The instant we stepped through, the world fractured like shards of glass, whooshing by in a blur of indistinct shapes and colors as the world below slipped from underneath me, only to reassemble something entirely new.
By the time we'd arrived, a particularly strong sense of vertigo had overtaken me, and I was too nauseous to even take in my surroundings.
Yet surprisingly, the sensation was short-lived, just as she had advised.
Seraphina had exhibited a similar reaction to me, and she pawed at my leg, signaling that she wanted to rest atop my head. I allowed her to.
When the fog of confusion cleared, I took in our surroundings.
We were accommodated by a large clearing between a path of trees, standing on a similar stone dais from the one in the Verlice kingdom.
Ethereal, golden sunlight seeped through the emerald canopy, creating a welcoming and comforting atmosphere, and the low bustling of conversation and movement drew my attention to the couple of people around.
There were elven guards on standby in similar positions as the ones in Verlice, donning sleek, silver armor, and eyeing everyone who exited the portal.
"Where are we?" I asked upon gathering myself.
Despite the beauty of this place, I found it hard to believe that we had been directly transported into the heart of the kingdom. There were no buildings around that suggested we had been.
"This is the road leading up to the capital of Testruam, located in the Great Jade Forest that surrounds the kingdom. We'll follow this path until we're met with the gates of Testruam."
Mother began to make her way down the dais, shifting her gaze towards me.
"Come now, we mustn't be late. It'd be unbefitting of royalty."
And thus we began our walk through the scenic canopy of trees.
About six minutes worth of walking later, we arrived at another clearing, only this one was much more definable.
There were two rather sizable gates and more guards, but there was also an elven woman amongst them.
She had mahogany hair, fair features, glasses, and wore a business suit that differentiated herself from the armor the guards wore.
Clutched to her chest was a clipboard, and everyone in the small line ahead of us stopped at a nearby soldier who asked for name and identification before glancing back at the woman, who would then scribble something down on her board.
When it was our turn the guard followed standard procedure.
"Please halt. I require both of your names and identification."
He met our gazes levelly.
Mother brought her left hand up, showing an intricate byzantine silver and black ring embedded with a dark amethyst jewel.
That must be the Queensguard ring… I've never noticed it until now.I wonder why?
The guard peered closely at the thing, evidently unaware of what it was mother was trying to convey to him.
A bitter scoff escaped his lips. "Bah. Some emissaries from the… V-verlice kingdom…?!" He began, shocked for a split second or two before recovering, "...Even so, I cannot allow you to enter. Unless you have a permit directly admitted from royalty of this kingdom, you're required to submit proper identification."
Slowly, the woman behind him raised her head from her clipboard and squinted her eyes at mother and me, realization manifesting in waves on her face.
"Wait a minute, could y'all be…! Ah—dang it, ya dolt! Show some respect! " She slapped the guard on the neck, forcing his head down into a deep bow with her.
"I apologize on the behalf of this idiot, Queen Eslin and Prince Seraphis Verlice! He's a new recruit, so please go easy on him!"
Mother's expression changed slightly.
"It's water under the bridge, let it worry you no longer. I need to speak to the Endine Rex. Can you contact him?"
The girl saluted with a "Yes Ma'am!", jumping into action and activating an emerald storage ring on her finger, before pulling out a faintly glowing feather which she used to swiftly scribble down words on her clipboard.
I kept my eyes on the recruit throughout this process, curious.
He kept his head hanging low. It was evident in his expression and the way he avoided eye contact with us he felt deep regret and guilt. Sensing an unseen opportunity, I put on a friendly smile, Esil's words resurfacing.
I have the power to bring happiness… Okay.
"Don't worry, Mister, it was an honest mistake. Neither Mother nor I hold any grudge against you, so you can forgive yourself now. Don't stay sad about your failures too long, otherwise you'll miss your chance to fix them!" I gave him an innocent, toothy grin.
Slowly, he raised his head, meeting my gaze and I gave him an encouraging thumbs up.
"Young Prince…" His voice trailed off weakly.
Had I not been as close to the man as I was, I would've failed to notice the wetness bubbling from his eyes and the subtle tremble of his lips.
