Taber

by K Fisher

  Still, they were words Alni was not familiar with, an incantation that he had not yet been taught. The last word left Bethinium’s lips and it trailed out into the air like a warm breath on a freezing night. The cloud of fog swept down to the three glowing stones in Bethinium’s hand and as soon as the two forces touched, they were plunged into darkness. The word on the tavern behind them no longer glowed with magic, the lanterns hanging outside neighboring buildings went out, not even the moon shone down on their cold bodies.

  “What the -”

  “I said do not move, Alni. Just watch,” Bethinium said softly through the darkness, his voice sounding faint and further away than it had previously been.

  A glowing, iridescent beam erupted from the three stones, illuminating their faces and stopping only when it reached the earth beneath their feet. From there, shimmering footsteps with no body began to appear before them on the pathway. With each step, a body of the same iridescent hue started to come into focus. It was a cloaked figure, tall and broad-shouldered, head slowly turning to look around the clearing as if it was searching for someone. Strands of messy brown hair stuck out from under the cloak’s hood, dark eyes resting on the space both Alni and Bethinium stood for a mere moment before turning back to the trail.

  “That is Taber,” Bethinium’s words were strained, his son’s name breaking on his lips. “We are going to use the traces of his magic to find where he is heading. But this does not last long, we must be quick. Do not move until he is out of the clearing, otherwise there is a chance he will know what we’ve done and sense it through the spell wherever he is resting now.”

  “He seems to be pretty aware of our being here already. Can’t he hear us? This is his body from when he was here?” Alni felt confused, but did not move, Taber’s gaze had him frozen in place.

  The man looked young, exhausted, and angry. He had the same dark brown eyes as Bethinium, but instead of warmth, they were ice cold. When Taber turned and left the clearing and away from their sight, Bethinium slowly started forward, following alongside the glowing footsteps. Behind them, the entire tavern appeared to glow, the building caressed by the magic left behind; The shining word against the side of the building so bright it appeared to be a beacon that summoned them away from their dangerous task.

  “This was when he was last here. Thankfully, we aren’t far behind and the trail should be easy to follow. Because it is in the past, he cannot hear us, but, if we move through the magic too quickly and we try to interact with him directly using touch, it can break the spell and potentially alert him. He knows we are coming, but I do not believe he knows how close we truly are; how close I hope we are.” There was a desperation in Bethinium’s voice as he led the way.

  They walked towards the mountainside, feet cracking the icy ground beneath them, careful not to stumble on the rocks scattered along the trail. Suddenly, Taber stopped ahead of them, head snapping to the right towards the tall outline of trees that rested there. Before them, a second set of footsteps appeared on the ground; these ones small, the imprints of individual toes instead of a boot. The impressions of footsteps trailed away from the pathway they were standing on and started towards the trees away from the road, Taber’s gaze following it.

  Taber seemed to contemplate things for a moment while Alni and Bethinium watched, he took a deep breath and slowly started after the small footprints.

  “Another magic user?” Alni inquired under his breath, looking over to Bethinium.

  The old man’s hand was twisting around the red bead strung into his long, white beard. His dark brown eyes were narrowed as he watched the scene unfold before him.

  “I believe so, Alni. Let us see what we are up against.”

  ~

  Taber had left the message behind on the side of the tavern, knowing without a doubt that it would be seen by his father the moment the old man made his way back to the mountainside. He didn’t want to believe that the warlock would leave the remnants of the war outside the Elven lands, or that he would leave the side of the rightful Queen, but something in his heart told him there was no possible way Bethinium was not on his way to find him. The look on his father’s face when he had entered his dream to see if he still lived had been more than enough to confirm such things.

  But did he care?

  There had been plenty of times Taber believed his father would do something one way, only to be surprised when the warlock did the opposite. He was a snake in the grass, a man that Taber once believed would do wrong, but in the end the truth had been seen. It was a constant reminder to never trust or allow anyone in and to focus on the mission for which he had abandoned his father and old life.

  When he had heard rumors of a little girl who had brought a wolf back to life, a true necromancer? Taber could not believe his luck and moved swiftly to find the girl and speak with her. He wanted to do more than speak with her, he wanted to get her assistance in a matter so very personal to him he felt it with each breath and step he took. His beating heart was a constant reminder of what he had lost years ago and what he could potentially have again.

  Taber’s mother had left him too soon, her life taken by one they thought to trust and should trust above all others. Death was something the magic of Desin could not defeat, an evil that swept their lands and was accepted at the table of life with the understanding that it was simply the way of things and meant to be. But death was an unwelcome guest in Taber’s eyes. One that he would neither accept for himself, nor his late mother.

  Necromancy was said to be a lost dark magic that the most powerful of warlocks had been able to harness back when Desin first became divided. Those who wielded it were considered the most dangerous of magic users. The power they used was unnatural, so they were turned away from by those who resided in Desin. It was even said that the power was so evil and twisted, the very Creator of Desin would not trifle with it, nor would he bless the wielder with luck or assistance during their time of need.

