“Hmm, his fear got the best of him and he revealed much more than I had hoped. I would have liked it to be closer to the festival, but alas, I must strike now. If I wait much longer I could miss my chance.”

Rell

The argument that took place during the council gathering still rang in Rell’s ears, sending chills down the princess’s spine as she ran her finger along various books on the wall. She winced as she recalled Aevum’s fury at the council’s decision. Rell sighed as a pair of guards hovered nearby, keeping her and her sister within view; the extent of the council’s action plan.

“What about this one, Rell?” The young princess was snapped out of her thoughts as Rune called to her.

Rell looked at her in surprise. “What’s the affinity?” she asked.

“Affinity?” Rune didn’t look up as she skimmed through a book.

Rell sighed and climbed down the ladder she was standing on and walked over to Rune. “We’re supposed to be picking a particular magical affinity to study, remember?”

“Can’t we just study all of them?” Rune asked as she turned the page. “Look here – displacement magic – just like Cael uses to get around!”

“Rune, displacement magic can only be used by people with the deepest understanding of magic.”

Rune looked up from the book, brushing some of her black hair away from her face. “What’s your point? The Great Magician Hivoria learned displacement magic when she was only twelve.”

Rell scowled. “Yes, but Hivoria and the rest of the highland heroes were a special case. I know how much you admire them but not everyone can learn that fast!”

Her little sister didn’t seem to care as she was already looking through the book again. Rell reached over and opened another tome, dropping it on top of Rune’s book with a thud. “Here; this one talks about manipulating heat. You did it once before against Mennic, so maybe this would be a good place to start.”

Rune gave Rell a remarkably vicious glare. “I want to learn about Cael’s magic.”

“We can’t even hope to comprehend that stuff yet,” Rell insisted. “And besides, Cael’s magic would take a lot of resources to perform safely. Just pick up the one on heat magic, okay?”

“I already understand heat magic. I want to learn Cael’s magic,” Rune repeated.

Rell let out a frustrated grunt. “Rune! You couldn’t possibly fully understand heat magic already!”

Rune returned with a sigh as she stood up abruptly and snapped her finger. There was a spark and, with a burst of heat, fire enveloped Rune’s hand.

“RUNE! Be careful-!” Rell shouted in surprise as the radiating heat reached her face. Rune however seemed unharmed as she gave Rell a cold stare, slowly twisting the flame-engulfed arm and hand, allowing the flames to dance around her wrist and cause her robe to flap in the rising hot air. Rell stared in shock, looking back and forth between Rune’s hand and her face. “When did you-”

“Last week,” Rune said, before flicking her wrist as the fire vanished, a few sparks floating away before losing their orange hue.

Rune reached down and picked up the book Rell had dropped on hers and closed it, shoving it into Rell’s chest. “You learn about it.” She closed her own book on displacement magic and shoved it to the side, before walking past Rell. “I’m gonna look for one about restoration, unless you think that’s too much too.” She didn’t even look back as she walked by. Rell simply continued staring ahead, dumbfounded.

At last, Rell looked over her shoulder to find her sister had disappeared behind another bookshelf. Rell sighed and walked over to the desk, before sitting down, a hand on her head, running her fingers through her hair. “She didn’t even break a sweat,” she muttered to herself.

She paused for a bit, before pulling a book off the pile that Rune had apparently gathered.

The Laws of Magic.

She grunted at Rune’s choice of ‘light reading’ and pulled another book off the pile.

Understanding Reagents.

Rell blinked before opening the pouch on her wrist, to find it a little emptier than she remembered. She frowned off in the direction Rune had disappeared to. She used some of my dust for that!

Rell tugged on the pouch’s strings in frustration, shutting it tight again before grabbing another book.

The Mind in Magic...

Rell blinked as she read the title to herself. Immediately Rell tied this to Madia’s magic. She began to open the book, but suddenly caught herself. No, she reminded herself. This is far more advanced than our current lessons. She stared at the partially open book, considering opening it anyway. After another moment of thought, she closed the book and pushed it off to the side.

