2.1 CHAPTER ONE: THE ROYAL MAGE
Karme walked aimlessly behind the woman who took her away from castle de Serin. She was staring at her bloodied hands that were cold and empty. At the same time, the scene of Maya falling to the ground repeatedly replayed in her mind. Her friend was gone.
The only person who made her living hell worth living for.
And she left her.
She left her without a proper burial. A proper goodbye. And it ate her.
New tears started falling down her face as she stopped walking. A sob escaped her throat as she fell to her knees, gripping the necklace Maya had given her during her last breath. Her shoulder shook as for the first time in years, Karme cried out loud without fear of her father hearing. She raised her hands and pressed the necklace's pendant into her lips as she wept for a friend she would never see again.
The pendant was a raven. Maya had always had a fascination with the said bird that Karme could not understand. It was a necklace she treasured so gently and for her to pass it on to Karme made it all the more meaningful.
It also made her death far more sorrowful.
Karme had not simply lost a friend. She lost a part of herself with Maya.
"That is right, child. Cry your heart. Cry until there are no more tears. And you will grow to be far stronger than the you of now,"
At those comforting words, Karme broke more than before. She was a weeping mess in a place so unfamiliar. But at the moment, the lady could not feel any apprehension whatsoever. She removed her hands from her face and stared at the supreme being who took her away from her prison.
"Why did you save me?" she cried, gripping the pendant tighter between her hands. "Life is not worth living alone,"
It was barely a whisper. Yet Celeste felt a heavy pain in that little voice. It was as if she was carrying the weight of the whole world on her shoulders. Broken… And shattered. It was something even Celeste knew she could not bear for a short while. Despite all that, the young lady in front of her carried it for a decade and eight.
She raised a hand and clasped Karme's cheek. Her thumb caressed the side of the young lady's face in an attempt to wipe her tears. "Because you want to be saved, Karme,"
"Wha?" Karme answered, confused as she shook her head in reply. "No…No…"
She gave her a soft smile, "you might think that for now, child. But you would not have taken my hand if you did not wish to be saved,"
Karme stared her in the eyes. Her tears continued to flow, but she was not violently shaking anymore. There was something in the orbs of the person in front of her that was so calming. So, Celeste continued;
"The pain you are feeling right now, remember it. And then, do everything in your power to make sure you won't go through it once more,"
Karme looked down and opened her palms to reveal Maya's necklace covered in blood. "But I don't know how. I could not even protect my dearest friend. How will I be strong enough?"
Celeste took her hands and gently led her to stand up. "You are chosen by the undying Phoenix fire for a reason, Karme. You just have to discover it. Which is why I am here. I will teach you to learn who you really are and what you can do. All you have to do is desire it,"
Karme pulled her hand back as if Celeste had burned her. She shook her head once more and turned away from the older woman. "No. I do not want to be the royal mage,"
"That's the best part, Karme. You don't have to,"
Karme looked over her should, baffled as to what the royal mage was talking about. "Is that not why you came? To train me to be your successor?"
"Oh, no," Celeste refuted. "I have served five kings and still have no plans to retire. The current royal mage has the decision to ask the eternal flame for the name of their successor,"
Celeste gestured behind her. Karme's eyes widened at the sight in front of her. They were in a room even Karme could tell it was special. Marbled columns towered over them. The room was illuminated with torches made of gold every step of the way. Statues of gods and goddesses stood in between the columns. And in the middle stood a lone pedestal.
In it was a single goblet, larger than any Karme had ever seen. It housed a tri-colored fire of blue, red, and orange. It was an imposing sight. Karme could feel the raw power of the flame surrounding her, calling her.
"The undying Phoenix fire had produced your name without so much as a prompt from me," Celeste walked towards the said fire, inviting Karme to do the same.
With curiosity shining in her eyes, the young lady walked around the fire. She studied every part of the Phoenix fire, even the pedestal it stood on, as Celeste continued her explanation.
"Which is why I was curious as to who you are. Never been once presented in public aside from the day of your wedding. And according to the letter your father had sent me, in my inquiry of you, you are a powerless human with no magic whatsoever. But I have witnessed the opposite. You, my dear child, are a rare entity. Your twin might be able to call upon the white lightning. But you embody the blue one, which in my century of living, I have never seen before in any human. Not once, child,"
"I don't understand," Karme answered as she stood straight up after seeing every corner of the fire. "If you are not to train me as your successor, why did you help me?"
Celeste smiled, clasping her hands together. They stood on opposite sides of the fire. The wavering shadow it produced made the older woman much more unearthly than before, with her long, orchid hair curling behind her like some delicate rings. And her amethyst eyes with white, black, and blue specks reminded Karme of a painting of the universe she had once seen in a book.
"You are a curiosity, Karme. Perhaps, in the future, if I were to lay down my staff–I'd want you to take over," Celeste responded, walking towards Karme and stopping in front of her. "I came simply because I wanted to see the woman the eternal flame had chosen. To be honest, I was not expecting much. But it is my duty to investigate the name the Phoenix fire produced so unexpectedly. But upon witnessing your power, I hereby officially invite you to join the Kifo(1),"