The Shapeshifter's Fate

by Chris Africa

  "Oh, I've been visiting him every day to bring him lunch in the library. He'd never eat if I didn't deliver it to him. Sometimes when I come back the next day to bring him more food, the previous day's plate is still sitting there untouched." She sounded annoyed.

  Chassy snickered. Xander's library was nice enough, and he felt a little bad leaving the guy downstairs with nothing but a bunch of dusty books to keep him company, but Andrev's behavior was no surprise. And he seemed happier in solitude. Chassy preferred to spend his time sparring with Nita and Xander. Daily matches kept their skills sharp, and he'd learned more than one new trick over the winter. Jam had also adopted them as pupils of the finer cooking arts. They created elaborate meals together while Jam regaled them with dramatic stories from her adventuring days. For every tale, there was an accompanying artifact hanging around the big house.

  At the end of the path was a raised bed of yellow and white roses, a vine of trumpet-shaped flowers crawling at their base and spilling over the sides. Chassy didn't know much about the flowers in these parts, but it seemed odd to see Xander's garden in full bloom when only a few days ago the walks were still full of melting slush.

  "I'm surprised you aren't ready to race home. I was the one who always wanted adventure. You were the one who wanted to stay in the village and take over the Two Pumpkin Inn in the Smyth family tradition. What happened?" When Chassy imagined his father trying to manage the Waet Tree harvest by himself, he wanted to race home and fix everything. Who had his father found to take his place?

  Nita sighed and fingered a rose blossom. "I still want to do that someday, I think. I guess I didn't realize how many things there were to see and do outside Waet Tree Village. I feel like I should do something with this new power. Something to help people."

  Chassy had overall enjoyed his adventures. Except for the parts where they had escaped from Dalatois and half-giants, almost drowned in a rickety raft on the River Teal, fought brigands in the Blackwood, and nearly died from an infection in his foot. The rest of the journey wasn't too bad.

  "Maybe you should. Let's travel together—we don't have to go back to the village. We can occasionally send a messenger to tell everyone we're still safe. We can leave Andrev here if he wants. He's in his element here. At least here he would be safe and happy. And it only takes half the summer to get here; you can visit any time you want."

  Nita stared at the roses, not reacting to his joke. "I wonder what our parents will say about all of this. Who will take over the inn if Andrev and I are both gone?"

  Chassy had been wondering the same thing all winter. Would the village welcome them back with open arms? Were their parents worried or angry? How would he feel about whoever had taken his place leading the harvest?

  "What are they going to think of you?" He clapped a hand over his mouth, but the words had popped out.

  Nita fingered the branches of a silver tree on her face. It had now grown down the entire right side of her body, all the way to her toes. Her auburn hair was still as brown as ever, and her left eye was still brown, but even her right pupil was an eerie silver. It made her look exotic, but Nita fumed when people stared at her.

  Chassy ached for that kind of magic. With her silver adornment, Nita could stretch out her hand and hurt or heal, bind or free. Despite his efforts and persistence, Chassy's incompetence at magic proved to be scary, dangerous, and not useful. He fingered the scar on his forehead.

  "They'll fear me, like everyone else. I can't go back." Nita's voice told him she had decided something.

  "Everything will be all right," Chassy told her. "Your family isn't like these people. Your family knows you, and they'll love you no matter what. Besides, I'm sure our parents are expecting something unusual like this. Maybe they even think it will happen to all three of us."

  Nita shook off his arm and stood, pacing. "I'm not worried about my family. I'm worried about the inn's customers. And what about all the secrecy around magic? No one ever hinted there was magic in the village; yet, the moment we step outside, it's the first thing we learn. How could we keep this secret from the other children growing up there?"

  "Maybe you're not destined to be an innkeeper." Xander's deep voice startled both of them. He emerged from behind a horse-shaped topiary, staff in hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I was working on the daisies over on the other side of the garden, and I overheard your conversation. They're not supposed to bloom for a while, but well," he shrugged and rubbed his fingers together, "I have a touch of spring fever, I suppose."

