There was nothing in the manual about that.

Lestina mirrored Ria’s unified meditation pose, eyes closed and hair swaying slightly in the late afternoon breeze. The quality of the girl’s breathing changed, and spirit magic welled up from within to fill the girl before flowing out to exist throughout the space surrounding the two of them.

As Ria watched, Lestina’s face further relaxed, and a subtle calm like the surface of a tranquil pool settled around Ria and filled her mind, gently immersing the knots of turmoil and stress that had built up over the past months. Even deep-seated insecurities that she had carried for years sat like stones in the pool of water touching her thoughts, reflecting subtle ripples out from their surfaces.

Ah-! It wasn’t the ripples that brought the calm! The ripples were the disharmonious emotions seeping away into the surrounding calm! With each ripple drawn away, the underlying tangles eased to be gradually unwound and understood with objective clarity.

She wanted to groan. Her understanding of the technique had been mistaken! Rather than let the waters simply exist and work their purpose, she had forcefully used them to wash away the discord in her mind. No, water not waters. The pool was a unified whole into which her concerns and irritations could soak away like tensions relaxed by a calming bath at the end of a strenuous day.

The result was a much more introspective and intellectual technique than expected.

Ria floated in the pooling water of Lestina’s technique, reflecting on troubles until a sound of wooden swords clacking drew her attention to the sparring area around the side of the manor. A glance that way revealed Jarrel facing off against Harvin and Rallensi.

Seeing Jarrel’s tireless and continual efforts to improve even during their journey had helped her restoke her flames of determination and press on when her resolve wavered in the face of stalled progress and her overwhelming negative thoughts, and it was the same now.

When Ria returned her gaze back to Lestina, the girl was smiling gently at her. “Looks like you noticed something helpful?”

“I did,” Ria confirmed. “My approach was much too aggressive, using the technique as a weapon against myself.”

Satisfied by the insight, Lestina nodded and returned to her feet, looking around the garden from the bridge’s higher vantage point. “Though pleasant, this doesn’t seem like the location where you would perform your soul-strengthening.”

“It’s not,” Ria confirmed and gestured toward the shadow-attuned back corner of the garden. “I’ve planted a spiritual tree and cleared a circular area where the fire, earth, and shadow-attuned areas meet.”

“Is your familiar meditating in the garden?” Lestina asked, disbelief tinging her voice as her gaze caught sight of Ranger, who could be seen sitting crosslegged in the fire-attuned section.

“He’s working on his attunements.”

Lestina’s eyebrows rose. “Is it working?”

Ria nodded. “I’m giving him specially made treats, so he likes to do the meditation while absorbing the energies from the treats.”

Realization seemed to dawn on the girl’s face. “That must be really expensive…”

“It is!” Ria agreed. “But my Order is assisting with the effort, so the expense isn’t too terrible, yet. From what I understand of the process, it’ll become more expensive the further he progresses.”

“I don’t doubt it!” Lestina sympathized, letting out a chuckle. “I’m glad your Order is actively helping you. For them to already be showing so much interest in a first-year is encouraging in a lot of ways.”

“Yeah.”

Standing there at the bridge’s railing together with her third-year tutor, Ria felt comforted by the older girl’s presence and let the world and its worries flow past for a while before returning to the reason Lestina was there. “Shall we continue?”

“Of course!” Lestina’s eager look returned, and the girl motioned for Ria to lead on.

Ria led Lestina toward the intersection of the fire, earth, and shadow sections, and as they arrived at the space between the bronze dragon statue and the orichalcum tree, Ria made a circular gesture with her hand to indicate the area she had chosen for her use. “This is it here. I originally planned to clear the circle entirely and make the surface solid, but I like the feel of the grave moss. So, I’m thinking of sprinkling powdered metal to better anchor the spirit barrier spell that Researcher Shadwich gave me. Do you think that will work?”

After leaning down to part the moss in a few places, the Soulkeeper girl shrugged. “It’s not a bad idea. But you won’t want to just haphazardly spread the metal dust. You’ll want to use your magic to distribute it uniformly so any magic you apply to the surface won’t be lumpy.”

Ria blinked, not having thought of that, even though it was obvious. If Lestina was this knowledgeable maybe she could help with another question. “What about the metal to use? Mithril seems like it would be too expensive and might not be as good for shadow-attuned energies, so I was thinking to use silver or gold, but…”

Lestina rolled her eyes at the mention of mithril. “Ideally, you’ll want a spiritual metal which can get very expensive.” The girl paused for effect before amusement pulled at the corner of her mouth. “Fortunately, for shadow-attuned materials there’s a fairly inexpensive option—powdered Xernium blessed by the priests of Ohgrem. The Unseen Hand and the Twilight Cloak both make use of it enough that there is a ready supply at affordable prices.”

