by David Ekrut
He shook his head sadly. “This is the only way to cleanse the halls. It is your life or mine. Otherwise, you will be banished.”
“Thump this,” Elwin said, backing away. “Banish me, then. I will find aid elsewhere.”
“The warders are out there,” Daki reasoned. “Out there, you are hunted. You will be alone. Here you can train. You can learn the incantations in peace.”
“No. I have the incantia. I will learn on my own.”
“You need the knowledge we possess,” the woman pressed, “as well as our protection from those who would hunt you. See reason.”
“Reason?” he said, not hiding his incredulity. “I am not the one being unreasonable. I will leave.”
“This is your wish?” she asked.
He wanted to be gone from this place. Murdering each other and cleansing rituals? These people were mad.
“Yes. I will leave.”
“You are certain?”
Elwin nodded emphatically. “I am.”
“To be clear. If you reject us, you must walk blind through the world. We will not shelter you unless you are cleansed. Are certain you do not want our aid?”
Elwin did not hesitate. “No. I do not want your aid. Not if it means the death of my friend. It is not worth that price.”
“Thrice spoken. Thrice foreseen. And thrice witnessed.”
The woman nodded to Daki, who stood and returned the swords to the sheaths the woman held in one fluid motion.
“He is worthy,” she said.
“What in the abyss is going on?” he demanded.
The woman extended a hand to Elwin. “Call me Malekia. I serve as the Eldest here, similar to the monarchs in your lands. Please, be welcome.”
He looked at her hand, not bothering to hide his skepticism. “You told Daki to kill himself.”
“We did. And you stopped him.”
“That is madness.”
“It can appear that way to one who is blind to the paths.”
He expected her to say more, then he remembered Daki had come from these people. His friend never gave more information than was absolutely necessary. Why had he come to this place again?
Malekia smiled, as if reading his thoughts. She continued holding her hand out as she said, “I understand your fears, but the test has passed. We will harbor you and impart the knowledge you seek for the little time you will allow us to.”
He studied her hand for a few seconds. This was why he’d come. Now that it was offered, he would be a fool to refuse. As he reached, she grasped his wrist.
“Welcome, Elwin of Solsec.”
He flinched at Bain’s surname. “Please do not call me that. I am Elwin Escari.”
“You are blood of his blood. The catalyst of the Awakening, even if you did not lift your hand to bid them rise. Your coming heralded this. The rest of the dragonkin will come to call. When they do, you must be ready to answer. But you cannot deny your heritage. Claim your blood and birthright. You must demand their respect through your mastery of the Elements. That is the only way to save us.”
“Me? How in the abyss am I supposed to master anything? I can’t even tame. Look what happened last time I did. A warder came for me, and I fled my home. I flew to save myself, and a dragon appeared. I got away, but how many didn’t? No. I can’t tame. Not until we banish these things back to where they came from.”
She gave him a pitying look that made him want to scream. Her voice was kind as she said, “There will be much more pain before you discover your true path.”
“And I am guessing you won’t just tell me what that is?”
“When bared to the light, some truths become falsehoods. No. I cannot tell you the entirety of your path. I can only share the first steps of your journey.”
He only looked at her, letting her see his annoyance. Then he muttered, “I see where Daki gets his obscurity from.” Then louder, he said, “What now?”
“That is entirely up to you, catalyst.” Her next words sounded measured, almost rehearsed. “The warders will come for you, and many of my people will die. We have seen this. However, we have found you worthy and will teach you, regardless.”
“No,” Elwin said, at once. “I cannot allow that to happen.”
“What I said before is true. You will need our knowledge to survive. This has ever been our purpose, to aid the one who is true. The foretellings have been clear. One who is worthy will come. He will be tested. We turn him away at our own peril.”
He took a step back without intending to. This was too much. Despite the expanse of the room, he felt stifled by the enclosure. She raised a hand to forestall his leaving.
“Am I a prisoner here?” he demanded.
“You are not. Yet, you may not leave just yet. There is still time for your conscious to remain clear.”
He turned back to Malekia. “When will the warders come?”
“Tomorrow, just before the midday sun rises. Fear not. If it is your wish to leave before then, we will not hold you. We ask that you remain through this evening. If you do, we will give you much, and you will live. If you do not, you will perish by this time tomorrow.”
“Are you certain? How can you know?”
“We are magi,” she said. “Once, we led the clairvoyant. We study all divergent paths. This is still our strength, even if others have risen to replace us in the factions.”
Finally getting unveiled answers, Elwin could not help but ask, “How many factions are there?”
“The factions are many, but the seven primary schools of incantations are clairvoyance, telepathy, transmutation, illusion, telekineses, temporal manipulation, and elementism. Most factions choose a primary school and dedicate their students to these pursuits. Though capable of incanting from any of the schools, all magi have an affinity for one type. You are not an exception to this rule.”
The question was obvious, but she only stared at him, waiting for him to ask. “Which school will by my affinity?”
