by B. H. Savage
Amadi sat away from the fire Anye had set up. He had his back to her and was looking at the stars above their heads. He wasn't sitting like he was meditating though, just gazing at the stars. Anye wondered what was on his mind, and the fact that he still had information about her which he had yet to share bothered her. He had promised to explain everything, and now was as good as any for him to do so, especially after having remained silent for two days since their departure.
Anye walked up beside him and took a seat. He didn't seem to notice, or was simply ignoring her. She wasn't sure which. "Something on your mind, Amadi?" she asked him. She didn't look at him as she spoke, but looked out at the stars like he did. "You haven't really said a word to me since we left Bridge Port."
"That is because you have not asked me about what you want to know," he stated. "I am not the only one who has been silent."
"Well, Lord Taggart did tell me about the Sky Fire, so I suppose I didn't need to ask you about that," Anye replied. "But you didn't tell me how you knew I was trying to find out about it, or how you knew my name. You also haven't told me what it was that I...did during the tournament."
"You still do not trust me,” Amadi said coldly. “But if I tell you about these things you will?”
"That depends on what you say," Anye claimed. Although she sat close to the boy to speak with him, her main hand rested on the handle of her sword, and she was ready to draw it at a moment's notice. "Lord Taggart can't protect you right now, so I'd advise you to speak the truth."
"You are a fool to think I relied on him for protection," Amadi commented. "You were not as close to defeating me as you may think. What you faced in combat with me was far from the extent of my abilities." The boy turned his head and stared right into Anye's eyes for a few seconds before continuing on. "But I suppose mistrust is to be expected given the circumstances. Very well, I will explain what I have promised."
Amadi turned his head away from the woman and turned his gaze back to the sky. "When we were waiting for our turns in the tournament, you saw me meditating. It was then that I used our connection to the world to touch your mind. I saw who you were, who you wish to be, and where you come from. I’m honestly surprised you did not feel me do so. The effect is quite potent."
"Yes, I remember you mentioning that before our match," Anye stated. Now she was looking at the boy suspiciously. "But you never explained why you did it.”
"As I told you when we first spoke, I felt that you are quite attuned to magical power," Amadi answered. "Very few people are so naturally adept at such things, especially if they are not from Qul'rah."
"Qul'rah?"
Amadi nodded. "It is the word the people of the tribes use to name what you call the Frontier. Many people born there are skilled in the ways of magic, but fewer are as skilled as you or I."
"You're telling me I'm as good at magic as you?" Anye asked skeptically.
"Do not misunderstand, Anye. I have been trained since I was a child to master magic energies in all ways. You have not," Amadi told her. "But you do have the potential to be very powerful, as was shown during your battle with the island monk."
"I see," Anye said. "And what exactly was that?"
"Simply put, it is a state of being. Many elders from my land have trained tirelessly to be able to enter such a state, commonly until death, with little success," Amadi explained. "There is no direct translation for what we call it, but the closest word for it in your language would be enlightenment."
Anye remembered the feeling vividly. The power running through her was extraordinary and frightening. It felt like she was being guided by something that knew exactly what her foe was going to do and that her senses had been heightened to a point that she would be able to hear her opponent's foot shift even slightly amidst the sound of the crowd.
"The memory of such a thing is frightening to you?" Amadi asked.
"Yes, it is. What exactly was it? And how was I able to do it without realizing it? I’ve been under extreme amounts of stress before, but nothing like that ever happened," Anye asked.
"The enlightened state can be best described as an overcharge of magic being concentrated within you," Amadi told her. "When under its effects, the caster is granted extraordinary abilities because it draws from not just the magic summoned by you, but the connection of everything in the world, the very essence of magic itself. You become stronger, faster, and your magical capabilities become incredibly potent because you are tapping into the collective power that forms the metaphorical web I described to you."
"If it takes your elders a lifetime of meditation and training to be able to use this…enlightenment, then how was I able to do so in a regular moment of panic?" Anye asked.
"I…do not know," Amadi replied with a sigh. "I have meditated many more hours about this than you realize, seeking answers…but none have come to me. All I can do for you regarding this is to teach you how to use it."
"What? But you just said…"
"I don't need to touch your mind to know what you are going to say," the boy interrupted with a slight laugh. "No, I am not able to enter an enlightened state, but it is just like any other form of magic. I am one of the most talented mages from my land. I can teach you how to harness this power more effectively.”
"I see...so, you seemed to have been acquainted with Lord Taggart by the time Byron and I arrived," Anye said, trying to change the subject. She thought she had received her fill of overwhelming news, but was wrong.
Amadi caught her intent, reacting with a slight laugh, but he went along with it. "If you wish, we will begin your exercises in the morning. And yes, I am acquainted with him. He is my uncle."
"What?"
"Uncle Micah is my father's brother," he told her. "He left our tribe long before I was born to seek a life outside of Qul'rah. I normally only see him when he makes his pilgrimage every five years. He was quite surprised to discover that I had left the village and was entering the tournament."
