The Dark Path

by James M. Bowers

  "No, this is too much. A whole silver? I can't take this," Duncan said. Trying to return the coin to her hand.

  "Take it! Buy yourself some new clothes."

  “I won't spend all of it."

  "Yes you will. Now get going, before your father leaves without you."

  "Goodbye, Ma."

  "Goodbye, Son."

  As Duncan shut the door he thought he heard a faint sob and was about to open the door when his father yelled for him.

  "Hurry up, Son. It's a long way to town and I want to get there before dark," Paul yelled when he saw him hesitate at the door.

  "Coming Dad," Duncan turned and headed toward the wagon. Paul looked back at their small house and a sadness touched his eyes. Then, firmly setting his jaw, he turned back around and clicked at the horses to get them moving.

  The journey to town was uneventful and Duncan spent most of his time talking to his father. The hours seemed to fly by and before he knew it Duncan was staring at the town as they came over their last hill.

  "I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing this place," Duncan said to his dad. "It's so big, and all the people!" Duncan was so enraptured by the sight that he didn't notice his father shaking his head.

  "This is nothing, Son. You just wait. Some day you'll get to see the capital. Now there's a big town."

  "Have you seen the capital, Dad?"

  "Yes."

  "Well, what is it like?"

  "The buildings tower over you. The streets are filled with a river of people, and the shops last for miles."

  "I want to see it so bad! When were you there?"

  "A long time ago. There are bad sides to the capital too. Thieves rule the alleys. The town guards are nothing but drunken louts, paid off by the thieves to do nothing."

  The rest of the trip was silent as Duncan thought of the future and his father thought of the past.

  “That’ll be one copper for a night,” the stable boy said to Duncan.

  “Here you go,” replied Duncan as he handed him the copper. “Take good care of them, please.”

  “Rest assured, Sir. I will.”

  Duncan turned to leave, but as he turned around, he ran into a boy about his age who was heavily drunk and was just able to grab hold of his robes to keep him from hitting the floor.

  “I’m terribly sorry. My friend here is a little drunk, and I can’t keep him balanced very well. By the way, my name is Thomas,” Thomas said to a very surprised Duncan as he extended his hand in greeting.

  “I’m D-Duncan,” Duncan managed to stutter as he held out his big hand, easily holding Aaron up with the other.

  “Would you mind holding my friend here while I take care of some business?” Thomas asked Duncan as he shook his hand. He had thought Aaron was big. This boy looked as if he could snap him in two if he so desired.

  “No, not at all. Go right ahead,” Duncan said with a warm smile.

  Thomas smiled in return and then turned to deal with the stable boy. After some haggling, Thomas paid the man and told him he would pick up the horses in the morning.

  “Duncan, I’m afraid I have to ask you another favor,” Thomas said to a patient Duncan.

  “Sure, What is it?”

  “Would you help me carry Aaron? He is a little too heavy for me, and he can’t walk himself,” Thomas asked Duncan as he looked at Aaron's drunken smile.

  “Gladly, Where are you staying?” Duncan asked as he picked up Aaron and slung him over his shoulder.

  “I don’t know yet. We have to meet up with my other friends first,” Thomas replied as he stared wide-eyed at his new friend. Aaron weighed about twice what Thomas weighed, and Duncan had lifted him up over his shoulder as if he were no more than a sack of grain.

  “Lead the way,” Duncan said with another smile. He had seen the look of awe in Thomas’ eyes and was happy to receive praise.

  “I hope I'm not being rude, but why are you wearing robes on such a hot day?” Duncan looked down at Thomas' gray robe. It was stained with road dust and tattered around the bottom.

  “It's a designation of rank. I'm from the Schola nearby.” Thomas smiled up warmly to Duncan. “It's never rude to ask an honest question.”

  “I've heard there was a school around here. I've never been to school though. What's it like?” Duncan kept his eyes shyly on the rough brick road under his feet.

  “We study a little bit of everything. My favorite is herbalism class though! We learn all about the different plants and how to grow them. The spells dealing with plants are always the most fun for me too! I'm even ahead of Gen in that class! Though that's the only class that I'm ahead in. It's almost scary how good he is.”

