142 - The Party

Lyra’s answer seemed to echo around them, blaring louder than her actual voice. It whistled with the wind, and a slight breeze circled them, as if the very universe was ratifying it, evolving into acceptance.

Arielle wasn't ready to accept it yet.

“Really?” Arielle asked. “Are you sure?”

Lyra smiled, looking more relaxed than she had all day, or even since Arielle arrived. She looked at peace. “I think so. I think I’d rather keep my powers as they currently are, despite the challenges I might face.”

“Oh.” Arielle felt vaguely disappointed. She had worked so hard to find a solution for Lyra, and at the last minute, they had finally stumbled on one, albeit an imperfect one. She knew Lyra was apprehensive about starting all over from nothing again, but it wouldn't be the same as before, when she’d had her Vitae cores holding her back.

Besides, though her cores would be smaller, she might still retain the memory of how it felt to connect with and manipulate essences, which might accelerate her development. Not to mention she had Ari and Vittoria to help her.

“Lyra, I don’t think you have to worry about starting over,” Arielle said. “I can help you.”

"I know. It’s not just about that,” she said. “Even before this, I’ve had a lot of time to think about what my future would look like, and I imagined it to be like how it is now, struggling to get the basic spells, always lagging behind everyone, always getting picked on in Professor Valeria's spellcasting class, and struggling to cast any spell. But I think I was wallowing in the past for so long that I didn’t give myself the chance to imagine a changed future. Or even a changed present. I didn't realize that I’m not that person anymore.” She shrugged. “Sure, I still struggle with basic spells, but I’m also able to perform a couple of spells that should be impossible for someone like me. Professor Valeria said she would adjust my classes to accommodate my new skillset and even offered me extra lessons. Graham said he could teach me combat that focuses on my strengths. Even Dean Octavius…during my surprise test, he told me that I would need to make a choice, one that would change my life. He told me not to be scared to go with the one with the highest potential for failure, because it might also have the highest potential for success, and it might be a future I've never thought I could achieve, but always dreamed of. He also said that my decision to walk the beaten path might lead me to a type of success that may not be fulfilling."

Arielle recalled how quiet Lyra had been after her test, how she hadn't wanted to talk about it. She had assumed it was because Lyra was traumatized by her failure in the test, and maybe she was. But also, maybe she was simply thoughtful about her future, the same way Arielle was.

"The dean's test was a confusing set of trials," Lyra said. "And I failed all of them, but I think that failure led me to this point. I think I finally realize what the dean was trying to say. All the professors were trying to help me, and I thought it was because they all felt sorry for me. After all, I was too busy feeling sorry for myself to realize that wasn't the case."

“It's probably very much not the case," Vittoria cut in. "It’s rare to find someone with your unique set of skills. They're helping you because they see the potential of who you could become, and they're excited by the possibility. I'm fascinated by it too, and I just met you."

Lyra's head snapped up. "Truly?"

"Truly. I don't want you to make a decision based on that, though. I want you to consider it very carefully. Yes, staying as you are gives you the highest potential for greatness, but it's still going to be hard work and a lifetime of prejudice, and choosing to be different from everyone else, and having to explain that to people. Or not explain it, if you're more inclined to asociality."

“I guess," Lyra said. "But it can't be any worse than what I've already been through, and a lot of it has taught me growth, and that it's okay to be not so normal." She shifted from Vittoria to Arielle. "You’re not like everyone else, Ari, and that’s part of what makes you incredible. You don’t even try to blend in. You’re just yourself, and you’re not scared to stand out.”

Arielle pursed her lips. Truthfully, she had tried to blend in at times. She just wasn't very good at it.

“And, maybe, I'm kind of incredible too," Lyra ventured slowly. "I just didn't see it before."

“Undoubtedly,” Ari said. "You are undoubtedly incredible, Lyra."

Lyra's smile grew as Vittoria added, "I can honestly say that I have never met anyone like you, who can do what you do."