It lasted only for a brief moment, however, as he snapped into position, his eyes burning with a rekindled fiery determination.
"My apologies—Queen Eslin and Prince Seraphis—for my rude attitude. Thank you for your kind words and for giving me another chance. I won't forget this!"
Satisfied with this turn of events, I turned my attention back to his coworker, whose face had, at that moment, lightened up with relief.
"The Endine Rex has responded," she said, finally, "He says to escort y'all to the Haleth Manor at this once! I'll handle the carriage preparations, if you'll please spare me the extra minute in order to arrange everything… Ah—it almost slipped my mind! My name's Ida, pleasure to meet y'all, and I'll be your guide for now!"
Within that same minute, we were boarding a silver and jade carriage, passing through the gates, and officially entering Testruam's capital, Irelnore.
Just like that, the gates welcomed us with their own distinct splendor.
Despite this city being hidden beneath a sprawling canopy of trees, it was nothing short of magnificent.
A delicate dance of gold and emerald seeped through the canopy above, illuminating the smooth, polished stone paths and roads that were imbued with soft inner lights, and the roads twisted and turned throughout the expansive city.
There were shop vendors, families, and guards patrolling the city.
Beautiful houses seemingly molded from living wood stretched far and wide, and the air hummed with mana—so much so I found it to be partly suffocating.
Each shopfront glimmered with vibrant and delicate colors that reflected off of the unblemished stone pathways, ranging from soft lavender, shimmering aureate, deep cerulean, and sakura pink flowers, all blending into a kaleidoscope of hues that faded seamlessly with the natural surroundings.
I let out a soft gasp, the marvel of everything hitching my breath, and Ida caught on to my train of unspoken curiosity and wonder.
"It's sure an eye-catcher ain't it? Irelnore is real special, I'll tell y'all. Back in the Era of Great Beginning, our kingdom, Testruam, was a beacon of elven knowledge, magic, and art. It's said that elves were the first to fully grasp their new powers of magic when the Mother Star granted it.
I heard that people from all across the world flocked to it in hopes of learning from the Sages of the Old… How I wish I could have even a glimpse at what life was like ages ago."
Her tone was reverent, inspired, and her pitch fluctuated at the end of her pronunciations.
"Even now, our Majesties possess some of our kingdom's most powerful artifacts, supposedly guarded by magic older than themselves, though that's just a common story we folk have heard."
Mother made a "Hmm" sound, and Ida suddenly caught herself.
"Oh!—my apologies for the rambling, it's just… I'm passionate about the kingdom, that's all."
She seemed to shrink in on herself.
There was a few seconds of silence, and then…
"I have to agree with you, Ida. The elven kingdom is one of curiosity and wonder indeed, and I take great pride in our continued relations with them. The Tri-Union Treaty may have been constituted over a decade ago, but like the finest of wines, it has matured with time."
As we continued, a soft breeze intermittently flew through the streets, each whistle of the wind carrying a song of laughter, distant music, and the fresh floral scents of wildflowers and something faintly sweet lingered in the air.
There was a sense of regal emitting from even the smallest things, whether it was the clothes the elven folk wore, the armor the guards proudly wore, or the jade leaves carried by the brief currents of wind. Lanterns, carved from crystal, hung from branches, dark as of now, yet I knew that once it reached sunfall, they would put on an attractive display of colors.
A certain quiet rumbling brought my attention to the small fox sitting on my lap, peering out in wonder. "Hungry, are you? Don't worry," I said, running my palm through her silky fur, "we'll get some food soon. Elven cuisine will soon be ours to feast upon!"
I caught the curious gaze of Ida, who looked back to see who I was talking to. She locked eyes with Seraphina. The surprise that manifested on her was amusing.
"I-is that your companion, Young Prince?" I matched her look of curiosity with one of my own, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, it is. Is… that not allowed here?"
"Ah, no, no—there's no problem with it, as far as I'm concerned, it's just… To be bonded to a magic beast at such a young age is unheard of! It's incredible, really!"
I tilted my head slightly.
"Bonded? What do you mean?"
