Chapter 64: Self-Invitation
The bright orange candlelight bathed the narrow wooden desk in the castle’s highest tower with its warm glow. Each time a chilly draft brushed against the tiny flame, it elicited a peculiar dance of tall shadows on the bedroom’s empty walls. The room seemed filled with ominous black phantoms, compelled to move as if under the influence of a mysterious magic spell.
Ahspid lethargically turned another page of a thick notebook adorned with a black leather cover and runic writings in glowing purple ink. His deep, narrowed eyes remained fixed on the notes meticulously written on the yellowed pages.
With a long sigh, he rubbed his tired eyes, shaking his head in an attempt to dispel the encroaching sense of unwelcome fatigue.
"I have never been able to do that myself even when combining both magic and alchemy. She managed to overcome the illusion spell and created real snow out of nowhere... Does this mean she can control the weather? I would have expected something like this from a mage with the ice mana, but even with that, it’s impossible to use such spells this way. What else can she do?"
He turned another page of his notebook, his eyes scanning its contents rather absent-mindedly. With a decisive thud, he shut the notebook, leaned back in his chair, and directed his purple gaze toward the gray ceiling above his head.
"As a mage specializing in illusions and manipulations, I can probably teach her that as well. Alchemy, on the other hand, can be learned by practically everyone, but it will require extensive study of different writings... Well, she did express a strong desire to learn how to read and write anyway..."
Another long sigh escaped the mage’s lips as he closed his eyes and whispered,
"This will take a lot longer than I planned unless she happens to be unusually bright."
Ahspid fidgeted with the small ring on his left pinkie and added quietly,
"I need to ascertain whether she, much like Navia, can wield various types of magic. Most likely, her blindness results from these innate abilities being sealed, just as Navia initially desired. Will she regain her sight once these abilities are unsealed? None of the legends make mention of anything special about the snow dragon’s eyes, aside from their color... What if there are latent powers associated with them as well? What will she see when she can finally see?"
Straightening his posture once more, Ahspid placed his left hand on the desk, fixing his tired eyes on the diamond ring adorning his pinkie. His pale face turned serious and even somewhat melancholic.