Jaunten (Advent Mage Cycle)

by Honor Raconteur

  I blinked, and then realized that what I had done was purely a Chahiran tradition and probably something completely foreign to Hain. "It's something of a game," I explained. "The last person to touch his nose loses, and has to do…whatever it is that nobody wants to do."

  Kartal apparently caught the gist of my explanation before I got it all out because he quickly touched his nose.

  Chatta gave us both a dirty look. "Fine. I'll cook. But you two have to do something for dinner."

  I had the feeling that cooking dinner would be far more arduous than cooking lunch. It stood to reason that after an extremely long day I'd be out on my feet. I was feeling rather lazy at the moment and let her cook anyway.

  Lunch was flat pan bread, hunks of cheese and what was left of…some unidentified piece of meat that Chatta had bought in a village the day before. I wasn't going to question what it was—no sir, not me. It tasted fine; my stomach hadn't rebelled, and that was enough for me. So what if the man that had sold it to us smelled like he hadn't had a bath in over a decade? So what if he appeared more like a beast than a man? It was good meat, dangit.

  I still had only one small piece though. I'm a picky eater, so what?

  We rested for another hour before dragging ourselves back to the ravine, and going back to our project. When darkness fell some hours later, we were so exhausted that just the thought of eating took too much energy. We collapsed into the awaiting arms of our bedrolls, and slept like the rocks we had been moving all day.

  ~*~

  I discovered to my dismay that overusing one’s magical abilities felt rather like doing too much strenuous labor. There wasn't a muscle in my body that wasn't aching. It took ten minutes of consistent focus just to keep my eyes open.

  The sun was well overhead when I finally managed to roll into a semi-upright position. Kartal was up and drinking some kind of hot tea. He was bent over the campfire like an aging crone. Chatta was still dead to the world, and even Didi's consistent prods failed to make her stir.

  The only thing that made all of this bearable was that we were finished. The hole was patched, and all I had to do was make another deep scan to ensure that we hadn't missed anything. Kartal could then do his spell to make the dirt as hard as granite, and we could head for home.

  Praises to the gods!

  Something nudged my shoulder and almost made me fall over. I caught myself with one arm before I could do a face-plant. "Don't do that!" I protested with a voice rough with sleep.

  "We can go home now?"

  I twisted a little to look up at Night, who was staring down at me hopefully. "Almost, we just need to tidy up some. After we tie up a few loose ends, then we can go home."

  This apparently was the right answer because he pranced away, his tail swishing happily. Watching him, I was truly envious of his energy. But then, while we were working like slaves, he'd been playing or napping.

  Stifling a yawn, I dragged myself completely off my bedroll and toward the fire. Maybe with some breakfast in my stomach, I'd gather up enough energy to finish the job.

  ~*~

  We were all so tired and worn out that working the final spells, and double checking the area, took twice as long as it normally would have. Still, mercifully, by noon we were done. The water was damned back up where it was supposed to be. Our patch had sealed nicely, and showed no signs of cracking now or, hopefully, in the near future. All in all, a job well done. It was a most rewarding feeling.

  Breaking camp took another hour, and then we headed back the way we had come. Didi was even well behaved for once; I think it had something to do with his survival instinct. Chatta proved to be a very grouchy person when tired. If Didi started acting up, none of us had any doubts that she would zap him just to shut him up.

  It was as we were leaving the foothills that she seemed to perk up a little. "How about we do a slight detour on the way home?"

  Just the thought of one more day in the saddle made me groan. "What kind of detour?" It better be a short one, or I wasn't interested.

  "The Red Festival," she replied with an expectant smile.

  Red Festival, Red Festival…it took a moment, but my Jaunten side finally clicked in and gave me the information that I needed. The Red Festival was celebrated every spring, usually at the end of the Rain Cycle, in the city of Delta. It was a huge festival that lasted about two weeks, ostensibly to celebrate the huge red flowers that were the source for most of the city's medicine. Actually, it was just an excuse to throw one big party.