As much as I hate to admit it, Rell thought to herself, all the other magic is boring compared to the Keepers. She pulled another book off the pile.

Magic Used for Defense...

Rell sat up a bit. That shouldn’t be too complicated, she hoped.

“Having trouble, Rell?” Madia’s gentle voice reached the princess’s ears as she looked over her shoulder to find the Keeper of Mind approaching.

“A little… I’m just not finding much that interests me, you see.”

Madia nodded slowly. “I understand. It’s hard to find an affinity that suits your abilities.”

Rell sighed. “Not for Rune it’s not.”

Madia looked back down the aisle. “Well, Rune unlocked magic when she was protecting you, Rell,” the Keeper explained.

“What’s that got to do with it?” Rell questioned.

“Rune harnessed heat magic in a moment of desperation, which means she’s got a feeling attached to that kind of magic.” The Keeper sat down in another chair beside Rell. “Perhaps that’s why she caught onto it so quickly. She probably remembers the feeling she had when she first used that magic very vividly.”

Rell’s eyes widened, before narrowing again as she stared at the desk. “I don’t have anything like that. I wasn’t even able to control my magic when Mennic attacked.”

“You probably didn’t think you could.”

Rell looked at Madia questioningly. “What do you mean?”

Madia’s eyes glanced up. “Well, were you often told that you and your sister were too young to use magic?”

Rell nodded. “All the time.”

“And you believed it?”

Rell paused, looking at her hand again. “Y-yeah… I did.”

“Do you think Rune believed it?” Madia went on.

Rell chuckled softly. “Not at all, she always said it was silly, but I always just believed it…”

“That’s probably why she was able to use magic before you,” Madia pointed out.

Rell frowned. “Was it really that simple?” she huffed.

“A lot of magic is made possible through your mind and imagination, remember? If your mind is closed, then you’ll be limited!” Madia said with remarkable cheer.

Rell’s gaze softened. “I suppose, but Rune is so stubborn; that’s not very open minded!” she countered.

“Correct, but she’s very open about magic, have you noticed?” Madia placed a hand on the pile of books Rune had amassed on the desk.

Rell stared at the books for a bit. “She’s better at magic than me because she doesn’t believe in limits?”

Madia smiled brightly. “I can almost guarantee it. If you limit yourself too much, you may find yourself unable to grow, Rell.” Madia stated. “Ah, granted that doesn’t mean you should be trying to do the impossible, or take risks to put yourself in harm’s way,” she corrected herself as she looked down the aisle to see Rune rounding the corner, skimming through more books. “But just think about what you’re telling yourself when it comes to what you can and can’t do, okay?” Madia said, rubbing the top of Rell’s head with her hand.

Rell giggled a bit as her hair hung down over her face. “Yes, Madia.”

“Good. It’s getting a bit late now, so I think I’m going to head to bed. You two should probably head back and get ready for bed yourselves. You still have a few days to choose which type of magic you want to study,” Madia reminded the young princess as she stood up.

Madia turned and walked past the desk, waving as she went.

“Good night, Madia!” Rell called after her. There was a hiss from nearby as a librarian placed a finger to her lips. Rell shrunk back a bit, embarrassed. “Oops, sorry,” she whispered.

“I can’t find any restoration books, they must be all in the wrong places,” Rune muttered as she approached her sister.

“Or they’ve all be taken out by other aspiring magicians,” Rell suggested with a smile.

“Hm, yeah.” Rune nodded slowly as she stared ahead. “I’ll find one next time.”

“Yeah, me too,” Rell agreed as she stood up from the desk. “Should we leave the books here for tomorrow?”

“Mhmm. I wanna look at them again,” Rune said, walking by the bookshelf and desk back to the main lobby of the library.

“I’ll tell the librarian to leave them there for us!” Rell said as she followed Rune a moment before splitting off to the right.

