Bones of the Earth

by Jason A. Gilbert

  Laila nodded, satisfied but still bored. She stood, walking over to the far wall. The light radiated from the wall itself, soft with a hint of warmth. She placed her hand on the wall tentatively, not sure what she was expecting to happen. But nothing changed. The wall felt like any other stone, it just had a subtle glow. Laila did not immediately remove her hand from the wall, however. Running her hand along the stone, she began to feel the intricacies of it, the places where it had worn down, the areas that were still strong. As she walked along the wall, she could feel each crevice and crack. Then she stopped.

  What was that? she wondered. Her hand had passed along an emptiness in the stone. Everywhere else her hand passed, there had been a feeling of solid rock stretching out beneath her fingers. She moved her hand back to the spot. Except here.

  She stood at the spot for a moment, her hand no longer moving along the wall.

  "Icarus," she said softly.

  Icarus slowly looked up from the book he was holding. When he saw what she was doing, he came to her immediately.

  "What is it?"

  "There's something strange about the wall here. As if, I don't know, that it's not actually there."

  Icarus put his hand up next to hers. He stood with his head down, concentrating.

  "I don't feel anything but stone," he said.

  "No...there's something...odd. I don't know." She started to pull her hand away.

  "Stop. You might be seeing something I can't."

  "You can't? But you're the Magus, I'm not."

  "You have a lot to learn, child. Hold your hand. Let your mind do what it wants."

  Laila turned back to the wall. She kept her hand still over the spot in the wall. Nothing. She sighed. "I—"

  There had been something, a hint of movement. Fluid, not the stone she could see. Instinctively, she closed her eyes. Then she could feel it. The earthlight was masking something. "It feels...like water."

  "Ah..." Icarus responded. "I will be of no help, then. This is something only you can figure out."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Another time. Just keep going. You said it feels like water, fluid. Can you push against it?"

  "I'll try."

  Keeping her eyes closed to shut out the illusion of the stone, she pushed her hand forward. The wall resisted at first, stopped the force of her thrust forward as stone would. Then slowly her hand began to disappear into the stone. Suddenly she fell forward, the illusion giving way. She let out a brief cry as a sheet of cold water washed over her, collapsing to the floor and soaking her robes. Icarus jumped backwards, avoiding some of the splash. With her robes dripping, Laila saw that the water had opened up a doorway into another small room.

  "Are you alright?" Icarus said, a hint of a smile on his lips.

  "I'm fine," Laila responded, shaking her arms as water dripped from her robes and hair.

  Icarus began to laugh. Laila looked at him harshly, but then she began to laugh herself; the sound was infectious. She had not laughed since leaving Terus, and it felt good to do it now. Her whole body began to respond, and she soon found herself leaning against the wall, laughing from the core of her being as water dripped vigorously from her hair onto the floor.

  "You've done well, Laila," Icarus said, recovering from his own mirth and stepping through the newly revealed doorway.

  "What did I do?" she asked, her own laughter subsiding as well.

  "You broke the illusion that kept this room hidden. I couldn't have done that. It was an illusion of water, held together by air. Only a Magusari could break it, or several Magi from different orders..." Icarus was talking more to himself than Laila.

  "I don't understand."

  He turned back to her. "I know, but you will soon. Come." He motioned her into the room with him. This new room looked much like the one behind them except it lacked the wall-to-wall bookshelves. In the new room, there were a series of cases, each holding two or three books. All together there were eight different books. Each one had intricate designs on the leather covers, and they were all different.

  "Is this what we were looking for?" Laila asked, finally squeezing her hair out to one side and then pulling it back behind her and shivering from the cold.

  "It is," Icarus answered, walking forward slowly.

  He reached the middle case and lifted its glass cover. He picked up one of the books. Brushing the thin layer of dust on the leather cover, he revealed an ornate symbol embossed on the front in silver. Laila thought the symbol resembled mountains, very stylized mountains.

