How long had Rielen been living at the palace? The days seemed to have dragged on somehow. What was unfamiliar to her became her daily routine. The richly decorated rooms and hallways were normal to her now. Having soft, stylish clothing was nothing to be nervous about. The Rielen that was of Vale seemed to have faded into another life. Simple things such as having her favorite meal were more common now. She understood that being well fed was beneficial to her magic. The huge amounts of energy needed to train everyday could not exist without the tons of food she consumed at meal times.
It was simple things, like always having warm bath water whenever she requested, and having everything done for her, that she had forgotten. She wished she could bring her parents to the capital so they could experience for themselves what a life of luxury was like. They still lived in Vale. A town where her father worked through the day in the fields to make ends meet. Where her mother had to embroider each night until her fingers became numb to make enough. Maybe the contributions had helped them.
On her unexpected visit to Vale a few weeks ago, she had only caught a glimpse of them. Her memory of them did not include the many new wrinkles, and hardness in their pale eyes. She wanted to let them know she was doing ok. That she had got to visit with Eon weekly. To laugh, and discuss the trouble he always seemed to find himself in. What having powers meant to her. How she felt every time she mastered a new skill.
Some things she could not describe. The feeling at the pit of her stomach when she was concentrating on pulling out a certain power. Or how it felt to be completely drained from a training session. What plant thoughts felt like. It was all too much for her to even begin discussing. She would discuss briefly with Eon on what it was like. However, his powers were more brought out by force, and physical toughness. It was not the same with her. Soft things and intricate spells, like the flowers he brought her made of stone, came hard to him.
It was like their very nature was different when it came to their magic. Did this mean they were not compatible after all? That thought depressed her. 'No, there is something else that must bind us,' she thought. 'Something that draws us together. There must be.'
It was not just love that Eon made her feel. There was a constant pull. Almost like energy there. She had never thought of feeling if that were true. Her own magic was proof that the mages here did not know everything there was to be about magic.
Rielen did not know what to make of this line of thinking. It made her worry about her own intentions to her dear childhood friend. Was it truly her own feelings that drew her to him? Or was it something she didn't understand, or had not thought to try to understand, that drew them close? She swept the papers she had been working on to the floor. Hyla had grown accustomed to these small tantrums, as Rielen's new powers had formed, causing lots of frustration.
Rielen bit her lip. 'How would I even begin to test out this theory of mine? Think back to magical theory. All magic is created through a feeling. Anger brought out my purple power and my love for nature brought out my nature magic. What feelings did I have?' She felt her cheeks warm up. 'No! Focus on the other feelings,' she told herself, and took a deep breath. She focused on the tug she always felt when she thought of Eon.
A buzz of energy flashed to her realization. What is this? It did not feel familiar. 'Could this be some other type of magic other than my own?' She focused one more time. She felt a tug of magic from the West Wing. 'He would be in his room right about now,' she thought in frustration. 'I know I am frustrated. Wait. No, this is not my own frustration. Was he working on another flower?' She wanted to comfort him.
Her concentration broke as Hyla dropped something across the room. She suddenly felt very tired, and managed to make it to her bed before she passed out.
Eon's POV
Frustration didn't begin to describe why the stone would not bend to his will. It was like it had a will of its own, and wanted to remain in an oval smooth shape. Eon had managed to break many stones. You can't force them to your will, his teacher would tell him over and over. They must be coaxed into the shape you want. They were just rocks! He was not about to convince a non-living thing to become a flower to make a girl smile.
He laughed at himself. He was arguing about a rock in his head. He could almost feel Rielen trying to comfort him. He thought back to their most recent conversations. Rielen says that her feelings played a big part in her magic. All he had ever felt was anger and frustration. It was perfect for his reinforcement magic. 'Perhaps the way I feel changes the way my magic works,' he thought, while taking a big breath. He remembered back to the times he spent endless hours in the woods with Rielen.
His magic seemed to respond, so he focused harder on the way she looked when surrounded by her mother's favorite flower: a rose. He opened his eyes and looked down at the rock. It was far from perfect, but the rock seemed to have listened to him better this time. The shape was a bit blurred, but it definitely resembled what he was trying to create. 'Perhaps I need better imagery. Maybe I should listen to that teacher a bit more from now on.'
Rielen's POV
What Rielen had not realized is that the little stunt she had pulled that night would cost her three days in bed. When she finally awoke, she was surrounded by Healing mages and Hyla's very concerned face. "Thank goodness." she kept saying. The healing mages seemed perplexed as to what could have caused Rielen's sudden loss of consciousness. "When you didn't wake up the next morning, I was beside myself." Hyla fussed over her, not letting her get out of bed for days. She had missed her weekly meeting with Eon.
The next week was filled with tests, and the constant worries from Hyla. All Rielen cared about was getting her time back with Eon to explore what that connection meant. 'Did I misunderstand what my feelings meant all along?' Tears came to her eyes. ' Would it hurt this much if I didn't actually have feelings for him?' The only love she had seen was between her parents. However, they did not have magic, or a strange bond pulling them together.
How would she even explain this to Eon? Would he hate her for it? She was torn. She wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to protect her feelings. She wanted out of this bed! Another sigh escaped her lips, as she came to yet another dead end to the endless thought process that was this connection. She was scared to poke more at the connection. Would she lose another three days if she tried to analyze it again?
She finally came to a decision. If her feelings were not strong enough to overcome this, then they were really fake after all. She reached for the connection with more strength this time, and tugged. She felt the energy draining from her body. She struggled, but with her will, managed to find something else hidden there. She knew she must have lost consciousness. All around her was a golden glow. She continued pulling at the connection.
Instead of finding Eon, she found something else. Since Rielen couldn't see anything, she reached out with her magic. A figure of enormous power was before her. It was looking at her. Rielen became self-conscious. She had basically forced herself here. "If I didn't allow you here, you would have died, young one," she felt or rather thought the words. "Who are you?" she asked fearfully.
"I am but one of several Spirits that watch over your world. When it suits us, we may interfere with yours. The fact that you were able to come here proves you were a wise choice." Rielen tried to take a big breath, but discovered there was no air in this space. "Choice? What do you mean?" The Spirit took a long time to answer.
"Magic is given to those who must shape the world," the Spirit answered. "You have been chosen for this. That is all. If you do not return now, then I am afraid your life will be in more danger. Do not worry, you will find me again, when it is time."
Darkness took over Rielen's vision. What was that? She could not speak and her body could not move. The darkness seemed to penetrate straight through her, and she felt like she was floating along a steady stream. When she awoke this time, she was not in her room. She was laying in a pod kshe had seen in the Healer's Hall, where serious injuries were taken care of.
She had a feeling that what she had experienced must never be mentioned. Who would believe her anyway?
What would she tell everyone? That she was hijacked by some Spirit that apparently watches over our world. Oh yeah, did you know they grant those of us with magic gifts?
'They might keep me here for having a broken mind,' she decided. 'When asked what happened, I will simply reply that I don't know.'
They diagnosed Rielen with amnesia, and eventually let her free. These thoughts went against everything she had been taught up until this point. She wondered, 'What did the Spirit mean by we will meet again? That one time almost killed me as it was! Surely I am not the only one who has gone through this.' She made up her mind to search the library for any mention of Spirits.