A New Kind of World [Inactive]

[Blue Suit]

Elisa didn't even feel herself capable of letting go of the cloak just yet, as such, she just threw Adam an apologetic smile before she followed the two sisters upset air along with Rebecca. The whole house smelled nice, a mix of flower, wildness and . . . was that food? She felt a bit comforted by that mixture of nice scents.


Adam couldn't help it but laugh at his friend's remark before he slammed his hand against his back "It is certainly not, mate. You have some beautiful sisters, and I understand your concern, but I wouldn't get tangled up with any of them, I wouldn't want to go through you first" More than a dumb reason, it was a funny one. Though if he hadn't met them as Victor's sisters . . . Who knows? Adam was an incurable romantic, who'd fall in and out of 'love' quite constantly and quite quickly. As such, his . . . flings, never lasted long, either because he'd be left, or because he'd soon to realise he wasn't interested anymore. He was forever noble, though, never disrespected a lady before, and never would.


"Why are you two so wet?" One of the twins asked Rebecca and Elisa with curiosity. The two girls had been led to a room with lots of beds inside, maybe where the sisters slept or at least some of them, she couldn't tell.


"We fell into the lake" Elisa answered with a shudder.


"I think this will fit" Gretchen declared as she pulled out two attires, which were both simple sleeved tunic dresses (one blue and the other red), with a vertical, laced slit at the bodice. She handed Rebecca the red one and Elisa the blue one "You two are about our same height" She stated.


Elisa looked at the dress she was being offered for a moment before nodding "Thank you" She said as she tugged on the cloak and allowed for it to fall to the floor before bending down and folding it. Then, she grabbed the dark red dress with one hand as she pressed the cloak to her side with the other one.


"You're practically naked!" The twins commented, clearly surprised.


At that remark, the blood rushed to Elisa's face in shame, she didn't exactly know why, but she couldn't help her reaction. As such, she cleared her throat "Where can we get changed?"


"Is your father home?" Adam, who had been skimming the place with his eyes asked after a while, turning his head back to look at Victor. After all, he had just gotten the chance to meet his sisters, but not his father. Was he working? That may be so.

 

[Lillian Gray]

Rebecca accepted the blue dress, holding it up in front of her to examine it before she changed into it. Although it wasn't the most flattering, it would have to do. Besides, it was dry and much better than walking around in her current clothes. Apparently, jeans and a hoodie were not attractive articles of clothing in this land. This book she had to remind herself.


"Where can we get changed?" Her friend had asked. Rebecca pulled the dress close to her chest and nodded her head, also wanting to know. The whole upstairs just seemed to be bedroom after bedroom. Were there more siblings that Victor hadn't told them about? Where was their mother, she wanted to know, he hadn't mentioned her at all.


"You can use this room." The oldest said sweetly. She shooed the twins out, and made Gretchen stand outside the door just in case one of the boys happened to come upstairs, she acted as a makeshift guard for their privacy. When the girls had moved, Violet turned back to Rebecca and Elisa and smiled. "I can turn around if you like, don't worry, we're all women here."


"Well, alright then." Rebecca acknowledged her orders to change in the room and walked a few paces towards one of the walls. It would connect to another bedroom, so there wasn't a window she had to worry about. She began to strip out of the black hoodie she'd been wearing and peeled her white tee shirt from herself. Although her skin was still wet, she didn't want to ask for a towel to dry herself with, it would just be a bother, and that much longer under she could be warm. She had to debate if she wanted to take her bra off, it was soaking wet and just made her uncomfortable. When in Rome. She thought, and peeled it off as well, letting it fall to the floor along with her shirt and hoodie.


Rebecca pulled the dress over her head before stepping out of her jeans, and finally took her socks off. The blue fabric looked good against her skin, but her white hair made her look old and out of place. The waist was a bit too big, so it was an overall unflattering look. She turned to Violet for some help, her eyes pleading and confused.


"Didn't your mother teach you to dress yourself?" She joked, and skipped over to where Rebecca stood, arms held up like wings to examine the fully extended fabric. Violet pulled at a hidden cord around the waist and skillfully tied it in a bow on her back. She turned Rebecca around by her shoulders, and started to make sure the bodice was tied and sat correctly. Violet looked the girl up and down once, frowning. "You look really lovely, but your hair. It's so white, it's lovely really."


"I thought it just made me look older here." Rebecca admitted.


"No, it's very pretty." Violet reassured her. She reached into a small pocket on her dress and fumbled for something. Upon not finding the object, she went to an old dresser and searched there instead. She let out a victory 'a-ha!' and returned. "Here, you would look nicer if you wore it like this."


Violet spun Rebecca around again and skillfully started to pull her hair to the back of her head. Her fingers wove two braids, one on each side of her head, and pulled them into a ponytail in the back. "Much better."


Downstairs, Victor nodded to Adam. "He's probably out working. The girls help sometimes, so he must be close to finishing up at least." He had to wonder how his father was doing. It had been years since they'd seen each other, and they weren't on the best terms. His father needed the help around the farm, but Victor wanted to be a knight. He regretted his selfish actions, but today he swore he would've done the same. "He's getting old. I worry about him." Victor added, sighing. Coming here was good, he thought, he would finally be able to talk to his father for once. Maybe they'd settle things, be on good terms before he was taken from this world.


"I'd better go look for him." Victor murmured. "Adam, I'll be back, just watch the girls for a while. All of them, if you wouldn't mind."


(Sorry, it's really long D: )

 

[Blue Suit]

Being them all women or not didn't help much in Elisa's case, after all the young girl simply didn't feel comfortable by changing her clothes in the presence of other people, as simple as that. She hesitated for a moment, but when a shudder ran up and down her spine, and she had to comply. They won't even be looking my way Elisa reminded herself as she turned on her heels, face facing a wall.


First, she had to let go of the cloak, and then she had to take off her damped clothes. She slid her shirt off and tossed it to the floor before she did the same with her shorts. Then, she debated herself between doing the same with her bra or not, it was just as wet as everything else . . . With a silent sigh, she unclasped it with on hand as she used the other to hold the red dress to her body, as if trying to hide her almost nudity from view. After all of that process, the only thing was getting into the dress already.


Elisa decided to get her feet inside first and then just pulled it up all the way to her shoulders. It was long, perhaps a bit too long for her, but if she was careful enough she wouldn't be tripping over the hem anytime soon, if she was careful though, which she usually wasn't. Now she had to fix the waist . . .


