Zantalth: The magic is returning

by Gary Burfield-Wallis

  Tallia closed her eyes and let out a breath, puffing her cheeks out as she tried to calm her mind. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at the rock for a few moments then began to build a feeling of how it would feel to touch, it’s hardness, and it’s rough surface. Tallia was a little surprised that it felt rougher than it looked. It felt like there was a small crack on the other side of it, the side she could not see with her eyes. It slowly dawned on her that she was not making this up in her mind, but her mind was actually feeling it, holding it.

  Amalia watched as the corners of Tallia’s mouth gradually turned upwards, and a look of awe and wonder spread across her face.

  “Lift it up,” Amalia whispered.

  With her mind wrapped around it, Tallia gently lifted the rock. Her eyes opened wide as she saw it rise slowly into the air before it abruptly fell back down as she squealed in surprise. She looked up at Amalia with the massive grin on her face. “I did it.”

  “Yes, you did. Well done.”

  Tallia picked the rock up in her hand and turned it around. On the other side was a small crack exactly has she had seen in her mind. Her mouth fell open as she gave a little gasp. Amalia looked at her questionably.

  “I saw this crack in my mind. I knew it was there.”

  Amalia smiled at her not letting on at her surprise that Tallia appeared to be considerably more powerful than she was and was able to control her mind so quickly.

  “Now try it again, but this time don’t let your concentration go so easily.”

  Tallia placed the rock back down and tried again. This time it seemed so much easier, and she quickly lifted the rock into the air, higher this time, and held it there. It just floated between them at head height for several moments before she gently lowered it back down.

  “Very good. You learn very quickly.”

  Tallia smiled and looked very pleased with herself.

  “I have things to take care of. You stay here and practice. The more you do it, the easier it will become,” Amalia said before walking off back towards the cabin.

  Tallia practiced with the rock several more times taking it to different heights and even getting it to spin slowly in mid-air. Finding a couple of more rocks of about the same size, she practised with them.

  As the middle of the day approached Amalia returned to the clearing. “How are you getting on?” she asked as she sat back down on the big rock.

  Tallia looked at her and smiled. She continued to look directly at Amalia as she lifted four different rocks into the air and slowly moved them so they circled Amalia’s head. A smile gradually spread across Amalia’s face. “Very clever, four at once.”

  “Five,” Tallia said, “look up.”

  Amalia looked up to see a fifth rock directly over her head spinning.

  Amalia looked surprised. “Your controlling five rocks as well as talking to me?”

  “Yes, is that wrong?”

  “Oh the gods, no dear, not at all.”

  “How many can you do?”

  Amalia thought for a moment before answering. “I will tell you but could you put them down before I do.”

  Tallia then surprised Amalia even more by making the rocks fly off in different directions away from them.

  “Oh, my gods,” Amalia exclaimed. “To tell you the truth I can only do that to one rock and only if I concentrate hard. Five and while looking at something else is, well, I don’t know what to think. You young lady are very powerful.”

  Tallia gasped and slapped her hand over her mouth as her mind raced at what Amalia had just told her. “But surely I can’t be as powerful as you?”

  “Oh it’s possible, but let's see. Try lifting this rock,” Amalia said as she stood up and pointed to the rock she was sitting on.

  Tallia stared at her looking a little confused. “But it’s too big. It would take ten men to lift that.”

  “No, I would say more like fifteen.”

  “So how am I supposed to lift it on my own?”

  “Mmm, you still don’t fully understand yet, do you? Go on try, use the same technique you used with the smaller ones.”

  Tallia thought on this for a moment then turned to look at the enormous rock they had just been sitting on. She let her mind reach out and explore the rock as she had with the others. It took longer as there was so much more of it, so much more to explore, to feel. Eventually, she tried to lift it. It raised into the air very slowly, and Tallia was surprised how easily it did. She heard Amalia laugh and looked at her. She seemed taller than she was just now. This distracted Tallia enough for the rock to fall to the ground with a thud.

