Mage- The Guardian's Oath

by S A Edwards

  Bonfie left on the first afternoon after passing her test. Her gleeful chatter could still be heard rebounding through the stifling heat minutes after she left.

  The sun dipped below the horizon, the sky turned black, and then the stars appeared like a wave, glittering in their thousands.

  My mind lingered on Charlie and Lallana, still out there, hunted by the Seekers. Despite Vitora’s assurance that the Beasts would protect them, I couldn’t relax. Growing up in the village had made them targets. What if the Seekers found them? Could they have survived the past three weeks of being hunted? Thoughts of the Seekers catching them made my stomach churn. How much could the Beasts really do to protect them? Even if they hadn’t been caught yet, there was no telling how close the hunters were to them.

  Or to me.

  My gaze roamed the horizon, and my fingers touched the bandage covering my throbbing wound. Vitora told me the Seekers choose their targets when the Council present the list. A bond is created, and the hunters are drawn to their victims from that time on, until they succeed or die. Everything about that made hiding feel impossible. If I knew what I had did wrong before, what got me caught….

  Footsteps clicked on the marble floor behind me, and Vitora entered the room. With a flick of her fingers, the candles lining the circular walls lit, sending shadows dancing across the space between us. A black rock, chipped and ugly, sat in her palm. “You look troubled.”

  “I’ve tried to remember. Something, anything. From the past.”

  “And?”

  “There’s nothing.” Heat made my fingertips tingle, and I rubbed them together to prevent another outburst. Mastering the Refiner gift only allowed me to call or refuse the flames at will but did nothing to avoid them threatening to rise.

  Her expression hardened, and her gaze settled on my fingers. “Your gifts have just activated. It’s hardly surprising you don’t remember.”

  “But they will come back?” I asked. “My memories.”

  “They haven’t before.”

  “Not ever?”

  She shook her head and tossed the rock to me.

  I caught it, my stomach twisting, the surface cold on my skin. “There must be a way.”

  “If there is, you won’t find it here. Now, let’s get started,” she said. “The Refiner within you is the most uncontrollable of the gifts and always the one raging. We believe it is due to your lost memories and the lack of knowledge.”

  “We?”

  “My siblings and I. Due to its unpredictable nature in you, you must keep it under constant practise, or risk losing control again. There are many tasks Refiners undertake in the world. Blacksmith duties are one of them, acting as literal refiners are another. For instance, let’s assume a building is old, worn and crumbling.” She peered pointedly at the rock. “It needs attention, or it will weather and decay.” She held her hand out, and I threw the rock toward her. Orange fire blasted from her palm, freezing it mid-air.

  I shielded my eyes against the flare and heat.

  When it stopped, the rock fell, and she caught it. “We chip off the edges, smooth down the roughness, and restore it to its stronger form.” She held the smooth ball between her fingers, its surface shining in the candle light. “When the gift is used right …” She threw it up again, and blue flames shot from her palm. The heat this time was much more intense, fluttering my hair. “… it can reach its strongest, most perfect potential.”

  The flames stopped, and the rock glinted when it dropped. She caught it and held it out to me.

  Smooth and round, it had completely transformed: clear as glass, and glittering with all the colours of the comets. “You used blue flames to do that,” I said.

  She nodded.

  “So, you must be the only one that can make those kinds of stones.”

  “Actually, no. Your flames are blue, too, remember?”

  I peered in awe at the jewel. “You made the gems and jewellery for the villagers.” They were given as gifts and worn each year at the harvest festival. I always wondered where they came from.

  She tossed another stone to me from within her cloak. “You try.”

  Unease spread within me. “I’ve been here three weeks already. The Seekers are bound to be close –”

  “They can’t touch you here.”

  My brow drew down. “Just one of those things flung two Beasts around like ragdolls on the overhang. What’s stopping them getting here?”

  “Only Refiners can come to the Capital. There are protections, preventing anyone, Mage or Mortal from entering without my permission.”

