by B. T. Narro
Although the shop was small, it was clear that most everything in here was too expensive for someone like me to purchase. I was careful as I glanced around, worried I might break something and have to spend the rest of my life paying it off.
“Don’t touch anything!” Reuben complained.
“I’m not.”
“You lied to me earlier,” he accused.
“What? When?”
“You gave me the impression that you had never been to the city. You just arrived, you said.”
“That was true. This is the first time I’ve been in Newhaven.”
“You lie. You wouldn’t have found this place as quickly as you did if that was true.”
“Believe what you want. Is she getting the vibmtaer now?”
“Yes. You will not touch it.”
A young woman came out holding what looked to be some sort of instrument for measuring something. There was a small glass panel on the front, but there was nothing showing, no scale of numbers or letters of any kind. The rest of the instrument looked to be designed to gather something possibly from the air. It was round, small enough to be held with one hand, with a tiny rectangular opening at the top. The device seemed to be made of a dark wood, though finely crafted and with a sleek varnish.
The young woman glanced over at me. She had a kind, comely face, but she didn’t look older than I was, too young to own a shop. I stepped past Reuben.
“I’m Jon,” I said. “Are you Pamella?”
“That’s my mother. I’m Greda.”
“Nice to meet you.” I extended my hand with a warm smile. I planned to return here when I had time, and hopefully more coin, and find out more about everything she sold.
“You as well,” she said, setting down the device to put her whole attention into shaking my hand.
She glanced nervously at Reuben as she took her hand back. She looked to be waiting for him to introduce himself. But he took the vibmtaer off the counter and strolled out.
“It had better work,” he said without looking back.
“Thank you for the vibmtaer,” I told her as I stuck around.
She showed me an agreeable smile. “Do let me know if something’s wrong with it.”
“If there is, I’ll take it back here myself and leave Reuben out of it.”
She held her smile. “Thank you,” she said quietly as she eyed Reuben. The rich young man was already walking away from the shop, and at a quick pace.
“I’m sure we’ll meet again because I plan to come back when I have more time,” I told her. “Excuse me, but I have to catch up to him.”
“Goodbye, Jon!” she called as I hurried out.
“Goodbye, Greda.” I ran to catch up to Reuben. I was glad when he didn’t sprint away from me.
I came up on his side as he pocketed the vibmtaer. I waited for him to complain about me in some way, but he pretended I didn’t exist. I wasn’t sure that was better.
“Now we’re not even going to speak?” I tested.
“I don’t speak to liars.”
“Well I don’t usually speak to disrespectful young men, but I’m willing to make an exception for you because it seems like we’ll be training together.”
He stopped and glared at me.
Reuben had brown hair. It was dense and wavy, looking as if he had combed it over the side of his forehead and it had become disheveled throughout the day. He had eyes of the same color that showed no hint of hardship. He had possibly the most normal nose and average mouth of any man his age, which matched the not so prominent structure of his subtle chin. With different clothes, he would’ve blended into the city as easily as any commoner. He was on the taller side for most men, like myself, though it hadn’t been something I noticed until now.
“You are the disrespectful one,” he said coldly.
He held my eyes in his gaze, his lips tightly pressed. It was as if he expected me to challenge him to a duel. I wasn’t about to fight someone here in the street, especially someone who could be training with me.
“Look Reuben, we could bicker and quarrel for as long as we know each other, but that’s not what I’d prefer. I’ve been honest with you about everything. I didn’t choose to come here. I was trying to find out more about sorcery in Tryn, and suddenly Barrett Edgar showed up and practically dragged me to the castle. I don’t claim to have what you have, money and knowledge about sorcery, but I’m eager to learn. I just won’t walk behind you. Leon sent us on the same task, as equals. I am not yours to command. We don’t have to be friends, but at least let’s not be enemies.”
His expression had softened a little by the time I was done. He started moving again.
“Fine, I give you permission to walk beside me.”
I guessed that was all I was going to get from him for now. With the tension still thick between us as we walked back, I decided not to ask any of the many questions I had about sorcery that he might’ve been able to answer.
Instead, I tried one more innocent. “What about you? What led you to arrive at the castle?”
“I have been training with sword and mana since I was thirteen years old. I received a letter from the king himself asking me to arrive at the castle today. I did so in the morning, but I haven’t been told what I would be doing.”
“Did you say mana?” I asked.
“You don’t even know what mana is?”
“I don’t.”
His expression slowly morphed from bewilderment to anger. “I don’t understand why you are here! It is not just.”
I decided not to tell him about the energy I had felt which had led me here. Perhaps it was some form of mana, as he had called it, not that the word meant anything to me yet.
“We are not equals,” he added.
I sighed in frustration. There was no point in arguing.
We didn’t speak again.
After a long, awkward walk, we reached the castle. The drawbridge was already down, a couple of guards standing in the way. The portcullis behind them was up as well, and I could see people gathered in the courtyard, mostly young women.
