Magavero's face fell slightly, becoming more professional. "Border patrol," he answered in slightly clipped tones. "There've been more raids, Xiaolang."
Xiaolang didn't say anything, simply nodded in curt understanding; but his dark expression stated quite plainly how he felt.
I didn't like seeing that expression on my friend's face. I came to stand beside him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. His head turned sharply, looking at me. "I best get to work, then," I said quietly.
As I had hoped, his anger and grief fell away, and a smile chased its way across his face. "Indeed. Forgive me, I'm forgetting my manners. Magavero, this is Magus Rhebengarthen of the Jaunten." With sadistic cheer he added, "You'd probably know him better as the Advent Mage."
Magavero had been faintly surprised at the word "Magus" but at my ludicrous title, his eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.
I gave Xiaolang a dirty look. "You just had to say it, didn't you?"
"But of course!" he sing-songed brightly. "What's the use of having friends, if I can't torment them?"
I silently swore to myself that I'd pay him back for this later.
"Garth, this is Major Kin Magavero," Xiaolang continued the introductions, ignoring my dark scowl and the Major's discomposure. "He was my mentor before I joined the military, and a good friend."
Remembering at the last second that Solian's greet each other by touching palms, I lifted my hand in greeting. "Ainlie."
Magavero touched his palm to mine, his hand rough with sword calluses. "Ainlie, Magus."
"Garth," I corrected him with a smile. "I'm not a formal person."
The Major blinked at this, but thawed noticeably. "Understood, I'm not a formal person either, usually. Now I'm truly curious, why are you here?"
"Garth thinks that he can put a protective barrier around Q'atal," Xiaolang answered. He looked like the cat that knew how to open the canary cage.
Actually, it was Night that thought I could do this, not me. But I wasn't going to argue. There'd be no point.
Magavero was staring at me like a man waiting for the punch line of a joke. "A barrier? Around a whole country?"
"The key word in that statement," I told him dryly, "was the word think. I'm not sure if I can do this or not. Earth Mages in the past were able to do it, however, so I think it's feasible." I had been doing a great deal of practicing with barriers, ever since that fiasco with Chatta trying to do building wards. I had a better grasp on how to do it now. It helps when I put up barriers around natural earth, instead of something manmade—like buildings.
After a stunned moment, Magavero got his mouth working properly again. "Is this difficult magic?"
"Is the sky blue?" I drawled.
The Major's face cracked into a grin. "I'll take that as a yes. Can we do anything to help you?"
"I need some information," I admitted. "Are all of the Q'atalian people in the country right now?"
He stopped and thought about that for a moment, one finger idly tracing the bottom of his chin. "There's one caravan out that I know of. I think that's it, but I could be wrong."
"Double check," I ordered him. "It's imperative that every Q'atalian be in the country when the barrier goes up."
"Garth, I think you better explain," Xiaolang advised.
"I was heading toward the wharf for lunch," Magavero eyed us both thoughtfully. "Why don't you join me? You can explain everything while we eat."
Food sounded like a wonderful idea. I nodded without any hesitation.
Magavero must be a frequent visitor to the city, because he weaved his way around the traffic and cramped streets as comfortably as any native. He led us to this little hole in the wall café that I would have passed right by without noticing. They didn't even have menus. As it turned out, menus weren't needed. A waitress came out, plopped three glasses in front of us, and then sauntered back to the kitchen. In moments she was back with a huge platter mounded over with hot biscuits, freshly fried fish, and golden crisps.
My mouth was watering at the aroma alone.
Needless to say, no one said anything until we had demolished about half the contents of that platter. Once our hunger was for the most part satisfied, we slowed down enough to actually talk to each other.
"So how does this barrier of yours work?" Magavero asked me after a long gulp from his cup.
"It's linked to the power of the earth." At his blank look, I realized that I would need to backtrack a little. "The earth has its own power, and it's very potent. There are lines, ley lines we call them, of that power that weaves its way all through the earth. What I'm going to do is set up the barrier so that it connects with several ley lines. That way, it will never run out of power."
