Ria of Shadewood [Fantasy, School Life/Magic Academy, Tournaments]

[B3] Chapter 25 — Vesali Secrets

Surrounding the Vesali cousins and herself in sound-dampening shadow magic, Ria started to ask, "Your towerkeeper… can she…?" but unsure how to discreetly ask the question, she resorted to a motion with her hand to include the extent of her weak privacy magic.

"He," Nielle corrected, but seemed to get what Ria was trying to say and the glower had receded back to narrowed eyes and crossed arms.

"Elder Edolan is loyal to House Vesali and can be trusted," Phaelys volunteered.

Loyal enough to keep Phaelys from going? Ria didn't say that, though. The boy certainly wasn't stupid and knew way more about what his family would allow than she did. "There's a secret passage that leads from the academy. And my friends and I found a map from there to a place that should be of great interest to House Vesali. It will be dangerous."

Nielle suspiciously eyed her. "You are going to risk breaking quarantine?"

"If I'm right about where the passage goes, we shouldn't meet anyone else. Anyone living, anyway."

Both Phaelys' and Nielle's faces dawned with understanding.

"That…"

"How soon can we go?" Phealys demanded, leaning forward with intensity.

"That is more than dangerous," Nielle objected. "Experienced expeditions with powerful mages and knights have failed to retrieve barely more than trinkets before having to retreat. How would we fare any better? Our actions might put the academy at risk!"

Our?

Ria could only blink. Nielle sabotaging their chance or threatening her were more what she had expected from the girl… but joining the expedition?

No. It made sense. Even if only to keep Ria from being with Phaelys without her. Though, unless mistaken, Ria thought the irritable girl sounded very interested, maybe excited.

"Have there been any recent expeditions?" Ria asked.

Phaelys shook his head. "The way in has been sealed for so long that the Gryphon Knights use guarding it as punishment duty."

"So, it's possible the magic animating the dead down there might have run its course? And no one would know?"

The two cousins exchanged surprised glances.

"Wouldn't it be worth checking?"

Contemplative silence met Ria's question.

Bringing up the planned adventure had been a nerve wracking gambit, but seeing the results of the successful redirection, Ria hit upon what she needed to do differently to avoid irritating the possessive Vesali girl: involve her in the process.

Always addressing Phaelys or letting him do all the tutoring was making it seem that Phaelys was showing special attention, but involving Nielle more would divide the attention and maybe get Nielle to compete with her cousin rather than feel left out.

"There are some complications that need to be resolved before we can get to our goal. Ranger was able to dig into the tunnel from outside the academy—that is how we discovered it—but opening the tunnel from within the academy requires solving a puzzle with magic. A puzzle that I suspect only members of the old royal family knew how to solve."

Ria was careful to look to Nielle before looking to Phaelys, and the Vesali girl's smirk showed that Ria was on the right track.

"Is this 'puzzle' a thin slab of stone about this high…" Nielle held her hand up as if pressing it against an imaginary wall. "…with an incomplete template spell inside?"

Was the method still known?! Ria's heart skipped, not with worry this time but excitement! At her confirming nod, the cousins caught each others' eyes, unable to suppress their grins.

"Phaelys and I can both solve that puzzle," Nielle volunteered.

Seeking out Phaelys' help had been the right choice!

One of the last obstructions to sneaking into the undercastle resolved, a similar grin spread on Ria's face. "Then, the remaining complication is the partial collapse of the tunnel that will require some work to clear. Thus far the only danger has been oversized volents, but if we want to be full-strength for the most dangerous part, the expedition might need to be spread over multiple days."

Nielle motioned with her head toward the two practicing rockshot and other attack magics. "Our attendants can help, but we will probably want an earth mage for that."

"Ranger can handle digging and manipulating earth. The rest of our team is my friend Keira Vorshan and three members of my Order: Orlisi Yurren, Aldri Touften, and Iselyn Jayre. Iselyn has magic that will let us communicate silently even if we get separated, and Aldri can teleport us out if things get too dangerous."

Phaelys nodded approval. "A good mix of capabilities and experience. You have put serious thought into this."

Nielle leaned forward. "Where about is the secret passage?"

"The Grand Library's historical archives."

"I see," Phaelys mumbled and let his gaze drift to distant clouds outside the tower before nodding again and refocusing his attention on Ria. "We should be able to make that work, then. I would like to get started as soon as possible. With the memorial and award presentation tomorrow, maybe we should try for Fireday afternoon?"