"Neither have I," Lyra said. "It used to bother me, but maybe I should take that as a compliment. Maybe I can be the first person like me to show others who have the same challenges that they may not have to walk the beaten path either." She nodded firmly. "I want to be my incredible, authentic self, and grow my powers my way, without cutting off parts of me to make me blend in more. And you know what? Even if things were different, if you could break the oath without cutting into my soul and without regressing my Vitae core, I think I would still make the same choice. I would still choose to be me. Because at the end of the day, I think that's what I'm best at, and I'd rather do my best at being myself than try to be something else, just because I'm scared of what people will say.”

Silence followed her final statement, Ari and Vittoria staring at Lyra, waiting for her to finish her thought process, or to clarify that she only meant her last statement figuratively.

When it was apparent she wasn't adding anything else, Arielle said, "Just to be clear, you don't want us to remove the oath? You're sure about that?"

"Yes," Lyra said with more confidence, and a new glow emanating from her. "I'm sure."

"Well, I will say that's a very healthy outlook, Lyra, accepting things that you may have wanted to change initially." Vittoria raised her chin and sent Arielle a sidelong look. "Some of us could learn from that."

Ari avoided her gaze, looking in the opposite direction.

"It's truly impressive that you were able to come to that on your own.”

“Thanks," Lyra said. “But it wasn’t on my own. I had a lot of help." She reached out and took Ari’s hand, squeezing it, and suddenly Ari didn’t feel conflicted anymore.

At the outset, her major aim had been not necessarily to just cure Lyra but to give her a choice of what she wanted to be, whether she wanted to be normal or retain her special blend of strange.

She had given her the choice, and this was what Lyra wanted, and so that meant Arielle had achieved what she set out to achieve.

So everything was okay. As long as Lyra genuinely felt that way.

Lyra's eyebrows suddenly curled inward. “I’m just worried that I wasted so much of your time, Ari."

"It wasn’t a waste," Arielle said quickly. “I learned so much in the process, and we were able to at least give you the choice. That was all I wanted.”

“Thank you,” she said. “You’re a great friend.”

Arielle beamed.

“My only concern is that I don’t want to be forced into the temple to pray on my knees all day."

"Don’t worry about that,” Vittoria said. “Most of what your aunt did was to sort of prematurely start the process of your priesthood. It's complicated to explain, but understand it as her introducing and connecting you to Yona as a baby, jumpstarting your bond with Vitae and having the disciple bind you in some way, but the bond had to wait until you were of age to establish in full. However, the part about you having to join the temple or get your cores suppressed is purely a manmade rule. Especially given your potential, no one is going to force you to do anything. Not on my watch."

"They're going to try to come for me soon, though."

"They wouldn't dare," Vittoria said. "Trust me. I've spent enough time there recently to learn a few things. I'll take care of it. And your aunt will certainly pay for what she did to you. You can count on that." The menace in Vittoria's eyes gave them not a single shred of doubt, and most of Lyra's worry melted off her face.

"What are you going to do to her?" she asked, a little apprehensively.

"You don't worry your sweet little head about that." Vittoria patted Lyra's head like she often did to Arielle. "It's something only adults should know."

"Oh. Okay." She still looked uncertain, but ultimately shrugged and smiled at Arielle again.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Arielle was happy, not for the first time, that she had Vittoria on her side. It made things a lot easier.

"And as for your soul skill," Vittoria said to Lyra. "If you ever want to develop that, I can help you.”

“You can?”

“Yes. I'm also curious about how it works myself. I've never seen anyone attain soul sensitivity using plants before, and I'd love to learn more, so in return, I’d be happy to coach you. Although I would rather you get the basics first at the academy so I don’t overwhelm you.”

Lyra pressed her lips together and said, “I swear if this is a dream and I wake up, I’m going to be so upset.”

Vittoria chuckled. She patted Lyra’s head and said, "Let me just make sure that you’re otherwise soul healthy. Okay?"

“Okay.”

Vittoria spent the rest of the time looking over Lyra’s soul, making murmured comments here and there about cleaning up a few details. At the end of it, she told her that there was nothing else wrong with her.