Magavero looked suitably impressed. "And why do all the Q'atalians have to be in the country?"
"It’s part of how barrier magic works," I answered with a shrug. "When I put the barrier up, I have to tell the magic who to recognize. As I don’t know these people, the easiest way to do this is to say that only those inside of it are recognized. Anyone outside of that barrier will be automatically repelled."
His face drew down into a concerned frown. "They will be able to leave the country, right?"
I hastily tried to erase the assumptions he had just jumped to. "Of course, they can leave and return after the barrier is up. No problem. It just when I first put the barrier up that they all need to be inside. The magic will recognize them that way."
Relieved, his frown eased and he sat back in his seat. "Good, good. How long will this take?"
"I have no idea," I was forced to admit. "A day? Two? I might have to put the barrier up in sections, and then put a final spell on it to make it a cohesive shield. I'm not sure."
“We also need to know how much the Remcar-ol have been told," Xiaolang added, "and if there was any agreement made.”
“I just spoke with the Remcar-ol,” Magavero stated. “Actually, that’s why I’m still in the city. They had one of those ‘feelings’ that something was going to happen soon.” This last sentence was said with a certain amount of exasperation.
I held up a hand, stopping him. “Before you continue, clarify for me. Who exactly is the Remcar-ol?”
“Think of them as a sort of council for Q’atal,” Xiaolang advised. “Only they have a great deal more power and influence over my countrymen than any council does over other countries.” He thought about it another moment, then shook his head. "Although even that description doesn't do them justice. They're more like our parents than anything. Every citizen in Q'atal is referred to as 'their children' and they literally mean that."
Interesting. I had assumed that it was something of that sort, but in cases like this, it was never a good idea to assume anything. “And the ‘feeling’ that Magavero is talking about?”
Xiaolang was slower to answer this question. He was visibly reluctant to say anything at all. “My people are known as more than just empaths. We sometimes…have a bit of precognition…”
I could tell by his expression that people had scoffed at this before. I kept my voice level and patient when I replied. “Xiaolang, keep in mind who you’re speaking to. Magic comes in many forms, and personally, I think people only acknowledge a small part of it.”
He relaxed, and a sheepish smile grew on his face. “I should have known that’s how you’d respond. I’ve never seen you condemn an idea outright.”
“I’ve seen too much that’s unexpected, or downright unusual.” I shrugged. “All right, so the Remcar-ol had something of a hunch that we were coming. And?”
“And they sent for me,” Magavero continued. “I’ve been in town for about a day now. They wouldn’t really talk to me—they just said to wait.” Sardonically, he added, “Apparently they were waiting on someone.”
“I think the wait is over,” I drawled. “Well, if they’re expecting us, we shouldn’t keep them waiting. Where do we go?”
“Into Q’atal,” Magavero answered simply.
/> ~*~
I'm not sure what I was expecting Q'atal to look like. All I know is the reality was completely different than any mental picture I would have come up with.
It was intuitively obvious when we crossed the border. We went from relatively flat coastline, to this deep forest that looked and felt so ancient that I wouldn't have been surprised if it had existed when the world was just created. There were these huge, primeval trees that stretched up to seemingly touch the sky, shading everything below them. I felt very tiny and insignificant in comparison. I think Night was too—he kept eyeing his surroundings as if he were waiting for something to reach out and bite him.
"The Forest of Antiquity," Xiaolang murmured.
That was a very appropriate name. Too appropriate, perhaps. To distract myself, I decided I might as well ask Xiaolang a few questions. "Xiaolang, you said that the Remcar-ol is more like parents than a council. Can you explain that a bit more?"
"There are only eight hundred Q'atalians," Xiaolang answered quietly.
My jaw dropped in sheer surprise. "Eight hundred?!" That's it?!
