Delminor's Trials

by Stephen J Wolf

  Pyron was dismayed that he couldn’t use the sand the same way he could use soil. Something about the sand refused to react to his magic. He resorted instead to his daggers, picking off sand rodia with well-placed attacks. Other times he used dirt from vials to dive into his earth spells.

  As they went, Delminor worked to communicate with the air jade, seeking inspiration from the whispered voices inside. He couldn’t understand them, but he knew they were trying to help. When battles were tense, he felt a rush of energy from the shard and words would come to him.

  Delminor learned to blast sharp-taloned eaglons with air darts that made them swerve and crash into each other. He also discovered that he could channel his energy into a small vortex that surrounded him, effectively acting as a protective barrier against attack.

  Despite some minor injuries, the journey was a beneficial one. The three of them developed a fighting strategy where they supported each other as an effective team.

  “We’re acting as high, medium, low,” Delminor said one day. “I’m hitting the enemies in the air, Pyron’s tackling the mid-range ones, and Donya, you’ve got the baseline. You’re getting good with that deluge spell.”

  She leaned against him. “Thanks. It’s not taking as much out of me as it used to, and I feel like I’m casting it faster because I’m not overthinking it anymore.”

  “Practice making perfect.” Pyron grinned. “We need to increase our repertoire though. We’re sort of stuck on a few spells each.”

  “We will, once we’re in Magehaven,” Delminor promised. “I can’t believe I’ve been using air magic all this time. I feel like I’m forgetting my earth spells again.”

  “Then practice those,” Donya suggested. “I’m sure the air jade won’t mind.”

  He nodded. “I have a hard time thinking of earth magic while I’ve got the jade on me. That gives me a thought. Pyron, would you mind taking the jade and casting a few spells?”

  “Sure.” He accepted the shard and cleared his throat, ready to summon the pellets he had mastered along the way. “Huh. It’s hard to remember, as you said. Let me focus.” He closed his eyes and remembered the motions he needed. He opened a vial of dirt and mimicked the steps Delminor had described from his demonstration before Una. His right hand flew forward, as he was right-handed, and he released the soil, but only a few pieces had condensed to solid projectiles.

  “It’s like the jade is interfering with the spell.”

  Delminor nodded. “It’s as I suspected. Air and earth are opposing elements. It would make sense that a font of air magic would hinder the effects of an earth spell. But I wonder if there’s a way to prevent that…”

  Chapter 16

  Magehaven

  After several weeks of travel, and a pleasant run-in with a caravan to restock their supplies, the trio reached the illustrious tower of Magehaven. It was easily taller than the Magitorium and it wasn’t obscured by clouds. It had appeared on the horizon long before they reached it.

  A shimmering light encircled the tower and as they passed through it, an alarm sounded from within. A pair of enrobed mages met them at the gate. “Travelers…”

  Pyron took point. “Greetings. We seek entrance into Magehaven. I am the son of Tyral. These are my comrades Delminor and Donya.”

  “We will alert Master Tyral, but even being his son will not exempt you from the Trials.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  One mage laughed and spoke slowly, as if to someone daft. “You… must… take… the… Trial.”

  Delminor interrupted. “What are these Trials?”

  “All people seeking entrance into Magehaven proper must be tested. You will battle a mage to demonstrate your abilities. Come inside, unless you don’t think you can contend properly.”

  “Let me in,” Delminor insisted.

  They were brought into a large foyer with wide-open chambers along the sides. Mages were engaged in training, if Delminor’s assessment was accurate. Each area had two mages—one who was casting spells and another who was deflecting them. They were brought into one of these rooms. “Wait here.”

  It wasn’t long before a master joined them. He looked bored. “I am Kerlot. You will be tested. Who is first?”

  Delminor stepped forward immediately. “What are the rules?”

  “This is a demonstration, son. Show us what you are capable of. If you seem to be of value to the rest of the mages here, you will be permitted to stay. If not, we will feed you and give you shelter overnight, but then you will be sent on your way. Now that you know the purpose, show me what you’ve got.”

  Delminor debated handing the air jade over to Pyron so he could use his earth magic, but he decided that would reveal its presence. He closed his eyes and focused on the shard, asking for its assistance with the Trial.

  Delminor swept his arms around in a large circle and summoned his air dart spell, aiming it toward the older mage.

  Kerlot lit the air with fire and the heat dissipated the air magic. “What else?”

  With a spin, Delminor brought his arms around and up, drawing the protective vortex around himself. While it hovered there for its duration, he clapped his hands together and shot a series of short air bursts in rapid succession, each aiming at slightly different locations.

  The master mage deflected most of them but took a hit here and there. “Good, but is there more?”

  Annoyed, Delminor decided to stop wasting time. He knew he couldn’t effectively cast earth magic while holding the jade, but he tried anyway. He scraped a handful of dirt from the floor and raised his left hand over his head. He called to the energies and let his mind relax. Earth was a heavy substance, the very antithesis of air, and he intended to use that now.

