Relax, he said, as if it were that easy. If Charlie could will herself to relax, she would have, but nothing could silence her thoughts. Last night had been the first in many she'd had her thoughts quieted to the point where she could actually hear herself think. Yet she moved her hand away from her scar and watched as her father and Romule revealed what had been in the cloth.
Items relating to her family's control magic. And she was to focus her magic into them. Magic she didn't have. She began to panic again, and nearly jumped out of her skin as the helvate licked her hand. An act meant to reassure, but it had only spiked her heart rate and sent it soaring. Still, she ran the hand through his thick fur, her hand trembling. No pressure or anything.
"Or course, Father," Charlie said, gnawing on her lip under the safety of her mask. She was face to face with what she feared most: magic. At this point, Charlie would have preferred trial by combat to this. Combat would have been far more merciful to her, but she was stalling now.
With a resigned sigh, the war heir situated herself so she was seated for meditation. There was no going back now.
She focused on the items before her, hands folded in her lap. There was no well of magic for her to draw from. Already the edges of the cloth fluttered as she strained to focus her power. Focus. It was so hard to focus with her fears screaming at her. She had no magic. Not magic of this type, at least.
A bead of sweat dripped down her forehead. Her body tensed under the strain of her focus. Seconds ticked by agonizingly slow. Was this a joke? A test? Of course it was a test, and she was failing.
Gods she was a disappointment.
Her brows knit together in frustration, cheeks burning hot in her embarrassment. Charlie clenched her hands tightly as she watched the fabric continue to flutter, jostling around the items she was supposed to be concentrating on. Tears began to well in her eyes and the fabric tossed the items into the air.
She'd failed.
She'd thought she'd seen the faintest of glimmers from one of the runes, but it had to have been a trick of the light, brought on by her tear filled eyes. She felt her lip quiver, and she bit it to stop the motion. The world fell away as her failure weighed on her. There were no words. What was she supposed to say?
Charlie struggled to blink away the hot tears that threatened to run down her face. There was a lump in her throat that wouldn't leave, no matter how many times she'd swallowed. And her chest, gods her chest was threatening to crush her heart and squeeze the life out of her lungs, but somehow she could feel her heartbeat in her ears.
"I-I..." What could she even say? I'm sorry? Sorry wasn't good enough.
Items relating to her family's control magic. And she was to focus her magic into them. Magic she didn't have. She began to panic again, and nearly jumped out of her skin as the helvate licked her hand. An act meant to reassure, but it had only spiked her heart rate and sent it soaring. Still, she ran the hand through his thick fur, her hand trembling. No pressure or anything.
"Or course, Father," Charlie said, gnawing on her lip under the safety of her mask. She was face to face with what she feared most: magic. At this point, Charlie would have preferred trial by combat to this. Combat would have been far more merciful to her, but she was stalling now.
With a resigned sigh, the war heir situated herself so she was seated for meditation. There was no going back now.
She focused on the items before her, hands folded in her lap. There was no well of magic for her to draw from. Already the edges of the cloth fluttered as she strained to focus her power. Focus. It was so hard to focus with her fears screaming at her. She had no magic. Not magic of this type, at least.
A bead of sweat dripped down her forehead. Her body tensed under the strain of her focus. Seconds ticked by agonizingly slow. Was this a joke? A test? Of course it was a test, and she was failing.
Gods she was a disappointment.
Her brows knit together in frustration, cheeks burning hot in her embarrassment. Charlie clenched her hands tightly as she watched the fabric continue to flutter, jostling around the items she was supposed to be concentrating on. Tears began to well in her eyes and the fabric tossed the items into the air.
She'd failed.
She'd thought she'd seen the faintest of glimmers from one of the runes, but it had to have been a trick of the light, brought on by her tear filled eyes. She felt her lip quiver, and she bit it to stop the motion. The world fell away as her failure weighed on her. There were no words. What was she supposed to say?
Charlie struggled to blink away the hot tears that threatened to run down her face. There was a lump in her throat that wouldn't leave, no matter how many times she'd swallowed. And her chest, gods her chest was threatening to crush her heart and squeeze the life out of her lungs, but somehow she could feel her heartbeat in her ears.
"I-I..." What could she even say? I'm sorry? Sorry wasn't good enough.
