Sundown - The forgotten castle

Attack

On the way back, riding at a good pace, thoughts raced through Luka's head, first his humiliation during a beginners' course, in which he failed to answer a question dealing with the basics of magic, then his discussion with his teacher and the latter's extraordinary spell, and finally this story insinuating that Jey himself had been a young mage at the time, He was going to ask him, but didn't want to be cruel to the man, for if he had been in his situation before, Luka could well understand why he would have stopped going to his lessons, for it was what had been happening to him these past few years.

As he finally approached the village of Mystria, he had an uneasy feeling he didn't understand: the sky seemed darker than usual, the air harder to breathe and his horse's saddle less stable than usual.

Just as quickly as this impression had appeared, it disappeared.

"I'm going completely mad it seems"

Nyto was preparing lunch with his sister when someone knocked on the heavy wooden door of their home, and the boy smiled wryly before announcing, jovially, to his sister and their mother:

"It's Luka, I believe."

Fleur, Nyto's little sister, ran to the door to open it for her friend, whom she greeted with a short curtsy that made Luka wince:

"You don't need to do that, Fleur, I've already told you!"

He was used to the fifteen-year-old girl trying to make him feel uncomfortable in this way; deep down, it amused him, and he mostly feigned embarrassment to get into her game. She wore curly blonde hair and her emerald eyes gave her an air of nobility, especially when she was dressed, as she currently was, in a long, vermeil silk dress covering her whole body. Her sparkling eyes and a smile capable of warming the hearts of those who caught sight of her completed her appearance. She loved life and she made it felt in every one of her actions.

Two years ago, when she was expelled from the University of Magic, many feared she would shut down and never recover, but she bounced back almost immediately and set out on her own quest to learn what she wanted to know and never again look in the direction of the university that had once rejected her.

"And yet, this is the procedure when you welcome an important mage from the university! And I love doing it." she retorted defiantly.

"If people heard you call me an important mage, they'd hang you by your feet for a day!" Luka replied with a shrug.

Yoli, Fleur and Nyto's mother, embraced Luka before inviting him to the table, where a meal of bread and vegetable soup awaited them.

They ate in good spirits, Luka spending about one evening a week with his two friends and their mother, letting each other know what they had learned, telling each other about their days and gently teasing Fleur who, in their opinion, looked far too pure and elegant for her age.

Although she had just turned fifteen and was almost two years younger than her brother, Fleur had never been left out by Nyto and Luka. She enjoyed their company and the sense of security they gave her when they went to a nearby village together, or when they roamed the surrounding plains aimlessly.

The conversations continued for several hours, and Luka decided to take his leave to go home and sleep for a few hours. As much as he enjoyed his friends' company, he was too thoughtful to be of good company, and Fleur, Nyto and Yoli understood this without him having to say it. They wished each other a good evening and Luka left, wearing his usual sad smile.

As he walked again, this time to his home, he looked up at the sky and was captivated by a vision which, even though it occurred daily, still fascinated him. Three suns shared the skies, each majestic for different reasons: they had all been named after mythical heroes from ancient times. Or had the mythical heroes received their names from the suns? No one knew, but the fact remained that the suns were shining brightly in the late afternoon, and thanks to them, the night lasted only five or six minutes. The first of the three suns was about to disappear when he managed to shake off the radiant hold of the illuminated stars and forced himself to walk back home, where he was greeted by Jey, who seemed circumspect.