“You will teach me?” She said softly to him as she attempted to prop her head up on her arm but failed and lay down on her back.
“If I do not you could kill us all.” He replied in all seriousness. The look on his face gave her the confirmation she needed; she had indeed endangered everyone around her by attempting to use magic again. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to imperil anyone.”
“Hush now, save your strength for the road. We have a long journey ahead of us if we’re going to make it home.” He walked next to her for a moment then looked over at the weak young girl. “What do you know about magic?”
“Nothing actually, just what Nina told me.” Rose admitted off-handedly as she shielded her eyes from the blaring sun with one hand.
“Well then we shall start your first lesson if you’re up for listening to an old man chatter.” He said with a wry grin upon his wrinkled face.
“Not at all, your voice is quite soothing actually.” She replied through a strained smile. “It feels as if I’ve heard it before.”
“I get that a lot. Let me tell you the origin of magic then. Long ago when the world was young dragons ruled the earth, sky and water. They coveted and hoarded their knowledge of all things, including magic. The gods, having created the world and everything within it, ordered the dragons to teach the lesser races of the world how to use magic.” Leonidus pulled a small metal necklace out of his robe and showed it to Rose. It depicted two dragons, one black and one silvery twined together in combat. “The dragons elected two of their oldest and strongest champions, one for evil and one of good.”
“Both of these dragons were to oppose the edict of the gods and claim a throne of godhood so that they could create diktats of their own and protect the magic that the dragons guarded so greedily.” The old elf put the talisman back into his shirt and continued. “They achieved their goal through magic, each attaining the status of godhood. Both of them ended up more powerful than most of the gods at the time and so they each made their first decree. But to the surprise of all they shared the secrets of magic with men, elves, dwarves and all other races. The dragon of light proclaimed that he had done so to better the world and the dragon of dark to gather the faithful to him so that he could usurp the other gods and steal their power.”
“Amazing.” Rose said while in complete rapt attention. “What happened?”
“The gods had achieved their goal and allowed magic to spread far and wide in the world until one day the followers of a wizard named Xyroxyss discovered a way to drain power from the world itself. Their greed and power-hungry spell weaving caused this world to fracture into different pieces and scatter itself among the astral fade. In order to save this world the gods themselves sacrificed their essence and poured their power into the earth. They saved this world from disaster but could not repair all of the damage done.” Leonidus looked over at Rose for a moment then turned back to focusing his attention on the road ahead. “This desert is supposedly the site of the first draining of the world, which is why it is so barren and desolate.”
“Astral fade?” Rose asked curiously.
Leonidus smiled. “Another story for another time my dear.”
“Well then to continue on there are rules to using magic. The first rule is to watch what you absorb. The more energy you take from yourself, or in your unique case the world around you, the more powerful the spell but the more damaging to your surroundings. All things have a finite supply of energy. Ranging from the earth to people, even sand, plants and animals and all of these things can give you a boost of extra vitality that can fuel your magic and take it to heights unimaginable. But in taking that energy you could potentially hurt someone or damage the environment.” Leonidus looked over at her for a moment and then back ahead of himself to watch where he was walking. “Rare mages can even kill a person by draining them. Most normal people have a limited capacity for magical energy; you are a unique exception to this rule. Your body can continue taking energy long after normal people would have been consumed. Luckily you seem to have an inordinately high resistance to the effects of what I like to call ‘the burn’.”
“The second rule is to use magic only when you really need it. There are consequences that send ripples through time with your every move and magic can affect the outcome of those ripples in dramatic ways. The same is true when you are pregnant. We have not been able to study the effects of magic on pregnancies in full because we fear the consequences of such actions.” Taking another skin from within his robe Leo took a long swig and handed it to Rose. Once she had consumed a good bit of the water and handed it back he continued. “Even benevolent magic can potentially harm you if not used wisely my dear Rose.”
“My third rule is a personal rule. Never under any circumstances are you to tutor someone in magic unless you are ready to see that person die.” Leonidus looked over at her and found the shocked expression he expected to see on her face. “You have been sheltered your entire existence to this point so you do not know many of the facets of life on this world. One of those facts is that magic is feared by one and all because of the past damage it has caused to the world. You have yet to venture out into the wide expanses little desert flower but when you do you will understand what I mean. For now only use magic around people you trust, we elves are not afraid of magic because we can temper it with prudence but your average human would just as quickly string you up and flog you than allow you to work even one spell. Hide your gifts well or you will be hunted Rose.”
“As for the fourth rule, that is for you to design yourself. I call it the open rule.” Every one of my students crafts their own fourth rule. Nina, Merik and even my daughter Mira have their own fourth rule.” With a pat to her head he chuckled softly. “Worry not, that rule comes with time.”
“This is all so much to absorb.” She replied after trying to drink in all the information she had been handed so quickly. The consequences of magic seemed to outweigh the benefits but she needed a means to defend herself in this world. “I think I can walk now.”
