Chapter 47

  “What do you think you’re doing, miss?”

  Although far taller and wider than Ezabel was, Priam called to her with a smile. Both of his palms leaned onto the top of his cane, which he used to support himself against the craggy floor of the quarry. At this distance, his garb was plain to see, especially now that his cloak was held apart by his arms. It was not the attire of an Attendant at all. He looked to be wearing quite expensive clothing; that which often clothed a noble.

  “I-I’m just..”, Ezabel hesitated and gave a forced smile his way. “..I’m just looking for a sword!”

  “Well, if that is what you seek, I suggest that you make careful haste. We will proceed to the surface very soon!”

  “R-right! I guess I’m just having trouble deciding, y’know?”

  Ezabel giggled out of pure anxiety. Thankfully, she had not been caught. She had utterly no idea on what she would have done otherwise. It was then that she realized Dani and Hubert had been gone from her side for quite a while. Unfortunately, as she wanted absolutely nothing to do with Priam at the moment, and there was no one beside her to help steer him away.

  She hoped, in the very least, that they were doing well in the search for their own equipment. Never once did Ezabel consider the importance of having tools that felt right in her hands. This situation had made that all too clear.

  “Everything you see here has been crafted by the Citadel. Their quality is unmatched, which means you can’t go wrong! - Come, I shall help you find a suitable blade.”

  “Oh, it’s quite alright, sir! - I mean Priam. Or, er.. Lord Volitis?”

  “You may call me Priam, I’m not as picky about that as other folk.”, he nodded. “What is your name?”

  “U-um.. it’s Ezabel.”, she muttered. “Ezabel Grover.”

  Priam perked a white brow. His gaze was suddenly far more studious of her face and her uniform. He inspected her as if it was an official task. - As for Ezabel, she could not help but sense a strange judgment from him. To her, it was as if her name prompted the ugliest of opinions in Priam’s mind.

  “I see, how very interesting.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “Nothing is wrong. - I’ve heard a great many things about you, Miss Grover.”

  “I-is that so?”, Ezabel took a subtle step back, unsure of his familiarity. It may very well have been a great thing, but at that moment, she felt uneasy.

  “Indeed. You are the sister of Xavier Grover, the Order’s current pride and joy. Not to mention the fact that you’ve been sponsored by none other than Captain Leland Hart. - I must say, you are quite the candidate, Miss Grover.”

  “Thank you, Priam. Your words are too kind.”

  Priam soon stepped closer, which prompted Ezabel to tug her bag away, just a smidge. She felt as though there was still the need to hide the fact that she slipped her dagger within. Priam showed no sign of suspicion, yet she kept the pouch behind her bag the entire time.

  “And, between you and me..”, Priam suddenly spoke in a hushed tone. “..I am aware of what happened in Angoulet, during your assessment.”

  Straight away, the spread around Ezabel seemed to slow. Priam’s hushed response had made it seem as though they were the only two in the quarry. As she understood it, the incident at Angoulet was a sensitive subject for the Citadel. As Dani said before, Leland asked for them to keep secret the occurrence in Angoulet. So, when Priam mentioned it, he suddenly separated himself from the crowd within Ezabel’s mind.

  He was an influential individual. There was no doubt about it as far as Ezabel was concerned. And, whatever power he held within the Order was certainly potent. It was obvious in his walk and swagger. He was brimming with the confidence of his station.

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  “How did you come to learn of it?”

  “Information is key, Miss Grover. I do my absolute best to ensure that all information flows unhindered into the Citadel. - You made quite the spectacle of the night, I hear.”

  “I s-suppose? Though, I was just doing what felt right at that moment. I didn’t want to see anyone get hurt, or worse.”

  “That is admirable of you. To put the well being of the realm ahead of your own. You might just become a high caliber Attendant before we know it. - It’s a shame that you had to be failed because of it, however.”

  Ezabel’s breath caught in her throat. Just how much did Priam know about her? It was unsettling to think that her journey to the capital was so well documented. In fact, did this mean that Priam was privy to the decision of her failure? It seemed that Leonora had no choice but to do so when they talked about it. Was Priam the one who pushed for it? - The uncertainty around his presence was beginning to rub Ezabel the wrong way. She could not help but feel as though Priam was someone she did not want as an enemy. Even though they were supposed to be part of the Order together. That is, if she was able to become an Attendant at the end of all this.

  “I understand the decision. But, I am also glad that I was given a second chance by Captain Leland Hart.

  “Yes, indeed. Leland is a talented Attendant. I’m sure his judgment is spot on when it comes to candidates. Especially since he refused to sponsor anyone for such a long time.

  “Luck was on my side, or so it seems.”

  “Be sure to learn as much as you can from him. It’s not often that Leland is willing to mentor anyone.”

  “Thank you, I will.”, Ezabel nodded. Her feet moved forward, ready to continue around the spread, only to be interrupted by Priam again.

