Tomes Apprentice

by Honor Raconteur

  Most of the Tome records from the old years, the ones dating longer than a thousand years, had been recorded on thin wooden slates bound together by twine. The twine became too brittle to hold its integrity and had to be routinely redone, but the wooden slats proved sturdier than the paper or parchment many preferred. The one drawback was that as the wood aged, it grew darker in tone. Sometimes so dark the black lettering written upon it couldn’t be discerned anymore.

  Really, there was nothing in this world that could last thousands of years without some form of decay. The Tomes records were routinely updated by apprentices to make sure the copies were legible. The Masters checked them, and upon finding they were copied correctly, would destroy the original so it couldn’t fall into the wrong hands.

  Considering their current state, Mei Li wished they had stored the original records instead. At any rate, the one she had in hand was old enough that it was still on wood and readable, although the next might well choose to re-do this one. Just in case.

  Being that it was only sixty-three slats, it took her barely any time to read it. Mei Li rolled it back up, tied the ribbon over it, and took a good look around at the progress of the Wall. Good, they were doing fine.

  Shunlei came up to her and offered a wooden cup of tea. She took it gratefully, wrapping both hands around it and letting her skin leach the warmth of the brew. “Thank you.”

  “You are quite welcome. You’ve read that one thoroughly, I take it?”

  “Yes. It can go back into the safe. I should have fetched more than one, I suppose, but I didn’t want to be distracted too much. I am here to make sure the Wall is correctly done.”

  He nodded, sipping at his own tea. It was quite good tea, perfectly sweetened so it wasn’t too cloying.

  “Mei Li. I’ve often wondered, but never found the right moment to ask. Does a Tomes Master really read and retain all the records?”

  “All,” she confirmed.

  Shunlei gave her the same blank expression everyone else had when learning this. “That’s over three thousand records.”

  “3,468 to be precise.” That dumbfounded reaction never got old, but it was especially funny on Shunlei’s face. “Remember, most of these aren’t really book length. This one, for instance, is only about four pages.”

  “Still, the combined collection of all those records would make volumes. And you can retain every word?” Shunlei shook his head in amazement. “I knew each Tomes possessed a formidable intellect, but I’m only now realizing how much. Why memorize them on purpose, though?”

  “We don’t.” Interesting, the gaps in his knowledge. Mei Li had assumed that because he was there when the first Tomes was alive, he knew all about it. But he quite obviously didn’t. “A Tomes Apprentice is chosen for their recall. We must be able to memorize something perfectly after only reading it once. We retain it by default.”

  “I see. So it’s not by design. Or not wholly by design. Granted, in such situations like this, with records missing, that recall would be very beneficial.”

  “We study all the records for two reasons: One, they have to be reviewed with every generation to make sure they’re still legible and aren’t damaged. Two, they’re the most accurate source we have of Wu Xing magic, as only the Tomes actively use that style of magic in modern times. They help guide us to possible solutions. The drawback, of course, is that it’s all rote memorization. I’m not really trained in magic, it’s not my specialty. I understand the basics of sealing, I know the master terms for some of the elements, but magic always came second. I won’t be able to look at the dangers, the ones that need re-sealing, and be able to even guess what to do. I don’t understand enough about magical intricacies for educated guesswork.”

  “Nor do we require that of you. Mei Li, you cannot hold the answers to everything in your head. You have two tasks, and two tasks only: study the records as much as you can. Tell us everything you know. Leave the rest to us.”

  It was sensible, what he was saying. So why did she feel as if she were failing them all somehow? Surely, if she was so smart, she’d be able to figure it all out.

  Warm hands landed on her shoulders as Shunlei bent and caught her eye. There was a gentle expression on his face, but a firmness too. “Mei Li. The fate of the world is not yours to bear. That does not belong on any one set of shoulders. You have an obligation to only part of it. Do not attempt to take on more. There is no call for it, and frankly, you have too much on your plate already.”

  “You’re not wrong.” Ruefully, she tacked on, “You just might have to repeat it a few more times.”

