Life Beyond the Temple

by Nikolai Joslin

  I remembered Regan’s finger gently running over some of the scars. She looked saddened, and I was horrified. I had never seen anything like it before, but Regan grew up at the Temple. I think she had an idea.

  I had talked to Ston about it that night. He told me it was punishment from the Old Ones for breaking their laws. He didn’t know much more than that.

  Regan didn’t have magic, but she was still strong. She could still protect Casey. I would need Casey to protect me if it came down to it. Like when that building caught fire. I froze and she got right to work. Regan was ready to die for Casey, and I was too, but Casey would just push me out of the way before I even got the chance.

  Cinder whined. I wondered what Casey had told him to make him have that reaction.

  I shoved my hands deep into my pockets. “Maybe we should stop for a bit. It’s almost noon, we could have lunch and take a break,” I called up to the people in front of me.

  “Why? You getting tired, Cam?” Regan’s voice was teasing, not rude, but like a joke. I’m pretty sure she liked me about as much as I liked her.

  I shrugged. “Not really, but this is the first creek I’ve seen since we left, and if we’re going to stop sometime soon, I suggest now before we lose the creek. Who knows when the next source of drinkable water will pop up?” While that was true, I mostly wanted to talk to Casey. I wasn’t sure what about yet, but something.

  Ston stopped and stretched his arms above his head. “Cam’s right. We should stop while we can have a drink too. Not too long, though.”

  Regan nodded. “Alright.”

  “Cinder and I will go hunting, and Regan and Casey can go get berries or something. Cam, I want you to set up a fire so we can cook the meat.”

  “I’m not too great with fires,” I mumbled and rubbed the back of my neck. “Casey is, though. Plus, she could help me learn how to do that sort of thing. We haven’t had too much training and all that, so it would be good, I think.” Regan obviously didn’t like the idea; she stood stiffly and glowered off into the distance.

  Casey just nodded and said, “You’re right. I’m sure Regan will be fine on her own.” She sounded distant. She wasn’t really there, but that was to be expected. She was planning her escape.

  Cinder and Ston went off to get away from us loud people to hunt in peace, and Regan disappeared into the thick of trees and bushes to find berries and things for us to eat. Casey wandered around looking at fallen logs.

  “Casey?”

  “Hmm?” She didn’t look at me; she just looked at the fallen log.

  “What are you doing?” I wasn’t sure if I was asking about the log or her plans.

  “Come here,” she said, and I obeyed. I walked over to her, standing beside her and watching closely. “Magic is fluid. You have to feel it build inside of you. You can’t let it grow too big, but at the same time it has to be strong enough. If it’s too strong and you overdo it, then you’ve done just that. Fire burns too hot, water flows too strong, lightning becomes unstable. You have to be careful with magic.”

  “What are you doing?” I asked again.

  “You can’t have just sticks for a fire; you need this sort of wood too to keep it burning for a long time. I don’t want the whole log, though, just a piece, and so I need to cut it. I don’t have an ax, but I have magic. Wind is good for this sort of thing. You have to make the air you use sharp and fast. You control everything with magic, Cam. You can do anything within the laws just by thinking about it. Think it through, how would it work, and then make it happen.”

  I nodded. “Sharp and fast?”

  “Imagine a section of the air in front of you, a thin piece, focus very hard on it. The magic goes through your chest, down your arm, and to your hand.” She held her arm up, looking at the air with fierce intensity. “Hold it there, build it up, and imagine exactly what you will be doing. You need to change the Life Force from just life to wind. When you think of wind, it is constantly changing. The change can’t be described. You have to learn it on your own. It won’t be as strong as you want at first because you haven’t figured out how to do this best yet.”

  I nodded again, and she looked over at me. “What?” I asked.

  “Try it.”

  I bit my lip and raised my arm up. I pulled my Life Force down my arm to my hand. Change it to wind? From Life to Wind? How?

  How do I change it to anything else I’ve done?

  I took a breath and closed my eyes.

  “Focus, Cam,” she whispered. “Wind is always in motion. It’s fast, gentle, cold, hot, but always moving.”

  It’s like I could feel a gentle breeze against the palm of my hand, like a breath.

  “Take that sliver of air in front of you, and imagine it cutting through the wood. Take your time.”

  I took a few deep breaths, and then I felt it slip through my fingers.

  “Dammit,” I hissed. It completely missed and barely cut into the ground where it hit.

  I heard a loud thump sound and looked over to see Casey picking up a good sized chuck of the log. “Again” was all she said.

  “What?”

  “Do it again. Do it until you get it right.” She didn’t have emotion in that moment. She was a teacher, a trainer, and I was the student. We weren’t friends right then.

  Casey convinced everyone to stay the night so I could train. I could hear everyone build shelter, eat, talk, laugh, everything. I was alone, away from the fire, sweating and focusing everything I had on this. I needed to get this right.

  The sun was setting when I heard footsteps approaching.

  “Better,” Casey said.

  I looked over to her. I was shirtless now and just standing in a dark-colored sports bra, sweat dripping down my face. I was glad I was in shape; otherwise I would have been leaping for a shirt to put on so Casey wouldn’t see. I almost wanted her to see, though, because I had a pretty nice body. Maybe Casey would notice too.