  He thought of the persistent earth gush he had cast when he and his father were en route to Jerrona, and he combined the essence of the spell with that of the air vortex. Unlike his battle against Una, he now inverted the air spell. He reversed the air movements, spinning toward the right, and maintained the earth gestures, dragging his arm down and curling inward. Words spewed from his mouth, a conglomeration of earth and air, and he threw the dirt up over his head.

  The vortex formed around him, but this time it was laden with the particles of dirt. He repeated the summons, fueling the spell with more energy, turning the spiraling dust into a veritable wall. And when he felt the power leaving the spell, he slammed his foot on the ground, shouting the air dart spell and thrusting both hands toward the master, knocking him fully to the ground in awe.

  He stood and dusted himself off. “What is your name, young one?”

  “I am Delminor.”

  “You are welcome to Magehaven. Please await the Trials of your comrades.”

  Donya stepped up next, working her arms around and bombarding the master with blobs of water. He easily used his fire to boil away the droplets. She knew he wasn’t impressed, but she was biding her time before drawing out the deluge spell. She used her skills to illuminate the water in her hand, though she had to walk it over to him so he could see it, as the room itself was bright.

  “That is an interesting one. Very well, you may enter Magehaven. Who is left? Ah, Pyron. Welcome home, lad. Your father was adamant that you would be tested upon your return. This is nothing personal.”

  “It’s personal, but I understand.” He opened with a flurry of pellets, each of which the master blasted aside with dense fire. “Why am I bothering with these?” Pyron asked aloud.

  He uncorked a vial of dirt and set it in front of him. “Atracorillath breckhan kaie akrimoria febronie ruthikar engor shai krysaillium.” He spread his hands out and slowly drew them together as he spoke the incantation, sweat beading on his brow.

  Kerlot stared at the unchanged vial. “Impressive sounding, but I am perplexed as to its purpose.”

  Delminor looked concerned, for if Pyron didn’t pass the Trial, then he would surely be turned away, despite his father’s presence within. Pyron merely shrugge
d and told the master to inspect the vial.

  Kerlot eyed him suspiciously and stepped forward. Pyron didn’t move as the man bent down to pick it up. But he couldn’t.

  “What?” The vial had increased in mass and couldn’t be lifted off the floor easily. With two hands, the mage was able to raise it a foot off the ground, but the effort was too much and he released it. The vial shattered and the spell dissipated, the dirt spilling to the ground in a vaporous cloud.

  “Well, that does impress me,” Kerlot admitted. “Your father would be pleased.”

  “I hope so. May we request quarters and a meal?”

  “Yes, of course. Come this way.”

  They were brought up to a residential floor and each was given a small room. “These are for sleeping only. Do not cause any magical damage—or other damage besides—or you will lose the privilege of using them. If you wish to practice your magic, do so in the training rooms in the foyer. Pyron, you know the way to the kitchens?”

  “Unless they have changed, then yes.”

  The trio left their things in their rooms, assured by Pyron that nothing would be disturbed, then headed off for a meal. Delminor felt a distinct difference already in the tower. Mages talked openly with each other and everything seemed brighter. It was like a village in itself. Sure, some mages looked surly, but the majority were friendly folk, willing to help and talk.

  The eatery was well-organized and loaded with round tables aligned in rows. A few mages ate in groups, chatting casually. The eatery was only open at certain times of the day and it was run by a short, surly nature mage who had a host of helpers at her side. True to their province, they used the freshest natural ingredients for everything, and it was all delicious.

  “That was a creative use of earth magic,” Delminor said to Pyron over a slice of cranberry bread. “You’ll have to teach me that one.”

  “It’s an interesting condensation spell. It draws pieces from the air around it and makes the earth heavier. Basically.”

  “It’s an air-based spell?”

  “No, no, nothing like what you were doing.” He lifted his hand. “Do this. Wave your hand up and down. You can feel that the air has some substance to it, right? I was thinking about that and realized that in some sense, there’s earth in there. All I did was call to it.”

  Donya was awed. “That’s impressive. Maybe all the elements overlap in some way? It could help explain how Delminor’s combining air and earth, too.”

  “Maybe,” Delminor said. “But they’re definitely distinct from each other.”

  “Pyron, would you show me that spell, too? I wonder if I could use it with water.”

  They made plans to work together on adaptations to the spell once they were fed and rested. The next day, Pyron did his best to explain the process he had used to craft the spell. It was based on the pellet spell, which condensed the pieces of dirt into a stone. As far as he knew, it was an adaptation he had invented.

  Being the teacher livened his mood. For the first time since playing tour guide with Delminor back in Magehaven, he appeared self-confident and assured. Delminor saw the change in his friend and suggested he consider teaching as a profession later in life.

  “I’ve never thought of it,” Pyron admitted. “But it does feel right.” He smiled. “I just have to learn a lot more than I already know.”

  “Keep devising spells like this, and you’re already there.”

  Pyron beamed.

  Chapter 17

  The Library

  “We need access to the library,” Delminor said some days later. “And you should probably seek out your father.”

  “Nah, he’ll find me when he’s ready. It’s no secret we’re here. Donya?”

  “I’ll stay here for now. I’m not feeling all that well.”