  Shunlei gave her a wink. “I will do so as necessary. You have no idea….”

  His voice trailed off and Mei Li cocked her head. “What?”

  He shook his head, eyes softer, almost sad. “I’m just really glad you came back.”

  What did that mean? Her first thought was that he meant coming back from being lost for two years. So why did it sound as if he meant something else entirely?

  Restoring the Walls of Tanguay was tedious. Mei Li preferred tedium, of course; any sane person would say the same. The opposite of tedium was trouble, and they had quite enough trouble on their hands without looking for more.

  Shunlei escorted Mei Li down to the docks and back, but often did not linger there while she worked. He had his own arrangements to make, after all. Mei Li welcomed the new mages who had arrived—two brothers from the neighboring country of Laborde. They were finely turned out gentlemen, both rather tall with blonde hair swept back under their hats, leather gloves, and thick wool coats making them look more like traveling aristocrats than mages.

  Dolan made the introductions and the stuffy impression Mei Li had died a quick death as the brothers leapt on Dolan and pounded his back, their faces wreathed in smiles. Scott and Preston Wismer radiated power, but it hadn’t turned them arrogant. They listened carefully to Mei Li’s instructions and asked intelligent questions.

  The second day passed steadily, and Mei Li sat on the pier, shivering, watching the work unfold. She actually had perfect faith that the mages would do the work fine, she was just there to spell someone if needed. Or help correct a problem if something arose. She was also waiting on Shunlei, as she’d asked him to destroy the flute while she worked on the Wall. Frankly, he was the only one who had the nerve to do it.

  Shunlei came to join her and she turned to watch his approach. “The flute?”

  “Destroyed,” he assured her. “You were correct, it took little more than a steady stream of dragon’s fire to melt it, and it peacefully became a lump of metal in a few minutes.”

  “Did anyone argue with you about it?” It was the other reason why Mei Li had requested it of him, as few chose to argue with Shunlei.

  “I believe some voiced concerns, yes.”

  Laughing, she rocked back on her pier seat. “You totally ignored them, didn’t you?”

  Shunlei cast her a wink, looking far too pleased with himself.

  Mei Li knew she liked him for a reason.

  For a few minutes they companionably stood there and watched the Walls go up. He didn’t say much to her, just stood nearby, scanning the skies. Mei Li watched this behavior for several minutes before asking what was probably an obvious question. “I take it the hatchling’s parents are due in today?”

  “And our flight of dragons,” he answered absently. “I’m a little worried. They should have come in last night. I hope only a storm delayed them.”

  Mei Li had been so focused on rebuilding the Walls, time had become rather muddled. She hadn’t realized there was a concern. “You can fly out and look. I’m just sitting here watching, after all. It’s not like either one of us are doing anything constructive.”

  Shunlei’s expression compressed, conflict and unease warring on his face. “I don’t wish to leave you.”

  That was an interesting response. Mei Li didn’t know how to immediately respond. Shunlei had
made it clear from the first day that he put her safety as his priority. He’d certainly done an excellent job at protecting her, but he often did it in such a subtle way that she barely noticed him. He wasn’t smothering, just supportively there.

  But his unease with leaving her now reminded Mei Li that he’d lived with the fear of both Tomes missing for two whole years. That just knowing where she was might be a boon to him, but he likely felt better if he could lay hands on her. The fear for her safety would ease in time, she had no doubt.

  Today, though…. “I can go sit in the boat with someone if that will make you feel better.”

  Shunlei let out a gusty sigh that was suspiciously warm. “I’m being ridiculous. Thank you for not saying so.”

  “You’re welcome,” Mei Li returned cheekily.

  He shot her a look, mouth kicked up one side. “Alright, I suppose I should alert Rone first, then I’ll fly along their expected route. I just don’t want to miss…” He trailed off, eyes narrowing as he looked west. “Wait. I see two dragons, both Greens.”

  “Yu Yan and Bohai?” Mei Li lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the blinding winter sun, struggling to see. Ah, yes, she saw the silhouettes of them now.