  “Good. - Then shall we move on ahead and look for a suitable sword for you?”

  “N-no, I would not want to bother you with such a simple task! I’m sure you have far more important things to do since the opening ceremony is close!”

  “Nonsense, it is my pleasure to help such a promising young candidate. Come, I know of several blades that might fit your tastes.”

  It was an awkward walk to say the least. Priam’s presence alone was enough to have many of the candidates stare their way. The fact that he was genuinely guiding her to several places in the spread was another thing entirely. Ezabel could feel the opinions developing in their minds. Good or bad, ugly or nice; they were all focused on her.

  She could not look ahead as she followed Priam for fear of making eye contact with a random onlooker. The entire ordeal seemed to last forever and the many gazes of her peers felt as though they turned into hate.

  They had not, in reality. They simply watched as Priam rambled about various pieces of equipment in the quarry. How they were made, the material used, even the life of the artisan responsible in some cases. He was extremely knowledgeable of each piece, which led to a great many of the candidates to heed his words. They gravitated towards certain pieces which he had praised and stood away from those that he did not.

  “I apologize for such a long-winded day dream, Miss Grover. I simply can not hold myself back knowing that there is so much to share before me.”

  “O-oh, it’s not a problem.”, Ezabel muttered. She still refused to give too much of a raised glance.

  “But, as for a sword, might I suggest something a little more special.”

  Before long, Priam had led Ezabel several aisles away from where they met. He stopped beside a stand close to the crystal, which Ezabel only then realized was where she stood. On it, was a line of identical swords. But, despite the sameness of their designs, they had a distinct presence amidst the spread.

  Even under the weight of the crystal’s presence, the blades managed to capture Ezabel’s attention. She looked upon them in awe, as if she had never seen a sword in her life. Which was quite a fair thing to say as most blades paled in comparison. They stood upright on the rack, held upright by the crossguard. The edges were aligned and faced towards Ezabel, who could see quite quickly that they were as fine as a hair.

  On their handles was the same white of an Attendant’s uniform. I wrapped around to create a firm surface from which to hold the weapon. Metal of a golden hue, had comprised a majority of the pommel and crossguard. They were emblazoned with a significant pattern of runic designs similar to that of a spell circle. And, just beside their shimmering silver blades, rested white sheathes which they called home.

  “Believe it or not, these swords are standard issue in the Order. They have been made by the Citadel’s artisans, using the finest metal in all the realm. - It is a union of metallurgy and spellcraft.”, Priam gazed upon their form in admiration before he turned to Ezabel to continue his introduction. “The essence of the Echo has been folded into the steel through a long, tasking process. As such, an Attendant is able to channel the magic from a knightstone into the blade, thus increasing its efficacy by an insurmountable degree. - However, seeing as though no candidate can yet possess a knightstone, I suppose they are no more than normal swords to you.”

  Priam gave a nod, to which Ezabel answered with her own. It was subtle as she was entirely engrossed with the blades before her. Who could blame her? They were as much a part of an Attendant as their cloak. The only difference here was that she was within reach of the blades. Her fingers stretched forward with a mind of their own. Slowly, they fell upon the handle of the closest sword. It was firm and gave no sign of slippage. Even before she wrapped her hand around it entirely, she knew at that very moment that the weapon would sit well within her palms.

  “Feel free, Miss Grover. - I don’t expect you will be the last to take one of these.”, Priam commented as he gestured for her to go on. And, he was right as a handful of candidates had followed them to this particular rack.

  His words fell on deaf ears, however. Ezabel had soon wrapped her fingers around the handle and pulled the blade high. A sharp, dominant toll sounded throughout the quarry as its blade glided against the wood of the stand. Its steel was unmatched and shone with the light of the crystal above. A pale, ivory aura emanated from its shape, as though it absorbed the crystal’s essence.

  It was strange. For the longest time, Ezabel had believed that the uniform of the Order would give her the ultimate satisfaction. A feeling of pure bliss as it was something she longed for all her life. Even though she had yet to receive a cloak, that feeling never quite came close to what she imagined. - However, at this moment, her chest raced. Her lips parted. And, her mind felt calm. This was it. Through her fingers came a surge of strength and liveliness. It was as if the sword had a mind of its own, and it gave itself up for Ezabel to wield.

  Her verdant eyes gazed upon its beautiful shape in awe, not quite ready to let it fall low. Within, she found the memories of her youth. Every book, every tale, every dream. This blade would be the tool with which she could finally write her own legend. To think that such a thing could come to her in a moment of uncertainty, given to her among a presence that nearly tore her apart. This sword; it was courage. It was strength. It was hers.

  There, in the middle of the quarry, she swept the blade through the air in expert fashion. It twirled in her hand and wove a brilliant trail of steel, which hissed aloud a sharp ring. It called to everyone in the quarry and pulled at their gazes. Before them, Ezabel guided the sword back into its sheath, savoring every second of its brilliant steel.