September 14, 2152
Emory woke up in a panic, unconsciously tossing the blankets across the room with her magik. As she took in her surroundings, she took several deep breaths and calmed down a bit. It was still early, pre-dawn, but with a dream like that, she didn't think she could go back to sleep. With that in mind, she hopped off her bed, changed clothes into those someone had laid out for her, and headed to the kitchen to find some coffee. All the servants in the kitchen were shocked when she went in and quickly helped Emory make some coffee. They apologized profusely for not having it ready in her room, but she shrugged it off and told them she didn't need to be waited on like some princess. Still, they offered to prepare her breakfast since she was up, yet she declined and walked slowly over to the sunroom. Surprisingly, Perceval and Shanna were already there, sipping away at some exotic smelling tea.
Perceval greeted her, "Good morning, Emory. I didn't expect you up this early."
"I had a bad dream. Well, I suppose they're visions now, aren't they?" Emory sighed, "Either way, I didn't think I would be able to go back to sleep, so I decided to come out here to meditate; the serene air makes it easier than almost anywhere else I've been."
"A vision? What did you see that bothered you so much?" Shanna asked softly. Emory took a big drink of her coffee before explaining to the elders about the vision she had about the leaders of the Apleem, making sure to describe every detail she could remember.
"Well, that only adds more fuel to the fire of what we must do today," Perceval gravely remarked, "They don't seem to know yet about you or our broader forces. The time to prepare is now."
Emory grumbled, "How can I be in two places at once? I can't defend the Fae and my friends at the same time. And just how many Mantoan are they sending? I'll feel a lot less on edge when Athos and Bramimond finish those reports."
"Relax, young one, it's not within your control today," Shanna soothed, "And remember, this is why you came here in the first place, specifically so you wouldn't have to be in two places at once."
"You're right. I can't afford to leave without support. When will people be arriving today?" Emory accepted her situation.
"People should start arriving around 10am, but the meeting won't start until noon," Shanna smiled, "Which will give us plenty of time to get you fixed up. You'll look like a proper Aurelias by the time I get done with you."
Emory frowned, "What exactly does that mean? Can't I just shower and change?"
"Perceval, where did you find this one?" Shanna laughed loudly, "No, my dear, it is vital that you look as powerful as you are. Of course, your friends will need to get ready as well, even though they can't join us until you've been elected. Now, what colors should you wear?"
"When I saw you on Parent's Day at the academy, that silver dress you were wearing matched your other items very well. Perhaps a silver and chromatic scale gown? Something that sparkles but a solid off color to allow your beautiful facial features to really pop," Lilina suggested as she entered the room and sat down.
"Accessories are indeed important, though I would recommend you stick to three key items," Shanna nodded, "What items do you have that you want to wear, Emory?"
Emory pulled out the pendant she wore under her shirts, "This pendant for sure. My mother gave it to me before she died and it's one of only two things I have to remember her by. Then I have a pair of gold and silver gauntlets I'd like to wear as well, but those are the only two things."
"A pendant with Clan Aurelias's insignia? And by the looks of it, it's not orichalcum either," Perceval mused as he leaned in for a closer look, "Cherish that relic, Emory. It appears to be an original made by Merlin himself. Go get those gauntlets and let's take a look at them; if you have one of these, I can only imagine what those are like." Emory grumpily nodded, retrieved the gloves, and returned with them covering her hands.
"What are those made of and what are they enchanted with? I can feel your magik surge with those on," Shanna gasped when she saw them.
"I don't know much about them other than they belonged to my mother, but if I were to guess, they raise my effective sphere level by two or three," Emory shrugged nonchalantly, "I've used them for sentimental reasons more than practical ones. What's so special about them? Don't the witches have plenty of equipment like this or stronger?"
Perceval waved his hand over the gauntlets and whispered a few words in a language Emory didn't understand before a light green magik began writing words over the top of them. It read, "Level four enchantment: Arcane. Active Skill: Emergency Shield. Passive Skill: Mana Draw."
"These weren't made by humans; these were made by the Fae," Perceval breathed heavily, "We've never learned how to create real skills in the forging process."
"Skills? I've never heard of that before. I mean the basics that largely mimic automation, but real skills were always taught as myth. How do I activate it?" Emory wondered aloud.
"Let's see. Active skills mean either you choose when to activate it or it automatically activates when a condition is meant whereas passive skills are always on," Perceval explained, "It says Emergency Shield happens when you take half the damage you're capable of taking. The shield is generated using magik stored in the gauntlets and lasts until they run out of mana. Mana Draw pulls in magik and stores it in the gauntlets for later use."
Shanna asked curiously, "You said these were your mother's? Roselin, right? I remember when she was just a little girl, a little firecracker I should say. Do you have any idea where she got them?"
"I can't believe I never put the pieces together!" Perceval exclaimed, "You're right; she was indeed a ball of fire. She never once let Cassandra boss her around, did she?"
"Wait, you knew my mother? Did you know my father too then?" Emory questioned excitedly.
"I remember there was a boy she brought to a gathering one time not long before she disappeared," Shanna put her finger on her chin, "He looked about her age, but I honestly can't recall much more about the boy. Though I do remember that day." She gave Perceval a certain kind of look.
Perceval paused before his eyes opened wide, "That day? I never saw the boy, but it makes more sense now that there was another boy involved."
"What are you two talking about?" Emory furrowed her brow, "What happened with my mother?"
"I don't see any harm in telling you, but you would be wise not to bring it up much around the others in this story as they might feel stronger than we do. Let me tell you the last time we saw Roselin Aurelias," Perceval began as he poured himself some more tea.