Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

82. Reluctant Sorcerers

Compared to some of her other classmates, Elaine could recognize that her Magic Sense wasn't that advanced—when it came to detecting another's Essence Signature, she was more than certain that Laurence exceeded them all; too bad the boy was adrift in his dreams to be of any real help. Nevertheless, she liked to think she could utilize her underdeveloped skill well enough.

Elaine closed her eyes, slowly inhaling through her mouth, she steadied her thoughts, inviting the myriad sounds and sensations of the world around her to flood her mind in a gentle tide. At an untrained glance, every Essence Signature appeared strikingly similar—a pulsing orb of turquoise energy that flickered against the backdrop of an otherwise dull landscape. Much to that extent, some untrained mages might encounter challenges discerning the differences between a human's Signature and that of a squirrel darting into the underbrush or a land dragon hibernating deep below the earth's crust.

What Professor Knight had instilled in them throughout his lessons was that every Signature was intrinsically unique; each one embodied the intricate personality and will of its vessel. With this lesson echoing in her mind, Elaine steeled herself, honing her focus on any mage that might be close by, observing quietly for the precise moment to strike. Her brows pinched together, she cautiously sought after the Essence Signature of the warlock who had come perilously close to ending their lives. The Void.

If Kliff's words were to be trusted, then the warlock was nowhere in the immediate vicinity, granting her a somewhat fleeting sense of relief. Her intuition through her Magic Sense confirmed his claim, as she couldn't detect any Essence Signatures indicative of a human presence. Yet, seasoned mages often possessed the ability of Magic Suppression, and Elaine held no doubt that the Void could Suppress his Essence as well. And to that end, as she reopened her eyes, the world around her gradually regaining its color, the terrifying image of the deranged mage lurking in the shadows just behind her sent chills up her spine.

Ahead of her, Elaine observed as Kliff helped Custas to carry an unconscious and battered Rolland atop the extensive frame of Serpens the Elusive, the reptilian spirit having folded its wings behind its neck and glancing back at the boys as they positioned the multiple motionless bodies of their classmates neatly atop him. Well, "neatly" wasn't the right word, more so, they did their best to keep them situated over Serpens' scaly body, laying them out like rags being left to dry in the summer sun.

What became clear to her was that Serpens must have possessed some aspect of size-altering abilities, as not even ten minutes ago, when he had been grappling with the furious Lupus, Serpens had seemed impressively substantial. Yet now, he appeared remarkably smaller. Perhaps adopting a leaner, more compact frame aided Serpen's flight performance? Who was to tell? Elaine certainly wouldn't pretend to be an expert in spirit physiology.

She was still coming to grips that she herself was apparently a...a Summoner. What's more, she had somehow formed a Bond with one of the most terrifying beasts she'd ever encountered. Just imagining Lupus' furious burnished gold eyes and monstrous fangs was enough to resolve herself to never Summon the spirit again.

Kliff stood tall, pushing himself up on his toes to stretch out his weary muscles. With a deep, exhausted sigh escaping his lips, he went to retrieve Kara, who was seated beside a sparkling cluster of stellarium crystals at the base of a galbora tree. Elaine winced as she watched Kliff scoop Kara up effortlessly in his strong arms and carry her over to the more-than-patient Serpens. Elaine could only pray to Aeris for the swift recovery of all her classmates. Her gaze then drifted skyward until her eyes met the oily membrane of the barrier covering the forest like an enormous dome. Was Custas telling the truth? Could they actually escape Glyph Forest if they wanted to?

"I don't get it, I just don't," Custas grunted, shaking his head with fists planted on his sides. He turned to face Elaine with eyes that screamed with frustration more than they did confusion or fear. "We finally have a chance to get out of here, and you speak this nonsense that you want to stay? If we want to escape this nightmare, this is the best shot we're ever going to get!" Kliff said nothing as he placed Kara aboard Serpens, positioning the girl in as comfortable a position as he could feasibly manage. "I don't understand! Why wouldn't you want to leave?!"