A Deepening Knowledge (A Life of Magic)

by Matthew Mitchell

  I shook my head at his teasing. "Well, the food was very good."

  Everyone chuckled at this comment. Stain spoke up. "I always gain weight when I visit Victor. He does love his food, yet he never gains weight." His tone belied his irritation at his friend for this lack.

  Raven spoke up, "Why do you think I was always working with my weapons? If I ate that way without working out I would get round."

  Conium landed behind us, "I think I see people on the trail ahead. They look like pilgrims. But be wary." Having delivered her warning her owl took flight once more.

  Stain looked around and nodded, "Be alert. Almost anyone could be an enemy now. We just do not have enough information." Disgust was evident in his voice.

  We continued down the path, eventually passing a caravan of pilgrims heading for the mountain top. Stain stopped and talked to their leader and then we continued on our way.

  "Harmless people. Not a single mage among them and they have been on the road for many weeks." Stain stated once they were out of earshot.

  As the sky started to darken we finally rounded a bend in the path and saw the great bridge ahead of us. I stopped in my tracks at the sight. Raven also froze. Stain noticed and smiled.

  "Such is most people's reaction to the great bridge. It spans between two mountains. If you fall off the bridge you have time to think about your life before you die. I have heard that people occasionally drop items over the edge to see if they can hear it strike the bottom. None have yet to hear the impact." Stain pointed off in the distance. "The first obstacle we must face. We must cross the bridge and climb the mountain pass on the other side. Once we reach that we will be much closer to our goal." He started walking down towards the bridge where a large campsite was set off to the side of the landing of the bridge. Other travelers were there, however a few campsites were empty. I could tell one site was rarely used even if it was much larger. This was the one we headed towards. As we walked into the campsite I could feel a slight tingle of magic. It was a weak warding spell.

  "This is a King's site. None but those allowed may use it. That was the magic you felt. A trigger that will alert an overseer to look and make sure we are approved for this site." Stain looked around. "Ott, set up camp while I talk to the other campers here." He walked to the largest of the tents already established across from the King's site.

  I looked around and realized that the site matched the same kind as the ones we had used on the way to Haver's Town. Tag and Evins were already sliding into their area, ready to rest. We all retrieved tents and other items needed to camp overnight.

  "The camp looks good." Conium's voice startled me as I was finishing Stain's tent. I looked up and smiled. She was ruffled by the wind. Her hair sticking out in all directions.

  Seeing my smile she put her hand on her head and smiled. "I got too hot to wear a hat. That is the price I pay for staying cool. Where do I put my tent?" She looked around.

  I looked and pointed, "You should be able to put yours right there. Mine will be beside Stain's. Raven's is on the other side of mine."

  Conium pulled out her tent and went to work erecting it. It was a odd shade of green, almost putrid. Within moments her tent rose up beside Stain's. "Who has cooking duty tonight?"

  Stain walked up, "You can if you promise no surprises." His tone was as dry as the desert.

  Conium acted hurt, "I only try to serve the best I can." Her tone on the other hand was full of mirth.

  Stain rolled his eyes and looked around the campsite. "Good job Ott. I will finish with my things, get your tent set up. I imagine your friends are ready to rest until the meal is ready."

  I nodded and started assembling my tent. All my friends helped me. Some holding ropes, putting tension on panels, or offering their opinions on what needed to be where. I eventually had my tent and belongings arranged. I stepped out and saw that Raven's tent was standing. It was black with purple trim. I smiled, it fit her personality well. She was working in her tent to arrange the few things she needed for the night.

  "Almost done?" I called into her tent.

  Her head poked out and she smiled. "Yeah, I did not have a lot of help like you. Give me a few more moments and I will be there." Her head disappeared back into the tent.

  I went and sat beside the fire, watching Conium cook a meal for everyone. I had settled Tag and Evins like Stain had taught me. Each tent was erected. The camp was set for the night. Cracklecord nestled in the fire, talking to Conium about fire magic.

  "But if you try to use water and fire magic at the same time you get unexpected results sometimes. The control needed is immense." Conium was saying.

  "Very true, but once you have that control it is no longer an issue. You should be able to make water behave like fire and fire to behave like water." Cracklecord rebutted.

  Conium stopped and looked at her. "I have never heard of such a thing."

  Stain joined in the conversation, "It is a rare gift. To be able to make fire flow like water and water to move like a fire. Yet I have seen it before." He sat down beside me to watch Conium cook.

  "What would be the point of such magic?" Conium asked.

  "If you were working with certain metals and needed to shape them correctly the fire must move like water. It can not jump and spit like a fire. It must flow and engulf to form the metal correctly." Cracklecord spoke with authority.

  Raven sat beside me. "I always feel out of my depth when magic is discussed." She sighed.

  "You will gain experience. That is all it will take to know what is going on with magic." Conium stated. "That is how I became so good with poisons. Learning a little here and there until I knew more than most." She handed Stain a plate piled with food.

  He looked at the food and sniffed it. "Did you play with the seasonings?" He was slightly wary.