“Okay.” Rune waved a hand as she climbed up a flight of stairs leading back into the castle. “I’ll meet you back in the bedroom.”

“See you there,” Rell answered.

The light of the torches lined across the castle walls flickered now that the sun had set, causing shadows to dance around the floor as Rell stepped up to the white, wooden door into the shared bedroom. She sighed and gently pushed it open.

Rell looked past the door to see Rune sitting on her bed to the right, munching on an apple. A candle was lit on the table stationed between the two beds and Rell smiled.

Rune glanced at Rell, one eyebrow raised as her cheek was filled with a fresh bite from her apple. “What took you so long?” Rune asked through a mouth full of food.

“Just talking to the librarian a bit,” Rell replied, before letting out a sigh and sitting down on the side of her bed contentedly. She rolled over and flopped onto her back, her pillow deflating beneath her head.

Rell heard a creak from beside her, and she glanced to the side to find Rune hopping off her bed and approaching her.

“Do you think Tuulin is really back?” Rune suddenly asked.

Rell lifted her head a bit to look at Rune. “Well,” she started “He could be. That Kenta fellow seemed awfully scared of him.”

Rune had already turned around as she opened up the drawer under the side table.

“What are you doing?” Rell asked as she pulled herself up.

“Tuulin was a Keeper in Muurin, right?” Rune asked.

Rell narrowed her eyes. “Yes, why do you ask?”

Rune pulled a small book out of the drawer and dropped it onto Rell’s bed. “You’re better at sensory magic than me,” Rune said. “Keepers have really strong magic signatures. Can you sense Tuulin?”

“What? No, not at all. Besides, he’s probably so far away only the Keepers could sense him, and that’s if they used their full po-”

“Have you checked?” Rune looked at Rell with intensity.

Rell narrowed her eyes and lay back down. “We’re safe in the castle, Rune.”

“Check,” the young princess insisted.

“And why should I?” Rell spat back.

“Because I’m scared.”

Rell felt her heart skip a beat as she heard Rune say that. She slowly sat up, her expression concerned as she looked at her younger sister. “Scared?”

Now she saw the nervousness in her little sister's face. Rell tilted her head a bit. “You never admit to being scared.”

Rune grimaced and looked away. “Just check…”

Rell sighed and nodded slowly. She sat up straight and relaxed, reaching for the book Rune had pulled out and starting to flip through the pages.

“Here’s one.” Rell pointed at a page that had a wavy symbol resembling an eye. She reached down and placed a hand on the page, and her other hand on the opposite side of the book. She slowly tugged on the page before ripping it out.

Rune took the book back and held it close to her. “Will it be enough?”

“I should only need one page for a simple sensory spell here in the castle,” Rell said as she closed her eyes, holding the page in her hand. She let out a sigh and focused her thoughts, recalling what Tuulin’s magic felt like from their last encounter a year ago.

“Feel anything?” Rune questioned.

“Not yet, Rune, I just started searching,” Rell retorted, keeping her eyes shut as she let her senses reach out. She heard the sound of footsteps out in the castle halls and corridors; the scents of dinner still fading away from the dining rooms; the overwhelming sense of power emanating from the Keepers up above, each in their respective spires. She felt her body grow warmer with the magic resonating from the four towers. As she did this, the paper in her hand slowly began to char, as embers formed on its edges, burning the paper with a flameless heat.

Rell clenched her eyes shut a bit tighter as she picked up the Keepers’ magic high above. Wait, she thought to herself as she focused her senses on Madia’s tower. Madia’s magic feels cold.

“What’s wrong?” Rune asked, evidently seeing her older sister’s expression change.

Rell shuddered as she tried to focus her attention on Madia’s room, the cold gripping her more and more.

“Madia’s magic feels cold,” Rell said quietly.

The bed creaked as Rune shifted on the bed. “Cold? Are you sure you’re feeling Madia’s magic?” Rune asked.

