by Rick Field
The walk had not necessarily made them feel any better, but at least they were a great deal more tired now. Liane tucked her charge into her bed, then made sure that all of her homework was taken care of, and did a quick once-over of her lessons for tomorrow. Just because her Assistant wasn't feeling well was no excuse to slack off.
After taking care of both her own school work, and that of her Assistant, Liane changed clothes. The emotional turmoil of the afternoon had exhausted her as well, and she went to bed earlier than she had done since being knocked out by her own magic.
As she slipped into her bed, she became aware of Amy turning over and facing her. “Proctor?”
“Amy?” Liane returned the question, not knowing why the girl chose this moment to switch back to being formal.
“C-Can I...” the girl stopped speaking. “I mean, m-may I...” Again, the girl stopped.
“Amy, you can ask everything,” Liane said, trying to sound calm.
“I don't want to be alone, Liane,” the little girl whispered.
The Proctor frowned, not understanding. Trying to be reassuring, she answered, “I am right here, Amy. I'm not going anywhere.”
Amy fell silent, and Liane thought that would be the end of it. Closing her eyes, she thought about drifting off to sleep.
“I... I mean, I don't want to be alone, Liane,” Amy finally said, obviously having gathered her courage, rather than being appeased by Liane's reply. “C-can I sleep with you tonight?”
Liane's eyes opened in the darkness of their room, confused. Milor's advice, telling her that Amy might have unusual requests, came back to her.
Her surprise hopefully covered for her hesitation. “Sure,” she said, sounding a bit uncertain as she did so, and cursing herself for it. Scooting back in the bed, she made room for Amy. The little girl clambered in with no hesitation.
“Thank you, Liane.”
The simple yet heartfelt gratitude made her promise to do something nice for Milor in the future. His advice had made her consider long enough to agree.
“You're welcome, Amy,” Liane said, turning to her nightstand. “Sleep well.”
“I hope so, Liane. You too,” the girl replied, snuggling closer to the warm and protective presence of her Proctor.
Liane frowned slightly. She did not like the sound of that. “Just one second, Amy,” Liane told the girl, and turned to her nightstand and ordered the glass of warm milk and a honey bowl with accompanying honey spoon.
She spent the next minute or so mixing the drink as Milor had instructed, and handed it over to the young girl. “Drink this, it will both help you relax, and help you sleep.”
Amy drank from the glass, a bit wearily. Milk was not exactly her favorite, but the addition of the sweet honey made it a lot tastier. She finished the glass soon after, and Liane returned the dishes, before settling back.
Amy snuggled close.
“Good night, Amy.”
“You too, Liane,” the younger girl replied, closing her eyes. The milk made her drowsy, and made her speak the thoughts she usually kept hidden. “I love you, Proctor,” she whispered. “You're the best Proctor an Assistant could hope for.”
Liane stiffened. Nobody had ever said that to her before. Never before had anyone ever told her that they loved her. She didn't know what to reply, how to reply, how to react.
Her magic surged, then crashed, reacting to her uncertainty, and Amy's drowsiness did not cloak the fact that Liane's entire body tensed up.
What was love? Was it love to react so strongly when your Assistant was threatened? Was it love what she felt for Amy, her Assistant, for Cassandra, her own Proctor, for Mariam, who was her first ever teacher?
Maybe it was, she decided. Maybe that's what love is. She swallowed, and dropped one arm over the smaller form that was curled up next to her.
“I love you too, Assistant,” she whispered.
Chapter Nine
The pulse of magic resonated deeply within Liane's magical core, reflecting outward as she repulsed it. The magic traveled at a speed and power greater than anything she had managed before, flashing to the edge of the runic shields protecting the walls, refracting off them and traveling toward her with horrendous speed.
In one of the corners, Amy stood, protected by the same protections that Liane had created years earlier. The same protections that had once been used to shield Milor were now defending Amy from the onslaught of magic pulsing beyond their protecting screens.