  “What’s so funny?” Tallia asked.

  Amalia still laughing looked down at Tallia’s feet. She looked down and saw that she had sunk into the ground almost up to her knees. She gasped and tried to step out of the holes she had made but ended up falling over backward making Amalia laugh even more. As Tallia realised what a sight it must have been, she began to laugh too.

  As the laughter died down, Tallia said, “What happened? I don’t understand.”

  “Every time you perform magic there will be a consequence depending on how big or how powerful the magic is. The small rocks take little effort to move even without magic, so there is very little effect when you use magic to move them, yes?”

  “Yes.”

  “The big rock would take a lot of effort to move by many men. So to move by magic will have a much greater effect. That effect, in this case, was to use the opposite force to push you down. Does that make sense?”

  “Yes, I see, I think.”

  “With lifting heavy rocks, it's easy to work out what the effect will be. You need to think before you use any magic what the effect or consequences will be, it won’t always be obvious. You might not even be aware of the consequences straight away.”

  Tallia looked worried. “But how will I know what might happen?”

  “That’s the really hard bit. Think of it this way. If what you are making happen affects something physically, like moving something or stop something moving then there will be an effect to that. But if it's just looking or feeling then because you are not changing anything there will be no consequence.”

  Tallia thought for a few moments and said, “If it’s small, like those little rocks then the effect is so small as not to be, errr, much?”

  “That’s right. Over time it will get easier, and you will just know what will happen and what to do about it. For example, the next time you want to lift something heavy you will give more thought to what you are standing on?”

  Tallia looked down at the two holes in the ground in front of her, looked up and smiled.

  “Come on,” Amalia said, “Let's go see how the boys are getting on with the beds.”

  Chapter XXIV

  Both Tallia and Amalia were pleasantly surprised by the three very comfortable looking beds they had built and congratulated them. As they all sat down, on the new beds, to eat, they discussed building more furniture which quickly led on to Poriya suggesting they build another cabin.

  “I’m not sure about that,” Jeb said. “Trees can be rather difficult to lift.”

  “Not really,” said Tallia making Jeb and Poriya look at her with some surprise. “It’s all down to technique,” and she winked at Amalia.

  “Yeah right,” Jeb said.

  “Don’t underestimate her,” Amalia said. “You’ll be surprised at what she can do.”

  “How are the lessons going?” Poriya asked.

  “Very well indeed,” Amalia said. “Although she has much to learn and I have no doubt at all that she will learn much quicker than I expected.”

  “Go on then Tallia, show us,” Jeb said.

  Tallia smiled briefly before straightening her look and said, “Are you sure you want to see?”

  “Yeah go on,” Jeb said.

  Tallia kept her stare directly on Jeb holding his gaze on her for a moment or two then said, “Look up.”

  “What?”


  “Look up.”

  Jeb looked up, yelled and threw himself to one side and scrabble across the floor as he saw a mug floating in the air above him. Poriya burst out laughing at the sight of Jeb scrabbling to get away from under the floating mug.

  “You scream like a girl,” Poriya said.

  “Shut up,” Jeb said and went red. “She startled me.”

  Tallia looked over at Amalia who was watching this with interest. “Not just stones then?”

  “Guess not,” Tallia said.

  “Keep going, see how creative you can be,” Amalia said.

  “What do mean?”

  “What’s inside the mug?”

  “Water, why? Oh, I see.”

  Tallia looked at the mug still floating in the air and focused. Gradually she lowered the mug to the floor leaving the water where it was, floating in the air as if it was inside an invisible floating mug.

  The others just sat staring at the water in awe even Amalia was impressed.

  “How are you doing that?” Jeb said.

  “It’s not easy.....” Tallia started to say when the water suddenly broke apart and fell to the floor falling into the mug and soaking all around it.

  “Whoops, sorry lost control of it,” Tallia said.

  “I’m not surprised,” Amalia said. “I would have said what you just did was impossible.”