“This answer will come. First, you must rest. Then, we will instruct you on how to spend your will.”
“I am not tired,” he said. “I can begin now.”
“Very well.” She gave him a knowing smile that irked him. “Come.”
She turned toward the wall. Her thumb touched a sigil where a handle should be. The wall slid away, revealing a corridor lit by glowing runes every few paces.
“Where are these other factions?” he asked as he followed. Daki walked at his side.
“Like us, they are spread throughout Arinth. Many are in Alcoa, since this was the height of power for three millennia. Many will remain neutral in the war between your kind and ours. The war you have not yet realized has begun. You believe your enemy are the dragons. This is not the case. Your enemies are those who have sent them. This faction is known as the Keepers of the Dragonkin. Long have they plotted. After generations of shared fanaticism, their dreams are now waking. Make no mistake, you will need to defeat them to win this war against your kind.”
“Wait. War? Is that what Bain is doing?”
“Bain is but a piece on the game board, a proxy for the Keepers, working against his own interests, ignorant of his actions. Even now, he pursues their wishes.”
“How do you know this so far removed from the rest of the world?”
“We have our ways.”
Knowing she would say no more, Elwin asked, “Where are these Dragon Keepers? Will stopping them stop Bain? How are they using him?”
“You are not yet ready. In time, these truths will be evident. Daki will lead you to them. When you depart from us, he will be your guide. He will not spare you from the burden of truth, giving all answers to your questions.”
She stopped before a wall. Elwin had not seen the sigil until she raised a hand to it. The way opened to a circular courtyard, fi
lled with more plants than he could name. Flowers of oranges and reds colored the bushes around the grove. Far above, branches came together like spokes of a wheel, woven in place by thick vines. Light shined through the golden leaves and glittered off the small pool at the circle’s center. Scents of autumn hung in the crisp air. He could almost taste them.
Malekia walked through the foliage, down the sloping path to the calm water’s edge. Elwin recognized some of the incantation as she spoke the words. She continued muttering as she raised her hand, palm upward.
The calm surface broke. Water rose in wisps, settling into a forest with a mountain behind it. The other edge of the trees pealed away. Those in the center grew in size, as if the forest had started at a distance. Details became clearer by the second. He didn’t move, but the mirage changed as though he walked forward. It felt as though they traveled through the forest, shrubs and bushes moving to the side as the scene changed.
All the while, Malekia incanted. She increased her intensity. The water moved faster with the change of her cadence. Seconds later, the forest vanished, replaced by a lake.
“I recognize that,” Elwin said. “It’s how we came to be here, amongst your people.”
If Malekia had heard him, she did not acknowledge it. She continued her incantation. He felt a thrill as she plunged the scene forward, into the lake. She sped past the mountain, into the great tree. The images changed then.
The view circled to above. Three figures stood in a grove, next to a small pond. As the view came closer, he could see the woman’s mouth moving. He recognized Daki first, then himself. The figure that looked like Elwin took a step back just a second before he did. It rubbed a hand across its face. As he raised his own hand, he stopped himself from doing the same.
A ripple passed through the pool. The entire scene collapsed, reforming almost as quickly. The lips on his smaller self moved, and he found himself asking, “How is this possible?”
Malekia did not answer, her incanting never ceased. Though, her words changed suddenly. She’d been repeating the same phrase until now.
The images moved faster. It was odd to see his own mannerism moving at such an accelerated pace. After a few minutes, Elwin saw the figure of himself sit by the small pool, next to Malekia. Daki stood several paces behind them both, unmoving. Then, the figures stood and spoke for a short time.
Again, Malekia’s cadence changed. The figures moved more swiftly, walking back into the great tree, up several flights of stairs, and into sleeping quarters. After Malekia’s replica left them alone, his and Daki’s figures sat. Their lips moved in conversation as they ate, but Elwin could not make out the words.
Suddenly, the scene crashed, the water falling back into the pool.
Malekia looked at him with a thoughtful expression. He’d spent enough time with Jasmine as a mentor to recognize her pensive look. She wished him to explain what he’d learned. He had no idea what to say to her.
“That was … uh … interesting.”
She smiled. “With different incanting, a trained magus can add colors, sounds, even smells.”
“It is not just the words,” he told her. “You need more to make it real. Right?”
“It is so. What did you think of the vision I showed you?”
“It was us. Now and what will happen?”
She nodded once. “And the ripple you saw. What do you make of that?”
He considered before saying, “It happened when I realized that I was seeing the future.”
“No. It happened when you changed the future. When our minds are quiet, fewer possibilities stretch out before us. When we listen and respond only to the needs of our bodies, glimpsing a few seconds from now will yield near certainties. Each of our choices have consequences. The Elwin we first saw in the pool felt an itch and responded without thinking. When he made a conscious decision to deny his impulse to scratch, the entire world around him changed forever. Do you see?”