Xernium! Shadow metal gifted by the god of shadows and thought to originate from Ohgrem’s celestial body! It was an inspired idea! Ria had no idea that such a metal could be affordably acquired.

“Planting Kres Blossoms and Deep Crystalcaps along the edges should help improve the fire and earth spirituality,” Lestina added after further thought. “That said, you should keep in mind that a more balanced or even affinity-opposed environment can also be useful to temper your foundation and provide insights.”

All of it sounded like good advice. “It’s definitely worth a try. I’ll ask around and see if I can source them.”

“Soulkeeper Renard might have better suggestions,” Lestina cautioned, maybe unsure about encouraging Ria to spend even more coin on excessive things.

“It’s fine, Lestina. I’m thankful for the recommendations,” Ria assured. “If they prove too expensive, the Church of Ellnys might be able to help. I’ve had good… results with the incense I purchased from them.”

A wry, knowing smile graced Lestina’s face. “That makes sense. You could try the Church of Taniel as well.”

Visiting Taniel’s temple was a reasonable backup plan, as the nature god’s druids were the primary source for most of the rarer magical herbs. Ria was still wary of High Priestess Alora’s warning about the other faiths, though.

“So, before we get to your soul-strengthening exercises, how about showing me your usual meditation?” Lestina prompted, grinning. “I’m super curious to see what insane method you’ve used to become so strong as a first year.”

Ria grinned back. She was proud of her progress with the unified meditation technique, and even Keira had been impressed.

Lestina cast what looked like a specialized sensing spell, as Ria took up her usual position, seated between her orichalcum tree and the dragon statue. The intersection of elements and the faint aura she could now feel from the sapling combined invitingly, and as Ria spread her senses out through the garden, she seized the energy to her control and began drawing it in and circulating it about her body, careful of her sore pathways as her greedy cells drank of the attuned energies they were steeping in.

Interestingly, with her improved sense of divine energy, she now saw how Hemse’s amulet siphoned off portions of the spirituality from the orichalcum tree’s energy when she cycled the energy near where it sat against her chest. Was the amulet hiding her divine aura by consuming the divine energy she produced? Or was the aura hiding powered by her divine energy, maybe?

Or maybe it had started out empty and, like voidstone, would show new abilities when full? After still ‘filling up’ for months, Ria could only wonder at what sort of protection or capability would need so much divine energy.

“Ack. Stop. Stop,” Lestina urgently called out, concern clear in her voice.

Confused, Ria stored the energy she was cycling and sought her tutor’s gaze. “Is something wrong?”

The Soulkeeper girl’s brows were furrowed and her eyes were full of concern. “Is that really how you usually meditate? …tell me you were just trying to impress me.”

Ria shook her head. “Normally, I draw in a lot more, but my pathways are injured, so…”

Lestina stared. “How haven’t you exploded?”

Wha-? Ria’s heart skipped a beat. “W-what do you mean?”

“Like a sucker fish, you really just suck up as much as you can and slosh it all around your body?” Lestina asked in disbelief.

“Sloshing…” Though beginning to be worried, Ria huffed indignantly at the judgmental-sounding way the word was said. “I properly cycle the energy along my energy pathways and body to increase my attunements. I practiced a lot with Luventi’s Inwardly Focused and Outwardly Focused meditation techniques before progressing to the Unified technique.”

“Have you ever meditated in an isolation chamber?” Lestina asked.

Ria tilted her head in confusion. “No?” What would be the point of that?

“No wonder your foundation and aura are so unstable,” the third-year girl sighed out and slowly shook her head. “You’re like a squirrel stuffing its cheeks with acorns, hoping your cheeks will keep stretching so you can continue stuffing in more! All while waiting for your body to magically digest them without bothering to chew or swallow!”

Eh? No way?! Wasn’t that too rude?! If it was really like that, why hadn’t Keira said anything?

“Until you’ve done several days worth of meditation in an isolation chamber, you’re forbidden from working on your attunements,” Lestina pronounced like it was a decree.

Ria’s mouth dropped open, and she weakly protested, “I have an attunement session for my elemental class on Silverday…”

The third-year Soulkeeper’s expression softened. “Can you at least promise you’ll do two hours tomorrow and an hour before your class?”

Ugh. She was way too busy this week! But… Lestina really did seem concerned, and it would be terrible if the girl gave a bad report to Soulkeeper Renard.

“If I arrive at the academy early and use my lunch time… it could be possible,” Ria hesitantly admitted.

“Let’s have you do that then. Come to me afterward, and I’ll evaluate your progress,” Lestina compromised. “For now, let’s return to the bridge over the pond, and I’ll teach you the basic mental exercises that will help you clear your mind and better avoid distractions. These are vitally important to safely using spirit magic.”