Fall of Ima (Cycles of the Lights series)

Chapter Ten

Songbird- 9745 Jeman Year

Vesper climbed creakily to her feet, soiled blanket slipping from her shoulders. Mage guards held open the cell door, unceremoniously declaring, "Your name's been cleared."

"How long have I been here?" she stepped forward, all joints aching.

"About two years."

The words struck her hard. How did Meliora fare during this time? "Have you arrested someone else?" she asked.

"No."

The short exchanged drained her. Vesper wished to inquire more, but barely found strength the stand. No apologies were made as they escorted her above ground. She paused in the archway, eying the sun. The guards gave a push and she stumbled forward. Warm rays struck her face causing emotions to stir. Vesper tilted her face to catch the beams as sobs pulled her chest.

They marched the length of the ovular courtyard, stretching the length of a mile. Most of the school sat underground with the exception of the first two stories and front atrium. Sections in the oval were assigned for Masters and apprentices, mages and specialties.

She'd marched halfway through the courtyard before noticing it lacked the usual throng of people. "Where is everyone?" she ventured.

A guard peered from the corner of his eyes. He gauged there was no harm in responding, "After Master Ramona's passing, more than half the apprentices withdrew. Many mages left too."

The other guard chipped in, "A Master hasn't died in over two hundred years. It made all of Songbird uneasy."

Feeling chatty, the first guard continued, "The 'accident' two centuries prior destroyed a large part of Jema, resulting in the gulf near the Calio border. If you ask me, I don't think it was an accident. They tried to cover it up, but I think there was a power struggle." The words gave Vesper a chill as she sensed tension lurking in the air.

The second guard opened up as well. "People of Jema think the Masters are invincible, that nothing can kill them. The late Master Ramona's passing is fueling paranoid rumors the Great Evil is returning."

"The Great Evil?" Vesper asked. The first guard also turned to the second.

He nodded, "The threat to all life." He chuckled, "Don't worry, it's just legend. About as real as the Seed of Life."

Vesper's stomach churned from fatigue. She dropped her head until they reached her room. There she slid onto her cot. The stiff board never seemed more inviting and she hardly noticed the guards' retreat. As drowsiness clouded, the guard's words about the Great Evil niggled. "It does follow the equation," she thought. "To balance the existence of the Seed of Life there must something in opposition." Before she could consider how to harness the Seed of Life without triggering the Great Evil, dreamless sleep took over.

Vesper awoke to a summons glyph on her wall. She saw that she'd been asleep for ten hours. After cleaning herself and donning a fresh robe, she made her way to the registration hall. She was the only pupil there. An administrative mage informed her that all of Ramona's apprentices had been reassigned; at least those who didn't withdraw.

"You're to study under Master Cleodell," the mage informed. Vesper felt no surprise. As instructed, she removed the crest of Master Ramona from her breast and turned it over. The mage cupped it in her palms and uttered a prayer. Vesper recognized it as one respecting the deceased. She wished to feel sympathy, but years of isolation left her numb. She hardly remembered Ramona's face.

When the mage finished, the crest turned to dust. The woman collected the contents in a jar and sealed it away. Afterwards she brought out a box and retrieved a crest of Master Cleodell. She placed it in Vesper's hands. When the apprentice didn't immediately affix it to her robe, the mage eyed her with confusion.