Spellscribed: Provenance

by Kristopher Cruz

  “Now the first thing you want to keep in mind is that if they catch on to you, they will either run away or attack you.” He said, drawing one of his axes quietly. “You have to be prepared no matter what happens.” He stalked along surprisingly quietly for his size. Endrance snuck along next to him, his light weight and frame making sneaking easy for him. Eventually Joven lead them to a small grove where a deer was cautiously nibbling at some leaves. Endrance nudged Joven and whispered “How are you going to sneak up on it with your axe?”

  “Who said I was going to sneak up on it? Just watch me.” Joven whispered as he moved carefully until he was a ways away from Endrance but still just outside the grove. He was still several dozen yards from the deer, but it seemed to have not seen or smelled them yet.

  Endrance watched as Joven stood up to his full height, pulling the axe up and holding it over his shoulder, the axe head was aimed right at the deer. Endrance watched as the deer suddenly looked up, some form of animal awareness warning it of its impending doom. Before the deer could spring away however, Joven had already propelled the axe along his arm, flying through the grove in a whirl of wood and steel to impact into the doe’s neck and brutally slamming it into the tree behind it. The axe haft quivered as the tree shuddered with the impact. Several leaves drifted down from its branches as the deer had a few seconds to look surprised and then die.

  Joven shouted to his success, and ran into the grove to retrieve his prize. Endrance stood stock still; his jaw dropped wide open and one hand vaguely pointing to the unfortunate deer.

  Endrance was overwhelmed with mixed feelings as Joven brusquely yanked his axe out of the deer’s neck. He was completely amazed that throwing his axe worked, utterly surprised how fast it all happened, and most of all felt a dull sense of horror over something as beautiful and graceful as a deer dying so suddenly. Endrance could swear that the poor creature had looked him right in the eyes just before Joven’s axe took the life from it. Endrance shook his head, shuddering and trying to shake off the shock.

  Joven seemed not to notice, as he touched the haft of the bloody axe to his forehead before he carefully began by slitting the deer’s throat and beginning the gruesome process of draining and skinning the deer. It was a relatively small doe, so it wasn’t too long of a process, but when he was done there was still too much meat for them to take with them safely. Joven left some out for the predators, and hauled the majority of it with them back, making Endrance carry the hide.

  Joven stretched out the hide and mounted it near the fire to dry then he quickly lashed together a rack to smoke the meat on. He swiftly and with obvious practiced ease had the deer set up and smoking in a short amount of time. After he had done this he took some of the meats and made a meal for the two of them. They ate, and with Joven occasionally waking up to tend the meats the two of them slept the night.

  The venison lasted a long time, over the course of several days they ate well while they traveled. Soon they were close to Fini, and could see the city in the distance. Built on the confluence of two great rivers, Fini was practically an island to itself. The city was rich with the profits of trade and industry, and in fact many nobles and their families made their homes in Fini. The white stone architecture of the city was collected from a nearby quarry strictly used for city development. Statues and art adorned the noble districts of Fini, and even the docks and the shops were of extraordinary quality. Gold pieces were the smallest currency of the city, and some of the services cost platinum or even gems and other wealth.

  They were a scant two days away from Fini when Joven insisted that they get together some more furs and food so they could trade it for supplies. Joven turned to Endrance as they were setting up camp and said “It’s your time to do the hunting boy.” Joven shooed Endrance from the camp. “Now go! Catch us something!”

  Endrance stalked off into the forest. He was unsure of what to do as he had never taken anything’s life when it wasn't in self defense or to defend another, much less had any experience hunting. He looked back at watching Joven hunt the deer and remembered the way Joven moved and looked about. He decided then that he’d try to catch something. He wouldn’t come back until he had gotten some food.