Ria grimaced. She was sure to be exhausted and already had plans to meet with Wendra, and there was still the issue of ditching her Gryphon Knight escort. "I'm working on a method to…" She discreetly motioned with her head and eyes toward Arella. "But, I might need some time."

Nielle laughed behind her hand. "The Gryphon Knights are duty-bound to keep the secrets of those they protect, you know."

Ah-! Arella had tricked her!

Still… Ria wouldn't go back on her promise to take the shameless knight to Phantasia of the Divine Palate. It was her fault for not knowing, and both her knights had to be sacrificing a lot to spend every day stuck guarding her. Did they have families at home worried about them? She didn't know the answer to that, either.

Learning spatial magic was still something Ria wanted to do even regardless of needing it to escape her protectors, but no longer needing to rush that learning eased an almost physical tension that had been building in her mind and body—a tension she hadn't noticed until now. Was that tension the reason for the odd laziness she had felt upon waking? Was she becoming overwhelmed?

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Ria shook her head. "Between preparations for the regional games and everything else, the upcoming week is… difficult. The earliest I can join you for this is after Grand Games practice on Waterday. Really, next Goldday afternoon might be better and the quarantine might be lifted by then."

Phaelys looked to Nielle, who gave a slow nod.

"Understandable. Let us plan for Goldday, then. That will give Nielle and myself time to prepare, as well."

Ria breathed out her relief. "I will check with the others and send a confirmation letter in the next few days."

"That will be fine. Take care not to wear yourself out before the expedition."

Nodding her agreement, Ria let the sound dampening magic dissipate.

There was still one more thing she wanted to get out of this opportunity. Ria leaned forward with a bow of gratitude directed halfway between the two cousins. "Thank you both for your tutoring. I understand the magic now and should just need to practice. Yet, there's one thing about crystal magic that is still leaving me frustrated. Nielle, perhaps you can help me with this? At the talent competition, you and Ophesia were able to conjure your crystal so quickly and in such quantity! Phaelys also did something similar with the 'crystal shot' spell he used on me during our duel. My conjuration attempts are painfully slow and use so much of my energy reserves…"

"Well, naturally it is because we are Vesali," Nielle smugly asserted.

Phaelys laughed at Nielle's affectation. "While that is partially true, Celestria, there is a trick to it. We still have some time. Let us head over to the practice range."

Phaelys' confident response sent Ria's excitement again surging.

The Vesali secret to rapid crystal conjuration! He was going to teach it to her!

She performed a cycle of Lu Xi's technique to stay calm. In this training room's dangerously thick energy, she couldn't afford to lose control or overly add to her body's burden. If she again strained her recently healed energy pathways now when so much was within reach… she wouldn't just be frustrated; she'd be in need of a good location to engage in extreme acts of applied violence, a location that wouldn't result in another strike on her record.

Maybe training rooms like this were the true reason Phaelys had such a placid expression most of the time? Ria glanced at Nielle as they crossed the short distance to the other side of the vaulted chamber. The amethyst-haired girl was as expressively snooty as usual, so probably not.

The two attendants made room by the inlaid markings defining the target range's extent, and Nielle motioned with her arm to introduce them. "Lavi and Naver, this is Celestria ad`Drelfgar. Celestria, this is my attendant Lavienne of House Cietta and Phaelys' attendant Naver of House Yoln.

Lavi didn't show much reaction other than a slight grimace and nod.

Naver's eyes went to the spikes peeking through Ria's hair and then to the Astacio broach before smoothly drawling with faux interest, "Oh? A draconic bloodline this pure? Other than Zoven attending Roksairen Regional Academy, I was unaware that House ad`Drelfgar had anyone with the bloodline so strongly expressed."

Roksairen? That was where the Sages were going for the Grand Games regionals!

Another brief glance showed Nielle was watching the reactions, face carefully neutral. Unsure how to reply, Ria decided to be somewhat formal and hopefully make a good impression. "Nice to become acquainted with you, Naver, Lavienne. I am surprised that you both are from different Orders than The Flowing Crystal."

"At least, my Order is part of this tower," Lavi groused and motioned with her head toward the confident dark-haired shadow mage beside her. "This guy is only here to take Gervain's place. If there's one good thing to say about losing that creep to the elf-disease, at least, there will be less love-smitten and gold-seeking first and second-year girls following us around everywhere, now."

