Aorii at 17:59, 8 March 2025

2025-03-08T17:59:08Z

Aorii at 15:35, 11 March 2023

2023-03-11T15:35:14Z

Aorii at 23:19, 8 October 2022

2022-10-08T23:19:24Z

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Aorii: Created page with "===Chapter 7 - The Price of Audacity=== Kaede pressed down upon her stomach as she tried not to let the discomfort show in her countenance. The Samaran girl was sitting on..."

2022-10-01T20:49:14Z

Created page with "===Chapter 7 - The Price of Audacity=== Kaede pressed down upon her stomach as she tried not to let the discomfort show in her countenance. The Samaran girl was sitting on..."

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← Older revision		Revision as of 15:35, 11 March 2023
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	The Samaran girl watched as Fleurette -- the young healer with whom she had ridden back from Ceredigion -- finished taking off the bandages that wrapped around Pascal's head. The girl then peeled away Pascal's blindfold, before stepping aside in the barely lit room.		The Samaran girl watched as Fleurette -- the young healer with whom she had ridden back from Ceredigion -- finished taking off the bandages that wrapped around Pascal's head. The girl then peeled away Pascal's blindfold, before stepping aside in the barely lit room.

	Sir Ariel, the elderly healer who had treated Pascal after the battle, sat opposite the young lord in the only other cushioned armchair. His eyes glowed with a blue ~~hew~~ as he leaned forward to examine the young Landgrave's gaze with an active spell.		Sir Ariel, the elderly healer who had treated Pascal after the battle, sat opposite the young lord in the only other cushioned armchair. His eyes glowed with a blue hue as he leaned forward to examine the young Landgrave's gaze with an active spell.

	"His eyes... look different."		"His eyes... look different."
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	"His Grace must have turned to the left when he lost control of the spell." The senior healer with salt-and-pepper hair commented as he laid his hands on Pascal's cheeks. He forced his patient's face to turn left and right before continuing.		"His Grace must have turned to the left when he lost control of the spell." The senior healer with salt-and-pepper hair commented as he laid his hands on Pascal's cheeks. He forced his patient's face to turn left and right before continuing.

	"My guess is that His Grace was casting the spell through his right hand when he lost control. His right side received considerably more damage than his left. The same applied to his eyes. And while Regeneration could heal the pupil and cornea, it is incapable of regrowing a mage's sensitive neural retina -- which is laced with too much magic to be restored with foreign mana."		"My guess is that His Grace was casting the spell through his right hand when he lost control. His right side received considerably more damage than his left. The same applied to his eyes. And while ''Regeneration'' could heal the pupil and cornea, it is incapable of regrowing a mage's sensitive neural retina -- which is laced with too much magic to be restored with foreign mana."

	"Are you saying that he's going to be half-blind?" Sylviane spoke in an alarmed voice.		"Are you saying that he's going to be half-blind?" Sylviane spoke in an alarmed voice.
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	"And you can always use my eyes when the need arises." Kaede noted with a reassuring smile.		"And you can always use my eyes when the need arises." Kaede noted with a reassuring smile.

	Nevertheless, Pascal's temple twitched as he sighed audibly at the news. Once again, his ~~left~~ cheek moved slower and noticeably less than his ~~right~~. However, he didn't speak further of his eyesight, and instead shifted the topic towards a different concern:		Nevertheless, Pascal's temple twitched as he sighed audibly at the news. Once again, his right cheek moved slower and noticeably less than his left. However, he didn't speak further of his eyesight, and instead shifted the topic towards a different concern:

	"What about my right arm and hand." The young lord asked. "I have had trouble grasping, even something as simple as an eating utensil."		"What about my right arm and hand." The young lord asked. "I have had trouble grasping, even something as simple as an eating utensil."
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	"Of course. And thank you, Sir Ariel." Sylviane responded as she gave a sincere and deep nod of gratitude. "I've never apologized properly for my unkindness to you in the aftermath of Glywysing. But please have it, Sir Ariel, as I see now why my late father said that you rank amongst the most exemplary of healers."		"Of course. And thank you, Sir Ariel." Sylviane responded as she gave a sincere and deep nod of gratitude. "I've never apologized properly for my unkindness to you in the aftermath of Glywysing. But please have it, Sir Ariel, as I see now why my late father said that you rank amongst the most exemplary of healers."

	Kaede watched as a ~~mild~~ smile spread across the lips of the old healer ~~for the first time~~. It was a reminder of just how much power words had. A few sentences of flattering words were essentially free for the Princess to give. Yet for Sir Ariel, it had made all the difference in their relationship.		Kaede watched as a rare smile spread across the lips of the old healer. It was a reminder of just how much power words had. A few sentences of flattering words were essentially free for the Princess to give. Yet for Sir Ariel, it had made all the difference in their relationship.