"Eh? You mean you don't know about bonds—otherwise known as contracts—with magic beasts? But then…" Her eyes trailed to Mother, who didn't seem to be particularly interested in the topic at the time, before snapping back to me. "Ah, well, it's nothing. It's not my place to say anything, so I'll just leave it at that. And 'sides, if y'all are here for what I think, then it won't be too much longer 'till you learn more about them. Lord Endine Rex sure is busy these days," she dismissed, slightly chuckling to herself.
It left me all the more confused.
Contracts… Bonds… Could she be talking about familiars?
If I use my knowledge on manga and such, then I can only conclude that something like "contracts" must exist between a mage and their "bond"—similar to familiars and such.
If that is the case, then why haven't I heard anything about it? Maybe I haven't been reading as many books as I thought, granted they were all mainly centered around magic.
Hmm… Considering the fact that Mother hasn't bothered to teach or even mention it to me, I can only assume that it's something she decided wasn't the proper time to do so. That would make the most sense. She did say something along the lines of "This is another thing he'll have to teach you", so that has to be it.
Ida's voice brought my attention back to the present.
"There's the Haleth Manor, home to His and Her Majesty, the Endine Rex and the young princesses. Right next to it is what we folks call the Great Tree of Rex."
In the distance, there was something like a hill, and on top of said hill was a large manor, sprouting crystal white, emerald, and lavender colors, accompanied by a tree larger than any I'd ever seen.
Hanging from the sprawling, ornate branches of the tree seemed to be decorations of some sort.
"It's a pretty thing, ain't it? It was made hundred of years ago, and has undergone significant changes with each new crowned ruler. Each new decoration marks the era of a new ruler. Truly, it's the pride and joy of us elves, I'll say that. I hope y'all two enjoy your time here and come to fall in love with my home the same way I have."
Eventually, we were exiting the carriage at the gates leading up to the Haleth Manor.
Ida waved us away as we entered on foot, and being this close made the manor seem even more magnificent.
Together, Mother and I approached the entrance, its polished wood and silver embellishments gleaming in the golden light filtering through the canopy above.
The door opened to reveal an attendant with flowing silver hair and a sharp gaze.
He bowed respectfully in our presence.
"Queen Eslin and Prince Seraphis of Kingdom Verlice, welcome to the Haleth manor. By my brethren, I go by Iansan, and I shall be your temporary assistant for whatever needs you may have. His and Her Majesty will arrive shortly."
The elf's voice came out smooth and very delicately.
Mother inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment. "We're grateful for your assistance."
Stepping into the manor's interior, I breathlessly drank in the sight.
A chandelier illuminated a grand foyer that was as much a work of art as it was functional, paintings lined the various halls that I could make out, stretching just beyond the edge of my vision, with elven history depicted within them.
"Please, just this way."
I couldn't help but gawk at the extravagant scenery.
The sheer elegance of this place was already overwhelming.
While the Verlice Palace was nothing to scoff at either, the Haleth Manor had a different sort of charm to it, and despite the naming choice, it was by no means less significant.
There was the crisp scent of blooming lilacs and a soft radiance to everything that made it all seem magical.
Before we could go much further, a distinguished pair of figures descended the spiraling staircase just a short distance away from the door. I could tell who they were in a heartbeat.
"Greetings, dear guests. I welcome you to our humble abode," King Rowan Esyvia Haleth's voice traveled lightly, with cordiality. "It is a rare honor to host royalty from Verlice." His regal frame moved with deliberate grace, and there was an ease to his step as he paused at the foot of the stairs.
Mother made a small movement with her head. "The honor is ours, King Rowan. It's a pleasure to be here," she said simply.
Queen Merlyn Esyvia Haleth chose this moment to step forward, slightly leaning over the railings from the landing, as a soft smile pulled at the edges of her spider lily red-lips.
"Likewise, I, too, welcome you both."
Her pastel-blue gaze flickered between Mother and I, settling on me. "I trust your journey was pleasant, judging by the bewildered look on our little friend's face," she finished, her voice a mellifluous charm that possessed a teasing lilt.
There was a certain undercurrent of something in her voice, but I couldn't quite put my thumb on it.
At her remark, I felt my cheeks flush, though I did what I could to hide it.
Not that there was much I could do.
