by B. T. Narro
I didn’t understand why Reuben didn’t look afraid like the rest of us. Could it be that he was braver than I was? No. He was just stupid. He thought that because he specialized in ordia, a magical art that had no place on the battlefield, he wouldn’t be put to the sword when the time came. He was somewhat tall like Michael and myself, and he was young and capable. Of course he might be put to a sword. Even Charlie, who the king agreed was not here to fight, was white with terror.
This was why Leon said we only had a few months. It was also why he was so frustrated with our failures. We were the group the king had chosen. But why us?
Either there was no one better than us, or he couldn’t afford the people who were. As much as Leon’s attitude bothered me, I was starting to understand his frustration.
The king made a placating gesture. “I can see that all of you are envisioning a great battle. This is likely not going to happen. Ever. There are many ways to stop a war before it begins.”
The king slammed his fist down onto his palm, snapping me out of my fearful line of thoughts. “That’s why all of you are here. Some of you might need to fight enemies of the kingdom, but this will be a different kind of fighting. You are not to charge into throngs of armored soldiers. I have hordes of sellswords if that time comes. Your encounters will be planned. They will be designed to prevent violence and hardship, not cause it.
“You have not come here to sacrifice yourselves. You have come here to help me maintain peace. Now if you don’t believe that’s something worth training for, then you are free to leave whenever you want. I only ask that you don’t speak of this to anyone. My enemies aren’t just in Rohaer. They are across our kingdom, in all shapes and forms. They are sorcerers of dteria who are trying to spread the corruption for reasons we still don’t understand. They are the guards who take my coin in exchange for protecting citizens, only to thieve and rape when they believe they can get away with it. My enemies are the people in this land who are ready to kill others to protect their own self-interests, and they are prevalent. If my enemies find out that I am training a group to seek out and find them, then they will not hesitate to kill you before you are strong enough to stop them.”
Pride swelled in my chest at hearing the king speak about us in this way. My life had had little purpose before now. My buzzing mana was the only thing that drove me. Now there was so much more.
I still had many questions, like how could the king be aware of having so many enemies without already stopping them? How could he know there were guards who thieved and raped? Why hadn’t they been hung or thrown into the dungeons by now? But I trusted this man in front of me. I could tell he cared about the people in his kingdom.
I knew I had a lot to learn, but I was eager to begin. A thought made me pause, however. I had already been targeted. I’d figured it was someone here who had tried to poison my mana with dteria, but perhaps it was one of the many enemies the king had mentioned. They might already know of our group and have more plans to corrupt us, if not kill us outright.
My fear quickly returned.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Most of my peers were high in spirit when the king left. Leon had announced that everyone must go back to training, but first he took me away from the group for a word.
“So you finally managed to cast one time for the king, eh?”
“I did.”
“Think you can do it again?” Leon asked, doubt in his tone.
I didn’t want to brag, but whenever I’ve done something once, it’s never been a problem to repeat it.
“I can,” I told him.
“Show me.” He held out his hand as a target.
Preparing my mana for the complicated spell, however, still took a good ten seconds of pure concentration. Fortunately, Leon didn’t rush me as I readied my mana in the four different frequencies required.
I couldn’t get over how satisfying it felt when the spell came to fruition. It was like struggling with a lock and then finally finding the right key. It was like trying to recall a memory and then finally having it emerge out of the depths of your mind. It was wondering for five long years what this buzzing energy could do and then finally seeing it for myself.
It didn’t matter to me that it wasn’t strong enough to spin Leon around, whipping his hand back instead. This was just the beginning of what I could do with dvinia. I didn’t care what he said to diminish my accomplishment right now.
“I’m actually impressed,” he said.
I smiled in shock.
“Tell me what else you can do so I know how to split your training and what tasks to send you on.”
“I can use the sword and bow.”
“Which are you better at?”
“The sword.”
“How good with each?”
“Good,” I answered.
He squinted. “Don’t be modest with me.”
“Extremely good,” I answered more accurately.
“I figured. Did you bring these weapons with you from Bhode?”
“I did, but I sold my bow in Tryn.” I hadn’t imagined myself going out for a hunt once I arrived in the city, where all kinds of food could be purchased cheaply. Also, I’d needed the coin.
“You ever hunt?” Leon asked.
“I did all the time in Bhode.”
“Good. I’ll be teaching the other men sword once all of you get a better grasp on the spells you’re specializing in. Take the rest of the day to practice Expel. Tomorrow, you will be taking Aliana and Eden into Curdith Forest.”
I looked forward to that. Leon was leaving, though, and I wasn’t even close to being done with him.
“I’d like to learn other spells of dvinia as well,” I called out.
“You and me both,” he said in stride. “Expel is the only one any sorcerer knows.” He stopped and slowly turned around. “Do you even know how strong this spell can become?”
I shook my head. “Everything I know about sorcery is what you and Barrett told me in the great hall.”
