Later, lisa found herself standing outside Javir's office just as the sun was going down, her heart pounding in her chest as she clutched the royal invitation.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves before knocking on the heavy wooden door.
"Co in," Javir's voice called from within.
lisa stepped into the office, her tail swishing behind her as she tried to contain her nervous energy.
Javir looked up from her desk, a small smile playing on her lips as she saw who her visitor was.
"Ah, lisa. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
lisa opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, suddenly unsure how to begin. Finally, she simply pulled out the invitation and handed it to Javir.
"I... I received this last night," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Javir's eyebrows shot up as she read the contents of the letter. Her eyes widened, flicking between the invitation and lisa's face.
"Well," she said finally, leaning back in her chair. "This is... unexpected."
lisa nodded vigorously.
"I know! I couldn't believe it either. I an, why would they invite , of all people?"
Javir leaned back in her chair, her expression thoughtful.
"I suppose we shouldn't be too surprised when you think about it," she mused. "Word is spreading about you. You've caught the attention of so very influential people."
lisa felt a blush creep up her cheeks.
[I... guess with all the attacks... and my grades... and the fight... and...] She sighed. [Of course, they'd notice.]
"Still," she mumbled, "it's a bit overwhelming. I have no idea what to expect at an event like this."
Javir's smile turned sympathetic.
"It can be a lot to take in," she agreed. "But you won't be alone. In fact..."
She reached into a drawer and pulled out an identical envelope, holding it up for lisa to see.
"You've been invited too?" lisa gasped, her eyes wide.
Javir nodded.
"Indeed I have."
Although Javir didn't look too happy about that fact, lisa felt a wave of relief wash over her.
Knowing that Javir would be there, a familiar face in a sea of strangers, made the prospect of attending the gala seem a little less daunting.
"So, what can you tell about this event?" lisa asked, leaning forward eagerly. "I want to be as prepared as possible."
Javir chuckled, shaking her head fondly.
"Always the diligent student, aren't you? Well, the Sumr Solstice Gala is one of the most prestigious events of the year. It's a celebration of the longest day, a ti to honor the sun and the life it brings."
[The sun. Right...] lisa nodded to herself. [People worship the sun in the human kingdom.]
lisa hadn't interacted much with the religious side of society. Her parents, of course, didn't subscribe to the sa beliefs as the humans and Javir too was not exactly a normal individual. Plus, the academy made no ntion of religion at all.
She was curious.
Javir paused, her expression turning more serious.
"But it's also a highly political affair. The guest list is a who's who of Syux's most powerful and influential figures. Attending is a sign of status and a chance to forge alliances and make deals behind closed doors."
lisa nodded.
"So, it's not just a party, then?"
Javir smiled.
"Exactly. It's a ga. And you, my dear, have been invited to play. This is a trendous opportunity for you, lisa. This could be your first true mark on society."
lisa felt a thrill of excitent run through her, tempered by a twinge of nervousness.
"What should I expect? I an, in terms of the actual event itself?"
Javir leaned forward, her elbows resting on the desk.
"There will be a formal dinner, of course, followed by dancing and entertainnt. It'll be a long night, though. Since it is the sun's arrival that is being celebrated, the event officially begins at midnight and then lasts all the way until dawn, ending when the sun cos up."
[Oh... It's a marathon, then.]
She fixed lisa with a stern look.
"You'll need to be on your toes at all tis, throughout every minute of it. Every conversation, every interaction could have deeper consequences than you realize."
lisa swallowed hard, nodding.
"And... the dress code?"
"Formal, of course," Javir said with a giggle at the sudden change in topic. "But don't worry too much about that. I'm sure we can find sothing suitable for you. Perhaps we could make a trip into the city this weekend to look for gowns?"
"That sounds great," lisa said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Um, one more thing... The invitation says I can bring a guest. Who do you think I should ask?"
Javir's eyes glinted with amusent.
"Ah, that's the question, isn't it? You have quite a few... close friends to choose from, as I understand it."
lisa felt her cheeks heat up.
"Did anyone pop up when you read the letter?"
"Not really."
Javir chuckled.
"Well, you have so ti to think about it. Just rember, whoever you choose will also be representing you at this event. Choose wisely. However... Regardless of who you choose, we'll want to make sure everyone finds a way to go."
"Hm? Why?" lisa tilted her head. "I an, not that I don't want them to, but-"
"Because you could be stepping into a trap," Javir replied.
lisa's eyes widened.
Javir sighed, turning in her chair to look out the window.