"We're not a large nation, by any means. We never have been. Because of that, the Remcar-ol has always been more hands-on with us. They come to check on us, give us advice, support us in whatever we are doing—just like your parents would."
Busted buckets, I hadn't expected anything like this. "How many are in the Remcar-ol?"
"The number changes. There's usually more than five, never more than twelve. When…" he looked away, uneasy, "…when I left, there was eight."
I could almost feel his pain, and carefully changed the subject. "So if they're more like parents than anything, are they formal?"
"Not really. You shouldn't have a problem." The smile was back on his face, and he looked almost amused for some reason. "You're normally quite polite."
I didn't know how to respond to that, so I shrugged and stayed silent.
"Don't worry about this much. Magavero talks with the Remcar-ol on a regular basis. He'll keep you from making any serious mistakes." Even as he spoke, his eyes were darting about in a nervous study of the forest. He was visibly uneasy, and kept shifting on Hayate's back. "Garth. I'm not sure if I should go any further than this."
It took me a moment to understand what he meant. He put himself into exile, true, but Xiaolang had still broken the rules. He was still considered exiled by his country. I could understand his hesitation in getting too close to the border. "If you think that you should stay here," I answered gently, "then stay. Just tell us which direction to go."
He gave me a grateful smile. "Thank you. Don't worry about finding them—they'll find you."
Somehow, that wasn't reassuring. I nodded anyway, and led our small party deeper into the forest. I didn't look back, but I could feel Xiaolang watching us as we disappeared into the trees.
Shad urged his horse up so that he could ride next to me. "Is Xiaolang staying behind for a reason?"
Ah, that's right! He didn't know. I lowered my voice and told him a brief version of Xiaolang's history. Shad's eyes grew progressively darker as the story was related. By the time I was done, he was gripping his reins in a white knuckled grip. "I don't think I care much for that law. It's stupid."
Considering Shad's background, I had expected that response. "I agree. But we're not the ones that made the rules."
"Hmph."
Apparently that rationale hadn't appeased him one iota.
Ah well.
We broke free of the tree line before I could think of something else to say to Shad. The view that met my eyes wiped all thought from my head.
Great…ancient…magic…
There was a valley in front of us, full of lush green grass, sparkly rivers, and huge trees. It glowed in front of my eyes like some precious gem, and took my breath away with its beauty. If ever there was a place that could be described as heaven on earth, it was here.
Night stumbled to a halt, apparently just as captivated by the view as I was. "This place is gorgeous!"
I nodded dumbly, as my tongue was still too tied to speak.
It took me a few seconds before I started to really look at everything. There were houses in the valley, but built out of native stone or wood in such a way that they almost blended in with the massive trees. I hadn't even noticed them at first, and probably wouldn't have, if not for the smoke rising out of a few chimneys.
It was out of one of these buildings that a group of four people emerged from. They looked like Xiaolang, but at the same time…they didn't. Their skin was a dusky blue, hair black as midnight and hanging well past their waists in elaborate braids. The three men were in long tunics of light grey, with elaborate embroidery work all along the collar and sleeves. The woman was in a dress of the same color, with similar embroidery. Looking at them, I didn't have to be told that they were of the Remcar-ol. With the power and confidence they displayed, I knew.
We all dismounted as they approached, coming a little forward to meet them.
Magavero sidled up next to me and muttered in a low tone, "In Q'atal, they greet each other by pressing their hand to your heart. You're supposed to do the same thing to return the greeting."
"Thank you for mentioning that now," I replied fervently. I hated messing up on the introductions.
His face stretched in a brief grin, and then he turned to everyone else, repeating the instruction. He barely finished before the Remcar-ol were in front of us.
It was the woman that spoke first, gliding forward to rest her hand against my chest. I could feel the power in her through that touch, the same power that I had felt in Xiaolang, all those weeks ago. "We have been waiting for you, Magus. I am An Meiling of the Remcar-ol."
