by Dixon, TJ
“Athena?! Is it really you?” She asks clearly in shock.
“Of course, mother. I’m going by the name Lucy now though, so my full name is Lucy Athena.” Lucy says and this time I am the one in shock.
“She’s your mother?!” I ask unable to help myself.
“Yes, my adoptive mother, but don’t ask her age, or mine.” Lucy tells me. “It might be the last thing you do.”
“Who are these kids?” The perhaps not so young lady asks.
“This is Peter of the Wind, my new master. Not legally of course but I’m his pet at the moment.” Lucy says and I go red and wonder whether I’m about to be killed.
“Still playing games I see. No matter how many centuries pass you’re still the same.”
“Oh now you’ve done it.” Lucy says. “I just hinted that I didn’t want him to know my age.”
“Since I don’t know I can’t tell him.” She says. “Did your sister survive as well?”
“I don’t think so. I didn’t know she came to save me until after this boy freed me.”
“This boy beat a foe that neither you nor your sister could beat?” She asks dubiously.
“With a little help.” Lucy says.
“Who’s help?”
“He borrowed some power from someone who has lots of it.”
“Who?”
“That’s a secret. I’m bound by contract in fact not to tell you.”
“You are?” I ask surprised.
“Yes and if you don’t want to betray her trust you had best not say either.” Lucy tells me. “If it had been me you would have been bound by contract too. This is my mother Elena Fillia. The others are of no importance but they should be considered guests and afforded suitable hospitality.”
“No importance?” Rin asks with a dark glare.
“That’s right.” Lucy says and pokes her tongue out at Rin.
“And after we agreed to use our day off for you to come here…” Rin says even darker.
“Oh fine, this is Rin. What’s your family name Rin?”
“I don’t have one.” Rin says blushing and looking down.
“That’s interesting.” Lucy says frowning. “This is Hermes, Fleet something or other wasn’t it?”
“Hermes Fleetfoot.” Hermes says sounding only slightly annoyed.
“Yu Kii here is from another world, and an excellent earth mage, but useless at all other magic.” Lucy says and Yu Kii looks proud and then embarrassed at these words. “Here we have Jenny Hartwood a loyal servant and former slave of my master.”
“Welcome to my humble home.” Lady Fillia says but I wouldn’t describe this as humble. We enter the gate and walk up the path to the front door. On our right are flowers, and on our left there’s an impressive herb garden. Rin seems to recognise many of the plants in the herb garden and is clearly even more impressed than us amateurs. Lady Fillia laughs and says cheerfully to Rin, “You are welcome to take a little when you leave as long as you are careful and don’t take too much.”
“Really?!” Rin asks unable to believe her luck.
“Of course.”
“There’s no need to be too nice.” Lucy says.
“Definitely the same Lucy as always.” Lady Fillia says and smiles.
“Is that Queen’s Hood?!” Rin exclaims.
“I’m impressed you noticed. Most would mistake it for the more common Lady Hood.”
“I’ve only seen it in a book before.” Rin says wishfully.
“I’m afraid that is one plant I can’t give you.”
“Of course! I wouldn’t dream of taking it.”
“So what is Queens Hood?” I ask Rin.
“Mixed properly with Lady Hood it can grant immense power for a short while. The more common Lady Hood can be used to create very powerful healing potions. See that plant there? That’s Lady Hood. You’ve got a lot of that, Lady Fillia. Do you mind if I choose that?”
“I don’t mind but without a very skilled alchemist it is just a weed.”
“My mother can use it.”
“Really? Now I am even more impressed.”
“Milady!” The guard at the front door says and bows whilst opening the door with magic. The door closes silently behind us. As we walk along the corridor the maids move aside allowing us to pass. I notice a guard above us too.
“You’re sharp boy. Few people can sense any of my guards when they hide themselves. I guess you must be a wind mage.”
“There were five guards hidden outside using earth magic.” Yu Kii says and Lady Fillia chuckles.
“I can see why my Lucy took an interest in you all. You really are an exceptional earth mage Yu Kii. Would you be interested in a job when you graduate?”
“I will be a member of Peter’s independent company when he forms it.” Yu Kii says.
“You certainly have ambition boy. An independent company is something few achieve. Not everyone knows this but it requires the queen’s approval too.”
“That shouldn’t be an issue.” I say confidently.
“With my other daughter’s half-sister on the throne that would certainly have been impossible. I can’t say I like the current queen but under her it may be possible. You sound like you know she’ll approve it too. Are you a friend of the queen?”
“I have met her a few times. I can’t say I’m a friend but she certainly seems fair and I don’t dislike her.”
“You’ve done more than just meet her!” Lucy says with a laugh. “But I had best not say anymore, and neither had you.”
“I won’t ask but it seems Lucy is still as much of a tease as always. Do you have enough members to form your company?”
“Not yet. So far it is just us.” I reply.
“A few of my guards have daughters in your year. I was planning on having them join my company but if you like I could order them to join yours.” She offers but Lucy interrupts.
