The Magic Wakes

by Charity Bradford

  “Why is that?”

  “I think . . .” Jaron never finished because alarms started blaring all over the ship at the same time Landry’s com beeped.

  “Looks like the first of the mage candidates are here.” Landry stood and headed for the door.

  I guess I’ll have to get my answers later. Talia followed the men out the door. Her stomach flip-flopped. Would any of these people be like her? How many mages would they need to unbind the Dragumon? The questions kept piling up, but all she could do was take a deep breath and hope for the best.

  A makeshift tent city went up in the forest. Royalist soldiers kept everyone contained and brought in metabolizers to feed the camp. Hundreds of people had walked in from Bryllton by thirteen rising. Jaron gave the go ahead, and Landry called everyone to gather. He explained the situation, managing to sound believable. No one questioned him openly, but a few people slipped away into the trees. Landry feared it was too risky to let them leave, but Jaron preferred to work with those who hoped they were special.

  They tested those who thought they had magical abilities first. Jaron stood with the boxes and candle set up on a small table in a clearing. He placed his hand on each person’s forehead, searching for obvious signs. If they showed promise he tested them with the objects, if not he sent them home.

  He placed them in groups so each style could learn the basics with others similar to them. Some had the gift of speaking with animals or birds, and one or two others could converse with the trees like Talia. There were healers, illusionist/shape shifters, mind benders, those who could focus the weather, and others with the ability to transfer and magnify gifts the same as Landry.

  Excitement filled the camp as people discovered they were needed to save Sendek from the invaders. There was hope in the air. Laughter mingled with the murmuring of voices.

  Talia’s eyes swept over the mass of people. The people she had searched for all her adult life. Here they were, scattered through the trees in ever growing numbers. Why did her knees feel weak? At one time, the hope of their existence gave her strength, but now that they were real, she was lost among them.

  Landry found her leaning against a tree watching everyone go about their business. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He didn’t look phased by the situation at all. Of course, he had more experience with large groups of people than she did, but the whole magic thing didn’t seem to bother him either.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Sure.”

  “You don’t seem as excited as I thought you would be. You were right. Jaron thinks we’ll have enough people to perform the spell successfully by the end of the night.”

  “That’s good to know.”

  “Talia?” Landry picked up on her emotional vibe. His eyes widened a moment and then crinkled with the smile that lit his face. “Feeling insignificant? I thought this was what you hoped for, the reason you started your list.”

  His teasing made her blush. He was right. Talia stood up but let her hair fall to cover her face while she cleared her throat.

  She stared at the ground and watched his shoes come into view. Landry brushed her hair away and squeezed her shoulder. Her gaze moved up his legs to his waist and then his shoulders, but stopped at his chin. The hand that he had rested on her shoulder cupped her face and lifted her chin until their eyes met.

  “No one else has exhibited your unique combination. You’re also the only violet-eyed mage here. No one else has reported dreaming about this invasion, no one. That’s significant, and we all know it.” He nodded at the mages behind him.

  “What good is a dream? It’s worthless. I think I’m just tired of standing around talking. I need to do something. People are dying as the Dragumon branch out.” She struggled to maintain eye contact as the frustration resurfaced.

  “Well, you’re in luck. Jaron wants to see us at the ship. Come on.”

  He released her and walked away, leaving the noisy crowd behind. Landry walked silently, giving Talia the space she needed.

  “Thanks.”

  “For what?” A smile teased the corner of his lips.

  “You know what. Stroking my ego back there. It’s all your fault anyway.”

  “And how is that?”

  “I managed to block out my emotions fairly well until I met you.”

  “Well, in that case I should let you know that I’m offended. Your self-esteem didn’t suffer when you learned I had magical talents.”

  “There was only one of you, and it was a relief. Now there are thousands and I feel like the world has flipped upside down. I miss my scientific method.”

  “It’ll work itself out; we just have to find a new balance. If Jaron is right, we need to shake things up a bit to defeat the Dragumon.”

  “We’re lucky they haven’t come for us yet.” Talia paused to place her palm on a tree trunk. It showed her images of the Dragumon walking toward the camp and then away before getting close. The protective spells Jaron set up were working. For now.

  “I wish he would teach us the shielding spell.”

  Landry slowed down so Talia could catch up, “That would come in handy. I wish he would just teach us the unbinding spell. We can learn about our natural talents afterward.”

  “I think his point is we need to know who we are, how we feel and focus the magical energies through our minds and bodies. It’s different for everyone. When we understand ourselves, we will be able to work together to unbind the Dragumon.”

  “It sounds so logical coming from your lips.” He reached out to take her hand.

  “That’s funny because I don’t know how this is going to work. I feel like Jaron is hiding something from us. We’re supposed to gather some items, stand together, and chant some words and the Dragumon will cease to exist? It’s a fairy tale, and all I know is science.” She sounded pouty again. Landry stopped, placed his hands on her shoulders, and looked her in the eye.

