Chapter 3 : The Fiery New Recruit

Perrine's class was difficult for Remiel. Learning to control the output of magicks for someone who has the magicks running though every vein of his body is much more difficult than for someone who had a simple spark of the energy. For Klaus and for Guy, it was a simple matter of finding their center of energy and focusing it into a single point which manifested itself on their skin. For Klaus a small yellow mark appeared on his hand and Guy gained a green one on his shoulder. For Remiel, however, the feat seemed impossible.

"Eet eez ferry eemportan' zat chu menten your emoshuns. Emoshuns feed your magique, and eet eez deefeecoolt to keep your magique 'idden when your emoshuns are running wild." Perrine said, excusing Guy and Klaus before turning to Remiel. "For you, i tsink zat zere are deux problems. Ferst, you 'ave deefeecooltee contolling your emoshuns, but also you 'ave eemense magique energee. I would like to 'ave you sense all ze magique inside you."

Remiel nodded, and felt his energy, which was indeed large. Remiel had never tried to sense it all at once, and was finding the process very difficult. He sat for hours, trying to discover the boundaries of his energy, and realized that it was overflowing. If his body could withstand all the magick that his soul was capable of, he knew that nothing he had come across would be able to stand up to him. He also knew that he would be torn apart if he actually tried.

"Draw eet eentoo yourself. Eemagine zat your magique ees an oshan, and pool eet eentoo you, like ze tide." Perrine encouraged. Remiel tried, but was too tired and exhaled deeply. "I 'ave an idea, and per'aps you will do mush better eef you come tomorrow night."

Remiel returned to his room to see that Thierry was already snoring, and lumbered to his own bed, falling asleep immediately.

***

After classes, there was an assembly for all candidates, and as Vega promised, they announced that teams would be starting soon on missions, and that each team would be commprised of three trainees and a ranked knight as their captain.

Lord Gabriel also noted that teams would be announced within the week, and that a new potential trainee would be coming in two days. Her hearing would be open to all knights and trainees as Remiel's was. After her, no new recruits would be accepted.

Remiel was excited to test his new training in a mission setting, where he would be armed and prepared for a fight. As the assembly disbanded, Remiel took a walk around the perimiter of Saint's Cross.

He pulled the letter from Sakura out of his pocket and reread it, as he had several times since receiving it. He hoped that everyone was doing well and silently apologized before continuing on his walk. When he had finished his walk, he noticed that it was nearly time for his training with Perrine. He headed into the school building and into the classroom where he was supposed to meet her, and sat down in the front row, several minutes early.

When Perrine entered the room, she was followed shortly by Luna, who smiled at Remiel. Remiel was puzzled, and asked why she was there. "I would like to try somesing a little different."

Luna pulled out her guitar and began to speak. "Remiel I would like for you to close your eyes and listen to my voice." Remiel did as she asked, and she continued, singing softly. Likewhen she and Vega sang before, Remiel couldn't understand the words, but he caught their meaning. Her song was telling him to look at his heart, his soul.

Remiel could see it. He was standing on a stone platform in front of a small stone entrance to a temple, and around him was nothing but calm water and sky, as far as the eye could see. Even the ground he was standing on had a thin layer of water covering it. Remiel entered the temple, which was completely made out of stone, and went down a flight of stairs until he found himself in a basement area. He found himself pulling magick energy into an area in his chest and a sort of blue light appeared all around him. He looked around to see statues on the walls surrounding him, each eerily familiar, and in the midst of the room was a statue of a giant sapphire dragon. Seiryuu, Remiel knew. It seemed like he was seeing himself, and knowing that he had been reincarnated, he assumed that he probably was.

He could still hear Luna's voice, though it sounded like it was everywhere around him. He reached out to touch Seiryuu, and the statue changed into a sapphire the size of Remiel's fist. He felt his energy all leave him at once and go into the sapphire, but he felt it within his chest. He knew that this was truly inside of him, and as he sensed his own magicks, he could feel nothing outside the cavity that was his soul, the sapphire of Seiryuu.

Slowly the music came to a stop, and Remiel was standing in the classroom with Perrine and Luna, who were both smiling broadly. "Congratulations, Remiel, you 'ave passed."

Remiel left the building and found a bench where he could look at the horizon. He had already come such a long way from Jinosa, and he hoped that the others would still have a place for him when he returned. The world was still changing, and Remiel knew that he'd have to catch up on his own before he could help Rytel, Monique, and Sakura change it for the better. His thoughts also turned to the woman who had led him here. He didn't know her name, but she had known his. Her eyes were on the future, and she had seen Remiel's part was out of place. He remembered her wild purple hair and her voice, that of a person not quite at place in the same world at the same time. Looking out on the horizon, Remiel knew that if he continued like this, he'd be able to do his part when the time came.



***


At lunch two days later, Remiel sat with Klaus and Belle like he usually did, when he noticed someone he had never seen before. She had three pink dots under each eye, either tatoos or the same markings that Klaus and Guy had gained from learning to control their magicks. Remiel leaned to Belle and asked who the girl was.

"Herr name eess Beatrice, she eess from the eh-High Country." Belle responded. "She hass neverr used a swordt before but she eess vairy goot with magicks."

"What's her element?" Remiel asked.

"I sought dat you werr a magick user? You schould know by the colorr of her markss."

Remiel looked again at the pink marks. "Fire?" He asked.

Belle simply nodded and the three finished their meals before heading to assembly.

The elderly woman who always sat next to Lord Gabriel stood. Remiel knew by now that her name was Lady Shera, but had never heard her speak. "For those of you who were absent at the hearing, I would like to introduce you to the young knight-in-training Beatrice Faleil." The knights and knights and knights in training applauded and Remiel turned to Klaus.

"Why all the pomp? I don't remember being introduced formally," he asked.

"Beatrice is Lady Shera's granddaughter. Though she was initally placed in the Beginner level, they expect her to be promoted after her first mission." Klaus said.

Beatrice stood and smiled, but Remiel sensed something in her eyes that made him nervous. Not just determination, but a sort of angry desperation.

After Beatrice's introduction, Lady Shera sat and Lord Gabriel stood to make his announcement. "Relena, Jiron, Perrine, and Vega, please come to the front." As the four ranked knights made their way to the front, Lord Gabriel announced that they would be the leaders of the first sets of trainees, and that the twelve chosen trainees would always be in one of their four groups. Remiel watched as Jiron, Perrine, and Vega's groups were chosen, and watched as Belle joined Perrine's group along with Guy and another trainee that he didn't know. He was chosen for Relena's group, along with Klaus and Beatrice. Jade had joined Jiron's group along with Luna, and she waved excitedly at Remiel, who smiled back.

Interupting the short interaction was a quick snap from Beatrice, who was standing next to Remiel. He was not looking forward to being on the same team with the young upstart. She gave him a glance that let him know he was about to have a talk.

After the assembly had let out, Beatrice was waiting for Remiel, arms crossed. Remiel sighed as she led him around a corner. "I'm not here to make friends, so let's get that out of the way as soon as we can. I don't care what you do with your freetime, but your little public displays of affection make me look bad. If you pull anything like that again, I'll appeal for your removal from knighthood, and trust me I know what that means, not only for you." She said, grinding her teeth and staring angrily into his eyes. Remiel was taken aback. He understood that she had connections and that she was threatening Jiron and Relena if he stepped out of line. He nodded his agreement and watched as she fumed out of the corridor.