"The king, Aldric the Third, has been rather vague about where he stands with regard to nim. I have no clue why he's inviting you personally like this. As such," she leaned back, crossing her arms, "you'll want to have as much help as you can have, heading into this place."
lisa nodded slowly.
"I see."
"Well," Javir said, "in any case, you should take a day off or two. Go back ho. Sleep on it."
lisa raised a brow, smirking.
"Are you telling a student of the Prestige Class to skip school?"
Grinning, Javir stood up and walked over.
She bent down a little, whispering:
"I'm rely suggesting that if you were to suddenly beco sick with a cold or sothing, it would not be the worst thing that could happen."
lisa grinned back.
"Alright. See you back ho, then!" Experience exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire
"Attagirl."
---
As lisa made her way through the busy streets of Syux, the twin moons up, hovering over her head, her mind buzzed.
The weight of the royal invitation in her pocket felt like a promise of things to co, a tangible reminder that her life could be changing in ways she couldn't have even imagined before.
[A royal gala,] she thought, a giddy smile playing on her lips. [, a nim, invited to rub elbows with the most powerful people in the kingdom. Wow.]
lisa turned down a narrow alley, a shortcut she often used on her way to Javir's manor.
As she walked, her tail swishing behind her, she couldn't help but daydream about the upcoming event.
[I wonder what the palace looks like inside. Will there be magical displays? Oh, and the food! I bet it'll be-]
Her thoughts were abruptly cut short as a dark figure suddenly materialized in front of her, seemingly stepping out of the very shadows themselves.
lisa's heart skipped a beat.
No words were exchanged between them. Both their bodies were already moving, the instant they locked eyes.
[Ah, shit. Here we go again,] she thought, a wry smile replacing her earlier grin.
The assassin, clad in the tell-tale dark robes of a Shadow Mage, lunged forward with a wicked-looking dagger.
lisa sidestepped the attack, her hand already tracing a familiar spellsign in the air.
"Ignis, core, protev in!" she incanted, and a shimring shield of fla burst into existence around her.
The assassin hissed in frustration, his blade glancing off the magical, flaming barrier. lisa used the montary distraction to counter-attack, her free hand weaving another spell.
"Illumi, nerca, var fal!"
A bolt of blue fla shot from her fingertips, catching the Shadow Mage square in the chest.
He stumbled backward, smoke rising from his robes.
"AAAAH!" He scread as a mix of fla and electricity coursed within him.
This spell. This one spell had been responsible for pretty much every victory lisa had experienced over the years.
She wasn't too sure what it was, but sothing about this spell tended to catch people off-guard. Maybe she could ask Raven about it later since she'd been on the receiving end of it.
[Eight years of this shit,] lisa thought as she pressed her advantage. [You'd think they'd learn by now.]
The assassin recovered quickly, lting into the shadows once more.
lisa's eyes darted around the alley, her senses on high alert.
She'd faced this tactic before, knew how dangerous it could be if she let her guard down for even a second.
A flicker of movent to her left caught her attention.
lisa spun. Her tail lashed out with surprising speed and strength. It connected with sothing solid, and there was a satisfying "oof" as the invisible assassin was knocked off balance. Obviously, her tail wasn't terribly strong, but lisa didn't need it to be. She just wanted to pinpoint the assassin's location.
Seizing the opportunity, lisa stepped back.
Thanks to today's encounters, lisa had tons of Essence to spare.
"Illumi, nerca, var fal!"
The spell collided with the assassin again. The sa scream, the sa damage ensued.
But, the attacker was desperate.
He ran up and managed to scratch lisa's face with his dagger.
[Crap!] lisa leaned back, drops of blood slowly flying through the air before her. [I thought I won already, so I let my guard down.]
Sure enough, the assassin fell down in front of her. This had been his last attempt.
And, pushing out whatever sympathy lisa may have had for this guy, she simply cast the sa spell a third ti, at point-blank range.
In a mont, he was nothing but ashes.
lisa's chest rose and fell.
[Well... At least all the sex I've been having lately paid off. Heh.]
As the adrenaline began to fade, lisa flinched, feeling a sting on her face.
[Uh... Guess this is a good chance to try that Life Magic spell Raven taught .]
"Vini, sanguine, mara!" She said as she drew the spellsign.
Her hand was enveloped in a subtle, white-yellow glow, and lisa pressed it against her bleeding cheek. The wound began to repair itself very slowly.
[...] She stared down at the assassin's ashes. [Life Magic... Why does it co so naturally to ?]
With no answers, however, all she could do was push the mont out of her mind and keep walking.
Having lost so many tis, maybe the Shadow Mages would give her a chance to breathe, finally.
[... I doubt it.]
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