  As soon as Endrance had moved a dozen yards from camp, Joven quickly slipped a pair of his throwing axes from his belt and stalked off after him. He wanted the young man to learn, but he couldn’t risk the man’s life just so he could learn a lesson. He would watch him from a safe distance and maybe he could catch a glimpse of the wizard’s magic. He had been curious ever since the night he rescued him. How exactly did a willowy young man throw lightning from his hands? Either way, he would have to keep a close eye on the man.

  Endrance slunk through the forest, his spell in mind and his hands free. He managed to make very little sound as he moved through the woods, travelling a ways until he came to a large stream that was an offshoot of the rivers of Fini. Along the stream bank were two deer, an adult buck with two pronged antlers and a small fawn that Endrance couldn’t identify as male or female. The two of them hadn’t noticed him yet, and Endrance positioned himself so he had a clear shot at them.

  He however found himself faced with a quandary. If he killed the buck then the fawn would likely die from a predator or starve to death. If he killed the fawn then the buck could potentially have another after some time, but would still lose his young. Endrance paused for over a minute as he watched the deer drink from the water, and almost lost his resolve when he watched the shaking-legged fawn drink from the clear spring.

  Endrance shook his head gently, and remembered his resolve to hunt this day. He figured that if he struck down the fawn then it would scare off the buck and he could bring it back to Joven. But didn’t Joven say that they might also attack? If he attacked the buck first, he didn’t think the fawn would go very far.

  Joven watched from a side angle as he watched the young man think his way through the situation. At this point Joven was uncertain that the wizard realized that the buck and fawn would be too much for them to cook and tan over one night. He probably didn’t, as the man had not moved to leave or find other prey. He was so focused on the young man’s quandary he didn’t notice the other one who came to observe.

  Endrance decided to try to bring down them both. The problem was he didn’t have a weapon, and using a spell could alert his prey. He could try slinging a spell, but the only ones he could think of that would take down a deer would also damage the hide and meat. Any spell that he could cast conventionally would give the deer plenty of time to hear him and scatter.

  He closed his eyes for a moment, considering his options. Of the spells he could formulate in his head, the only one that seemed effective was a relatively minor one. It would take an object and levitate it with invisible force. His master was familiar enough with the spell he could cast it with but a thought and muttered word, but Endrance would have to focus enough to use it. Even then, he would have to change a critical element of the spell to make it useful.

  As the young wizard rolled back in his mind all the teachings Kaelob had instilled with him about creative use of spellwork, Joven finally caught a glimpse of what else was watching with great intent.

  At first it only appeared as an overly thick patch of shrub across from the deer. Joven almost dismissed it when he caught it move against the faint breeze passing through the trees. A faint outline of a feline form, easily five feet long from head to rump, its tail extending another five feet behind it, longer than a typical big cat. Joven couldn’t see any fine details for a moment, until he realized that its fur was blending in with the greenery behind it. The only things that didn’t change were the vertical black stripes of its coat.

  Joven readied his axes and was about to charge into the glade when the big cat struck. From a crouch it pounced, covering ten yards in an instance and colliding with the buck with a roar. Even as it soared through the air the colors bled out of the big cat’s back, turning a pale red color with bl
ack stripe like slashes in it. The buck had hardly any time to twist in surprise before the cat’s large fangs had it by the neck.

  Endrance opened his eyes in surprise, just having figured out what he would do when the roar shocked him out of his thoughts. Confused, he didn’t at first know what he was looking at. The buck was lying in the grass, its neck broken and bleeding from a large bite, while a red and black striped cat easily as massive as Joven batted the fawn to the ground with a sickening crunch.

  Endrance froze, partially in fear and partially because he didn’t know what it would do next. Maybe it would leave with its prey, and he could search elsewhere. Or better yet, return to Joven and let him know what happened.

  The great cat looked directly at him, and Endrance winced. Joven was too far away to get between the cat and his charge before it would get to him, so he wound up his arm and prepared to throw his axe with all his might. The young wizard knew as he stared into this creatures eyes that this was one of the moments where it was kill or be killed. Its eyes pierced into his, and he could sense the ferocity of the predator in front of him. It wouldn’t rest until either he or it was dead.

