A Meeting of Mystics

Elantaire sat between Aelin's ears, as she often did, while Aelin paced her tower room. Nerves were shooting through her. How could she not be nervous? She had only ever met one Mystic before... well two, kind of, if you counted briefly interacting with Melione. 

But this was different. Today she was meeting Melione officially, as well as Ausrune, a Desert Mystic and ally of Khaalida's. 

It had been Khaalida's idea really, to introduce them all, as if it would be a big thing. Sure, it was a huge thing! But certainly not what Aelin was hoping for.

Meeting so many new people had worn her social meter out. While Khaalida and her friends were fine... Aelin couldn't help that worry other Mystics might look down on her. 

"Are you going to stop pacing any time soon?" Elantaire asked, the fairy sighing as she tugged on Aelin's ears. 

"I'm nervous," Aelin admitted.

"I never would have guessed," Elantaire said dryly. "What is there to be nervous about?" 

"I just.... I'm just starting to feel a bit more comfortable around Khaalida and the others," Aelin said, with a sigh, pausing her pacing. "I don't know how I feel about suddenly meeting more powerful Mystics, and... I'm so inexperienced. Khaalida was telling me about them, and Ausrune regularly jousts with Anevay! And Melione will play intense games of chess with Aberfa, that sometimes last for days! All I ever did was play with Haukea a bit as a foal, throw some snowballs around, and call it a day. After that I wanted nothing to do with all this magic." 

Elantaire was silent for a few moments, thinking about it. "Well, all you can do is learn and get better. You were the one who brought water to the emergency underground caves! You are talking to me in my language. That's two magics! We just need to practice the others," Elantaire said. 

"I won't be able to learn them before they get here," Aelin sighed.

"Is it so bad to ask them for help?" 

"No.... maybe.... I don't know," Aelin mumbled. "I just. I never really interacted with anyone in the Icy Region. This city is gorgeous but also terrifying because there are so many Quirlicorns! I went from being a nobody, to suddenly meeting made Deities and other Mystics and all kinds of powerful Quirlicorns. I feel so out of my league..."

Elantaire grabbed a handful of Aelin's forelock and used it like a rope to rappel down her face to look into her eyes. "You got this, Aelin. You have me! Together we can do anything."

Aelin smiled then. "Thank you, Elantaire, for everything."

 

Despite Elantaire's reassurance, Aelin was a bit of a mess as she followed Khaalida down the stairs and to the back of the manor, where a large lawn spread out. Melione was there, along with another deer tailed, space coated and skull faced stallion. Based on description, Aelin figured this was Ausrune. 

Synnove and Eisling were also out in the lawn, working with magics and their familiars to spar. Rigel was making quite the recovery, filling out and gaining strength with regular meals and rest. He was currently wrestling with Ludivine, Eisling's familiar. While Rigel was bigger, Ludivine was still in better shape and faster, turning the tables on the larger wolf. 

"Melione, Ausrune, thank you for coming!" Khaalida said as they got closer. 

"Always a pleasure to have a break from the heat... though maybe not this cold," Ausrune said, and Aelin tried not to stare. The other Icy Region mystic she had met had also been a skull faced Quirlicorn... Strange. 

"This is her then?"

Aelin blinked, and looked at Ausrune. The stallion was even taller up close, so really, she looked up at Ausrune. 

"Yes, my apologies for not making proper introductions. Melione, Ausrune, this is Aelin, an Icy Region Mystic and my guest," Khaalida said. Aelin tried not to wince at the term guest, her insecurity popping up in the back of her mind. She had hoped they were more of... friends? But at the end of the day, this was Khaalida's home and Aelin... was just a guest here on her goodwill. 

"Aelin, I believe you met Melione during the Equinox?" Khaalida said, looking over, and Aelin shook away the bad thoughts and focused back on the conversation.

"Briefly," Aelin said softly, then cleared her throat. "Yes, we met in passing." 

Melione smiled, a twinkle in her eyes. "It is good to meet officially," she said, and Aelin for a moment felt a spike of worry. Melione was a Mountains Mystic. Could she feel what Aelin was feeling? Hear her thoughts? 

Don't worry,  I'm making sure you are protected from their magic right now, Elantaire's voice echoed in Aelin's mind. 

Aelin blinked in surprise but felt grateful that she had that much protection. 

"I'm Ausrune, I'm a Desert Mystic and I have a nice little land in the Desert known as Phaedra," Ausrune said. 

"It's nice to meet you, Ausrune," Aelin said, her voice coming out a lot calmer than her inner panic. 

"This is Elantaire, my Guardian," Aelin offered, her eyes flicking up to where Elantaire sat between her ears. 

"Why did you call us here, Khaalida?" Ausrune asked, turning his attention back to the queen. 

Aelin tried hard not to let that hurt. She knew she wasn't as important as the queen. But.... A little interest might have been nice. 

"Because I would like Aelin to be able to spar with you," Khaalida said.

Aelin's heart sank. Sparring? She barely touched her magic! And sparring against mental magics, and fire magics?! It was a battle to keep her breathing even, her heart from racing. She was no where near ready for this, ready for any of this. 

She felt Elantaire's small hand stroke her ear, and Aelin relaxed slightly. That's right, she wasn't alone. 

"What kind of sparring did you have in mind?" Ausrune had asked while Aelin was mentally having a freakout. 