  “Spells? You mean like magic and stuff?” Duncan met Thomas' eyes in amazement.

  “Oh yes! Didn't you know? The Schola is a mage school. I'm only two ranks away from journeyman!”

  “So you can do magic?!” Duncan stopped in the middle of the road and nearly dropped Aaron in his surprise.

  “Careful! Yes I've been casting spells since I was very young. It can be really hard but anyone can do the basics. You should learn some, especially plant magic if you are a farmer.”

  “Oh I could never do that! Ma says magic is for smart folk. I can read a bit and I know my numbers but I don't think I could do anything like magic.” Duncan looked back down to the road.

  “That's nonsense. Anyone can learn basic spells. I'll ask Gen if we can teach you a bit when we meet up with them.” Thomas reached out and patted Duncan's large shoulder. “If anyone could teach you it would be him. He's helped me in classes for years.”

  “I would like that very much. Maybe I could learn how to cure the beans when the rains arrive late.” Duncan smiled at his new friend.

  “Well let us hurry then!”

  After a short journey through the darkening streets, the three arrived at the meeting place where they found Thomas’ friends already waiting.

  “This is all I needed,” Gen said as he saw Aaron’s limp form over Duncan’s shoulder.

  “Greetings friend. Thank you for carrying our companion,” Gen said as Duncan set his burden down on a nearby bench.

  “Greetings. My name is Duncan,” Duncan smiled as he shook Gen’s offered hand.

  “My name is Gen, and this is Meeka,” Gen said to Duncan as he gestured to Meeka.

  “Greetings,” Duncan murmured to Meeka, a faint blush across his cheeks.

  “Pleasure to meet you,” she answered cordially.

  “Thomas told me you were in search of a place to spend the evening. My father and I are staying at The Green Candle Inn just down the street from here.”

  “Sounds like a good place to me. Would you accompany us there?” Gen asked.

  “My Pleasure,” Duncan bent over to pick up Aaron once again.

  “Don’t bother picking him up, Duncan. I’ll do it,” Gen said stopping his new acquaintance.

  “Are you sure?” Duncan asked, looking at Gen’s body and doubting he could lift a pillow let alone the big drunk.

  “Yes. Go on ahead; we’ll catch up,” Gen said as he started incanting a levitation spell. Gen completed the spell and was pushing a floating Aaron down the street when he heard Duncan gasp.

  “How did you do that?” Duncan asked wide-eyed.

  “Magic. Maybe I’ll show you some day. Now, come on, it’s getting dark,” Gen said as he continued down the street. Shortly after, Duncan caught up and led the way for them.

  XIII

  The Green Candle Inn

  Thomas was just setting up his bed when he heard a knock on the door. "Hello?" Thomas said as he opened the door.

  Duncan stood in the doorway and smiled at Thomas. "My Pa and I are gettin' a bite to eat. Would 'ya like to join us?

  "Wait here, I'll go ask them," Thomas said and walked back into the room. Gen sat at the small desk in the back room and was writing into an odd black book that Thomas hadn't seen before. "Duncan is here. He wants to know if we would join him
and his father for a late supper."

  "Tell him yes. We will meet him there. Take Aaron and go ahead down," Gen replied, not looking up from his work.

  "Come on, Aaron, let's go," Thomas said to a dejected looking Aaron.

  "I thought he would still be sleeping," Duncan said as he saw Aaron follow Thomas out the door.

  "He would be but Gen decided to punish him a bit by casting a sobering spell on him," Thomas whispered to Duncan. "I'll bet he has a mean headache though."

  Duncan looked at Aaron and whistled a bit. "I wish I could do magic like that."

  "You probably can," Thomas said. "Anyone can do magic, just some people are better at it than others. Who knows, maybe you have the talent burning within you," Thomas said smiling at his newfound friend.

  "I wish," Duncan said under his breath. The idea of him casting fireballs at evil orcs filled his head and he almost forgot the way to where his dad waited for them.

