Chapter 3: A Lesson to Learn!

You guys remember when I asked Claude when will I be ready to learn magic?

Well, it has been a few months since our parents’ passing. And despite we’re possibly still mourning for them, I kept asking my brother about when I be ready for magic.

“I told you, for the forty-seventh time, I’ll teach you how to cast one when you are ready.” He answered every time I asked him. I am quite obsessed with learning it right now. And I might ask Claude these questions in quite abnormal places; like in the Hall of The Monarchs (I don’t know why would I be there), in the dining area when we were alone, and even in the restrooms while we were minding our own business (long story).

What does he mean “ready”? When I’m old enough? When I get to do something to impress Claude? I just don’t get it… Does every magician in this world has to be “ready” to learn magic? Like, how old were they when they first learned it? I think I can manage it well… It’s just like saying a word and cast it or something like that.

A few days later, I would try to find Claude to ask him about this “ready”. Okay, I am starting to get a bit annoying… But who gives a heck about that? I was figuring out where Claude will most likely be right now. He could possibly be in the Halls right now. I figured out to check the Halls of The Monarchs first. However, my brother himself appeared behind me.

“You want to ask me again, don’t you?” He stared at me with an irritated look. “Maybe…” I managed a reply. Claude sighed, and closed his eyes. He must have been thinking to whether to answer my question or not. He opened his eyes, “You aren’t ready yet.” Okay, well, this “ready” word is driving me insane, what is the meaning of this?

“But, I think you are able to understand it before you cast a real spell.” I looked at him, my eyes wide open. “Does that mean…” “I will teach you the origin of magic first, are you fine staying up late?” “Yeah I am!” I was so excited that I can actually learn details about magic. “I can burn the midnight oil!” Claude pated my head. “Alright then, meet me at the library, at 9.”

I almost walked to death while finding the library.

You see, I’m not actually a bookworm. So mostly, I never entered the library before.  And also, it took a lot of flights of stairs to get there. I mean like, why would the library be on a really high place? Why would you send a child to walk up hundreds of flights of stairs, just to reach a library? I can’t feel my legs now, I have to inhale more oxygen and I feel like I was about to die. Mother, Father, I think I might see you guys again… But my death might more hilarious than yours…

I couldn’t take it anymore… Instead of walking, I crawled on all fours due to my exhaustion. I finished a climbing up a flight of stairs, and I saw a door waiting at the end. “I-I-I’ve m-m-m-made it…” I got up, which is hard because like I had climbed up, well, I had lost count about how many flights of stairs I needed to climb to get here. But still, I’m here, top of the world.

I opened the door, and silence flew over me. The library was filled with shelves of tens of thousands of books. Some tables with four chairs lined up in front of the shelves. There were some maids and servants sitting on those chairs, reading books that I don’t know what they were. They might be good novels or something, since they were so glued on to them, or… it might be something too inappropriate that it is best for a six-year-old to find out.

I searched through the shelves for my brother. Which I had to do a lot of times due to there being so many shelves. Also, why would they need a lot of books? I know that there are people here, but it’s not like providing books for the entire continent or something. “You’re here.” I turned to a shelve, and saw Claude, with a load of books related to magic with him. “It’s about time, Edward.”

We found a spot and we placed our books on the tables, and sat down. “It’s so… disturbingly quiet here.” I whispered. “Yeah, libraries have to be quiet you know.” Claude replied. “So… Which book am I supposed to read right now?” I asked. Claude took the first book, and its title read; ‘The Origin of Magicians.’ He opened the book, “Before you officially learn magic, you need to understand the history about magic first.”

I looked at the pages, and saw two beautiful women with magic staffs and a bit of revealing clothes, one of them wore a white cloth, and the other wore a black one. And I wondered are those something to age-restricted for me. “These two women you see here, are known as, The Enchanted Sisters.” Claude said, pointing his finger on the picture. “Because they were the reasons that magic existed?” I asked. “Precisely. Let me begin the story.” “Is it like one of those bedtime stories you tell me?” I asked again. “Kinda, but… This is technically learning.”