"He didn't try to stop you?" Anye asked.
Amadi laughed again before answering. "He and I are similar in our desires to prove ourselves. He knew I wished to show him my strength. Besides, if someone knew that I was the governing nobleman’s nephew, it may have caused...complications."
"For your uncle?"
"For those who would complicate things," he said. "I have a bit of a temper. Provoking me would not have proved healthy, as I made clear to mister Illenas."
Anye remembered Nitram Illenas, the brutish fighter with the battle-axe who tried to pick a fight with her in the prep area. In the days following the tournament, while they researched Del'Mond and the artifacts, Anye decided to ask some of the workers if they had seen Amadi's fight against him. They described his quick defeat as a ‘humiliatingly beautiful display of Amadi's talents.’ They cited that as soon as the match had begun, Amadi stunned his opponent with a rising chunk of the ground, knocked him on his back with a blast of air, and then lifted him into the air with a vortex that he lit ablaze, finishing the fight by dispelling the fiery column of wind and slamming the brute to the ground with a conjured chunk of ice.
"Yes, I heard about that," Anye commented. "Very impressive..." Amadi didn't react to the comment, but Anye could see there was something else on his mind. "I suppose I'll go and-"
"There is more to this than what my uncle knows," Amadi said. The statement caught Anye off guard. "You should know this."
"Know what?" Anye asked.
"The Sky Fire was not a natural phenomenon, Anye," he explained. "Something very old and very powerful caused it when attempting to break free from its cage."
"What are you talking about, Amadi?" Anye asked.
"I do not know what this evil entity is," he explained. "But the artifacts written of in the ancient book are the keys to finding it out, and stopping it. This much I have seen both in my visions and in person."
Such a claim was ridiculous, even for one as strange as Amadi, but he seemed completely convinced
of himself. Anye didn’t wish to anger him, but his relationship to the governor suggested that her contract may be more about the boy’s feelings rather than simple artifact acquisition. "Is that what this contract is really for? To find out what this evil is?" she asked.
"No, he knows nothing about this," Amadi told her. "I did not tell him for his own protection. I tell you because I sense that you are somehow connected to this, as am I."
"Well, that's interesting...makes me feel all the better about this job," Anye commented.
"There is something else I have seen in my visions, Anye," Lord Taggart explained. "A pair of dragons locked in combat, with their riders each wielding lances. One of the riders stabs the other, knocking him from his mount and killing him."
"Dragons? And their riders?" Anye asked. Her heart pounded in her chest, thinking of Glenn and his disappearance.
"I do not know what it means, if it is literal or simply a message to be interpreted in some way," Amadi explained. "The vision is covered in shadow. All I can see are their shapes and the silhouette of a city unlike anywhere I have been."
"I see..."
Amadi got to his feet and dusted his robes off. The soft glow of the gem floating at the top of his staff illuminated his brown face with a blue glow. "When we arrive at the Sun's Bed, we must be extremely careful. I fear that agents of that evil being will be waiting for us."
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Anye replied, though she found it difficult to sound sincere. The talk of Amadi’s premonition reminded her of something else he told her during the tournament. “Amadi, you also told me you were searching for something, and that I was the key to finding it. What did you mean by that? Was there another vision?”
Amadi widened his gaze and looked down at the ground for a moment in silence before answering. “Let’s just say…I have a feeling that our meeting was not by chance.”
It wasn’t the answer Anye was looking for, but the boy had his quirks and believed in visions of the future so she felt it was best to leave the matter alone. “I see. Thank you, Amadi. Good night.”
______
Anye awoke the next morning to a lecture explaining various fundamentals about the basic nature of magic as a whole. Amadi claimed she would need to know, and understand wholly, those fundamentals before trying to strengthen her bond with it. Her previous training helped so the boy skipped over the basics of summoning magical energy, instead going into the concept of meditation so she could practice during their voyage over the sea. Mastering that would bolster her capabilities considerably. There were also several exercises Amadi told her she should do when they could, but attuning herself to the collective energy of the world was more important.
And as Anye predicted, the pair arrived in Mark's Landing within half a day of riding from their camp after her first lesson.
The unexpectedly small fishing village was nothing if not hospitable. Because of its relatively safe location on the south-western coast of Belrun, the town hadn't seen any kind of warfare for over a century, even during the revolts. The town's position also made it the primary location for any ships heading westward or north to Delrich's capital, so the dock had been designed to deal with people not so acquainted with fishing.
The ship Micah Lord Taggart had commissioned for the pair sat waiting at the far end of the docks. It was one of the largest ships in port. The captain of the vessel and his apparent first mate stood waiting for them at the gangway.
"Miss Amy and Master Amadi?" the heavily grey-bearded, perfectly round captain said to them as they approached on their horses.
Anye was surprised to hear her alias. Her few days spent with Amadi and his uncle at the estate had made her accustomed to being called by her real name again, somewhat forgetting her status as a fugitive.