  "Hello, my name is Paul," the older man said with a smile when he saw the two people arrive with his son.

  "Greetings, I'm Thomas Aranus and my sick friend here is Aaron Glormad," Thomas said as he shook the farmer's hand.

  "Have a seat boys. Duncan said there were more of you. Where are the other two?"

  Thomas smiled a bit at that. "Gen and Meeka will be down in a while, they are busy." He coughed a bit at the end of that, and Paul laughed.

  "Let's go ahead and order. They could be a while in arriving."

  The four of them sat talking for a couple hours and by the time Gen and Meeka joined them Aaron was partially drunk again.

  "You two look a bit mussed," Aaron said when they arrived.

  Gen shot Aaron an annoyed look and then turned his attention to Paul and Duncan. "Thank you again Duncan for helping my drunk friend." He shot another annoyed look at Aaron. "My name is Gen Hothman and this is the Lady Meeka Arata of Eire."

  "Oh stop that Gen, you know I'm not royalty," Meeka chided, but grinned at him anyway.

  "Pleasure to meet ya," Paul said and sat back down as Meeka did. "Duncan said that you and your friends here are mages. If that is true, I have a question to ask of you."

  "Sure, what is it?" Gen asked, but before Paul could answer he heard a grunt type sound from Duncan. Duncan had blood running out of his nose and his teeth were clenched painfully together. His eyes looked determined before they rolled back into his head and he fell to the floor in convulsions.

  "Oh good Gods! What's happening to him?" Meeka cried.

  Gen quickly cast a spell under his breath and the world in his perspective changed into the vision of magic. He ignored his magic patterns. Looking at his own patterns always bothered him. Meeka's patterns of soft blue were soothing but he couldn't waste the time gazing upon them. He focused upon Duncan and drew back slightly. His patterns were painfully bright to look upon. The magic burned a brilliant white from his aura, and with each jerk of his body Gen could see parts of the aura flying off him, tearing his patterns a little as it went.

  "Magic is killing him," Gen said to Meeka as he got up and walked around to where Duncan lay on the floor convulsing. He began to sing a spell. It was one he had cast only one other time and it was one he shouldn't know. The spell flowed out of him, leaving him cold and his fingers tingling. The magic faded quickly from Duncan and left his aura pulsing a dull yellow color. Duncan stopped convulsing and lay breathing slowly. Gen stared at him long enough to see his patterns start to knit back together. He could see the spots where this had happened many times before. He dropped the magical sight and called for water and a napkin.

  "Does this happen often?" Thomas asked Paul.

  "It didn't use to. It started about two years ago and has been getting worse ever since." That was what I was going to ask you about."

  "How did you stop these spells of his in the past?" Gen asked still looking at the fallen Duncan.

  "We had an amulet." Paul sighed and hung his head. "I bought it in a magic shop here in the village a time ago. The merchant told me that it would help him, but only to put it on him when he was having one of his attacks."

  "Do you still have the amulet?" Gen turned to look at Paul, his gaze intense.

  "No, I destroyed it yesterday. I used it that last time and it acted different. It was glowing red and I had the feeling it was looking back at me. So I did as instructed and smashed it to pieces."

  "Sounds like a cursed amulet to me. I've read of those. They were made to put on mages in prison. It draws the magic out of a person till none is left, but if they are filled too much they become somewhat sentient. I have never seen one though."

  "Can you help him? I'm at my wit's end here. Gwen and I don't know what to do anymore."

  "Yes, I can," Gen said as he felt Duncan's forehead and wiped the blood from his nose and ears with the wet napkin. "Magic is killing him. He has great potential for it, but since he never uses any, it builds up until he can't hold any more. It's like a water skin that is filled too full. Eventually something has to break. In Duncan's case it just rips its way out of him. It will kill him or he will go mad if he doesn’t learn how to control it."

  "I feared as much. He... He isn't my son," Paul said with a great sigh. "He should know but I've never had the heart to tell him. I raised him like he was my own. When Gwen couldn't give birth to a child, we had all but lost hope of ever having one. Then one morning we found him on our doorstep. We thought him a gift from the gods and everything was well till this started happening." He put his head in his hands and began to weep quietly. "I just don't know what to do. I don't know any magic to teach him and we couldn't afford to send him to the Schola."