“Come see me after your second year,” she said. “Then we’ll talk about growing your soul skill.”

"Okay,” Lyra squeaked, practically trembling in her excitement, even after Vittoria was gone.

“Wow,” Lyra said. “She’s amazing. And so personable in real life. It’s weird because when I read about her, I always imagined this big, frightening figure."

“She is big,” Arielle said because Vittoria was probably close to seven feet tall. “And she can be frightening. But she’s also very kind.”

“How did you meet her?”

“Through Elric,” Arielle said.

“Oh. And how well do you know each other? The two of you seemed very familiar.”

“Yes.” Arielle chewed the inside of her lip and then offered, “Actually, I’m staying with her.”

“What do you mean?”

“Elric had to go hunt down demons in the demonic realm, so I’m staying with Vittoria for now. I also help her now and then with some of her...projects."

“Oh.” Lyra cocked her head. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

“Vittoria doesn’t want people to know that I’m staying with her. Or that we’re close.”

“Why?”

“Because it could make life complicated for me. She asked me to tell people that I was staying with Elric, but I didn’t want to keep lying to you. I wanted to tell you the truth."

“Oh, okay." Lyra nodded. "I’m glad you told me. I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you.” Lyra turned to her. “Seriously, Arielle. Thank you for everything. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“But I didn’t really change anything. You’re still losing your cores.”

“No,” she said. "You changed everything. And you discovered that I have a nifty skill that I didn’t even know was a skill.”

“What did you think it was?”

Lyra shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s not something I thought deeply about, especially since it kind of faded a little when I grew older, and it's not as consistent when I'm distracted. And then after I found out what Aunt Ida did, I figured it was just part of it, to make me a better priestess, so I sort of hated that I had it too, because it felt like something that tied me down to a path I didn't want to go on." She shrugged. "It was just something I took for granted this whole time, because it's always been with me."

“That’s how it is with me too," Ari said. "My skills. They’ve always been with me. I guess we’re more similar than I thought. Except I’m terrible at soul magic.”

"You are?”

“Yeah. Well, Vittoria says I’m just average, but I think maybe she’s just saying that to make me feel better about being terrible. Although on second thought, Vittoria would never lie to make me feel better.” Ari stared at her feet. “Would it make me a bad friend to admit that I’m jealous of how good you are at soul magic?”

“Of course not,” Lyra said instantly. “Heck, I was jealous of you the entire semester, even after we became friends. You’re lucky you’re so lovable, or I would have hated your guts.”

“I don’t think you’re capable of hating anyone.”

“No, I’m pretty sure I still hate Ida. I mean, I’m alright with how things turned out, but she didn’t know they would turn out like this when she cursed me. So I almost don't care about what the commander is going to do to her.” She sighed. “At the same time, I feel kinda bad for her. It must suck being stuck the way she is.”

"It still doesn’t give her the right to do what she did.”

“I know it doesn't." She paused. "Do you think she's going to...hurt her?"

"Physically?" Arielle thought about it and shook her head. "No. I don't think that's her style. But she will probably make her suffer."

"Okay. Good."

They descended into a nice, peaceful silence as they stared up at the sky. Arielle sensed a change in Lyra as suddenly the Vitae gathered around her drew even closer, swarms of them leaving where they were to attach themselves to her. They surrounded her like a cloud of green orbs, floating happily, dedicated to their new master.

"Wow," Arielle said.

“I think I feel different now,” Lyra said suddenly.

"Yeah, you are different." Arielle touched her hand, reaching out to her cores. Only Vitae was there, enlarged, unobscured. “The other cores are gone. But Vitae is even stronger now, and more eager."

Lyra nodded.

“Are you okay?”

She smiled. “Yup. I am truly, truly, okay."

"I'm glad." Arielle smiled too. "Happy birthday."

***

Arielle lasted exactly an hour at Lyra’s party.

It was as she expected. Loud. Chaotic. Lots of talking and laughing and occasional shouting, and also someone rented a group of troubadours to play lyres and sing toe-tapping songs that Arielle didn't know.

