A few days have passed. Avan and Levi were seen in his healing room alone together. He was giving her a tour of the study with bookcases filled with ancient books struggling to keep the pages together, tables with bottled herbs, crystals and enchanted liquid in sealed bottles. The room was glowing with unique colors all over the room like a blinking rainbow. Levi found herself lost in wonder as she gazed around the room in amazement.

“Lady Levi,” said Avan as she snapped out of it. She turned to him and softly blushed in embarrassment.

“Sorry, I got a little distracted.”

“Have you never been in a healing study before?”

“Well, I used to be in one quite often when my father was alive. He taught me a few healing methods before he passed,” said Levi.

“You didn’t continue your studies afterwards?”

Levi glared intensely. “My mother forbade it; so I was banned from the room. Still, I managed to take a few books when it wasn’t guarded. I wasn’t in deep in my studies as I was in my youth but I still remember a lot.”

Avan approached Levi and handed her an old book. The cover was peeling and the writing was faintly visible but it was clear it was written in a forgotten language.

“Can you read this?” asked Avan.

Levi nodded as she opened the book. “This is a spell book from the Jiniki tribe. It looks to be around eighty years old.”

Avan's eyes widened in excitement. “Can you read it!?”

“Yes.”

Avan boldly held onto both of Levi’s hands making her fumbling the book onto the floor. His eyes shined with excitement just like his mothers. “You can read Jiniki!? What other ancient languages do you know!?”

Avan pulled Levi by her wrist to the otherside of the room. There was a bookcase of nothing but dying books. Pages were barely staying together and falling onto the floor. Levi kneeled down and picked up one of the pages. Just a quick glance and she could easily read what was there.

She handed the page to Avan. “This is written in Luxin.” Then she handed another to him. “This one is in ancient Xyiiux but the writing is too faded and torn for me to read it. I could try to fill in the blanks by using green rice paper and some-”

Levi stopped and saw Avan stare at her with such awe in his face.

“I am sorry,” said Levi. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“Why are you apologizing?” asked Avan. “I am thrilled you are here. It is nice having someone to learn with instead of always teaching.”

Avan and Levi walked to the center of the room and at an empty table with green candles at the table top corners. He pulled up a chair for the both of them and they sat down next to one another.

“How about we try to translate this together?” asked Avan as he handed her the book of ancient Xyiiux writing. “I am pretty fluent in Xyiiux scripture so we should be able to do this just fine.”

Levi was about to take the book but she flinched and hid her hand away. “Sir Avan, why are we the only ones here?”

“Because my other healers don’t trust you enough to be around you. So I dismissed them for now,” Avan explained. Levi kept her head down and remained silent. “For the time being, I am making it so I study with you alone on certain days and teach healers by myself on others. It is just easier for the moment. Soon, they will grow accustomed to you and we can all be together.”

“You are very kind like your mother,” said Levi.

Avan noticed that Levi still looked troubled. “Cas is a kind person too.”

“I believe you,” said Levi. “I can easily tell that he cares about his role as a leader and those who rely on them. So, I believe there is a kindness in that. Still, I highly doubt he will ever show that kindness towards me.”

“I could talk to him for you.”

“Thank you sir Avan but I will be alright. Lord Casitas wants me to earn my keep by watching your mother and assisting you. I don’t mind the hard work, but only this time instead of gratitude, I will just earn my keep here.”

Avan couldn't respond after that. Instead, he just went forward with Levi and worked on the scripture. Many hours passed and the two managed to conduct a powerful potent to repair the destroyed paper. The clear liquid inside a tin cup was carefully poured onto the paper. It dripped down like syrup and easily overlapped the paper looking as though it was glossed with wax. The two examined the sheet of paper. In the reflection they were able to read some of the words that began to surface in the wax! Avan quickly began tracing over the words with the proper ink. As the wax began to settle, it got thinner as though it melted into the paper, looking brand new! Immediately Avan started reading the paper. His eyes scanned back and forth making sure to get every detail written.

“This says we are just missing two ingredients for the barrier spell,” said Avan.

“Only two? That is great. What is it?”

Avan looked back at the paper. “It seems that we need pure charcoal smoke. We can get that easily on the castle grounds. Then lastly we just need the orange saxifrage flower.”

