Chapter 99: New Recruits

The big gates of the old Starweaver mansion let out a crack sound as it was pushes open.

A figure walked inside with their face completely covered in the green cloak.

It was Gift Mother. She stepped inside the compound with her boots making softs tapping sound on the stone floor as she entered.

No one was outside not even the maids.

She raised her hand and pulled the hood of her green cloak away from her head.

She stopped right in front of the big double doors of the house when something bzz in her pocket.

She put her hand inside the pocket.

Bzz.

The thing sounded again in her pocket before it started to vibrate.

She pulled out a small glass ball.

The glass was changing colour fast. It flashed in a warning red light, then faint blue light before it slowly turned back to the normal bright blue.

She let out a sigh of relief. "He is safe...," she said softly to herself. Her shoulders dropped as the worry in her body left. She then put the glass back into her pocket, turned the brass handle, and walked inside.

Back at the academy and in Nymeria room. The two healers had already left..

Reynold was still lying down on the soft sofa. His chest was going up and down in a steady and slow way.

The pale colour on his skin was gone now. Now, his face looked warm and alive.

Nymeria was standing right by his side, watching him closely. Her fingers moved against her skirt. Then her eyes shifted across the room to Nyx.

Nyx was standing stiffly next to the window with her arms crossed on her chest.

She looked like she was trying to hold herself together so she would not break.

Nymeria pushed away from the sofa and walked quietly towards the window. She stopped right next to Nyx and leaned her back against the window frame.

"Well... at least he is out of danger," Nymeria said softly with her voice was very low.

Nyx nodded her head one time. She did not say anything as her eyes stayed looking down at the floor between them.

Nymeria turned her head to look at Nyx’s tired face. "You know... the Forsaken having Gwyn is not your fault."

Nyx let out a quick low angry scoff.. "No," Nyx said back immediately with her voice cracking with a little pain. "I could have seen something. I should have known that something was wrong with the healer before she her inside.."

Nymeria slowly reached out and put her hand right on top of Nyx’s closed hand on the window sill. "No, you could not have seen anything," Nymeria said in a soft voice. She wanted Nyx not to hold herself accountable. "It could have happened to anyone. The Forsaken have been planning this attack for a very long time. There was no way you could have seen it coming when your mind was busy trying to get your girlfriend to the nearest healer just to find out why she fainted."

Nyx did not answer as she put her hand up to cover her lips. Her eyes were a bit tearing as she thought about what happened. She was looking like a statue that was going to fall apart.

Nymeria licked her dry lips and continued talking. "You have to forgive yourself, Nyx. Maybe... that is the real reason why your magic is not working right now. You are shutting your own power down and punishing yourself for something you could not have stopped."

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

Nymeria gave Nyx’s shoulder a quick pat. Then she turned around and walked to the door to open it.

She pulled the door open, and the white Mage with them before was standing there.

"We managed to off the Forsaken back," Mage Isolde said. Her voice was calm, but she sounded very tired from the fight. "It is is over for now."

Before Nymeria could say anything, Isolde put her hand inside her robe and took out a small silver pendant. In the middle of it was a small blue crystal ball. She stretched it out toward Nyx.

"I think they were looking for this," Isolde said, looking straight at Nyx. "I got to Gwyn’s room just in time before they could run away with it."

Nyx stepped forward. Her fingers were shaking as she took the pendant from the mage’s hand. She looked down at the metal and touched the blue crystal with her thumb.

She swallowed.

"It’s for Gwyn," Nyx said. "Her late mother gave it to her... it was Gwyn’s favourite thing in the whole world."

Isolde sighed. "I guess that is why the Forsaken needed it. They wanted something very special to her... something connected to her family so they could use it for the final ritual."

Cough.

The cough sounded through the room.

Everyone turned their heads to look at the sofa at the same time.

Reynold’s eyes opened. And his hand went right to his side, as he touched the spot where the arrow wound had hurt him. He felt his skin. It was smooth and healed. He let out a big breath of relief.

He sat up and looked at the three ladies in the room.

Before Reynold could say a word, someone knocked on the door again.

Nymeria walked back to the door and pulled it open. Her eyes went wide.

Standing in the hallway with the northern badge on his robe, was her father—the Viceroy of the North.

Nymeria swallowed hard. Her voice came out very small. "F-Father...?"

Her father let out smiled. "Can I come in?"

Nymeria bit her lip as she looked back at Reynold and Nyx, and then back at her father. She stepped aside and the tall man walked into the room.

When Mage Isolde saw the Viceroy, she bowed her head a little bit. She turned to Nyx and said, "Keep that pendant safe. You are the last person anyone will think of holding it." Then she looked at the Viceroy and said, "I will leave now, My Lord."

The Viceroy nodded his head. "Go ahead."

Isolde turned around and left.

Reynold was already standing up from the sofa. He was feeling good now, and the poison was completely gone from his body.

The Viceroy looked from Reynold to Nyx. Then he walked over to the small table in the corner and touched an empty glass cup with his finger.

Nymeria walked up behind him. "Is everything alright, Father? You never come to visit the academy unless something bad has happened."

Her father turned around to look at his daughter. "Well... I put your name down on the list for the new army camp recruits."

Nymeria raised her eyebrows in shock with her mouth slightly open. "My name? On the military list?"

Seeing her shocked face, her father said again. "If you do not want it, I can take your name off the list. I only put it there because that is what you always said you wanted to do."

Nymeria did not know what to say. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. So much has been happening in the academy lately.

"No... no, it’s not that I don’t want it," she said quickly. She stopped for a second and looked at Reynold. "Can I... can I think about it for a little bit?"

Her father smiled. "Yes. But you have to decide fast. The new recruits leave the day after tomorrow."

Nymeria swallowed.. "Sure... sure, that is enough time for me to decide."

"I want to join the recruits too," Reynold’s voice said loudly.