"Didn't your mother teach you to dress yourself?" Violet's voice caught her attention, and for a split of second she thought she was referring to her until she looked back, realising that she was actually talking to Rebecca. For a moment, she watched both of the girls, though she was focused into the dark haired girl's skilled hands as they went over Rebecca's dress, pulling, tying and fixing things here and there. Elisa's mother was a fashion designer, and ever since Elisa was young her mother had taught her how to look carefully and recreate someone else's work, of course she was not as skilled as her mom, but the fact that she had helped her with fixing clothes and dresses for as far as she could remember made it somewhat easy for the young girl to do the same thing Violet was doing to her friend's dress to her own without the need of her assistance.


Soon, Elisa had properly finished in adjusting the bodice to her own body. She had noticed that she was a bit thinner than the sisters, though that was because she was not as curvy as them nor did she had such a full chest, though that didn't bother her, because she was not all that flat either. Having finished with that, the bleach blonde girl proceeded to fix her hair. Some strands still stuck to her face, and so she pulled them back before she stared braiding her hair. Though Elisa's hair was naturally wavy, it had became a wee bit curlier than usual due to the humidity, but she managed to braid her hair into a waterfall braid eventually , leading for her to smile in triumph. One thing that Elisa liked was to do hair styles, and everyone who knew her was aware of that fact, as a lot of her friends asked for her to braid their hairs often.


"All done" Elisa declared as she bended over to pick up her wet clothes, raising her eyebrow in the process when she felt a bulk in her short's pocket. There's something in there She thought to herself before stuffing her hand into the damped piece of clothing and pulling out her cellphone and wrist watch. Oh, she had forgotten she had them there. Obviously, her cellphone was damaged, but it seemed like her wrist watch still worked.


"Alright then? You two are ready" Violet suddenly exclaimed, which caused for Elisa to look up at her, her phone and watch in her left hand while she held the clothes and cloak in her other one.


Elisa looked at Rebecca and flashed her a smile "That hair style looks good on you" She commented before Violet walked past them and to the door, opening it "Let us hang your wet attires" She suggested with a gentle smile settled on her features.


Meanwhile, Adam - who had been left there alone a couple of minutes ago - was still standing in the very same place he had been occupying ever since Victor left. He didn't mean to intrude, so he hadn't ventured into any other place of the house apart from the one he had been shown to. Women sure take a lot of time to be ready He thought to himself as he absently ran his hand through his hair, it was a habit of his actually. His hair was already quite unruly on its own, but he'd keep on ruffling it constantly, most of the times without noticing it himself.


While he waited his mind trailed off to the two girls they had encountered. He tried to gather all the things that made them unusual and it felt as if that list of things was endless. Apart from the fact that they were human beings he couldn't really think of anything else that'd make them similar. It was not only their clothing, it was also the way they spoke, the words they used, even the way they moved differed with the way usual women moved, as if they were much comfortable with their own bodies than most women he had met . . . And the differences kept going on and on.


(It's fine! xD I like long posts c: And also most of the times I try to mirror my partners post length, so it's okay )

 

[Lillian Gray]

Rebecca handed her clothes to Violet, and the girl was instantly drawn to the bra, oddly folded on top of the pile. She picked it up between two fingers and giggled slightly, her head tilted to the side. "What is this? Is it meant to help your posture or something?" She set it back down and laughed again before turning to Elisa to take her clothes.


"It's, sure, it's for posture." Rebecca lied. This wasn't the place she wanted to explain the mechanics of a bra. Really, she didn't want to explain it to anyone, because it seemed so obvious. Obvious to everyone except the people in this world.


Victor exited through the back of the house and walked out past the small tool shed his father had. Animals scurried about, ranging from small chicks to a few goats. Grazing nearby were a few cattle, and a handful of horses. His father had gained a few more animals since he'd last been here. Mainly, his father dealt with crops, but the animals helped him sustain a life at home. He lived so far away from the capital, or any other major city for that matter, he had to be able to support his family without the constant need to take a trip to the market.


His father stood at the edge of a path leading from the tool shed, and off to a small hill. Two trees grew side by side, and the lake could be seen in the distance where the strange girls had come from. Between the two trees was a small grave, Victor knew there was, but anyone else would miss the spot.


Without so much as a sound other than the metal of his chain mail and his feet against the grass, Victor walked up next to his father. He was lucky to still have any hair left, and all of it was gray at this point. His beard had gotten longer, that was for sure. Even when his son stood next to him, he didn't say much. Not at first. The two stood and looked out at the lake, and down at the grave before them. A small carved stone with the initials E.P. was wedged into the grass, small white flowers grew around it. Emma Portswell was Victor's mother.


"I'm not upset with you, boy." His father said sadly, then looked up at him with worried eyes. "We just wanted to know you were safe. Your mum would be so proud of you."


"I know." Victor lied. It was a part of his past he didn't like to talk about, the days he'd run from his home to be a knight. Adam knew he came to the capital to train, but nothing else. Nothing about his family, and certainly not about why he left.


After another moment of silence, the pair went back to the house. All four daughters were busy preparing for dinner. Violet was outside carving a pig, she'd invited all four new guests for dinner, assuming it would be alright seeing as two of them were knights, and the other were soaking wet strangers.

 

[Blue Suit]

Elisa shot Rebecca an amused smile before she handed her clothes over. Who'd have thought she'd find herself in a situation were someone would ask what a bra was, even men knew what they were, and they - well most of them, she didn't judge - didn't used them. She followed Violet downstairs, getting a hold of her friend's arm to slow her down for a moment "For posture, huh?" She commented with a grin, before the two girls kept on their way to the first floor.


"Ah, ladies" Adam, who was still distracted by his list, exclaimed as he snapped out of it when he saw Victor's sister and the two girls walking down the stairs. "I see you've finally changed clothes, are you feeling any better?" His worry was genuine, as he looked at them both. He really did hope that none of them would catch a cold, after all they had remained on those damped clothes of theirs quite enough for that to happen.


"Yes, much better, thank you" Elisa replied with a nod and a small, faint smile on her behalf. Since Rebecca had implied the obvious, the young girl felt as if it wasn't easy for her to be around those . . . those book characters? She still felt as if that was way too much, though Rebecca seemed to be taking it quite well. Everything was just so . . . real but unreal at the same time, even the house, which was a perfectly medieval one.


"Violet, can you please come and help us with dinner?" One of the sisters said, and Elisa decided for that to be her perfect chance.


"I can help you with those clothes" She offered, turning to the older of the sisters "I can hang them while you help your sisters, is the least I can do" She added with a smile, hoping Violet would allow for her to help her.


