Capítulo 52: Links
Doran wished that the candle would shine and it did. A light as powerful as a flash grenade flooded the entire room, the color of the light was blackish gray which gave it an ominous and sinister air.
The prince quickly closed his eyes and cut off the flow of mana but the light didn't vanish, he could still feel the glow thus he tried to force his will on the candle. At first he felt some struggle, like a wild animal fighting his tamer and not only that, Doran felt a pressure on his head, he felt a dark energy trying to access his mind.
"Hell no!"
The prince boosted his mental shields and repelled the energy, but didn't let it escape, he caught it and used legimentis to "read its mind". What he felt was both vile and alluring, like the sweetness with which a carnivorous plant lures its victim before consuming it. He had already felt something similar in the past, but not in this life.
"A cursed object."
Doran overpowers the cursed candle's will and feels the glow begin to fade. The prince uses a trick he learned to destroy the will of cursed objects and feels the malice vanish into thin air.
When he finally opens his eyes he sees the candle turn from charcoal black to pearl white, above it is a small cloud of black smoke that is fading away.
The prince opens his eyes surprised to see the runes carved everywhere, not only that but he also feels a powerful energy coming from the crystal.
"Shit, I shouldn't have done that. How could I explain that the black glass candle is now white?" The mage sighs and facepalm. "Stupid me, now I'll have to sneak into my bedroom to trade this candle for the one I stole earlier."
Doran gets up from the ground and walks to the door.
"Alohomora!"
The prince had to be careful on his way to his bedroom, luckily the wing where the meditation rooms are located is close to his bedroom and there are only a couple of guards patrolling. But still it was not easy for the prince and by the time he got back to the meditation room he was breathing heavily and he could barely stand up.
`Between all the magic I used to destroy the curse and to go to and from my bedroom... But at least I managed to find out part of the secrets of the glass candle. The Valyrians were very clever, to deal with thieves they put a security system on them and if an unauthorized user tries to use them the candles lock in and a curse is activated. If I weren't a mental arts master, the curse would have corrupted my mind. I couldn't analyze the curse thoroughly but I was able to identify some components. The victim either remains in a vegetative state or his mind is broken and he remains in a state similar to Neville's parents.`
***
The next morning Maester Luwin finds the prince asleep on the ground and sighs but a small smile appears on his face.
`Prince Doran, no matter how brilliant, is still a child. Darn even I couldn't stay up all night and I'm a decade older.`
Luwin is seventeen years old and has just finished his studies less than a year ago, he is from the North more specifically from White Harbor and plans to return to the North as a maester of some lord at some point but is currently focused on his investigation. He is studying the effects of the cold on different crops, as he wants to help his home kingdom prosper.
"Wake up, Prince Doran. It's already morning." The prince lazily opens his eyes and looks at Luwin before blinking in confusion for a moment. Remembering the events of the last night he sighs and berates himself for his own recklessness.
`At least I remembered to activate my medallion`
"Come my prince, the ceremony will start shortly."
Doran's eyes regain their focus and he finally gets up from the floor, after handing the candle to the maester he walks out the door. In the hallway he sees his friends, they are half asleep and some have bags under their eyes and can barely stay awake.
`Those who did spend the night meditating can barely stand. Michael is among them.' Doran watches with amusement as the Toland heir blinks every two seconds fighting the urge to sleep.
"That stone floor was too uncomfortable, my whole body hurts." Lewyn complains, many groan in agreement.
"We're all here so let's proceed to the Main Hall. Once you receive your chains you can go to sleep."
***
The Main Hall is a huge room with a stone floor and large stained glass windows on the sides. The room is rectangular in shape and at the back there is a podium where the Seneschal will give them their chains.
The Seneschal is the highest authority within the Citadel, he is in charge of the governance of it. The position of Seneschal lasts one year and is chosen from among the Archmaesters. Despite his power, not many want that position since they consider it a thankless task that takes them away from their true calling. Doran agrees with them, it's a lot of work and little profit. A Seneschal's annual pay barely exceeds that of an Archmaester, and his responsibilities are five times as tedious.
The current Seneschal is Harry of the Vale, an eighty-year-old man with a hunched back and a beard so long it nearly hangs to the ground.
After a speech that almost put the graduates to sleep they are finally being presented with their diplomas and chains. In order they are called and the Seneschal gives them a scroll and a chain. In most cases it is not even a chain but one or two links. Only a few got enough links to form a proper chain.
Guilan Qorgyle managed to forge two links, one in Warcraft and one in Coin Mastery.
Willam Wyl forged 8 links, three in Warcraft, two in Administration, one in Geography, one in Politics & Statecraft, and one in Known Tongues.
Luca Uller forged 3 links, all in Known Tongues.
Michael Toland forged 5 links, two on Administration, one on History, one on Politics & Statecraft, and one on Coin Mastery.
Theodan Toland forged 3 links, one in Known Tongues, one in Geography, and one in History.
Lewyn Martell surprises his nephew by forging 9 links, four in Warcraft, three in History, and two in Known Tongues.
Doran Martell forged 21 links, one in each subject whose class he attended.
That in itself was very surprising, 21 links in three years is impressive but nowhere near the record of Maester Leo who forged 50 links in four years. Maester Leo was a maester who lived several millennia ago, was one of the Citadel's first students, and is remembered as the greatest mind to ever walk these halls.
He was the one who created the writing system that is used throughout Westeros and much of Essos, before almost all civilizations west of the Bone Mountains used runic systems. Maester Leo also revolutionized mathematics by creating the number system. Unfortunately he died at the age of twenty from an illness.
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