“Looks like the others have returned,” I commented.
Reuben took the vibmtaer out of his pocket and rushed forward. I didn’t bother to keep at his side the rest of the way into the courtyard, glad to distance myself from him.
CHAPTER FIVE
All eyes were on us as we entered the courtyard. I recognized Leon gesturing for us to hurry up, but there were six others I had not met. They all looked to be around my age. There were two other young men besides Reuben and myself, and four young ladies.
I jogged behind Reuben over to the small crowd. He handed the vibmtaer to Leon. Our blond instructor looked inside the opening on top, then held it away from him and lifted up his hand, most likely for some kind of spell. The glass panel at the front displayed a dull red color.
“Glad to see it works,” Leon said. “All of you form a line.”
Reuben and I were the last two to get in place on the far end, the boys on one side and the girls on the other.
“All of you are wondering what exactly you’ll be doing here,” Leon said. “But keep your questions to yourself. All you need to know right now is that you were selected for a reason, but that reason is different for each of you. There’s a lot we need to accomplish in a short amount of time. If you listen to what I tell you to do, then you’ll get to stay. If you slow us down, then you’re gone. Don’t piss me off. You’ll find out what we’re doing after you prove yourself. Then you can decide if you want to stay.”
Leon looked down the line. He shook his head as if displeased with what he saw.
The sound of the drawbridge closing turned many heads.
“Pay attention to me!” Leon practically shouted. He started to pace as he spoke. “I know a little about each of you, and that’s more than I care to know.” He pointed at the dark-haired young man standing beside Reuben. “Like you, Michael.”
The young man waited for
Leon to look away, then shrugged over at Reuben and me to show his offense and confusion. I shrugged back apologetically, while Reuben stared ahead. Leon continued.
“Some of you may have already heard what I’m going to say, but it needs to be said again for the truly stupid of you to really understand it. We will be using the language of sorcery soon enough. All of you specialize in something different. Some of you don’t even understand what that is yet.”
He gave me a pointed look as if my presence was an irritation. A quick look down the line showed every man and woman staring at me. I was not usually one to blush, but I felt my cheeks redden.
“Soon you’re going to find out more than what you specialize in,” Leon said. “You’re going to find your range of mana. It will determine just what you’re capable of and, more importantly, what you are not capable of. You might be disappointed with the results. Tough. When disappointment can’t change a damn thing, it’s as useless as tits on a shield. Let it go and move on. No one wants to hear you complain, especially not me.”
Reuben raised his hand. I regretted even being near the fool as Leon stared daggers at him.
“What is so important, Reuben?”
“I have already been tested. I know my range.”
Leon put his hand over his forehead and leaned back as he groaned.
“I’m only trying to save you time,” Reuben continued.
“Oh, thank you for that!” Leon said with anger in his fully wide eyes, his sharp green irises bright and honestly a little scary. “So much time you’re saving us right now!”
Reuben looked at the dirt.
I wish I could understand Leon’s mood, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why he was this pissed off already. Couldn’t the king have chosen someone else? Anyone else? I looked over at the keep, hoping the king was watching, but I saw no one through the windows.
“Are you done?” Leon asked.
“Yes,” Reuben muttered.
Leon suddenly stared at me. He pointed. “You, come here.”
What did I do? I wondered. I quickly left the line.
“Stand here,” Leon said as he pointed to his side. I took the position. Then he said, “Tell everyone your name and where you’re from.”
“I’m Jon Oklar,” I said, confused. “I’m from Bhode.”
“Bhode?” Leon exclaimed. “Where the hell is that?”
“It’s a small town far north.” It was more than uncomfortable to stand there with everyone staring but especially with Leon breathing down my neck.
“I was told you were found in Tryn.”
“I was there when Barrett found me. I came from Bhode.”
“Airinold’s taint, fine. I’m the most curious about you, so you’re going first. Take this vibmtaer and bring it to Barrett in the great hall. I’ll be right behind you. Go.”
He plopped the device into my palm, the force of his gesture letting me know that the vibmtaer wasn’t quite as delicate as I had first thought.
I ran toward the great hall. Leon began to shout, and I almost stopped at the sound of his voice.
“I’ll decide the order for the rest of you! Walk with me.”
I was glad to be far from the instructor, even if just for a moment. As I neared the great hall, I wondered what it was about me that made him curious. It had to be the same reason Barrett had come for me, probably this energy. I let go of my frustration toward Leon as I realized I would finally find out exactly what it was, with this vibmtaer somehow the key.
The entrance room of the great hall was magnificent. The wood of the floor, walls, and ceiling glistened with a yellow, almost golden tint. It wasn’t a large room, but it was elegant. A red carpet led to a beautiful staircase that split into two curved stairways to the second floor. There were two sets of doors on the ground floor, one pair on each side of the walls. I wished they were open so I could see inside, but all were closed.
