Inexperienced Mage (Reawakening Saga)

by Jackson, D. W.

  Using his dagger he dug a small hole in the ground and placed a seed from one of the apples he had from his mid-day meal in then recovered it. Focusing he pushed his magic into the seed urging it to grow. His eyes soon began to blur but he could see a sprout coming from in front of him. Then he felt something wet on his face but kept his focus as the tree was growing fast before his eyes. Then his focus shattered as he heard a scream from behind him.

  Turning his head he caught a glimpse of Clair running from the grove. She was running so fast, her blond hair appeared as a mane flaring behind her head. His legs gave out as he tried to get up. Staring at the ground, he noticed a few drops of blood striking the hard packed ground. Reaching up with an unsteady hand he touched his face bringing back blood covered fingers. The book had warned him that pushing past his level could leave him dead, but he had been too caught up in his spell to realize his life was draining away. Using one of the swords as a crutch he made his way unsteadily to his feet.

  The farm house could easily be seen from the edge of the grove but the walk still took him a long time as he hobbled along like an old man. He fears mounting with every step on what he would find when he got there.

  He was met at the door by a concerned looking Joan who upon seeing his condition quickly called for Robert to carry him inside the house. He fought to explain what Clair had seen but his words came out slurred and undecipherable.

  Robert sat him softly in his bed and Joan looked down on him with concern. “You rest. We’ll talk about this tomorrow,” she said pulling the covers up around his shoulders. He didn’t have the energy to argue and honestly didn’t want to. With his head pounding he doubted he would get much rest but within a few minutes he was sleeping soundly.

  The next morning he woke, surrounded with everyone’s face showing honest concern. After he pushed himself into a sitting position Joan sat a bowl of broth in his lap. No one said anything as he ate, they just stood waiting for him to finish. Putting his spoon down Mark let out a heavy sigh. He knew these good people deserved the truth. After how they had treated him anything else would be wrong.

  “Last night,” Mark said pausing, unsure the best way to approach the story, “Clair caught me performing magic. I took the wooden swords that I made for the boys to put a spell on them to keep them from breaking or marring easily. I also wanted to see if I could hasten the growth of a plant, an apple tree to be exact. I over stretched myself and this is the result.” He said indicating his body with a flourish of his hand.

  “Honestly, if Clare hadn’t broken my concentration on the spell, I could have died. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, but I didn’t know how to approach the subject.”

  Joan laid her hand on his arm. “I can see that. Magic has been gone for some time, but you scared the young girl something fierce, she came in crying that you were possessed by a demon. None of were sure what to make of her ramblings last night and the state you returned in left a lot of questions to be answered, and magic would sure do that.”

  Doren, Mercy’s husband, let out a harsh laugh which earned him a scathing glare from Joan. “Right! Magic! You’re telling me you have rediscovered the lost art and that’s what sent my little girl running home in tears?”

  Mark suspected they wouldn’t believe it just on his word but he was appreciative of the rest for not voicing their doubts, bringing up his hand he whispered lumanare, and a bright glowing blue orb sprung in his hand. Everyone let out gasps of excitement then the world went dark.

  He woke to Joan holding a cloth to his nose stemming the blood that was running freely, she wasn’t looking at him but at Doren. “The boy came back looking half dead, and you couldn’t wait to see if he was telling the truth I swear sometimes I don’t know what my daughter sees in you.”

  Mark tried to sit up but was quickly pushed back down by Joan. “You lay your hind end back down mister. I’m upset with you enough as it is. That was stupid; tempting fate just to prove to that fool of a son-in-law of mine that you weren’t lying. Dang men never stop to think past their own ego.”

  Though he knew Joan was mad he couldn’t help but laugh. “Thank you.” The words didn’t even begin convey the gratitude he felt for the old lady at the moment, but they were the only ones that came to mind. Laying back he closed his eyes and let himself drift back off to sleep.

  He woke again feeling much better. The sun was still up but hung low on the horizon. He had slept through the whole day but at least his head had quit hurting. He sat up and, when no feeling of nausea assailed him, he risked standing up. Without any difficulties he made his way down the stairs into the common room where Joan and Mercy sat sewing.

  Upon Mark entering the room, Mercy and Joan both smiled at him. “Feeling better now? I hope you’re not pushing yourself,” Joan said, with a hint of concern.

  “Much better thank you. In fact, physically I’m great. Though I don’t think I should do any magic for the next few days,” Mark replied smiling.

  Mercy gave him a shy smile. Like her daughter she was very pretty, with gray eyes but her hair was a light brown instead of blond. “You know as a child I always loved stories of mages. Do you think they could really call lightning from the sky and make rings that could make you invisible?” she asked sweetly.

  Mark knew she meant it to lighten the mood but to him it was a serious question. “I’m sure they could. I never tried to make lightning before. As for the ring, that is possible as well. If I had a crystal or gem it might be possible for me to create one. That’s one of the reasons I want to get to a larger city. So I can procure some cheap crystals and see if I have the ability to enchant.”