  “But Orator –”

  “Had permission.”

  Hope rose within me. “Let me get Charlie and Lallana. We can –”

  “Out of the question. The longer you stay here, the higher the chance of your other gifts raging, much like your flames. You will have to leave for the other Capitals soon and master those gifts, too.”

  “I don’t want to.” Before the arch, I had longed for more. Adventure, excitement, purpose. But this … this wasn’t what I wanted. I should have just been happy in the village. Life there was wonderful compared to this.

  Vitora’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t have a choice. You can’t fulfil your covenant without –”

  “Technically it was another version that took the oath. Not me.” I couldn’t commit to this, to follow through on something I didn’t understand.

  “However you want to look at it, you are bound,” she said. “You are the Guardian.”

  “Of what?”

  “Of magic.”

  I snorted. “Magic got me into this mess.”

  “And magic can get you out, if you control your gifts.” She folded her arms, her focus set on me.

  “Fine, I’ll play, if only so no one else gets hurt.”

  I gazed at the stone in my hand, and then threw it in the air, sending a blast of blue from my palm.

  *

  The next day, I dressed in a long-sleeved green and black tunic with trousers that Vitora had supplied, made from the same magic as the previous clothing. She assured me using my gift wouldn’t be a problem, though it was probably better not to attract attention. Especially with the Seekers on the hunt.

  Loose brown curls cascaded over my shoulders. I preferred to wear my hair down. It kept me warmer, but considering the weather, I slipped a band to my wrist, just in case.

  My stomach fluttered when I approached the dining hall. I wasn’t ready to leave, but thoughts of finding Charlie and Lallana spurred me on. I missed Lallana’s lavender scent and Charlie’s dimples. I needed his tight hug now.

  She waited for me inside with a man I’d never met. I grabbed a piece of bread before approaching. My heart pounded, and I hoped my expression didn’t give away the fear churning inside.

  “Good morning, Clara.” Vitora gestured to the man. “This is Henrik. He’s going to escort you to the boundary of the Capital and point you in the direction of Karandar village.”

  “Nice to meet you,” he said. “Conscious, that is.”

  My cheeks flushed in the memory of my nakedness. Hadn’t Bonfie said he brought me inside that night?

  “I’ll grab the bags and meet you by the door,” he added, slipping past me.

  Vitora stepped closer “Now understand, most people won’t hesitate to point out one of the Hunted. Just because you may not see a Seeker, doesn’t mean they can’t see you. Keep a low profile. If the Corrupted learn of you, the Seekers won’t be the only ones to fear.”

  I shivered. “Why?”

  “If they could convert you to the darkness, they would hold great power.”

  “All the more reason for me to stay.”

  “I cannot suppress your other gifts. I can only affect a Refiner and even then, it takes a great deal of power. You have no choice. You must leave for the Healer Capital,” she said.

  “Why that one? Is it closer?”

  “The closest is the Seeker Capital,” she said.


  Cold clenched my stomach like ice.

  “But it’s the safest one to get to from here,” she added.

  “Does it have the same protections as here?”

  “In a sense. Eat. You’ll need your strength.” She followed Henrik from the hall.

  I stared at my bread, no longer hungry. How could any Capital be safe to reach if the Seekers were close by?

  I took a shaky breath. I considered going home, but even if I could find my way back to the village, it was no longer safe, and the Seekers would find me. Not to mention the fact that I had no idea which way home was.

  Vitora refused to let me stay. So, the sooner I reached the safety of the Healer Capital, the better.

  Filled with fresh determination, I bit into the bread and headed toward the entrance hall.

  Henrik waited on the steps, two bags resting by his feet. He picked them up and handed one to me.

  “The provisions will last until you reach Sil,” Vitora said. “He’s the Elder of the Healers.”

  I nodded, hoping she would take my silence for anxiousness.

  “Come on then.” Henrik moved toward the door.