  She didn’t, though. She was looking at the notches I had left in the wood. I had almost completely cut through on the last one.

  “Thanks,” I said between breaths.

  “Little bit more and you’ll have it.”

  I nodded. “Yeah.” Damn, I was exhausted.

  “It’s like this with every element. Think it through. How does it work? How does it move? How does it feel? Then think about what you need to happen and how it happens. If you can do these things, you can do anything you need with magic. Practice. All the time. If you’re walking and you want to understand fire, hold up a finger and get a small flame on your finger. The more you practice, the more you understand.”

  She was leaving. This was her last message, her advice to help me through life. This was it. She was leaving tonight.

  “You’ve really grown, Cam. Your stance alone shows that.”

  I thought about it for a moment. When I had been cutting, I stood sideways with my legs spread slightly and my knees bent. It was stable; I could stand there and easily move Life Force around. Casey said that battle would mean moving around and trying to keep a position that makes Life Force movement easier. Battle would be difficult. She always said she’d spar with me.

  “Where is everyone?” It was dark now. Ston and Regan were gone; Cinder was standing behind Casey, his muscles tense beneath that thick black fur. When he moved you could see the red highlights flare up for a moment. He looked dangerous.

  “Asleep. I took first watch. We have to be on our guard all the time now against him.” She ran a hand through her long brown hair. She was nervous, I could sense it.

  “Casey, don’t go.” I grabbed her forearm. Cinder’s lips curled into a snarl, but Casey stopped him.

  “Calm down, Cinder. It’s okay.” She looked at me again. “Be safe, Cam. Try and stop them from coming after me. Regan will look for me, of course, and Ston will try and do something logical. Keep them safe, Cam. Keep them away.”

  “I’m not letting you go.” I couldn’t let her leave. I couldn�
��t let this happen.

  “I know.” She gave me a sad smile, and suddenly my mind was foggy. I could feel my hand slip from her arm and I started to fall to the ground. “Sleep well, Cam. You deserve it. Keep practicing, you can be a great mage someday.” She reached down and touched Cinder’s head, and then she vanished.

  “Dammit,” I groaned before everything faded away.

  THE SLEEPING spell I used on Cam wasn’t hard, but it took energy, and teleportation on top of that was just a bit too much. I collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. I felt like a fish out of water.

  Only 6 percent of mages could teleport, and while it was against the Old Ones’ rules, they didn’t seem to mind, so long as you didn’t abuse it. And I think they would understand this time if they decided to crack down on it. I couldn’t go far, but I could go a couple of miles. Far enough considering they had no tracks to follow.

  Are you alright? Cinder asked, licking my hand.

  And I had to take him. It was just a little bit too much, even though I had my gloves on to direct magic and amplify its power.

  The gloves reminded me of the bracelet I had left beside the log for Cam with a note.

  Keep practicing. Hope this makes it a little easier.

  Casey

  I’d enchanted it for her. I didn’t have anything else on me, but I knew she would need it.

  I didn’t want to think about Cam, Regan, or Ston right now.

  “I’m alright,” I said before pushing myself to my knees. I stayed there for a moment, worried I might throw up. And then I finally got to my feet.

  I started walking off, away from camp and not toward the elves. I wouldn’t be going there. They may think I was going there and follow, but I also didn’t need anyone following me. I left everyone so that nobody would be in danger because of me.

  I had barely gone another mile before Cinder growled, and I heard the click of someone cocking a gun.

  I closed my eyes and turned around, my hands slowly building up magic.

  “Don’t even think about it, mage,” a voice sneered.

  I opened my eyes to see something I didn’t expect.

  Pale skin, golden eyes, and pointed ears. He wore a plain white T-shirt and light-colored jeans, and a black gun was in his hand. It was pointing directly at me, but I wasn’t scared for some reason. I was at ease. Ready for this. Death would make this all so much easier.

  “Are you Casey Kelley?”

  Why did he want to know?

  “Answer me, mage! Are you Casey Kelley?” He was shouting. There was a strange look in his eye, I couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

  I nodded. “I am.”

  “Thank the Old Ones.” He lowered his gun, and I saw relief flood those gold eyes. “We need you.”

  What the hell was going on now?

  Chapter 14

  “CASEY KELLEY—”

  “Just call me Casey,” I mumbled. Elves believed in formality with people they didn’t know well, so it was to be expected. Then again, I got everything I knew from books, so what did I really know?

  “Casey.” He said it slowly, like he was testing it out. “My people need you.”

  “I can’t help.” Whatever it was, I didn’t want to help. I needed to get away from everyone. Doing this alone was safer than bringing a hundred people with me. Safer for them at least.

  “You can.”

  “I can’t.”

  “You don’t even know what it is we need you for.” He looked confused.

  “It doesn’t matter. I am a simple mage, that is all. I’m just going on my Proving Journey so I can live outside of the Temple. I cannot help you where others have failed.” I needed to get going. Who knew how long the sleeping spell would last? I needed as much space between my friends and me as possible.