  "What does that say?" she asked.

  "It's in the language of the Moon Kingdom, but in our tongue it says, 'A Treatise on the Bones of the Earth.'"

  "Oh. And that means?" she continued, still confused.

  "It means that we found what we came here for. These are the teachings of the last Magusari."

  He opened the book slowly, gently. The pages crinkled slightly. Laila stepped next to him. The writing was completely foreign to her. It was beautiful, though, a flowing script that seemed to dance across the page.

  "Can you read that?" she asked.

  "A little, yes."

  "Is it going to help?"

  "I believe so, yes." Icarus could not take his eyes off the book.

  "Are we done now?" she pushed.

  Icarus finally caught the need behind her questions. "Oh, yes." He gently placed the book he held into a small bag hung over his shoulder. Moving between the cases, he emptied them all into his small bag. Their task complete, Icarus motioned for Laila to lead the way back out of the hidden library. As she stepped onto the stairs, Icarus stopped for a moment. He placed his hand against the wall and hummed softly. The earthlight dimmed and went out, plunging them into darkness.

  "What?!" Laila was startled by the sudden emptiness.

  "Give me a moment." Icarus's voice came to her through the darkness.

  Slowly another source of light began to brighten. It was not the walls giving off the light this time. Laila could see that it was a small stone in Icarus's hand, flat and smooth. It only gave off enough light to illuminate the steps below their feet, but it was enough to dispel Laila's sudden anxiety.

  "Is that earthlight?" she asked.

  "It is. And this can be your first lesson. Take the stone from my hand." He pushed his hand toward her.

  She reached for it slowly, not sure what to expect. As her hand closed around the stone, the light went out and the darkness wrapped itself around them.

  "What happened?" Laila asked, apprehension weaving its way into her voice.

  "Calm yourself. I want you to activate the earthlight. It's something any Earth Magus can do." Laila wondered slightly at the emphasis he had put on the word “earth.” That was the first she had heard Icarus mention it. "Feel the stone. Reach into it with your mind, unlock the hidden energy inside it," Icarus continued.

  Laila tried. She could feel the smooth stone in her hand. She concentrated on it, the slipperiness of its surface, the cold touch of it against her warm hand. But there was nothing else. It was just a stone in her hand.

  "I can't," she began dejectedly.

  "Yes, you can. You need to learn to tap into your power outside of stressful situations. The power is there, in you and in the stone. You just need to see it." Icarus's voice was calm, but there was a hint of forcefulness to the statement.

  Laila sighed. She brought her focus back to the stone. She still could not feel anything different. She then felt Icarus place his hand on her arm, just at the wrist, gently. As he held her, she felt a warmth grow in her hand. It was coming from the stone, but there was still no light. She focused on the warmth, willing it to manifest as light. She was not sure that was what she needed to do, but it was the only thing she could think of.

  Slowly, light began to shine from the stone. It was not as bright as when Icarus had done it, but Laila could just make out the shape of her own hand around the stone and Icarus's hand on her wrist. As the light appeared, Ic
arus removed his hand. The light stayed. Laila felt a brief rush of excitement.

  "Am I doing this?" she whispered, afraid that speaking too loudly would end the moment.

  "You are, Laila. With a little help." Laila could hear the smile in Icarus's voice. "But, now it is you."

  "Wow! I still can't see."

  "Bring forth more light," Icarus encouraged.

  Laila focused on the warmth of the stone and the light again, imagining the light growing brighter. As she did, the light did grow brighter. Within moments, the whole of the stairwell was lit. The light continued to grow with Laila's excitement. Then, with a crack, the stone in her hand split and light went out again.

  There was a moment of silence before Icarus chuckled. "A little too much. But you'll learn."

  Laila was glad of the darkness now; it hid her embarrassment.

  Another light came to life in Icarus's hand. "That will do for now. Think about how it felt to call the light out of the stone. That was just the start to your lessons."