  Within only a few decades all those who had the power to raise the dead were no longer; The art lost as they were hunted down and destroyed. When their bodies faded, their magic was released back into the world as it was with any warlock, the energy and magics of Desin never truly leaving. Ironically enough, their power over life could not save them in the end. There were no scripts, no runes, and no old tales that assisted Taber in learning about the art of necromancy, but still he searched Desin for a way to perfect his magic and seek a way. Years of wandering, losing faith in ever learning how to bring his mother back…Then the small girl was brought to light.

  But she was born with the ability to raise the dead, something he didn’t believe was true and knew such power must be a lie. Still, he followed the trail of the lost girl and her undead wolf, knowing time was of the essence.

  The little girl had run away from her home, her family still searching for her in their village, but none of them had made their way to the far sides of the Yurel Ocean or the mountainside, their efforts laugh-worthy to Taber. The mountains he climbed to find a way to bring his mother back…He could not imagine the lengths he would go if he had a child of his own. This little girl was better off without her pathetic excuse for a family, of that he was certain. The humans she had been born to would never understand the power she had beneath her fingertips. If she truly knew necromancy and was so strong at such a young age, she very well could be the most powerful warlock Desin had ever seen.

  The most powerful since his mother, Ravena, of course.

  Taber could feel the small child’s magic the moment he headed to the outskirts of the village and towards the mountainside. She had been there recently, if she wasn't there at that very moment. In the darkness of night, he heard the echo of a howl near the mountains and a slow smile crept across his face. The smile felt so foreign, cracking the middle of his lower lip as the iron taste of blood hit his tongue when sought to moisten it.

  There was a rustle in the mass of trees to his right, the smallest whim
per reaching his keen ears. His speed quickened, heading towards the cluster of trees without a second thought, his own power reaching for the small warlock girl and praying she was everything he had heard about.

  When he reached the trees, he froze. A low, predatory growl rumbled from between two dark trunks, a pair of golden eyes slowly opened and fixed on his body in the clearing. Although Taber knew he could attack the wolf if he needed to, he still did not know the true power its master possessed or what small girl would ever trust him after he hurt her guardian.

  Besides, from the story he had collected, it was the harming of the wolf that started this mess in the first place. Her name…Eve…Her name was Eve. Taber was vibrating with excitement and anticipation over what she was and what that meant for him. Could it truly be that he had found what he sought for so long? He tried his hardest to keep his emotions under control, lowering himself towards the ground as he put one knee on the soft earth, attempting to appear as small as possible.

  “I didn’t come to hurt you,” Taber said softly. “I heard your story, Eve, I know you can bring things back to life. I’m a bit like you, I am only here to see if you need some help. You must be hungry? Cold?”

  The growling from her guardian stopped, but the wolf took a step closer, leaving the trees behind as it stepped into the moonlight. The creature was far larger than Taber could have ever imagined, amber fur bristling as it lowered to its haunches and its ears pinned back against its head. But before the wolf had a chance to decide if it was going to attack, a small hand fell into the moonlight, resting on its back. Slowly, the small girl came alongside her wolf, hand still tangled in the amber fur as she watched him.

  She wore a long, white nightdress that was stained and torn, almost as though the girl had risen from the grave herself. Her short black hair was a messy mop on her head, bright, emerald green eyes piercing Taber alongside the yellow orbs of her beast.

  “Go away, leave us alone,” she said, the words were clipped and emotionless.

  “You know the people on these sides of the forest do not trust magic. I heard another warlock like myself was in danger and was alone by the mountainside. I’ve come to help you, that’s all, I promise.”

  With his words, Eve frowned, studying Taber carefully. Slowly, the ears of her wolf rose, twitching in the air as it picked up on his promise across the clearing. When she did not respond, Taber extended a hand and closed his eyes, murmuring a soft spell beneath his breath. A moment later a soft glow erupted along his fingertips. It fell from his hand and traveled along the ground between them.

  Eve jumped back and her wolf began growling once more as the magic approached them. But it did not touch them, instead, it traveled over to a trunk near them and soaked into the ground like a crab burrowing at the ocean’s shore. Before any of them had a chance to react, the green, leafy tops of carrots popped out from where the magic had disappeared.

  “Look, food. I’m sure your wolf has helped keep you nourished but do you know how to start a fire and cook meat? I’m Taber. What is your name?” He knew her name, of course he did, and was praying she took the bait, praying the little warlock didn’t run and force him to do things the hard way.

  He let out a breath he had been holding when she took another few steps forward, her body ahead of the massive wolf behind her. She looked to the leafy tops on the ground before peering back over to him with determination and promise in her bright eyes.

  Before she even spoke he knew he had won and she would come with him. It would only be a little bit before they made it to his mother’s burial site and he was willing to promise the small girl anything in Design to get her there. After she brought his mother back, however, there was no use for her and he’d return her to her worried family. Or better yet, keep her away from the pathetic humans and drop her off wherever he and his mother decided to settle.

  Unaware of the two warlocks that would see his exchange with Eve, Taber smiled as she nodded her head and dropped her hand from her guardian’s back, the suspicion in her eyes subsiding temporarily. She was accepting every word from his mouth and it had been far easier than he had anticipated.

  “I am Eve.”