"Hm? Oh, there's no need . . . Though if you insist" She handed the clothes over to the bleach blonde girl "You can hang them outside"


"I'll be back in a bit" She declared, though her eyes were fixed on her friend, as if she was saying that exclusively to her, before she made her way over to the front door.


Adam watched her go before he turned to her friend "Do you feel comfortable in those clothes, My Lady?" Somehow he got the feeling that they didn't wear it often, or at all, though it was the common dress code in his society. Perhaps, though he had never heard of anything like that before, women dressed differently in that far away land of hers . . . Michigan was it name? Now that the girls were dry and safe, he really wanted to ask a lot of questions, though he restrained himself from asking them all at once so as not to make her uncomfortable.


Outside, Elisa found the ropes where she believed the clothes were hang to dry not to far from the main entrance, and so she took a few long strides towards them. With each wet piece of clothing she hang, she felt the rope bending and stretching, though she believed - more like hoped - they'd be able to support everything. When she was done, she allowed for herself to fall down into the grass in a sitting position, her legs crossed. She felt like a woman from the country side . . . Shaking her head, she lifted the hem of her dress just a little bit, so as to leave her feet exposed at least, and proceeded to examine her belongings, which were only her iPhone and her watch.


"Completely useless" She declared as she tossed her iPhone to the ground and slid her watch into her wrist. Funny, as a reader, she had felt the desire to enter a book so many times before, but for that to be happening, like really be happening, was a whole different story. How were they going to get back? Generally speaking, usually the heroines of a movie would have to fulfil a task to return to their world, but did that really happen in real life?

 

[Lillian Gray]

"Do you feel comfortable in those clothes, My Lady?" Adam had asked Rebecca. She held up her arms and looked down to her feet before turning in a circle to see how it felt to move. Truth be told, it was uncomfortable. Although she knew the bodice was supposed to be tight, Violet had tied it after all and she lived in this world, her chest felt like it was too constricted. The flow of the skirt was nice against her legs, and the added dryness was comforting.


"It's better than being wet, that's for sure." Rebecca said honestly. "I do hope we can find some shoes though, I don't like the idea of walking anywhere without them." She pulled the hem of her dress so her feet and shins were exposed. The knight looked away, and Rebecca quickly dropped the skirt. She forgot, here it was probably improper for women to show too much skin, or wear pants it seemed.


Outside, Victor and his father had arrived at the house to see Elisa sitting in the grass next to the clothesline. He jogged to her side and stayed standing. His father caught up soon after. The wind picked up and blew the clothes in their direction, a few drops of water found their way to Victor's face. He wiped them aside without a thought.


"My Lady, you look lovely in that color." He said kindly. Her blonde hair swayed in the wind, and it really did look lovely. "Please, come inside, dinner will be ready soon. I'm sure my sisters don't need any more help." He held a hand out to her as to help her off the ground.


"I will admit," Rebecca started. She had been pacing around the inside of the house, looking out windows, and smelling the different kinds of flowers. Her white hair trailed behind her everywhere she went. "Michigan is very different from this place. I like it here."

 

[Blue Suit]

"I do hope we can find some shoes though, I don't like the idea of walking anywhere without them." Adam looked away quite automatically when Rebecca raised the hem of the dress. He wasn't embarrassed, not quite, but common sense told him to divert his gaze then. A smile was drawn on his features before he chuckled, the very own laugh reaching his dark grey eyes "I do believe no one does, My Lady" He stated before he returned his gaze to hers "I'll ask Victor about it and see what can be done about it" He promised.


In normal situations, he knew he shouldn't be trusting those two girls so quickly, taking into account the strange situation in which they had crossed ways, but Adam was an amiable fellow, and though he wasn't all that trusting all the time to the point of being naive, he trusted his gut, and it told him that the two girls were not bad people.


Elisa had been fidgeting with her wrist watch before Victor approached her. The sun was still in the sky, and it was nine o'clock on her watch, so she wondered how to change it for it to adjust the time there. It was past midday, that was for sure. While she moved the crown, the silver watch reflected the sun and stung her eyes for a moment. Gosh, that happened so very often with that watch. Despite that, she really liked it. It had been a present from her dad, she remembered him having called it her first 'lady's watch', it was such a pretty and fine model. She guessed that even if it had been damaged like her iPhone she'd had put it on either way.


When a shadow suddenly appeared by her, she almost jumped and looked up, wide eyed in surprise. "My Lady, you look lovely in that colour." Gosh, she hadn't noticed him! The compliment, though, served to be effective, as her surprise was replaced by a bit of shyness. Truth to be told, Elisa was not used to those. She shifted a bit before she smiled, a bit sheepishly "Thanks" She replied and took a hold of Victor's hand when he offered it. Nevertheless, because the dress was too long for her - as she had noticed it before - she stepped on its hem and tripped, crashing into the knight's chest. She blinked a couple of times before becoming fully aware of the situation, and when she did, she stepped back, almost tripping again, though managing to catch her balance this time "Oh, sorry" She was quick to apologise "The dress is a bit long for me"


Inside, Adam couldn't help it but stare at Rebecca in curiosity as she paced around. Then, when she spoke, he tilted his head slightly to the side, his arms crossed across his chest "Is it now?" He asked as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other "If you don't mind me asking, please pry do tell how is your land different from ours?"

 

[Lillian Gray]

"How is your land different from ours?" The knight had asked. Rebecca paused and thought. Without revealing too much, she could describe the state. It wasn't too big, wasn't too small. If he asked about the people, or what her family did? That would be harder to answer. She wasn't sure Adam would know what a social worker or a dentist were.


"Michigan is one of fifty states. It's in the north, so it's cold and it snows sometimes." She started to explain. "Where I come from, there are no Kings, we have one ruler who controls all fifty states instead. It's peaceful within the country, most of the time. Michigan though, well, it's pretty average. There are a lot of big cities and towns."


"Oh, sorry, the dress is a bit long for me." Elisa had said as she stumbled into Victor. He wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder and laughed.


"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, My Lady." Victor apologized. "Don't worry, one of my sisters can hem it for you and all will be well. Come now, let's go inside." He motioned to the door and his father followed them. A quiet man, the girl probably hadn't noticed he was there.


When the knight entered the house he waved to Adam across the room. He and the white haired girl seemed to have been discussing something, but he didn't hear what.


"Adam, this is my father, Matthew Portswell. I found him in the fields," He lied about the grave, a story for a different time, "I thought I would introduce him to you."

