Two people bonding over their lack of desire to be in the palace made for a fast friendship and that was the case for Cian and Quinn.
Even though Cian was being used as a convenient tool for the King and did so without complaint if it benefitted what was left of his people, he still didn’t want to be there. He would be respectful but couldn’t hide his emotions.
Many Eirenguardians would call him a traitor for even stepping foot in Castille without ill intentions. Yet he wanted peace just as much as Castille did. While Eirenguard was tired and willing to lose more to prove a point. He didn’t want the sa. He believed his people could be saved.
The King was different. The blood running through his veins didn’t matter considering he was the very person who dethroned his father. The common people believed it was a good move for the kingdom even if the old, staunch nobles wanted their greedy king back because he supported their wrongdoings if it resulted in wealth.
Yet Stephano found hidden gems in commoners. Desmond and Quinn were two of his favorite people and Leonor was a noble who didn’t like other nobles. He had made rich connections due to that fact alone.
To Cian, the monarch was different enough. He would do what he could to convince the people not to kill Eirenguardians and his people not to kill Castillians.
Finding unexpected solace in the palace walls, he stuck by Quinn’s side and the mage eventually invited him to the mage’s quarter so he could have a place to hide between etings as well.
Just like Quinn, Cian knew that the maids reported everything about the guests to the King. It didn’t make for a comfortable living environnt. While he could handle it at night, the days he wanted to do sothing else.
It resulted in Quinn eventually asking if he would like to spar.
Since he spent all of his ti around other mages, Quinn rarely got the opportunity to face soone wielding a sword. Considering how adept Eirenguardians were on their feet, he didn’t think there was anyone more perfect to attempt to build up his defensive mana with.
Promising that he would be there in ti for the ball and ensuring that the mage’s quarter was devoid of students because they were supposed to be on Winter Solstice break, he went outside with the sword fighter.
They stood on the very practice grounds that Quinn and Stephano went at it a while before. Since then, Quinn hadn’t talked to him much. He felt embarrassed having lost himself so completely. His emotions beca volatile the more he worked with offensive mana.
Feeling he could redeem himself, he stood in front of the Eirenguardian with a silver fla engulfing his hands.
"Please, don’t hold back," Quinn said to the man.
In a flash of golden blonde hair, Cian rushed forward with his blade raised. The silver of his sword glinted in the partly sunny day and it moved deftly, as if it were an extension of his body and not a weapon.
Quinn hadn’t ward up yet and decided it best to avoid direct contact until it was necessary. Despite a shield over one hand, he was quick to move out of the way and disturb the ground with enchantnt magic so Cian wouldn’t be able to step closer to him easily.
That was how Quinn was different than other mages. He mastered the art of using more than one mana category at a ti despite his best being offensive magic.
Being able to keep a hot fla on his hands while defending himself or causing problems with enchantnt magic took unbelievable focus. It was how he went so far with his career as a mage in the first place. The vast majority of others worked as healers or odd jobs while moving around frequently.
Oftentis, the life of a mage was that of a vagabond.
As miserable as he was to face Stephano at tis, he was happy to not spend his life on the road. It would wear soone out fast. There were countless mages found dead because of the way they depleted themselves while still traveling.
Cian was quick with his blade and didn’t have to recover.
Quinn had no breaks in action as Cian’s silver blade was raised again. This ti, the mage had to push forward a shield that covered him fully, unsure of how fast the blade would recover that ti.
When there was a minor opening, Quinn shot a silver ball of mana into the swordsman’s face.
To his surprise, Cian’s blade lit up with red as magic on the blade interfered with Quinn’s.
"Your weapon is enchanted?" he asked.
"I spoke of the mana stones in Eirenguard, didn’t I?" he reminded the mage. "I may not be in support of going to war, but I still need a way to defend myself and ensure I can overpower others in case the Castillians decide to treat as they have historically."
His words were oozing with unspent rage. It was understandable that one would hold a lot of anger considering the state of the fallen kingdom whose entire Royal Family was displaced or dead.