“Thousands of years ago, these two sisters were just ordinary people, who worked as servants in a kingdom. However, they were constantly abused by the other servants who worked there. They often beaten the sisters just because they were not good at doing things that the servants do.” I stared at the pictures with sympathy. “That’s horrible…” “Those people were truly despicable.” Claude agreed. “And one night, the servants had enough with the sisters and decided to chase them out of the kingdom and then hunt them down in a nearby forest. And there were some different theories about how they escaped; some said that the sisters found shelter in a nearby cave, and some said that a mist engulfed them, safe from the rogue people.”

“But anyways, once they were safe from them, a figure appeared in front of them; it was Circe, the Goddess of Sorcery. Circe, who had sensed their despair and tragicness, had offered to give them a better life by giving them two gems.” “Gems?” I interrupted. “Yes, gems. But these aren’t regular gems, they were capable of magic. The two sisters thanked the goddess for the gems, and in the morning, when the servants were gone, the sisters ran out of the forest and from the kingdom.”

Claude pointed to the sister with white robes. “This sister, used her power of magic to help those in need and the ones with the same tragic lives like hers. She was loved by basically anyone she came across. But,” Claude shifted his finger to the sister with black robes. “The other sister, was consumed by the power she had and she murdered the servants who had abused the sisters in revenge. And she didn’t stop there, the other sister believed that she can ‘cleanse’ the evilness in this world by manslaughter, and began her road to ‘save’ the world.”

“The sister who was kind and helpful, had sensed her sister’s crimes and went to see her in person. She had talked to her sister to stop her madness and said that killing people is not the answer to everything. But the other sister, told her that the world was filled with cruel people and wants to ‘cleanse’ them all. And, the two sisters, who had been through everything together, clashed in a battle that will settle the existence of this world. And this battle lasted for five years.” “Five?!” I asked out loud. Claude placed his index finger near his mouth, signalling me to keep quiet. “Yes, five long years. And, the other sister, was defeated, and her sister, knowing that if the other sister was spared, she would continue to wreak havoc in this world. In a tearful conclusion, she casted the other sister into Tartarus for eternity, but before that, the other sister curses that in the next millennia, she will have a pawn to fulfil her duty…” Claude turned to the next page, and pointed at a mark that looks like a bloody question mark. “Her pawn, is stated to have this mark. And they are capable who making a curse to the person that they hate the most in their life just before dying.” Chills were sent down my spine as I heard those words. “I’m sorry if the story had scared you. Let me switch back to the nice sister.” “And, as the nice sister passes on, she had split her powers into twelve elements.” He pointed to a symbol with twelve different icons. “Those elements are; fire, water, insect, wind, earth, thunder, ice, steel, dragon, fairy, shadow and spirit. And the element we have is, you know ice. And anyone can have those elements as their main source of magic.” “But brother, which of the twelve elements are the strongest?” I asked. “If I were to avenge our parents, I would need the strongest element possible, right?” Claude pated my head. “If you were to talk about the strongest, all the elements are equal, it will have to depend of their user to see how strong they are.”

“And, if you want to learn magic, you will have to be at least nine years old to start learning it.” He looked at me. “That’s what I mean ready.” So, he meant that ready is when I’m old enough. “And if you want to be an official magician, you will have to participate in The Magician Games. Every magician will have to participate in this exam if they want to graduate.” “Everyone?” I asked, my eyes widened, “Even…” “Yes, even her.” You see, after our parents’ deaths, we decided to not use the name “Melantha” as it will make us think about their passing again.

“And when will I be ready to join The Magician Games?” Claude tapped his staff on the floor softly. “That, my brother, will depend on their trainings with their master.” He pated my head again. After that story, I can’t wait to turn nine so that I can learn magic for the first time. Claude looked at the clock, which was pointing at eleven o clock. “Oh. It is way past your bedtime.” “Oh yeah.” We were too focused on the story, that time passed so slow around us. “You should return to your bedroom.” “Goodnight brother.” I gave Claude a hug, and walked (quietly) of from the library. When I stepped out, I started to remember what had happened when I got here in the first place… That means… I have to walk down these stairs to get back to my bedroom. I took a sharp inhale, and muttered, “Damn it.” and walked down the stairs. And I will eventually suffer again.