healingbonds (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
healingbonds) wrote2020-08-05 06:33 pm
healingbonds) wrote2020-08-05 06:33 pm
Prelude to the Festival and Pride | Chapter 8
Chapter 7 << | index | >> Chapter 9
Mithra: Do you need help? I’ll lend you a hand.
Owen: I’ll lend you a hand too. Is your back itchy?
Bradley: I’ll scratch it for you too. Here?
(Scratching sounds)
I stiffen as the three of them scratch my back. Arthur looks at us, smiling pleasantly.
Arthur: You’ve all gotten really friendly with the Sage.
Mithra: Yes.
Arthur: I’m jealous. Sir Sage, next time please ask me for a favour too. Well then, let’s set off.
Akira: Ah......
I reach hopelessly after Arthur’s dashingly turnt back.
Akira: (This is bad...... The Central wizards are too earnest compared to the Northern wizards...... I have to do something......)
At a loss, I head to our destination with everyone else.
✦✧☾✧✦
Snow: It should be somewhere around here......
Akira: Amazing...... It’s like a giant bridge made of ice......
I am struck speechless by the magnificent scenery in front of me. Ice bridges — so big they resemble toppled skyscrapers — lay stretched across a glacial valley.
Cain: Somehow it’s really suffocating..... There’s an oppressive feeling to this place, like it’ll crush me.
Riquet: I agree...... It’s such a mysterious, majestic, and beautiful place; yet it makes you want to retreat......
Snow: That’s probably due to the presence of the original spirits of Northern Country. Because they’re the oldest beings in the world, with the most tenacious, prideful, and aggressive tempers.
White: The very land itself responds to the slightest magic. See for yourself.
White spreads open the palm of his hand. He creates a small orb that radiates a faint light, and gently sinks it into the frozen earth beneath our feet.
The glowing orb fall gently like flower petals; the ground where they land gives off dazzling light in seven colours, spreading out across the frozen tundra like rolling waves.
Riquet: Woah...... Is this the frozen ground resonating with the presence of magic?
Snow: That’s right. That’s why it’s better not to provoke the spirits excessively. We can’t imagine what would happen.
White: Exactly. Let’s start the festival meticulously. Is everyone ready?
Owen: ......Uu......
Snow and White turn around to look at everyone else. As they do, Owen crouches down, his face pale.
(Rustle)
Cain: ......What’s wrong? You look ill......
Cain peers worriedly at Owen’s countenance. At first, I thought it was an act to delay the holy festival, but Owen seems to be in a really bad state.
He’s gone completely bloodless, shivering uncontrollably. Even the veins faintly standing out against his pale neck have darkened morbidly.
Akira: (What wrong......?)
Snow: This must’ve happened because he ate the maleficium; they’re viciously ill-natured, cursed birds. Here, let us cure you.
Owen: ......Unnecessary...... As long as I can stay still for a little while, I can put an end to this kind of curse and dissolve it with my magic.
White: But......
Owen: Leave me alone.
Owen lies down on the frozen ground, narrowing his eyes like a weakened animal. And just like that, he stops moving.
Snow: I guess we have no choice. Let’s wait for a while.
Oz: I agreed to this on the condition that we perform the holy festival swiftly.
White: What an impatient man. It’s still only morning. Isn’t it fine to wait until Owen recovers?
Oz: I’ll make him recover.
White: Keep quiet.
Oz furrows his brows in displeasure. Still glaring at Oz, White sits down beside Owen and caresses his head.
White: We Northern wizards have our own pride. It might be easy for you to trample over us, but you ought to show some prudence.
Whether it’s eating a cursed bird, or wanting to treat our own wounds — no matter how foolish it might seem, that is our own will and stubbornness as Northern wizards. If we lose even our will, then we couldn’t go on living.
Mithra: That’s really convincing coming from a ghost.
White: This is none of your concern.
It is Snow — not Oz — who gives in to White’s words. He puts a hand on Oz’s back, admonishing him in a low voice.
Snow: ......Please just accept it for now. It’s still too early to get impatient.