 

[Blue Suit]

"No Kings? Now that's strange. And you say this . . . Ruler of yours controls all the fifty states? It must be a vast land" Now Adam was . . . surprised, if not gobsmacked. There were no Kings, he had never heard of such a thing. Perhaps, if it was a small land, but no, if was composed of fifty states, which he thought must be quite a lot.


He rubbed his chin, his beard stubble already barely noticeable even though he had shaved that very morning. "How does that happen? If there are no Kings, how do you decide on your next ruler? Or does the blood heritage still apply in that context?" This girl, and where she came from seemed to be becoming interesting more and more.


"No, it's fine. I must have looked pretty ridiculous. Tripping over a dress" She'd have laughed too, that much she'd admit. She shook her head and her brows furrowed a bit, though her stare brightened up when Victor said one of his sisters could help her with that "Oh, dear, that'd be pretty helpful, man, thanks" Though Victor referred and treated her with such politeness, Elisa couldn't bring herself to speak like that, though she wasn't rude or anything, she just spoke as usual.


Once inside, Elisa meant to return to her friend's side, though stopped for a moment when she noticed Adam and her seemed to be engaged in a conversation. Nevertheless, Victor called for him and she heard him telling Rebecca "Oh, pardon me, My Lady" As he left her side and approached his friend. Just then Elisa noticed there was a man accompanying Victor, and she raised her eyebrow, she hadn't noticed him before.


Adam had excused himself to Rebecca to meet his friend, though it didn't give him the time to hear his answers. Then, when Victor introduced his dad to him, Adam bowed to the man before him "My name is Adam Maxwell, Sir, it's my pleasure to make your acquaintance"

 

[Lillian Gray]

Elisa came over to stand close to Rebecca. They watched the men introduce themselves to one another in silence. So that was Victor's father, interesting. This whole place was so strange, Rebecca had no idea what to make of it. The atmosphere was calm though, and the life simple. After some deliberation, Rebecca nodded. She turned to Elisa and shrugged her arms. "I think I like it here. It's not so bad."


"Oh please, both of you, don't be so formal." Matthew laughed. Although old, his voice was deep and strong. He stood just an inch over Victor's head. They had the same face, the relationship was clear. "Adam, it's good to meet you. Nice to see that there's someone to keep Victor in line, or at least another man to keep him sane." He let out another of his hearty laughs. Victor put a hand to his face and sighed.


"When you have four sisters, you really need a man to keep you sane, father." Victor pointed out.


It wasn't long before there was a mass of food on the table. Violet was proud of the slow cooked pork she'd started the day before, it sat in the middle of the table with an apple in its mouth. Rebecca couldn't help but gawk at the classic image of the pig. Besides that, there was an assortment of potatoes, bread, and a vegetable stew that Violet had started to pour into each members bowl.


Victor stood behind the twins, and pushed in their chairs for them when they sat. They giggled wildly and thanked their older brother for being so polite. It was something he'd learned throughout the years, how to act in the presence of a noble. The sisters sat in a line next to each other, and their father sat at the head of the table. This left four empty spots across from the sisters, and yet another head. Violet had left a dining set at the second head of the table, but gave the spot no food.


Rebecca sat furthest away from Victor's father, next to the empty head of the table, and waited to see where her friend would sit. Part of her wanted to tell Adam more about Michigan, he seemed truly fascinated by their world. Victor took a spot next to his father, so he could catch up.

 

[Blue Suit]

Victor's father was rather nice, and Adam was somewhat relieved by his amiable demeanour and out going personality much more than he'd have thought. He couldn't help but be formal at the beginning, having been brought with such behaviour, but if Matthew was fine with keeping it 'not so formal', Adam was more than glad to comply.


Then, when everyone started to have a sit, Adam hesitated for a moment before taking his place on the table, for he really wanted to keep on chatting with Rebecca, but he supposed the young girl would want for her friend to occupy the seat next to her. So, he was meant to pull back the seat beside Victor to sit by him, but Elisa was faster than him on that matter, sitting by Victor silently and without much thought. The knight's brow raised ever so slightly, before he claimed the last remaining sitting spot by Rebecca.


Having noticed Adam's hesitation, Elisa had decided to sort out that matter for him. She had seen Rebecca and him chatting before they were interrupted by Victor and his father's arrival, so she decided she could give them a little space for them to carry on with their conversation. Either way, it was just dinner and she could focus on that, on that and some of her own troubled thoughts.


Her friend had told her she liked it there, and Elisa hadn't been able to reply to that at the moment, simply nodding at her statement as she hummed an vague answer. She . . . Guessed liked it there too, it was just so surreal, but it also worried her at the same time. Not being able to return, that is.

 

[Lillian Gray]

After having put a few different items on her plate, pork, a large roll, and slurping down a portion of the vegetable soup Violet had set out for her. It was delicious, and it made her aware of how hungry she was. How long had it been since they'd gotten here? It couldn't have been too long, they'd only just got here, walked here, it must have at least been later in the evening. Judging by the slowly setting sun on the horizon, the guess had to be rather close.


Across the table one of the twins pointed to her hair, and then whispered into the other's ear. They looked cautious, unsure of what to think of the girl's hair. Rebecca grabbed her hair defensively, not knowing what their whispers meant. Finally, one spoke up.


"Why is your hair white, did you get cursed by a sorcerer?" The girl leaned forward on the table, whispering so no one could hear.


"I bet it was a witch, not a sorcerer, sorcerer's don't curse people. They're nice." The other mocked. "It had to have been a witch. Maybe she can use magic."


At the mention of magic, Rebecca laughed. They were being one hundred percent serious though, so she stopped. Wouldn't that be nice, if she could use magic in this world, it would be a dream come true. If they got stuck here, at least she could defend herself.


"I dyed it." Rebecca stated. The girls looked confused. Here, clothes were dyed, not hair. She tried to rephrase. "I put something in my hair, and it changed the color to be white."


"I don't understand. Why would you do that?" The twins asked in unison, and went back to their conversation.


"So, Adam." Rebecca started awkwardly. "Tell me about this place, King Johannes rules you said? What's he like?" Neither of the girls had gotten very far into the book, the prologue was all Elisa had read, Rebecca hadn't even glanced at the first page. Maybe if they learned more about the book they would be able to get back home.