Rather than dwelling further, Cian attacked again.
It beca a ga of cat and mouse where the mage had to rely fully on defensive mana. He wished that he was as adept as Leonor with it while being faced with such a ferocious blade. He wanted to look at the sword later and see how a mana stone was used in such a weapon.
Of course, if the Eirenguardian wanted to reveal the secrets of their kingdom. He understood if the man wouldn’t want to.
When Cian gave Quinn a bit of space, Quinn took that mont to use a cruel trick that would teach the Eirenguardian that there was an error in his ways especially if he was going up against a magic user.
Using enchantnt magic only, Quinn darted forward.
He lifted dirt out of the ground to create a wall that Cian would have trouble breaking through.
When the man was backed fully against the dirt wall, Quinn then reached for his blade which Cian tried to resist.
However, the blade was then enchanted with Quinn’s mana instead of what was naturally occurring in the stone inside of it.
He was able to toss the sword overhead and to the other end of the practice field.
The Eirenguardian looked perplexed. He hadn’t fought with mages much, only other sword fighters.
Quinn lowered his hands and the dirt returned to the Earth. The mage offered a pleased smirk and a bow.
"I have disard you, sir knight," Quinn said, his voice sounding particularly pleased.
That day he had worn glasses and he took them off of his face. Normally he didn’t like to wear them while sparring but it was such a sudden request he didn’t have ti to prepare himself.
He cleaned off the dirt from the dust cloud that erupted when the wall fell back to the ground.
"You have, indeed," Cian relented. "It only makes want to spar with you more in the coming days. I ought to figure out how to take on mana users as well."
"If that’s what it takes for you to enjoy your ti in the palace more, who am I to deny a guest of the King?" he asked.
Cian didn’t smile often, but the edge of his lips upturned faintly.
"I am in your care," Cian said. "Teach how to effectively spar with a mage."
Quinn went to the area where he had tossed the man’s sword and he lifted it off the ground. He found it particularly heavy.
However, there was sothing unusual about it.
As soon as Quinn grabbed the handle and brought it back to the Eirenguardian, it was no longer glowing red but silver instead.
The mage gestured for the man to join him on one of the outdoor benches. The day was cold but they were dressed appropriately.
With Cian’s sword across his lap, Quinn leaned over the blade and ran his fingers along the handle until he found what he was looking for. With his fingers moving in a circular pattern, he twisted until the silver mana escaped and it was red once again, though slowly fading since magic was no longer affecting it.
Cian looked on in amazent.
"As a mage, I have a response to naturally occurring mana in the Earth," Quinn explained. "It responded to my mana because mana attracts mana. That’s why it turned silver like my mana rather than the red of the fire stone you have embedded in your blade."
"What I’m understanding is that the sword created so that I can withstand magic attacks is actually doing the opposite?" Cian questioned.
Their understanding of magic wasn’t as developed as that in the capital. Mages were from northern countries even further north than Castille. Without a centralized force protecting mages in Eirenguard, they only moved in if paid to be healers.
Quinn lifted the sword by its handle and placed his palm underneath the blade, handing it back to its owner.
"It was done by a mage who didn’t know any better," Quinn admitted. "If you would like, I can put in another mana stone with a protective spell that can’t be affected by soone else’s mana."
Cian’s ruby eyes widened slightly. He wasn’t expecting such generosity in Castille. Each mont he had been there, he was on guard as that belief carried him forth.
"I would be indebted," Cian expressed. "Thank you for teaching soone like ."
"Another person," Quinn corrected. "You’re just another person. We’re all not so different."
Quinn started to stand up, realizing the conversation was making him feel lancholic for so reason. He needed to get ready for the Winter Solstice Ball anyway.
To his surprise, he was t with the golden hazel eyes of King Stephano. The King’s irritation was directed at the silver-haired mage.
Quinn was unsure of what he had done to garner such an expression.
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