Jogging across the courtyard to the sickbay wing felt good. It was not an exercise she was familiar with doing. Obviously she’d never done it when she was blind and had to feel her way everywhere. But she’d watched people in training jogging to increase their fitness and noticed the animus people jogged everywhere and looked so happy to stretch their legs. Now she knew how they felt. The early morning sunshine was bright, the sky clear but the wind bitingly chilly.
‘Is something wrong?’ Tommy asked her, coming to run at her side.
‘No, I just fancied running today.’ His anxious frown cleared and then he smiled. She noticed how he ran as he kept pace, how light and effortless his strides were and tried to copy him. She went through the door into the sickbay wing, and in deference to sleeping patients, slowed to walk briskly up the corridor, even though she’d rather have kept running. What was up with her today? Normally her feet dragged with weariness even after a full night’s rest.
Zach was sleeping when she arrived. She gazed at him wishing he was well again. She frowned, noticing his arms were being rubbed a little by the splints on them; particularly the right arm. Clearly he was trying to move more than he should. She sent her senses under the skin and found where his bones were beginning to knit. Focussing her magic she sought out the break and fused it properly for him. While there, she noticed how torn his arm muscles remained. It suddenly struck her that if she could see the damage she could direct magic to heal it, so she did. In only five minutes his right arm was now mended properly. It would no longer be causing him pain or prevent him from feeding himself. She removed the awkward splint and he woke.
‘Megan, you look wonderful today,’ he greeted, then noticed the splint in her hand.
‘Hello love. Can you move that arm now? I’ve just mended it.’ She watched him tentatively move the arm and a broad smile blossomed on his face.
‘It doesn’t hurt anymore,’ he said in wonder. ‘How? You’ve been so wan and tired recently.’
‘Shubert insisted on giving me a little blood and I feel strong for a change. Let me see if I can fix your other arm.’
‘No, I’d rather you sort a leg so I can at least get up,’ he asked hopefully.
‘You shouldn’t be thinking of getting up yet,’ she chided. He sent her a mental image of the indignity of bedpans, especially with unusable arms. Moving sufficiently to use such things inevitably hurt too. ‘Oh love,’ she murmured sharing his repugnance for that necessity. She threw back the covers and scanned the bones on both his legs. He’d made a real mess of one leg, shattering it below the knee. She hadn’t seen the full extent of this when she’d scanned him before. She’d known there were multiple breaks, but hadn’t been able to see such detail. She’d thought she’d managed to set this leg, but could now see that only the femur in the upper leg had responded. Her new stronger perception showed her that the lower leg bones had been so shattered they really couldn’t mend on their own. Numbing and immobilising the leg she got to work. With considerable care, she cast a spell calling each shard back to its original position, making sure nothing had been missed. Fusing the mosaic of fragments into a pair of solid bones took some doing but she was not going to rush it and leave him with a weakness. Next, she pulled the muscles back into correct alignment and reattached them. She withdrew then, feeling a little light-headed, and found him watching her.
‘Well, that leg took some mending. You’d shattered the tibia and fibula,’ she said clasping his shin gently. ‘Does this hurt?’
‘It’s tender, but not excruciatingly painful anymore. I can really feel my other leg and arm now,’ he added and noticed her move towards his other arm. ‘No more just now love, you’ve gone pale. You’ve done wonders as it is and have made me very happy,’ he assured her and used his weak but now useable arm to stroke her cheek affectionately. ‘Can you pour me some of that medicine? Look, I can drink on my own,’ he added holding the beaker and smiling at her although her ministrations had hurt and he needed the painkiller. ‘Are you going to class?’ he asked aware she kept glancing at the clock.
‘Yes, I must. You must promise me you won’t try and get up today. That repair was very tricky and I’d rather check it over later, when the swelling has gone down, to be sure it’s properly fused.’