“Practice at least six hours every day, with breaks. Learn how to change the shape of the spell, not only the force. You will find that there is much you can do with just Expel if you put your mind to it. I can’t help you because my mana doesn’t reach high enough to cast it.”
“If I practice nothing but using my mana in the range of dvinia, will I lose my ability to reach lower ranges?”
“You should not be concerned about that. Dvinia will take enough of your time without you wasting effort trying to learn another art.” Leon left me on my own.
I took that as a yes. No matter what he said, I didn’t want to lose my wide range of mana. That meant I had to figure out my own way of training. Fortunately, I already had, with the vibmtaer in my room. I would take his advice in the beginning, however, focusing only on dvinia until the spell was powerful.
I practiced for a while. I’d always enjoyed improving techniques through repetition, challenging myself to learn as fast as I could. It was wondrously freeing to have no looming deadline. I would not be removed if I failed to impress Leon or the king, but that didn’t mean that I’d let my determination dwindle.
I looked forward to being able to cast Expel without so much preparation. Then I could really focus on improving the force and precision of the spell.
I curiously watched the other sorcerers when I took a brief break. There were three others besides me whose sorcery could be used in combat, as far as I knew. Michael, with his specialty of wind, had an entire side of the large courtyard to himself. With a moonstone in one hand, he swept his other hand around as whirls of wind seemed to follow his command, picking up the dry dirt of the courtyard with each cast. His clothes were covered in a thick layer of dust. He wore a cloth mask over his mouth. I didn’t envy him. For his sake, I’m sure it would’ve been nice if the courtyard was covered in grass, but watching Remi after him made it clear why that wouldn’t work out for us.
The shy girl of light hair and narrow,
determined eyes seemed to have control over a small ball of fire hovering in front of her hand. Like Michael, she held onto a moonstone, an essence that seemed required for her to cast.
That could’ve been me, I thought to myself. They had wanted me to learn the spell Fire. It could be incredibly useful if I learned to control it. Perhaps it would be the next thing I learned. With an essence, the element of fire sounded easier to control than the energy of dvinia.
Fire and Water would be the most valuable of any spell for the people of Bhode. When they’d spoken of sorcery, it was these elements that many had fantasized about. It was a bewildering concept to me, turning one’s mana into fire or water. Expel made sense. Mana felt like energy, the same thing that Expel seemed to be. Comparing that to water, something every creature had to consume to live, didn’t make sense to me. Could it really be the same water that we drink?
I watched Kataleya as she practiced without an essence. She was incredible. Kataleya could form a sphere of water and move it through the air. I edged closer as I watched with insatiable curiosity. When she stopped shifting it one way and made it hover back the other way, the water didn’t slosh around as if disturbed. She had complete control, the clear water utterly still and contained. When she was done, she let it fall into the well nearby.
I made my way over as she panted for breath. I felt someone’s gaze. I looked over to see Reuben glaring at me. I ignored him.
“What you’re doing is nothing short of amazing,” I told Kataleya.
She turned around, still catching her breath, her pale cheeks flushed. “Thank you.”
“Do you mind if I ask a few questions about it?”
“Sure.” There was a friendly sparkle in her ashen eyes.
“Seeing as how you’re putting the water into the well after using it, am I right to assume it’s the same water we drink?”
“Water made from mana is water in its purest form,” she said.
“So when you’re thirsty, you turn your water into mana and then drink it? I hope this doesn’t sound rude, but that seems strange to me.”
She gave a laugh. “It does sound strange when you put it like that. I’ve never drank water from my mana because I’m thirsty. It takes too much out of me. However, I have created water to store for later.”
“And it tastes just like any other water?”
“Try it.” She started to move her hand around, and a sphere of water began to form between us.
“I don’t know,” I said as I looked around. I noticed Aliana glancing at me, but she pretended she hadn’t been as soon as our eyes met. She had been shooting arrows at a target on another side of the courtyard. I’d watched her a few times. Even from afar, I could tell that she needed some assistance with her form, but I thought it would be too forward to impose myself.
Kataleya brought the sphere of water close to my mouth. “Go ahead,” she said.
“This is the strangest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
She giggled. “Don’t make me laugh.”
I put my lips against the sphere of water, then immediately recoiled. “Ugh, it’s warm!”
She looked to be holding in laughter with a tightly pressed smile. “Did you taste anything?”
“I’m not sure I want to,” I teased.
“Stop!” She laughed harder. “I’m losing concentration. Taste it so I can prove my point.”
I quickly slurped some water out of the sphere. The fact that it was warm and verging on hot made the experience very uncomfortable, but I smacked my lips a few times as I tried to search for a taste. Kataleya let the sphere of water drop. I jumped back as it splashed against the ground where my feet were.
“That’s your fault for making me laugh.” She giggled as she searched for breath.
I chuckled with her.
“So what did it taste like?” she asked when she recovered somewhat.
“A little flat, I guess.”
“Because there’s nothing in it but water. You taste very small things from rivers in other water. Even if you can’t see them, they’re there.”
