Chapter 32 – Words of Caution (1)

Standing before the two winged mahogany doors, Midhir was once again amazed by the age of the castle. The further into the castle one went, the more old architecture was visible, some sections of it dating back to before the founding of Eldoria.

Principal Aoidh’s office was in one of the oldest sections of the castle. There were cracks in the walls, gently repaired and fortified over the ages. The stone bricks were uneven, some protruding out of the wall, while others left small gaps in it. The floor in the hallway he stood in was somewhat newer, though it was still weathered, carrying the signs of battle.

There wasn’t much to look at here since what little intricacies existed in the architecture itself had been lost to time ages ago. The mahogany door was the only exception to that – probably because it was new, modelled after the old ones, of course.

Intricate carvings lined with brass covered the surface of the two winged door. They depicted a scene; a woman, wearing a winged helmet, her long hair fluttering behind her, donned in armour and wielding a spear, and a snake, winged, large and dangerous. The woman’s spear was striking at the snake’s eye.

But that wasn’t what caught Midhir’s interest. The eyes of the snake was what he focused on. Two gems had been embedded into them, dull and simple, clearly ordinary. But their colour was a bright blue.

While he pondered what event in history or legend these carvings depicted, the door swung open, and Instructor Soraya stepped out. “Go on,” she curtly said with a sour tone before she walked off with hasty, and stiff steps. Her footsteps echoed in the hallway as Midhir watched her for a few moments longer.

As she turned a corner and left his field of vision, he breathed a sigh, then stepped through the pair of mahogany doors.

The Principal’s office was beautifully decorated, and brightly illuminated by the two large windows across the door. The wall to his left was lined with bookshelves. They were lined on two sides of a hearth, though it wasn’t lit at the moment. On the wall to his left, there were shelves again, albeit this time lined with small boxes, each more ornate and beautifully crafted than the other.

Below the two large windows was the principal’s desk, and her seat, facing the door. Two smaller seats were placed in front of the desk – seats for visitors and guests.

Midhir stepped inside and let the doors close behind him. His gaze met with principal Aoidh’s as she sat at her seat, arms crossed and a faint smile on her lips. Her white hair cascaded behind her like a waterfall, glimmering like silver under the bright sunlight shining through the windows.

“Apologies for calling for you so suddenly,” she gestured at the chairs, “you look tired, have a seat.”

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Tired was an understatement. The toll of casting back to back resonances and separating them from his blade was exhaustion. Had he been given the chance, he would have preferred to sleep until the next morning. “Duelling with instructor Soraya took its toll,” he replied with a soft chuckle as he sat down.

“Naturally,” She leaned forward. “I won’t waste either of our time. I was told to make sure you have no lingering effects from being in the mist, and in the vicinity of the tear in the Veil for too long.”

Midhir’s smile vanished. “I’m alright,” he looked at his hands. “There is no lingering pain, no stiffness, the healers did an incredible job with the wound in my leg,” he hesitated, trying to remember. There were several things people were checked for if they had been exposed to creatures from the other side.

“I don’t have shining blue eyes,” he chuckled, raising his head meet her gaze. “As you can see,”

Principal Aoidh nodded. “Voices in your mind? Unnatural marks on your body? Abnormal strength, or loss of strength?”

He shook his head to all of her questions. “I’m fine. The stake protected me from the worst of it, and I only got hit once by the waves of power.”

“Once is usually enough,” Her sharp voice startled him. “Considering your situation, it’s only natural they’re worried. Had it been up to them, you would have never been sent on missions outside of Lunum.” She pursed her lips. “They’d rather have you back at home, safe.”

Midhir let out a sigh. It was understandable. “I know,” he muttered. “I understand. But I can’t stay at home forever. I want to see the world, I want to achieve something.” He hung his head, his gaze focused on his palms resting on his lap.

“That’s why I didn’t let them interfere, boy.” Principal Aoidh waved her hand dismissively. “And I won’t let them interfere now either, no matter how much they wish they could. But you need to be careful. More than before. You should have used the stake as soon as the mist approached, and let your classmates help you keep its protective barrier up.”

Midhir clenched his fists. “It’s too identifiable.”

“It is, indeed,” Principal Aoidh nodded. “But when it’s a question of whether you survive or not, that’s not something you have the luxury to consider.”

“I survived.”

“Only because I arrived in time,” she scowled. “You would have either died of blood loss or met a fate worse than death.”

Midhir bit his lips. She was right. Every word she spoke was the truth, as always.

“I won’t be here in your next field exercise,” she continued. “Duty calls once more – to Olisar, since this time it’s beyond even Lord Ennea’s capabilities.”

Midhir’s eyes widened. “What?” asked as his gaze shot up to meet hers. “Beyond the Lustrous Blademaster’s capabilities? How?” He was one of the strongest people in Eldoria, with only a few people more powerful than him that he could think of off the top of his head.

“That’s what I want to find out as well.” Principal Aoidh shook her head. “I’m not much stronger than he is. Not without someone of the Ardagh bloodline by my side. I can’t be worrying about you during that time.” She glared at him, clearly waiting him to say something.

Midhir rested his head on the back of his chair. “I’ll use the stake if we’re faced with something we can’t handle.”

She raised a single eyebrow.

“I promise,” he added.

Her lips curled up with a gentle smile. “Thank you.”

“Where are we going next anyways?” Having at least some information before the day of them leaving would be great. While Instructor Soraya clearly didn’t want to disclose that information, he hoped Moira would.

Principal Aoidh’s smile slowly vanished. “You’ll be visiting Bareon, the City of Roses. Lord Orlein will be your point of contact, and you will be his guests.”