(Footsteps)
Oz walks away, still looking dissatisfied. Arthur and Riquet chase after his retreating back.
The twins and Cain stay back to take care of a weakened Owen, keeping watch by his side.
Cain: ......You all right? If you ate something bad and upset your stomach, you should just hurry up and vomit it out.
Owen: ......You’re so annoying......
Cain laughs gently at Owen’s suffering tone.
Cain: Honestly, you go about being stubborn in such a bizarre way. Well, I’m also really stubborn, so I probably shouldn’t say that.
A sense of quiet wistfulness washes over me at Cain’s words, and I leave their sides: I get the feeling that I shouldn’t witness Owen’s weakened state.
Akira: (The pride of Northern wizards...... Their stubbornness...... If I can understand it, I wonder if we can get along.)
I walk along, deep in thought, but I look up at the sound of palms clapping together. In the distance, Mithra and Bradley exchange a high five.
Bradley: All right! It worked.
Mithra: It sure worked.
Bradley: But that bird’s curse looks awful no matter how many times I come across it. I’m so glad I won at cards. It would’ve probably knocked either of us out for half a day.
Mithra: Feigning illness won’t work on Oz. So the solution was to get sick — but not to the point of dying — and delay the holy festival.
Poor Owen, though — he lost the game and got stuck with the penalty.
Akira: (These people...... Did Owen go as far as to eat that strange bird to deceive Oz!? And here I was, thinking about facing them seriously......)
I turn on my heels indignantly.
Akira: (Owen is weak right now, and the twins and Cain are there...... I should be able to tell them about the plan. I’m definitely spilling!)
I stomp across the frozen ground with firm, wide strides, marching back towards where Owen lays on the ground.
At that moment, a dark shadow appears in front of me.
Akira: .............!
Mithra: ............
It’s Mithra. He stares fixedly at me, his gaze languid and sleepy; without a change in his expression, he reaches a hand towards my face.
Before I can dodge, his large palm covers my line of sight.
Akira: Mi—
Mithra: << Arthim >>
And I lose consciousness.
Chapter 7 << | index | >> Chapter 9
Mithra: Do you need help? I’ll lend you a hand.
Owen: I’ll lend you a hand too. Is your back itchy?
Bradley: I’ll scratch it for you too. Here?
(Scratching sounds)
I stiffen as the three of them scratch my back. Arthur looks at us, smiling pleasantly.
Arthur: You’ve all gotten really friendly with the Sage.
Mithra: Yes.
Arthur: I’m jealous. Sir Sage, next time please ask me for a favour too. Well then, let’s set off.
Akira: Ah......
I reach hopelessly after Arthur’s dashingly turnt back.
Akira: (This is bad...... The Central wizards are too earnest compared to the Northern wizards...... I have to do something......)
At a loss, I head to our destination with everyone else.
✦✧☾✧✦
Snow: It should be somewhere around here......
Akira: Amazing...... It’s like a giant bridge made of ice......
I am struck speechless by the magnificent scenery in front of me. Ice bridges — so big they resemble toppled skyscrapers — lay stretched across a glacial valley.
Cain: Somehow it’s really suffocating..... There’s an oppressive feeling to this place, like it’ll crush me.
Riquet: I agree...... It’s such a mysterious, majestic, and beautiful place; yet it makes you want to retreat......
Snow: That’s probably due to the presence of the original spirits of Northern Country. Because they’re the oldest beings in the world, with the most tenacious, prideful, and aggressive tempers.
White: The very land itself responds to the slightest magic. See for yourself.
White spreads open the palm of his hand. He creates a small orb that radiates a faint light, and gently sinks it into the frozen earth beneath our feet.
The glowing orb fall gently like flower petals; the ground where they land gives off dazzling light in seven colours, spreading out across the frozen tundra like rolling waves.
Riquet: Woah...... Is this the frozen ground resonating with the presence of magic?
Snow: That’s right. That’s why it’s better not to provoke the spirits excessively. We can’t imagine what would happen.