Ria's eyebrows rose. Gervain was more popular with the academy girls than the number one most desired boy in Crysellia? She found that hard to believe, and turned to Phaelys. "Was Gervain your attendant before…?"

"He was," the Vesali boy confirmed. "It is unfortunate to lose his strength and utility for the Games, but Naver can better see to my safety and provides a skillset that should improve Amethyst Dream's capabilities in the events requiring more finesse."

That meant the sharp-faced and too-smooth fourth-year boy was part of the increased protection arranged by the Vesali elders that Phaelys had mentioned in his letter. But adding him to their Games team? Ria wondered how that worked. "Is that usual? Recruiting members from another Order?"

Phaelys was unphased by her question. "Other than the arena Orders, the Hall of Inquiry and Binding, the elves of Farenthil Hall, and the Silver Lions, many don't have enough combat talents to form a competitive team. There are some alliances that have formed over recent decades, usually among Orders that share the same tower or hall. Other Orders are more mercenary. Having a member on a strong team creates significant visibility for the represented Order."

Ria was fairly certain the Golden Dawn didn't see it that way. That wasn't what caught her attention the most about Phaelys' reply, however.

The inquisitors? A Grand Games team?

Would she face Amilee and other Oathbound during the Games?

While she was distracted by her thoughts, Phaelys stepped up to the target range's shooting line. The boy gracefully raised his hand and shaped a spell matrix. A fist-sized chunk of amethyst formed—identical to the one that had hit her in the face—and was sent smashing through a target. "Now watch."

She looked back to him, expecting him to cast the magic again, but he motioned her attention back to the chunk of amethyst still laying motionless on the chamber's crystal floor.

Ria wasn't sure what she was supposed to notice until the unexpected happened. As if the world had rejected its presence as nothing more than an illusion, the crystal gently faded out of existence.

"Wha-?"

Then realization hit her, and she felt stupid.

Oh.

Of course, it would cost more energy and effort to make something real—to make something the world would accept as real.

She had never even tried to do like Phaelys just did. How do you even use your magic to make something that's not real but still affects the world as if it were?

Nielle was smirking as she silently watched Ria's reaction. Even Phaelys had a barely perceptible but clearly amused lift to his mouth's corners. The other two didn't seem to get the significance.

Ria couldn't help but huff. The Vesali pair were enjoying her reaction way too much. "I don't even know where to start. I'm assuming illusions can't do that without elven mysticism, so…"

"That's because it is not an illusion," Nielle chided, smug in her superiority. "You are at least aware of the two different types of element summoning?"

Luventi had discussed it in the beginner text. Ria nodded. "Physically call the element forth from elsewhere in the world or from a nearby elemental plane. Or borrow the element's properties as present in a nearby elemental plane and project them into the world for as long as the magic stays in effect."

"Yes, exactly that," Nielle confirmed, creating a sphere of amethyst crystal above each delicate palm. "When using conjuration, we either create a blueprint of the desired material adequate for the world to fill in, or we can instead temporarily project the properties of the material into the world."

"Just the properties?" Ria asked, surprised. That actually did sound a lot like elven mysticism.

Nielle tossed both spheres in the air for Ria to catch, and Ria wrapped them in air magic to guide both to her hands and not embarrass herself by dropping one. Physically, the crystals felt the same, but to her energy sense, they were subtly different. Now that she knew what to look for, she could feel which one was lacking the 'blueprint' to be real.

The 'fake' one was a lot like what she had been learning with the Crystal Grip spell—only taken much further.

Embarrassment threatened to color Ria's cheeks at how visibly callused and rough her palms were compared to Nielle's beautiful hands… but had Phaelys really wanted to teach her Crystal Grip with only her callouses in mind? Or had he been thinking further ahead, to fix an inefficiency in her magic?

"The statues that you made during the debut, those had to be intended to be real…," Ria realized.

Nielle puffed up with pride, but the girl's smugness shifted more sly in accepting the deserved acknowledgment, "Just as with your paintings, those who know, understand the depth of the feat."

Ria found herself stunned by the sudden concession and acknowledgment of her own efforts.

Phaelys nodded his concurrence, and added, "It's a matter of control and efficiency. Better understanding of crystal and its properties lessens the energy required to create an adequate blueprint. Even so, Celestria, it is also true that you, Cousin Nielle, and Cousin Ophesia have exceptionally large reservoirs of energy for your age, an amount rarely seen in any other than royalty and the children of dragon-kin high nobility."

Dragon-kin. The pride from her divine ancestor agreed.