I managed to bow at the very least without stumbling over myself. "Forgive me for the late introduction, King Rowan, Queen Merlyn. I am Prince Seraphis Eltath Verlice. It's a privilege to be present."
Lady Merlyn began her graceful descent once again, and I took this split second to take in her appearance as Lord Rowan approached.
She was adorned in a decorated set of robes that loosely draped from her slim, porcelain shoulders—slightly similar to the ones King Rowan himself wore—and decorating her crown of flaxen bundles of hair was a silver and emerald tiara. "Please, do not concern yourself with such matters. Relax. Allow yourself to feel as you would at home."
"Now then, formalities aside, I'm sure we are all aware of your reason for being here." His gaze landed on me. "You are eager to learn from the ways of our land, yes? Or more accurately, from my father, the Endine Rex."
I nodded in confirmation. "Correct. I hope it isn't too troublesome of me to ask…"
"Nonsense, Young Lord. We elven folk have no antipathy towards those who come to our kingdom seeking knowledge. Especially towards a trusted ally of ours. If I recall correctly, then, right about now, he would be in his garden, training with Briar. Iansan shall lead you there."
I glanced at Mother, who nodded her head, and I took her cue to proceed.
"We'll be there shortly. I have matters I need to discuss with the two lords first," she began. "Worry not, I'll come to see you off before I depart."
"I understand," I said, turning back. "Thank you for this opportunity, King Rowan, Queen Merlyn. I won't forget your generosity."
Lady Merlyn held her smile as she waved away my words.
"The pleasure is ours, Young Prince."
And with that, the King gave a simple gesture to Iansan, who politely bowed and ushered me in a direction different from the one Mother and the two rulers went off in.
***
It wasn't long until he and I reached a brief clearing in the spacious corridors of the manor, revealing another path just ahead, while the corner on our left seemed to open up to an area.
Voices spilled from our left the closer we got, and suddenly, I became nervous, trapped in my oncoming spiral of thoughts.
I wonder what the princesses are like… Elves in stories are usually nice, so I'd assume they wouldn't be any different, right? I can't imagine elves ever being evil.
This thought of mine was quickly rectified.
But, wait, no. Who's to say that I'm not simply generalizing them all based on a few that I've seen in stories?
Except, with such kind parents, how could they be anything else? And what about the Endine Rex?
Would he think me worthy of learning from him? Or would he deny me?
…No, that's not logical. Considering the fact that we even made it this far should be a sign that he's willing.
Mother did say we—the kingdom of Verlice, I mean—had close relations with the elves, so it's safe to assume that he's open and willing to do it, and by extension, so will the princesses.
Yeah, that's right. In fact, it's guaranteed. I shouldn't be worried about any—!
"Watch out!"
A shrill cry pierced the air.
In the split second following, I was being pulled out of the way, watching breathlessly as a streak of pristine silver and emerald whizzed past me before circling around overhead and passing by again, wrapping around the corner and quickly out of sight. It took me a second of standing there to gather my thoughts.
"T-thank you, Iansan," I managed to say. The elven attendant nodded wordlessly.
Easing up on my grip on my head, or more specifically, Seraphina, I ran a finger through her fur as an apology, though I could feel her growing tense.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for him to get loose like that!" The same voice exclaimed, drawing our attention to a frantic looking young girl.
"Gael is usually not so rowdy! All I did was try to bathe him because I felt as if he needed one, but the second I opened my door, he—ah, sorry, where are my manners? My name is Ismeria Esyvia Haleth, and I'm the princess of Testuam. First princess, not the second; that'd be my younger sister Briar Esyvia Haleth, who, coincidentally, is with Grandpa practicing in the training room so that sthhe—ouhh, bihp my tongue…!"
The flurry of words coming out of the girl's mouth far exceeded the speed at which I'd heard anyone ever speak before, which seemed to end up working against her as she now stood with a pained expression. Once again, I was stunned. Utterly so.
Rightfully so.
All I could do was stand there, concentrating all of my focus on subduing the maelstrom of questions surging within.
Iansan was the first to say anything, breaking the spell of chaos and surprise we were all trapped within.