“Oh, that makes sense,” I said. “How can you make it float in the air?”
“It’s just like any other magical art. Whatever we create, we can control.”
“I don’t feel that way with dvinia. Once it leaves me, it has a mind of its own.”
“You’re just starting out. You will learn to control it.” She leaned in. “And might I say that you teaching yourself dvinia, against the orders of our instructor and the councilman to the king is, as you said, nothing short of amazing.”
“Thank you, Kataleya.”
“You can call me Kat.”
“Kat,” I said with a nod. “Do you think you might find time to teach me more about water later? I would really like to learn how to cast with it.”
“I would be happy to help you whenever you wish. Just let me know.”
“That’s very kind. Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”
“I will if I think of something.”
“I’d better get back to training.”
She nodded.
I could feel Reuben wanting to rip my head off as I walked away from Kat, but I didn’t bother even looking at him this time. I did check on Aliana, however. She was focused on the target in front of her as she aimed, shot, then lowered her shoulders in disappointment when her arrow completely missed to the side.
It was uncomfortable for me to watch anyone suffering, especially when I felt that I could help. But it hurt even more to see Aliana frustrated with herself.
I didn’t realize I was staring until she looked over. Now I was the one who quickly looked away—an instinct that I immediately regretted. I should’ve at least given her a smile of encouragement. I looked back, but she was turned away from me again. I hoped I hadn’t embarrassed her by noticing her lack of skill, but I could almost feel her shame as her body shrank in on itself.
I noticed that both Eden and Charlie were not present in the courtyard. If I recalled correctly, Charlie specialized in mtalia. While I didn’t know exactly what that meant, I was just about certain his skill had something to do with metal. He did mention that he was good at building and was a blacksmith’s apprentice.
Eden had mentioned, after the test with the vibmtaer, that she would be an enchanter. From the little I’d learned about enchanting from Greda, I figured Eden was somewhere practicing with a dog’s claw or another animal part right now.
Ordia seemed like a powerful magical art, from the little I knew so far. Enchanters used it, as did harbingers like Barrett and what Reuben hoped to be. And Greda had explained that casting an illusion required ordia and vtalia. Ordia would have to be something I looked into more, even if I never could use it to enchant anything.
Reuben looked to be casting like the others here in the courtyard, but there was nothing to witness. I had little idea how skilled he was with ordia. I doubted he could seal a contract, like Barrett. He was probably familiarizing himself with the notes required, as I had done with dvinia.
Eventually, we were called into the great hall for supper. I caught up and walked with Michael under the impression we would eat together, but he had to wash his hands from all the dust his casting had brought up. I waited as he used the water from the well as everyone else entered the great hall.
“The next spell I’m going to learn will be Water,” he said. “Speaking of, I think just about everyone noticed you drinking Kataleya’s water.”
“I didn’t think that would be an issue.”
“How did it taste?”
“Bland. Warm.”
“I figured it would taste like money.”
I politely ignored his quip. “I saw her casting and wanted to know more about water. It looked too interesting for me to leave it alone, that’s all.”
He finished rinsing his hands. “Not sure everyone’s going to think that. I know Reuben won’t.”
We made our way toward the gre
at hall.
“Creating wind out of mana seems just as strange to me as water,” Michael said. “Are you sure you’re not interested in water just because Kat’s rich and shapely?”
“It’s not that.”
“Mmm hmm.” He clearly didn’t believe me.
We were the last ones to enter the dining room. There were just two plates of food left on the serving table near the doorway. Both had a couple of meaty lamb legs and a generous portion of seasoned potatoes. It reminded me that the king had promised Grufaeragar a feast earlier. It was nice to see that we were included in the king’s thoughts, even if we didn’t eat at the same time as the krepp.
“Wow,” Michael said. “I guess the king doesn’t mind if we get fat.”
“I’m sure he plans to keep us very busy.”
“The busiest people are sometimes the fattest!”
“Not where I come from.”
We made our way over to the others. Kataleya, Aliana, and Eden were seated together on the far end of the middle long table. Remi ate by herself at another long table close to the wall. Reuben and Charlie sat separated from everyone, as well as each other.
“This won’t do at all,” I commented. “We’re all in this together. We should be eating together, too.”
“You really want to eat with Reuben and Charlie?” Michael asked.
“I do,” I told him.
He made a face of shock. “All right…”
We set our plates down near Charlie. He smiled. “You’ll eat with me?”
“Of course!” Michael said a little too enthusiastically, giving me a smug look. “We wouldn’t even consider sitting somewhere else!”
“That’s kind,” Charlie said, missing Michael’s sarcasm.
I made my way over to Reuben. He glared at me.
“Would you like to sit with us?” I offered.
He looked at me as if this was some sort of trick.
“We’re all on the same side here,” I reminded him.
“We’re not,” he said. “You have no nobility, no honor. I don’t want to see you flirting with Kataleya anymore. She is too far above your rank. You’re embarrassing her.”