Breaking the Spell: A Diamond Castle Fanfiction

Chapter 6: The Journey

As Lyra walked, having left the castle about two hours ago, she felt chilly, as the late November air played with her hair and the leaves on the surrounding trees. She could hear various animals around, and she had to admit, she liked the feeling of serenity, being outdoors with no one else around. She soon came across the town she knew fairly well by now, the one where she had met Ian and Jeremy. She'd learned that the place was called Riverstone. She decided to stop and purchase some food, as she was growing hungry. She entered the all-too-familiar inn, and bought herself a plate of food. She sat down at a table and took out the book Dori and Phaedra had given her. She learned a bit about her new gauntlet before being interrupted. "Lyra? I didn't expect to find you here," said Jeremy. "You look like you've been walking for awhile."

"Yes, I have," said Lyra, closing the book and setting it down on the table. "How are you?"

"I'm alright. So where are you headed?" asked Jeremy, sounding genuinely curious. He sat down across from her.

"I'm trying to find someone," admitted Lyra. "I've been walking for about two hours now, and I've grown tired. The muses sent me to look for her, and..." Lyra explained her story to Jeremy, who listened with patient ears.

"It sounds to me like you're not just looking for her because you were asked to," remarked Jeremy. "It seems as though you're desperate to find her. Like you need to tell her something important, but haven't been able to admit it to yourself...or maybe you just want to be with her."

"How observant of you," replied Lyra. "You were able to find her cave, could you possibly give me directions?"

"Sure," said Jeremy, and began to tell her the route he and Ian took, when Sparkles led them to Lydia's cave to find Liana, Alexa and Lily. Since the Seven Stones was where the Diamond Castle was, it was generally the same route. Lyra was grateful for his assistance.

"Thank you, Jeremy," she said. "I really appreciate this."

"I'm glad to help," he replied. He noticed the gauntlet on her arm. "What's that?" Looking closer, he realized what the object was. "Is that a gauntlet?"

"Yes," said Lyra. "I would just use my instrument, but since I play the piano, I can't really do that," Lyra smiled, chuckling slightly at the end of her sentence. "So they gave me this gauntlet instead. This book is supposed to teach me how to wield its power, cast spells, switch spells, that kind of thing."

"That's great. I'll let you finish eating," said Jeremy, getting up. "I'll see you around."

"Bye," replied Lyra with a friendly wave. After she finished eating, she walked down the street until she came across a shop that seemed to contain magical items, spellbooks, crystals, potions, and more. She went inside and decided to take a look around.

"Good afternoon, miss," a middle-aged woman approached her. "How may I help you today?"

"I was just browsing," admitted Lyra. "But I was wondering, what are the spellbooks like? I mean, how are the spells within them learned?"

"Well," said the woman, "Upon reading one, the specific spells contained within are sort of...absorbed by the gauntlet. The book is destroyed afterwards, however, since the spells are forever embedded in the memory of the gauntlet and therefore can never be lost. There are several spellbooks in the shop, and once you've learned a spell, you may immediately cast it with your gauntlet. Of course, you'll likely want to practice if you're new at the craft."

"Do I have any spells in my gauntlet right now?" asked Lyra, glancing at the gauntlet in wonder.

"Let me see...At the moment, you have the ability to heal wounds, you have a generally weak fireball spell, and you have a spell that allows you to summon a small ball of light in your hand in case you don't have access to a torch."

"I see," said Lyra, fascinated by all this. "I'd like to buy a couple of spellbooks if that's alright."

"Of course, dear. Which ones would you like?"

After taking a thorough look at each, she decided on one that contained an abundance of ice-related spells, as well as one with fire-related spells inside. She also purchased a few crystals and another book on magic. After paying for the items, she left the shop and continued on her way. As she walked, she felt something furry brush against her leg. When she glanced down to see what it was, she saw a small calico kitten, looking up at her with bright hazel eyes. She seemed to like Lyra. Lyra picked up the cat, who seemed to be shivering due to the chilly weather. After a few moments of debating, she finally decided to name the kitten Silver.

A few hours later, she was far from the town, and it was growing darker and colder. She knew she had to find somewhere to stay. She finally settled on a somewhat hidden area, which was surrounded by trees. She got a fire going and, luckily, Silver knew to stay away from the flames. Instead, she curled up a little distance away, and began to purr. Lyra smiled at her. She then took out one of her new books and began to read, feeling the power and energy of the fire magic passing into her gauntlet. After she finished reading the book, it disappeared from her hands gently, quietly, as if it was melting away. Exhausted, she lay on the ground next to the calico, and began to drift off into a peaceful sleep, the warmth of the fire fighting the cold air for her. She felt content, though she had yet to find Lydia.