"Princess Ismeria. While it is a pleasure to see you working hard to craft a bond with Gael, I am duty-bound to gently remind you of the complications that come with trying to act without the Endine Rex's supervision. Please, I implore you to take this into account next time, for your own safey."
He delivered the words with calculating, almost machine-like precision. While they weren't explicitly cold, they did seem to make the girl shrink in on herself.
"Ah, you're right. Sorry, I should've taken others into account…" Her eyes and voice drooped.
There was a split second of silence before Iansan spoke up again.
"This boy is Prince Seraphis Eltath Verlice, of the Verlice kingdom. He and Queen Eslin Auriaria-Verlice have arrived here for his training with the Endine Rex, and starting from today onwards, he'll be a resident of the manor. Please do well to get along with him."
The girl's pearly gaze shimmered with a newfound curiosity as she settled her eyes on me, taking in my appearance with a familiar grace, before landing on the creature resting on my crown.
Slightly clearing my throat, I prepared my introduction.
"It's nice to meet you, Princess Ismeria. As mentioned, my name is Seraphis, and I'll be staying here for a while. This is my… companion. Her name is Seraphina. I hope we can get along," I bowed slightly.
This is the first time I meet royalty my age, so it'll be a good benefit for me to try and get acquainted with them. It wasn't too hard to be friends with Altius, so I don't think it'll be much different with the two princesses.
At least I hope.
"Ah, i-it's nice to meet you, too. S-sorry again about Gael, he's usually not like this." The young girl snapped to attention and mirrored my bow, her argent hair cascading over her features like a winter's frost.
The corners of my mouth curled into a friendly smirk.
"No harm done, Princess. I'm not the type to hold grudges."
"R-really? That's good then…" she began, slowly lifting her head, "Oh, by the way, if you're looking for Grandpa, he's actually right past here." Making a small movement, she gestured to the grand archway opening to our left.
"He's usually training Briar at this time, and Gael always seems to find his way back to him, so I have a pretty good grasp on where he is most of the time."
"Oh, is that so? Alright then," I responded, bringing our group into a walk.
Shortly after, we arrived at our destination.
And by shortly after, I mean literally a few steps afterwards.
But man would I have never expected to see what I saw…
The short descent past the archway led us into an immense hall where the outdoors had been masterfully brought inside.
A verdant carpet of grass spread beneath our feet, while a lengthy mini stream of water snaked along to our right, its source hidden within the walls, creating a humid atmosphere.
At the very center of the indoor oasis stood a tree, tall and imposing in its magnificence, yet non diminishing of the grand nature of the room itself; blurring the lines between indoors and out.
There were even a few multi-colored butterflies resting on the trunk of the tree.
Standing near the tree with his arm outstretched was an elven man who appeared to be around his mid-adult years, with a lean figure clad in simple white robes that couldn't quite hide his muscular physique.
The Endine Rex, I immediately recognized. He looks… younger than I thought. Then again, he is an elf.
I took in the sight of his flowing silver mane, arranged in a loose ponytail with bangs framing his face, and similar colored eyes. He had smooth, flawless features, and exuded an air of grace and authority—lacking even residual mana traces.
But more striking than his masterful control over his magic core was the beautiful contrast between snow-white and bright crimson that streaked through a minor amount of the right side of his bangs.
Perched upon his wrist was a bird of unknown origins—at least, to me—sprouting similar color feathers, only with tinges of emerald, and possessing sharp, watchful eyes.
I also took note of the girl standing at the Endine Rex's side, donning a fitted training garb and a sleek training sword fashioned from wood.
"Grandpa!" Princess Ismeria called out, her voice wavering slightly as she strode over.
"Sorry, Gael got out when I was trying to bathe him. He almost ran directly into our guest here, as well. It's all my fault… I shouldn't've been so impatient with making him my familiar, I'm sorry. All I've done is cause a disturbance for you and everyone…"
Her eyes darted around the room, struggling to find purchase as she fiddled with her fingers.
The elven man took in our group with a swift glance, shifting his posture.
" Ismeria, I've told you before, yes? Forging a bond is something that cannot be rushed. It can take years in the most mild of circumstances. Your actions could've caused great harm. Not only to others, but yourself, as well. Please refrain from such things in the future. Let this be the final reminder."
