by Dante King
I laughed softly. “I know it sounds crazy. I’m still getting used to the idea myself. Here, maybe this will help.” I took the sack off my back and pulled Amelia’s book out.
“Let’s stop for a minute,” I said. The road was broad here, and the forest around us had thinned. There were outcrops of rock everywhere on either side of the road, and we went over to one of these and sat down. I opened the book on my lap. “Sit here and have a look,” I said. Veronica sat down on my right.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Amelia asked, sitting down on my left.
“We need all the allies we can get right now, Amelia,” I said.
Amelia nodded at that. “I suppose you’re right. We have no one else we can trust right now.”
I looked at Veronica, whose face was still a bit white. She shook her head at me. “I don’t know what you have to show me, but if it’s more secret than what you just explained, I can’t begin to imagine what it is.”
“Can you read?” I asked Veronica.
She looked affronted. “Of course I can read.” Then she looked at my face. “Oh, right. You were a slave; I suppose you can’t read.”
“I’m hoping to learn how to.” I flipped open the book. “Look at this page.”
“It’s empty,” Veronica looked at me with pity in her eyes.
I laughed. “I know it’s empty. I know that much about reading. Take it between your fingers.”
“Um, okay.” Now Veronica looked at me like I was a bit crazy. She took the page in her fingers. I waited a moment. As I expected, nothing happened.
“All right. Now, watch this,” I said.
Veronica let go of the page, and I took it between my fingers. Immediately, the top of the page began to darken. Veronica gasped and bent forward to look closer.
Just as it had last night, the letters began to appear on the page. After about a minute, the message appeared in full.
Veronica read it out to herself in a quiet voice. I listened to her whisper exactly the same message. I hadn’t forgotten a single word of that life-changing message.
“My end grows near. Ink Mage, in the hour of my final desperation, I leave this message here for you. Ink Mage, if by your touch you reveal this message, know beyond all doubt what you are, and what you must do. You are the only one who can save us from the folly of the High Order of Arcanists. Ink Mage, I have seen this. The greed of the High Order has grown great, and it will grow still greater in the years to come. The High Order of Arcanists will unleash a terrible evil upon the Kingdom. Only an Ink Mage has the power to confront this evil. I hope that even for you it will not prove too strong. You must prepare yourself with practice, and equip yourself with loyal allies and faithful companions.
You will face a formidable challenge sooner than you might wish.”
“What does it mean?” she asked after she’d finished reading.
“We’re not exactly sure,” I said. “But it’s obviously meant for an Ink Mage.”
“You’re probably the only Ink Mage in the whole world,” Amelia said. “It must be addressed to you.”
Veronica sat in silence for a few minutes. Amelia and I waited beside her, allowing her to think.
“This is going to take a little while to get used to,” Veronica said at length. “But I think that, like you, I could do with allies at the moment. You helped me at the battle with the monsters on the hilltop, and that means a lot to me. I’ll trust you, though it might take me a while to get used to your powers.”
“That’s understandable,” I said. “It’s going to take a bit of time for me to get used to them as well.”
That broke the tension, and we all laughed as we rose to our feet.
I put Amelia’s book back in the carry sack, and the three of us began to walk again. The sun was getting lower in the sky, and we didn’t want to waste time.
“I still can’t believe it,” Veronica muttered. “An Ink Mage.”
Chapter Nine
I continued walking down the road, flanked by Amelia on my right and Veronica on my left. The land around became rockier and hillier as we went north, and on the horizon, in the distance, we could see the blue foothills of the northern mountain ranges.
The trees on either side were less dense and wild than they had been before, and we crossed more streams as we went. I guessed that they were all heading toward the lake Amelia had shown me on the map, the lake that gave Brightwater its name.
We munched on some of the rations we had taken from the slavers as we went, and stopped to refill our waterskins once. Aside from this short stop, we didn’t delay, and so we made good progress as the day progressed.
The women made some small talk together, and they seemed to be getting on well, which I was glad to see. I stayed silent, content to let them get to know each other as I thought over the events of the recent days.
“So, how do these tattoos work?” Veronica asked, after a period when we had all been silent for some time, lost in our own thoughts. She couldn’t help the note of apprehension in her voice as she said the word ’tattoos.’ I figured I’d bring her round over time to realizing that tattoos were not inherently evil. It would take most people a while to get used to the idea.
I gave Amelia a chance to answer, but she looked at me, so I did my best to explain.
“I push a strand of my Mana directly into the tattoo,” I said, “and use the tattoo to shape the Mana. Then I just push the Mana out onto my hand to cast it as a spell.”
“So, you can directly manipulate your Mana?” Veronica asked. “And, hang on, how did you get two affinities?”
She’d asked me the same question earlier, but I hadn’t been sure if I could trust her then, so I’d let the question pass. Now that things were different, I figured I should try my best to answer her. I took a breath, then stopped as I realized that I didn’t even really understand it myself. How had I ended up with two affinities?
I glanced at Amelia, walking on my right. Her face was bright red.
“Uh,” I hesitated. “Let’s just say I’m not exactly sure how I ended up with two affinities.” That was partly true. “How did you end up with yours?”
