Aeryn fidgeted nervously in her seat, feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety. She had always been interested in magic and the possibilities it held, but she had never been formally trained in its use, neither in this life nor her last. Though... reading those books and training with Lewis had been some of the best fun she'd had in... in a long time.
A blush overtook her face as her thoughts began to mingle with her desires and go out of control.
"Focus, Aeryn," She murmured to herself; now was not the time.
She had completed the written part of the license with ease, or at least she felt it was with ease. It was much easier to do considering she pretty much had a separate brain helping her.
Now, she had to complete the practical test. This test would determine whether or not she was qualified to teach at the academy, and Aeryn didn't want to let Aldrich down.
Though, she was doing this more for herself than Aldrich.
As she waited, Aeryn distracted herself from her thoughts by observing her surroundings. Aeryn, though she'd never admit it, was too nervous to look around earlier, but now that she had time, her eyes were drawn to the beauty of the academy. The reception area was grand and imposing, with towering, spiralling pillars that looked so perfect, that the builders must've instinctively known the golden ratio by heart and hand.
All around these pillars and along the walls were ornate decorations, so fine and perfectly crafted that the sparks that were used to craft them could still be felt, though she couldn't tell what kind of sparks. The air was thick with the scent of incense and sparks, and Aeryn could feel a powerful hum emanating from the building itself.
Her attention was torn away from the wonderful architecture to a group of students practising their magic in a nearby courtyard. They were young, and so wild and free. Aeryn felt a pang of envy and regret as she watched them duel. If only she had been allowed to learn magic when she was their age, she could have been among them, could've had a normal life.
"Aeryn, the practical testing arena is ready for you!"
Aeryn rose with purpose and marched across the room with strides filled with courage. One may have thought that she looked arrogant. In reality though, it was all really just to hide any sense of fear or anxiety from showing.
She stepped through the door.
— Lewis —
~~ Yes, I know what some of you are thinking. Just wait til you get til the Author's Note <.<;; ~~
< Oi Lewis, Wakey Wakey >
< I've been awake for a while >
< Uh... I was just testing to see if you're paying attention~ >
< Sure... want me to take over? >
< Eh? Why? >
< We want the best shot at this. >
Silence.
Was that too direct?
I tried to mask it behind some logical reasoning…
Why couldn't I have just been a… member of the squad instead of the captain?
Maybe I should've gone to more of those bar gatherings Evelynne used to organize…
< Well… I also got some training from our little girl… >
< Our.. what.? Oh. Also, when did this 'training' happen? >
< Back in Miaenn~ >
< Looks like we both have secrets we're keeping from each other... >
< Indeed. Wait- What haven't yo- >
The 'signal' cut off as I forcefully gained control over the vessel.
< Hush now Aeryn, let's get this over with first. >
It felt like I was being pulled through a swamp, or even just really murky water, from behind a boat...
I had always hated boats.
My eyes opened without the usual flash one would expect when opening their eyes in a bright room after having them closed for an extended period of time. This 'vessel' was definitely... something.
"Wow... I've never seen someone with mimic arts at a high level of mastery, " Millie, the instructor, said -- her eyes gleaming with curiosity brighter than most stars.
I chuckled at her ignorance, despite my own.
I did have an affinity with Mimic arts, but this was something... something else.
"Who are they to you? A brother? A friend? Perhaps even a lost loved one who you just can't let go?" Millie continued on a blissfully ignorant rant towards a foreign subject.
The urge to reply 'No, just a friend,' was at the tip of my tongue, pushing for escape into the wind. But I didn't let it go. I couldn't.
What... was that? That... feeling... A memory from deep within, if it even was 'within' my mind, sparked by the words of a stranger. A feeling of nostalgia for a time I've never known, a past I've never lived. A memory of a loved person I've never met, a silhouette of a life I don't remember.
"Let's... move on with the test," I finally whispered, trying to steel myself against those feelings of saudade and melancholy.
Millie's aura switched much faster than my previous assumption of her led me to presume. Sensing she had struck a bad note, she backed off and assumed a very professional demeanour.
"Lady Aeryn -- since you have a form of recommendation and recognition by Sir Aldritch Fiaesen N-irueerri -- to protect the sanctity of the arts, your practical test shall only include the basic module."
The 'sanctity of the arts?'
Was it similar to what Lily and the Innkeeper were talking about back at the inn?
That feels... so long ago.
An entire lifetime, even.
"Lady Aeryn?"
"Oh, right. I must've zoned out."
It was weird being called Aeryn, though it was better than them knowing that two people were in the same body.
I threw those thoughts from my mind. There was no use reflecting on the dead, wishing them back. Better to find meaning and motivation to avenge them rather than smear their memories with tears.
< We'll avenge them. Lily and the Innkeeper and Emma and everyone else. >
< and Jordan. >
I formed my resolve and cemented it within my soul. I had been wondering why I was feeling so lost lately. I'd been blaming it simply on the fact that I was still overwhelmed by the fact I was in a new world, in the impossible situation of sharing a vessel with another. The overwhelmingness of it all only covered the true core of the problem. It was him. That golden-haired saint. That evil incarnate with green minted eyes. That paradox of a man so seemingly pure, yet completely devoid of anything human.
Castine.