by Lana Axe
She didn’t have to wait long. A massive shadow passed over the forest, and she looked up to see the onyx dragon in a vertical descent. Immediately upon landing, he shifted back to his human form. Pia ran for him, throwing her arms around him and squeezing as tight as she could.
“I’m glad you’re all right,” she said. “I was so frightened.” Tears spilled from her eyes as she clutched the sorcerer tight.
Taren closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the girl. “I’m fine,” he said. “It isn’t easy to harm a dragon.” He let out a long breath before letting her go. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry I ran away. It was stupid of me.”
“I’m sorry I was angry with you,” Taren replied. “I was wrong. The spell you cast was a harmless illusion. I didn’t realize you were capable of it.”
“Then you forgive me?” she asked.
“There is nothing to forgive,” Taren said. “I pushed you away. I’m only glad we were able to find you in time.”
“I promise I’ll be a better student,” Pia said. “I’ll work hard. You’ll see.”
Embyr grabbed the girl and hugged her. “Promise me you’ll never do anything like that again,” she said. “I don’t care how bad things are. Come and talk to me instead of running off.”
Pia nodded. “I will,” she said. The world was far too dangerous. She’d learned that quickly. “After that experience, I wonder if the void could be so bad.”
“The void is far worse,” Taren said, his expression severe. “Don’t ever doubt that.”
Wishing she could take the words back, she said, “I was only joking.”
“The void is not something to joke about,” he said. “Those people wanted to harm you because of the mages who came before you. This is the nearest city to our destination. They know the history of this land.”
“They hate all magic because a few mages turned to evil?”
“Yes,” he replied. “Their superstition has lasted all these long years. The darkness plaguing their city doesn’t help either. None of the people who live there have ever seen a sunny day.”
Now she felt pity for them. No wonder they were so miserable. Stuck between half-light and night, never to see a true sunrise or a fine summer day. That must be a miserable existence. “Why do they stay there?”
“Because they are set in their ways,” he said. “Our journey forward will grow ever darker, until there is no daylight at all.”
“At least we’ll know we’re going the right direction,” Leko said.
Pia smiled. She was glad to be back among her friends.
“We need to return to camp and gather our things,” Taren said.
“By the time we get back, we might as well spend the night there,” Leko said. “Unless you plan to travel in the dark.”
“No,” Taren said. “We’ll make use of the light while we still have it.”
As they journeyed, Pia peered through the treetops to glimpse the setting sun. Despite the gray, she could make out a few strands of pink. The world was still full of light and color. Only this land had fallen to darkness.
The campsite was just as they left it, and Pia was happy to see it. It felt warm and inviting, the central pile of stones waiting for her touch. “May I light the fire?” she asked.
Taren nodded his consent.
She approached the stones and laid her hands on them, searching for their warmth. In less than a second, she found it. The magefire glowed to life, its soft blue light indicating her success.
Taren sat down next to her and placed his hands on his knees. “I could use some time to meditate,” he said.
Pia smiled. “Can I ask a question first?”
He nodded.
“When the guard held me, I pulled the heat from his body.”
Taren raised his eyebrows. “You used the magefire spell on him,” he said.
“I think so,” she replied. “I didn’t realize it would hurt him. I only wanted him to let me go.”
“You did the right thing, Pia.”
She didn’t know why she’d brought it up. Perhaps she needed his reassurance. “It wasn’t void magic? It wasn’t evil?”
“Not at all,” he replied. “It shows great promise that you were able to adapt the spell to your needs. Many apprentices think they have to have different spells for everything. You’re a wise student.”
Her lips formed a modest smile, and she left him to his meditation. The day’s events had left her exhausted, and she was ready to sleep. “Can I have a sleeping draught, Leko?”
“Of course,” the elf replied. Digging in his pack, he produced the phial of gray liquid. “Drink up,” he said.
After consuming a few sips, she stretched out on her pallet near the fire. Disturbing images found their way into her dreams, despite the effects of the draught. She had returned to the city of Sentella, but there were no people, only wraiths. They surrounded her, their clawed hands grasping at her clothes. One laid hands on her head, forcing her to the ground. She awoke with a shout.
“What’s wrong?” Taren said, rushing to her side.
“Wraiths,” she said. “In my dream.”
“The draught has lost potency,” he replied.
“It didn’t work?” Leko asked.
Taren shook his head. “We’ll make a stronger one. As we near the rift, her visions will get worse.”
Pia shuddered at his words. The dreams were already bad enough. She hated to think of what was to come.
Placing his hands on either side of her head, Taren whispered an incantation. It sounded like a lullaby. As soon as he finished, she felt better. The dark images were nearly forgotten.
“Rest now,” he said. “Let no darkness invade your thoughts.”
Chapter 15
For the next several nights, Pia required Taren’s assistance to achieve any sort of sleep. The dreams grew darker, requiring the sorcerer to employ a different spell every night. The void was learning and changing, working its way into her mind.
Meditation also grew more difficult. Fear penetrated the girl’s mind, and she found it impossible to steady her breathing. Yet her lessons continued. She was progressing despite the difficulties, though not as quickly as she’d like.