  Chapter Five

  Alni and Bethinium didn’t say a word until they were behind the closed door of their room in the safety of the inn. It had been easy enough to get a bed, no one in that town was above gold coin even with the whispers of their presence and murmurs of magic already spreading through the village. Still, the innkeeper had been given a little extra to ensure his silence.

  Not that Alni was one to ever trust that, keeping the door locked and his wits about him as they settled in. He had thought things were safe at an inn in the past, only to find himself having to break Dora out of a town’s jail when the one she trusted betrayed her.

  The two stuffed mattresses on the floor of their room were pressed against the wall, only a side table to fill the otherwise empty room. There was a soft scent of cooked pork that wafted through the space, fed by the cooks who had been prepping and slow roasting in the building across the way. Although the two of them had eaten their fill at the tavern, it urged a rumble from Alni’s stomach almost instantly.

  He lay upon his back on a soft woven blanket, staring up at the ceiling as he listened to Bethinium whistling under his breath in the adjacent bed. There was one candle on the side table, the flickering light dancing along the walls and casting shadows that Alni traced with his eyes.

  “Want to talk about the whole mini-necromancer thing?” he finally asked the warlock.

  “Yes, yes, I suppose we should,” Bethinium responded, his voice exhausted in comparison to the once cheerful whistling Alni had heard before. “I think we’ve been ignoring a great many talks during our travels together, Alni. A great many things you’ve asked of me. Things about your parents and about why Taber does not welcome me in his life anymore. So far, I’ve only been teaching you magic, a power that you may now crave but does not help you understand the world around you. If ever you thought of me as a friend, or teacher, I fear I have failed you. Allow me to attempt to remedy such things.”

  Alni took a deep breath, the words were nothing he had expected to come from Bethinium, but somehow, in some way, they were the words he needed to hear. It was true, however, he had asked so many things of the warlock and of Silthia, the two of them seeming to be on the same page. It left him feeling like a flailing child throwing a temper tantrum, left in the dark while the adults spoke of important things. Still, he had soaked up every lesson Bethinium taught him, neglecting them only when exhaustion had proven to be too much.

  “You’ve been wanting to ask about your father and I know this. But I did not entertain the information I had promised long ago,” Bethinium continued. “The necromancer changes everything, Alni. I now know what Taber seeks and what he plans to do with her. I think it is about time I tell you everything I know.”

  “Please,” Alni said gently. The plea came out softer than he had anticipated, making him feel like he begged the warlock. He cleared his throat, the next words stronger and redeeming. “I can say some information would be nice right about now, you know, since you’re offering.”

  “Do you wish to know first about your father or about Taber’s plan?”

  Alni paused, mulling it over in his mind. When he thought of his parents and the questions left unanswered, a fire began to burn deep in the pit of his stomach. It rose through his body at first, then a feeling of intense, cold weight replaced it on his chest a second later. It was as though someone sat upon him, pressing his back into the bed and restricting his breath while he struggled for the right answer and internally fought over the repercussions of such knowledge. Bethinium was looking over to him, the candlelight dancing along his wrinkled skin as his brows furrowed with concern. Realizing Alni was unable to answer the question, he took it upon himself to decide.

  “I can feel your anxiety, Alni. Do you know that anxieties of the mind turn into anxieties of
the body. If you let that go unchecked, it will plunge you into a mindset worse than sickness. I will tell you about Taber, and at a later time I will tell you what I know about Daeso Dalcan before he met your mother.”

  Almost instantly, the delay of information relieved some of the weight on Alni’s chest. His breathing regulated as he fought the urge to reach for his maroon cap at the side table, a security that he often sought without question. But he wanted to know more of his father…Didn’t he? He needed to know the truth behind why his parents had to die, and why the Stone of Dragons had been in their possession in the first place. There were mysteries that only few had claimed to know enough to shed light on, but the light could easily be shed upon things that tarnished his memories of his parents as well. What if there were things better left unsaid and unknown? Still, Alni found himself wanting the answers, despite the toll that increasingly wracked his body whenever he thought on it.

  “I told you that Taber and I had grown apart over something that was my doing. You were kind enough not to ask what it was when you assisted me with this quest to find him. I know that you tagged along to learn magic at our future Queen’s request, but a part of me also acknowledges that those who do not require knowledge of other’s misdoings, often have quite a few of their own hidden away.” Bethinium’s hand lifted, tapping his cheek lightly before the shadow of a smile crossed his face.

  Alni could not help cracking a smile of his own, although it felt strained and insincere. He responded with a short nod, urging Bethinium on without words and confirming his message.

  “What I tell you is the truth and if after you hear it you decide not to continue with this voyage to find Taber, I understand,” Bethinium started, gaze averted from Alni and focused on the wooden slabs above them and the shadows that danced. “When I met Taber’s mother, Ravena, I was blessed to share magic with her. We were both warlocks, chosen at birth to assist Desin with our connection to magic. We became acquainted before I came to work for King Herrick. I was just a wandering man who had once been the only warlock in the High Mountains. She was a powerful warlock who specialized in healing ailments, it’s even said she was as powerful as the elf our forests were named after, Nevina. Before that power was stripped from the elves, of course.