  “You are more than a simple mage, Casey. I have heard stories from the Temple, from your grandfather. You are much more than any other mage. You are the only one we can turn to now, Casey. My people need you.”

  His people need me? The elves? What was going on? My curiosity got the best of me. “Why?”

  “The elven people have strong immune systems, and very rarely do we get sick, but this is something new. A disease is spreading quickly through my people, infecting everyone. The sickness itself is… torture, and so much so that it is seen as mercy when you finally die. There is no cure and none of us are safe. My race will die out, very soon. We need someone to find the cure. We need you, Casey Kelley.” I could see in his pleading eyes he needed this.

  The elves… would die? An entire race? A race that was as old as time itself? Older than the humans? Just like that?

  “How?” I finally said.

  “We don’t know. Our Elder Council believes it to be a curse from the Old Ones, stating that we have overstayed our welcome on this earth. I don’t agree with that. I think someone has cursed us. I think that a mage has done this to us.” He spat out the word mage but looked like he regretted it. After all, he needed a mage to help him now.

  I knew who he spoke of. My necromancer friend had been busier than I imagined. I was not the only one he had been causing hell for. The elves were now suffering. All because of Clerstan. This was my fault too, the destruction of an entire people all because of Clerstan.

  “Take me to Haven.” If this was really as bad as he said, I would get the most information and best circumstances to come up with a cure. My only worry was of Regan, Cam, and Ston finding me there, but I could talk to the elves about keeping me away from my friends. I would be careful. I couldn’t have them find me. I risked a lot to get away. I wasn’t going to let my efforts go to waste.

  TWO DAYS. It took two days to get to Haven. I didn’t find any sign of the others, which was good, but they would be behind me anyways. I would have to wait until I was in Haven to see if they had followed me.

  I learned that my new elven companion’s name was Liam. He was the son of one of the Council Elders, and as one of the few healthy elves left, he was sent out with some of the others to find me.

  Liam didn’t talk much, but we didn’t need to. He was just doing his job, and I was focused on what I could be doing to fix this curse. I needed to get out of there as quickly as possible so I could stay away from Regan and everyone.

  I had never even seen a photograph of Haven. Humans and mages weren’t generally allowed, and dark elves were strictly forbidden. I don’t even know how Ston planned to convince everyone to let him in. Then again, if they couldn’t get in, I was safer inside than I originally thought.

  Here I was, standing just inside the large walls that blocked Haven off from the rest of the world. Liam stood beside me, waiting impatiently.

  “Casey, we do not have time for this.”

  “Sorry, Liam, but I am one of the few humans and even fewer mages allowed inside of the great city Haven. I need a moment to take it all in.” It was gorgeous. Light-colored stones composed buildings, statues, and sculptures that decorated the area, and the cobblestone roads matched what Haven was meant to be. This city wasn’t traditional in a sense of tents and deer roaming around, although nature was very evident in and around the city, but more traditional from a few hundred years ago. When the elves left the rest of civilization, they advanced their style of living to fit better with the times.

  There weren’t any cars or anything. There were a few bicycles, but people seemed to walk more.

  Well, I think they would walk more if people were actually on the street or even just outside of their homes. There was only one person outside other than Liam and me. She looked like she was maybe twelve, but as an elf she was probably a lot older than I was. When she saw us, she scurried away, leaving us alone.

  Liam walked down one of the paths that led toward the center of the city, and I hurried to catch up to him.

  “How many people are sick?” I asked as we walked quickly along the cobblestone path.

  “Thousands. Most of us actually. Only a few hundred of us were eve
n considered to go out and look for you. Only about fifty actually did go out in search of the great Casey Kelley, which means there are probably more sick now than when I left.”

  “Symptoms?” I was running ideas through my mind. I needed a notebook and a quiet room right now, but that would need to wait.

  “I think you should wait until you meet the Council Elders.” Liam was nervous; I don’t think he wanted to talk about the disease. I don’t think he realized I needed as many viewpoints on it as possible. I needed to know everything.

  I didn’t ask any more questions from him, though. If he wouldn’t talk about it all with me, he was of no help. I couldn’t use half of the story; I needed to know every minor detail. The smallest item could change everything.

  I was looking around for a sign of life when we came upon a large, ornate building. The capitol building, or Council building, whatever they called it.

  “The mongrel must stay outside,” Liam said, looking at Cinder with a sharp look.

  “He’s not a mongrel. He’s a cinderwolf,” I growled, scratching him between the ears. Cinder was smart. He understood he had been insulted, and I didn’t need him starting a fight in Haven. That was the fastest way to get me kicked out.

  “He is a demon from hell. Cinderwolves are not of this world. They were born of fire.” Liam kept his eyes on Cinder, watching him warily.

  “He is my spirit animal, Liam. We are connected. If you insult him, you are insulting me.” Liam scowled but looked away. “He’ll stay outside, but try and keep those sorts of comments to yourself next time.”

  Liam opened up the door for me and stood there, his face expressionless. I walked in and a blast of cold air hit me. I shivered and waited for Liam to walk briskly down the cold, empty hall. He had an air of righteousness about him as he walked, his head held high and his shoulders back. He looked like royalty.