by Sever Bronny
He stopped her by sweeping her long raven hair from her forehead. He gently raised her chin, drew her near, and kissed her.
“I missed you,” he whispered, looking into those voluminous dark eyes.
Her hands found their way around his neck as tears flowed down her cheeks. “I missed you too.”
* * *
Augum had a delectable late supper of roast lamb, salted spinach, and potatoes. In attendance were Mr. Okeke, Jengo, Priya, Mr. Goss, Leland, Leera, Bridget, Devon, Haylee, Chaska, and Constable Clouds. There was hardly room for them all—some had to sit in the armchairs and on the couch and by the fireplace. And as it turned out, Devon really had just been very sympathetic to Leera and was comforting her. It had not been that kind of kiss. It was the type of kiss Devon’s late mother used to give him when he was being bullied or made fun of.
Augum also heard news that Malaika had got into a lot of trouble for her deceit with her father, and was not to leave the house for a tenday. Devon reported he heard her crying in her room. Augum had already seen her outside the house. He suspected she sneaked out a window or something.
He and Leera exchanged secret smiles and hand squeezes as they ate. Bridget spoke of little but their training, her plans on how they were going to learn the counterspells to Object Alarm and Object Track, fine-tune Summon Minor Elemental, and above all, finally learn the Reflect spell.
But that would all be tomorrow. For now, Augum was content to enjoy peace, at least for one evening. Perhaps he had been a little melodramatic earlier. A lesson for the future, if anything—he shouldn’t jump so quickly to conclusions.
He barely listened as Priya quietly spoke of Tiberrans struggling under Legion rule, or how the Solian countryside steadily starved, or how Chaska has been enjoying being a night watchman and how Haylee smiled at him, or Devon again apologizing to Bridget for shoving her. He had Leera, and that was all that mattered.
“Aug, are you listening?” Bridget asked, face grave.
“Huh?”
“Leland wrote a note.”
“He did?”
“Yes,” Mr. Goss interjected, making sure he had everyone else’s attention too. “It is short.” He cleared his throat and held up a crinkled parchment. “ ‘Big army getting …’ ” He squinted at a word.
Leland moaned.
“Ah, ‘Dreadnought’, of course. ‘Big army getting Dreadnought weapons and armor in Velmara.’ Very well written, Son.” Mr. Goss returned the parchment to his son and patted his head.
Leland moaned appreciatively.
Constable Clouds slowly turned his teacup in its saucer. “The Dreadnought equipment being forged in Blackhaven seems to be making its way to the general army.”
“How long before the attack on Nodia?” Augum asked.
“Hard to say. They will amass an army at the border first. Probably sooner if they get their hands on the Agonex or the last scion, and if they do, I expect many of the cities to fall rather quickly. Regardless, all of Sithesia is in grave danger, even if the other kingdoms are not aware of it yet.”
The cabin went quiet.
Mr. Okeke picked up his teacup. “It is easy for us to forget the hardships that exist outside of this isolated village. Trade is dwindling and grain prices are soaring. I fear we shall have to start rationing.”
“Agreed, Mr. Okeke,” Constable Clouds said with a nod that bounced his triple chins. “Milham has had it better than most. Many a village has succumbed to starvation. The supposed prosperity of raiding Tiberra has not come. The Tiberrans have hidden much of their gold, or burned their fields. Corruption among the troops has further slowed down the promised redistribution of Tiberran wealth. Those who thought invading that kingdom would bring riches and prosperity were fools, yet it is the poor that suffer most. Only the top echelons truly do well. Lord Sparkstone and his minions, for example.”
Clouds turned his gaze on Augum and Leera. “Think of all the lovers separated by conscription; the mothers who lost their sons and daughters to fire, famine, or war. Think of the lonely ones that await news that shall never come, for those they love are forever gone, perhaps lying in some bog, after some unknown battle, to be buried in some unmarked grave. Or worse, risen as the dead to serve the Legion anew.”
Or like Old Jory. Augum glanced at Leera. He could not imagine being parted from her again. Priya and Jengo. Haylee and Chaska. What would happen to them? Constable Clouds was right. The reality is out there. He hoped it would never fully come to Milham.