  “I believe so. My flight is much larger and mixed. Excellent. At least they’ve made it.” Shunlei extended a hand to her. “Shall we go to the inn and greet them?”

  Mei Li could use a hot cup of tea and a chance to warm up, so she readily took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. She was very relieved the parents were here. Not that the dragonling wasn’t darling. The hatchling behaved good-naturedly for them but was growing steadily uneasy without her parents. She knew the sound of her mother’s and father’s voices, knew these nice people around her weren’t them, and was growing increasingly restless at the separation.

  Mei Li greeted the parents as they arrived, ushering both Greens to the back room where the hatchling lay under Rone’s watchful eyes. Yu Yan and Bohai were agitated and nervous right until they saw their daughter, then they were all thank-you’s and smiles. The hatchling let out a high-pitched squeal that pierced all their eardrums, thrashing her arms and wings, a smile stretched from ear to ear.

  Shunlei encouraged them to take the room next door. Dolan would want to say goodbye to the hatchling before she left, and the parents needed the rest after flying here at breakneck speed for several days straight. He barely had them settled when his flight of dragons finally came in.

  The leather carriers dwarfed them in their human forms, riding on their backs and over their shoulders as they tromped in, calling out greetings to him as they entered. The innkeeper quickly skittered across the room to sign them in, giving them keys to the rooms he had left, which were not many. Between the mages and the dragons, they filled the building.

  Mei Li sat nearby with tea in hand, watching them come in. Shunlei had said his flight was ‘assorted,’ and he’d not been exaggerating. There were two Blues, one Green, a Red, and another Red that seemed on the verge of turning Green. His human skin tone was more copper-green, an interesting tone. The one that surprised Mei Li the most was the White. She’d read once that albino dragons existed, but this was the first time she’d seen one. She had no idea how to judge his age, but he was huge even in human form, so he must be older? That was only her guess, though.

  Most of the dragons wore thick fur coats, their hairstyles tightly braided to keep their hair contained. Some of them played to their ages and wore clothes that matched their skin. Others wore colors that coordinated with it. The White, interestingly enough, wore pure black. It made for a stark contrast. Mei Li’s eyes kept getting drawn to him.

  Shunlei greeted them all with outspread hands, a smile on his face. “I was growing worried. You were later than I expected.”

  A female Green—who was quite lovely, really, her eyes golden in her heart-shaped face—approached him first. She wore furs and leathers in concession to the cold, the furs wrapped up right up to her ears, the dark forest green of her hair in a tangled braid over her shoulder. “Master Shunlei. We’ve arrived in time?”

  “You have, Huan. They’re not quite done repairing the Wall yet.”

  A male Red came to stand at her side, and he too was bundled up right to the ears. His entire outfit was dyed blue, a very eye-catching shade. It made for an odd sight against his deeply red skin. With his girth, it looked like a large blueberry was wandering about. “Ha! I knew we’d make it, despite that thrice-cursed storm. Tengfei set the pace. I about wore my wings out trying to keep up with him.”

  “You’re just slow!” Tengfei teased from somewhere behind the others. The young Red-Green moved so he was more visible. He was also the shortest of them all, barely taller than Mei Li herself.

  “We saw the Walls coming in,” a female Blue informed Shunlei, slipping around Tengfei to get a word in edgewise. She was the only one not wrapped in four layers of furs, her coat open and not a goosebump to be seen on her light blue skin. Her features were stark, cheekbones high, but she gave the general impression of being friendly. “We saw two crews of mages working on the Walls. Is one of them the Master of Tomes?”

  “No,” Shunlei denied and turned to Mei Li with a smile. “She’s here to meet all of you. Mei Li.”

  She left her chair to obey that summons, smiling at all the dragons studying her with such keen interest.

  “Mei Li, this is our flight. Allow me to introduce you.” Shunlei extended a hand to the Blue directly in front of him. “This is Ling Ling.”

  What a pretty name. Her name literally meant ‘light’. “A pleasure to meet you, Ling Ling.”

  “Same, Tomes. We’re relieved, really, that we can help you.”

  Indicating the other woman, Shunlei introduced, “She is Huan.”