 

[Blue Suit]

Elisa couldn't help it but smile at the twin's questions, as she ate her food in silence. Of course they wouldn't understand, it wasn't . . . 'natural' back then. On the other hand, she wasn't all that surprised when magic was mentioned, as she knew it wasn't simple superstition, there were wizards, sorcerers, witches and so in that world, not to mention other mythical creatures such as dragons. It was like . . . Narnia, if she was looking to compare it to something, though it was not the most accurate comparison she could come up with.


Elisa stopped eating for a moment to rest her chin on top of the back of her hand, twirling the spoon in her hand as she saw her reflection in the piece of cutlery. Magic . . . That's what brought them there . . . She wondered if a wizard of sorts could return them to their world. Give them a pair of silver shoes that could take them home if they knock on their heels together three times and wish to go home . . . No, that was ridiculous. She covered her mouth with her free hand to hide a chuckle, they were no Dorothy and that was not The Wonderful Wizard of Oz either . . . She seriously had to stop with the references to other books in her head, though, as a book lover, that's something that she often did.


"Weell, King Johannes is a fine and fair young man. He's not much older than me or than Victor actually, we're pretty close in age. Thing is, his father, the previous King, was cursed by a powerful warlock and was driven mad shortly before he died, which caused for King Johannes to take over his father's title at a rather young age, say 18 years old, and for this war to begin. There is this other man, though, his personal councillor who has helped him ever since he took the crown" Adam explained, though it still felt funny to explain such things that were supposed to be common knowledge by now. "Oh, I know! Is that ruler of yours any sort of magic-user as well?" Perhaps, that'd explain how was he able to hold such power over fifty states without the King title.

 

[Lillian Gray]

Rebecca made a mental checklist of the world she was in, as if studying for a history exam. There was magic, the King was young, and they were at war. Those three things stuck out in her mind a bit, and she tried her best to remember them. If she forgot, it would prove to be awkward, especially if they were stuck here forever.


"No, our King can't use magic. No one in America can use magic." Rebecca explained, taking another bite of the roll in front of her before she continued. "There are people who say they can use magic, but it's more of an illusion really. It would be fun to learn."


Gretchen, the quietest of the siblings, seemed very interested in what Rebecca had to say. When Rebecca noticed her staring though, the sister quickly turned her attention to her food. That was odd. Was magic forbidden here? Was it a taboo of some sort? It didn't seem to be, because no one acted strangely except that sister. One of the twins leaned forward and motioned for Rebecca to do the same.


"Gretchen knows magic. I bet she'd show you." Then she leaned back in her seat and whispered into Gretchen's ear. The older one nodded and smiled at Rebecca, she was being called to again to follow. Gretchen stood up from the table and asked to be excused to show Rebecca the kittens that had recently been born, an obvious lie. The two exited the house in a giddy manner, and dinner went on.


Victor had been mainly talking to his father, asking him about crops and other daily hassles. He was interrupted by Violet, who answered a question he'd been meaning to ask. "We found some shoes for the girls to try on, Victor, they're some older pairs, but they should suffice."


"Oh, thanks, Violet." Victor smiled at his sister. Elisa had been awfully quiet, it was worrying. He reasoned she was in a strange new place, nothing like her old home, and maybe she felt homesick, or even sick in general. "Elisa, are you feeling alright? You're being very quiet. I mean, excuse me, My Lady." He backtracked as quickly as he could, she hadn't given him permission to use her first name.

 

[Blue Suit]

Both Adam and Elisa watched Rebecca go before each one of them got lost on their own thoughts, processing what they have just learnt. Adam just replayed what the young girl had told him in his mind. There was another name she had said that he didn't know of; America. He made a mental note so as to ask her later what America was.


There was also the fact that she had said that no one there could use magic . . . So how did they defend themselves? It was just too confusing. He spoke with Rebecca to make things clearer in his mind, but it felt as if for each thing he was told, much more questions seemed to appear and leave him even more lost.


Elisa, on the other hand, was thinking about the thing Adam had just told her friend. She knew King Johannes was young, that she had read on the book, but she didn't know why did he have to succeed the throne so young nor what had began the war. Now she knew. If only she had read much more about the book before . . . Things would be a lot easier.


When Victor mentioned her name, Elisa had been playing with her food - moving it here and there with the fork - for a while now, instead of bringing it to her mouth and eating it. She looked up at him, and couldn't hold back a low chuckle before shaking her head "Elisa is fine" She declared "Actually, I feel better if you call me that instead of 'My Lady', too formal" Without noticing it herself, she scrunched her nose a little.


Elisa lowered her fork and pulled her hands back to intertwine her fingers on top of her lap; she was full. "I'm fine. I'm just . . . " But how could she explain it? It was not as if she could tell him what was crossing her mind, and much less what was troubling her " . . . homesick" She finally declared as she looked up at him. That much wasn't exactly a lie.

 

[Lillian Gray]

Victor smiled knowingly. He had been in her situation once. "If I may, Elisa. I know the feeling. If there's anything any of us can do to make this more tolerable, let us know." Victor bowed his head and returned to his plate to eat. Next to him his father was grinning.


"Victor ran away to be a Knight, so homesick is something he probably understands." Matthew chuckled, he stroked his beard with his free hand. "But, little lady, we'd be more than happy to make you feel at home."


Truly it was something the sisters would enjoy. As if they didn't all enjoy each other's company enough, having two girls from a foreign country was a once in a lifetime opportunity, truly. Violet was trying hard not to look like she'd just got word of a new puppy, the way her face was forcefully staring at her food. The twins scooted over chairs just to be closer to the foreign girl.


"Elisa, do you have any sisters?" One of the twins asked.


Gretchen and Rebecca were outside near an old well. She peered inside and saw a bucket floating in the water below. Gretchen pointed excitedly down the stone structure and pulled Rebecca closer to watch. "See this?" The sister peered into the water and started to whisper to herself a few words in what sounded to Rebecca like Latin. "Attollat aquas."





Below them the water rose in a spiral around the edge of the stone until it was pooling in front of their faces. Rebecca reached out to touch the water, and sure enough, it had to be magic. Her fingers felt wet. She stood awestruck with her hand in the pool.


"Now you try!" Gretchen encouraged Rebecca.


"I don't think I can." Rebecca murmured. Magic didn't exist in her world, just because she was here didn't mean it would work. The sister pouted when she wouldn't try though, so Rebecca sighed and decided to humor her. She mumbled the same words the girl had before, but nothing happened. Gretchen made her try again.


"Attollat aquas." Gretchen said slowly.


"Attollat aquas." Rebecca yelled at the water, and to her surprise, a small line started to rise from the bottom. She jerked her hand back and the water splashed to the bottom. You've got to be joking. Rebecca thought.

