by Beam, Brian
Saiyre pulled on my arm, turning me to my left. “And this is Ithan Calign,” he announced.
Standing beside Windmane, the shaggy-maned dun gelding that the McAlwains had gifted a seeming eternity ago, was the man who’d opened the door. He was lanky and looked to be as young as the students I’d seen inside the Academy. Under an unruly mop of auburn hair, his rosy cheeks stood out like flames in a hayloft against his pale skin. And I mean pale. As in, snow-white pale. Deathly pale, even. The point is, he looked like the last time his skin had seen the sun had been . . . well, never. He probably stood a head taller than me but it was hard to tell with the way he hunched over, his eyes averted from both Saiyre’s and mine. He wore a fancy blue coat with velvety white trim over a white shirt. Black leather boots came up to his knees, his brown pants tucked into them.
My eyes were drawn to his shoulder where a featherswift owl was perched. Featherswift owls are typically used for sending messages over long distances, though I figured this one was what he used to power his magic. Its face was a sharp white, contrasting with its brown feathers, black eyes, and bright yellow beak. A tether ran from one of its legs to one of the man’s black-gloved hands.
“Nice to meet you, Ithan,” I greeted, holding out a hand. Ithan’s eyes remained focused on his feet, but he reached forward to clasp my hand. His leather glove was cold against my palm. “My name’s Korinalis Karell, but call me Korin. I suppose we’ll be traveling to Gualain together.”
Ithan mumbled something I couldn’t make out in response.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.”
Ithan’s next words came out something like “Mumble mumble blah blah Ithan Calign blah blah.”
My eyes went back to Saiyre. “Really? This guy’s supposed to help me?”
Saiyre pulled me off to the side and put his face close to mine. “Do not let his timidness fool you, Korin,” he whispered. “Ithan is quite an adept wizard. He is just a little socially inept. He was an Archivist.”
“And what does that mean exactly?” I asked.
“He worked in the Vault. The Vault is where the Academy’s most valuable artifacts and books that have already been studied are kept. Archivists keep all of the items categorized and monitor which ones are checked out and to whom they are checked out by. They tend to stay mainly in the Vault, some even sleeping there. Ithan has not been around many wizards since becoming an Archivist nearly a decade ago.”
My eyes snapped back to the bashful Archivist as he kicked at something on the ground, seemingly unconcerned about Saiyre and me. “He looks so young.”
“Ithan is likely a decade beyond your years,” Saiyre insisted. “He is originally from Gualain. When the Grand Wizard announced that the Wizard Guard was to be deployed there, Ithan requested to travel with them to check on his family. He was denied, since he has not had formal battle training.
“However, I had him transferred to the Department of Magic Diplomacy. He is being sent on an ‘official’ diplomatic mission to Josuan, though that is only a front to explain his absence from the Academy. He is to assist you in finding Salmaea, and then he has leave to go to his family,” Saiyre explained.
“Well, as long as Mumble Lips doesn’t slow me, thanks,” I said, breaking away from our huddle. Ithan’s cheeks reddened an even darker shade. I imagined them bursting into flame at any moment.
“Don’t call him that,” Saiyre admonished, annoyance flaring in his eyes again. “As I explained, he is a very adept wizard and, need I remind you, you are not.”
Saiyre had a good point. Being around Max the majority of my life had made me a little too comfortable around wizards and was doubtless the forefront reason for my loose tongue.
“Now, you must be on your way before we are discovered,” Saiyre pressed.
As I bent to retrieve the possessions I’d laid beside Telis, I realized that I’d forgotten something very important. “Wait, I’m here with two others. I have to meet them first.” The look on Saiyre’s face could’ve melted stone.
“Tell me their names and where I can find them,” Saiyre commanded with a sigh. “I will have them located and sent to you.”
“Their names are Tilrook Brinsir and Briscott Erlat. Til’s a Kolarin, so he should stand out. They’ll either be at Augril’s Stables and Smithy, or Idrolin’s Den,” I answered.