I carefully returned the greeting, my hand resting more on her collarbone than on her chest, for obvious reasons. "I am Magus Rhebengarthen. Thank you for the gift of your name, An Meiling."
She blinked at this greeting, her hand slowly falling to her side. "A Chahiran Mage? Vonlorisen must have had an absolute conniption when you showed up!"
It was my turn to blink at this unexpected statement. It was so off from what I had expected her to say I couldn't stop a rueful laugh from escaping. "I don't think he was far from it," I admitted. I turned and gestured to Night. "This is my Nreesce, Night."
She went to him, pressing her hand against his chest. "Greetings, Night."
Night, being the affectionate creature he was, rubbing his cheek against hers. "Greetings, An Meiling. I am pleased to meet you."
"And I, you," she assured him. She continued down the line, greeting everyone else. I basically tuned her out, as I was greeting her three companions. There was an elderly gentleman by the name of Li Shen who reminded me strongly of Professor O'danne. He looked like a model grandfather, especially when he gave that crinkly smile of his. Yu Tung was tall and somewhat imposing in stature, but he reminded me so much of a grown up version of Trev'nor that I couldn't take him seriously. He had the same irrepressible curiosity and energy as my adopted brother did.
The last member was An Quon—probably some relation to An Meiling, considering they shared the same clan name—and it was he that struck me as the real leader of the group. He had the same mantel of authority and power on him that I saw in Shad, or Xiaolang, or Magavero. He greeted me just as properly as everyone else had, but he paused after he removed his hand from my chest.
"Was not our son with you?"
For a moment his question didn't make any sense. Then it made entirely too much sense. I froze as intuition flashed, telling me what he really meant. "You mean Xiaolang."
"De Xiaolang," he corrected me, and there was real worry on his face. "Our missing son. Wasn't he with you?"
Hope rose in me so hard and fast that I almost choked on it. Was Xiaolang wrong? Was there a chance that he could return home? "He stopped at the border," I answered carefully. "He did not feel that he had the right to come any farther."
An Quon acted as if I had slapp
ed him. "No…" he choked out.
An Meiling rushed toward him, catching his arm and shaking him. "Do not make assumptions," she chided him. "I have said before that we have ignored this too long. We gave the child too much time, and it has done too much damage. I'm not waiting any longer." She abruptly turned to me. There was so much determination and anger in her eyes, I felt like ducking for cover. "Magus Rhebengarthen, you will take us to our missing son."
I didn't dare disobey that order. I'm not sure what the consequences are for refusing, but I'm sure they wouldn't be good. "Yes ma'am! Um, the quickest way is to take you by the earth path," I offered hesitantly.
"Then that is what we will do." She gestured to the other two men, and they promptly scurried over to stand beside her. I watched this and thought, yup. I know who's really in charge.
I glanced at Night, quirking an eyebrow in question. "Do you want to wait or go with?"
"Wait," he said firmly.
"I thought as much. Back in a few minutes." Despite the way the Remcar-ol was impatiently clustered around me, I thought it prudent to give them a few words of warning. I didn't fancy the idea of dealing with any panic attacks. "To travel the earth path, I'll wrap us up in a cocoon of magic, and then descend into the earth under our feet." There were a few anxious looks at this, so I added the necessary assurances. "This is completely safe, and much faster than normal travel. We'll be there before you know it."
"We trust you, Magus," An Meiling declared, still determined.
Li Shen and Yu Tung stared at the back of her head like she was crazy, but they didn't say anything to contradict her. Well, they had their chance to back out. It was too late now. I wrapped us in magic, and dropped us all into the ground.
Xiaolang couldn't have been more than a mile away. It took only a few seconds to reach him, barely time for anyone to react. I popped up again, more focused on not getting tangled up in the roots of any trees than on my passengers. Because of that, I missed Xiaolang's initial reaction to our arrival.
But I didn't miss the expression of absolute joy on An Meiling's face. With quick strides she passed me, and I turned to see where she was going.
Magus (Advent Mage Cycle) Page 13