“Let him do it on his own. If my master can’t get enough support then he deserves to fail.”
“It will be hard for a boy. Are you sure?” Lady Fillia says dubiously.
“Yes, and it may not be as hard as you think.” Lucy says.
“Well good luck. Here we are. Take a seat everyone.” Lady Fillia says and gestures at the huge soft sofas. Then she looks at a maid and says. “You, get some tea for everyone.”
“Yes Lady Fillia.” The maid replies with a deep bow to rival Yu Kii’s over the top bows. We each take a seat on the sofa to the right. Looking down the room you could get twenty or more people on this easily and the one on the other side of the long low dark wooden table is just as big. Lady Fillia takes the single seat at the end of the table. It is just like the sofa except obviously a lot shorter.
“So how long have you been free?” Lady Fillia asks Lucy.
“A few weeks or so.” Lucy replies.
“You could have sent word even if you couldn’t spare the time to visit sooner.”
“What does a few more weeks matter?” Lucy asks.
“It may seem insignificant to you but to a mother even a few more minutes knowing her daughter is alive makes a huge difference.”
“But as far as we know your real daughter is dead.” Lucy says looking down sadly.
“You are just as real!”
“But given a choice…”
“No mother should ever be asked to choose between her daughters! Do not expect me to make that choice.”
“When my sister was lost why didn’t the queen intervene?”
“That is a question I asked many times, but not one she ever answered.”
“Had you fallen out of favour?”
“No. She granted my every wish, except for the most important one. She even denied me permission to personally go after you both.” Lady Fillia answers bitterly. There is silence for a moment.
“Tea is ready.” The maid says quietly. We all have some and the girls seem to enjoy it but it is not to my taste. I don’t complain but Lady Fillia can tell immediately.
>
“Perhaps something sweeter?” Lady Fillia asks.
“Sorry, but yes.”
“Get him some enchanted fruit juice.”
“Certainly.” The maid replies with another bow but keeping the tea tray steady. She leaves it on the table and goes to get my drink.
“Still a child I see, despite your power.”
“I suppose.” I say with a shrug. I don’t think of myself as a child but I don’t want to argue.
“I some ways he is.” Lucy says. “In others he is more grown up than many adults.”
“Of course he is more grown up than my little Lucy.” Lady Fillia says with a laugh.
“Nobody is more grown up than me!” Lucy protests.
I enjoy the chatter of mother and daughter. Lucy may have been an adopted daughter but it is clear she was loved more than many blood relatives love their children. We spend the morning talking but mostly listening to Lucy and Lady Fillia catch up after years apart.
We have lunch and I wish I had eaten less for breakfast. We are served a lovely creamy mushroom soup with fresh granary bread to start. After that we eat plates full of hot meats and vegetables. We then finish with a dark sweet semi liquid in a dish. It seems strangely familiar.
“It’s called chocolate mousse and is imported from another dimension so it’s rather hard to come by.” Lady Fillia tells us. “It is my reunion with Lucy though so we have something worth celebrating.”
“I guess I can’t have had it before then.” I say to myself.
“You thought you had it before?” Lady Fillia asks intrigued.
“It just tasted familiar but maybe it tastes similar to something else.” I answer.
“You were a slave before a student weren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Were you always a slave?”
“No, but I don’t really recall much from before I was a slave.”
“So you may not have been from this world?”
“That is possible. I certainly wasn’t from Contractia.”
“Most of this world is part of Contractia and the parts that aren’t are not populated with humans. If you were not from Contractia then you were not from this world either. In other words you are from another dimension, and perhaps the same one as this chocolate mousse.”
“Do you know the dimension this mousse is from?”
“I do not but my head merchant will be able to tell you.”
“Then perhaps I’ll pay a visit to this dimension once I have formed my company. It may help me find a way to the stars.”
“To the star?” Lady Fillia asks confused.
“Yes. They call to me and it is my aim to reach them one day.”
“You have high goals. It may be ambitious to form a company but to reach the stars will take a miracle.”
“Do you think I would have chosen someone with small goals that they were likely to achieve?” Lucy asks her mother with a grin.
“No, but I never thought you’d find someone with goals as high as your own.” Lady Fillia replies.
“I have no intention of failing to achieve my goals.” I declare.
“Obviously.” They both say as one before looking each other in the eye with a smile.
In the afternoon we watch some of Lady Fillia’s guards compete in an air race similar to the one we saw in Utopia Camerona except on a smaller scale. I am tempted to join in but resist the temptation and instead appraise her guards. They are better than most of the competitors at Utopia Camerona but I am not convinced any could have won.
“So who’s your favourite?” Lady Fillia asks me.
“My favourite?” I ask unsure what she means.
“Who do you think is the best wind mage?” She asks.
Hermes hearing this says, “Surely the winner is the best?”
“Would you agree boy?” Lady Fillia asks.
“No. I got the impression the girl who came second was holding back so as not to embarrass the winner.” I reply.
“You’ve got as good eyes as I thought. If you were a girl I would definitely have tried to hire you despite your goals. People would talk if I hired a boy though. How about you try your luck on the course? Perhaps you can get a better time than my guards?”