Saiyre nodded and turned to Ithan. “Ithan, take Korin to Oliph’s Monolith. I will have Korin’s companions meet you there.” Oliph Anwith was the first Grand Wizard, named shortly before the Power Wars a millennium prior. No idea why I knew that. Must’ve picked it up from Max.
Mumble Lips mumbled something that I assumed to be an affirmative of some sort and awkwardly climbed atop Windmane as if he’d never ridden a horse before. His featherswift owl stretched out its wings and let out an annoyed squawk.
Embarrassingly, Saiyre had to help me climb onto Telis’s saddle. Though his magic had helped dull the aftereffects of the potion, I still suffered from weakness. Saiyre tucked Sal’s parchment sheets into one of my saddlebags and gave his ring to Mumble Lips . . . er, Ithan. After tying my cloth-wrapped bundle to my saddle, Saiyre passed up the abelyr box, which was too large to pack away.
“Take this as well,” Saiyre said as he removed the blue stone from around his neck and handed it to me. “Give it to Salmaea when you find her.”
“What is it?” I asked as I slipped it around my neck, the stone clacking against my fortune block.
“It is a Reservoir, a container of magic energy. I have emptied it, but it can be refilled by pulling magic energy from a living source and feeding it into the stone,” Saiyre explained.
“So, basically instead of making a spell, you divert the energy into the stone?” I asked.
Saiyre gave me an approving nod. “Exactly. Ithan can help fill it on your way to Gualain. Reservoirs, like your Contract, are a remnant of a time long past. There are less than a dozen known Reservoirs in existence, and they are all kept in the Academy, most of them in the Vault. Ithan and I have made sure this one will not be missed. However, if any Academy wizards see you with it, they will know it is stolen, so be careful.”
“Better if he keeps it, then,” I replied, taking it back off and tossing it to Mumble Lips. The awkward kid . . . adult . . . whatever . . . just about fell out of his saddle as he clumsily reached out to grab it. I was really going to have to work with the poor guy. At least he caught the Reservoir by the chain it dangled from. Barely.
With a shake of my head, I looked down at Saiyre. “Will you be okay?” I asked. I felt a certain hatred towards Saiyre, but if not for him, I would’ve probably been stuck in a prison.
“No one will know what I have done. I have covered my tracks well. Remember to pass on my words to Salmaea and keep her safe. I truly hope she was right about you. You have no idea how much I am risking and sacrificing by doing this.” Pain once again painted Saiyre’s features.
I knew Saiyre was worried about Sal’, but I failed to see what he was sacrificing for me. If anything, it seemed like he was simply using me. For him and Sal’ to be married, she’d have to return to the Wizard Academy safely, and he was freeing me to help make that happen. I should have been the one with the pained expression.
Still, I was grateful for all that he’d done for me, no matter his intentions. I would repay him by doing what he asked of me, but not just for that single reason. Sal’ was my friend and I feared for her safety. Even if we could never be together, I’d do anything I could to protect her. Worries about my father, Raijom, Prexwin, eldrhims, and the undead would have to be pushed aside until I knew that Sal’ was okay.
Ithan mumbled something and clumsily set Windmane into a trot, his body almost slipping out of the saddle at the lurching start of the horse’s steps. He looked about as comfortable on the horse as a priest in a brothel.
“Farewell, Saiyre. I promise I’ll take care of Sal’,” I assured him.
Saiyre’s eyes narrowed as he simply nodded
his own farewell.
As I started after Ithan, holding Telis’s reins with one hand and the abelyr box in my lap with the other, a soft moan issued from in front of me.
“Max! Max, are you awake?” I cried, my heart speeding.
Then, in a familiar rasp that lifted my heart, my spirits, and the corners of my mouth, Max weakly responded, “What took you so long, lunkhead?”
Chapter 29
Linked Together
“What do you mean you do not have any food?” Max rasped through two solid layers of abelyr. His voice was muffled but still clearer than anything Ithan had spoken since leaving Auslin.
