“We have incoming,” I called out to the group.
Cathy spun around with a smile on her face. “I’ve been looking forward to testing out my new skills in battle.”
“Are you still loopy from the distortion?” I asked.
“Not anymore,” she said, staring in the direction of our attackers.
Bill rushed to be in front of Cathy with his shield up. “Perhaps you should stay back on this one, my Lady.”
“Appreciate the concern, but one guardsman and a Mage isn’t enough to hold back any threat,” Cathy responded.
The wolves appeared over the nearest hill and I covered myself in scales.
“Don’t leave any skin exposed,” Cathy said, drawing her sword.
Bill readied his shield and the first wolf lunged at him. The full weight of the wolf nearly knocked Bill off his feet as he defended the attack. I sent a small ball of fire to the ground and used it to launch a burning trail straight through the pack. The pack split to avoid the fire and I launched an Ice Bolt at one with my other hand. The wolf yelped as the ice pierced its body, stopping it in its tracks.
Laughter broke out as Cathy jumped over my Fire Trail to attack a snarling wolf. She had wisely chosen to help Bill, but left me with two very angry looking animals that looked like they had a taste for scales.
I stood with my arms down by my side in a non-threatening manner. This was another trick I picked from my time in the forest. The idea was to bait the aggressive animal into attacking and catching it in a trap. The corruption ran deep and left these fierce hunters more aggressive than a Davalin bar maid who’s had one too many pinches on the rump.
The wolves hesitated for a second before both charged me at the same time. As they lunged for my neck, I brought my hands up and launched a massive Pulse, knocking both wolves up into the air. They yelped as they flipped around before falling to the ground. One landed hard on its neck and twitched once while the one landed on its side. I sent an Ice Bolt to finish it off.
On the other side of my Fire Trail, Cathy had taken on a new colour as her arm and sword glowed blue from her Demon magic. With a mighty swing, she chopped a wolf in half across the middle. The remains of the other two wolves littered the ground around a very shocked looking Bill.
“Where did you learn to do that?” Bill asked.
“Do what?” Cathy asked.
“It appears that the magic I used to heal you has had an interesting side effect,” I said, taking over the situation. “It should fade away shortly.”
“A shame,” Bill said. “Lady Middleton could probably cleave through the entire Evenawk army like that.”
“Yeah, but the long term effect wouldn’t be good,” I countered. “Magic in a non-Magic person tends to turn you into something evil.”
I kicked a wolf half so Bill would get the picture.
He grimaced. “How long before something like that happens?”
“Good question,” Cathy asked concerned, finally getting into character.
“Hopefully, magic should be out within a day,” I said, looking directly at Cathy. “It shouldn’t happen again.”
She nodded, getting the hint. “Okay. Good.”
“Could I get a couple of minutes alone though?” I asked. “I just want to double check to make sure I’m right.”
“You better,” Cathy said, stepping away from the battle. “If I turn into a bloodthirsty wolf, I’m biting you first.”
We walked out of ear range, leaving Bill to stand nervously by the bodies. “Okay, what happened?” I asked quietly.
“Something amazing,” she answered happily.
“Care to elaborate?” I asked.
“It seems I was wrong about non-magic bodies being able to use magic,” she started. “It’s true that I won’t be able to cast spells like normal, but I can use my magic to enhance attributes. My strength, speed, agility, and endurance. Void, I probably could stop the aging process too if I wanted.”
“Okay, slow down,” I said, scratching my head. “I thought non-magic bodies couldn’t handle magic.”
“I did too, but it’s hard to know exactly what is going to happen until it happens,” she explained. Or tried to explain. “Nobody has ever done this. We are going to have to figure out everything on our own. I think if non-magic bodies couldn’t handle magic then Mages wouldn’t be healers for soldiers. Anytime you would try to use your magic on someone, you would just kill them.”
“True enough,” I agreed.
“I don’t think magic sits well in animals,” she continued. “Hence the heaps of wolves around Bill. When it corrupted the fox and the fox bit on that healer guy...”
“Peter,” I said.
“Right,” she responded. “The corrupted magic caused his body to react the way it did.”
“So how are you able to use magic?” I asked.
“I’m not 100% sure but I am a magical creature by nature,” she answered. “I am going to have magic either way. I’m missing the connection to the Spirit Plane that Mages have and thus can’t cast magic into the Physical Plane, but I can still use my magic inside my own body because it is connected to my magical soul.”
She looked at me but all I could do was look at her back, my face twisted in confusion.
“Am I making any sense?” she asked.
“I...no,” I answered.
She shrugged. “I wish there was an easier way to explain this but the nature of magic is tough to understand. What is it about magic that makes some Humans Mages and others not? Why is it choosy like that? Where does it come from? How can a Mage really control it? We could ask questions all day and end up exactly in the same spot; confused with no clear answers. I’ll continue to study it and hopefully we’ll be able to understand why I can do what I do, but all I can say for now is simply...just go with it.”
I laughed and shrugged. “Fair enough. You’ll just have to tone it down when around ‘normal’ people.”
“Agreed,” she smiled.