“That is one of the herbs Sir Galen and his team are getting now, right?” Levi asked. Avan nodded in agreement. “Once we get that, the spell should work properly.”

“I still need to get the rune written down correctly. It has to be pretty big to cover the whole kingdom,” said Avan. “It looks as though the barrier rune has to be at the eight points of the border kingdom. It will be tricky to do this with the constant snow. I guess with this, we have to wait when the snow settles.”

“Does it ever stop snowing here?”

“Never,” said Avan. “There are days with pretty light snowfall but it is still snowing. I guess we have to wait to use this then.”

“The barrier spell is to make sure outsiders don’t enter, right?” asked Levi as she took the paper. She scanned the spell ritual more and noticed some concerns. “This spell looks similar to the Baellon transparency spell.”

“How so?”

“Well, in past wars the Baellon use that spell to stay hidden in the skies and dive down on the enemies when they weren't expecting. Also makes it so the enemy cannot touch you but you can touch them. If this spell works, it can be done, it is protected and unseen to those who are not Xyiiux and no enemy can even have any effect on the kingdom.”

“That is incredible. I had no idea Baellon had such battle tactics,” said Avan.

“It sounds pretty cowardly, doesn’t it?” Levi questioned. She stood up and lightly stretched her arms and inhaled sharply. “If I have to fight an enemy, I prefer a fair fight and face to face.”

Avan slightly smiled at Levi. “Don’t tell me you are a knight as well.”

“I was never knighted. I was trained by my father so I know how to use a lot of weaponry; but I prefer a sword.”

“Wow,” said Avan. “Your father sounds like a kindhearted man. Teaching his daughter to be strong and brilliant.”

“He was pretty great.”

“Do you miss him?”

Levi softly nodded. “Yeah. Everything changed after he died. I wish he was still here.”

“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,”

“Thank you sir Avan. I am not ready to talk about my father,” she said. Avan noticed how much Levi was rubbing her eyes, trying hard to stay awake. Then he noticed the small window at the top of the room. Living in darkness for so long, he was able to tell the time and realize it was quite late.

“I think it is almost time for dinner,” said Avan. “How about we stop here and join everyone.”

“Thank you for the invitation but I will be eating in my room. Lord Casitas still doesn’t trust me enough to eat with your family again after I healed your mother,” said Levi.

“I cannot believe he is being so prideful,” Avan said angrily.

“I don’t mind eating alone,” said Levi. “But I wanted to ask if it was alright if I take a bath before I go to my room?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“It is because every time the maids draw me a bath, it is extremely cold for me and they refuse to heat it up because they don’t like warmth… and they don’t like me.”

“So…” said Avan. “Are you telling me since you’ve been here, you’ve been taking cold baths?”

Levi nodded in embarrassment and Avan pouted in annoyance. He knew the most likely reason was that the maids just hate her enough not to help her. Avan walked over to one of the cabinets filled with enchanted crystals. Inside the clear case, there was a black box made of steel. Levi shortly followed him and noticed the case.

“Lady Levi, inside this case is more of the Pyre Crimson stones; but these are pure black.”

Levi's eyes widened. “Pure black prye crimson stones burn as hot as lava.”

“That is why they are sealed inside of this case. Still, because of the weather here, it has cooled down tremendously. So it won’t burn you because you are adjusted to heat but it will burn through my hand if I even try. Just take a small pebbles worth and drop it in your bath. It will turn into a hot spring for about an hour.”

“I use these in a bath? It isn’t dangerous?”

“Just use one pebbles worth and you will be fine. Casitas made sure to have enough that will last for at least five years,” Avan explained. Then he noticed that Levi was trying to hide her blushing face and found it adorable.

“Thank you sir Avan,” said Levi. She carefully reached out the case and felt the intense heat illuminating from it. Slowly she opened the lid and saw a large pile of polished black pebble stones. The heat was so intense that it was making Avan back away immediately. Quickly, Levi grabbed a single pebble and shut the lid. She noticed how uneasy Avan looked and instantly looked weak. Before she headed to the door, she bowed politely to Avan. “Thank you for your kindness and I am happy to be learning more with you!”

Before Avan could answer, Levi left the room. He knew she only hurried to leave so the heat would stop hurting him. Once she left, Avan carefully organized the study and then left to join his family for dinner.