‘Thank you for sending me your view of the break!’ he muttered in appalled shock. Her vision of the mess of bone shards that she’d had to pull back into place, creating a mosaic, was very disturbing. Bones should be smooth, with no fractures, to give support. That, more than anything she could have said, convinced him to wait and let his own body have a chance to strengthen the repair. He also knew by the feel of his arm, that it would take time to regain his strength, before he would be capable of much activity.
Julius and Schubert came into the room then. ‘Am I still glowing?’
‘Not now,’ Schubert told her and she smiled in relief.
‘See you later,’ she called and blew Zach a kiss before jogging off to class.
It felt a little odd to take her seat in the same classroom where she’d done battle remotely for Zach’s life. She was one of the first to arrive so could sit and catch her breath. She’d just accomplished major healing of an intricate nature and whilst tired, she wasn’t as wiped out as she’d normally expect to be.
‘You’re looking better Megan,’ Professor Alistair commented. ‘How is Zach coming along?’
‘He’s a lot better thank you sir. I managed to fuse his tibia and fibula this morning. They were shattered and in an awful mess. I don’t think that leg would have healed properly without intervention.’
‘You accomplished that and between breakfast and class?’ Alistair asked wide-eyed, having seen her at breakfast and noticed her leave early. She simply nodded and glanced at some of her classmates now coming into the room. Few could work that kind of complex surgical magic and surgeons usually insisted on a meld of strength to back them before attempting such things. She was pale but he’d have expected anyone else to be drained into an exhausted slumber. Yet again he wondered why such a gifted healer had enrolled in a warrior academy; was she just catering to her boyfriend’s wishes?
Megan spoke to her classmates only briefly, aware Alistair was watching, listening and probably waiting for them to shut up so he could begin the lesson.
‘Talking of the attack on Zacharias, there is a formal hearing scheduled for tomorrow. His attackers have already been publicly named and shamed; well they’ll be aware of that once they’re woken for the trial. Tomorrow, our Head of the Wizard Guild, High Wizard Antonius will come to interview everyone involved.’
‘How will he know what happened, and what is the truth?’ Megan asked nervously.
‘He reads minds uncommonly easily. He will get to the bottom of why Zacharias was attacked.’ Alistair glanced around his class. ‘Of course, all of you were witnesses. He may want to speak to all of you, so don’t be surprised to be summoned.’
‘So, High Wizard Antonius will want to extensively read my mind?’
‘I should imagine so. You, as a wizard, and linked to Zacharias, were in a unique position to see and understand exactly what happened,’ Alistair advised. ‘What troubles you?’
‘Will he be the only one who knows the full story of what happened? It’s important that Zach knows who was behind the attack. It’s also possible some facts may be of a sensitive nature and be better kept from becoming common knowledge.’
‘High Wizard Antonius will be in your mind; he will hear your concerns and answer if he can.’
‘Ah, of course. Thank you sir,’ Megan said and was glad Alistair turned to begin the lesson.
17
‘Hello Megan, it’s Alistair. Can you hear me?’ he asked mentally, looking across to the far side of the hall to where she was having breakfast.
‘Yes sir,’ she responded turning in her seat to politely meet his gaze on the head table. Beside him sat a stranger also looking her way. His steel grey hair was neatly combed,
and his posture erect in the seat, but not much of his attire could be discerned from where she sat. However his dark eyes were direct and commanding.
‘High Wizard Antonius has arrived,’ he said glancing sideways. ‘Can you join us at the bell,’ Alistair requested simply. ‘Oh and bring Brendon with you,’ he added noticing him at her table.
‘Certainly sir,’ she responded and his presence disappeared from her mind. She told Brendon then sat back, her appetite gone.
‘The Guild’s High Wizard himself wants to speak with us?’ Brendon asked her nervously, aware the stranger continued to watch them.
‘Yes.’
‘I thought he’d send someone in his place. He must think it an important case to come himself,’ Brendon added nervously.
‘He wouldn’t normally investigate such things personally?’ she asked.