  All three parties burst into action at the same time. The cat roared and charged across the open grass towards the trees in a graceful lope that was frighteningly quick for its size. Joven gauged the speed of the attacker and let fly his axe. Endrance thrust his hand down into the dirt at his feet and pulled up a peach pit sized rock.

  The great cat must have noticed the axe in flight and shifted its course, the axe handle slipping over its head by a scant inch. Endrance held up the rock as if he were offering it to the beast and fixated the altered version of the spell in his mind. The cat leapt into the air, mouth open and claws splayed in the darkening sky.

  “Vexo!” Endrance cried out, closing his eyes in fear as the spell went into effect. He felt a strong drain on his reserves, and he realized too late that in his fear he had thrown too much energy into the spell. The rock departed his palm with a loud crack as splinters of rock scattered everywhere, puncturing his palm several times. The rock itself was flung away from him with such great force that it shattered into smaller chunks as it shot cleanly into the great cat’s mouth. None of them came out the other side, but the cats roar died in mid air and the beast clipped the young man as it came down hard on top of him.

  Joven nearly screamed in rage and fear for his charge. Bounding towards the young man, he saw the cat lay there unmoving and the top half of Endrance’s body sticking out from under its furry coat. The wizard was struggling, trying to push the beast off of him but it was far too massive for him to move.

  Endrance hadn’t seen or heard Joven’s approach yet; the cat’s roar and charge had both dulled his hearing and amplified his nerves. He was pushing at the crux between its neck and shoulder when the cat’s eye rotated to look at him directly. Endrance froze, terrified that he had only hurt the thing.

  A moment passed that was so tense Joven couldn’t see a way to interfere without possibly doing more harm than good. The great cat stared Endrance in the eyes; its own slit-pupil orb seemed to glow with animal ferocity while the mage’s were wide in both fear and wonder. He saw something pass in its vision, something the young man thought to be satisfaction, and in that moment the light faded from its eyes.

  Endrance let out his breath in a rush, and closed his eyes as he tried to recollect himself. Joven called out his name, and the young man finally became aware he was approaching.

  “Joven!” he exclaimed. “Oh thank the gods!”

  “Look what you got yourself into this time!” Joven exclaimed mockingly, trying to hide how honestly scared he was for the young man. It was almost the end of a very short career right there.

  Endrance looked down his body at the cat that pinned him down. “Yeah, I think I caught something that would be profitable, though.” He reasoned.

  Endrance thrust out his left arm to Joven as it was the closest. His sleeve fell back from the bracer on his arm, and the yellow-orange Crystalphage set in the silver flared with its own light before Joven could grab his hand. The barbarian leapt back as a wind rushed about the young man and the cat.

  Like before, the first circle of arcane script lit up in golden light, and from the flesh of the dead great cat faintly visible golden wind erupted from the beast and swirled around the bracer. Only when it had all funneled into the gem did the lights and winds fade. Endrance stared at the artifact on his arm with a detached sense of curiosity and dread.

  Endrance tried to reach out with his other hand, and winced as the stone splinters in his palm jabbed his nerves. He carefully pulled them out one at a time and dropped them aside.

  “I have some cloth that can be used as a bandage in my pouches.” Endrance said, holding out his bloodied hand. “But they’re under this thing.”

  Joven watched him warily for a moment, struggling between his sworn vow and his fear of the wizard’s magic.

  “It’s done. Please help me out from under this.” The young man pleaded. His legs were growing numb.

  The barbarian grimaced, but walked around and grabbed his right hand, and with a firm pull managed to extricate the slender young man from under the massive cat. “What was that?” Joven asked.

  “They are called blood tigers.” Endrance said, sounding distracted as he quickly removed a dinner plate sized patch of cloth and began wrapping it around his bleeding hand. “Magical creatures, they can use magic to appear like their surroundings.”