Conversation splintered after that. After some peach sweet cake, which Leera had an extra helping of, Mr. Okeke asked Jengo to gather more wood for the fire from the stores.
“Oh, allow me to do it,” Mr. Goss said, smiling at Jengo and Priya sitting arm-in-arm together. “Augum, would you mind giving me a hand?”
“Sure, Mr. Goss.” Augum untwined himself from Leera and stepped outside into the cool night. The sky overhead was filled with fields of twinkling stars. The tree canopy rustled in a light wind.
“Augum, I have been meaning to speak with you about a small matter,” Mr. Goss said as they slowly strode to the stacked pile of cut wood.
Augum crossed his brows, perplexed. “Yes, Mr. Goss?”
“It concerns you and Leera.”
“Oh.” Augum’s stomach rolled.
“I understand how young love is, dear me I do, but I feel I must say something. None of you have parents to care for you and can give you guidance along this path in life. Therefore, I ask you this—do you believe it is wise to be sharing a cabin with Leera at this time?”
Augum gaped. “I … I don’t know, Mr. Goss, I haven’t thought about it.” He curled his toes in his shoes as his cheeks burned. Was Mr. Goss really asking this question?
Mr. Goss smiled as he began loading Augum’s arms with logs. “You are a touch unfamiliar with customs, Augum, and everyone is more than forgiving, but all three of you must take on responsibilities parents are normally burdened with. All I ask is that you think about it. You are not, after all, married yet.”
“Right,” was all Augum managed to mumble.
“And please do not worry, I will not mention any of this to the girls. This is for us men only.”
“Right. Uh, thanks, Mr. Goss.”
Mr. Goss pushed on his spectacles and give him a firm nod. “I am very proud of you, Augum. Do not forget that.”
“Yes, Mr. Goss.”
“Good. Now let us nip back inside.”
They carried the logs back to the fire, and although Augum sat back down beside Leera, he did not take her hand as before.
The supper dishes were cleared away amidst quiet conversation, and the evening passed by slowly. Bridget spent her time studying the blue book, Jengo the yellow, Priya resting her head on his shoulder. Augum rehearsed some of the lighter spells with Leera and Haylee. Chaska sat quietly speaking to the constable about matters of security. Leland listened to the Orb of Orion while clutching the Agonex, before being forced to give both up as his father took him to bed.
“The tournament begins in a tenday, I believe,” Constable Clouds eventually said, readying to depart.
“We’ll be studying hard,” Bridget said, stuffing the Agonex and the Orb of Orion into a rucksack. “We’ll be ready.”
“Come, Son.”
“I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused,” Devon said sheepishly from the doorway.
Bridget smiled at him. “No trouble at all. Good night.”
Devon’s cheeks reddened. “Good night,” and he departed, helping his father along.
“You are welcome to stay the night again,” Mr. Okeke said as he washed his face in a basin.
“Thank you, but we need to allow you and Jengo your space too,” Bridget replied.
“That really is not necessary—”
“We insist, Mr. Okeke.”
Mr. Okeke smiled. “Very well. Then I bid everyone a sweet night.”
“Good night, Mr. Okeke,” they chorused.
“Priya and Jengo are adorable,” Bridget said wistfully as the trio made their way through the dark woods, palms lit. “And Chaska and Haylee seem to be getting along better.”
Leera gave her a light punch on the arm. “We’ll find you a boy soon too.”
Bridget scoffed, gripping her rucksack tighter. “How many times must I tell you, I don’t need a boy right now. Too busy.”
Leera brought her lit palm close to Bridget’s face. “See that, Aug? She’s blushing.”
Bridget swatted it away. “Nonsense.” Nonetheless, she averted her face. “And you’re sleeping in the other cabin, Aug; don’t want you two smooching and giggling all night. We have a long training day ahead and we need to seriously focus. We only have a tenday to get ready.”
“We do need a good night’s sleep,” Augum said, consumed with Mr. Goss’ speech. “And … we aren’t married, so it’s not appropriate.”
Leera snorted. “Fine, but since when did you two turn into such prisses?”
Augum shrugged. “There’s no rush, that’s all.”