‘No. He has teams of Magisters who usually take care of criminal investigations and sentencing. Oh, there is someone else at the head table I don’t recognise. I wonder if he’s a Magister or an assistant of some sort. He’s sitting opposite Headmaster Tarquin.’
‘There are two of them?’ Megan asked, and then shrugged, taking his word for it. Brendon glanced down at her in amusement realising she was too short to be able to see clearly through the other diners in the room.
‘Come on, let’s get this over with,’ she murmured, hearing the bell signalling the official end of breakfast. Many people didn’t wait for the bell but left as soon as they’d finished eating so they didn’t have to rush to get their books and walk to class. The hall was therefore relatively empty by the time the bell went. Brendon followed closely behind her, letting her take the lead as usual. There were only three men remaining at the head table and all had turned to watch her and Brendon’s approach. All rose to their feet for introductions to be made of the two newcomers. Tarquin introduced the second man as Magister Eduard, and then led the way to an empty classroom close to his office.
‘Brendon, you were present from the beginning of the altercation I believe?’
‘Yes Magister,’ Brendon said quietly.
‘Good, we will begin with you. Come and sit here,’ he added gesturing to a chair positioned across the desk from where he was seating himself.
Megan nodded reassuringly to Brendon when he looked her way; he was undeniably nervous and in need of reassurance. She was a little surprised he looked to her for that rather than Headmaster Tarquin. She noticed the High Wizard’s raised eyebrow at their exchange but she didn’t look his way again, concentrating on Brendon. She had no idea how anyone else was going to know what was going on, but she silently sat where indicated and watched.
The Magister announced this was a formal recording of the events and bade Brendon clear his mind and remember how it started. With that he took Brendon’s hands in his.
Brendon jumped as an image materialised in the air between him and the Magister. The view was a little hazy to begin with but as he concentrated on reliving his memory of what had happened, the view became clearer. Brendon walked beside Zacharias on the top floor corridor, having gone there to avoid a group of wizards searching for them, or rather Zacharias. He was trying to reassure Zach that they hadn’t been seen. It was clear to everyone watching, that Zach was being bullied and also that Brendon was helping him avoid them.
‘Trying to hide from us were you?’ A sarcastic voice enquired and the view turned to look back down the corridor.
The attack, as witnessed by Brendon, unrolled before them in graphic detail. There were only small gaps in the images when Brendon had been viciously kicked as he lay on the floor and had closed his eyes with the pain. When Zacharias had fallen from the window Brendon had watched the attackers run off, all except the one pinned to the wall. He had quickly gone to the window and seen Zacharias lying splayed out and blood pooling around him. It was a graphic and horrendous view. He’d spotted Megan dashing out of the building across the square. She’d been running full pelt, a crowd following just behind her. Brendon had immediately gone downstairs to join them and had watched Megan take charge. She had tears pouring down her cheeks but had been moving around Zach straightening his limbs with swift precision. Alistair had tried to pull her away and she had snapped at him, telling him that while Zach lived, there was hope. She had ordered the medics about and they had obeyed. The way she had turned to look up at him, to tell him that because Zach trusted him so did she, warmed him all over again. Her gaze had been very searching but she hadn’t touched him or influenced him in any way. Her face was white and pinched, and her eyes red and damp; she looked terrible, the strain of the battle very clear to everyone now watching. Brendon’s watchful gaze had noted the attitudes of the crowd around them. Yet he’d walked by Megan’s side quietly supporting her as they followed the stretcher to sickbay. Brendon had been present and watched the healing Megan undertook alone on Zacharias. Her catalogue of his injuries to the medics was clear and had clearly appalled them. Yet she had ignored their censure and reservations and carried on. She’d even found the strength and time to heal his ribs. When she finally fell in to an exhausted sleep the Magister released Brendon and the images ceased.
Brendon left the desk and retreated to the chair beside Megan while the Magister and High Wizard stepped to the other side of the room to confer.
‘Are you ok?’ Megan asked him quietly. Brendon bit his lip but nodded.