"Nothing wild to start. Melione, I want you to help Aelin shore up her mental and emotional defenses. Ausrune, if you could help her with the basics of magic battles," Khaalida said, looking between them. "Mystic gifts work a bit differently than my own, so I wanted you to both be here to help."

From that day on, Aelin began to train.

 

The days fell into routine, waking early, having breakfast with Khaalida and her court, then training with Ausrune in the mornings. It started simple. Ausrune would set a fire, and Aelin would put it out. Then it got more complicated, Ausrune throwing fireballs, and Aelin having to shield. It was tough practice, but as she did, she grew stronger.

Afterwards she would dine with Ausrune and Melione. Melione trained her in the afternoons, shoring up her mental defenses and helping her learn to block her own emotions from those who might read them. Melione taught her how to look for signs of spirits in passing, as well as how to read body language, to the point where Aelin didn't need to read minds to take a swing at what someone was thinking. 

Evenings resulted in a meal with the court, then she spent her time with Khaalida, Eisling, Sadira and Synnove. The evenings were her favorites, hearing tales of other worlds, as well as working to strengthen her bond and work better with Elantaire. 

Then she would sleep, and do it again.

 

A month in, Ausrune left to return to his land. Aelin was sad to see him go, for she had come to like the Desert Region Mystic. Melione stayed, and Aelin continued training with her in the afternoons. The mornings became a time to train with Khaalida's circle, training with Elantaire by her side, and their familiar's by theirs. Synnove wielded Shadow Manipulation and a strange magic that Aelin had yet to encounter, Magic Eater. Khaalida's mass amounts of different magics proved interesting for Aelin to keep up with, and Eisling's Endurace helped craft Aelin's own. 

When injuries happened, Eisling used her blooming Healing magic to help them out, and grow her own power in that way as well. 

Time moved on. 

 

As it neared the coming of winter, it's bite on the air, Aelin found herself struck with a sudden bout of homesickness. She stood atop one of the high towers once more, looking over the city. The towers had swiftly become her solace, her place to go and think.

Elantaire sat on the wall in front of her, the little fairy bundled up in soft (and tiny) fur clothes. She looked a bit like a tiny ball of fluff, not that Aelin would tell her that. Their bond had strengthened, and the magics Elantaire offered had become a boon. Telepathy, and Plant Magic. Both of which Aelin had worked to master.

"It is time," Khaalida said, and Aelin turned to look at the lesser deity of the realm. 

"She has arrived?" Aelin asked, glancing back over the city. 

"Cyrenne has come home," Khaalida confirmed. 

 

Nerves bundled in Aelin's stomach. Despite all her training, all her practice, Cyrenne was held to a near mythical standard in Aelin's mind. The image was only strengthened by the tales of the mare who had so deeply impacted Khaalida, Synnove and Eisling's lives. 

The mare was beautiful, that much Aelin could admit. She had an otherworldly grace to her, that spoke of many years beyond what she looked. She walked with an elegance that spoke of someone who had spent time among royals, but her eyes spoke of darker truths, truths not said to the world during the hours of day. 

"I am glad to finally meet you, Aelin," Cyrenne said, her voice soft and musical. "My daughters have said much about you," she added, looking fondly to the three mares gathered around Aelin. Eisling pretended to not care but Aelin saw the spark of warmth in her eyes. Synnove smiled warmly, and Khaalida beamed as another mare appeared. 

"Ma!" Khaalida said with a grin, and Aelin blinked. Well of course, Khaalida would have actual blood parents. It was silly to think that Khaalida had just popped into existence one day. But looking at the simple bay mare in front of her, and then to Khaalida... Aelin mused that Khaalida's father must have been the one to give her that stunning coat of stars and cold. 

"Hello, my daughters," Liana said with the same warmth as Cyrenne, looking at all three, no, four of them. Aelin glanced between Liana and Cyrenne and noticed the parental warmth was directed at her as well, and nearly blushed. The warmth and acceptance in those gazes...

"Mam!" Another excited voice said, and Aelin looked on in astonishment as Melione pushed through to nuzzle Cyrenne. Aelin smiled to herself slightly, wondering why she was surprised that Cyrenne had mothered a mystic. With everything that Khaalida had said about her...

Warm greetings and tales of far off lands that Aelin had only heard of in passing traveled between the mares as they retreated into the warmth of the hall. Aelin found herself drifting to the back with Elantaire, watching as a hoard of familiars fought for space near the fire, a Squirrel from Cyrenne and a ferret from Liana joining Cat, Ludivine and Rigel as they all vied for warmth. 

The stories continued, and Aelin found herself smiling to herself as she listened. She didn't have any grand tales of her own, at least not yet.

"What are you thinking about?" Elantaire asked, and Aelin shrugged slightly. 

"That some day... Some day we are going to have an adventure too," Aelin replied.

"Silly Mystic," Elantaire said, patting Aelin's forehead. "Can't you tell we are on one already?"

The thought made Aelin grin. "Perhaps we are," she admitted. 

"Great things happen from small moments like this," Elantaire said, looking around the room. "I can feel that this is the start of yet another adventure." 

"How can you tell?" Aelin asked. 

"I just feel it," Elantaire replied. "We are on the cusp of something big."

The words settled into Aelin, and she felt them sink within her soul. Yes, yes they were. 

And she was going to be there right along with it.