  Conium huffed and gave Stain a dirty look, "I said I would not, therefore I did not. If you want some special seasonings I can get my box and make sure it will be a meal you will remember for all your long life." She handed everyone else a plate or bowl. We sat around and ate in silence. The food was delicious, seasoned with flavors I had never experienced.

  "This is amazing. It taste so good." Pat spoke up first.

  Conium ducked her head and blushed, "Thank you. I do enjoy cooking. Nobody gets hurt usually."

  We all ate our food and even had seconds. After a long day of walking and such good food I was getting weary. "Are we setting up guards tonight?"

  Stain smiled and shook his head, "I have set magic guards. An alarm will sound if anyone breaches the shields around the camp. Sleep deep tonight." He stood up and walked slowly to his tent. The lantern inside went out after just a few moments. Proof of how tired he was also.

  Conium stood up and motioned to Raven. "I cooked, you get to help clean." She handed Raven a pot and some plates. They walked over to the cleaning area beside Tag and Evins. I could hear all of them talking.

  I looked around and realized that while I was thinking most of my friends had wandered off to sleep. I sat there and looked deep into the fire. Cracklecord was curled up in the fire, snoring already. Shortly I stood up and walked to my tent to lay down. It had been a long day.

  * * *

  The next morning started simply. Having a hearty breakfast and packing the camp. Once both were done we headed down the path and onto the bridge. This bridge was immense. I could just barely make out the other end where it touched the crags of the mountain. Monstrous columns plunged down into the morning mist. Scarred and scratched railings showed the many people who had bumped against them as they traveled across this wonder. The wind whistled through the railings and columns, making the bridge moan and sing.

  Stain looked over his shoulder, "I love the sound of this bridge. The noise it makes is why it is called the chorus bridge. Throughout the day the noises shift and change much like the human voice singing." He continued walking across the bridge.

  As we walked across the bridge I looked off the s
ide and realized that the mist was so dense that nothing could be seen below us. The supports and beams disappeared into the mist. My head swam a little at the thought of how high we must be. I turned and continued walking after Stain. The noises from the bridge seemed to swell and fade, just like a human humming loudly. Sometimes a sudden burst of wind would cause a much higher note to resonate through the air. The sounds seemed to form a haunting melody that tickled my mind. We continued walking till we reached the halfway point. Stain called for a short break.

  "This is stunning. I have never seen such a sight." Raven was standing at the railing, looking down.

  I joined her and looked downward. The mist had finally lifted and the view below the bridge was breathtaking. the supports ran back and forth much like tree limbs, the columns were joined together with various supports, and this structure stretched downwards until it sank into the ground far below. It almost looked as if the bridge and all of it's structures were grown from a mix of a giant tree and a spiderweb. The longer I stared the more details my eye noticed. Each column seemed to have a unique texture and the supports springing from those columns shared that texture.

  Stain joined us at the railing. "This is one of my favorite places. You cannot find another view such as this one. If I were to pick one place to live I might just figure out how to live right here." He closed his eyes and leaned on the railing, obviously taking great pleasure in the moment. We all stood there and enjoyed the break from everything. There was just the wind, the bridge, and us. "Well, time to get moving." Stain stood up and reluctantly picked up his stuff and started off across the rest of the bridge.

  A large, craggy mountain loomed ahead of us. It's brooding, gray slopes seemed a challenge A small split ran downwards from the very peak, stopping above us. As we walked closer we could see that a path wove up the mountainside and finally climbed into the crack.

  "Is that the pass we must cross?" I asked Stain.

  He looked up and nodded. "The fire pass. We should reach the pass around midday. I am hoping that we can get through the pass before it gets dark. There is a large campsite just on the other side Then we must take a different route than most. That is when the fun really begins." He seemed excited.

  "Why is it called the fire pass?" Raven had walked up behind me.

  "In the morning or evening, if you are on the correct side for the time of day, the sun shining through the pass causes it to look like the entire pass is covered in flames. Part of the reason is that there are ores and crystals all along the walls of the pass. These bounce and break the light so that it shimmers and dances just like a campfire or candle." Stain pointed upwards.

  We continued walking across the bridge. Occasionally small bands of people would pass us heading the other direction. Most had the same look, like the pilgrims Some were obviously tinkers, their tools and merchandise hanging from either packs or wagons. A few groups even had packshells, although none were as large as Tag. Stain would occasionally stop and talk to the leaders of each group. Most of the groups had traveled the pass this morning and planned on making the trek up the mountain to Victor's compound.

  Just before midday we finally reached the end of the bridge. Two large stone statues stood guard over the entrance to the bridge. I looked closely at both, amazed by the detail. I walked up close to the closest one, a large dog made from an unusual blue stone. I leaned in closely and was amazed at the work that must have gone into such a work. As I reached out to touch it's face an eye blinked and turned slightly towards me. I jumped backwards and started laughing at myself. The gargoyles both blinked their eyes at me and stared for a moment, then they smiled slightly.