“I’ve never flown a race like this before. I could give it a try but I certainly wouldn’t get a winning time.” I reply.
“Don’t worry. Nobody from my staff is going to laugh no matter how badly you do, and neither will I of course. I can’t guarantee your friends though.”
“Fine, but just to see how it feels.” I answer. “I start from that circle, then fly through that one, then that one, that one, that one and finally that one before landing in the circle over there?”
“Correct.” Lady Fillia says so I walk over to the starting circle. Standing in it I bend my knees and then shoot up. The wind buffets me away from my target but I quickly correct and fly through the first hoop. The second hoop seems close but I have to penetrate the wind or fly round it. I choose force over elegance and barely avoid hitting the edge, but I manage to get through somehow. My next target is further so I dodge the currents and shoot through my target.
My fourth target is straight above me but I have to navigate a sea of shifting currents. I struggle and lose a lot of time but finally I’m through. My fifth target is below me and below that is the landing circle. I ignore the currents and shoot down with everything I have. I am thrown downwards quicker than my magic would have taken me and buffeted from side to side, ending up away from my target, but correct my flight at the last moment to reach the hoop. Landing is of course easy.
“Not bad for a first time. You beat some of my guards, and they are all experienced mages. You should get Lucy to tell you how to set up a course so you can practise. Some students are big fans of successful racers too, so if you get really good and compete in tournaments it could help your goal. It helps hone skills that can be useful in battle too.”
“You can teach me how to do that, Lucy?” I ask.
“Yes. I thought there was something else you wanted to learn first though.” Lucy replies.
“Yes that comes first but this would be good too.” I agree.
“What are you learning first?” Lady Fillia asks.
“How to hide my presence.” I tell her.
“You managed to identify my guard without even knowing how to hide yourself?” She asks clearly surprised.
“Sensing is easy but hiding from someone else’s sense is hard.” I reply unsure why she would be surprised.
“Sensing may be easy but it is very hard to sense someone who is hiding from your senses. Many people can hide from the senses of others but very few can detect those who are hiding. If it was a common skill what point would there be in being able to hide in the first place?”
“I suppose.” I reply and it does make sense. We spend the rest of the afternoon outside mostly just talking. In the evening some maids bring out a picnic. I am still mostly full from earlier but to be polite I eat some of the delicious food they put out. We continue talking until it starts to get dark and then decide to head home but promise that we will visit again.
Chapter 15 (Peter)
The next few days we spend doing work for Rin’s mother gathering various materials she needs or may need. We collect a minor bounty whilst we are at it but it only pays a few black coins each. It just happened to be where we were working.
We decide to have a day of training today followed by a bounty hunt tomorrow. I let everyone decide what they want to focus on and they all seem to have something they want to practise on their own. I am working with Lucy to hide my presence. It is much harder than it sounds. I have a bite to eat whilst I work at lunch time but don’t stop my training. I skip dinner entirely and it is dark before I know it.
Rin comes up to me and wastes no time getting to the point. “You aren’t going to be good for tomorrow if you don’t stop now.”
“You have no idea how hard it is to hide yo
ur presence.”
“Actually I do. I have been trying for years but without any luck.”
“I’ll stop for now but I will get this mastered before the end of the holiday.”
“Good luck, and good night.” Rin says tiredly and ports away.
The next morning arrives and we meet at the Drake. There are no bounties here worth considering but we have a nice breakfast before proceeding to the town hall. I choose another one from the same desk as before so all elements are required. The enemy this time are slimy semi liquid monsters that cover and dissolve people and animals. Once they touch you magic is impossible to use. They are impossible to kill without a particular elemental attack. So some need fire attacks whilst others are vulnerable to attacks that use lightning, ice or earth.
The bounty is fairly high because of the risk. Not being able to use magic if they touch you means that if things go bad you can’t just port out. I am confident we will be OK though and sixteen gold coins is a lot of money for a fairly simple job. Split four ways since Jenny and Lucy aren’t getting paid this works out at four gold coins each.
We haven’t been to the village near the job before and certainly haven’t been to the cave where the slimes are living before so we can’t just port there. Instead we get directions and I fly us there. It uses a lot of energy so we rest at the village for most of the morning before walking to the cave.
The cave entrance is small and hidden with magic so takes almost an hour to find once we reach the hill where it is located. At first we think we have the wrong cave but Yu Kii using all of her earth sense manages to find a small passage at the back of the cave. It is only wide and tall enough for one person to crawl through at a time. I lead the way with Yu Kii directly behind me and then Rin followed by Jenny and then Lucy. Hermes is at the back and ready in case we are attacked from behind. Jenny lights the way with a small light at the centre of our group.
I smell the enemy before I see them. It smells of ash and it is getting hotter by the moment. I shout behind me, “Rin, your turn!”
“Okay!” She calls back and the tunnel ahead of us is frozen by her attack. I have to move back a step to avoid getting hit, and bump into Rin. “Hey! Watch it.”