  Tallia looked at her in surprise. “But why then did you tell me to do it.”

  “I meant for you just to turn it over.”

  “Oh, but that would have been easy. I thought you meant.”

  “Yes, I can see what you thought. I’m going to have to be careful with what I ask of you.”

  “Tallia has learnt to do that in just one day?” Poriya said to Amalia.

  “Sort of, yes,” Amalia replied.

  “Sort of?”

  “All I did was point her in the right direction with a rock. The rest she has worked out for herself.”

  “Is that how it normally goes?”

  “There has never been anyone like Tallia so normally, well there is no normally. We're just going to have work it out as we go along.”

  “But you can still teach me?” Tallia said.

  “Direct you, point you in the right direction, advise you, yes. But teach you? Not sure I can actually teach you.” Amalia replied.

  “But you can help me?” Tallia said looking worried.

  “Yes, my dear. I will certainly help you in any way I can.”

  “Thank you, Amalia.”

  For the next few days, Tallia would go off each day with Amalia to different parts of the valley to explore her powers away from anyone she could accidentally hurt. The boys along with Macaque would explore the valley or keep themselves busy making things, and it wasn’t long before they all had a chair to sit on at a larger table. They even fashioned four rocking chairs and built a veranda on the cabin to put them on.

  As they were all sitting around the table eating lunch, Amalia suddenly stood up and looked worried. “Tallia, someone’s coming. Come with me quickly.”

  Poriya and Jeb jumped up out of their seats and grabbed their weapons.

  “No,” Amalia said. “You two stay here. Macaque, you come please.”

  “If Tallia’s in danger we are coming,” Poriya said.

  “Don’t worry Poriya, it’s only one person, and magic is at play here. I suspect that it will be you that needs protection.”

  “It’s fine Poriya, do as she says,” Tallia said as Macaque jumped up on Tallia’s shoulders.

  They left the cabin and headed out through the tunnels they first came in through and out to the twins. Macaque jumped off Tallia’s shoulders and climbed up to watch from above.

  As the twins came into view, she saw Merek standing in front of the twins looking at her.

  “Merek. What are you doing here?” Tallia said as she approached him.

  “Ah, Tallia, there you are. I am so glad I found you. You need to come with me straight away.” Merek said.

  “Where? Why?”

  “Err back to the plateau. You're needed urgently.”

  “Me? What for?”

  “Err your mother needs you. She is not well.”

  Tallia gasped. “My mother? What’s wrong with her?”

  “No time for explications now. We must hurry.”

  “I’ll get Poriya and Jeb,” Tallia said as she turned to go get them.

  Merek grabbed her arm. “NO,” he said. “No time, you must come now.”

  Tallia looked at him confused as to why he was so insistent. She felt that there was something he wasn’t saying. Tallia reached out with her mind to listen to his thoughts but could hear nothing at all. She had been able to hear his thoughts before. Why not now?

  “What’s going on Merek? Why cannot hear your thoughts?”

  “Shut up you little witch. Your coming with me,” he said as he spun her around and put his arm around her neck and pulled her arms up her back.

  “Leave her alone,” Amalia said as she stepped out from behind a rock.

  “Who are you?” Merek demanded.

  “Never mind who I am, let her go now.”

  “Your that supposed Beastwalker crone. You can’t stop me. Get back in your hole before I kill you as well.”

  As Tallia heard this, she began to struggle, but Merek just tightened his grip on her. Tallia was surprised at the sickly looking old man's strength but quickly calmed her mind and tried to use her magic to push him away.

  Nothing happened. He still held her tightly. “Your magic won’t work on me,” he growled in her ear and started to drag her away. Tallia began to panic and struggled with all her strength but couldn’t get away.

  Macaque jumped down off the rock he was on and ran over to Tallia. He climbed up her leg and reached under her shirt to where the knife Jeb had given to her and was strapped to her thigh. Before Merek could see what Macaque was up to, she had swung around on to his back and climbed up quickly plunging the sharp dagger into his neck.