Liane's core caught the magical pulse as it travelled back, and dispelled it, the energy of the magical wave flowing out from her in light and sound, hitting the walls of the ritual chamber and vanishing as it was absorbed by the protections.
Amy stared at Liane with open mouth. “That was over twenty pulses, Proctor!” she said, her voice nearing the sound level of a 'shout' – something that she should not allow herself to use. Decorum demanded stringent emotional control.
The Proctor in question nodded. “I am getting better at predicting my magic. It may not be communication, but at least it is no longer unpredictable,” she said.
Drawing a deep breath to get the burn out of her lungs, Liane looked at her young charge. “But now, the reason we're here. Please assist me should I fail catastrophically.”
The younger girl nodded. “Perhaps I should opt for Healing & Potions class in two years, Proctor.”
Liane shot her assistant a small smile. “Is that a subtle way of insulting your Proctor's abilities, Assistant?”
Amy shook her head. “Not at all, Proctor. I am merely commenting on the amount of experience in healing I have amassed while being your Assistant.”
The Proctor decided not to comment. Amy had gotten very good at verbal repartee since they had joined the Student Council. Despite the fact that Liane still hated politics, she had to admit that some good had come of it.
She drew another breath. Time to clear her mind and get back to work. Her memory pulled up Air as a Weapon of War, the book that Cassandra had left her years earlier. She knew it completely by heart by now, so often had she read it.
She spread her legs slightly, cupped her hands, and closed her eyes. It was time.
A tiny pinprick of light grew within her cupped hands, and the wind around her picked up. Amy braced herself behind her barrier, one foot on the power token, ready to break the protections on her corner at a moment's notice.
The wind howled around the room, twisting and turning, churning angrily at the Mage that summoned it, tugging at her clothes, tussling her hair. The speck of light grew in intensity and the wind narrowed in field and focus, starting to wrap around the small sphere of light glowing in between Liane's cupped hands.
Amy squinted even though there was no wind behind her protective barrier, merely reacting by instinct to the howling winds outside. The small ball in Liane's hands kept expanding, and Amy nodded to herself. Already, her Proctor had gotten further than the last time, and she readied herself to break the barrier and race to Liane's aid.
To her surprise, the spell shattered in a rather controlled fashion, the massive buildup of energy dispelling noisily against the protections on the walls.
“I couldn't... contain it,” Liane panted angrily, slowly sagging to sit on the floor. She hoped it was in a dignified manner. Even if only her Assistant was present, it was best to follow Decorum, after all.
“You went further than last time, Proctor. And at least you were able to break the spell cleanly, rather than have it break catastrophically.”
The older girl nodded. “True enough, Assistant. True enough. Progress was made.” She scowled slightly, before catching herself. “Even if it is rather slow progress.”
With a groan, she pushed herself to her legs. “Let's go up to the library, and do some research, Assistant. I believe it's about time I started work on my masterpiece. Even if it is still a year and a half away.”
Amy smiled excitedly. “That sounds interesting, Proctor! What will you do for your m
asterpiece?”
“I do not know yet,” Liane admitted. “It's why we are going to do research.”
Her charge nodded. “I understand, Proctor.”
They ascended one level, to the fourth level of the underground library, and Liane preceded her young Assistant through the countless rows and stacks of books, before resolutely turning to explore a section she had never had reason to explore before.
Browsing the bookcases was a favorite pastime of Liane, one that had caused her to explore most of the upper levels of the library.
For almost two hours, her hand trailed over the backs of the books, old and new, some worn, some in perfect condition, some very thick and others almost small binders. Finally, she blinked, frowned, stopped, and grabbed one book.
The back of the book was labeled in a runic dialect. Liane, thanks to her affinity for runes in all shapes and forms, could read it quite easily. She wasn't fluent, the dialect was too different for that, but she could read and understand what it said.