 

[Blue Suit]

Elisa looked at both father and son, before she nodded, smiling a bit "Thank you, that's very nice of you two" Really, those book characters were just too . . . real. Real and nice. Actually, all the family was quite nice and welcoming, which made her start to realise that perhaps, as Rebecca had said, being there wasn't so bad, actually she was starting to like it too.


Big family dinner, now that was something new to her. Usually, if they were not busy with work, her parents and her would be the only ones sitting sharing a table, except for those times when Rebecca would be invited to dine with them. Elisa knew her other relatives very little, mainly because all of them lived in Scotland or in other parts of the UK, where both her parents came from. She had properly seen them face to face once or twice, she couldn't remember it quite well.


"Elisa, do you have any sisters?" Elisa looked up at the twin who had asked her question before she shook her head.


"Unfortunately, no, I'm an only child'" She declared, letting out a sigh "I'd have loved to, though. Have a sibling, that is" Something in her voice made it clear that she was being honest on that matter. Sure, they fought and such, but she always thought that nothing could ever replace that bond which siblings shared.


"Forgive my intrusion, but weren't your parents able to conceive another child?" Adam suddenly asked, his head turned to the girl's side. It was not that rare for a family to have an only child, though it was not that common either. Families were, after all, generally big.


"Hmm? Oh, no, that wasn't an issue" Elisa shook her head "My parents are still young and both of them are perfectly capable of having another baby. Is just that . . . They are too busy with their jobs to take care of him or her"


Adam raised a quizzical eyebrow at her statement "Your mother too?" Her work? The knight tilted his head to the side "She's got a job? What does she do?"


"Of course she's got a job, she's a . . . " Oh, right! It was strange for women to have a proper job, at least there. "Well, I mean, she simply makes clothes but is enough to keep her busy" Bugger! She'd almost gone and blown it.

 

[Lillian Gray]

Gretchen and Rebecca stayed outside until it got dark, not caring if anyone was looking for them or not. Rebecca was bouncing off the walls, in this world she could use magic. They'd practiced several different types of spells that Gretchen knew. So far, she'd been able to raise the water, they'd sent a ball of fire down the well. The sister had been worried about setting something ablaze, so they didn't dare try it anywhere else. Rebecca had even managed to lift a rock into the air with just her mind and toss it into a pasture.


"You're so talented, Rebecca!" Gretchen clapped her hands. She was sitting on a post that connected to the fence which enclosed the few horses they had.


"I didn't know I could do this." Rebecca admitted, her hands outstretched on either side of her. She had tried two different spells at once, and it worked. The girls were both riled up.


Victor looked puzzled. "So, your mother makes clothes? Just how many people live in Michigan that they can't make clothes for their own families? That's amazing." The things he learned about her country were fascinating. He had overheard Rebecca and Adam talking about a man who ruled fifty different, what she called, states with no magic. The thought was beyond him, it seemed impossible. There weren't even knights to protect him! There was something called a secret service.


"Michigan is weird." The twins said. With that, they left the table, more or less done with their meal. Without being told, they began to clear the table of dishes and stepped up to a large basin to wash them.


"Well, Elisa, if you're done eating, the twins will take your plates." Matthew said as he stood up from his chair. "We have a comfortable living space just here." He motioned to a door to the right of the hearth, Victor hadn't noticed it coming in. It wasn't there when he lived here.


Behind the door was a large space with a few good pillows on the ground, and many different chairs. Two rocking chairs sat on opposite corners of the space, clearly handmade. Victor went to see the room, somewhat amazed at the whole addition.

 

[Blue Suit]

Woah, it looks like a scene taken out from a painting Elisa thought to herself as she tilted her head to the side to take a look of the living room from behind Victor's back. Things were really different from her world over there, the whole room seemed to invite them all to take a sit while having a nice chat, whereas back at home some living room's even had a big TV right on the wall, distracting the people from having actual human interaction.


"It is so . . . " For a moment, the young girl couldn't find a fitting word that'd describe how beautiful it was. Pretty just didn't seem to do it justice.


"Lovely?" Adam suggested, having taken a few steps towards them before stopping by her side. It was indeed lovely. It seemed warm, cozy and welcoming. Everything that the young knight liked about houses. Victor's house was so very different from his . . . Though Adam liked his home too, in a way. After all it was the place where he grew up, they just have different types of beauty.


"Yeah, quite lovely" Still, it didn't feel enough, but it'd suffice as a descprition. Perhaps, they'd think Elisa was just exaggerating, but the decoration and setting was just so . . . 'old' and antique, that for someone like her, who came from a modernised era, it was just breath-taking. Or maybe it was just her, who knows?


"Well what are you waiting for? Go on" One of the girls, Elisa didn't know who, as she was still unable to tell them apart simply by their voice, urged them before some of the family members, one by one settled inside the living room. She guessed the remaining members were going to clean up the table first before joining them.


Elisa walked over directly to the rocking chairs, though instead of sitting down, she ran her fingers across the piece of furniture. People didn't seem to have time for that in her world, though that was because things happened in such a quick pace, that things like making your own furniture felt like a waste of time. They seemed to have forgotten that when you take your time to do those kind of things, the result was worth it.


"You seem to have liked that" A male's voice declared behind Elisa's back.


"Yeah, I know it must seem ridiculous to you, but this whole place seems just . . . magical" Elisa declared, stroking a bit of it again before she looked back at Adam.


"Not at all, on the contrary, I agree with that statement of yours" He declared "Houses like this have some magic of their own. After all, they're filled with such deep feelings, the source of all magic"


"Right . . . " Elisa nodded, not fully understanding what he was meaning to tell her "No, wait. Come again? I'm sorry, I'm not that familiarised with magic"


Adam raised an eyebrow, though he didn't comment on her remark this time "Let's see . . . " He rubbed his chin for a moment, thinking about it "Magic is not simply about saying some words out loud and that's it" He raised his hand and opened it up completely while it faced the ceiling "It is not only about words or about motions - it is most often about feelings and strength . . . " Elisa had to blink a couple of times when she saw a quite visible, but controlled, tiny ball of . . . air? Forming on Adam's palm " . . . of wanting something enough that it happens" He smiled at her before gesturing for her to open up her hand as well.


Elisa did so, quite fascinated by the magic act, but even more so when Adam seemed to pass that ball of air onto her very own hand. The bleach blonde girl suppressed a gasp as she looked up at Adam, eyes wide. "That's pretty cool" She exclaimed, to which the young man simply smiled before he closed his hand, causing for the ball of air to vanish into thin air.