“Barius, Noranda, let her down but stay at her side in case she requires further assistance.” Leonidus said with his best authoritative voice as he strode away from Rose to let her think about everything he had said.
“Thank you.” She said to the male and female elf that had been carrying her along in the desert heat. She had been given a new set of clothing, this set the same as the first save for a new layer of desert-colored clothing that allowed them to blend into their surroundings a bit more. She was also wearing a pair of soft-soled shoes that seemed to allow her to walk upon the sand a little more steadily than normal. “I’m sorry to have been a burden upon you.”
“Think nothing of it Rose.” The female elf named Noranda spoke first. She had red hair and green eyes with a fair complexion and a small-framed body. She was about as tall as Rose but her build was a little more athletic. “You’ll forgive my companion Barius, he cannot speak.”
She nodded slightly at the male elf and regarded him curiously. He had a ruggedly handsome visage, his hair and eyes were raven black and he sported a darker skin tone than his female counterpart. The most discerning feature he possessed was a deep scar that ranged from his temple to his chin and another across his neck. Rose gulped a bit when she saw the wound but made sure not to stare. Once she was off the litter and on her feet she shakily stood up and stretched herself out trying to work the kinks away. One foot after the other she strode forward with the two guards on either side of her. “Am I a prisoner of the elves Noranda?”
“No, of course not.” She shook her head and pushed back the cowl of her hooded shirt and pulled out the leather thong that was holding her long hair up. Her curly locks danced around her neck for a moment before she gathered them back up into a tail and tied them back, putting the hood back on afterward. “We are here for your protection and nothing more. The attack last night was not just focused on the royal family but for some reason you as well.”
“I wish I knew what I had done to attract these peoples’ ire.” Rose breathed out a sigh and pulled the large hood up over her ears to shelter her face from the sun a little better as she walked. “I have known no other life but that of a pleasure slave.”
Catching a light blush from the male elf standing next to her she laughed flippantly and shook her head, indicating that no embarrassment was needed. “No need to be uncomfortable, that life is behind me now. I do not consider it to be a bad time. I had food, water and shelter within a very nice palace.”
“Well at least you’re optimistic about it.” Noranda replied while snickering at Barius the entire time. She could tell he fancied the naarabi female and though he was her chosen mate she found no anger against that, Rose was quite attractive and exotic. None of them had ever known a naarabian before and though she would not admit it she idly wondered what it would be like herself.
Chapter 4: Deadly Game
Several weeks had passed and the journey across the vast expanse of desert had been taxing for Rose, having lived the pampered life. But in that time she had learned much about combat and magic from Merik and Leonidus both. She had even studied desert survival from Nina, who had learned it from one of the elven tutors in her city. Rose found it relieving to be traveling with so many good people; she could only imagine what would have happened had she ended up with a group of individuals who were less ingratiating.
Every day that passed had helped her get into better shape but she was far from being in top form. Her muscles burned with every step and she was consuming more food and water than her kind would normally need. She attributed that to both the magic use and her new surroundings. As she walked she frequently found that her thoughts began to drift across her lessons with the elf sage. He had taught her how to properly store and channel her magic; she was still a bit sloppy with it though. He had even taught her how to draw water out of the atmosphere and regulate the temperature in a small area around her. Recently he had been teaching her about offensive and defensive magic.
Her last lesson had been the hardest; he had instructed her to attack him with a spell. Reluctantly she had performed his request and was blown back by a blast of magical energy that he named his ‘mantle’. It was a sphere of protective magic that he had forged and erected through years of crafting and care. It was far more than defensive though; he could also use it in other ways that were more for utility than anything. Her head was still throbbing mildly from the backlash. He had taught her how to see in the spectrum of magic and identify magical objects and creatures as well as a fellow mage’s mantle if one was present.
Slowly Rose was getting to know all of the elves in the warband and a few of them had taught her some oft-used elf words and phrases. Noranda was quite helpful in that department. More often than not she found herself speaking in their native tongue. Her accent needed work and she had little more than a rudimentary dictionary of terms but it was enough to get her by.
On the second week out they had stopped at another city for supplies though most of the group, including Rose, waited outside the city’s walls for the others. That had been over two weeks ago and apparently it was the last stop before the mountains and the elven city beyond. Rose knew it was several more days, closer to a week, of travel and she marveled at how far the elves had gone to get their hands on the book. It was even more amazing because they had traveled this far with most of the royal family included in the journey. She sighed as she scanned along the lines of the endless dunes and trackless sand. She had learned through questions and conversation how the elves knew what direction to travel. They were all linked to the city itself, they could feel its presence at all times calling out to them in the distance. Generally Rose had noticed that for the most part they kept the sun to their faces in the morning and let it shine on their backs in the afternoon.
She had fast learned that the wastes were a canvas painted with one endless brush stroke in a palate of few colors. The view of reddish sand around her and the feel of it getting into her clothes was more annoying than she wanted to let on. Rose couldn’t help but look around again as if she would see something different than what she had seen on her last visual sweep just a few moments earlier. As she passed her gaze over a dune in the distance to her left she saw a flash of something, it was dark and standing out as clear as the sun for but a brief moment before disappearing. She stopped in her tracks and squinted her eyes against the sun to try and recreate the effect.