  Merek made a gurgling scream as blood gushed from the wound and he released Tallia to grab his throat as he fell to the ground.

  Tallia taking great gulps of air staggered away a few paces before falling to her knees and watched as Merek clutched at his throat with blood pouring out from between his fingers. It didn’t take long before he stopped moving and his hands fell away from his now lifeless body.

  Macaque came over to Tallia and held out the blood-soaked dagger to her.

  “Thank you Macaque. You saved my life,” she said and began to cry.

  She looked up to see Amalia was now standing over her. She held out her hand. “Come on, Let's get you back to your friends,” Amalia said softly.

  Tallia took her hand and allowed her to help her stand. “What about?” and looked over at Merek.

  “Don’t worry about him. I will deal with that.” Thinking that his body will be gone before she got back, as there are plenty of hungry beasts that have already smelt his blood.

  As they walked back into the cabin, Jeb spotted the blood over Tallia and rushed over to her in a panic. “Are you all right, what happened?”

  “It’s okay Jeb,” Amalia said. “It’s not her blood.”

  “Then whose is it?” Poriya asked.

  “Merek’s,” Tallia said.

  Poriya’s eyes opened wide, “What? You killed a priest?”

  “No, it was Macaque. She saved my life.”

  “What? Merek tried to kill you? What in all the gods happened?” Poriya said.

  “I’m not really sure. He tried to get me to go with him back to the plateau saying my mother is very sick. But when I tried to come back to get you he grabbed me and said he was going to kill me. That’s when Macaque came to my rescue and used the knife you gave to me Jeb to stab him in the neck.”

  “See, I knew that knife was the right thing to get you,” Jeb said.

  “Why did Merek want to kill you?” Poriya asked.

 
; “I don’t know,” Tallia replied.

  “I suspect,” Amalia said, “that the elders or at least one of them is behind it. Why did you not use your magic to push him away Tallia?”

  “I tried, but it didn’t work. I couldn’t hear his thoughts either.”

  “Then yes. The elders sent him. Only they could cast a protection spell on him.”

  Tallia suddenly looked at her with panic on her face. “My mother. Was Merek telling the truth? Is she sick?”

  “Calm down. I am sure she is just fine. Merek was trying to trick you into going with him.”

  “Yes, your probably right. But is she safe from the elders? Amalia please, can I go check on her,” she said with a pleading look in her eyes.

  Amalia looked at her and watched as a tear rolled down Tallia’s cheek. “Yes, okay, we will have you back with your mother by tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?” Poriya said. “It’s weeks away.”

  Tallia and Jeb were mixed with excitement at going home and also confusing at how that was possible.

  “Do you remember when you first got here you asked how I managed to go shopping when there are no stores near here? Well, I did say all will be revealed and tomorrow you will know. But before you can go I need to teach Tallia one last thing. Something that took me decades to learn but I suspect she will get it in minutes,” and smiled at her.

  The following morning they gathered their things together and left the cabin. As they started to walk away led by Tallia, Poriya said, “You're going the wrong way. The tunnel is that way.”

  “No, I’m not. Were leaving a different way.” Tallia said.

  “There’s a shortcut?” Jeb said.

  Tallia giggled. “Yeah, kind of.”

  They soon reached the entrance to another tunnel, and Amalia stopped them. “This is as far as I go. Remember what I told you Tallia.”

  “Yes, I will.”

  “Enjoy your time with your family, all of you. I will be in touch soon.”

  “You're not coming with us?” Jeb said. “You can stay at my parents they won't mind.”

  Amalia smiled at him. “Thank you Jeb, that’s very kind, but I have things that need to be done. I will see you again soon.”

  They each gave Amalia a hug and Tallia led them into the tunnel. A few paces in, she stopped and said some strange sounding words before walking forwards again. A few more paces and they found themselves surrounded by trees.