When they called her Megan approached the desk wondering why the Magister had moved and the High Wizard had taken his place. No explanations were forthcoming though and she didn’t feel she could ask why she was going to have her mind read by the far more powerfully gifted High Wizard himself.
‘Before we start, I should warn you that my vision will probably seem peculiar to you all.’
‘Oh?’
‘I was born blind. I believe I have developed an unusual type of sight. Where do you wish to begin?’ she asked politely and put her hands on the table. The High Wizard had barely said anything up to now, yet he’d watched everything closely. He now took her hands and she felt his presence at the door to her mind. Reluctantly she allowed him through her shield.
‘You are shielding something from me,’ he chided.
‘Only my link to Zacharias. See?’ she added giving him a momentary glimpse through to another mind.
‘Very well. Look at the people in the room, let me see this odd vision you mentioned.’ She did as he’d asked and it took him a few moments to be able to recognise what it was he was seeing through her eyes. Wizard Alistair had been reduced to a network of peculiar red ribbons. It took him a moment to realise, from his lessons in human anatomy, that he was seeing the man’s veins and arteries. Her vision altered and Alistair was more recognisable now that his body and clothing had superimposed the view of arteries. The shadow of his blood flowing was still there, but was now in the background. ‘Please try to keep the outer bodies in focus,’ Antonius suggested. ‘If you can’t do that then no-one will be able to follow your testimony.’
‘Understood. I will try to be as clear as possible,’ Megan responded.
‘Ok, where were you when you heard of the attack?’ Antonius prompted aloud and projected the image she gave him of sitting in Alistair’s classroom. As the attack unfolded it was apparent the view had been seen through Zacharias’s eyes, so they were normal clear vision. Antonius identified and verbalised the attack spells cast back and forth. The Magister made notes. The fact she had called on and utilised an immortal’s magic to do battle remotely was remarked on, and that they combined, were facing five senior and more experienced wizard students. She had seen, through Zacharias’s eyes, Brendon trying to aid Zach and then the vicious attack on Brendon’s dog, which Brendon himself hadn’t been able to see objectively.
Antonius was impressed that she had imprisoned the ringleader using a shield that he himself powered. He was less impressed, but understood and stayed silent, when he observed her siphon magical power from her imprisoned adversary
. The fact she used that power to aid Brendon answered the question of where she’d found the strength to do so. They all recognised that her peculiar vision revealed the full extent of injuries to an astonishing degree. The medics hadn’t been able to aid Brendon’s broken rib injury, whereas she could. The image dancing above the desk, reflecting her vision as she’d assessed Zacharias, was appalling and very gory. The way she methodically tackled his multiple injuries was very graphic. Through her they got to see what no normal person could. His broken bones and torn flesh were so gory it was difficult not to be physically sick. She’d also been able to repair many things he suspected only a gifted wizard surgeon would normally be prepared to tackle.
‘Thank you Wizard Megan, that was most enlightening,’ Antonius told her. ‘You may both go. We will call you back if we need you later.’
Megan and Brendon gladly made their escape. They’d both been excused from lessons for the day so went to see Zach and relate their experiences of the hearing.
‘What are you up to love?’ Megan asked as she approached Zach.
‘I’m doing nothing as usual,’ he responded.
‘You’re dressed. Why?’
‘It seemed sensible. I thought you said that the preliminary hearing was taking place this morning. It made sense to be ready if they should want to speak to me. It’d hardly be dignified to greet such important people in my underwear.’
‘You do have a point.’ She commented and glanced aside at Brendon. ‘Well, since you’re dressed, do you feel up to going outside? It’s chilly but the sun is out and you could use some fresh air.’ She’d managed to mend his other arm last night and he looked a lot better for it. Whilst both newly mended arms were still tender and bruised, he could at least pick light things up and had obviously managed to dress himself. These were small things that meant a lot to someone who’d been completely immobile.
Surviving Prophesy: The Immortals Page 23