  "I don't know how to be anything else," Nita said.

  Chassy's thoughts mirrored her words. Despite his attempts at living a life of adventure, his expertise lay in harvesting Waet silk from ripe bolls and weaving it into beautiful cloth and rugs. This was how he could support himself long-term. What would it be like never to work among the Waet Trees again? He shivered. It's not that he wanted to become masterweaver, but not to even have the choice...

  "A sorceress. Falise has dropped the opportunity right in your lap. Take advantage of it!" Xander tapped his whitewood staff on the ground.

  Nita spread her gloved hands. "But no one does magic in Waet Tree Village. Who would accept me? And what does a sorceress do?"

  Xander chuckled through his oversized beard.

  "A sorceress can do anything she wants. You could influence rulers, sell your services to merchants who are traveling in dangerous areas, roam the world in search of adventure. Join a guild and spend your energies imbuing items with qualities sought by other magic users. Or content yourself, as I do, to work on a smaller scale." He touched a bud, and it bloomed before their eyes into a red rose. "Be a force for order or for chaos." He touched the bud again, and it withered, browned, and disintegrated.

  "Chaos? Why would I want to do that?" Nita sounded shocked.

  "My dear, chaos is not a measure of good or evil, but of the acceptance of man's laws. When man's laws fail to align with the gods' intent, we must take matters into our own hands. Gnarkvetch's Wizards of the True Faith have lost their way in this world. Wherever they go, they spread their own form of law and order, but it is against the laws of the gods and nature. Therefore, we who disagree must—but I'm sorry, now I'm rambling. My point is, chaos does not equal evil. In fact, you might be quite an advocate for the resistance. Have you ever considered joining?"

  Nita shook her head. "I haven't. What's it all about?"

  "The resistance is an organized group of people who oppose Gnarkvetch's position and work to thwart him. They smuggle information, help prisoners escape, or attack the trade caravans that supply his loyal troops. The resistance has many faces."

  Chassy thought this sounded exactly like the sort of thing Nita would jump at—she was always trying to rescue someone—but she shook her head.

  "I don't know. I've been wondering whether I should return home."

  "If there is yet a home to return to." As the words popped out, Xander grabbed his bearded mouth between thumb and forefinger and looked away.

  Chassy sat up straighter. "What do you mean by that? You told us you sent a bird, and the message came back to say that all is well. Did you learn something new?"

  Xander hung his head. "I might have exaggerated about the bird. I mean, I sent a bird with a message, but it never came back. Birds sent to Waet Tree Village always get lost, but I had to try."

  "What? You lied to us all winter?" Nita's eyes blazed. Chassy was angry, too, but he shied away from her, not wanting to get caught up in whatever wrath she was about to bring down on Xander.

  "Easy, Nita." Xander made a calming motion with his hands. "You must admit, the three of you weren't operating in your own best interest last summer—three teenagers running around the countryside by yourselves, fighting bandits, and getting captured by foreigners. And when the bird didn't return, I couldn't have you gallivanting around Ayzwind in the middle of a snowstorm. I judged it best to wait until spring to talk about it."

  "What m
akes you think there might not be a home to return to?" Chassy asked. Nita still scowled but seemed mollified.

  "I suspect nothing in particular. But the world is changing faster than our own eyes can observe. You've been away from your home for a year, and much has happened. Gnarkvetch is pushing ever northward, and by the time you reach your village, he may have come and gone. Your way of life as you've always known it may be no more."

  "We need to find a way to communicate with our families," Nita said. "If a bird can't get through, I have to go home."

  Xander sighed and shook his head again. "I'm afraid even if you warned your families, they probably would not agree to leave their homes. Those who have never faced such a danger rarely even believe it exists. The only way to stop Gnarkvetch is to join with those who plot his demise. Other than the gods and demigods, Waet Tree Village is the world's only source of folk with inborn magical talent. The rest of us must study for long years to do the things we do. You would be a tremendous asset to the cause." Xander put his hand on Nita's shoulder. "I realize it's a lot for someone so young and naïve to comprehend all at one time. So, consider it, and if you join us, I will make introductions."

