| Marc Pelzer | Reynal Juliandy
Weeks passed before the captain and the court mage had fully recovered. They had been unresponsive for several days after their collapse, though Yaena had fared better than Gemon. During this time, the duke frequently checked on them. Despite the unclear circumstances surrounding the incident, he had come to recognize that both Gemon and Yaena had saved him and the duchy from a great threat. The resentment he had harbored toward them was forgotten. The duke initiated extensive investigations to determine what force had damaged his castle and its thick walls so severely. Several times, albeit briefly, advisors visited Yaena and recorded her statements. They had no idea what had recently transpired, and Yaena informed them of the battle with the mage and his undead puppets, the seed crystal, and the powerful magic that had caused it to explode. However, she said nothing of the conflict of the Ancients. No one had realized the immense power now lying dormant within her. And it should remain that way, Yaena thought, as her fear that this power might be exploited by the military was very real. She was still recovering in the duke's hospital room, enjoying the good food and the peace, except for the interruptions by the herbalists, who tended to Gemon every two hours, unconscious as he lay on the cot in the other corner of the room.
One morning, Yaena felt strong; her joints no longer ached, and the inner power seemed practically fully restored. With a yawn, she got up and first walked to the window, where she let her gaze wander over the wooded hills to the east. The cool morning breeze blew into her face, quickly awakening her. After a few minutes, as it seemed to her, she turned and looked down at the captain in his bed. To her surprise, she quickly became emotional and realized that, despite trying to suppress her feelings, she felt both love as she looked at him and pain seeing him like this. She didn’t know exactly what had struck him, but magic of this magnitude was often deadly for ordinary humans. She could feel that his heart was beating, but over the days, the heartbeat had grown weaker and weaker. Fear gripped her that he would never look into her eyes again, and in silence, she shed a tear.
As the court mage, she was the first healer of the ducal retinue, and so she resolved to try to bring him back. She slowly stepped closer to him and sharpened her senses. The stone floor was cold under her feet, and the white silk cloth, which had been laid over him to keep him warm, was soft as a feather. She partially folded it down and loosened the top knots of his shirt. Then she placed both hands flat on Gemon's chest, but without pressing them in vain. His skin was cold and oily. What she then felt was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Not even in the tales of the old master who had trained her had she heard of such chaos. It seemed as though the strong and malevolent magic was trapped inside him, constantly trying to break out of his body. Yaena then emptied her mind of thoughts, focusing with all her might on the swirling energy. Without even knowing what she was doing, she drew the energy out and absorbed it into herself. In the past, something like this would have hurt her, maybe even killed her, but now it had no effect, almost felt natural to her. A cough. Slowly, Gemon opened his eyes and began to groan with pain. Yaena couldn’t believe it, tears streamed down her face, accompanied by uncontrolled laughter. She leaned forward and kissed him gently.
The chapel was filled with at least a hundred people, all crowding into every little corner. Everyone wanted to see the heroes of Varnas, who were now being wed. In addition to the priest who performed the marriage vow, the duke, as the patron of the event, stood at the front. He was proud of his two protégés, and though he had had other plans, these two had deserved each other more than anyone could have imagined. That’s why, after their recovery, he had shown his approval, which they gratefully accepted.
After the vow, they kissed each other and walked down the aisle in magically shimmering attire that surpassed the finest garments of all seven lands. Both Gemon and Yaena were happier than ever before. Their hands held tightly together as they stepped from the dim chapel into the light of the courtyard, where more people had gathered to congratulate the couple. As they paused and waved their thanks to the crowd, Yaena realized something. Today, she wasn’t just the happiest mage in the seven duchies; she was probably also the most powerful, for Zera had spoken to her, and no one in the entire world knew about it.
One morning, Yaena felt strong; her joints no longer ached, and the inner power seemed practically fully restored. With a yawn, she got up and first walked to the window, where she let her gaze wander over the wooded hills to the east. The cool morning breeze blew into her face, quickly awakening her. After a few minutes, as it seemed to her, she turned and looked down at the captain in his bed. To her surprise, she quickly became emotional and realized that, despite trying to suppress her feelings, she felt both love as she looked at him and pain seeing him like this. She didn’t know exactly what had struck him, but magic of this magnitude was often deadly for ordinary humans. She could feel that his heart was beating, but over the days, the heartbeat had grown weaker and weaker. Fear gripped her that he would never look into her eyes again, and in silence, she shed a tear.
As the court mage, she was the first healer of the ducal retinue, and so she resolved to try to bring him back. She slowly stepped closer to him and sharpened her senses. The stone floor was cold under her feet, and the white silk cloth, which had been laid over him to keep him warm, was soft as a feather. She partially folded it down and loosened the top knots of his shirt. Then she placed both hands flat on Gemon's chest, but without pressing them in vain. His skin was cold and oily. What she then felt was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Not even in the tales of the old master who had trained her had she heard of such chaos. It seemed as though the strong and malevolent magic was trapped inside him, constantly trying to break out of his body. Yaena then emptied her mind of thoughts, focusing with all her might on the swirling energy. Without even knowing what she was doing, she drew the energy out and absorbed it into herself. In the past, something like this would have hurt her, maybe even killed her, but now it had no effect, almost felt natural to her. A cough. Slowly, Gemon opened his eyes and began to groan with pain. Yaena couldn’t believe it, tears streamed down her face, accompanied by uncontrolled laughter. She leaned forward and kissed him gently.
The chapel was filled with at least a hundred people, all crowding into every little corner. Everyone wanted to see the heroes of Varnas, who were now being wed. In addition to the priest who performed the marriage vow, the duke, as the patron of the event, stood at the front. He was proud of his two protégés, and though he had had other plans, these two had deserved each other more than anyone could have imagined. That’s why, after their recovery, he had shown his approval, which they gratefully accepted.
After the vow, they kissed each other and walked down the aisle in magically shimmering attire that surpassed the finest garments of all seven lands. Both Gemon and Yaena were happier than ever before. Their hands held tightly together as they stepped from the dim chapel into the light of the courtyard, where more people had gathered to congratulate the couple. As they paused and waved their thanks to the crowd, Yaena realized something. Today, she wasn’t just the happiest mage in the seven duchies; she was probably also the most powerful, for Zera had spoken to her, and no one in the entire world knew about it.