  Now I'm a city boy, and city boys love to party! Since I've been working non-stop for over two months now, a party was just what the doctor ordered. The idea of a detour was a good one, and well worth another day in my accursed saddle.

  Chatta must have read from my face that I liked the idea, and as one, we turned to look at Kartal. He rolled his eyes at us. "Of course I want to go to the festival."

  Chatta beamed at us. "We should be able to make it tonight if we don't dawdle."

  My body protested at the thought of several more hours in the saddle without a respite. I soothed it with mental assurances that it could have a hot bath and a real bed tonight. And I wouldn't have to ride at all the next day; just party. "So what are we waiting for?"

  ~*~

  The city of Delta was sitting almost smack in the middle of two major rivers that ran the length of Hain. I'm sure it started out as a trading town, and it just kept growing. Now it not only touched both rivers, but parts of it were even built out over the water. I doubted that the city would be allowed to expand completely over the rivers; they had to let boats through after all. All of their commerce would die out if the river was impassable. Still, you couldn't even see the banks of the river for nearly a mile in either direction, because of the sprawl.

  We caught our first sight of the city at twilight. There were lights on in all of the buildings, and larger lanterns stuck here and there in the middle of the streets. Even from this distance, the sounds of music and laughter could be clearly heard. The river seemed to pick up the mood of the festivities, and the lights danced to the motion of the water. There was most definitely a party going on!

  The horses seemed to sense that the end was near because they picked up the pace a little. Tired and sore from the long ride, a mantra started running through my head. Hot bath, soft bed, hot bath, soft bed, food, hot bath, soft bed…

  Somehow, I managed to stay alert enough to make it to an inn. In Delta, the innkeepers saw it all, apparently—they didn't even blink at Didi. When I explained about Night, they just shrugged, and gave me a ground floor room. They were even nice enough to resituate the mattress to the floor, so that Night and I would have sufficient room, without any danger of falling off during the night.

  My head barely hit the pillow before darkness claimed me, and I was out like a light.

  ~*~

  The morning air was full of sounds, with a mixture of laughter, voices, the sharp staccato clip of hooves against cobblestones, and food vendors rattling their pans. The music coming from some street musicians was barely discernible over the din that engulfed the crowd. I knew theoretically that the city would be filled with people attending the festival. It was only now, as I was standing on the street, that I realized just how packed the place was!

  Chatta was standing at my side, voice heavy with amusement. "Garth?"

  I was so busy trying to take in my surroundings that I barely gave her a glance. "Hmm?"

  "You're bouncing."

  I gave her a rueful look and shrugged. Actually, I had been bouncing—a little. More like rocking back and forth on my feet, really. Still, not terribly dignified. "I love cities."

  "I can see that," she replied with merriment dancing in her eyes. "So what shall we do first?"

  It was just Chatta and me—well, and Night of course. Kartal had split from us early on, not that I was surprised. We had a good working relationship now, but I still wouldn't call the man a friend. I think we all needed a break f
rom each other right then. "You've been to this festival before, right?" I waited for her to nod. "Then you pick first. I have no idea what's here."

  "All right, then let's go shopping."

  I mentally groaned. I should have known that she would go shopping at the first opportunity. Still, I had said that she could choose so I docilely followed along, with Night trailing along at my side. It was then that I realized his head was actually level with mine. Busted buckets, when had that happened?! It seemed like the minute that my back was turned, he grew another hand’s length.

  Chatta dove into a shop filled with dresses. I took one look at the place, and said 'no way'! Shopping was one thing, but going into a women's clothing store was something else entirely. I cast about quickly for an excuse not to go into the store. Food, food, another clothing shop, boots, jewelry, barber…wait, barber? I zeroed in on the shop and took a closer look. Yes, it was a barber's shop. Actually, my hair was getting rather long. This might be an excellent opportunity to get it cut.

  I turned back to where Chatta was going through a selection of dresses. "Chatta?"

  She looked up at the hail. "Yes?"