  Joven blinked at him and then shook his head. “Not that!” he said, poking the young mage’s upper arm. “That.”

  Endrance looked down at the bracer. “Oh. Well, it seems that blood tigers have an appreciable amount of magical energy stored in their auras, and my bracer was able to capture it before it dispersed.”

  Joven shook his head, trying to understand. “So wait the… blood tiger was a wizard too?”

  Endrance crinkled his nose at the thought of it. “No. Not like that. It itself is a creature of magic, and therefore has magic in it. It is inherent to them.”

  “I think I understand.” Joven admitted after pondering it over. He surveyed the area, noting where his axe was.

  “How did you get here so quickly?” Endrance asked innocently, poking at the tiger’s head. A trickle of blood leaked out from between its teeth, but otherwise it looked perfectly healthy.

  “You think I would let you wander off into the forests around here without supervision?” Joven said. “I didn’t think you would mind if I kept an eye out for you.”

  “So did you just… miss the tiger, then?” Endrance asked.

  Joven scowled at him. “You’re the one who said they’re magical, how was I supposed to spot it?”

  “Fair enough.” Endrance responded, patting the dead beast on its head. “Well, I think we got some hides and meats for when we get to Fini.” He concluded.

  Joven leaned on a tree trunk and looked at the two deer some ways away. “Yes we do, but did you take the time to think that we can’t carry all of this back, much less be able to skin and cure the hides in one night? Or cook all that meat?”

  Endrance’s face went blank. “What?”

  “It takes a lot of time to cook such a large animal,” Joven said in irritation, waving at the buck near the stream. “And we can’t eat that cat, can we? The fur would be good, but we’re going to lose a day at the least curing all this meat and hide.”

  Endrance thought it over a moment. “Wouldn’t just leaving them here be a waste?” he asked, puzzled.

  Joven used both arms to flip the tiger onto its back. He grunted with the effort, his muscles bulging as he heaved. “Yes.” He responded, producing one of his many long knives. “Which is why we are going to stay until the job is done. We do not waste.” He made the first cut along the collarbone, and then pointed at the young wizard with the knife, a bead of ruby blood dancing on its tip. “Let that be the first lesson you learn of our ways.”

 
; Endrance nodded, his eyes focused on the droplet of blood. “I understand.”

  “Good.” Joven said, and returning to the task of skinning the blood tiger. “I will do my best to teach you to not offend my people before you can take care of yourself, but just in case try not to do anything until the Ergkinoa can teach you properly.”

  “I will try.” Endrance asked.

  “Why didn’t you do that lightning thing, like you said you did with the thug that kidnapped you?” Joven asked, speaking over the gruesome noises he made skinning the great cat.

  Endrance shrugged, though he knew Joven wouldn’t see it. “I couldn’t clear the spell I had been preparing out of my head in time. Unlike most of my other spells, I had been making it on the spot from another spell I had already learned and memorized. Since I had been so focused on the information in the spell, it would take far longer to clear my head of that spell and mentally recall another spell without chancing me accidently mixing some of the components from both, and that can have catastrophic repercussions.

  “I had to use the spell I had at hand, and hope I had correctly repurposed the spell enough to prevent it from misfiring. Otherwise it would have been on me before I could do anything else.” The young wizard concluded.

  “So…” Joven stated flatly, glancing at him over his shoulder. “You didn’t have time to grab a different weapon and used the one in your hand?”

  Endrance glared at his bodyguard. How did he have the ability to simplify such complicated processes and then make them sound so… silly?

  “You really aren’t as stupid as you make yourself out to be.” Endrance observed.

  “Yeah,” Joven said abjectly. “It seems that we uneducated barbarians can be just as smart as you people can be.” He paused a moment, then resumed his work. “Well, maybe not you or Kaelob.”