  Vitora touched my arm. “Remember, no one can know about you. Including Henrik. He believes your mentor had to leave early. If the Seekers get you this time, all will be lost.”

  10

  Even in the early morning sun, the heat beat relentlessly on my back, drawing sweat from my pores. For several minutes, Henrik marched ahead across the dunes. My shoulder ached under the strap of my pack, so I let the pack drop, the weight tugging on my good arm.

  A stone protruded from the sand ahead, smooth and pointed at the tip, much like the stone I had come across in the forest. The same symbol from the village hall was carved into the side: seven interlinked rings. My hand touched the hot stone when we passed, and an idea sprang to mind.

  Amplifying the cooling sensation from my core, I imagined it pooling through my body, spreading out like a shield, repelling the heat. The temperature grew bearable, and I picked up my speed with a smile.

  Henrik peered at me when I caught up. “I felt that.”

  “Felt what?”

  “You, controlling the heat. I’m surprised it took you this long actually.”

  Unease rippled through me. “You can do that? Sense it?” Did privacy not count with a Mage? What if he could read my thoughts, too?

  “You can with experience. I’m one of the village Elders,” he said.

  “So, you’re like Vitora?”

  He chuckled. “No. Vitora is the Elder of the Elders. The head. The leader. The wisest. All the Refiners answer to her. She’s the go-to, when things get bad.”

  A wave of heat rippled from the desert surface ahead. Tugging a water container from my bag, I took a long drink, enjoying the cool liquid on my throat. I slipped the flask away. “So, what protects the Capital? What stops people from getting here?”

  His eyes snapped to me. “Surely your mentor told you?”

  “No … I …” I cast my mind for an excuse, instantly regretting my inquiry. Keeping the truth about my seven gifts and being hunted would be harder than I thought. “There was a lot going on when I came in.”

  His eyes narrowed, and then his expression softened. “Okay … well we’ll work backwards. First, and easily the biggest, is the heat. No one can survive in it long, Refiners excluded.” He winked. “Certainly, not long enough to reach the Capital.”

  My gaze fell on a few mounds of sand a short way ahead, and I squinted. Had they moved? Maybe the heat was affecting my vision.

  “Then, there’s the fire hounds,” he said.

  Growls drifted on the air. My neck prickled at the sound.

  Two huge, sandy dogs slunk toward us, teeth bared, blue eyes glowing like my flames.

  I retreated, eyes wide.

  Henrik touched my shoulder, pulling my attention to a second two, creeping closer, muscles rippling.

  The mounds of sand rose, and three more hounds emerged.

  I froze, my muscles like lead.

  Henrik folded his arms, watching them approach with a smile.

  They paused a couple of paces away, their fur dotted with sand. One of them blinked and shook its head, fur flapping. Then, in unison, they dropped to their stomachs, heads resting on their paws in submission.

  “The fire hounds can sense a Refiner and won’t attack,” Henrik said. “Unless the Refiner is Corrupted.” He moved on.

  It was hard to believe the hounds had an aggressive side when they lay like this. My fingers itched to reach out and touch them, though there probably wasn’t much wisdom in that. If they attacked … but then, they looked so tame.

  The hound beside me rose, head as tall as my shoulder, and plodded over.

  Holding my breath, I reached out. Its fur was rough and sent tingles through my arm. The sensation brought a smile to my face.

  Its eyes closed, and a low vibration rippled through its body.

  I held on a moment longer, and then dropped my hand.

  The hound’s eyes opened, but it didn’t move when I hurried to catch up with Henrik.

  He glanced at me.

  “They’re nice,” I said.

  “They do their job well. You should still take care though. They’re not tame.”

  “They seem pretty tame to me.”

  My vision blurred, the world shimmered, and I tensed.

  Rock walls stretched around me, opening to the star filled sky. A different sky. Yet, familiar. The moons shone, scarlet against the inky blackness.

