Eternal Awakening

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Shining in the Dark

News of Lythia's duel had spread like wildfire at the academy, and when dinner came around everyone already knew about it. It was all anyone could seem to talk about, and the whole place was buzzing with excitement. Richard even found himself the focus of many snide and knowing smiles, as word about his participation had also gotten around the campus. And to be honest, Richard really didn't like the way people seemed to look at him like he was walking corpse.

However, it was the reaction from the two older Proud sisters that really hurt him. Richard had left Lythia in her room while he went down to the kitchens to get her dinner, and when he returned he found both Coni and Aura had arrived; and the moment he opened the door a furious Coni turned on him.

“You have a lot of nerve showing your face in front of me!” Coni roared and Richard jumped back against the door that he had just closed, almost dropping the tray of food he held in his hands. “Your task was supposed to be simple, yet you couldn't even handle it! Do you have any idea what you've done? DO YOU?!”

“Enough, Coni,” Aura reprimanded softly, sitting with her legs crossed in a chair near the wall. Unlike Coni, who was raging, Aura seemed more subdued and was quiet; and that scared Richard more than Coni ever did.

“No! He needs to know what he has done! Agnes Lykin is a powerful mage who came third in last years tournament! She's a fourth year in the advanced classes and I barely edged her out last year! And you went and pissed her off and made sure I couldn't use my authority to stop this duel!”

“I can beat her!” Lythia now announced angrily from where she sat on the edge of her bed. She slammed her small fists on the mattress and growled deep in her throat, like a child having a tantrum. “I'm not as weak as I was last year!”

“Yes you are!” Coni now turned back to her younger sister and stomped towards her. “You're going to lose within the first ten seconds of the fight, and everyone knows it! You think you're strong, but you're not; and what's worse is that you're going to ruin our family's reputation trying to prove it to everyone! Don't forget that you are still in the novice courses, Lythia!”

“That is enough, Coni!” Aura said once again, a little more force behind her words. Both girls, who looked like they had been on the verge of throwing punches, stopped bickering; however the tense atmosphere still clung to the air and Richard didn't move from where he stood against the door.

Aura now sighed and stood up from her chair as she pinched the bridge of her nose with a finger and thumb. She paced around the room while not looking at anyone, and the tension in the room only grew as silence fell upon them. Richard hadn't seen a moment as stressful as this since he had met with the Queen deep in the dungeons under the palace, and he didn't know what to say or do. This was mostly his fault after all, and he felt bad about invoking the anger of the normally laid back and gentle Aura.

“What we should be focusing on right now is the duel that is set to take place two days from now, and not how this will affect our family's image. Shame on you for even thinking that, Coni! You should be helping Lythia with everything you know about her opponent, not yelling at her in anger! I expect you to use all your free time over the next few days to coach her and make sure she knows what to expect in her bout! Is that understood? And don't forget that she won't be fighting alone. Richard will be there with her, so keep that in mind when coming up with strategies.”