  Mei Li and Huan exchanged nods.

  “The silent one in the back that doesn’t like to talk is Gen,” Shunlei continued, a hint of teasing in his voice. The broadly built Blue shot Shunlei a look, but shrugged agreement to that and exchanged bows with Mei Li. “The Red is Chen—he’s one of our best at controlled fire.”

  “Nice to meet you, Chen.” Mei Li made a mental note to use him for any delicate talisman work that required open-source flames.

  “Likewise, Tomes,” Chen responded in a friendly manner, although he watched her as if judging her on some level.

  “Tengfei is our sprinter,” Shunlei introduced.

  “Hi, Tomes.” Tengfei waved at her. “I haven’t heard the story of how you were rescued, we’re all dying of curiosity, so maybe later you can tell us the full story, you know, after the work is done for the day. Ooh, ooh, and tell us everything we need to do, and introduce us to your mages, we have to figure out how to divvy people up. That sounded wrong, didn’t it? I didn’t mean to like eat them or something, I meant to carry them—”

  Gen slapped a hand over his mouth and shot Tengfei an exasperated look.

  “He’s also a bit of a talker,” Shunlei added dryly, to which everyone snorted in dry amusement.

  That was an understatement. Tengfei had spoken so quickly Mei Li wasn’t even sure she’d caught it all. Had he even breathed? “Nice to meet you, Tengfei. When we’re all back in tonight, I’ll introduce you.”

  With the hand still over his mouth, Tengfei nodded.

  “Last but never least is Bai.”

  Bai the White? Mei Li couldn’t help her curiosity but greeted him as she had everyone else. “Bai, a pleasure. Thank you for coming.”

  Bai gave her a nod, visibly uneasy with the attention.

  “All of you, feel free to find your rooms, eat, and rest,” Shunlei invited. “We’ll be racing about the country soon enough. Rest while you can.”

  Ling Ling was not on board with this plan. “I think I’ll pop down, introduce myself. Get a feel for everyone working down there.”

  Chen glared at the top of her head. “Aren’t you freezing?”

  “Pfft, it’s colder than th
is where I was born. You’re just weak, Chen.” She snickered as she danced back out the door, much as if she were going on a picnic.

  Tengfei took in a deep breath and announced, “I smell hot water and soap. I’m going for a good soak.”

  “That sounds heavenly,” Huan agreed, already shouldering her pack again in preparation to move.

  Everyone seemed to be of the same mindset as they moved toward their rooms. Shunlei let them go. They deserved the rest. In truth, Mei Li would have been in a bathtub of hot water too if she hadn’t had her mages to check on soon. She knew the dragons were happy to have a chance to warm up. They had all been born at the foot of a volcano, and their bodies likely had never adjusted to the cold winters. Mei Li went back to her tea, as she could at least drink it before it was cold and fortify herself before returning to the docks. She quaffed it down. Then, resigned to her fate, stepped back into the cold.

  Shivering instantly, she huffed out a white breath. They would have to do all of this in the dead of winter. Mei Li reclaimed her seat on the pier, checking over everything with her eyes, but the mages were still doing quite well. The Walls no longer looked transparent, either, gaining a blue-green opacity, which was excellent progress. Looking about, she spotted Shunlei and Bai approaching and waved. “Come to see our progress?”

  “Yes, so we have. The Walls have gained visible dimension,” Shunlei observed, relief in his tone.

  “We’re on the second stage,” Mei Li explained. “The first stage of the spellwork lays out the dimensions of what we’re building. Second stage gathers all the elements necessary to build with. That’s why it’s so visibly taking shape.”

  Bai watched with keen interest for a long moment. “Incredible. I’ve never seen human magic work like this before.”

  “This is ancient magic, in fact. Modern magic works on slightly different principles and with different designs.” Mei Li’s nose wrinkled in a distaste. “Why, I don’t know. The trend just changed as the years passed. But that’s why I have to teach people what to do. Modern magic can’t be applied to these problems, not without trashing the original design entirely and building it up from scratch. Often that would spell disaster.”