Lyra's mother had decorated the backyard with lace and flowers, and they had arranged tables for people to stand at. The center of the grass was empty, and that was where a lot of the dancing and merrymaking took place.

It was a lot of dancing and merrymaking, almost too much to bear.

Lyra dragged Arielle to dance with her for some time, but Arielle's feet were too clumsy and unused to the steps, so she begged off. Lyra then proceeded to dance with Posey and Carissa, and a whole lot of people. There was a stretch of relative quiet, where people ate, and Lyra's mother gave a speech but then devolved into tears in the middle of it. Her father also gave a speech, and he made it a little longer before he, too, devolved into tears.

Then the rest of the family started talking over each other to extend her well-wishes, and Lyra seemed to understand and accept all of their garbled words with a teary smile.

More people in town stopped by, and the dancing continued.

At some point, Lyra's father cast a spell that made the plants spell out Lyra’s name and a bunch of daffodils dance around her ceremonially. Her mother joined in the ceremonial spell-casting too.

As they did, Arielle found herself at the back near the wall, in a mostly empty spot. The only other people close to her were Lyra's oldest brother and her father, who were talking in low tones, although Arielle did catch a little of what they said.

“She’s taking it a lot better than I thought,” her father was saying.

“She’s strong,” her brother said. “She always has been.”

“It’s not her strength I’ve ever doubted. It's everything else." He sighed. "Even if we keep the temple from taking her, I'm worried she might not make it through that academy, and she'll be so disappointed in herself."

“She'll make it,” Arielle said, bringing their startled attention. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Lyra's father and brother blinked at her, but before they could do much more, Lyra danced over to Arielle and swung her onto the dance floor once more.

Both girls jigged around and around, in continuous spins that made Arielle dizzy, but also strangely giggly. Arielle had planned to only tolerate the party until she could leave, but the breeze on her face felt good, and she finally caught the rhythm of the music as people around them clapped and sang. Arielle fumbled her way into some sort of stiff, wooden dance, with her arms and feet moving forward in calculated, alternating steps. It made people laugh, but she was no longer as self-conscious, and she actually enjoyed herself for this pocket of time.

Until the dancing was interrupted by the elder from earlier, who showed up with the boy Ari assumed was his son, from the resemblance.

He spoke above the din as he moved closer, stilling Lyra's movement with a gentle touch on her shoulder. "Lyra, my dear. Happy Birthday again. I can't stay long, but I want to make sure I don't miss the special display."

"What?" Lyra asked.

"Well, you know it's customary for all mages who come of age to show off their skill," he said. "Although it's understandable if you don't want to."

"I shot out two fireballs on my birthday," the elder's son said, smugly.

Lyra paused. She glanced at Arielle silently, and Arielle wondered if she was asking permission to do something.

She raised an eyebrow, and Arielle suddenly understood what she was trying to say.

She nodded.

"I can give you a display," Lyra told the elder.

"You don't have to," her father called out, having come upon their conversation.

"I know," Lyra said. "I want to."

She went back inside to fetch her wand, and came back, waving it in the air. The dance floor cleared in anticipation, everyone waiting.

She met Arielle's gaze again, and Arielle nodded.

You can do it, Lyra.

She smiled and pointed upwards.

"[Spore Burst]!"

The explosion of sound shook the entire party and had people screaming and diving for the ground. There was no actual damage done despite the rush of residual wind that took a couple of napkins off the table. The spell had been directed upwards, so it was all show and almost no physical consequence.

But the impact was in the shocked stares that Lyra received after it was done. The pride on her face, and in Ari's too, because she knew that she barely had to help Lyra achieve that on the first try.

Lyra beamed, watching the whole party as everyone slowly found the source of the speech.

"Did you do that, Lyra?" Posey asked as Lyra's father gaped.

"I did," Lyra said.

There was a moment of silence.

It was her brother who laughed first, and Sammy yelled, "Again! Again!"

Her father also grabbed her hand, swinging her into an energetic dance, satisfaction beaming on his face.

And the party continued, even louder and more chaotic than it previously was.