As soon as Rune asked that, Rell began to shiver. “I-It’s getting colder.” She closed her eyes tighter.

“Rell...”

The princess kept focusing, trying to pick up on any more details. She could faintly hear Madia’s breathing as she kept her attention up in the tower. She was sleeping soundly.

“Rell?”

Rell ignored her little sister as she continued to push her senses to pick up everything she could. “There’s something on her balcony.”

Rune gasped. “Is it Tuulin?” she whispered.

“Ah, no, it’s just a bird,” Rell sighed.

“Check the bird…”

Rell opened her eyes with a grunt of frustration, nearly breaking her focus. “Rune it’s just a bird!”

In that moment, Rell coughed as her eyes went wide, suddenly feeling the frigid cold harsher than ever.

“Rell! Stop!” Rune exclaimed.

Rell looked down and saw the paper she had been using to fuel the spell had disappeared. Her mouth opened as she took a gasping breath, suddenly tensing up before relaxing again, panting.

“Ah, m-maybe I needed more after all,” she muttered.

“Rell, your hands…” The quiver in Rune’s voice immediately made Rell nervous again as the heat slowly returned to her body. She raised her hands and looked at them, yelping a bit as she found them covered in a thin layer of frost.

“W-what??” she exclaimed. “It wasn’t that cold!” Rell looked up at Rune and saw she had reached a hand out towards her. Rune looked at her sister intensely as she held a page of the book as well, an inscription of a flame on the page as the piece of paper slowly burned up.

Rell looked back at her sister, both of them staring at each other for a moment. Rell felt warmth returning to her body as Rune focused her magic upon her. “Thank you. I’ve never felt anything like that. Just reading the magic made me physically cold,” Rell whispered as the frost melted from her hands.

“I thought magic usually gave off heat,” Rune whispered back.

“It does, but I remember Mennic’s magic was cold when he used it-” Rell froze, although not so literally this time as she locked eyes with Rune. She cut herself off as she made a realization. “Mennic’s magic was cold.”

Rell saw her sister's expression shift and immediately regretted what she had said. Rune, without a moment's hesitation, hopped off the bed, taking the tome with her as she went for the door.

“Rune wait, where are you going?” Rell questioned as she also hopped off the bed.

“To Madia’s room! Hurry!” she responded.

“Wait, Rune!” The door was already open as Rune ran out.

“Come on, Rell!” Rune called behind her.

Rell flung the door wide open and looked down the hall to see Rune sprinting ahead. Rell clenched her teeth and let out an exasperated groan.

“Wait up!” she called as she broke into a run to catch up.

Rell rounded the corner of the hall just in time to see Rune dart into the door leading to Madia’s tower. Rell skidded to a halt at the archway and stared at the steps ahead. She felt the cold flowing around her feet now, and she took a step back. She stomped her foot and let out a frustrated grunt. “Come on, Rell,” she huffed, “Don’t be afraid of a little cold!”

She took a breath and stepped forward again before beginning to walk up the steps, feeling the temperature drop as she climbed.

“Rune? Wait up, we should tell the other Keepers about this!” Rell called a little more quietly up the stairs.

Silence.

Her heart sank as she began to climb the steps faster. “Rune? Rune are you okay?” She winced as she imagined a scream in her head. She placed a hand to her head and kept walking. Not now, Rell... just a bit further.

She took a deep breath as she saw the door into Madia’s room. As she reached out, she noticed the handle had a thin layer of frost across it, not unlike what enshrouded her hands earlier. She placed a hand to the loose door and opened it slowly, the chill skimming across her palm as she touched the door knob.

Rell caught her breath as the door creaked loudly. “Rune? Madia?” She scanned the room before finding her little sister just in front of Madia’s bed, where the Keeper of Mind was sleeping soundly. Rune had one hand raised ahead of her and the other gripping the book tightly, a scowl on her face.

Then Rell saw what she was staring at. Just across from her was Kenta, the Arden man who had come to the castle earlier. He had his arms and hands raised, fear across his face as he looked back and forth between the princesses.