He paused, settling his gaze on the bird perched upon him.
"Luckily for you, our feathered friend, Gael, is quite forgiving. He appears to hold no grudges against you, otherwise, I'm sure this situation would be very different." I came to a stop and his gaze fell on me.
"And you are… the one vying to be my student, yes? It's a pleasure to meet you, Seraphis. Though I am quite familiar with you already, I will ask that you introduce yourself for the sake of formality, along with your… little friend."
I straightened my posture, becoming acutely aware of my appearance as eyes fluttered to me.
"Please excuse my late introduction, Sir Endine Rex, and the rest of you all, as well. I am Seraphis Eltath Verlice, current heir to the Verlice throne. This is my fox companion, Seraphina. I came here in hopes of receiving proper lessons in magic. I sincerely hope to get along with you all," I bowed.
Nice, just as I practiced. I nailed it!
The elven man didn't seem to be too surprised by the eloquence behind my introduction as he simply closed his eyes and gave a slight smile.
"Likewise, it is a pleasure to meet you, Young Prince. I am Haldir Esyvia Haleth, otherwise known as the Endine Rex of Testruam. While I was aware of your reasons for coming here, I must admit, I never have formally agreed to take you in as my student. There is a prerequisite that I am hoping you accomplish on your own. However, I sincerely hope to forge good relations with you."
Haldir's silver eyes flickered to Iansan, conveying a nonverbal sign of dismissal.
With the quietness of a shadow, Iansan bowed and turned on his heel, eventually disappearing from view behind the elaborate metalwork of the archway.
"Now then," Haldir continued, his tone measured, "Seeing as you and Ismeria have already gotten acquainted, allow me to introduce our other friend. This is Briar, the second princess of Testruam. Out of you all, Seraphis, you would be the youngest, right after Briar."
The young girl possessed a light shade of milky brown skin and light crimson eyes that radiated a sort of detachment from the world from underneath her pale blonde hair as she stood composed beside her grandfather.
Her posture was straight, and she exuded a quiet confidence that belied her age. "Welcome," she said only, after a few seconds of silence. For a moment, she regarded me with indescribable scrutiny, an assessment almost beyond my understanding.
I somehow managed to catch on to her intent at the time she appeared to have accomplished her goal, leaving us both staring at each other in astonishment and newfound respect.
This girl, she's… a mage!
I whipped my head over to the Endine Rex, whose smile had only grown to match his amusement.
"It seems you two have uncovered each other's secrets in this short time you've met. Good, that makes it easier for me."
Beginning a short stride across the training room, he glanced at Ismeria, who followed at his heel, before turning back around, his smile entirely dissipated, revealing a new, thoughtful expression.
"Your eyes do not deceive you. Both of you are, in fact, mages, despite your young ages.
Though, Briar being one isn't as surprising as it is for you to be one, Seraphis. Elves are known to awaken early due to our physiological inclination to mana. Still, it's impressive, nonetheless."
Eyes all around the room settled on me with a mixture of emotions behind them.
The bright scarlet eyes of Briar revealed a sense of bewilderment, the pearly eyes of Ismeria cared not to hide their prying interest. The silver eyes of the Endine Rex all but reveled in a sense of all-knowingness.
"Throughout the coming course of my tutelage of you three, I'll be putting you all through intermittent tests in order to verify that you all are coming along nicely. Seraphis, I said that there was a prerequisite to becoming my student, yes? Well, congratulations. You've passed half of that prerequisite already."
"W-what? R-really?!" My disbelief at his words were unfathomably high.
"Yes. Fear not, Young Prince, as I would never lie to an aspiring student about such things." Lord Haldir made a gesture with his hand as if to disperse the air of my disbelief.
"To add on to what I was saying, half of the prerequisite test of mine was that you use your resources to assess those around you. While it seemed that it took you a few seconds longer than I would've wanted, nonetheless, you still managed to find out that our Briar here is an awakened mage. That shows to me that you, at the very least, are not an airhead, and that you are serious about learning from me."
He paused as to trace the outline of my figure; once, twice, three times, before his eyes stopped,
narrowing with intrigue.