There were two incredibly intricate lamps at the base of the stairs, bright with no less than ten candles each. Coming down the stairs was Barrett, but he stopped midway and waved for me to come to him. I didn’t know how he could stand within such a magnificent place and scowl, but he found a way.
He started up the stairs again as I closed in, continuing to stay ahead of me even after we reached the second floor. He seemed to be in a rush, probably for the same reason Leon was so impatient with us. Whatever our purpose was here, it seemed urgent.
The second floor wasn’t nearly as spectacular. There were a couple intersecting hallways of similar design to the ones in the apartments. Barrett led me down one of them and then another. We came to a door that was already open, a stairway leading up to the third floor.
The room he led me into was another marvel to behold. Plenty of light came through the large, arched windows across the wall that led to a long table with a decorative cloth draped over it. There was a pair of ceramic pots on top with a stick of unlit incense poking out of each one. There were two candles as well, and a large paper with a number of colored squares painted on it.
A guard stood by the table. He was covered in armor from a helmet to boots. There were a number of other items and pieces of furniture around the large room, but most of it seemed decorative. My eyes were on the table as Barrett led me over to it.
He took a seat on one of the two chairs. He didn’t gesture for me to join him, and I was glad. I wanted to stand to better appreciate everything.
“The vibmtaer,” Barrett said as he held out his hand.
I took it out of my pocket and handed it to him. He set it down with the glass panel facing him. Then he positioned the paper with the squares of many colors in front of him. He had a notebook open as well, with quill and ink beside it.
“You may start now,” Barrett said.
“Start what?” I asked.
A vertical line appeared between his eyes. “Didn’t Leon explain this?”
The last thing I wanted was to speak ill of my instructor. I held my tongue, figuring Leon would show up soon.
“What did he say to you?” Barrett’s tone was as if Leon was a child who often misbehaved.
“He said he was coming right after me.”
“Before that.”
Leon arrived. Barrett stood to address him. “What did you tell Jon before coming here?”
“What’s wrong?” Leon asked.
“He doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do.”
Leon’s fierce look made me feel as if I had betrayed him. “How do you not know what to do?” he demanded of me. “I explained this to everyone. All of you need to find out the range of your mana.”
“That’s the part I don’t understand.”
Barrett spoke. “He knows nothing, Leon. He doesn’t even know what mana is.”
“How is that possible?” Leon shouted at me. It was probably loud enough for the others to hear outside the great hall.
“Calm down,” Barrett told him.
“You bring me a man who doesn’t even know what mana is, and you expect me to teach him anything before it’s too late?”
“Yes. Don’t you feel what I feel? Or are you not the sorcerer you claim to be?”
“Of course I feel it. That’s why I chose him to go first. I was hoping for some interesting results. But if he knows nothing about mana, then it doesn’t matter if he has a natural inclination toward uF. It’s not like he can do anything useful with it. You should send him back to Bhode. He’ll only slow me down otherwise.”
“I’m a fast learner,” I interjected. “Just tell me what I need to know to take this test and then let me show you.”
“You fool,” Leon said. “For you to even take this test, you’re going to need weeks of training.”
Could that be true? I reminded myself that Barrett had seen something in me. He had taken a risk bringing me here. I gave him a look that showed I was ready for anything.
“You’re the one who brought me here,” I said. “If you still believe in givi
ng me a chance, I will gladly take it.”
“Do you hear him, Leon? He will be your best student soon enough. Just give him a chance to learn.”
Leon looked into my eyes. He seemed to find whatever he was looking for, giving a subtle nod before leaning back. “All right,” he said. “Let’s find out just what kind of man you are. Pay attention, because I’m only going to say this once. This mana—this strange thing to you—that I’m sure you can touch with your mind is vibrating at a certain rate. The rate of its vibration is extremely important. It’s what makes the difference from one note to another.”
I had heard the word “note” before in regard to music, but I was beginning to understand what it meant for magic. “So this mana…” I held it in front of me with a little shove of my mind. “This is a note called uF?”
“Yes, a note called Upper F,” Barrett confirmed as he pointed at the vibmtaer. “Look.”
The glass on the front panel had changed color. It was now a very light grayish purple. But it quickly faded away as soon as I let go of the buzzing energy.
“Now look here,” Barrett said as he pointed to the paper with the colored squares. “Which one is it?”
“It’s either one of these,” I said as I used two fingers to gesture at two colors next to each other in a vertical row. They both appeared nearly the same as the light purple-gray I had seen on the vibmtaer. Looking closer, I saw that these colors were labeled as uE and uF. “This one,” I said pointing at uF. “But I wouldn’t have been able to tell if didn’t already know I was making uF. They look too similar.”
“That is the issue with a vibmtaer,” Barrett explained. “There are only so many colors it can display. When two notes are close to one another in vibration, they look similar on the vibmtaer, especially vibrations of very high or very low frequencies.”