Slowly, Elwin nodded. “Thoughts have power. Is this where will comes from?”
“It does.” She moved beside the pool. “Sit with me.”
He took a step without thinking, then he stopped. “We saw this.”
“We did,” she said, easing down. “Knowing one’s future does not take away one’s will to choose. However, it can bias one’s choices. We must take great care when studying what may come to pass. Mistakes can be catastrophic.”
Elwin sat. Because he chose to. Not because there was fate or anything ridiculous like that. “How do I spend will? How can I do what you did?”
“Focus your desire on the surface of the pool. Do not simply see the water. Understand its formlessness. Hold in your mind what you wish to see. This can be a place, a person, or even an item in the past, present, or future. When you are ready, incant the words you heard me speak just moments ago.”
He thought of Feffer and focused on the water’s surface, then he spoke the words. He said the phrase several times. Nothing happened.
“What did I do wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said. “Your articulations are correct. You lack the will. A magus must feel within herself all that she is. It is not simply reason and exploitation of knowledge, and it is more than passions and pains. Every part of your being comprises your will. Try again.”
So he did. And again. His throat grew sore with his failed attempts, but he continued speaking the incantation. With his failures, his mind wandered. He found after a time, he could speak the words and still think of his friend. Where was Feffer now? He had been in the castle when the dragon had attacked, so he would be fine. Life, he wanted to see him though.
There, he felt something. An energy burned in his chest. Still incanting, he reached for it while holding the image of Feffer and focusing on the pool.
The surface rippled. Then the water rocked. A formless blob surged upward. For the briefest of moments, the edges of the liquid looked like a ship. The burning faded. And the water collapsed.
“Do not frown,” Malekia said. “Very few have this much success on his first attempt, but your training as an elementalist will enhance your tutelage. This begins your journey, young acolyte. In time, you will do well under the care of a proper master. This is the knowledge you needed. If you wish it, you may leave us now. However, I beg you to remain.”
He did not feel as though he had what he would need, but he kept the thought to himself. “Thank you. But I will not stay. You must know this.”
“I do. It has been foreseen.”
“But you are still going to show me to a room. Aren’t you?”
“I am. As you have foreseen.”
Elwin stood. “Shall we then?”
“We shall.” Malekia rose. “But first, allow me to offer some guidance.”
He inclined his head. “Of course.”
“There is but one place you may receive your training outside the reach of those who would do you harm. Would you like our aid in reaching this place?”
“If there is such a place, I would thank you for any help you can give.”
“In a city, called Wiltshire, across the Tranquil Sea, there is a conclave of magi who share your affinity. The Order of the Sun and Moon will accept you. Once inside their walls, it will be as if you are outside the flow of time, but like all factions, they must test you before you can begin your training. However, this trial will be far more difficult than the one we have given you. Ours was a test of character, their’s will be a test of perseverance and skill. Your success will come with many failures. Do not let these missteps define you.”
What was it with these people and their thumping tests? She raised a hand to stall his question.
“Come,” she said, moving toward the tree.
He followed her into the tree and down the corridor. Looking up, he saw the pink in the sky. Hours had passed. It had felt like moments.
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The hall ended at square steps, which protruded from the wall as if they’d grown that way. Malekia led him to the third floor. He already knew the way from the scene she’d shown him earlier and was not surprised when she stopped in front of the fifth door on the right.
She opened the room. It looked like a life-sized version of what he’d seen before. Only now, he could smell hints of cinnamon and roasted barley within. Even though there was no fire, the room was warm. Less light came from the open windows than from the sigil etched into the ceiling.
A few steps in, he found the source of the smells. A covered platter rested on the round table in an inner room.
“Rest,” she said from the threshold. “Continue studying the dimensional folding until we return for you. If you are to live to reach Wiltshire, you must master this incantation swiftly. You will find, spending will in a burst of energy to be easier for one with your affinity.”
He opened his mouth to ask once more what his affinity would be, but she closed the door, leaving him alone with Daki. He pulled his pack from his shoulder and placed it near the table.
“I don’t suppose you will tell me of my affinity?” he asked as he sat.
“You will be a jaunter,” Daki said, happily, sitting across from him.
“She did not mention that one when she named the schools.”
“Those who study temporal manipulation are called jaunters. When you master yourself, you will fold space and time. Let us eat.”
Daki uncovered the food. The meat looked like pork. It was rubbed with cinnamon. The vegetables were green and round. Daki cut two slices and served them. Elwin poured wine from the decanter into their goblets and took a sip. It, too, was spiced, but it went well with the savory meal.
“As soon as I finish eating, I need to go. I do not think you should come with me.”
Daki smiled. “Yet, I must.”
“It will be dangerous,” Elwin said. “I don’t want you to be harmed.”
“This is our fate. If you leave, I follow.”
“The warders are coming. Your people will die. I must go, but you could stay and live. Surely, they will follow after me.”
