It had been two days since Jake’s encounter with Asariel in the inner garden. Since then, they had consistently sparred each night, with Jake still having a total of 0 wins on his record. This night, Asariel had recommended they fight without the magical protection ring allowing Jake’s body to do the repairing itself, therefore increasing the strength of his muscle fibers. As a result, his body had turned into a canvas of bruises and aches, a sharp reminder that the Magic Trial was only a few days away and would likely be much worse.

  The manor was completely shrouded in darkness as Jake attempted to navigate the hallways back to his bedroom. He anchored his hand to the wall, relying on the general layout he had memorized from his nightly walks. Suddenly, a loud ‘Oww!’ pierced the air as he bumped into someone, lightly hitting their head. The moan indicated it was a girl.

  “Ah, sorry sorry!” He apologized anxiously. “Are you okay?”

  The girl groaned softly, and responded, “I’m fine, I just didn’t expect anyone to be out at this time.”

  “I’m Jake,” he said, feeling the need to introduce himself. “I was… assisting Lord Asariel.”

  “My name is Ella… Ella Snowhart.” She said, “I was told about your arrival.”

  “Snowhart?” Jake asked, the last name piquing his interest. “Are you related to Lord Asariel?”

  “Yes,” she said. “I’m his younger sister, although only by a few months.”

  Jake was taken aback by the fact that he hadn’t yet encountered her within the days he had spent at the manor.

  “I’m headed to the library,” She said. “Would you care to accompany me?”

  “Uh, sure,” Jake agreed, much to the anguish of his body, which begged for some tranquility.

  Struggling to follow her confident strides in the dark, he realized how much his mental layout of the manor paled in comparison. Upon entering the library, Jake was immediately drawn to it’s splendor and aesthetic appeal. The room was clearly well-maintained by many of the maids and butlers, with bookshelves lining the walls from floor to ceiling, filled with ancient book covers made of leather and gold foil. This time, just as he passed one of the long wooden tables, his intrusive thoughts got the better of him as he swiped his hand under one of the multitudes of floating magic-imbued candles to check their authenticity, almost expecting a fugazi magic trick to be revealed.

  What riveted him as he strolled through the library was the constant scratching of a pen, or perhaps a quill, on parchment, though no one seemed to be nearby. “Is there perhaps a scholar using an invisibility potion nearby?” He asked Ella.

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  She giggled. “No no, that’s most likely the soundpecker that brother mentioned.”

  “A soundpecker? Like, similar to a woodpecker?”

  “Yes, but different. They’re small birds capable of imitating various non-speech like sounds. I’ve never had the opportunity to see one myself, but I’ve read about them,” she explained.

  Soundpecker huh.

  “That’s not much of a creative name,” Jake remarked.

  Ella smiled. “Say, where are you from? You don’t seem to be familiar with the region.”

  Jake hesitated, unsure how to respond. He understood the importance of keeping his background hidden, aware that the council members, whom Asariel had mentioned much of, might initiate their pursuit of him at any moment, and getting captured would likely make Asariel and Ella collateral damage if they were viewed as accomplices. Considering his lack of geographical knowledge in this world, he realized lying wasn’t much of an option either. “I come from a very faraway land,” he finally said, thinking it was a bit cliché. As he reached for a book, he added, “Let’s just say my culture is much more ‘western’ than this.”

  Something about his words sparked liveliness into Ella. “Oh, really? I’ve always wanted to explore the world, especially farther lands and cultures. Unfortunately, Father never really brought me along on his adventures like he did with my brother.” She went on to mention that she didn’t hold it against her father. When Jake inquired about her father, she said he had passed away two years prior due to an illness; one that even the most notable mages in the region were unable to understand.

  “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “Father died with no regrets and a smile on his face, so who am I to be saddened.” She replied. “He was at peace with the world and left with a heart full of memories,” she added, a hint of bittersweetness in her voice, perhaps wishing she had explored the outside world beside him.

  “I never really went out exploring myself,” Jake said, relating a bit to her pain. “Although, in my case, it was more of a choice. But you know what, for the first time ever, I might actually be looking forward to my experience in a new place, in Esterrosa.

  “Maybe that’s why I can’t read any of these,” he said, skimming through a book filled with symbols. The symbols looked like a mix of Arabic and Kanji, shimmering slightly depending on the angle he viewed them at. It struck him as odd that although everyone he had spoken to could speak English, their written text differed from the typical English alphabet. In fact, the whole concept of an alternate universe speaking the same language baffled him.

  “Oh, so where you come from, there’s no magic reading?” Ella asked.

  “Nope, nothing of the sort. We don’t really use magic at all over there, actually.”

  “I could never go without magic reading,” she grimaced, appearing as though the simple thought pained her. “It’s pretty easy. C’mere,” She continued, reaching out and tapping the seat next to her. “Every text is inscribed with a specialized ink designed to facilitate the reading of remote languages through the use of aura manipulation. Of course, most people can read the text normally without magic reading, but due to my special nature, I’m unable to read like most people, so it helps a ton.”

  “Your special nature?”

  “Ah… I guess you wouldn’t know,” she said. “I’m blind.”