  "What about me?" Fear prodded Chassy's heart. If Andrev stayed to study in the library, and Nita joined the rebels, would he travel halfway across the known world by himself?

  "The invitation was for both of you."

  "But I'm no sorcerer."

  "You will be, Chassy. Have patience!" Xander winked at Nita. "It is a well-observed fact that boys often do not mature as quickly as girls. Your talent will make itself known in due time. Besides, who said you have to be a sorcerer? You are a strong fighter. Our winter matches have proven this."

  Chassy felt his face coloring. He had defeated Xander one-on-one several times over the winter, but still had no confidence in his bandit-fighting ability. He shook his head. "Me, a fighter? No, thank you. I'll wait for 'due time' to pass and become a sorcerer."

  Xander nodded and sat quietly for a moment. Then he reached into his robe and pulled out a familiar pouch.

  Inside lay the Amulet of Hope, a gem rumored to hold the power to give hope and strength to allies or to cause enemies to despair. The artifact they had spent the entire previous summer tracking. Chassy had never seen it in action because Xander had taken possession the moment they found it.

  "I've come to a difficult decision," he said. He handed the pouch over to Chassy. "You should hold the amulet, for safekeeping."

  "Is it not safe here? I mean, that's why you took it from us, right?" Nita twisted her hands.

  Xander frowned as if trying to decide. "When Quon arrives to retrieve Lyear, if this amulet is in my possession, I cannot keep it from her."

  Chassy's heart beat faster. "Why not give it to her then? Won't it be safer at the Wizards' colony with her?"

  "No. Even at Xillith, there are those whose interests are not altruistic or even benevolent. No doubt, it would enjoy a short time in the archive there before it disappeared."

  "If Quon wants it, won't she take it from us?" Nita asked.

  "Unlike you, I am bound by many oaths. If she asks me to give it to her, I cannot refuse. You, however?" he shrugged, and his eyebrows went up. "You may refuse and even lie to Quon without fear of consequence. I'm concerned she is not only coming to get a prisoner but for some other more selfish reason. I've never trusted Quon, and her latest communication was more cryptic than I would prefer. She spoke of taking control of 'another asset' in my possession."

  "That doesn't sound good. What else could it be other than the amulet?" Chassy asked. He recalled all those stories Jam had told about the magical items mounted throughout the house. A fantastic tale surrounded each of the artifacts, but nothing stood out to him in particular. The amulet would be a tempting prize for an unscrupulous wizard.

  "That is a good question and one we cannot answer until she arrives to announce her purpose. My adventuring days are long past." He gestured to the objects adorning the walls and mantle in his great room. "And she has seen all these other things. I know only that I am charged to prepare to host her within the next decan. But we should proceed cautiously with this amulet."

  Chassy gave Nita a worried look as Xander left the garden, self-consciously patting his belt pouch where he had tucked the amulet. When they accosted him last summer, Lyear had been trying to meet with a wizard who never arrived. What if Quon was the wizard? That would make her Lyear's accomplice, which would make her...

  "Dangerous!" Chassy whispered.

  Nita nodded. "I don't think even I can fight a high wizard."

  "Do you even know what a high wizard is?"

  "No, but it sounds like someone powerful. Maybe we should leave before she arrives."

  Chassy sighed. "Then I suppose we'd better decide where we'll go and what we'll do."

  "And we'd better warn Andrev," Nita added.

  ***

  Andrev was studying in the solar, with books stacked around him on three sides. His skin had taken on some color during the previous summer, but it paled again after a few weeks in the library. He had settled himself inside and refused to come out. Though still gaunt, Andrev had grown more muscular and now sported a scraggly beard.

  "How can you do this day and night?" Chassy asked.

  Andrev looked up from his book. "The kings of the north murder their wives to take possession of their properties. This has become such a routine occurrence that any noblewoman or member of minor royalty hoping to wed to the kingship trains long in the arts of evasion and self-defense."

  "I'm sure there's a lesson in there for someone, but not for me."