“What is it?” Noranda queried, following her gaze out across the sand and then back at Rose. Barius did the same as did the next few elves behind her. Noranda pulled a long bone-carved tube out of a satchel at her waist and extended it out, peering through one end of the strange object. “I don’t see anything.”
“I saw something dark against the sand for a moment. It looked like a person.” Rose replied rather quietly. “I’m not sure.”
Before anyone could question her further she reached into the store of magic she had built for herself that morning and shaped it to her will. She imagined having two of the viewing mirrors in her hands, not unlike the one that Noranda had used. She imagined one for each eye so she could see the distant area closer. Simultaneously she shifted her vision into the spectrum of magic and was surprised to find that her shaping of the spell worked better than she had intended. For a moment the distance was blurry as her eyes adjusted. Sweeping her gaze over the sands she sighed and figured that it was a figment of her imagination. Seconds before she canceled the spell she saw a group of silhouettes creeping against the desert sands, cloaked in magic designed for invisibility. “Wait, I see something.”
“What is it?” Noranda said, once again looking through the viewing mirror. “I don’t see anything.”
“Someone is out there but cloaked in magic.” As she watched, the tallest of the distant figures stopped and turned his head toward her then lifted one arm and swept it out wide. The many shapes behind him began to charge toward the thinly spread line of elves with abandon. “We’re under attack from the east! The enemy is cloaked in magic!”
“Scarab formation, tight packed! The enemy is unseen, pass the word!” Instantly Noranda ran for the front of the line, ordering Barius to stand with Rose until she returned. The elves around her reacted to her cry without question and everyone prepared their weapons, facing toward the general direction of the unseen assailants. As quickly as they could they began to form up into tight battle groups. Rose dropped the farseeing spell and looked back out at the glowing forms again. They were too close for the elves to group up into the larger battle formation. Rose, for her part, pulled the twin daggers from their sheaths and found her hands shaking almost uncontrollably. A strong hand on her shoulder ended up being Barius wearing a light smile. “Thank you for the steady hand.”
He could only nod in response so she turned back around toward the approaching forms and swept her gaze in the direction Nina and the rest of her family. She felt an unseen tug, something pulling her toward them, more pointedly toward Nina. “Barius I must get to Nina, it’s important.”
She followed him as best she could as he broke into a sprint toward the next formation. Her legs weren’t adjusted fully for desert travel so she could do no more than stumble in the sand toward her goal. He made sure not to outpace her though and she was thankful for that. They were not far from the front of the line and Rose could already hear the sounds of battle raging as they came into view of the anterior group. Among them she could see Nina dodging and thrusting pitted against a creature she had never seen before. It was vaguely humanoid with thick skin and patches of scales in various places, its head seemed almost reptilian and a cold light burned in the vertical slits of their orbs. They were brown and grey and they had strong arms and legs with cruel talons that seemed to be their primary weapons.
Rose renewed her footing several times over before she stumbled into range. Barius rushed along still attempting to get at the young elf princess to render a
id. The creature knocked Nina down with a high swipe and lifted its arm high for a killing stroke. Rose panicked and delved into her store of energy again, shaping it quickly into a glowing doorway before her. She jumped through the nearly-invisible portal with her right hand extended out and her left poised to follow the stroke. Disorientation hit her as she exited the other side and crashed into the reptilian creature, driving her dagger directly into its neck and piercing its jugular. It fell to the sand and thrashed around trying to futilely keep its lifeblood from pouring out of the wound. She smiled down at Nina and sheathed her clean dagger, offering a hand up. “I swore to protect you, yet for some reason I just now realized that we were marching way too far apart for me to do so.”
“Just in time though.” Nina said through a strained smile as she retrieved her weapon and surveyed the battle around them. When Barius strode up behind them Nina sent him to help hold the front line against the attackers. “What the hell are these things?”
Since the creatures were visible Rose dropped her view of the mystic spectrum and looked around them for a moment. “These aren’t all I saw though, there’s a man leading them. I don’t see him in the fray.”
Just as she finished that statement she saw Nina’s eyes go wide with fright. Not bothering to turn and see what had frightened her Rose dove forward taking the startled elf with her and even as she hit the sand she felt the telltale whoosh of blade just inches from her back. Rose rolled over off of Nina. A tall human was standing before her clad in heavy armor. It was dark blue and it covered him completely. It was adorned with scales, spines and spikes at various places and he had an open helm with a maw of teeth for a visor resting upon his head. He was handsome, painfully so. His hair was a white blonde and his eyes were ice blue. The iridescent tone to his skin made him seem almost like a point of light independent of the sun. His hand gripped a long sword that looked to be forged of metal; a very rare and expensive item to say the least. The blade was pure black with a dark blue hilt wrapped in leather with a long spine at the end of the pommel. His other hand held a shield made of the same material.
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