“Yes, and we could be dead any day now.”
There was resentment in Leera’s voice, but Augum let it go. She was right, they could die any day from their adventures, and he wanted to be by her side forever, but Mr. Goss was right too—they were young and unmarried. As per custom, it was not appropriate.
At the cabins, Leera’s resentment dissipated as she gave him a kiss goodnight. Augum settled himself into the hastily erected cabin across the stream, now furnished with a feathered mattress, twig nightstand, wash basin, a cedar trunk for clothes, and Dramask blanket, almost all provided by Mr. Okeke. He lay there smiling to himself about how crazy this day had been, and promptly fell asleep.
A Letter
The trio began a grueling training regimen for that final tenday before the Antioc Library quest. They would rise at the crack of dawn in their respective cabins, eat a quick breakfast at the Okeke home, and begin training, often enduring headaches and nose bleeds as a side effect of the boundary-pushing regimen. They would usually start with a full cycle before concentrating on individual spells for hours at a time, repeating the same thing in the afternoon. Augum finally got a basic handle on Summon Minor Elemental, but they all still had trouble with the Reflect spell—only Bridget managed to reflect a Push spell once, sending a surprised Augum tumbling into the stream. At sunset, exhausted and spent, they would gather for supper at the Okeke cabin, where they quietly bantered with various village guests while catching up on news.
The trio slowly bronzed a bit more in the sun. Augum became even leaner, stronger, and walked a little taller. Leera and Bridget thinned a touch, Bridget more so than Leera (who snuck sweets now and then). Bridget still did not sleep well and had semi-permanent rings under her eyes, and Leera would often be overheard telling her to lighten up. Some days they would all feel the strain, snapping at each other and going for long periods of practice without a word said. Generally, though, they got along as well as friends could under the circumstances. As the days passed, Bridget became more comfortable in her teaching role, but she was still unable to pass on the complex and subtle arcane insights only a high-degree mentor could impart. And as her confidence grew, her nightmares lessened a little.
Meanwhile, Haylee trained Jengo on his 1st degree, practicing her own arcanery when she could, striving for her 2nd. After arguing with Ms. Singh for the umpteenth time, she moved into the cabin with Bridget and Leera, promising not to get in the way of their training. She would often still get frustrated with Chaska or the cane, but put up with both. Augum marveled how much of a better person she was since they had first met her, and how she constantly strove to become even better. He was glad of her friendship, and enjoyed watching Bridget and even Leera ever steadily warm up to her by exchanging stories, talking about boys, and grooming each other’s hair while gossiping about nothing in particular.
Leland continued to quietly spend time with the Agonex and the Orb of Orion. Mr. Goss would often join his son to teach him the written word, history, or other subjects of note. Mr. Goss would also occasionally give Augum a subtle nod. That talk the two had outside the Okeke cabin had been embarrassing for Augum, but he came to understand why it had to happen. Mr. Goss felt responsible for them. He also must feel like a hesitant father figure, someone who wanted to give them their freedom while being a gentle guide, especially to Augum. Augum did not mind. He could use some guidance in this world, though Mr. Goss had not approached him since, perhaps trusting him to do the right thing. It was something Augum very much appreciated and was conscious of, not wanting to let Mr. Goss down.
At Haylee’s urging, Devon became friendlier with Chaska, even joining him on the town watch. The pair also undertook the task of soliciting book donations in their free time. Chaska was getting fitter from the work and seemed to enjoy Devon’s friendship, though the occasional light-hearted reprimand for talking too much was not unheard of. As for Devon, he mostly left the trio alone—as did everyone else during the day, for they all understood how vital their training was to the Resistance. They saw nothing of Malaika, Charissa, Annelise or Gabe, though would hear rumors of tantrums and late night arguments.
The trio watched as their infamy steadily grew in the Herald; as armies continued to amass on the Nodian border; as excitement grew for the coming warlock tournament; and yet there still came no news of Mrs. Stone … until the morning of the tenth day, when a grizzled, mud-splattered courier arrived to hand Mr. Okeke a letter at his cabin.
Jengo did not even raise his head from eating his porridge. “Another demand from the Legion for tax moneys, Father?”
