Mystic - EN version

Chapter 18 : Meditation

Clave collapsed on the grass, exhausted.

– Stop, Noah... Pause, please...

– Hey, we've only been training for an hour, he reprimanded her. Shake it off, you won't become Queen of Sirine like that!

Clave turned onto her side and looked at the wooden sword beside her. Noah and his new apprentice had spent the first hour of their training sparring with swords, but unlike her friend, the young girl knew absolutely nothing about it, and even if she had by chance practised fencing before, she had amnesia, and none of Noah's movements were familiar to her.

– Come on, get up, he encouraged her. No more fencing.

Clave's face lit up.

– Time for meditation!

He took both her arms and pulled her towards him.

– Sit here, he said, pointing to an open space between two huge silver roots.

Clave sat cross-legged on the grass, which had become dry from the heat. She put the palms of her hands on her knees and gently relaxed.

– You've got very good posture, that's very good! announced Noah. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Clear your mind.

The young girl closed her eyes and let her thoughts swirl inside her and fly away. She was about to fall asleep when she felt a flame close to her heart, which woke her up. Panicked, she began to stir, but Noah's voice telling her to keep relaxing reassured her.

Little by little, the warmth from her heart spread throughout her body, her skin, her muscles and even her bones. She also felt her blood heating up.

She could feel a warm force enveloping and protecting her. She couldn't control it yet, couldn't manipulate it, but she knew it was hers now.

"This is my magical energy... the Crown Princess's. The royal family's."

Clave opened her eyes again. She didn't know if a minute or an hour had passed, but she felt much better, more rested than before. More complete, too, despite the fact that her memory still hadn't returned.

– Woah..., gasped Noah, impressed. I didn't think it would work so well... Oh, Clave! Your shoulder's shining...

The young girl lifted the sleeve of her tunic to her shoulder and saw a golden tattoo emanating a bright light. It was in the shape of a crown.

"This must be the mark of members of the royal family," thought Clave.

The glow from the tattoo gradually faded until the crown finally disappeared completely.

Amazed, Clave stared at her shoulder for a while longer before her friend's voice snapped her out of her reverie.

– If you do this every day, you should be ready in about a week for stage two!

– That's too long! I thought Duke Arthur wanted my crown back! At this rate, I'll never be ready to stop him!

– I've already told you not to rush! For one thing, nobody knows where this Crown of Radiance is, and for another, you haven't mastered your magic yet!

– Magic isn't a problem, I'll soon be able to manipulate it as I wish, she snapped.

Noah frowned.

– Don't get too confident. It'll play tricks on you in the end. Believe me, I know well about that.

Clave didn't answer.

Noah watched Clave as she got up and walked back to the mansion. He was really worried about his friend. He'd only known her a short time, but he could see that all this talk of inheritance, the throne and the royal family was going to her head.

"You don't have to be a telepath to see that," he said sadly. "I just hope it doesn't backfire on her."