  "I can teach him how to use his gift," Gen said softly. "It will keep the magic from killing him, but he will have to come with us. I don't have the time to stay here, or you could send him to the Schola. Don't worry about the cost. Just tell the Headmaster that I sent you."

  "Will you take him with you please?" Paul asked, his face streamed with tears. "I will leave tonight and write him a note. It will be easier this way."

  "Very well. You do that. I'll take Duncan up to our room. Meeka, will you go with Paul and get Duncan's belongings?"

  "Sure Gen," Meeka complied. She looked a bit shaken up, but she quickly composed herself and followed Paul out of the room.

  "Gen? Where did you learn that spell? The one you just cast on Duncan. I've never heard it cast before, not even by the master," Thomas whispered.

  "A book the librarian gave me before I left. I haven't had much time to study it. It's a rather odd book. I get the feeling sometimes that it watches me. Come on. Help me with Duncan here and I'll tell you about it on the way."

  Thomas nodded and got up to help.

  Gen cast another levitation spell on Duncan and floated his body up to their room. Aaron stared at where Duncan had lay convulsing for a long time. He thought of a lot of different things, then his lips curled up lightly in a sneer. He thought back to when he had first met Gen.

  "I'll get even with you. Not now. You hold all the cards now. The day will come when I am stronger. When that day comes, I will crush you!" Aaron crushed the pewter mug he drank from. Tossing a couple gold coins on the table, he got up and walked back into town.

  XIV

  New Beginnings

  Duncan awoke disoriented and staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. He looked around and saw Meeka asleep in the chair beside the bed he lay upon. He reached for the glass of water that sat beside the bed and accidentally knocked it off the table. The crash woke Meeka up and she hurried over to the bed and pushed Duncan back down.

  "You rest," she ordered. Then left the room.

  After a few minutes, Gen walked in and sat down beside Duncan on the bed. He held an unlit candle in his hand. "How are you feeling?" Gen asked.

  "My head hurts and I just broke that beautiful glass," Duncan replied staring down at the shards.

  "Don't worry about the glass. Do you remember what happened last night?"

&
nbsp; "I remember I had another spell and I was fighting it off because I didn't want to miss out on the conversation. Then I remember waking up here."

  "Yes, you did have another spell as you say. It was a bad one. You are lucky I was there."

  "Thank you. I don't deserve this help though. I just wish I knew why I keep having this problem."

  "I know why Duncan, and I will tell you later when you feel better. For right now, how about something fun?" Gen asked with a smirk.

  "Like what?" Duncan replied.

  "Like magic."

  "What do you mean? You mean me? I can't do magic."

  "Yes you can, once you learn how. Anyone can do it. Now I want you to listen to my words very carefully and remember them." Gen incanted slowly four words and the candle in his hand lit up with a small flame.

  "Wow!" Duncan said wide-eyed.

  "Now you try it," Gen said and blew out the candle.

  "I don’t know. I don't think it will do anything." Duncan stumbled over the words and on his second try he felt a rush flow through him and the candle melted all the way down covering Gen's hand with hot wax.

  "Oh my gods. I'm so sorry! I knew I would screw it up." Duncan said chewing on his lip.

  "Don't worry about it. You didn't screw it up. You just have too much power. Try it again and concentrate on the logs in the fireplace this time," Gen replied as he peeled the wax from his hand.

  "I'll try," Duncan said the words again and the logs burst into flame the first time.

  "See. You did fine. I'll teach you more later but for now just lay down and relax."

  "What about the glass?" Duncan said looking back at all the glittering shards.

  "I'll fix it." Gen incanted softly and the glass instantly pulled itself back together. He picked it up and put it back on the table beside the bed. "Now get some rest and I'll be back after while. Your father left you something.

  A few hours passed and Duncan fell back to sleep. He awoke when Gen returned with a large package and a note.