“You’re doing well,” Taren said. “My own progress was far slower.” At the time of his training, there had been no rush. The world didn’t depend on his magical development.
“Will the symbol make it easier to learn?” she asked.
Taren took a deep breath and idly rubbed at his right arm. “I think merging with the symbol before you’re properly trained would be a mistake. I can speak only from my experience, but it could easily consume someone less powerful than itself.”
“My magic has to be equal to the symbol’s?” She didn’t see how that would ever be possible. It was an ancient artifact of untold power.
“Not exactly,” Taren said. “The symbol is a tool, meant to be wielded by experienced hands.” He laughed. “I’m not sure I was worthy when it chose me. I had mastered elemental magic, or so I was told. Measured by human standards, I was a master sorcerer. By the symbol’s standards, who can say?” Though the two had lived as symbionts these many centuries, he didn’t fully understand the artifact. It was crafted long before his time, by sorcerers who performed magic of a completely different sort. Such magic had been lost to time.
“How will you know when I’m ready?” she asked.
“In my case, the symbol called to me,” he replied. “I hope yours will do the same for you.”
“What if it doesn’t?” she wondered.
“My former master was able to bond with it, though not entirely. I assume a similar process would work for you.” He hoped her merger with the symbol would be easier than Imrit’s had been all those years ago. The transition hadn’t been smooth. Pia would need time to attune herself to the symbol before she could repair the void. There wasn’t time for mistakes. It would all depend on the symbol, a
nd Taren could not be sure of its will. It would not speak to him, only to the one destined to wield it. “Once the symbol is in your presence, we’ll know more.” He hoped those words would prove true.
Pia sat cross-legged, preparing for meditation.
“That won’t be necessary today,” Taren said. “Stand.”
She rose back to her feet and awaited his instructions.
“Through meditation, you’ve learned to open a portion of your mind that had previously been locked,” he explained. “I believe it is now active, and you will be able to use it at will without previous meditation.”
“Wasn’t it open all along?” she asked. “I’d been casting spells for years without realizing it.”
“Without realizing it,” he repeated. “That is precisely why this part of your mind needed to be awakened. Through meditation, you’ve begun exercising a once-dormant portion. It has developed and grown. No longer will you cast spells by accident. You have learned to turn your mind on and off whenever you wish.”
“Does that mean I can stop the dreams?”
He shook his head. “You can learn the soothing spells I have used on you, but the reason for your dreams has nothing to do with the magical center of your mind. When you dream, you are slipping toward the void.”
“Is there no way to prevent that? A spell to hold me here?”
“If such a spell exists, I do not know it,” he replied. “Your symbol might give you this knowledge.”
“I want to have it now,” she said.
“Patience,” he reminded her. “There are a few lessons I would have you learn first.”
Pia was ready. There was no spell she didn’t want to learn. “Teach me,” she said, trying not to sound overeager.
“For the next lesson, you’ll keep your eyes open,” he said. Smiling, he added, “We can’t have you closing your eyes every time you need to cast a spell.” He observed her posture. “Your shoulders are tense. Relax them. Let your arms fall loose at your sides.”
Pia did as he said, pulling in a breath and letting it out slowly.
“Feel the energy around you.”
Energy. What exactly was energy? She kept her eyes focused straight ahead, not really looking at anything. A gentle breeze tousled her hair. “I feel it,” she said.
“You’re feeling the wind,” he said. “That is an element. You don’t need to learn elemental magic.”
For the past several days she’d been in touch with the elements, mainly wind and water. There was great power there. “Why not?” she asked.
“I want you to pull magic from the energy around you, not a specific element,” he said. “It’s a form of magic you haven’t tried yet, but it’s one you must master. Focus.”
Pia closed her eyes but immediately opened them. What did energy feel like? She’d watched Taren create a shield from energy. He’d manipulated the space around him. At first she thought he was using the wind, but the tingling sensation it left on her skin was far different from the touch of the wind.
That was it. She tuned her thoughts to the forces around her. There were hundreds, thousands maybe. All of them were energy. The tingling sensation traveled across the surface of her skin. She allowed it to enter her nose and mouth, leaving behind a curious taste. Inhaling deeply, she sent it throughout her body. Pins and needles stung every inch of her, but it was not painful. Instead, it was invigorating. She felt alive with sensation.
“You’ve found the energy,” Taren said. “Now use it.”
Bringing her right hand level with her chest, she turned her palm upward. A ball of white light flickered to life. A speck at first, but she added more energy, watching as it became a sphere. Crackling and hissing, streams of white light radiated from it. For a moment they lost cohesion, but she stopped them, forcing them back into a sphere. They held tight, the light growing more intense.
Taren smiled and nodded. “Good,” he said.
Noticing she had tensed her muscles, she reminded herself to relax. The light became softer to her touch. Without moving her hand, she sent the light away from her. It traveled to the center of the camp, hovering above the unlit campfire. She willed the light to grow, illuminating the entire campsite.
“Excellent,” Taren said. “Now extinguish it.”
