"We will not talk on this. You do not look at the auras of those around you without permission and certainly never turn it upon Elainne. She will be very put out."
I snort. Understatement. She will be too afraid of what she will find. Maybe she will find that she is more Elvin than she thought, or maybe less. Either way, it cannot be a good thing. I will never use this on her. The heat sensor, if she is injured; but never the other new skill that I have obtained.
I am beginning to realize that no matter what I do my life will never be the same. I have to keep my dragon eye under control or the human population will kill me. I can't have the eye of the beast. Most in the military had already been uneasy around me because my eyes were almost pure black like the mages.
Though, as far as killing me, the dragon is not sure what will happen if I die. The theories so far are that it will backlash onto him - I will explode the mishmash of magic that I have outward and destroy the town that I am in when I die - or maybe even just fade away and cease to exist, releasing my magic back into the world. That would be the best option, but so far, my life has frequently not taken the best option, and with Elainne always by my side I have to make sure she is safe and prepare for the worst.
"Fine. Let's keep going."
It is a long, long day.
Elainne
I settle down and build a fire. Luckily, my woodland training helps me to be prepared to survive without my magic. I have to live without it as much as possible. I am wearing nothing that could qualify as royal and that is for the best. I have some treasure that the dragon has hoarded, but people will likely assume that I am a thief, the way I am dressed. My travel clothing is torn and bloody, it looks like death. Rinsing it in the river has done nothing but get some of the fresher dirt off. While with the dragon I used some clothing in a chest that he had lying around, but dressing like a noblewoman will do me no good now.
Worst of all, I had to chop off my hair. What is left of it is shoved under a cap. It had been through fire and had chunks ripped out during my torture anyway, but it still hurt. An Elvin noblewoman never cuts her hair. It grows until death, and then it is burned so that the spirit and power of its owner returns to the woods to be born again in another. The dragon did the removal and burned it so it could not be used against me in spells, but forgoing the ritual that would strip me of my power, returning it to the woods.
I actually miss the enchanted woods. I hadn't thought that I ever would. It am Elvin and I was never much of an elf, but something in my soul calls to it, wishing for its safe embrace and deep-rooted peace. I will climb a tree, melt into its embrace and finally be at peace for a few moments. It will be nice. Peace has eluded me for far too long. Even my recovery here has had no peace so far. It has been all spells and hard work. I doubt I will ever feel peace again. I accept it as a possibility, but I am not happy about it.
"Why can’t I be selfish and leave the world to its toppling fate? Viktor would not judge me were I to tell him that I wished to find a corner of the world to disappear to. He would encourage me to do so. Sometimes I wish I were not me."
Talking to myself has been a thing for a couple of days now. Every time I stop to start a fire, I find myself at a lack. I have never traveled alone much. So far, most of my travels have been burdens. I am not sure how I should feel about what is going to be happening soon. I need to send my aunt a message. Will she notice that the tinge of my magic is different? Will she see the imprint of its user and not believe it is I? Will she fear me? Will the mages, after I enter their territory and am still able to use magic? Any magic I wish. Can they read auras? I had not asked Wise One. Will anyone notice the silverish tint that is reaching out into the world, searching for the piece that is not with me? Will they notice that I have access to dragon magic, now that one is my familiar?
I am certain I will never wear delicate slippers again. My feet are covered with tough, hardened skin from all this travel. Also, they are swollen. I know it is a bit too early to be out travelling this much, but Wise One is right, Viktor needs to deal with this alone… no matter how much it rankles. So instead I am sitting in the corner of a bar, pretending to be far more intimidating than I am. More like intimidated.
There are all manner of people in this dirt hole. I won’t even leave my torn cloak on my chair alone. It will be stolen and likely used to wring my neck with after. I am not sure how to project 'I will kill you and not blink', but when thinking about it, I feel the dragon and manage. My size does not help. Elves are never intimidating to look at. It is only after their magic has turned you inside out that you realize having no fear was a mistake.
"I am telling you, the mountain pass is not traversable right now! Strong, dark magic possesses it! All of the thieves and mercenaries I knew up there were sent back in pieces."
The man listening smacks the loud one and they huddle closer, but don’t get much quieter. Drunken thieves.
Still, that doesn’t bode well. Some of the mages must have survived the dragon saving us. By the sounds of it they are pissed and on the offensive. No longer caring about hiding, they are cleaning house and setting up barriers. I am not sure that I can get through alone. With my familiar here, we could do the spell to break the one erected by the mages, but I am not sure if I can on my own. I am not used to a familiar; I have no idea how to filter magic through one. Especially one so far away.
"So, we go through the kingdom. Something odd is happening there."
"No way. The queen is Elvin. What if it is her magic that is clearing out the mountains so that she can claim them? Those Elves are shifty."
I resent that… but, well, I know my father and the thief is not wrong.
"So, how do we get the goods delivered?"
"The manhunts for the princess are still going on. If we could find her, we wouldn’t need to smuggle goods. We could get everything we need from rescuing and bringing her home. For a reward, of course."
