The Nobles of the North

Chapter 2: Winterpeak's Welcome

Winterpeak, the northernmost city in Regalia, was a place of stark beauty and enduring mystery.

As soon as Rios left the comforts of the Nobles Keep, he could hear the bustling city built on the edge of a frozen lake. The city is known for its skilled artisans, powerful mages, and ancient libraries.

Nestled just at the top of the Nobles Keep, the city was a frozen fortress, its walls and buildings carved from ice and snow. The air was crisp and biting, filled with the biting scent of frost and the distant howl of the wind.

He had always found it quite a challenge to navigate the city's intricate maze of streets. Not only is it always full of people, but there's always something new happening in every corner. It doesn't help if you're short since you only see people's backs.

Rios is well glad he's not short.

Although his towering figure might attract unwanted attention; he figured to dress up a little more modestly. The navy blue, bright silver, and shiny leather he's used to wearing in the Nobles Keep would have all heads turned on him; he needed to change to a normal black wool overalls that all Arches in Regalia wear.

Being tall is also a great advantage if you plan on avoiding eye contact, as there barely are anyone within eye level. So, as long as he doesn't look at anyone's eyes or accidentally touch their skin, no random mind-reading mishaps will happen.

Now, all he has to do is hide the fact that he's one of the Elites, no less than their leader.

As much as there are powerful mages and intelligent scholars in Winterpeak and other cities of Regalia, not all of them will have the opportunity to be a member of the Elites. They will have to go through years of extensive training and will be expected to wield an astounding level of power and restraint before stepping foot in the Nobles Keep.

Only a few get in, and everyone knows that. So if they are a member of the Elites, they are revered with utmost respect and admiration with people in Regalia.

Needless to say, if any Arches have recognized him, his cover will be easily blown. Unless he plans on bending the minds of every Arch in Winterpeak. He could, but prevention is always better than cure is what they say.

Rios hid all the possible clues that could point him to being one of the Elites. Wearing his wool overalls, he also made sure that his hood covered his blonde hair. He can't do much with his cornflower blue eyes, so he just has to keep averting his gaze.

He's almost unrecognisable.

It's easy for Rios to get preoccupied with Winterpeak's vibrant and bustling city. Its streets were filled with the sounds of merchants calling out their wares, the clinking of swords, and the low murmur of conversation. If he focused with every voice he heard, he could know which uncle was the grandfather of whoever.

Walking aimlessly, not quite sure why he began his search in the busiest hour of the busiest city in Regalia, Rios forgot how crowded it could be that he accidentally bumped on someone.

Maybe it was the fact that she was shorter, and she basically flew when she bumped on him, and he barely even budged. Or maybe it was the fact that they were wearing the same overalls. Or maybe it was because he could see a glimpse of her strawberry blonde hair when her hood was slightly pulled back in disarray.

But Rios can't seem to keep his eyes off her.

"Apologies," Rios offered a hand to help her stand back up, hoping in the back of his mind that he could see her face, "Are you alright?"

The girl simply nodded without looking and stood on her own, leaving Rios' hand cold. It was as if she's trying to avoid all forms of contact. She didn't say anything--not a word, not an utter, and not even a grunt. She fixed her hoodie, nodded, and attempted to leave.

Rios kept his eyes on her the whole time and watched how she fiddled with her clothes. She looked a bit shaken and in a hurry. He looked at her delicate hands, and without thinking, he reached out to grab it before she could leave.

"Let go of me," she hissed as she tried to pull her hand away to no avail. She kept her head down to avoid his eyes, but the force in which he pulled her hand and her whipping her head to his direction made her hoodie completely fall down.

With her hair shining in full glory, Rios could faintly smell actual strawberries under his nose. As much as that's attention-grabbing, there were a lot of other things that got his attention.

She didn't scream or try to get anyone else's attention--as if she just wants her hand back, run away, and be left alone. Usually, Rios would think that's a normal behaviour. However, if a stranger took your hand without consent, shouldn't she ask for help from the hundreds of people around them or at least attempt to punch Rios in the face?

That's what he thought in the first few seconds anyway. As another couple of seconds ticked by, Rios realized something... extraordinary. So much so that he almost thought it was impossible.

He can't read her mind.

It's as if all his confusion from the beginning is making sense. Rios never had a problem with knowing what a person thinks, so he usually knows how they would act and react and sometimes would control it. In this instance, it's as if he's... powerless.

In that same moment, it's as if the girl also had a sudden realization.

She stopped trying to pull away and was frozen on the spot. It was that exact moment when she decided to look up and meet Rios eye to eye.

Her eyes were a mesmerising combination--emerald green on the right and cornflower blue on the left. With the way Rios' eyes went slightly wide and his jaw almost dropped to the floor, he would think she's an enchantress from the East.

Until he realized that even looking into her eyes, he couldn't read her mind. He couldn't influence or bend a mind he couldn't read.

Rios is confused, but the girl looked just as confused, if not more.

"Who are you?" The girl asked under her breath. She looked around to check if someone was watching before looking back at him.

Rios blinked, "Who are you?" He asked back, still a bit of a loss for words, "Why can't I read your mind?" He uttered to himself. It was a question intended to ask himself rather than ask her since he didn't think she would have the answer.

Instead of pulling away, the girl gripped Rios' hand harder, "You can also read minds?" She whispered, moving closer to him with eyes as wide as saucers.

She looked interested but guarded. She's still aware that they're in the busy streets of Winterpeak, and people can lean in to their conversation anytime. It was as if she wanted the information for herself but not for anyone else.

But her question drained the soul out of Rios. It's as if Winterpeak is the coldest and harshest it's ever been all year. He can't believe it. He didn't think finding her was this easy. Was she ever this... careless?

She can't be, if it took them eighteen years to find her, right?

Rios' grip on her hand tightened, ready for when she decides to run away, "So you can read minds?" He asked.

That's when the colour flushed out of her face in realization. She's talking to the supposedly only psion in Regalia and all four regions. She uttered a string of curse words for him and for herself before she decided to do something out of the ordinary.

Rios can feel her hand feel hot against his. It was slowly but surely. He thought it was just because he's been holding her hand for a while now. But the temperature of her skin suddenly went drastically hot, and he could feel the burning in his palm.

With a jolt and a hiss, Rios let go of her hand. There was no physical fire, but he shook his hand as if that would make it better. He was not prepared for this.

It seems like not only were she able to control objects and read minds--she can also control her body temperature.

She didn't have to wait for Rios to attend to his burnt hand.

She ran away.