Pia willed the light away, but it stayed put, dimming only slightly. Realizing she’d made a mistake, she corrected herself. Pulling at the energy, she allowed the strands to fall away and return to their original state. The light extinguished, and she looked to her master for approval.
“That’s very good, Pia,” he said. “You were able to analyze the spell and deconstruct it without any assistance. It’s the mark of someone highly attuned to magic. Well done.”
Pia wanted to leap in the air, but she stayed put, maintaining her composure. She was a real sorceress, no longer a child dreaming of magic.
“We’ll continue our study of energy tomorrow,” he said.
She frowned. She didn’t want to wait. The word “patience” echoed in her mind. If she insisted on another lesson, then that was the response she could expect. “Thank you,” she said. She was learning to be a better student. And Taren, it seemed, had learned to be a more patient instructor.
Pia found herself surprisingly fatigued after the energy spell. She might have used too much of herself to pull it. Taren didn’t seem tired after summoning the light. She would need more practice, but not this night. Taren would insist she rest.
“Your draught,” Leko said, offering her a vial.
She accepted it and took a few sips. “Thanks,” she said.
“It’s an honor to serve your wizardness,” he joked.
The pair laughed. “Did you ever want to learn magic?” she asked.
“For a time, but I had no talent for it,” he replied. “And certainly not the patience. It’s far too complex for someone like me.”
“Potions are complex,” she pointed out.
“Yes, but they are something I can hold in my hand, not something I have to pull from my surroundings,” he said. “I could never commune with the water or earth. Their voices never spoke to me.”
“You make a fine herbalist,” she said.
He nodded and moved aside to make room for Taren. The sorcerer placed his hands on her head and repeated the soothing incantation. Pia thought the song had changed from the previous night.
“As your magical ability grows, this spell will have to be altered,” he said.
“Will you teach me how to cast these spells?” she asked.
“Yes,” he replied. “But not tonight.”
Sleep easily found her, and no dreams interrupted her. When she awoke, she wondered if she had dreamed at all. The sky was still dark, a symptom of the evil infesting this land. But it would not dampen her spirits. Not today.
Joining the others at the campfire, she said, “If I’ve counted the days correctly since leaving home, then today is my birthday.”
“You’re getting old, young lady,” Leko said, laughing. He handed her a cup filled with a deep-red liquid. She sniffed it before taking a sip. It was sweet. “Raspberries,” she said. “My favorite.”
Leko smiled. “Only the best for you.”
Embyr sat next to Pia and hugged her. “Happy birthday,” she said. “Too bad there are no bakeries nearby. You deserve something special.”
Taren retrieved an item from his pack and muttered an inaudible incantation over it. Pia watched with interest as fabric flared out, dancing gently on the breeze.
“I was going to give you this later, but since it’s a special day…” He extended the item toward her.
Pia accepted it and held it out in front of her. A robe, white at first look, but a second glance revealed notes of purple and blue. Further inspection revealed a rainbow of colors. “A mage’s robe!” she said. “Thank you, Taren!” Beaming, she asked, “Can I wear it now?”
“Of course,” he replied.
She didn’t know when he had purch
ased it, but she knew he must have planned the gift long in advance. It lifted her heart to know he had always been thinking of teaching her. He must have known she’d succeed to earn such a prize. It must have cost him a fortune.
Wrapping herself in the fine garment, she felt its warmth against her skin. Where it had seemed slightly large, it altered itself, conforming to her body. It fit better than any item she’d ever owned.
“You look beautiful,” Embyr told her. “You’re older now. How about we change your hair a bit?”
Pia had always allowed her silver mane to hang loose. She wasn’t sure she wanted it cropped short like Embyr’s, but a more grown-up style might suit her. “What did you have in mind?” she asked.
“Have a seat,” Embyr said. She took a seat behind the girl and combed her silver tresses. Twisting them into two strands, she wrapped them around her fingers and brought them up high on Pia’s head. Pinning them in place, she said, “That’s better.”
Pia felt the back of her hair. It was a sophisticated style, worn by the wealthiest ladies to visit Lyraeus. She never imagined wearing her hair in such a fashion. “How does it look on me?” she asked.
“Like a sorceress,” Embyr replied, smiling.
“Like an apprentice,” Taren corrected.
“May I have another lesson?” she asked.
He nodded. “Have some breakfast first.”
She chewed happily at a dried cake of oats and honey, washing it down with plenty of Leko’s raspberry tea. If she was home, her mother would have made something special to celebrate her birthday. Remembering her brought sadness back to Pia’s heart. Her studies had kept her mind so occupied, she hadn’t thought much about home. She felt guilty, as if she were forgetting the mother who had loved her enough to send her away. I will never forget you, Mother. I’ll come back some day if I can.
“Let’s continue our practice with energy,” Taren said.
Pia was eager to get started. Yesterday had left her drained, but a good night’s sleep had renewed her vigor for the lessons. Today she would do better, and the next better still. In time, the magic would come more easily, taking less toll on her body. That was the first step toward mastery. One step at a time, she reminded herself. Patience was still a virtue she was striving toward.