The dirt road we traveled weaved through the steep hills of Tahron as we headed east. In the distance, the Glacial Mountains stabbed into the blue backdrop of a cloudless sky. The cold of the day whispered the promise of the first snow of the year soon to come. Of course, I knew that beyond the snowcapped mountains lining the horizon was the Snowy Waste, which I assumed was already . . . well, snowy.
“A simple thank you would be nice,” I countered with a smile. It was as if a month hadn’t really passed since I’d last seen Max. Reverting to the familiarity of our playful banter instead of focusing on all the serious issues we needed to discuss helped keep my spirits up. There’d be time enough for grimmer topics later.
“Besides,” I continued, “I never said I didn’t have food.” Saiyre had packed one of my saddlebags with fruits, dried meats, wax-wrapped cheeses, and some kind of hard bread. My waterskin had even been filled. “I just said that you can’t have anything to eat until we let you out once we reach Oliph’s Monolith.”
The boxes couldn’t maskthe sound of Max’s huff. “Am I supposed to thank you for taking a month to find me? Hmph.”
“I was kind of distracted,” I retorted. “I’ll try to skip the being-enslaved-by-Gualainian-refugees part next time.” My smile faltered as the memories of those days came flooding back.
“Well, it could not have been much worse than being stuck in that laboratory. I am surprised I have any blood left after all their testing. Do you know what they fed me? Fruits and nuts. Squirrel food!” The vehemence in his voice drew out a deep laugh from me, pulling my mind away from recollections of Jefren and Kait’. “Go ahead and laugh it up. You still owe me that salmon, and I plan on collecting soon.”
I wiped a joyous tear from my eye. “Max, it’s good to have you back. I’ve missed you.”
“I have missed you too,” he replied, his tone sincere. “And I truly am thankful that you are okay. In all gravity, we have much to talk about.”
“Yes, we do,” I agreed, my thoughts drifting to the shadowy figure that had spoken with my father’s voice.
There was a slight pause. “How is everyone else?”
“Til’s fine. He’ll be meeting us at Oliph’s Monolith with Briscott Erlat. Briscott’s family was killed in Gualain, and he wants to join us on our journey there,” I explained, somberly shattering the lightened mood. “Sal’s in Gualain. She was sent there by her father to lead a group of the Wizard Guard. Her father has dedicated wizards to a war for the first time since the Power Wars.”
“That is strange,” Max mused.
“You won’t think so once I tell you everything. It’s bad there, Max. I’ve seen what they’re dealing with firsthand.”
“All right, then tell me everything.”
Recounting all I’d been through was exhausting and emotionally draining, but I eventually got it all out over the better part of the afternoon.
“You used a potion to get into the Academy? Lunkhead,” Max admonished.
Exhaling sharply, I held back the urge to shake the box and give Max a good rattle. “Really? With everything I just told you, you’re going to get on me for using a potion?”
“Actually, yes,” Max snapped. “Do you know why you became so sick afterwards?”
“Not really. I figured it was just a side effect.”
Max huffed again. I imagined him shaking his head with a paw to his face. “The structure for the invisibility spell was infused within the potion, but it still needed energy to work. Both the energy to fully form the spell and the energy to direct it was drawn from you.”
It looked like Max was completely justified in chiding me about the potion. Having magic energy drawn from your own body can lead to anything from a headache to flat-out insanity, if not just a complete loss of your sense of self. I’d almost killed Max once due to the effects of having spell energy drawn from my body.
“Oh,” I replied dumbly.
“Fortunately for you, potions tend to only affect the gastric system, drawing the energy from it while being absorbed through the intestines. If you try to save me again, try not to be so dumb about it.” His deadpan tone brought the smile back to my face, even though I was being insulted. It just felt good to have Max back.
Again, my smile evaporated. “So, about my father . . .”
Max went completely silent. My stomach was tied in knots, anxiety treating my insides like its personal sparring partner.
“It is not possible,” Max finally responded.
“Which part?”
“Your father would never do such a thing,” Max answered solemnly. “Besides, your father is not the king of Gualain.”