  Laila nodded, not sure of what to say. Icarus motioned her forward, and they climbed the stairs in the dim light of Icarus's earthlight. When they reached the top of the stairs, Icarus placed his hand on the wall again, and the small doorway slid open, releasing them back out into the evening light of Balon.

  They slid out of the small doorway, Icarus looking up and down the street as they exited. Laila could not see anyone, but she could suddenly sense Icarus's anxiousness. He turned quickly, placed his hand against the wall, and they watched the stone click back into place, leaving the stone of the wall unmarked once again.

  "Quickly, Laila," Icarus whispered as he led her back into the winding streets of southern Balon.

  "Is something wrong?"

  "Not here," Icarus answered, still whispering.

  They weaved their way in and out of the stone buildings, taking several different turns, heading in the general direction of their small inn but taking a different route than they had followed earlier. Suddenly they came out onto a wider street full of people. It was a small market, not as large as the city center, but still bustling with the last activity of the day. Icarus pulled Laila into the crowd.

  "We need to get back to Connor," he said, pulling her close to his side and speaking into her ear.

  "What is it?" she questioned again.

  "Something's not right." He offered no further explanation.

  Laila's own anxiety began to rise. There was so much that Icarus was not telling her. She had thought the biggest issue with the discovery of her strange abilities would be leaving Terus, but there seemed to be something much larger going on in the outside world, and she could not begin to understand. Laila followed close to Icarus as they made their way back through the city.

  Connor drifted in and out of sleep on the small bed in his and Laila's room. The morning and afternoon had slid by slowly, hour by hour, as he’d waited for his two companions to return. At midday he had walked from the inn to the city center, trying to break the monotony. He was amazed at the similarities between this city and Terus, as though they were twins. His simple upbringing in Custos had not prepared him for the variety of people that these cities harbored. Consuls and wealthy merchants roamed the streets in their fancy robes and brightly colored tunics, and craftspeople and farmers made their way into the city every day to make their living. Everything in Custos had been community oriented. Granted, there was a hierarchy in place, but everyone had contributed to the whole because that was part of their identity, their clan. Here in Balon, and in Terus, Connor had noticed none of that connection among the people. Each family had their own priorities and ambitions, and that rarely seemed to coincide with anyone else's, for all Laila's talk of creating a homogenous society. And, in all her musings about Terus, Laila failed to mention the serving class. He had heard them referred to as the Togati. To him, they seemed to be an integral part of Terus, but it was obvious that Laila and the other Citizens took their service for granted.

  As he drifted, he found himself missing Custos. The smell of the honey rolls, his mother's stew, his friends. He knew that nothing would ever be the same now. He was the chosen companion of the Magus, an honor he’d had to defend his life for. An honor he had not really wanted.

  The handle on the door rattled, waking Connor from his drowsing. He swung his legs off the bed and stood. For a moment, he felt adrenaline surge, and he wanted to reach out for the Sword. Then the door swung open, and Laila and Icarus stepped in. Icarus looked back down the hallway before closing the door quickly. Connor could see concern on Laila's face.

  "What happened?" he asked.

  Icarus turned from the door and took a seat, and as he did, he lit a small lamp. The sun was finally setting, and the room was becoming dark.

  "I'm not sure," Icarus answered, staring into the flame of the lamp.

  Connor looked at Laila as she sat down wearily on her own small bed. The young girl looked exhausted. He knew that she was not used to the kind of travel they had endured the previous few days. Not to mention the incredible emotional strain she must be under. He could see the slump in her shoulders and the heaviness to her eyes; there was far more stress than should have been present in someone her age.

  "Did you notice anything strange while we were gone?" Icarus asked, looking up from the lamp.

  Connor shook his head. "No, Magus. Nothing."