  "Some of my distant relatives I imagine." Fiosrach commented. He walked up and started talking to them in his native tongue, which sounded much like a rock fall. The two large gargoyles looked surprised and started talking. This continued on for a bit of time, with the two large ones looking at me a few times then rejoining the conversation Finally Fiosrach walked back and hopped up to Tag's shell. "They have seen none that they would classify as dangerous lately. Many moons ago there were a few groups that carried a lot of weapons. Sounds like the ones that were deep in the mountain. Also there were a few horses traveling very fast just the other day, heading away from the compound. They will keep watch for anymore unusual people and relay the news to Victor."

  Stain grinned, "That is a good idea Fiosrach. Thank them for us and let us be on our way." He started walking up a well worn stone path.

  Fiosrach took a moment to talk to the two again and they both nodded. As we walked away I looked back over my shoulder, they once more looked just like two large statues. I shook my head and hurried to catch up.

  "That is probably one of the oldest pair of gargoyles that I have ever met. Even the eldest of my tribe is young in comparison. They have been here a long time, by anyone's measure." Fiosrach seemed to be in awe at meeting them.

  Mophar popped up from among the packages on Evins shell. "So how long do gargoyles live? And how old were those two?"

  Fiosrach looked deep in thought for a moment, "The average gargoyle can reach 500 years, as long as he is attached to a site. Those two have been there so long that I could never guess their ages."

  Stain's voice cut through the air, "They are over 2000 years old. I once asked them."

  Everyone mulled that over for a few moments. Just the idea that we had met two beings that were that old. All the things they must have seen.

  We continued up a winding path that was well worn in the mountain side. The many years of travelers had worn a wide, smooth groove that slithered up the mountain creeping towards the pass. The path always tilted upwards, slowly getting higher and higher. Eventually we reached a point just below the pass. A small rest area had been carved out of the slabs of rock. Set in the back of the rest area a small spring sprung out from the rock face to be captured in a pool. We all filled our flasks with this cold spring water. Raven and I pulled out buckets so that Tag and Evins could drink their fill. Once everyone was watered and rested Stain stood up.

  "We are going to cross this pass quickly. The path is fairly straight. There have been occasions where rock will fall from up high, so keep an eye and ear for that. We will not stop until we reach the other side. The climb down the other side is much easier and just think, we rest when we reach the campsite." With that he turned and headed into the pass.

  We all filed into the shadow of the pass behind Stain. There was a slight chill to the air, like a cold breath down the back of my neck. The sides of the pass loomed high above us. The pass itself was only about twice the width of Tag. There was a scattering of stones along the pass. Evidence of them falling from a great height. A long cry rang out from high above us, Conium flying into the pass. She flew fast and straight through the pass. She took just moments to reach the other side and shoot out into the sunlight. If we could only get through the pass so easily. We walked for hours, slowly climbing up some areas where a large amount of rocks had rained down into the pass. Tag climbed these piles easily, yet slowly. When we finally reached the end of the pass the sun was hidden behind the mountain behind us, it's light arcing deep into the pass. As we stood on the landing we looked down and out. A lush valley full of trees and wildlife stretched out away from us in all directions. This valley seemed to be set into a large bowl, but like one that the lip had been broken off. Across from us the wall of the bowl dropped down and the forest seemed to pour out like water, spilling out onto a large plain. Far away in the distance could be seen what looked like water.

  Stain pointed, "The Broken Bowl of the Sky. A beautiful area full of life and energy. It spills out onto the Plains of Life. Just beyond you can just see the edge of the ocean. We might travel there one day, but our path today takes us a different direction." He pointed down at the campsite and then away to the left where a small path climbed the bowl and disappeared into the trees. "That will be our path. Tomorrow we will reach our destination." He stepped out an
d downwards, heading down the path to the campsite. We reached the campsite with just enough light to pitch our tents.

  "Look quickly, you will see why the pass is called the fire pass." Stain's voice cried out.

  We all looked up at the pass. The pass did indeed seem to be filled with fire. The light grew brighter and more beautiful then it suddenly darkened and died.

  "Not many get to see such a sight." An unknown voice called out. Turning I saw a tall man enter the camp and approach Stain. Stain obviously knew the man. They went into Stain's tent to talk. In the dying light we finished setting up the tent.

  "Ott's night to cook." Conium called out.

  I smiled, "What would be good?"

  Raven leaned back, enjoying the fire. "How about a hearty stew?" A round of agreeable noises met her suggestion.

  I gathered the various ingredients for a beef stew with root plants. I grabbed a few mushrooms to add an earthy flavor. I took the time to slice and season each ingredient, much like my aunt would have done. I also made some flat bread to have with the stew, cooking them in a pot buried in the coals of the fire. Cracklecord promised to keep the fire just right around the pot. As I finished the various preparations Stain and his guest stepped out of the tent. The tall man walked off into the growing darkness. Stain sat down near the fire.

  "Ott, that smells delicious. I do believe you have a knack for cooking." He took a deep breath and smiled at the aromas wafting up from the fire.

  "Who was that man?" Raven boldly asked.

  Stain looked over at her and smiled. "An old friend. He lives in this area and felt us enter the valley. He is a hermit, people annoy him. He would much rather spend time in the woods with the plants and animals."

  I thought a moment, "A mage?" I had not felt any magic, but I kept forgetting to pay attention.

  Stain shook his head, "No. Just a hermit."

  We all thought about that for a few moments.