CHAPTER 17 #2
“As many of you are aware,” Augustine said, “I have been a scholar my entire life. This book–” He looked fondly at the stack on the desk, “– is a culmination of my life’s work.
I can’t begin to describe how grueling it has been, poring through research and tracking down firsthand accounts of historical events.
Not to mention the many sleepless nights spent wondering whether this would all be for nothing. ”
Lana coughed and rolled her eyes.
Augustine continued, “I questioned my line of work several times, but the scholar in me refused to give up. I knew I had been created for this purpose, to share knowledge and impart wisdom, for who are we if we do not know our own history? How can we seek to be better than our predecessors if we do not know which mistakes we should not repeat? And how can we know where we are going if we do not know where we came from? These are the questions I set out to answer when I sat down to write this book. It has been a labor of love and a true test of faith, but I am so pleased to stand before you today to present Tarlor Through the Ages. I’ll open the floor up to any questions before we commence the signing. ”
Hands fluttered through the air and chatter broke out amongst the crowd as they pelted question after question at him. He greeted and addressed each one with dexterous ease.
Lana leaned over to whisper, “Sounds a bit full of himself, doesn’t he?”
We waited as Augustine patiently worked through each question lobbied his way.
And then the signing portion of the event began.
It was clear this was what most had attended for.
A long line stretched halfway down to the third floor, and we leaned back in our seats, prepared for the wait.
Moric burrowed into his chair, eyes drifting shut.
He started snoring softly a few moments later.
I was relieved he was finally getting some sleep.
Rayna stood.
I looked at her. “Where are you going?”
“To the first floor. We should probably show Augustine his quote on Cosanus, in case he pulls the old ‘I don’t know anything about that’ spiel.”
“That’s a good idea.”
With Rayna out of earshot and Moric fast asleep beside us, I turned to Lana. “This morning. Spill.”
She blushed prettily. “There’s not much to tell. I just got tired of wanting Septimus. After the second Trial… Everything just feels so precarious, you know?”
“I understand.”
“What about you? Did you manage to sort things out with Kilian?”
“No,” I answered quickly. Too quickly. Trying to recover, I said, “I mean, not yet. We’ve got a training session after lunch, so maybe we’ll get to speak then.”
She nodded. “I have a feeling that things are going to move pretty fast after the third Trial. I’ve been doing some reading on the Rite, and it’s heavy stuff.
After the final challenge, there’s really no reason to delay.
I expect it’ll happen a day or so after, just to give our bodies some time to recoup, if needed. ”
“With how the other Trials are going, I definitely think a recoupment period will be necessary. What did you find out from your research?”
“Not a lot, honestly. There wasn’t much information on the way in which it’s performed, but more on the effect of it.
A lot of mortals don’t pass the Rite because our bodies just aren’t genetically compatible with the energy current.
It changes the entire composition of our bodies not just on a structural level, but on a cellular one.
And a lot of mortals can’t handle that transition.
None of them have, in fact. Except Augustine.
” Lana’s blue eyes slanted to the male seated behind the desk, happily chatting with the elven female before him.
“Curious indeed.”
The line was considerably shorter now, with only a few elven still waiting. I placed a gentle hand on Moric’s shoulder, rousing him. He jerked up with a start, eyes wild, and I knew he had been having a nightmare.
I gave him a soft smile. “We’re going to join the line now.”
He nodded, checking the corners of his mouth for drool.
There were three people ahead of us by the time Rayna returned. We slowly shuffled forward with each new autograph signed, until we stood directly before Augustine.
The male blinked up at us. “You’re… mortal.”
“Yes,” I said. “We’re competing in this decade’s Mortal Trials.”
He seemed flustered as he reached for one of his books, thumbing it open.
“Oh, no,” I hastened. “We’re not here for autographs. Not that your work isn’t tremendous. It’s just…” I glanced at Rayna, who took this as her cue to shove the volume she had fetched from the first floor beneath Augustine’s nose.
“We’ve been told our third challenge takes place on Cosanus. The only bit of information I could scrounge up on it was this single sentence, written by you, nearly a decade ago.” She pointed to the line on the bookmarked page.
Augustine paled. His square reading spectacles had slid down his nose and he pushed them higher before examining the inscription. “‘Before the elven, and long before the creation of the mortals, it is said that a land rich in magic existed, and it was called Cosanus.’ Yes, I wrote this.”
“Are you able to give us any more information on Cosanus? Anything you can think of might be helpful for the Trial,” I pressed.
Augustine set the book on the table and removed his glasses, pocketing them.
He surveyed us for a moment before he said, “The Mortal Trials are different each decade. I can’t say I’ve ever spoken to any of the candidates that came after my decade to tell them this, but I think it’s important to note.
What I’m trying to say is that I won’t have any knowledge of what is going to happen during your third challenge. ”
“That’s fine,” Lana said, “But do you know what Cosanus is?”
Augustine looked offended. “Of course I know what Cosanus is. We’re standing in it right now.”
I gazed around the fourth floor, shocked. “Pyxis?”
“No, silly girl.” Augustine waved his hand through the air. “The entirety of Lortan is Cosanus. Or, it used to be, millennia ago. When the fae still roamed.”