I almost laugh and shout, 'here I am', but I am trying to stay hidden so I can’t enjoy the look on their faces should I do so. But bloody hell that is bad news. My aunt is looking for me. Once father gets the word that I am missing, he will threaten war. So much for making things easier. I can send her a message, but it will be bad for the royal seal to be seen here. I will have to do it magically. She will have no proof if my father asks for proof of my safety, but it is not safe to send one any other way.
I sneak out of the bar, pulling a 'don’t see me' spell over myself. It doesn’t make you invisible, but it makes people overlook you and forget about you once you are no longer in sight, if they do spot you. I will scout a perfect spot, and when I find it, I will wait until the following dusk to perform my spell. The changing of the sun will hide its after effects from other spell users a bit more. Hopefully they won’t feel it. Strong spells have aftershocks. I don’t want to announce my presence to the mages before I am even on their land. I have never looked into random human magic users living in my aunt's country, but I am thinking it might be a good idea. After everyone and everything that has tried to kill me, I really can’t be too prepared… or too paranoid.
Well, off I go.
Viktor
We are practicing the magic that I can do with the world's ether, when the pain in the ass dragon stops paying attention to me and looks up.
"What are you looking at?"
"Elainne's magic. I can feel it from here."
"Doesn’t that mean she is in trouble?"
"It means she is sending a message. One powerful enough to cross the lands without being stopped or decoded before reaching its destination. One to her aunt and one to her father, I believe."
"You can feel and see it?"
He nods and closes his eyes, a rumbling coming out of him. He had once been part of a world where magic was an everyday occurrence from all races. How it must feel to have such powerful magic streaming over him once again. Is it emotional? If so, does he find it a relief? Or, does it bring back memories of a bett
er time and make him sad? I want to know, but reading his aura now will be an invasion of privacy. I can actually see the surface emotions without any effort now.
"Look, boy. You can see it too, with work. At least feel it. Open the dragon eye. Let the blood embrace you and feel it wash over you. It doesn’t just sense heat signatures. Go deeper. It's warm. Full of kindness and worry."
I do as he says and can’t see a thing, but I can feel it. In my bones. It is warm and it feels like Elainne. He is right. Her worry for the parties involved is in the message, and her essence, her kindness. I cannot believe how settling it is. It is like having her right next to me. It relaxes me so much; I am shocked that I am not purring like the dragon.
"It is beautiful. Just like Elainne."
The rumbling stops and the supposed ‘Wise One’ looks at me. He holds an almost smile, or as close to a smile as I imagined a dragon can have.
"Yes, she is. Now back to work."
Elainne
I slump down after finishing the spell. I have completely failed at making it not sensible to others. It takes so much time and effort to make it invisible as well as effective. I don’t have the time to be subtle. I figure that speed is of the essence right now. I just have to hope that the change in the tint of my magic won’t scare my relatives.
"I am off to see the mages. Hopefully they will not try to kill me the second that I walk over the border."
I don’t exactly skip along, but I do hurry. If someone powerful does sense my magic, I do NOT want to be here when they arrive.
It is a few more days before I arrive at the border of the mages lands… damn that is one hell of a border spell. No wonder those mercs had been sent back in pieces. That’s exactly what the spell does. Read the new victim, purge the mind of memories, chop it into pieces, and magically spawn them back to where they will leave the greatest impact. Nice 'do not come here' message they have. This is straight up murder. I cannot let it pass.
I shield myself and gather my strength. Well, I sit down and connect to the ground, the trees, the water underground, and the sky. Basically, everything within reach. I reach back to my familiar and pull upon his strength as well. I feel him balk at first, this is new to him, then settle, handing over what magic and knowledge for the type of spell I will need. I sit for over an hour, then open my eyes, focus, and make a swiping motion. The spell meets with mine and breaks. It slices in half and then falls apart like broken glass. My shield keeps me from getting any of the backlash, but the area around me looks like someone has fire-balled the place.
I slump for a second; that is more power than I have ever used. I am not exhausted, but it is a bit breathtaking. So many heavy spells in so short a time. I will need to watch my back for a few days. I will be a target. Here, especially. I am here to find Viktor's grandfather and ask the mages to be a part of my court, not my aunt’s or uncle’s, but mine. They are the ace that I need to stay safe - to make sure that Viktor is taught - and the allies I need to keep my father at bay. I have given this a lot of thought and it is the best solution. They can keep the mountains and send a couple of men; cycle in shifts for a few months at a time, and as new ones arrive old ones can go home. It will keep my father off my back – he hates them – and, my aunt and uncle can’t easily cast me aside with the physical reminder of MY new allies in court. I have to do this. For Viktor and for myself.
Viktor
The dragon flinches even though I have yet to throw any magic at him.
"What is it?"
"I will be unavailable for a moment… maybe longer."