“Elder Magic and the Combination of Elements,” Liane read to her Assistant. “It's not credited, so it's quite likely a copy of the notes taken by a researcher here at the Academy.”
Amy nodded, looking at the bookwork. It was rather thick, and looked as if it were brand new. Obviously, not many people had read it.
Liane handed the book off to the younger girl, checking the case she had found the book for other volumes in similar style or subject. While the Proctor searched, the assistant felt something unusual about the book.
The hardcover was very soft leather, and the pages were of a kind of paper she didn't know. Stronger, thicker, heavier, yet soft in a way paper could never match.
“Unfortunately, no other books on the same,” Liane muttered as she straightened up. “Let's find a booth and see if we can find something interesting, Assistant.”
“Yes, Proctor.”
They went in search of a private booth, and Amy handed the book back to Liane. “It's a very unusual book, Proctor. The cover is very soft leather, and the pages aren't any sort of paper.”
The older girl nodded. “The pages are parchment. Basically, treated animal skins. The cover is leather. Leather made from human skin, if I'm not mistaken.”
The young girl looked up sharply at her Proctor, thinking the older girl was making a joke. Finally, she realized Liane wasn't joking, paled, and nearly tripped over her own feet.
“Human?” she whispered when they came upon an empty private booth. Liane wasted no time to sit down, and nodded. Amy slipped into the empty seat on the other side of the table.
“Yes, human. Human skin makes excellent leather. I think the parchment might be from human skin as well. It's softer than most parchment. Human skin has less hair on it than an animal hide, so it makes for softer leather. Or parchment,” the Proctor explained.
Amy looked horrified. Upon seeing the expression on the girl's face, Liane shook her head. “One can buy human leather or parchment at any decent supply shop, Assistant. Most executed Nobles can be rendered down for various ingredients. They are criminals, after all.”
“I'm surprised that it's not written in human blood, Proctor,” Amy grouched, staring at the book in Liane's hands as if it were vile and evil.
“Don't be silly, Assistant. Human blood would disintegrate quickly, it's not resistant to water, and clots horribly so it makes very uneven ink.”
Amy stared in horrid fascination at her Proctor.
“Not that I have tried using blood for ink, of course,” Liane added with a faint smile.
“Of course,” Amy whispered very quietly. Desperate to change the subject, she asked, “Why did you say 'most executed Nobles', Proctor? Don't Commoners commit crimes?”
The older girl accepted the change of subject, and nodded. “Of course Commoners commit crimes, Assistant. However, the law is different for Nobles and Commoners. A Commoner can be flogged, or condemned to imprisonment or harsh labor. A Noble, however, is treated more harshly. A Noble who commits crimes will be punished harshly, from the binding of magic up to and including the death penalty. Please note that Commoners can only be executed when they threaten to, or have committed, murder against a Noble. Nobles can, and are, executed for lesser offenses.”
Amy wished she hadn't asked. “But... but... why?”
“Nobility is not just a privilege, Assistant. It is a duty. We are the leaders. We should be above and beyond reproach, as we are the examples the Commoners will look to. An infraction by a Noble carries more weight than the same infraction by a Commoner, and should be punished more severely.”
The younger girl nodded, straightening out as Liane's words hit home. “I understand, Proctor.”
Liane smiled faintly, then nodded once. As the younger girl asked no other questions, she cracked open the book and started to read. “You may find a fiction novel to amuse yourself with, Assistant. I will be busy here for a while.”
“Thank you, Proctor,” the younger girl said, standing up, and ghosting away to the upper floor of the library to find something interesting to read.
Liane opened the cover, and started her own reading. The runic sentences flowed together into readable Kirian as her eyes slid over them.
“Written in the Year of Kiria 87, the year 1394 by Outside Reckoning. These are my notes on the inner workings of Elder Magic, and its combinations with the various elements.” The introduction was brief yet descriptive, and now Liane had a good idea on what she would find. Some of the titles and designations had shifted, Elder Magic had become Ancient Lore, and the designation 'elements' had become Elemental Magic, and split off as a separate area of study for Mages.