  I watched in silence, barely breathing.

  Seven glowing balls shot across the sky, each trailing a new tail of colour, the shade of the comets. Were these the legendary comets that filled the storybooks? Countless nights of my childhood had been spent watching the sky, hoping for a glimpse of their beauty, hoping to find truth in the story no one really believed.

  I had seen this once before, after returning through the arch. They soared in the same direction, toward each other. So big. So close.

  They collided.

  I dropped to the ground and covered my head.

  Light flashed. The crash shook the ground.

  The scene blurred again, and the sand grains swam back into view beneath my hands and knees.

  “Clara.” Henrik shook my shoulder.

  I stared at him, still shaking.

  “You okay?” Concern covered his features.

  I fought to compose myself. “Fine.” My voice trembled. I couldn’t tell him. His inevitable questions would only lead to the truth. And then the Seekers. “I’m fine.”

  “What was that?” he asked.

  “Nothing. I lost my footing.”

  “You screamed.”

  “Did I? No … just the shock. It’s nothing.” I shoved his hand off me and fumbled for my water.

  Henrik studied me with a frown and waited while I gulped the water. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked. “If you want to talk about … whatever that was –”

  “I’m fine. Really.” Slinging the bag over my shoulder again, I stood, pulling back on my cooling shield. In my lapse, the heat had slipped through, stifling me. Back in control, I gave Henrik a forced smile. “Shall we go?”

  Forehead creased, he trundled on, casting wary glances at me every now and then.

  Thankfully, the rest of the day stretched on uneventfully. I soon discovered my concentration had to be kept, or things would warm up again. Like everything else, it got easier with practice, and it didn’t take too long to master the technique.

  We stopped to eat when the sun reached its peak. My feet and ankles ached, and I groaned inwardly when he stood up again. Several years older than me, he managed to keep a quick pace without tiring. And I resented him for it.

  Several hours later, barren trees came into view. Hope bloomed at the thought of reaching the border despite my churning stomach.

  Tufts of grass and dry mud soon mixed with the sand, and I let my s
hield slip, glad to find the temperature comfortable, though still much warmer than home.

  The moons brightened the horizon, mixing silver light with the orange of dusk. A line of trees, grass and bushes bloomed ahead, and a mud trail led into the woodland. Sweet and damp earth drifted on the breeze, invigorating me, yet bringing with it a longing for Charlie and Lallana, the comfort of home, the scent of Lallanas blooming on the pond. The shadows growing beneath the trees turned knots in my chest.

  Henrik stopped. “This is where I leave you. Follow this trail. Not two eona from here, you’ll reach the village of Karandar. There’s money in your bag. You can stay at the inn. In the morning, follow the road northeast. It’ll lead you to the Main City.”

  I nodded with a grimace. “Thank you.”

  According to Vitora, someone would meet me at the inn, and then again at the ocean line to take me past the protections to the Healer Capital. The thought of seeing the ocean made me curious, but my terror of this foreign territory and the hunting Seekers set my teeth on edge.

  11

  The crunch of the leaves and stones underfoot wasn’t comforting like it was back home. I had often walked alone, if only to meet with Charlie and Lallana on our branch in our spare time, but now darkening shadows pressed in on me, the wind whispering of an approaching threat.

  Vitora’s words echoed in my mind. Just because you may not see a Seeker, doesn’t mean they can’t see you.

  Darkness had fallen in the hour since parting with Henrik. The night brought with it a chill, and although I’d pulled a black cloak from my bag ages ago, I shivered, but wouldn’t risk using my flames, not this close to Karandar village. The fire might attract the wrong kind of attention.

  Purple billowed in my path, and Orator appeared in the smoke. The markings across his face deepened in the shadows, and his bare arm showed no signs of the burns I had inflicted on our last meeting.

  “You reached the border much sooner than I expected.” He gestured along the path and fell into step beside me. “I was going to meet you.”

  “What were you doing?”