  “The Royalist were armed with the best weapons we have, and they didn’t get the chance to fire them. Our scientific technology is not strong enough. Jaron’s was far more advanced than ours, and his world fell to the Dragumon.” Landry released Talia. “I find it funny you have a harder time with this than me. You’ve always been a magical being.”

  “One who tried to hide it. I wished to be something different every day of my life.”

  “Magic is in your blood and you’ll find yourself again soon enough.”

  Jaron waited for them outside the entrance to his ship. He paced with his head down, but looked up when they approached. “There are a few points I need clarified before we try the unbinding. I need you to find the answers I need.” He looked directly at Talia. Then turned to Landry and continued, “You will accompany her since I doubt you will allow her to go alone.”

  Landry and Talia glanced at each other. Neither were used to his direct manner yet. How were they supposed to find his answers?

  Jaron handed Talia a small handheld computer. “I made a list of the questions. You need to ask the trees near your home. They will know the answers, or be able to tell you where you must go to find them. You must go quickly because we cannot perform the unbinding spell without you.”

  “Why can’t Talia ask the trees here?” Landry asked.

  “She could, but those around her home know her better and will share information more freely with her.”

  “All right. What do you suggest we use for transportation?” Landry looked around as if to point out the lack of aeroflyers in the forest.

  “You will take my ship. It is similar enough to your transports for you to fly it without any problem.”

  Talia’s jaw dropped. He was giving them his ship? Jaron had already turned to rejoin the mages waiting for him.

  “Jaron,” Landry called out. “Similar or not, I need instructions on how to fly this thing.”

  “Of course.” Jaron reached out and placed his right palm on Landry’s forehead.

  They stood in silence
for several minutes, eyes closed. When Jaron stepped away, Landry shuddered and his eyes stared into the distance. He cleared his throat and refocused his eyes on Jaron.

  All Jaron said before walking away was, “Not everything is worth the price that is asked of you.”

  “What was that all about?” Talia shivered at how pale Landry had turned. He looked haunted. While she studied him, he took a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders.

  “I’ll tell you inside.” Landry spoke low, but watched Jaron until he was out of sight before ushering her inside.

  Chapter 30

  Talia sat on the flight deck watching Landry move easily around the cabin. His hands danced confidently over the controls, never hesitating, and soon they were in the air. It was as if he had flown the ship all his life. The shudder that went through him earlier shivered through Talia now. What happened?

  “Landry?”

  He turned his chair toward her. Talia’s eyes widened as he lounged in it. Something about his posture was completely alien. He gasped and jerked in the seat. He rolled his shoulders and shook his arms, ridding himself of the strange tension that filled him.

  “Are you all right? What happened out there?”

  Landry looked away, at the controls, the ceiling, everywhere but at Talia. “I think you’d call it an info dump. Two hundred years worth of information, neatly filed away in my brain. I know how to fly the ship, work all the life support systems and food metabolizers. I also know everything that is stored onboard. It’s as if I made all of the upgrades and repairs that he made over the years myself.”

  “All of that in a minute?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why doesn’t he teach us everything about magic that way then? It would save us so much time.” Talia leaned forward in her chair.

  “I don’t know. Maybe he can’t? Look, while he reorganized my brain I caught a glimpse into the rest of his mind. There’s something very dark inside him. He’s at war with himself, and I don’t trust his stability. We may end up finishing this war with the Dragumon on our own.”

  Talia didn’t know what to say to that. They sat in silence for a while as they flew toward her home. Eventually, they made small talk again, but they both needed time to process the last three days, and they often fell into companionable silence.

  Closer to Gneledar, Landry opened a view scene. The front bulkhead turned opaque then cleared to give a panoramic view around them. Talia’s stomach flipped. She reached out to touch the wall and found it just as solid as before, even though it looked like it had disappeared.

  Jaron’s ship traveled faster than the tram, and the trees of her youth came into view within two hours. She soaked in the little hill and cottage as it came into view. Talia reached out to greet her trees and they welcomed her home.

  “You can set the ship down over there.” She pointed to a small clearing at the side of the house. Landry carefully lowered them to the ground and shut down all the systems before they made their way outside.

  It was wonderful to be home. Breathing deeply, Talia savored the earthy smell of pine and moss. She looked toward the house and missed Keeta. Normally he would be hanging from the vines around the door waiting for her. Swallowing the memory, she turned away.

  “We should talk to Calmalder. He’s the oldest tree in the forest, and sort of the father figure for the trees here. We would have to wait for these trees to relay his answers to us anyway, so it’ll save time to go straight to the source.” She walked downhill, following a small trail leading into the thickest part of the forest.

  The trees grew closer together as the land leveled out and the underbrush grew thinner. Occasionally, Talia reached out to the trees for directions, but the journey still took longer than she had planned.

  “So, how often do you visit this Calmalder?” Landry walked a few steps behind her.

  “This will be the first time. He doesn’t like to communicate with humans, even those who speak his language. The younger trees say he sleeps all the time and barely talks with trees anymore. I hope he’ll speak to us today.” Talia picked her way along a thread of energy.