Chapter 10
The farm lands were a sight for sore eyes as we left the Archanion Field behind. The land flattened and took on a livelier look. The trees were green and lush and the birds’ songs weren’t an ominous undertone for the death and destruction we might have to face. A very welcome change of pace.
As we passed by several farms, the farmhands watched us suspiciously. The sight of two armed and blood covered soldiers being led out of the Archanion Field by a skinny kid in tattered clothes was something the farmers didn’t see often. We were trouble and the sooner we were gone from their lands the better in their eyes. They probably had enough trouble to deal with. I pushed the small group on as the Reed Farm rose up from the horizon.
My time at the Reed Farm after my last adventure was short. Aaron’s father, Harold, wasn’t a fan of magic or of his son’s friendship with a Mage. His temper was held in check by his wife, Mary, but even she couldn’t work miracles. As the tensions with magic users grew worse, Harold and his neighbours grouped together to hunt down stray Mages who emerged from the Archanion Field. I knew it wouldn’t be long before the group turned on me, so I fled into the night one evening.
I felt bad not saying goodbye to my friends, but it was a better option than waiting for them to get hurt protecting me. They would understand and I hoped the note I had left explained everything.
Something weird had happened that night though. I ran into a small group of farmers chasing down a young girl. She was definitely a Mage and was using her Pulse to keep them at bay. The group was small enough that I could easily trick them and help the girl escape. I had rushed in and saved her, sending the farmers on a wild goose chase with a well-placed Illusion spell.
To my surprise, the girl turned out to be someone I recognised. She identified herself as Riley Simpson, a Spirit Mage and Healer. Cathy searched my memories and revealed that it was the same red-haired girl who was at my Demon Dream Ceremony in the Tower.
I invited her to come to Nesqa, but s
he said it would be worse there for her. Not wanting to leave her with nothing, I drew a quick copy of my map of Balendar and lent her some spare clothing that Aaron gave me. I told her to keep her magic hidden and try to live a normal life until everything blew over; advice I never followed myself. We parted ways and she disappeared into the night. She was the only Mage I had saved and to this day I still couldn’t figure out why I had done it.
The trip down memory lane ended when we arrived at the edge of the Reed Farm. I looked at Cathy and she nodded slightly to me. She remembers that night just as well as I do but we knew it would be different this time. The wounds of the Tower weren’t as fresh and Cathy now had authority as Lady Middleton. We would finally be welcome back to our first home after we left the Tower.
Aaron was in the field when he caught sight of us walking up to the house. He jogged over and adjusted his wide brimmed hat. “I wondered when you would be back.”
“It’s good to see you again,” I smiled.
“I see nothing has changed,” Aaron smirked. “You are still running around causing trouble.” He turned to Cathy. “Welcome to my farm, I’m Aaron Reed.”
“Lady Sandra Middleton of Davalin,” Cathy answered. “This is Captain Bill Dodd.”
I looked at Bill, shocked to hear his full name and title while Aaron bowed slightly. “My Lady. What brings you out this way?” Aaron said.
“We are on a mission to Thurlborn Peak from Ghanlar,” Cathy answered professionally. “Kairu has stated that you may be able to offer us some aid.”
“What type of aid?” Aaron asked curiously.
“Just a place to sleep for the night,” I answered. “We aren’t going to make it to Riverside before sun down.”
Aaron looked up into the sky and nodded. “You have a couple hours of sunlight left, but I can see your concern. Come on, let’s go find my mother.”
He turned around and we followed him. “Thanks for helping us,” I said.
“No problem...Kairu was it?” He looked back and smirked and I nodded. “Plus it isn’t everyday a Lord or Lady of Balendar drops by to visit. With everything that happened at Thurlborn Peak we need to look out for each other.”
“That is very commendable of you, Mr. Reed,” Cathy said. “I will be sure to pay back your family for any goods you can share.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Aaron replied. “Just make sure the other Lords stop their bickering and put a king or queen on the throne before Balendar falls apart.”
“That is the plan,” Cathy responded.
Aaron led us through the front door into his house. The warm familiarity was refreshing as we crossed the threshold. The twins, Clare and Bethany, looked up from the living room and smiled at the sight of me.
It was hard to believe it had only been a couple of cycles. The twins had grown a lot but had still managed to look completely identical; something they took pride in so they could trick anyone that asked.
“Andy!” They both squealed as they ran up to greet me.
“Well if it isn’t Trouble #1 and Trouble #2,” I smiled.
“Who’s number 1 and who’s number 2?” Clare (I thought) asked.
“I’ll leave you two to figure that out,” I replied.
The girls looked at each other as Mary walked in to greet us. She was still aging gracefully despite the twins’ best efforts at stressing her out. Her frizzy hair was starting to grey and was in its trademark mess. She smiled sweetly at her guests.
“I thought I heard visitors,” she said.
“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Cathy said. “I’m Lady Sandra Middleton of Davalin. Thank you for welcoming us into your lovely home.”
“The pleasure is mine,” Mary replied, flustered from the compliment.
“Does Lady Middleton seem odd to you...Andy?” Bill whispered to me.
I smirked. “Like you said when we first met, she’s nice when she wants something.”