"Rebecca and Gretchen are taking quite a while" One of the twins suddenly said to the other as they both took seats behind them.


Elisa threw a glance at them from over Adam's shoulder before she realised they were right. Just what on earth was Rebecca doing? She couldn't be so entertained by some animals, couldn't she? Her brows furrowed a little as she began to wonder about it. Adam, who had been still looking at her, interpreted her expression as worry, which led him to clear up his throat.


"I can check on them if you'd like" He offered, taking a step back so as to face the twins as well.


The two girls looked at each other before they looked back at him, shrugging "If you may" They declared, slightly smiling.


"Of course" Adam replied, and with a bow on his behalf, he excused himself from the living room before heading towards the door. He walked for a bit before finding the two girls in the distance, and almost immediately after that, a rather big ball of fire coming right in his direction. The young's man eyes widened as he opened his hand before him, mumbling some words under his breath just in time to make the ball of fire flicker and disappear before it hit its target. That was close He thought to himself while he allowed for his hand to fall back down.


"Oh my God, I'm sorry!" A woman's voice declared, and as she approached him, he recognised her as Victor's sister. Gretchen had dared to send just a simple ball of fire flying across the fields while being quite confident that it wouldn't hit anybody.

 

[Lillian Gray]

Rebecca chased after Gretchen, it wasn't really her fault. They wanted to see what would happen if they tried something together. She started to see Adam, at least she assumed it was Adam, in the distance looking as if he'd been attacked. Technically, he almost had.


"Oh my God, I'm sorry!" Gretchen cried, she stopped a foot short of Adam and bent over, panting with her hands on her knees. When she'd regained her breath, she stood back up. "We didn't mean for it to get so big, really, I'm sorry." It appeared the girl was going to cry for a moment, the way she held her hands over her mouth, eyes welled up with worry.


"Adam!" Rebecca called, she jolted to a stop next to Gretchen. "Are you okay? I didn't hit you did I?" Her worried eyes traveled back and forth between Adam and Gretchen, not sure who to comfort. The ball of fire seemed to be headed straight for him, yet he was completely unharmed. How did that happen?


"No, no, it was me. Not Rebecca." Gretchen shook her head wildly, as if she had missed something.


"No, I did it, remember?" Rebecca stuttered. Why was Gretchen trying to take the blame for her? "Really, it's okay Gretchen. You don't have to take the blame for me." Gretchen yanked Rebecca's sleeve so she was facing her. The sister took Rebecca's hands in her own, the girl was fine, but Rebecca's hands were scorched from practice. It stung when their skin touched.


"If the King knows you can use magic, you'll be sent out on the front lines." The girl squeaked, her voice nothing more than a hiss between her teeth. "Magic isn't easy to train. Most people who learn, something had to happen to make them want it bad enough."

Magic is not simply about saying some words out loud and that's it, it is not only about words or about motions - it is most often about feelings and strength . . . of wanting something enough that it happens.

Even with Adam standing so close, Gretchen scolded Rebecca. She still was fighting tears, but her grip was that of iron. Why was Gretchen so angry? Rebecca didn't know what to say to her. She did want to ask, though. "Why can you use it then?"


The sister glanced to Adam, her eyes had calmed some, but her body shook out of anger. She took in a shaky breath and she was suddenly calm, as if all the anger had been taken from her. Now, her voice was low and sad as she recalled the memory. "I can't tell you. Sir Adam, he might know, if Victor told him. But I can't tell you. Victor has to."


Victor leaned over in the chair he was in and looked at Elisa closely. Her bright blonde hair was truly rare, and her pale skin was even more so, at a glance she might be considered royalty from looks alone. It was uncommon to look so frail, not that it was bad he had to correct himself, simply unworked.


"I can do magic tricks too." He stated, he felt as if Adam had outshone him. Bravo to the man for impressing the foreign girls, but still, he was a little jealous. "You just have to be careful, Elisa. Magic users right now are being put to the front lines, so if you really can use it, it would be best not to let anyone else know. Here, you're safe, I won't tell anyone." He looked to his hands folded out in front of him. "After all, my own little sister can use magic now. I don't want to see her, out there. It would be a shame to see someone like yourself out there, too."

 

[Blue Suit]

"Well if you can't tell us, I won't pry. So there's no need to worry" Adam, who had kept quiet while the two girls discussed before him, declared in a gentle tone of voice, having noticed the underlying sadness in Gretchen's statement. Everyone had reasons of their own to learn magic, and it was up to them to share it or not. That's something he had always known.


"Now, regarding Miss Thorne's magic ability, I doubt the King will call her forth if she's not from this land to begin with, this is not her war, after all. So that's something else you shouldn't be worrying about" So the foreigner was a magic user . . . Now, he didn't know why, but that was something he did not expect "Though even if he does, I won't be saying anything about any of your abilities, of both of you, so you can rest assured" He supposed Victor knew it, and so he must have kept it a secret because he didn't want to see his little sister out there.


"Now that everything seems to be solved, and I'm okay. We can all forget this little incident, hmm?" The knight stated with a kind smile settled on his lips while he tilted his head to the side lightly.


"I can do magic tricks too." Victor's remark caught Elisa's attention, and she looked over at him, their stares meeting, at the same time her brow shot up in curiosity. Then, when he said his warning, Elisa was quick to shake her head, though the words 'someone like yourself' stuck around in her head "Oh, I don't believe that'll be a problem. I can't use magic. Not one bit, and I doubt I'll ever be capable of doing so" They surely could, but she was not from there, she was a real person, and real people couldn't perform real magic or cast any real spells.


"You say your little sister can, though. Are you the only ones in your family who can? Is it something that runs in your veins?" Or did anybody on that world was able to learn it? That last question didn't leave her mind. She shifted her weight to her other leg as she brushed a loose strand of hair off her face.

 

[Lillian Gray]

Rebecca, who had enough worrying for the night, jumped forward and hugged Aaron for a fraction of a second. She breathed a sigh of relief, as did Gretchen behind her. "Oh, thank you. I didn't want Gretchen to get in trouble."


Gretchen also wanted to show her appreciation, so she jumped up and kissed Adam on the cheek. She bowed, thanked the knight, and headed back inside for the night. Rebecca gawked for a second, not knowing if this was in the secret as well. She whistled awkwardly as she followed after Gretchen.


