Chapter 317: No Choice
Eirbhaen sits in History class. There are fewer than ten students in the room, and Eirbhaen is the oldest by far.
This does not sit well with her. She really wants to leave their peaceful village and search for rogue mages.
I want to save them. Why am I not allowed? I know how to travel out there. I have been out there. True, I have not been traveling alone... But nevertheless, I have.
Eirbhaen is restless.
She has been reading news around the world about abnormal natural disasters. A flood in a desert. Fire in the middle of a lake. An earthquake in an area that has never had earthquakes before. And many more.
Each of these natural disasters is small and has caused no casualties, making them unworthy of the world’s attention.
If Eirbhaen had not been paying attention, she too would have missed them.
It was not like this a year ago. The disasters were not this frequent. Or is it
that missed them?
"Your Highness, please answer the question."
Eirbhaen does not hear the teacher. She is too busy with her own thoughts.
She notices too late that the class has gone silent and all eyes are on her.
She blinks several tis, looking around the room, and finally settles her gaze on the teacher, who is also looking at her.
"Hm?" She raises her eyebrows, confused.
"The answer, Your Highness," the teacher says.
"The... answer...? To... which question?" Eirbhaen says slowly, searching her brain for the question and coming up with nothing.
The teacher takes a deep breath, visibly trying to hold his anger.
"Why do we not force nature?"
Eirbhaen struggles not to roll her eyes. She has heard this question so many tis, in so many different situations. In classes, during practical magic lessons, during everyday conversations, even during als. This particular topic has a way of finding her everywhere.
"Because true magic is about communication and alignnt with nature," Eirbhaen answers, hoping there is no trace of irritation in her voice.
The teacher takes a deep breath again.
"That was not the question, Your Highness," he says, half through gritted teeth.
A ten year old girl raises her hand. "!"
Her bottom barely touches her chair.
The teacher glances at her. "Go on."
"Because forcing nature ans breaking our connection with it. It would eventually corrupt us and ruin nature itself."
"Good answer," the teacher says, but his eyes are on Eirbhaen when he says it. His expression says everything. A ten year old girl answered better than you, Your Highness.
Eirbhaen leans back in her chair and rolls her eyes fully. I know that. But she stays silent.
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Students pour out of class, heading to the lunch area.
The school itself looks nothing like a typical school. It blends into the forest the way all Vaelin buildings do. The entire village is rged with the forest around it.
The houses and most buildings are attached to giant trees. From afar, they look as though they grow straight out of the bark.
Common public buildings like the school sit closer to the ground, while the rest of the village spreads across different levels above.
Two adults are currently serving the students their lunch.
Eirbhaen walks out slowly and is stopped by the teacher just as she is about to reach the wooden door.
"Please wait a mont, Your Highness."
Eirbhaen stops and sighs. She slowly turns around and looks at Teacher Mor, keeping her face neutral.
"Your Highness, I am aware that you think you are too old for this class. And that you believe you already know everything we cover here. I don’t bla you for feeling bored and restless, Your Highness. I would be too."
"However." His voice lifts slightly.
"The Elders have not cleared you yet. You have not received permission to join any excursion team. So please attend your classes with everything you have. You never know when you will need them."
Teacher Mor looks at her, half pleading.
Eirbhaen stares back.
She notices strands of gray hair that weren’t there a few months ago, soft subtle wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and dark circles beneath them.
Eirbhaen presses her lips together, guilt creeping in. She has to admit that for the past few months she has not been paying attention in any of her classes but one, and that she has grown more and more restless.
Since that fire in the forest. Eirbhaen sighs inwardly.
She straightens her posture and nods respectfully.
"Yes, Teacher Mor. And I apologize for my behavior. I will try to be more present in all of my classes."
Teacher Mor nods along. "Good. You are our last hope, Your Highness. Please take good care of yourself."
Eirbhaen forces a nod, an awkward smile on her face.
"You may go to lunch then. Make sure you rest well before Magic Class this afternoon." Teacher Mor dismisses her.
Eirbhaen’s smile turns genuine. She turns around and runs to the lunch area just like the rest of the students. No trace of her being a princess or a 31 year old woman.
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Teacher Mor enters the teachers’ lounge, a single room that looks much like the rest of the school. Natural wood for walls, large windows carved into one side. Grass and large leaves woven together as a roof. The room is minimally furnished, with almost everything made from wood, leaves, or stone.
"Elder Loujt." Teacher Mor greets him when he spots Elder Loujt sitting in a chair, chatting with another teacher.
Elder Loujt laughs and gets up.
"How many tis have I told you to just call
Loujt? We’re friends, aren’t we?" He jokingly hits Teacher Mor on the right upper arm.
"Yes, we are. But you are still an Elder and I am just a teacher." Teacher Mor says, smiling all the sa.
Elder Loujt grins. "How was she?"
Without saying who "she" is, they both know.
Teacher Mor sighs. "Still restless. More restless than before, I’d say. You can’t keep her here much longer, Loujt."
Elder Loujt’s expression turns serious. "How long?"
"A week, at most. And that’s already pushing it." Teacher Mor studies his friend.
"Any idea why she’s this restless lately?"
Elder Loujt looks at Teacher Mor.
"She’s been restless for months, Mor. You know that." Loujt sidesteps the question.
Teacher Mor sets his books down on the table and takes a seat.
"Yes, since the fire. We all know that. But she’s been worse lately. Is there sothing new happening out there?" Teacher Mor asks.
He continues, "You don’t need to answer if it’s sensitive. I’m just sharing my observations."
Elder Loujt sighs. "I know. And it’s not a sensitive subject. At least the teachers should know this too."
"Which brings
to the real reason I ca here." Elder Loujt raises his voice and gets up, addressing the rest of the room.
The other teachers stop whatever they are doing and look at Elder Loujt.
"I am sure you are all aware of the changes in the mana around us. Most of the Elders can feel it, and I know most of you and the village guards can feel it too. Altheon is changing. Mana is returning at a faster rate than before. It is still slow, and it will take more than ten years for mana to fully return to Altheon as it once was, but it is returning."
He pauses and looks around the room, making sure everyone is listening and understands the implications.
"We have been living apart from the world for too long. We must rember that our main duty is to prepare Altheon for the return of mana. There are bound to be rogue mages appearing, which brings
to my next point."
"Elder Maer, myself, and the rest of the Elders present have agreed. We are forming excursion teams. You all know what their job entails. To search, rescue, and where possible, train rogue mages our way. The correct way. The Resonant way."
"We will need volunteers. The details of the teams are still being worked out. The Elders are currently busy appointing leaders."
Murmurs fill the room.
Elder Loujt turns to Teacher Mor. "A few weeks ago, a mutated dungeon appeared in Concordia. It was the first. Then they started appearing all over Altheon. And then a mutated level eight dungeon appeared, also in Concordia."
Teacher Mor exhales.
"I should have been paying attention to the world news."
"It’s alright. Others have been." Elder Loujt says.
"That is why Eirbhaen has been so restless. Ever since the first mutated dungeon appeared at Beach Walk in Arvion, the Princess has grown more and more restless."
Teacher Mor nods slowly. "I see. Her senses have grown stronger."
He looks at Elder Loujt. "I’m surprised Elder Maer agreed to form excursion teams again. After the disastrous last ti, I thought she would have said no."
Elder Loujt’s expression turns grim. "She had no choice, Mor. She can feel it too. She knows that this ti, if we do nothing, it will be far more disastrous."
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