  “Can I ask you a question?” Landry asked.

  “Sure.”

  “How is it you never married?”

  Talia stumbled over her own feet before they rooted themselves to the ground.

  “Let me ask you a question. If you dreamed of your death your entire life, would you have married?”

  Landry took her hand and pulled her close. “Of course not. Was there anyone you would have considered marrying?”

  “No.” Her cheeks burned.

  She leaned away to examine his face. He was perfect. Strong jaw line, a smile hinting he knew things about you, and eyes that pulled you in and held you prisoner. She experienced a strange ache as she remembered expressions on other faces in her past.

  “Guys usually . . .” The muscle in her jaw clenched. “Well, they kept their distance. I guess I’m not the dating type.”

  “They were wrong.” He pulled her into a hug, his heart beating beneath her ear. It scared her to hear it quicken as his arms tightened around her.

  “Can I be honest with you?” she whispered.

  “I prefer it that way,” his voice rumbled above.

  Backing out of his arms, she turned away to gather her thoughts.

  “You scare me. Maybe it’s my habit of pulling away from everyone. Maybe it’s because I’m not sure if these feelings are real, or not. Everything is happening so fast.” She turned back to Landry and searched his eyes. “I’ve never cared what anyone thought of me, but I care how you feel about me.”

  “I’ve been through this discussion a hundred times in my mind. I can’t deny I was attracted to you the first time I saw you. The way you stood confident and defiant before us fascinated me.”

  “Oh.” Her face warmed again.

  “But, I’m wary of how lost I get in your emotions. I don’t have the answers you want, but Talia, I promise you this, I’m going to hang around until we find out what this is.”

  They stood for a moment in silence. The light filtering through the leaves danced around him, and Talia couldn’t help but notice the strength in his arms, the span of his shoulders. She wondered if he was strong enough to fight the Dragumon.

  Landry crossed the short distance between them. “I try not to notice what you’re feeling, but your signal is very strong, and sometimes it’s hard to tune out. For instance, right now you’re worried about too many things. You don’t have to carry the weight of this war by yourself.”

  He placed his hands on her shoulders and ran his fingers down her arms, sending shock waves of energy through her. He leaned down until his lips were close to hers. “But now you feel something else entirely.”

  He kissed her nose, the corner of her mouth, and then brushed his lips across hers to kiss the other corner. “There is something irresistible about knowing someone wants you to kiss them.”

  Talia breathed him in and placed her hands on his chest. He smelled like dust, moss, and sweat.

  And he felt like home.

  Landry’s lips hovered over hers. Warm, soft. A direct contrast to the rest of his body. Talia shivered in anticipation, but instead of a kiss, he whispered against her skin, “I can wait until our world is safe again. Then neither of us will have any excuses.”

  Talia rested her forehead on his chest and tried to calm her racing heart. It took a few minutes to notice the buzzing voices in her mind. She cocked her head to the side and listened.

  “Calmalder is awake and waiting for us. We need to hurry.”

  Up ahead, eleven ancient trees were laid out in concentric circles. Equally spaced, the outer circle consisted of six trees, the inner circle held four, and one gnarled tree stood in the center. The trees were evenly spaced, giving their twisty branches room to grow and branch. Completely different from the other trees in the rest of the forest, these trunks were short, low to the ground with the branches starting ab
out waist high. A soft green moss covered the branches that forked and twisted in every direction.

  “Calmalder is the one in the middle.” Talia pulled out the pocket computer and accessed Jaron’s questions, quickly browsed them, and put the computer away again. After a few short steps, something happened that neither of them had expected.

  “What do you want from me?” Calmalder’s voice filled the air, not just echoed inside Talia’s head.

  “You can speak with the tongue of man?” She had never heard of such a thing.

  “It is laborious. Ask your question.” His voice was deep and slow.

  “Do you remember the legend of the Dragumon?” Talia asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know how they were created?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can they be defeated?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know how we can defeat the Dragumon?”

  “No.”

  Talia ran her hand through her hair and sighed. Her fingers searched for the necklace, forgetting it was gone for good until her arms fell limply to her side. “This isn’t working.”

  “You said you had to find the right question if you wanted a usable answer. Maybe you haven’t asked the right one yet.” Landry’s calm seeped into her.

  Talia took a deep breath and searched for the right question. She turned back to the old tree. “Calmalder, who would know how to defeat the Dragumon?”

  “Dragons.”

  “But there are no dragons left.” She threw her hands up in the air.

  “Ask him about the dragons.” Landry waved her back to the conversation.

  “Calmalder, where did the dragons go? Can we still communicate with them?”

  “Most went away. Only a great mage can find them.”

  “Most, what happened to the others?” Talia asked.

  “Killed. All but one.”

  “What happened to the one?”

  “She sleeps. She waits.”

  Excitement pulsed through Talia’s veins. A dragon alive on Sendek!