“Rell! There you are! Go get Aevum!” Rune said, only making a glance at the arrival of her elder sister.

Rell shook her head in confusion as she looked between the two standing ahead of her. “What’s going on here?”

“He was gonna use magic on her!” Rune accused the Arden.

“Are you daft, child? My kind can’t even use magic!” he insisted.

Rell took a few steps forward, looking up at the larger man. His wings were folded against his back as he leaned away from the younger princesses.

Rell narrowed her eyes. “Rune, Dragonkind can’t use magic.”

Rune growled at Rell. “Then how come Mennic and Tuulin could use magic?”

“Did the Keepers tell you nothing?” Kenta snapped. Rune didn’t waver though, and instead took another two quick steps forward. Kenta took a step back in response.

“They could use magic because they used to be Keepers in their home world.” Rell tried to speak calmly, but her voice was audibly shaking.

“Your majesty, I’m trying to help Lady Madia! She’s in great danger!” Kenta pleaded with Rell.

Rune growled. “Yeah! Great danger from you!”

Rell gritted her teeth as she began to move forward again, positioned to stand between Rune and Kenta. “Both of you, please calm down-”

In that moment, the cold once again gripped Rell’s heart. It seemed that the other two around her felt it too as Rune yelped and stumbled back, and Kenta cried in pain as he gripped his head.

W-why won’t Madia wake up? Rell wondered to herself as she looked up over the Keeper’s bed.

Then she saw it.

Her eyes opened wide and her pupils shrank, her blood seeming to freeze within her as a cloud of white smoke hovered over the bed, a voice echoing from it.

“Kenta, what’s gotten into you?” the voice spoke.

“T-... T-Tuulin…!” Kenta whispered.

Rell couldn’t move, stuck where she stood as her kidnapper from a year ago spoke from the mist.

“GO AWAY!” Rune’s voice suddenly rang out as she grabbed the book quickly and pointed her hand at the cloud. There was a wave of heat and the mist suddenly parted, darting around the room for a moment before stopping right in front of Rune’s face.

“Your majesty-!” Kenta shouted as he rushed forward. Rune’s determination immediately vanished as her eyes opened wider and she dropped the book, true terror spreading across her face. Frost was beginning to spread across her skin as she shivered violently.

Kenta dove forward and pushed Rune to the ground. As he did so, his body collided with the fog and there was a high pitched screech, like metal grinding against metal. Rune glanced up in shock as she watched the man, before letting out a scream and backing up desperately. Ice began forming around the man’s chest and climbed up to his neck. The mist disappeared now as the frost completely engulfed the Arden, his body shivering a bit as he clenched his teeth and froze in place entirely.

Silence filled the room for a moment as the two children panted, processing what had happened. “R-R-Rell…” Rune squeaked quietly.

“Bloody unbelievable,” a choked voice spat, and Rune and Rell simultaneously gasped as a much smaller cloud of mist steadily reformed above Madia. “Treacherous excuse for an Arden... it took me hours to prepare that spell.”

Rell whimpered as she stepped forward. “W-what do you want?” she uttered.

The mist began to dissipate as it hovered closer and closer to Madia. “This is far beyond you, Princess.”

The fog immediately vanished and the temperature in the room rose rapidly. As this happened, Madia shifted in bed before letting out a long sigh, undisturbed in her sleep.

Rell and Rune were left there in the room now, motionless save for their uncontrollable quivering.

“Rell… Rell it’s… it’s him, it was really him!” she stammered.

Rell clenched her fists a bit. Why didn’t I do anything… why can’t I do anything? she screamed to herself in her head.

“Rell? Rell what’s wrong?” Rune was suddenly in front of her older sister, waving a hand in front of her. “Rell!”

She snapped out of it as she heard the desperation in Rune’s voice. “I’m okay, but what about you?”