White: Exactly. Let’s start the festival meticulously. Is everyone ready?
Owen: ......Uu......
Snow and White turn around to look at everyone else. As they do, Owen crouches down, his face pale.
(Rustle)
Cain: ......What’s wrong? You look ill......
Cain peers worriedly at Owen’s countenance. At first, I thought it was an act to delay the holy festival, but Owen seems to be in a really bad state.
He’s gone completely bloodless, shivering uncontrollably. Even the veins faintly standing out against his pale neck have darkened morbidly.
Akira: (What wrong......?)
Snow: This must’ve happened because he ate the maleficium; they’re viciously ill-natured, cursed birds. Here, let us cure you.
Owen: ......Unnecessary...... As long as I can stay still for a little while, I can put an end to this kind of curse and dissolve it with my magic.
White: But......
Owen: Leave me alone.
Owen lies down on the frozen ground, narrowing his eyes like a weakened animal. And just like that, he stops moving.
Snow: I guess we have no choice. Let’s wait for a while.
Oz: I agreed to this on the condition that we perform the holy festival swiftly.
White: What an impatient man. It’s still only morning. Isn’t it fine to wait until Owen recovers?
Oz: I’ll make him recover.
White: Keep quiet.
Oz furrows his brows in displeasure. Still glaring at Oz, White sits down beside Owen and caresses his head.
White: We Northern wizards have our own pride. It might be easy for you to trample over us, but you ought to show some prudence.
Whether it’s eating a cursed bird, or wanting to treat our own wounds — no matter how foolish it might seem, that is our own will and stubbornness as Northern wizards. If we lose even our will, then we couldn’t go on living.
Mithra: That’s really convincing coming from a ghost.
White: This is none of your concern.
It is Snow — not Oz — who gives in to White’s words. He puts a hand on Oz’s back, admonishing him in a low voice.
Snow: ......Please just accept it for now. It’s still too early to get impatient.
(Footsteps)
Oz walks away, still looking dissatisfied. Arthur and Riquet chase after his retreating back.
The twins and Cain stay back to take care of a weakened Owen, keeping watch by his side.
Cain: ......You all right? If you ate something bad and upset your stomach, you should just hurry up and vomit it out.
Owen: ......You’re so annoying......
Cain laughs gently at Owen’s suffering tone.
Cain: Honestly, you go about being stubborn in such a bizarre way. Well, I’m also really stubborn, so I probably shouldn’t say that.
A sense of quiet wistfulness washes over me at Cain’s words, and I leave their sides: I get the feeling that I shouldn’t witness Owen’s weakened state.
Akira: (The pride of Northern wizards...... Their stubbornness...... If I can understand it, I wonder if we can get along.)
I walk along, deep in thought, but I look up at the sound of palms clapping together. In the distance, Mithra and Bradley exchange a high five.
Bradley: All right! It worked.
Mithra: It sure worked.
Bradley: But that bird’s curse looks awful no matter how many times I come across it. I’m so glad I won at cards. It would’ve probably knocked either of us out for half a day.
Mithra: Feigning illness won’t work on Oz. So the solution was to get sick — but not to the point of dying — and delay the holy festival.
Poor Owen, though — he lost the game and got stuck with the penalty.
Akira: (These people...... Did Owen go as far as to eat that strange bird to deceive Oz!? And here I was, thinking about facing them seriously......)
I turn on my heels indignantly.
Akira: (Owen is weak right now, and the twins and Cain are there...... I should be able to tell them about the plan. I’m definitely spilling!)
I stomp across the frozen ground with firm, wide strides, marching back towards where Owen lays on the ground.
At that moment, a dark shadow appears in front of me.
Akira: .............!
Mithra: ............
It’s Mithra. He stares fixedly at me, his gaze languid and sleepy; without a change in his expression, he reaches a hand towards my face.
Before I can dodge, his large palm covers my line of sight.
Akira: Mi—
Mithra: << Arthim >>
And I lose consciousness.
Chapter 7 << | index | >> Chapter 9