“True, but she just seems more...genuinely pleasant,” Bill continued. “More than you would think from someone who has gone through what she has gone through.”
I nodded slowly and tried to think up something quickly. “We should keep an eye on her. She could just be over-compensating for depression. When we get the chance, I’ll talk with her.”
“Same here,” Bill said. “A lot rides on her. We can’t have her battling with inner demons.”
I forced myself not to smirk at his reference. “Agreed.”
“Of course, we’ll help you,” Mary said to Cathy. “We’ll do what we can.”
I snapped back to the conversation. “I greatly appreciate this, Mrs. Reed.”
“I told you to please call me Mary,” she said to me.
I smiled. “I know.”
She turned back to Cathy and Bill. “Allow me to show you the house.”
“I would love to see it,” Cathy answered politely.
“I trust you still remember where everything is, Andy?” Mary asked me.
“He has a fancy new name now,” Aaron stated with a smirk. “He’s ‘Kairu’ now.”
“That’s a stupid name,” Clare (I thought) said.
“Bethany!” her mother exclaimed.
Bethany’s eyes went wide at being scolded and I quickly looked for something that was different about her from Clare. I found a dirt stain on her sleeve and grinned at her.
“Got you now, Bethany,” I said quietly. “I won the game.”
She made a face at me. “That doesn’t count. Mom helped you.”
“Way to go,” Clare said, nudging her.
“I’ve got to head back out,” Aaron said to me as Cathy and Bill followed Mary to the next room. “You should come with. I should tell Dad you are here anyhow.”
“Yeah, let’s go,” I said. “Maybe we can find Natalie while we’re at it.”
“Yeah, about that...” he started sadly.
*****
It’s peaceful working on the farm. The whole world could pass you by and you wouldn’t even realise it. Helping Aaron out for the rest of the day reminded me of how painful it was to leave in the first place. I had decided that after this adventure was over, I would set up a small farm somehow and disappear from the world.
How I was going to tell Cathy about this was a different story. She never liked our time on the farm and was happy to leave it behind. She had stayed in the house with Mary, the girls and Bill. I just hoped she wasn’t corrupting the little girls. Or worse, they were corrupting her.
Aaron and I used this time to catch up. They were shocked when I had left them in the middle of the night, but understood fully. Shortly after that, unfortunately, Natalie and he broke up. Natalie had grown sick of the farming life and wanted to go adventuring. Aaron, being a family first person, couldn’t bear to leave his family behind again. The break up was mutual but for the best, as he put it.
I was unsure of how much to tell him, but once I started, I couldn’t stop. I started with my nomadic days to being found in the forest to my current mission. He shook his head and laughed at my ability to find trouble, but looked like he wanted to join. When I asked him to come along he just shook his head and explained that if the war was heading to Balendar, he would be needed to make sure his family was safe. I nodded in understanding and didn’t press the subject.
The rest of the day and night passed quickly The Reed family treated us to a nice dinner in an attempt to impress Lady Middleton. Cathy didn’t mind the treatment and answered any questions the twins had. Her demeanour was a lot more depressed than before and I suspected Bill had had a few words with her.
When the morning sun rose on the horizon, it was time to leave. I thanked Mary and said a proper goodbye to everyone before walking down the familiar trail to Riverside. Cathy put Bill in charge of scouting so she could hang back with me and we could discuss a few things.
“It was good to see them again,” she stated.
I smirked. “I didn’t think they could win you over. You were happy to
be away from there.”
“It’s not where the action is,” Cathy started, “but it has its merits.”
“What does?” I asked.
“The farm, the family,” she answered.
“That’s very Human of you,” I teased.
She chuckled. “Well that’s what I am now. I have to get used to it. Besides, isn’t this how depressed humans act? By longing for something better?”
“A farm and family are better?” I asked sceptically.
“Sounded like the right thing to say,” she smirked.
“So Bill had the talk with you,” I said.
“Yes,” she smirked. “According to him, you said I was repressing my depression. You made him all worried about me.”
“He didn’t need any help for that,” I chuckled. “You simply being polite freaked him out. From what Vincent told me, Lady Middleton was quite pleasant to be with. Why would Bill be worried about this pleasant attitude now?”
“He never knew her,” Cathy answered. “All he has seen has been the past few days. He thinks I am still in shock from the loss of everyone.”
“I suppose that would be right in normal circumstances,” I said.
“Unfortunately,” she responded. “We need to get rid of him. He will only become an anchor of how I am supposed to act when we should be dealing with the future.”
I nodded slowly. “Then it might be best to send him back to Davalin at Riverside.”
“That’s what I was thinking too,” Cathy said thoughtfully.
“How are you going to break it to him so it doesn’t sound like we are dismissing him?” I asked, watching Bill walk ahead of us.
She smiled. “Well someone has to send the message to Davalin to prepare for war. I will of course, be too busy so it will fall upon Bill to do this important task.”
I turned to her and smirked. “You are better at this than I would have thought.”
“I have years of experience under my belt,” Cathy replied.
“That sounds dirty,” I joked, keeping a straight face.
The Vacant Throne: The Legend Of Kairu Vol 3 Page 8