  "I'll be across the street getting my hair cut while you're in here, all right?"

  "I wouldn't do that," she cautioned.

  "…why?" Last I checked barber shops were not dangerous.

  "Haven't you ever wondered about this? Every picture we have of Earth Mages, they have long hair."

  Uh…hadn't really noticed, honestly. "No," I said slowly. The look on her face said that it was obvious, but I wasn't following her train of thought. "Care to explain?"

  She stepped out of the shop so she could talk with me. "You really don't know?"

  I gave her an exasperated look. Would I be asking if I already knew?

  "All right, sorry, it's just that I thought someone would have warned you by now. We're not sure why, but an Earth Mage's power is linked to his hair. The longer it is, the more control you have with your power."

  Wait, what? "Cutting my hair affects my power?" I repeated dubiously.

  She blew out a breath, looking at the sky for a moment before she looked back at me. "Let me put it this way. When you were made into a Jaunten, your hair changed color, right?"

  "Right." Obviously, that is why I have white hair right now.

  "Why?"

  I gave her a blank look. Why had my hair changed color? "Um…don't know."

  "Because you had new magic incorporated into your body. Garth. Magical power isn't just some mystical force that we can tap into. We are magic. Every cell in our body has an element of magic in it. If it were otherwise, the power would burn right through us—we wouldn't be able to handle it. The point is, magic is in every part of us, up to and including our hair. By cutting your hair, you're deliberately cutting off power as well."

  Okay, that made more sense. Sort of. "But that's obviously not true for Wizards or Witches—I mean, Kartal's hair is short, and I can't imagine that he would cut his hair if it meant any loss of power."

  "Magic works differently in us," she explained with a shrug of the shoulders. "We have power in us, of course, but we act more like a conduit than a powerhouse. Cutting our hair has some effect, but it's very miniscule—we don't really feel it. A Mage would definitely feel it."

  Ah. Okay, so maybe I should re-think the whole cutting the hair thing.

  Chatta's head cocked to the side as she studied me thoughtfully. That look alarmed me for some reason—it made me want to run in the other direction. "Actually, I think you'll look quite good with long hair." Her head slanted to the other side. "Of course, it will get in your way if you simply leave it hanging loose. Maybe a hair clasp to keep it out of your way…" She nodded firmly, apparently concluding on her own that the suggestion was a sound one.

  Before I knew it, she had me by the hand and was towing me through the crowded street. I just resigned myself to following her. I knew that look—I've seen my mother and sister wear it on previous occasions. Resistance would be futile.

  Four shops later, and Chatta let out a cry of victory. The hair clasp she held up for my inspection was leather, with some sort of complicated knot burned into it. I didn't see how this one was all that different from every other clasp we had seen. If it meant finally putting an end to the matter, I approved of it whole-heartedly. "Nice."

  "Better than that," she negated with a happy smile. "This one is reinforced with steel, so it will last a long time."

  Oh, is that what she had been checking for? Every time that I thought she found one that she liked, she'd wave her wand over it and then change her mind. "Then let's buy it."

  I paid the merchant and then followed Chatta away. We only went as far as the nearest water fountain before she told me to sit, and started fussing with my hair. I hadn't had a haircut in over five months, so my hair was fairly long, but apparently not long enough to suit her. She finally gathered my hair up near the crown of my head, instead of the nape of the neck, before putting the clasp in.

  "There," she said in a tone of satisfaction. "Not quite what I had in mind, but good enough. What do you think, Night?"

  Night gave me a long study. Without any warning whatsoever his head darted in close and he gave my hair a not-so-gentle nip.

  "Ow!" I reflexively jerked away—and fell promptly into the water behind me. From thighs up I was soaking wet and rather put out about it. Chatta was openly laughing, and Night was snickering in an infuriating way. It was bad enough that they were laughing, but all of the people nearby were as well.

  I glared darkly at them both, but especially at Night. "This means war," I warned him.

  "I can handle it," he assured me, eyes dancing with laughter.