“I was born with it,” Veronica stated. “Most nobles have affinities. We are all tested at a young age.”
“I’m kind of ignorant of the process,” I said. “Being a former slave, and all.” I smiled at her.
“Oh, sure,” she said. “Well, noble children are tested by holding enchanted items from the various affinities. If they can at least activate the spell rune, then it’s assumed they have a Mana pool from which to cast spells. But they always need a vector outside of themselves, not a tattoo like you use. How did you learn to manipulate your Mana?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” I said. “It seemed to happen by accident. I do know it was triggered while I was tied up in the slavers’ wagon.”
Veronica’s face paled at this. Obviously, it was easy to forget that I’d been a slave until so recently.
I continued. “My Fire tattoo seemed to be activated when I was watching one of the slavers about to hit Amelia. My emotions were so strong that my hands just started producing fire.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize you acquired those abilities just for me,” Amelia said. We all laughed.
“As I was forced to face more slavers, and then monsters in the woods,” I continued, “I just worked out more about how my powers work through trial and error.”
“Fortunately, there wasn’t too much error,” Amelia added.
“Yes, we were very fortunate.”
“You seem pretty brave to me,” Veronica replied. “You went through all that yesterday, and today here you are, coming to help an experienced Mage like myself in a monster battle.” She almost seemed a little ashamed that I’d come to rescue her.
“There were a lot of monsters,” I said. “Besides, you looked like you were handling yourself pretty well.”
Veronica shook her head. “Had you not given me yo
ur help, I don’t know what would have happened. My sister was always telling me that I was too rash and that it’d eventually be my undoing. Luckily, you two came along, so I never had to learn my lesson, eh?” She chuckled humorlessly under her breath. At the mention of her sister, her face had fallen a bit. It was obviously a soft spot, so I didn’t ask more about it.
“Who knows, maybe we can do something about the escaped Beasts?” I asked. “Once Amelia and I figure that out, we could even free the slaves.”
“That sounds like a great idea, but I doubt us three would ever be capable of such a thing,” Veronica said.
“The three of us?” I asked.
Veronica blushed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to assume we would work together. It’s been a while since I’ve had anyone to call a friend in these parts, besides the mistress of the tavern in Brightwater and some vagabond who drinks too much.”
“It’s no problem,” I said. “I make friends easily, and I don’t mind calling you one of them, even if we’ve known each other for no more than an hour. A lot can change in a short space of time. A few days ago, Amelia and I were just Elemental Sensitives. Now, I’m an Ink Mage and Amelia is a… What exactly are you?”
Amelia shrugged. “I’m not sure. Even though I can use magic, I wouldn’t feel right calling myself a Mage since I never trained as one. I’m not an Ink Mage—only one who can give tattoos can be called that. I must be something else.”
I considered a name that would suit her, and one came to me as I looked at the tattoo I’d drawn on her body.
“Rune Sorcerer,” I said. “That’s what you are.”
“Rune Sorcerer?” Amelia wore a thoughtful expression that quickly turned into a beaming smile. “I love it!”
“It’s a good title,” Veronica agreed. “I am wondering about something, though. You said that you two were Elemental Sensitives. Is that why you were enslaved?”
“That’s correct,” Amelia replied. “Yes, I am. My base affinity is Cold. I didn’t discover this until I ventured out from Astros. Otherwise, I would have been snatched up and sent to the mines much earlier.”
“You can both sense the Beast Cores you’re carrying then?” Veronica asked. “Doesn’t that get a bit distracting?”
“I don’t notice it all the time,” I said. “It’s more like how you sense your own body parts. You know that your fingers are there, but your brain doesn’t remind you of it all the time.”
“I see.” Veronica paused in the middle of the forest track and fished out a Fire Beast Core from her pocket. “What do you sense when I hold this out?”
“It’s mostly a heat-like sensation, stronger now that it’s uncovered. The Cold Cores in your pocket are at the back of my mind, but when I focus on them, a shiver runs through me, as though an icy wind blew against my skin.”
“That doesn’t sound too overwhelming,” Veronica said as she returned the Core to her pocket.
“It’s never really overwhelming. I feel it most strongly when I crack the Cores open. It’s like having something tugging at my mind. Of course, it’s actually tugging at my Mana pool.”
Veronica opened her mouth, but no sound came out. After a moment, she tried again. “You crack Beast Cores open? Are you a madman? Those are worth so much money, and they’re so dangerous. Only enchanters in Astros open Cores.”
I shrugged. “Where else would I get the ink to draw my tattoos?”
Veronica just shook her head, lost for words.
“I would have thought that it was crazy too, only a few days ago,” Amelia said. “It sounds incredibly risky to play with such dangerous magic and foolhardy to tamper with items worth so much money. But the magic that William can perform as an Ink Mage is simply wonderful.” At that, she clasped her hand in mine and kissed me on the cheek.
Veronica raised an eyebrow at the both of us. “Are you two... married?”
I laughed, and Amelia nudged me none-too-softly in the side.
“No, we’re not,” the beautiful Rune Sorcerer said. “Although we have made love. Last night, actually.”