  "The lesson is a woman wedding a northern king must be sly and cunning to survive the royal wedding night!" Andrev said. "What do you want? I'm only halfway through Mingdad's Chronicles of the North, and it's already the spring. I want to read as much as I can before Xander sends us home."

  "Andrev, we are planning to leave Death's End right away," Nita said. "There's a dangerous wizard on her way here, and we don't want to meet her."

  "Only we aren't going home. We still need to decide where we'll be going," Chassy reminded her.

  "Unless you plan to stay here whenever we leave."

  Andrev sneered. "And leave the two of you to wander across the world without me? You'd poison yourselves trying to find food in the forests or die from another preventable stupidity. Only I need to finish the Chronicles before we go."

  "I've been thinking about it, and we might have to go right away," Nita said. "We're worried about the intentions of this wizard, Quon, who's coming from Xillith." She explained the conversation with Xander.

  "If she's not coming for a decan—"

  "We need to get a head start," Nita insisted. "So it's harder for Quon to find us. And we won't tell Xander where or when we are going, so she can't force him to tell her."

  It annoyed Chassy to hear them talk about leaving right away with no plan on where to go. He opened his mouth to say so, but Andrev interrupted.

  "You don't even know she's coming for the amulet. Maybe she'll retrieve Lyear and leave. Maybe she discovered that something Xander possesses is more powerful than anyone ever knew."

  "Xander said he doesn't trust her, and you know yourself from all his stories that high wizards are trouble," Nita said. "I think we should leave tomorrow. We need to gather supplies quietly so as not to draw attention to ourselves, and for that, we could use your help."

  Chassy sighed. Nita had an entire plan already; how could he even argue with that? "Where should we go?"

  "Xander said Gnarkvetch is pushing northward, so we should go south and maybe… join this resistance." Nita acted like she had just thought of this, but she held her chin up, which meant she had already decided.

  "I don't know about this whole fighting with the resistance thing," Chassy argued. "I mean, last summer we got lucky. None of us were any good at fighting. Someone could get hurt or killed. Andrev barely even practiced this winte
r."

  "Maybe you weren't any good at it, but I was. The resistance is fighting on the side of magic, which is the side of Waet Tree Village. Why shouldn't we join?" she argued back. "Everyone doesn't have to be a fighter. There must be healers and cooks and spies and all kinds of other people in a resistance movement. Besides, I've seen you practicing with Xander. You're good."

  Chassy thought maybe last summer's events had changed her a little, but she was still the same old impulsive Nita who got an idea in her head and stuck to it at all costs.

  "Call me when it's time to go. I'll be here."

  That was the Andrev Chassy had always known, looking out for himself and his books.

  "We need your help to collect supplies. If Chassy and I both disappear at once, Xander and Jam will ask questions. No one will even know you're gone. And well, you have a knack for keeping people from bothering you. Wherever I go, people ask me questions, and I have to answer them." It was a nice way of saying Andrev knew how to be rude and put people off.

  Andrev's glare said he might not even realize Nita had insulted him, but having to set aside his book definitely frustrated him. "Fine. But you had better be right about this other wizard because I'm giving up the opportunity of a lifetime."

  ***

  While Andrev was out buying supplies, Chassy gathered his own meager possessions from the trunk Xander had offered to let him and Andrev use when they arrived. He stared with longing at his Waet silks, then stuffed them into his pack. They were too small now for his taller, thinner frame, but he couldn't let them go. These days, all he had to wear was everyday sheep's wool clothing, which did not stretch and flow with the human body like Waet-woven fabrics.

  Xander had seemed to take a particular liking to Chassy and had given him both an ebony staff fit for a sorcerer and book of minor spells, although his efforts so far had been clumsy and ineffective. He moved a jug with his mind enough to shatter it on the floor. He threw his voice into Nita's hair, causing her silver tree to spark and almost knock him unconscious. He generated smoke from a fire, and the entire household ran into the streets choking. And then there was the whole teleporting incident, which he didn't want to think about ever again. What good would he ever be as a sorcerer if he couldn't even do simple parlor tricks?