  Vowing mentally that I would get my revenge, I levered myself out of the fountain. At least it was a warm day, I should dry fairly quickly.

  "Do you want to go back to the inn and change?" Chatta offered, valiantly trying not to smile.

  Sighing, I shook my head. "I'll dry."

  "Then let's go to the main square. They always have some sort of entertainment going on there."

  As I followed Chatta through the crowd, I made absolutely sure that Night was not behind me. One nip of the hair was enough, thanks.

  We weaved in and out of people, getting a few strange looks. I suppose that the sight of a chestnut colt following along like a docile puppy, with a Meuritta hovering over our heads, was unusual. Neither Chatta nor I were wearing robes, so we didn't look like magicians, just normal teenagers enjoying the fair.

  Both suns were up high in the sky before we managed to make our way to the center of the town. Chatta was right about the entertainment—there were rough stages built in practically every direction, with benches set up in front of them. I couldn't see much as too many blasted tall Hainians were blocking my view! I could make out some impressions from the glimpses I caught. There were dancers on one stage, and some sort of magic show on the opposite side of the square. We noticed another group of performers were setting up on the stage closest to us.

  Entertainment was all well and good, but first I wanted some food. I caught Chatta's shoulder to get her attention. She looked up over her shoulder, eyebrow cocked in query. "I'm getting hungry," I explained. "Let's get something to eat before we watch one of the shows."

  "All right," she agreed amiably.

  There were food booths all over the place, but I wasn't about to hunt through all of them. The city's streets had been crowded, but it was nothing compared to the square. It was almost like half the city's population was trying to cram itself into this one area. I'd get trampled if I tried to move much through this. Linking my arm through Chatta's—I was afraid of losing her in this mess—I made my way toward the nearest food stand. They were offering Leg of Fowl at a decent price, considering how huge the drumstick was, so I bought two.

  I wasn't quite sure what to buy for Night, though. I'm sure he was hungry, since his appetite hadn't waned any from when he was born. I
was grateful that I didn't have to bottle feed him anymore, but there was only meat or pastries available in the immediate area. Night was a sentient being, nearly human, but he was still in a horse's body with a horse’s eating habits.

  Chatta must have seen my confusion because she piped up with a suggestion. "There's a fruit stand closer to the stage; we can get something for Night there."

  "Perfect." I let her lead the way since she knew exactly where it was.

  When we finally arrived at the stand, I was somewhat disappointed by the selection. There were watermelons, strawberries, some sort of fruit that I didn't recognize, and a large container of spiced cider. I looked at Night with a shrug. "Can you eat any of this?"

  "The watermelons."

  I wasn't sure how he knew that, unless he inherited the knowledge from his mother via my Jaunten blood. Still, I bought him one huge watermelon and tucked it under my arm. By general consensus, we sat in the benches closest to us, which happened to belong to the stage where another act was setting up. I cut the watermelon in half so that Night could bite into it, and then set it on the ground. He happily started munching on it. Seeing how much he was drooling, I was glad that I put the melon on the ground and away from me. "Good?" I inquired dryly.

  "Wonderful," he commented blissfully before taking another huge bite out of the watermelon.

  "I think he likes that," Chatta observed to me with a wry smile.

  "I think that's a safe assumption," I agreed with a roll of my eyes. I was making a personal bet with myself that I'd be buying at least one more watermelon for Night before the day was out.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, and any scoundrels that are in the crowd of course, welcome to my show!" a clear voice carried over the din. I looked up to see a man of normal Hainian height (in other words, a head taller than me) standing in the center of the stage. He had long hair that was going grey, a deep red tunic and a funny sort of hat that flopped over to one side. "I am Jachamo, bearer of tales, daring stunts, and laughter."

  He picked up a long trumpet from behind him. "Let's see if we can gather some more interest, shall we?" Lifting it to his lips, he blew three short notes and one long one. Lowering it he looked around the crowd like a miser looking for a lost penny. "Well," he observed sarcastically, "that obviously didn't do the trick. Let's try something else."