  Icarus nodded to himself. Connor wanted desperately to help, but Icarus was not forthcoming with information about their situation. Even before Terus, much of their conversation had revolved around Connor's ability and Icarus's teachings about the Confederacy, prepping Connor for his time there. But he had learned little of their actual purpose.

  "We'll wait through the night. You both deserve at least one night in a real bed." Connor saw Laila perk up slightly. "But we'll need to leave early in the morning, at daybreak at the latest."

  "Is there anything I can do?" Connor asked.

  Icarus shook his head. "No. You both need to get rest."

  With that, Icarus stood and left. Connor heard the door across the hall open and close as Icarus entered his own room, leaving him and Laila alone. He watched her a moment longer. She took a deep breath and lay down on the bed, her eyes shutting immediately, closing off Connor's opportunity to speak to her. She needed the rest. Not feeling tired himself, Connor decided to see if he could get something to eat in the inn's greatroom. Leaving Laila on her bed, he slipped out of their room and walked down the stairs to the small common area.

  Only a few other patrons occupied the room. A group of three men sat at a table in the corner, engaged in a hushed conversation with the plates and cups in front of them indicating their recent meal. An older couple, dressed in the garb of farmers, sat at another table, likely staying the night before returning to their work tomorrow, Connor mused.

  He was able to order a small plate of food for himself and found his own seat. The food was passable, a small loaf of bread that had likely been fresh that morning but was now on the tough side, a slice of meat, and a bowl of various small fruits. Connor dug in hungrily. He had been eating nothing but travel fare for the last few days, so the fresh food was a welcome change.

  As he ate, he mulled over his situation. There were so many questions that had not been answered. He continued to brood over his lack of knowledge as he finished his meal. Finally arriving at a decision, Connor made his way back up to their room, intent on speaking to Laila and gauging her perspective.

  Coming into their room, he saw the girl, now sitting on her bed, with her head in her hands. Her shoulders were steady, so Connor did not think she was crying, but she did not seem to notice him come in. He closed the door, the snap of the handle echoing through the silent room, and Laila looked up at him.

  "Are you alright?" he asked.

  She nodded. "It's just been a long day."

  "What happened?"

  Laila briefly described their search through the library.

&
nbsp; "So, these books were what Icarus was looking for?" asked Connor.

  "I guess so."

  "Any idea what they're for?"

  "Not really."

  Connor nodded, wanting to continue the conversation but unsure of what to say. He had never been clever with the girls of Custos, and he had grown up with them. He walked across the room and sat at the small table.

  "Has he told you anything about me?" Laila asked, finally.

  "About you? What do you mean?"

  "About whatever being the Magusari means? Or what I'm supposed to do? Or...I don't know, anything that would help this all make more sense?"

  Connor could hear the need in her voice, and he found that he wanted to help her somehow. "I... No, not really. There's a lot that Icarus hasn't told me either. I think we're both in the dark."

  Laila lowered her head. "That's what I thought."

  "I'm sorry," Connor said.

  "I know."

  "I trust him, if that's any help."

  "It is a little," she started, "but you told me yourself, your people see the Magi a lot different than where I'm from. Isn't trusting him kind of part of what you do? I mean, the way your town treated Icarus certainly seemed like that."

  "Aye. But I've been with him for almost a month now, and he hasn't given me any reason to doubt that trust." Connor shrugged, hoping to allay some of her concern.

  She nodded again.

  Connor, searching desperately for something else to say, finally blurted, "I'm glad you’re here."

  She raised her head and cocked an eyebrow.

  "I mean... I... It's good to have someone to talk to, about all this." He waved his hands in the air without real purpose. "You... I... Oh, bugger! I don't know..." His ramblings trailed off.

  Laila smiled at him and began to laugh. It was a light sound, and Connor could see some of the worry that had covered her face since they had left Terus fade slightly. He began to chuckle, feeling his cheeks flush.

  "Thank you, Connor. I'm glad you're here too. Let's make a deal," Laila said as her laughter subsided.

  Connor waited.