Then he settles down and looks almost like he is sleeping. I call on my eyes special abilities and see his magic roaring like a fire. He is not sleeping. Whatever he is doing, it is pulling the magic from everything around us, and it is going somewhere. I sit down in front of him and watch. It is fascinating. It is all being pulled and funneled. Where to, I am not sure. Is this another primordial being thing? Will this happen to me as well someday? I watch him, the world, plants, and animals around us for over an hour until he snaps back to himself. That is the only way to describe it. All of a sudden, his essence and magic are back in him; he is straight and awake. I quickly turn off my second sight but I don’t miss the anger in him. I have been caught.
"You didn’t tell me what to do."
"If you are explaining, you know what you did was wrong."
"I wasn’t wrong. If that happens to me sometime…"
"It will not. So do not do it again. We went over the etiquette of having those eyes. Do not disobey me again."
For a soldier, I am terrible at taking orders. It is Elainne's effect. I only listen to her. I am the Kemp, which means everyone, and everything else is inconsequential.
"You can say that all you want but you are not my boss, my captain, my ward, or my father."
"My blood runs in your veins. My magic pieced you back together when a surgeon could not. You only live because of me; have gifts and the ability to use them because of me. I saved you because Elainne has a dangerous path and will need a Kemp. When you become more trouble than you are worth the reasons I let you live will no longer apply. If you do not follow the rules I set for you, you will endanger her life even more than your own, and that I will not allow. Are we clear?"
He seriously just threatened me. Most effectively too, because he hasn't threatened my life… well, not just my life. Elainne. My one and always weak spot.
"Fine. If you go into a trance again, I will not study you."
"Next time I will take precautions and fly somewhere more private. I am not sure your word can be trusted unless it is Elainne you are giving it to."
I give a growl and my temper brings out the dragon scales on my arm. The dragon sighs and blows his breath on to them, calming them and sending them back to the underside of the skin. I really could use that breath in a bottle when my scales act up. He won’t be around forever and I have yet to learn how to keep them from reacting. He said I might not be able to because a dragon’s scales automatically turn into a hardened, armor-like substance when they are angry or fearing something… something I can’t imagine happening very often. At least, not the fear part.
Elainne
I walk in, hands up and trying to be passive.
"I do not want to hurt anyone. I just came for Viktor's grandfather. Is he alive?"
"Back, you beastly bitch!"
Well, that is uncalled for. Still, they look to be in mortal fear. "I am alone and I will not hurt you."
"You will just call your dragon to do it."
"I didn’t call him; he came on his own when he sensed that you were killing us for no reason. The fire was not my fault. I tried to tell you. So did Viktor and his grandfather. Why couldn’t you just listen? I came to make a treaty; when you hurt us, the dragon…"
I can’t finish. I can see the destruction wrought. Every building but the community hall is burnt down. No more flowers or trees grow here. Even the water is not the clear blue that it had been before. It looks muddy and undrinkable. I know this is a spell, which he mostly cast as punishment, and as his… I am not sure what the one who has the familiar is called… owner, or whatever, I can, revoke it. However, I have to do more than that. So once again, I sit. I sit and pull from outside of the area and dig deep until I find the stone - far down in the earth - which the dragon has cursed to keep the mages suffering. I smash it and the earth almost sighs in relief.
I go a step further. I have to show them that I am here to help. I picture the Elvin lands in the autumn. Full harvest, dark green, golden brown, and splashes of flowers everywhere. I move the image from my mind and pour magic into it, making it real. I find every stone with a magical property in the ground and charge them with magic to make this land fertile. For as long as the stones are in the ground the land will be fertile.
I lean back, letting myself lie in the dark grass. The mages have an opening, but they are too busy getting water and gathering food from trees. I bet the f
ields will be stripped bare later. It looks like they have been slowly starving.
"My grandson sure picked a kind woman to follow."
I open my eyes, smiling. He is alive.
Viktor
The dragon is gone again, so I go through the physical exercises that he has me doing. I have to be prepared when Elainne comes back. I have to be ready to do whatever it is she needs. I still don’t like her being out on her own. She found a safe spot and sent her message - though it would have been safer to do here - so she should be coming back. She said a few days and it has been a couple of weeks.
When the cranky one returns, he seems both upset and at peace.
"Elainne has righted a wrong I have committed. I am ashamed I lost myself to anger. She will be a very kind ruler."
What does his trance have to do with Elainne? Is it her using powerful magic and him sensing it? He’d been so happy and at peace the first time. I had as well when she sent her messages. These last few times have not been like that. He has been unresponsive and powerful. Not two things that I ever expected to go together.
"What wrong did you commit?"
"I cursed the mage lands when I rescued you two. She has broken their barrier, and instead of scolding them for their aggressive actions, she has saved them. It seems even I have much to learn from her."
"Why is she with the mages? I thought she was coming home after sending the messages?"
"This is not home for Elainne. She is where she is supposed to be; as are you."
That doesn’t sound safe. "You saw us when you grabbed us, how can you say she is safe?"
"Because she is protected. Her power has been unlocked and she will never again be helpless."
What the hell does that mean? I am going to ask but he indicates water and rest, so I do as I am told. Elainne will want me to listen to the giant turkey. Once she is home, that will be over.
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