"Seraphis, tell me, are you interested in forging a bond with Seraphina?"
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, my gaze bouncing back and forth between the two. "A bond? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the term… But, if I recall correctly, you mentioned it earlier in your conversation with Princess Ismeria. So, it's something I can do, too?"
Haldir continued, his tone shifting to instructional.
"Bonds, or more formally known as bonding contracts, are the representation of utmost trust between a contractor and his familiar. It requires both sides to be equally as willing, and by forging one, you unlock a new realm of possibilities for your latent potential. A contract acts as the bridge between your abilities and that of your familiar, allowing the contractor to draw on the innate techniques of the contracted. It lets you use various amounts of their magic techniques via a series of what Tamers call stages." A breath.
"In total, there are three stages: Symbiosis, when you'll undergo a shared connection of senses with one another, Manifestation, the part of where you can manifest some of your familiar's physical appearances as part of an ability, along with one or two other abilities in gradual stages, and finally, Unification. The final stage is when you'll be able to fully unleash the power your bond has."
So, familiars and bonds do exist in this world, though that should've been obvious… Why haven't I ever read anything about it?
"...And what of the process itself? How long will it take?"
Although there was an undercurrent of excitement swelling within, I remembered what he said about the process potentially taking many years.
"The situation isn't that severe for you, considering the fact that you seem to have a… decent relationship with your companion already," Haldir assured, glancing at the princess at his side. "Ismeria, however, is different. If you recall, I said both sides must be equally as willing. Gael is quite the stubborn fellow, so our Princess here has her work cut out for her. That is to say it won't be easy for you, either, but it will be significantly less taxing. I don't want an immediate answer, and we'll discuss the intricacies at a later time. For now, allow the thought to stir in your mind."
Giving me one last look that emphasized his words—which I matched with my own silent acceptance—he glanced at the girl to my left, seemingly gauging her physical state.
Then, to me, he said, "Are you trained in the art of swordsmanship?"
Shaking my head, I responded. "No, sir, that's part of the reason why I'm here today."
Haldir made a quiet "hmm", before emitting a spark of mana that dissipated just as quickly as it formed in a very familiar fashion.
In the seconds following, I was catching a sleek training sword carved from wood. It was, unsurprisingly, light, but surprisingly, smooth to the touch.
I regarded the thing curiously, turning my attention back to Lord Haldir. "This is the other half of the prerequisite test. Briar, as my one and only student up until now, you haven't had much experience with other mages, much less ones your age. This short sparring session will be just as much of a test for Seraphis as it is for you. I would like to see your progress thus far."
The girl nodded in response, determination reflecting across the surface of her features.
Despite the excitement coursing through me at the act of holding a sword, I tempered myself, recalling his words of praise.
"Is there magic allowed in this?"
Haldir's eyes flickered to me with uncertainty. There was a brief pause, and then, "The use of magic in this sparring session will be strictly prohibited. For now, I only want to see where you two stand in terms of swordsmanship, and this will also help me to gauge your affinity as well, Seraphis, though it is only a rudimentary method. We'll get into more proper ones later on. You will both begin on my mark. Take your positions."
I sucked in a deep breath, gripping my wooden sword tightly, and pivoting my right foot after taking a couple steps back in order to get some distance.
This was going to be my first time ever fighting with a sword—or even wielding it for that matter. And it was going to be against an opponent whose skill is unknown to me.
If I wanted to make my fighting style of being a close-range conjurer, then I needed to have access to my magic.
That was probably the biggest downside to this all.
Briar eased back a bit on her main foot, holding the sword in a more pointed position.
She puts more of her weight on her back foot…? It could be a sign that she'll launch an attack right off the bat. I should be careful about that. Would it be best for me to charge, too, in order to potentially launch a surprise attack? Or would trying to counter be most prosperous?
What if she's expecting me to play it safe? How do I even play to counter her, anyways?
These sorts of thoughts were rapid fire in my mind. It felt like an eternity of silence and waiting had passed before any one of us made even a sound. I kept my eyes trained on Briar the whole time, however, unwilling to allow poor timing to catch me off guard.
Finally, a single word sliced through the tension like a knife.
"Begin!"