Max’s admission that my father was not Gualain’s king was a reminder that Max still had much to reveal to me. Still, his words loosened the proverbial vise that had been clamped around my insides since the night Briscott had put a name to the one ruling in Gualain. The vice was loosened, but not removed.
“That apparition spoke with his voice, Max,” I said, my voice trembling. “Briscott used his name. He said that Galvin Lemweir is Gualain’s king.”
“Korin, I can all but promise you that your father cannot be behind this. I do not even see how such a thing could be possible.” Again Max paused. “Unless . . .”
My stomach dropped. “Unless what?”
“Give me some time to think about this,” Max requested, his voice soft within the boxes. “For now, I am more concerned about the green rocks you spoke of. I have never heard of such magic. I do not understand how the one behind all this can track and control the rocks over such great distances.” Max yawned, and I heard his claws scrape against the abelyr box.
Mumble Lips turned to say something, but it was about as clear as onyx. Yes, I’m calling him Mumble Lips again. Any time I recall his ridiculous mumbling, I’m going to use that name.
“What was that?” Max asked.
I dropped my face closer to the box and lowered my voice. “That was Mumb . . . Ithan. He’s a bit socially awkward. Saiyre, Sal’s . . .” I suddenly realized that I hadn’t told Max exactly who Saiyre was. I’d only explained how Sal’ had told him that she believed I could stop the war and that he’d believed her. Max knew that Saiyre had sent Ithan to help us find Sal’ in Gualain, but not the true reason why.
“Sal’s what?” Max inquired.
“Well . . . he . . . Saiyre . . .”
“Who is the socially awkward one now?” Max jibed. “I bet Ithan at least finished his sentence, even if it was quiet enough to escape a dog’s hearing.”
With a deep breath, I continued. “Saiyre and Sal’ are betrothed.” Only a short time prior, I’d told Max about being enslaved, taking lives, and finding out that my father could be behind a war. The pain of those events did not match the pain I felt when I thought about Sal’ being committed to another. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something wrong with me.
“That was quick,” Max replied bluntly. “She has only been apart from you for a month. Sounds like something you would do.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, Max. She was already betrothed to this Saiyre before we even met her. He’s some kind of high-Ranked wizard at the Wizard Academy. Sal’ was apparently just leading me on during our time together.”
“Unless I am wrong—and I hardly ever am—Salmaea cares for you. She probably even loves you. There must be s
omething more to this betrothal than you know.”
My gaze turned down to the saddlebag where Saiyre had packed Sal’s word-filled pages. “I just don’t know, Max. I’m not sure why, but Saiyre gave me some of Sal’s writings and told me I should read them, but I don’t think I can bring myself to.”
“By Ulbrey’s blood, why not?” Max asked pointedly. Ulbrey’s the god of secrets. According to legend, he is brother to the goddess of truth, Clarbrey. Sorry, that’s a bit tangential.
My true reason for not reading Sal’s words was that deep down, I feared that they’d only reinforce the fact that Sal’ and I could never be together, that maybe she really loved Saiyre, that Saiyre simply wanted to rub my nose in it. ”
“It’s private,” I argued instead.
“Like that has ever stopped you before,” Max countered.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Remember Reilis?”
“Well, that was for her own good.”
“Celyst?”
“How else would I have known how to—”
“Irena?”
“She was just asking for it.” I drummed my fingers across the top of Max’s box in irritation.
“Stop that,” Max snipped.
I brought my hand away, gesturing to no one in particular. “Look, this is different. I don’t feel comfortable reading her private words.”
“So that is the end of it, then?” Max taunted.
“I don’t know, Max. I really don’t.” Sighing, I looked out at the rolling hills. The late-afternoon sun struggled to provide warmth with little success. “Anyway, this is all beside the point.”
“If you would like, I could start telling you all the things I should have told you years ago,” Max spoke gravely, though wearily.
After so many years of Max’s secrecy, there was little that I would’ve liked more than to have him finally reveal all he’d kept from me. However, I felt that the conversation would be best saved unitl after I’d fully recovered from the effects of the invisibility potion and Max was out of the abelyr box and fed.