  As soon as the words were out of his mouth Mercy shot up and ran out of the room in such a haste Mark thought he might have said something to upset her. Then just as quickly as she left, she reappeared holding a box so tight in her hand her knuckles were turning white. She sat the box down in front of him quickly her eyes intensely focused on him.

  Opening the box he was surprised to find it held about two dozen long thin crystals about the size of his index finger. “Do you think these will work?” she asked anxiously.

  Mark was amazed! Though he wasn’t sure of the cost, he knew the gems weren’t cheap enough to just give away. “Are you sure? These must have cost at least a few gold pieces.”

  “Don’t worry. They belonged to an ugly lamp my husband bought. I kept the crystals though. But if it’s not too much trouble could you make something for me? It doesn’t matter what, but I would love to have something magical,” her voice seemed almost pleading as if she didn’t think he would. He didn’t know why she thought that. If not for her he wouldn’t have been able to make anything yet.

  “It would be my pleasure. Seems like a fair enough trade to me. I will need some metal to set the crystals in, if you want jewelry. Otherwise it will have to be made of wood.”

  “We have plenty of broken tools if you could use those somehow,” Joan said casually never looking up from her embroidery work.

  “I’m sure I can find some way to make use of them,” Mark said trying to hold back his excitement.

  The next day he returned to work at the fields. He still didn’t see Clair and hoped she wasn’t mad at him or, even worse, scared of him. After the evening meal Mark went up to his bunk carrying a broken sickle and the box of crystals. He knew doing magic too soon might be dangerous but he felt great and when he reached out and took hold of the flow of magic he didn’t feel any adverse effects.

  The first task would be to trim the crystal into something more fitting. Closing his eyes he focused on the crystal and began using magic to cut away the unneeded sections of crystal. Soon he had a small spherical piece of crystal about the size of a pea. He repeated this and was able to get five such crystals out of one of the larger crystals.

  Making a suitable ring out of the metal would be harder. He couldn’t just cut away the unneeded area of metal like he had done with the crystal. He would have to bend
it and mold it. With much more effort he was able to get three rings made before he started feeling his head begin the throb. Not wanting to push himself too far, he decided it was time to put his work aside for the night.

  The next day, as soon as he was finished with his evening meal, he headed back to his room to continue his work. He quickly made two more rings then sat a crystal in the center of each. Not feeling tired, he decided to push on. The first step would be making the crystal draw and store magic. He concentrated and focused on the gem forcing his will on it. When he opened his eyes the crystal looked the same but he could feel it was drawing magic. The next part was harder. He had to make the body host the spell and react with the core when the keyword was used.

  The first five attempts failed, but he wasn’t daunted. He continued to try different ways of seating the spell in the ring. After about an hour he finally made it work. The solution was simple. He had to focus, not only on the ring, but on the crystal as well when he envisioned the spell. But it took a light touch. One ring was completely useless - flickering on and off as the crystal stayed active. He also learned that when a ring and crystal were joined in an enchantment, they couldn’t be separated without danger. The second he had tried to separate a crystal from a ring, the ring exploded in his hand but the magic continued in the loosed crystal. Luckily for Mark the ring quickly depleted itself, only singeing his fingers. But the ring and crystal were now completely useless.

  After he finished the third ring a soft knock came at his door. Setting aside what he was doing, Mark went over and opened the door. He was surprised to find Clair on the other side looking down at the ground with her hands behind her back. Mark invited her in and sat back on his bed. Clair sat down timidly beside him.

  After a long moment of awkward silence Clair took his hand in his own. “I’m sorry. I was embarrassed after the other night and I haven’t been able to bring myself to talk to you. Mom has been begging me to make up with you. Though dad’s not your biggest fan at the moment, most likely because all mom talks about is that you said you were going to make her a magical ring. Is it true? Are you really making my mom a magical ring?”

  Mark let out a loud and heartfelt laugh, letting go of Clair’s hand. At first, the tight smile on her face dropped and a tear started to form at the corner of her eye. Then she saw what Mark was holding. A small ring. When he handed it to her, Clair’s smile returned, much more confident this time. “Try it out. Just say ‘Lumanare’ and it should work.”

  As soon as the words left her mouth, a soft glowing gold light hung in the air above the ring. Clair clapped happily, the little golden ball of light jerking back and forth in time with her hand. “How do I turn it off?” Clair asked, her voice holding more than a hint of awe.

  “Just say the trigger word again,” Mark said trying to hold back another laugh.

  Clair tried to return the ring but Mark showed her the other two he had finished and said that one was for her. The gift earned him a kiss on the check, making Mark blush a deep crimson red. Mark soon found himself dragged back into the common room where everyone sat around working on different things. Everyone’s attention was soon fixed on him and Clair as she showed off her new ring.

  Mark gave Joan and Mercy the other two rings, getting a hug and a squel of delight from Mercy and a small smile and thanks from Joan. Mark stayed with everyone for awhile listening to stories but soon made his way to bed explaining that the enchanting had worn him out.

  The next week went by quickly with him working on the farm during the day and in his room at night where Clair would sit and talk to him. It was enjoyable but the time for him to leave was looming ever nearer. The night after the seeding was finished Clair came to his room with large tears streaming down her face.