	"Please think nothing of it, Your Highness." The healer answered. "There is no one who does not become emotional when it is the lives of their loved ones at stake. I only pray that His Grace uses his magic with more prudence in future conflicts."		"Please think nothing of it, Your Highness." The healer answered. "There is no one who does not become emotional when it is the lives of their loved ones at stake. I only pray that His Grace uses his magic with more prudence in future conflicts."
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	Kaede stayed in bed for the rest of the day. She had started on the book ''City of World's Desire: Arcadia and the Rise of the Inner Sea'', which she had brought from Pascal's library in Nordkreuz. The thick and heavy tome detailed the rise of the Inner Sea Imperium from its humble beginnings as a small, trading outpost. Yet today, Arcadia was the capital of the powerful Holy Imperium -- an empire in decline, but still the premier military and economic superpower of the ~~world~~.		Kaede stayed in bed for the rest of the day. She had started on the book ''City of World's Desire: Arcadia and the Rise of the Inner Sea'', which she had brought from Pascal's library in Nordkreuz. The thick and heavy tome detailed the rise of the Inner Sea Imperium from its humble beginnings as a small, trading outpost. Yet today, Arcadia was the capital of the powerful Holy Imperium -- an empire in decline, but still the premier military and economic superpower in the west.

	The book was famous among the academia of Hyperion's history. Kaede had encountered countless references to it from her other reading. All of them referred to the book's author, the historian Livia, as an 'Imperial nationalist'. Yet, despite being written during the Empire's glory days at the beginning of the Age of Faith, Livia lambasted her country of decadence and 'imperial overreach' in her foreword ''The greatest empire no longer.''		The book was famous among the academia of Hyperion's history. Kaede had encountered countless references to it from her other reading. All of them referred to the book's author, the historian Livia, as an 'Imperial nationalist'. Yet, despite being written during the Empire's glory days at the beginning of the Age of Faith, Livia lambasted her country of decadence and 'imperial overreach' in her foreword ''The greatest empire no longer.''
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	''A true nationalist.'' Kaede couldn't help but appreciate the author's work.		''A true nationalist.'' Kaede couldn't help but appreciate the author's work.

	It reminded her of a discussion she once had with her father. ~~She~~ had argued that people who truly loved their country did not beat their chests and knee-jerk at critique -- those were the 'idiot nationalists'. Instead, true nationalists examined their country's faults, openly debated its excesses and problems, and even studied the advantages of its adversaries. It was because they wanted to make it better, because they truly loved their home state.		It reminded her of a discussion she once had with her father. Kaede had argued that people who truly loved their country did not beat their chests and knee-jerk at critique -- those were the 'idiot nationalists'. Instead, true nationalists examined their country's faults, openly debated its excesses and problems, and even studied the advantages of its adversaries. It was because they wanted to make it better, because they truly loved their home state.

	Perhaps that was why today, hundreds of years later, the same Imperial institutions that once branded Livia a traitor now studied her work. It was a great irony of history. But was there still enough time for the Imperium to revitalize itself?		Perhaps that was why today, hundreds of years later, the same Imperial institutions that once branded Livia a traitor now studied her work. It was a great irony of history. But was there still enough time for the Imperium to revitalize itself?
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	"Have you spoken to her about it?" The familiar questioned next, to which Sylviane nodded.		"Have you spoken to her about it?" The familiar questioned next, to which Sylviane nodded.

	"Elspeth said she wants to be my bodyguard, just like her sister was to my late father. The problem is that it's not the same as my father, who never cared for a personal assistant. I need a lady's maid to help with my dress and appearance~~. And the position isn't meant to be separate from my bodyguard~~."		"Elspeth said she wants to be my bodyguard, just like her sister was to my late father. The problem is that it's not the same as my father, who never cared for a personal assistant. I need a lady's maid to help with my dress and appearance."

	''Not surprising. Mari wouldn't even let you take a bath without being present.'' Kaede thought, which then gave her an idea:		''Not surprising. Mari wouldn't even let you take a bath without being present.'' Kaede thought, which then gave her an idea:
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	"You knew it had potential based on what I had told you." Kaede realized.		"You knew it had potential based on what I had told you." Kaede realized.

	"Yes -- 'a weapon utilizing the power of the sun'." Pascal nodded. "Though I did not learn about its fuel, heavy and tri-hydrogen, after we set off from Nordkreuz. A chain reaction was necessary for most combination spells to achieve their effectiveness. The ''Transmutation Matrix'' spell was capable of manipulating matter on a subatomic level, as long as the changes were simple and stable. Heavy and tri-hydrogen atoms are certainly that."		"Yes -- 'a weapon utilizing the power of the sun'." Pascal nodded as he repeated the exact words Kaede had used. "Though I did not learn about its fuel, heavy and tri-hydrogen, until after we set off from Nordkreuz. A chain reaction was necessary for most combination spells to achieve their effectiveness. The ''Transmutation Matrix'' spell was capable of manipulating matter on a subatomic level, as long as the changes were simple and stable. Heavy and tri-hydrogen atoms are certainly that."

	"''Transmutation Matrix?''" Sylviane's eyebrows rose. "I've never even heard of that spell."		"''Transmutation Matrix?''" Sylviane's eyebrows rose. "I've never even heard of that spell."

Daybreak:Volume 4 Chapter 7 - Revision history

Aorii at 17:59, 8 March 2025

Aorii at 15:35, 11 March 2023

Aorii at 23:19, 8 October 2022

Aorii: Created page with "===Chapter 7 - The Price of Audacity=== Kaede pressed down upon her stomach as she tried not to let the discomfort show in her countenance. The Samaran girl was sitting on..."