The Warmth of the Hearth

Luke? How does he know Luke? Elizabeth watches Nieko take a seat beside her, smiling nonchalantly as he listens to the announcements. She faces forward while holding a conversation with him. “How do you know Luke?”

Nieko doesn’t look at her, jutting down notes of the rules being explained by the instructor in front of him. “A few days ago, he and Olin lived with me and my grandpa. The bloke’s the reason why I got the Maga to work too.” He pauses, taking in the room with its pristine white walls and beautifully framed windows. The desk was smooth too, with no visible cracks on its surface. “Mate thought I’d be meeting an Elizabeth sooner or later, and he was right. Here.” He hands Elizabeth a piece of paper underneath their desks, keeping it hidden from anybody else.

“What’s this?” Elizabeth asks, caught off guard by the parchment in her hand.

Nieko faces her, finally done with his notes. “Read it later, might give ya some answers.”

“That’s all I have to say for today. Also, Professor Fir stated that your Herbology classes are cancelled due to some pressing matters he has to tend to. So you may enjoy your free time until your next class. You’re dismissed.” Professor Mistral exits the room, leaving the class on their own.

Elizabeth faces Nieko as her classmates start to pile out of the room. “Mind explaining?” She was cautious around him, for this stranger claimed to have known Luke when he was in fact gone.

“Read it. Says that he’ll be waiting in the mountains with some Carson bloke if you decide to go meet with them.” Nieko sits up after packing the things in his worn out backpack that Souyer gave to him. “I’ll go grab summin to eat!” He waves Elizabeth goodbye, leaving Elizabeth sitting there with the parchment on her hand.

She opens it slowly, ripping the sealed opening to reveal the letter put inside. It was an old piece of paper with dark stains, probably from its age. Her eyes scan the familiar handwriting of Luke, one that he was always keen on showing them.

Hey Eli!

I know, back from the dead. You could say that I’m ‘Undead’, cause you know, resurrection and stuff. How it happened, it’s a long story. Right now, I assume you’ve met Nieko? He helped me and Olin, when we had nowhere else to go. Be kind to the guy aight? He’s a smart kid. Right now, we’re heading to the bunker in the mountains that Carson always told us about. If he’s going to be anywhere, it’s going to be there. Hope you’re safe Eli, and feel free to come greet us if you wish, we’ll be waiting.

There’s no signature, but Elizabeth could tell who wrote it even without one. She feels her eyes water, a smile appears on her face. Luke was alive, and she could see him and Carson. Carson. Images of Carson and Claire hurting her at the academy flicker in her mind. The sting on her neck, the fright, and the loss of her consciousness, she feels all of it again. However, a thought crosses her mind. I was protecting someone. Something didn’t add up, and Elizabeth knew she had to get to the bottom of this.

The heads of the houses involved in the rebellion gather to discuss their next move with the exemption of House Fjord and House Fir. At the head stands a well-built middle aged man with coal black eyes that stands out from his pale complexion. Noah Skye, head of House Skye, was renowned to be able to conjure up a storm with his strong grasp on the foundation of manna. People knew him to be loved by Zephyr, and this was no doubt a fact, earning him the name of Stormcloak.

“I believe that everybody is here. Let us begin.” Noah speaks, his voice a thunderous boom of authority. His eyes scan the room, looking at the five people who were with him. “Thora Loft, I suggest we get rid of her.”

The rest nod, completely in line with the removal of Loft. She was proving to be more than a hindrance, a nuisance to their plans. She has outlived her usefulness to their cause, and it was just a matter of time before she will cause more problems in the future. “That blasted demon is the problem. We will all get slaughtered before we even get to lay a hand on that wench!” Varsha Mistral speaks, her voice flooded with irritation.

Noah nods, agreeing with what was said. “Kein’s power may be hard to comprehend, but it isn’t indestructible.”

They look at him with wide eyes, astonished by the fact that he would acknowledge a demon by its given name, which meant that he respected it.

“Even Blepalon has its limits, thus the exile of Kein over a century ago.” He looks at their faces which seemed to be interested in what he has to say next. “Eron, come in front lad.” Noah gestures behind him, prompting Eron Fir to step into the light. “Show them what you showed me.”

Eron puts the journal on the table, opening the page that contained instructions to conduct The Chains of Agni. All of them lean in towards him, their eyes lighting up with interest. “This was a book of Binding spells written by a member of House Blaise.” He reads the procedures out loud for them to hear and explaining how the spell works.

“That is brilliant lad!” Rolan Alder speaks, his gruff voice filling the whole room. “So how do we make it work?”

“This was written by a descendant of House Blaise, which means that only those directly related to the author is capable of procuring the same effect.” Eron faces them, a smile on his face. “Kayden was the last known descendant, which is why his prowess was tremendous.”

Noah speaks, agreeing with what Eron said. “That is true, he was an amazing mage.” He thinks, considering the possibility. “Would it be possible for his children to have inherited the manna as well?”

“One already has.” Eron pauses, a grin on his face. “His son, Carson Blaise. We need to get him on our side.”