Mr. Okeke tipped the courier, thanked him, and closed the door. “Not sure,” he said, breaking the wax seal on the weathered yellow parchment. He began pacing as he read. Suddenly, he froze. “It’s from Mrs. Stone—”
The trio bolted from the table, knocking over dishes, scrambling to gather around the parchment.
Leera was breathless. “What’s it say?”
Mr. Okeke cleared his throat and began reading aloud. His slight Sierran accent gave the words a distant slant. “ ‘My dears, I hope this letter finds you as I am very far away in a strange land I have never been to before, with even stranger people. Regretfully, I lost the pearl somewhere in southern Tiberra in a battle. I had forgotten to enchant it so I could find it again. Alas, my memory is not as it once was.’ ”
Bridget placed a hand over her mouth, eyes welling up. Leera laid her head on Bridget’s shoulder while giving Augum’s hand a tight squeeze. It was a difficult letter to listen to. Augum’s heart ached. He missed Nana so much.
Mr. Okeke continued. “ ‘The spell has been an onerous undertaking under the circumstances, especially as I am already quite old. It is taking its toll. I have developed a bit of a cough, and my spectacles have become inadequate. I have eluded the Legion thus far, but there have been many close calls. The tracking party’s prowess has made it impossible for me to visit you at this time. They have proved to be formidable opponents especially well-equipped to thwart me. My days are spent on the road. My feet and bones hurt and I am always tired. I fear I cannot keep this up for much longer. It feels as if there is never enough time now, for time has become a most precious thing indeed. It seems eons ago since I have laid eyes upon you. I yearn for the simple things most—clean linens, a quiet fire, a good book, a warm meal, pleasant company, and above all, watching you grow before my eyes.’ ”
Haylee gave a sniffle as she drew Leland close. “Oh, Mrs. Stone,” she whispered.
Mr. Okeke swallowed and read on. “ ‘How are your studies coming along? I trust you have been working very hard and pushing yourselves. I trust Mr. Harvus has been a good and thoughtful mentor. Have you discovered anything about the artifact in question yet? Perhaps you will have received this letter before your departure.’ ”
Mr. Okeke took a deep breath before reading the last portion. “ ‘I sign off hoping you are
all together, that you are warm, safe, in good health and high spirits. Please know that you are in my thoughts often. As for me, my greatest challenge awaits, and that is mastering this formidable spell, and somehow teaching it to you. I only hope to live long enough to accomplish this last act. Remember, my dears, that you are strongest together, that life is precious and short, and that all things must pass. With love and deep affection for you all, AAS.’ ”
Mr. Okeke stared at the parchment before gently folding it up and handing it to Augum, who held the wrinkled letter close, finger tracing over the broken wax seal. For a long time, nobody spoke.
After quietly settling back at the table, Augum could not resume eating. Nana was out there desperately trying to learn Cron while being chased by that vicious tracking party led by Erika Scarson. He glanced down at the parchment. How long had this letter been in transit? How many leagues had it travelled?
When he glanced up, he caught Bridget’s eye, and there was a steely determination there. Leera had the same look. He gave them the subtlest nod, knowing that today was the last day they could prepare for what awaited them, for by tomorrow morning, they would be undertaking a dangerous new quest.
The meal concluded in thoughtful silence, with the trio quickly moving on to training at the grove. Haylee insisted on staying behind with Jengo, where she could continue training with him while minding over Leland. She did it so the trio could focus on what they needed to do, telling them she’d make sure no one unnecessary came to bother them. Augum was grateful. It was their last day and they needed the time together.
It was a sunny morning with not a cloud in sight—perfect training weather. They launched right into the 4th degree—Fear, Deafness, Confusion, Summon Minor Elemental, then worked backwards.
At lunch, Mr. Goss arrived with a basket of food and a sheaf of parchment. He made his presence known by gently clearing his throat.
Augum unclenched his fists, shoulders still tense from summoning Shield ten times in a row to block Bridget and Leera’s First Offensive. “Mr. Goss?”
Mr. Goss’ eyes travelled over the black pile of destroyed wood, a legacy of their many castings. “You would make for fearsome adversaries.”