  Though it was hard to understand what she was saying through her wracking sobs Mark understood that she didn’t want him to leave. Joan and the rest had made it more than clear he was welcome to stay as long as he wanted. He tried to comfort her but he knew nothing he said short of promising to stay would work. Doren came and carried Clair to her room after she had soaked his shirt and cried herself to sleep.

  That night Mark decided it was time to leave. The longer he put it off, the harder it would be. He settled down into a fitful night of dreams of Clair crying. The next morning came quickly and he felt no more rested then had had when he lay down. As he sat down at the breakfast table he noticed Clair eyes were swollen and red. It made his chest hurt and he took a deep breath to steady his nerves. “I believe it’s time for me to leave.”

  Everyone tried to talk him into staying for a few more days except Joan, who just sat silently. As soon as the meal was finished everyone headed out to perform their daily chores each giving him a hug or handshake as they left. Clair didn’t say anything just giving him a hug and a peck on the cheek.

  “Before you leave I have a few gifts for you. They’re not just from me, everyone pitched in. We all hoped you would stay but I knew you wouldn’t. We have been preparing for this day.” Joan disappeared into the back room and returned holding a large leather traveling sack and a bed roll.

  “The sack is from Robert. There is a small sack of coins inside. It’s not much mind you but it also continues the coins George promised you for the kids’ swords. I’ll get together some food for your trip while you pack your things.” The love and kindness in her voice nearly brought tears to his eyes.

  Mark took the travel sack and headed to his room. Once inside he opened it and found the bag of coins. It held fifteen silver coins and a few coppers, nowhere near a fortune, but it was a start. He placed the last three long crystals into one of the pouches on the side of the sack, and then added the many smaller crystal spheres into another pouch. He put nine rings into the sack.

  He put the three rings he had made in anticipation of this day on his hand. One was a light ring. Another ring, when fully charged, allowed him use of the paralyzing spell three times before it was drained. The last ring held a shielding spell that would work for a minute and a half when fully charged. He also had carved himself a new sword and laid one of the long crystals into the hilt holding the spell to make the sword razor sharp for almost half an hour.

  With everything packed, Mark headed back down into the main room and waited for Joan to finish her preparations for him. He didn’t have to wait long. She brought out a large bag and handed it to him. It was filled with smoked and salted meats that would last a long time on the road, along some fresh fruit and sandwiches that he would have to eat sooner.

  Joan gave him a hug. “Just so you know, you’re welcome here anytime Mark. You never asked but the capital is only about eight days walk southeast of here. If you follow the small river down past the south grove you will come to a road. Follow it and you’ll be in the capital in no time.” When she pulled back from their hug there were tears in her eyes.

  Mark gave her the best smile that he could muster with tears teasing at his own eyes. “You have treated me like family and I promise you I’ll be back this way. If you ever need anything I can offer, find me and I will do everything in my power to help.”

  Chapter III

  Mark made his way following the river as Joan had suggested. Things at the capital might get tricky but he doubted he would ever see the queen or princess. Even if he did, he doubted that they would remember him. Just to be safe, he figured it would be best to leave his old name behind.

  The second night, as he was looking along the road for a place to camp, he spotted the faint flicker of a campfire in the distance. Wearily, he approached the small camp trying his best to keep out of view. From the cover of the bushes he could see two wagons, a large looking coach, a handful of men, and a young lady in her early twenties with dark auburn hair. All of the men had a brand on their forehead and many wore swords. The group didn’t look overly inviting, so he decided it best to find his own camp farther away.

  As he was about to turn around and make his way back to the road, on
e of the men, a large fellow with a thick black beard, raised a crossbow aiming it where he crouched. “Don’t know who you are, but best come out into the open where we can all see you.”

  Mark raised his hands above his hand and stepped into the dim light of the flickering campfire. “I don’t mean any harm. I saw your light down the road and was just being cautious.”

  The young lady walked up behind the gruff warrior and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Carmon I doubt the young man poses much of a threat, no need to kill him just yet.” She said sweetly then turned toward him. “Now boy, what has you traveling on this road?”

  “Well, you see, I ran across a small treasure trove of magical items in a run-down ghost town in the middle of the woods a few days back. I decided to head to the capital to see what I could sell them for.” He knew it was risky mentioning anything about magic but he was sure with the aid of his magic he could escape if the situation turned dangerous.

  At his words, the young lady’s light blue eyes went wide, “Magic you say? You wouldn’t mind showing me would you?”

  The way her eyes danced with greed made Mark take a step back toward the safety of the woods. Apparently sensing his agitation, she gave him a sweet smile. “Don’t worry child. I won’t steal anything from you. I’m a respectable merchant from Rane. It’s just that magic of even the most mundane sort is worth a fair amount of gold. In fact, we may be able to help out each other. I know that as a male here in Farlen you’re going to have a hard time getting anything near a good price for what you have.”

  Mark couldn’t deny her reasoning. In fact, there was a fair chance the people in the capital would just take his treasures and throw him into jail until he disclosed how he came by the magic rings. Willing to take a chance, he brought out one of the light rings and activated it. There were varying responses from the group ranging from surprise to awe as the bright golden light appeared in thin air.