  Delminor hugged her tightly. “Feel better, love.” She smiled and nodded her head.

  Pyron escorted Delminor up to the library. It was reminiscent of the one in the Magitorium, with a separate library on an upper floor, but it was open to all tower residents.

  Where the Magitorium focused almost entirely on spells, the library of Magehaven had sections devoted to the history of the land. Delminor was fascinated by this and was determined to explore them, too.

  Because of the jade, they opted to start with air magic, so Pyron led him to the appropriate section. There were other mages milling about, most lost in their studies. The books here were mainly kept within the library proper and generally were not removed from the area.

  “That’s great,” Delminor said. “Keeping the books here gives everyone access to them.”

  “It just makes it harder for us to do our research in secret.”

  Delminor had the air jade with him at all times and he stuck his hand into his pocket to feel its energy. “It’s pulsating more than usual. Something here is interacting with it.”

  Pyron considered for a moment, then shrugged. “Okay, change of plans. You need to learn more about the history of the Red Jade. Maybe there will be something in there about why.” He led Delminor to the front of the library and pulled out a massive directory, scanned it for references to the Red Jade, then headed for the appropriate section.

  “I’ll leave you to this and go find some things I need for me. Trust me; you need this information.”

  Delminor agreed. In his tiny hamlet, few people had ever spoken of magic. He only knew what he did because of trips to Jerrona where mages plied their craft in grandiose demonstrations. He had been enamored from the beginning.

  He thumbed through the volumes on the shelves and drew a book that looked promising: The Red Jade and You.

  It was children’s book, but he didn’t care. His knowledge was that of a child. He flipped through numerous pages, all with crude sketches and single-sentence captions.

  The Red Jade is a mystical artifact. It is a symbol of all magic. Long ago the Red Jade could be used by everyone. This could be dangerous if bad mages used it. The kings wanted it to protect everyone. They split the Red Jade into pieces. They each took one shard. The kings went their separate ways and the land was peaceful.

  After a long time, pieces of the Red Jade were found by mages across the land. Each one has its own power. Mages can work with the jades to become stronger. Maybe you too can work with a jade! Imagine what great things you could do.

  Delminor set the book aside and looked for another one. The basic information inside coincided with the children’s books, though the tone was vastly different, criticizing the kings for breaking the Red Jade into pieces.

  After looking through various volumes, a few questions came to mind. How had the kings split apart the Red Jade, the symbol of all magic? How many pieces had it been broken into? Why were the pieces reappearing after all these years?

  He resolved himself to explore the royal family histories another time and turned his attention toward mages who had used the jades. He was not entirely surprised to see that Regnard’s name appeared in one of the tomes.

  Our esteemed colleague, Regnard, located the earth jade quite by accident. He was working a field to turn its soil inside out to help a group of farmers till the land—ever the gentleman. As he did so, he worked his way toward an old landslide that had continued to encroach upon the farmer’s land.

  Regnard used his magic to shift boulders aside and, as he did so, he revealed two things. There was a dead body amidst the rubble and there he found the earth shard of the Red Jade. There was little left of the skeleton to identify it, but a gauntlet bore a striking resemblance to the House of Konn. He later surmised the king or prince had been buried in the landslide, possibly as a side effect of trying to the use the earth jade itself.

  Delminor set the book aside. “Regnard had the earth jade… I wonder if that’s why he was so prolific and renowned. He must have used its powers to further his own.”

  “Well, of course he did.” A beautiful girl around his age sauntered over. She had flowing blonde hair and satiny blue ey
es. She wore a tight-fitting, sheer, verdant robe, leaving little to the imagination. “Regnard, the shard, that is. He had it for years before he turned it over to Magehaven some hundred years ago.” She made a little bow. “I am Essalia.”

  “Delminor. You’re familiar with Regnard’s work?”

  “Few mages haven’t heard of him. If you want to know more, I can show you where to look.” She gave him an appraising glance.

  “Yes, thank you. It would be a huge help.”

  Essalia crooked her arm out for Delminor to take. He did so casually so as not to offend her. Being so close, he detected a soft fragrance of rose petals, alluring in its own right. She guided him through the stacks to the historical accounts of famous mages. There were five tomes directly related to Regnard, though she assured him that other books spoke of him, too.

  “Thanks for the help.”

  “No problem. Try this one first,” she said, pointing delicately to an old book. “Best of luck. I’m sure I’ll see you again.”

  Delminor watched her go, finding it odd that she had appeared when she did. It was also a reminder for himself not to talk aloud unless he wanted people to hear. He took the thick tome from the shelf and found a nearby nook where he could sit and read.

  The volume was loaded with information about Regnard. The mage hadn’t kept any notes of his own, but he had three apprentices who recorded what they could. Delminor’s eyes widened at the variety of earth magic discussed within. The apprentices claimed that Regnard had raised a small mountain from the ground by sheer willpower, though Delminor suspected that was a fabrication.

  Dirt shields, rockslides, felling trees and wood houses, fissures, and projectiles were just some of the spells mentioned within. It was only a recollection, however, not an explanation of how to work the spells. He would have to cross-reference other tomes to explore those effects.