"Yes, you are the captain of this ship I presume?" Amadi replied.
"Aye," the bearded man answered. "The name's Bikke, but just Captain will do. Mister Evans, my first mate, will help you with your things. The gracious Lord Taggart also paid me for the voyage in full, so we may depart whenever you're ready."
Amadi looked to Anye, seeking any indication that she may wish to delay the trip any further. She nodded her head at him without a word, indicating she was ready to go. The less time spent on land other than the Sun's Bed, the better.
"We are ready to depart now," Amadi said.
"The horses will need to stay in the stables," Bikke told them. "They don't do so well on open water."
The lanky first mate walked up to the pair of horses as Anye and Amadi got off of their backs, carrying their sacks of possessions on with them. "Will you not need assistance with your things then?"
"We do not have much," Amadi answered. "We can carry them ourselves."
"As My Lord wishes," Evans replied, and then walked down the dock back to the stables with the horses.
"Your lady friend seems to be a mute, Master Amadi," Bikke commented as the three of them walked up the gangway on to the deck. "Is she alright?"
"I'm fine, Captain, but thank you for your concern," Anye replied.
"Oh!" Bikke said excitedly. "And she's got a pretty voice too!"
"And quite the skilled sword arm," Amadi countered. "I suggest you remind your crew of that before any of them attempt to engage my friend in any lewd or inappropriate conversation."
Bikke coughed as he laughed at Amadi's retort. "Don't worry. My crew and I are all honorable men of the sea. After all, I'm not known as Bikke the Pirate, now am I? Ha!"
Anye and Amadi continued to follow the ship's captain as he waddled across the deck inside to their cabin, underneath the captain's quarters above. The vessel was old but incredibly sturdy. Bikke told them he had been ferrying people to and from Mark's Landing for over twenty years on that ship, which he affectionately referred to as The Empress. The trip to the Western Isles was nothing new and would only a take a few days if the wind was on their side.
Anye and Amadi placed their bags in the cabin and followed the captain back out on to the deck, where he had begun barking orders at his crew to begin casting off. Anye decided to look over the edge of the ship facing north, thinking about her life and how it had changed. She still hadn’t read the letter her father had sent.
Amadi noticed his partner’s subtle distress and followed her over shortly after she had leaned over the edge. “Something on your mind?” he asked.
Anye was surprised at his apparent interest, but appreciated it nonetheless. “My life has changed drastically in so little time,” she answered. “Just over a month ago I was a respected knight and my biggest worry second to the protection of the realm was my father trying to marry me to some pompous bureaucrat or their son. Now, I have to live by a false name as a mercenary because of a murder I didn’t commit, while the man responsible is free to carry out whatever plan he has. Wondering what troubles my home may be facing due to his schemes is taking its toll. I should be doing something about it, not hiding.”
“You fear he may be conspiring to do more to your country?” Amadi asked.
“Wouldn’t you?” she replied quickly. “The bastard murdered Prince Robert, rest his soul, right in front of me and then convinced King Justin, his father, that I was the one who had done so! Now he is military advisor to the king and the war with Mitus has escalated once more. He’s up to something more than taking the crown for himself, and I can’t do anything about it. And now Glenn…Glenn was supposed to come find me when he found something, but I fear that he may be another victim to Amador’s plot…”
“I see,” her companion said. The two of them remained quiet for a time, feeling the wind blow on their faces, enjoying the serenity while it lasted. “Do not worry about your friend. If something had happened to him, my uncle would have surely told you.”
“That’s just the thing, he did tell me. Glenn’s disappeared after having been sent to Toran alone to deal with wild dragon attacks,” Anye explained as she turned around to lean her back against the edge. “Hi
s Majesty would have never sent him to do such a thing if he were in his right mind. Glenn was like a second son to him. Whatever Amador is up to, he needed Glenn and me both out of the way. After this is over I need to go back.”
“Do not let your emotions control you, Anye. Doing so makes one careless and stupid,” Amadi said bluntly.
“Excuse me?”
“What would you do once you returned home?” he asked. “As soon as you were seen, your king’s soldiers would either cut you down or force you to submit, and you would be right back where you started.”
“And what would you know?” Anye snapped. “You weren’t framed for a murder and forced to flee your home to avoid the executioners axe!”
The crew around the two of them slowed in their work, looking at the pair oddly. Anye realized that she still needed to maintain her false identity and calmed herself down, but Amadi’s statement still angered her.
“I apologize,” he said to her. “I do not usually travel with people, and I am told that I can be rude. Please forgive me, I only wish to advise you to err on the side of caution rather than reckless endangerment.”
Anye stared at the boy as he spoke, but she saw the sincerity in his eyes. He was right, of course. Blindly marching back to Delrich wouldn’t gain her anything except a return visit to prison if she wasn’t killed on sight. Her honor still compelled her to seek the truth and see justice be served of course, but she needed to be smart about it.