Matthew silently got up, ushering the remaining three sisters out while Victor sighed. The questions was innocent enough, but Matthew knew why some of his children could use magic, and why the others could not. It wasn't any big secret, it was only something he didn't want the younger ones to hear. Victor waited politely for them to leave. Outside of the room, he heard Gretchen come back, and then it must have been Rebecca and Adam. Rebecca poked her head in, and seeing the pair, happily sat down next to her friend. She wouldn't say anything about the magic, not now.


"See, Elisa. Magic isn't something that runs in your veins, not all the time. Although, if your mother could use it, or your father, there's a higher chance you can. I'm not sure on all the specifics of course." Victor leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "See, I can use it because I always wanted to be a knight. That's what I assumed at least, I just really wanted to learn, I was so ready to learn." The clear excitement in his voice rang out in the room, filling the silence. "But Gretchen, she, she can use it for another reason. When our mom died, she wanted someone to blame, something to fight."


Victor stopped, he didn't want to talk about it right now. His answer would have to suffice for now. He never told a soul about his sister's magic, and now a strange foreign girl knew. Being home, it was great and all, but he could never be sure what would change here.

 

[Blue Suit]

A hug from a lady and a kiss from another one, well I should keep secrets more often Adam thought to himself jokingly, as he followed to two girls into the house, his fingers intertwining behind his back.


Elisa wanted to undo her question as soon as she witnessed the reaction it caused. Had it been rude to ask that sort of question? She hoped not, she wouldn't want to offend that family in any way. She shifted a bit, uncomfortably, but didn't go back on her question even if a side of her begged her to. Well, if Victor was to tell her it was something he'd rather not answer, she'd accept it willingly.


When the young girl heard the door opening and closing, while some steps approached the room, she was quick to divert her gaze from the knight to lay it on the hallway instead. Her friend, whom she didn't know what on earth had been doing since she had left with Gretchen, was fast to join them and sat by her while Adam just stood against the wall, back pressed to it and brow slightly raised.


Everyone kept silence when the dark haired man began his explanation, and it carried on like that until he finished. When he was done, though, Elisa noticed he wasn't wishing to share anything more than that, and she agreed with it. They barely knew each other, and she expected no less from him. After all, it did seem like a touchy topic, and she didn't want to pry into that.


Oh, so his mother is dead That thought crossed Adam's mind as he came to realise he actually knew very little of his friend . . . Well it wasn't like Victor knew that much about him either, after all when they became knights very little personal information was shared. Therefore, friendships were made out of camaraderie, instead of getting to know one another.


"I see" Elisa nodded, giving him a sort of thankful look for having share that piece of information with them "I still don't understand how magic completely works though . . . I mean like, how do you guys learn spells? Is there an order? A book where you can find them? Or do you like made them up according to whatever you want?" That wasn't on a personal level, and she'd rather change the topic now than to be forced into an awkward silence.

 

[Lillian Gray]

Victor gave himself a moment of silence before he answered Elisa's question. He hadn't meant to look so forlorn, the way he slumped back at the mention of his mother. Gods, he did miss her though. How long had it been? He had to think, when he left Victor was fifteen years old, almost sixteen. The twins were only children at that point. So, seven years.


"I learned from my master, or, the knight who trained me." Victor cleared his throat and continued, not wanting to sound so glum. "Most of the magic I know is what he taught me, and that's how a lot of knights learn. There are books, yes, magic is from the old language. No one knows what it's called any more."


Rebecca leaned towards Elisa and covered her mouth when she whispered into her ear. "It's just Latin, I think the author got a little lazy. Gretchen said some spells out loud, I think it was Latin at least." Victor eyed her with a bit of suspicion. She quickly apologized so he could continue.


"There is an order, I believe." Victor racked his memories for any information about it, but he fell short. It wasn't something many people knew about, it was an exclusive circle of high level sorcerers. Not just anyone could be in it. "They're some of the most powerful people in the whole region. Those men and women train others, and so on and so forth. Adam? Do you know anything else? I never bothered to learn too much about them, being low born."


Rebecca let the boys talk for a split second and she turned in excitement to Elisa. "Look" She commanded, a grin on her face that stretched ear to ear. She mumbled a phrase Gretchen had taught her earlier. "Ignis disrumpam." At the snap of her finger, a small flame formed above her finger. So much for keeping secrets, sorry Adam. She thought, the knights attention turned back to the white haired girl with her finger on fire.


"She can use magic?" Victor turned to Adam, looking for an explanation. He muttered a phrase and closed his fist in the air towards the girls. The small flame went out, leaving only a thin wisp of smoke behind. "I'm sorry, Rebecca." He was cutting formalities, the girls didn't seem to respond to them anyways. There was no point. "I prefer not to work with flames inside my childhood home, it seems like it would be bad luck."


He smiled, somewhat amused at the new fact he'd learned. Magic, she was able to use magic.

 

[Blue Suit]

"Adam? Do you know anything else? I never bothered to learn too much about them, being low born."





"Me? I don't know much" Adam raised his hand to the back of his neck, rubbing it lightly "Let's see . . . There is indeed and order. It's called Magia custos, and, if I remember it correctly, the members from that order call themselves simply the Custos. As you said, they are some of the most powerful people in the whole region, and there is this symbol that represents them, the Custos . . . How was it again?" The young knight paused for a moment "Ah! I remember now" He finally declared while raising his free hand.


"Lumen" Adam mumbled a simple light spell, before he blew a light breath into his hand. When the air came out a glittering sort of light that lingered on his fingers, he used it to draw a symbol in midair, the glimmering 'sort of light' leaving visible traces behind. "It should be something like that, I believe" He declared, watching his traces as they hovered right in front of him.


"That's not possible!" Elisa couldn't stop herself from exclaiming, eyes wide in surprise. She watched the tiny flame that flickered above her friend's finger, and still she couldn't believe her eyes. The two knights must have been surprised by her relatively loud gasp, as they had immediately turned their attention towards them.


"She can use magic?" Victor seemed surprised too, though not as surprised as the blonde girl.


"I just found out" Adam defended himself, waving his hand through the symbol he had just drawn, so as to erase it.


When Victor put out Rebecca's small flame, Elisa couldn't just divert her gaze from her. For a moment there, she felt so . . . so foreign, a stranger even to her own friend "It's impossible. We can't use magic, we're not characters from this bo-" She shook her head, nibbling down on her bottom lip "How did you do that?" In all honesty, she was fascinated, confused, but totally fascinated. One thing was for those knights to perform magic, which was still rather amazing, but a whole different one was for her friend to be able to do so.