“I’m fine… b-but Madia,” Rune slowly turned to look at the Keeper of Mind sleeping in bed.

Rell stared for a long while, before frowning and taking a breath. It’s just a small spell, you can do this. The young princess raised her hand and opened her palm towards the sleeping Keeper, before feeling the slightest ebb of heat reach out from the bed.

“She’s alright, I can still feel her magic,” Rell muttered.

Rune wandered over to Madia’s side, a rather dazed look on her face as she nudged the lady in bed. “Madia? Madia wake up,” she whispered.

Madia did not respond.

Rell only watched as the black-haired princess pushed harder and her voice raised. “Madia! Hey! Wake up!”

Rell’s mind spun rapidly as she glanced around, trying to process what had happened. She saw the slightest glint of a tear in Rune’s eyes as she got louder and louder, practically pushing Madia off the bed. “Madia please wake up! I-I’m scared!”

“Rune,” Rell called to her sister softly. Her sister looked over, stopping her assault briefly. “Come help me unfreeze Kenta.”

“I have to wake Madia up!” she said turning her attention back to the dreamer in bed.

“Rune!” Rell snapped. The younger sibling seemed taken aback as she locked eyes with her big sister.

Rell caught herself and let out a shaky sigh. “We need heat magic to get Kenta out,” she said quietly. “I can’t do it alone.”

Rune’s shoulders drooped as she looked back and forth between her and Madia, before finally stepping back. She paused, before dashing over and picking up the book that she had brought with her and skimming through it.

“H-here! This one will work, take my hand,” Rune instructed. Rell did as she was told, and the two sisters held their free hands out, heat beginning to fill the room as the ice surrounding the Arden began to melt, slowly but surely. The two princesses stared intently at Kenta’s frozen form as the page Rune held slowly fell to ashes, water dripping to the floor.

“What’s going on in here?” A booming voice erupted from behind them. Rell screamed briefly as her concentration broke, and the page nearly fizzled out then and there. She whirled around to find Cael at the door, a look of shock and confusion on her face.

“Cael!” Rell exclaimed.

“R-Rell-!” Rune let out a stammer as she winced, her leg shaking below.

“Sorry!” Rell immediately joined hands again and focused her energy on Kenta.

Cael seemed to fall a bit silent as she looked around. “What… is the meaning of this-?”

Rell paid the Keeper of Magic no attention, refusing to break her concentration again as her focus darted between the burning page and the frozen man ahead.

In the meantime, Cael rushed past them to Madia, and began to shake her. “Madia now is not the time to be dreaming,” she muttered. However, when she heard no response, she stepped back, one hand extending out a bit as her mouth hung open the slightest touch. “Realm almighty...” she stuttered.

The ice slowly was vanishing from around Kenta’s head and face, drops pattering to the ground as the water slid down the rest of his frozen body. Rell and Rune started to strain as the paper nearly burnt out. “C-Cael! Help us!” Rell gasped.

Cael immediately darted over and stood behind them, placing her hands on their shoulders. Rell sputtered as she suddenly felt overwhelmed with energy, her eyes going wide as suddenly the ice began to disappear from Kenta much faster. “C-Cael it’s too much-!”

Cael bit her lip and relaxed. “S-sorry!”

There was a cough and suddenly Kenta shook his head and spat. His head hung down and started shivering, weakly looking forward.

Rune suddenly dropped the book and ran forward. All magic in the room ceased, the page they had been using now nothing but ashes on the floor. Cael grunted. “Bloody mess…” she gulped, failing to hide her nervousness.

“Tell us everything!” Rune shouted at the now partially unfrozen man. Rell quickly grabbed her sister by the neck of her robe and yanked her back hard.

“Rune! Give him a moment! His entire body was frozen!”

“N-no… no, my blood still flows, princesses… thank you,” he whispered.

Silence fell over the room as they all watched him closely.

“Girls,” Cael said quietly. The princesses turned simultaneously to look at the elder Keeper. “I think you owe me an explanation.”