Veronica raised her hand. “Please, spare me the details. It’s been so very long since I’ve felt a man’s warmth, I’m not sure I could take it.”
Amelia giggled before she whispered under her breath. “I could barely take William.”
“Enough, ladies,” I said. “How about we focus on getting to Brightwater for now?”
We continued through the forest for a few more hours, stopping briefly to rest our legs and fill our stomachs with a bit more food from the slavers’ wagon. Veronica shared some biscuits and candied fruits with us, and we ended up with a surprisingly satisfying meal. After our bellies were full, we started out on the road again.
It hadn’t slipped my mind that Veronica possessed the Lightning affinity—an elemental affinity I didn’t possess myself. I had acquired the Cold affinity from Amelia after sleeping with her, so it stood to reason that the same thing might happen if I were to sleep with Veronica. The thought of bedding this beautiful Mage wasn’t unpleasant in the slightest, and it remained in the back of my mind as we traveled through the forest.
As the late afternoon wore on, we crested the hill, the town rose into view about a mile off in the distance.
“Welcome to Brightwater,” Veronica said with a smile.
Amelia, Veronica, and I stood looking down from the hilltop on the town of Brightwater. The town nestled in the hollow created by two hills. It was bigger than I had expected, with many buildings both large and small jostling against each other in a tangle of crowded streets. There was something odd about the buildings which I could not quite place. I peered through the afternoon haze at the town, but I couldn’t make it out at this distance. Smoke from many chimneys rose above the town, and a warm wind brought the homely smell to us as we stood on the hill. Behind the town, the hills marched away to the blue northern mountain range, where I knew the Beast mines lay.
I breathed deeply, relishing my newfound freedom. For the first time in my life, I would be visiting a town without having to hide my status. I was no longer a slave. In Aranor I’d always had to be so cautious, because a slave could not have the run of the streets and taverns as Jacques and I had done during my early years. If anyone had found out what I actually was, my foster-father Gregory would have been severely reprimanded for not keeping a watch on his slave.
Gregory had never treated me as a slave; we had always behaved as father and son. The other poor farmers in our home village knew what my true status was, but everyone got so used to me being “Gregory’s son” that I thought everyone had forgotten that I was still, technically, a slave. Certainly, no one ever caused trouble for me or Gregory when I came back from a jaunt into Aranor with Jacques.
With a shake, I recalled myself to where I was. I might have the status of a free man now, but even so, I did not know what dangers might await me and my companions in Brightwater. We were going to enter the town this evening. I wanted to make sure we were prepared for whatever we might face.
Veronica stood on my left and Amelia on my right. Both women seemed to be contemplating our next steps, as I was. I turned to Veronica; she was a mercenary Mage in the employ of the townsfolk of Brightwater, and so she would know best about the dangers we might face.
“So, Veronica,” I said. “You know the town better than Amelia or I do. Should we expect any trouble in Brightwater?”
“Probably,” she replied with a nonchalant smile. “I’ve had to show my strength on a number of occasions. Out here, so far from Astros, strength is often the only thing people respect.”
“In that case, we need to be prepared.” I slung my pack from my shoulder and put it on the ground, then sat. “I’m going to see if I can draw some more tattoos with the Beast Cores we picked up,” I explained as my companions sat down next to me. “I’d like to make some modifications that would be useful in close quarters. Like Veronica said, we may need to make a show of strength, but I don’t want to burn d
own any buildings or harm any innocent bystanders in the process.”
“That’s a good idea,” Amelia said. “Let me see if there are any runes in my spellbook you can use.” She drew the heavy book out of the pack.
“Anything we can use, you mean,” I corrected her. “I can give you another tattoo as well, Amelia, or modify your existing one.”
“Really?” she said. Her cheeks colored slightly. “Are you sure you don’t need the ink for yourself?”
“We’re a team now, Amelia. I can’t engage in these battles without your help,” I said.
“That’s so kind of you.” She glanced away shyly.
I got the feeling she didn’t receive much positive attention in the Royal Library. Apprenticeships could be rough, as I’d seen from observing some of the apprentice craftsmen in Aranor. All work and no play. I was glad to be able to offer Amelia better opportunities.
I looked at Veronica, who had been staring at me with some interest. “And you, Veronica?” I asked. “Are you sure you don’t want me to try giving you a Lightning tattoo?”
She wasn’t my woman, like Amelia was, but I hoped we might develop a closer relationship as she traveled and fought with us. Who knew where that might lead?
Veronica stiffened at my words. “Uh, no. No, certainly not. Thank you. I couldn’t possibly wear one of those.”
“Suit yourself.” I smiled.
She’d come around eventually.
“Just out of interest,” Veronica asked, “you’re capable of drawing a Lightning tattoo although you don’t have the lightning affinity?”
“I assume so,” I said. “I gave Amelia a Cold tattoo before I had the affinity.”
“You gained a Cold affinity? How is that possible?”
I shared a look with Amelia, and she giggled. I simply smiled.
“Well,” I said as I turned back to face Veronica, “I could show you, but it might make you uncomfortable.”
“I can bear discomfort,” she said, a little haughtily.