After all, the book was over 600 years old. Some things were bound to be different. She wondered how much of the research results present in the volume in front of her were still valid. She allowed a thin smile to grace her lips. Or how much of its areas of study were still looked at by current scholars, especially considering the fact that the book appeared brand new despite its age.
It wouldn't be out of the question that this nameless ancient scholar had studied areas that had either been forgotten or ignored by modern people, and it would serve her well to build a masterpiece around some ancient arcane knowledge that was all but forgotten.
Liane flipped the parchment page. “At the initial stage of my research, I considered the reduction of pure elemental forces into their most basic state, a reduction that resulted in fine powder possessing the root forces of the elements in question, yet possessing virtually none of their outward signs. The process I used to reduce these powders has been noted here for completeness of the reference work for later scholars. The discovery of this process was outlined in my earlier work, Elements in Reduction.”
Eagerly, she settled herself, and read on. She had never heard of this other work, and noted down its title. She wanted to read that book, too, if she could find it. “The Powder of Fire, for example, is red and yellow like flame, yet holds neither heat nor light. And still it is the root element of fire and can be used to conjure fire without the need of conjuring fire. One merely uses the powder as a base, as if one were to use fire from torch or hearth.”
The girl blinked. Why had nobody ever told her that elements could be condensed? She read quickly through the rest of the introduction on the process of creating elemental reductions, and focused on the process once she reached it.
Liane blinked, frowned, and started again. Finally, she rubbed her eyes and looked away from the page. I can see why this fell out of use, she thought. The process is a combination of Elemental Magic, Rituals, and some Ancient Lore mixed in. Ancient Lore I haven't heard of yet. Plus, it's likely to go very wrong very fast if I don't do it right. I'll definitely need to read that other book as well.
She turned back to the pages in front of her, engrossing herself in the actual study area of the book, not even looking up when Amy returned with some work of fiction.
There was not enough time for her t
o go through the entire book, not with the large amount of new concepts that it was introducing her to. Leaving it with Amy, she set out in search of the other reference work by the same anonymous author. Judging from its state, nobody had read the book since it had been placed on the shelf.
When she and Amy left the library, Liane was dejected. She had been unable to find the other book, and nobody had heard of either it, or the book she had uncovered.
A few days later, she stepped up to the Lord Master after that day's lesson of Deep Secrets and Ancient Lore.
“Lord Master, may I impose for a minute?” she asked respectfully after the other students had left.
“You may impose for one minute, My Lady,” the Lord Master answered her.
Knowing that she had just put herself on a one minute time frame, Liane wasted no time in producing the book, and presenting the opening page to the Lord Master. “Lord Master, have you heard of reducing elements to their basic state, such as described in this book?”
The man looked down at the book, then started to read the page with interest. “I have heard of this procedure, My Lady,” he finally said. “It is no longer in use for various reasons. Our spells have increased in potency to the point where the use of these powders are no longer required, plus, as you can see from the outlined procedure, it is not an easy ritual to perform, and is highly dangerous.”
Liane nodded, knowing her minute was up and vowing to take better care of what she requested in the future. Instead of the book being returned to her, the Lord Master flipped through it. “It seems, however, that you have found a very unique volume, My Lady. I do not believe I have ever seen some of these procedures.”
“I was doing initial research for my masterpiece, My Lord,” she said, pleased that the Lord Master was interested in her find.
He gave a sharp nod, closed the book, and handed it back to her. “I look forward to reading it myself after you have completed your masterpiece, My Lady. This book may open up an area of study that was lost to us.”
Liane blinked. Had the Lord Master just given her permission to keep this book until her masterpiece was completed? It certainly looked that way. “Thank you, My Lord,” she said.