by Lana Axe
“Shielding can be performed through elemental magic, but it can also come from the energy around you,” Taren explained.
“Shielding?” she asked.
“A barrier to protect you from your enemies,” he said.
Pia hadn’t thought about fighting. It was only natural that she would have to learn those skills, but she hadn’t given it much thought. Taren, Embyr, and Leko were her protectors up to this point. It would seem the time had come for her to protect herself. “I am ready,” she said.
“As you did with the light, focus the energy around you,” he said. “Place it between us.” He stood facing her and awaited her first attempt.
The familiar tingling of energy made its way across her skin, touching every inch of her body. She relaxed, breathing it deeply into her lungs. She held out her hand, her palm facing Taren. Forming the energy into a wall, she held it between them.
Taren placed his hand against the shield and pushed it through with little effort. “You’ve crafted a shield, but it has no substance,” he said. “Try again.”
Turning her thoughts to the shield, she drew more energy into the barrier. The light around it began to bend, distorting her view of the man in front of her.
Once again, Taren was able to push his hand through. “Try harder,” he said.
“You’re stronger than me, both physically and in magic,” she said. How was she supposed to defend against him?
“That’s an excuse,” he replied. “Concentrate.”
The solution was so simple, Pia nearly laughed when she realized it. His own strength was the key. She waited for him to raise his hand again before making another attempt. When his hand was barely an inch from the shield, she pushed the energy toward him. The shield held against his hand.
“Very good,” he said. “A shield is not an idle defense,” he explained. “You must be aware of your enemy’s attack, and supplement the shield’s strength at the appropriate moment.”
“What happens if I put everything into the shield and hold it?” she asked.
Taren raised an eyebrow questioningly.
“Let’s say I’m trying to avoid a constant attack,” she said. “Can’t I hold the spell constant rather than actively changing the shield’s strength?”
“You could, but you would tire quickly,” he said. “This way preserves your strength. You’ll need it if you’re going to fight back.”
“Do I drop the shield to attack?” she asked.
“No,” he replied. “You will fight around it, like a man with a sword and shield.”
“But how do I cast two spells at once?” she asked.
“Practice,” he replied.
Of course. That seemed to be Taren’s answer for everything lately.
“First master the shield,” he said. “Then we’ll work on your attack.”
These sort of spells gave Pia cause for concern. Working with water and light was amusing. She took pride in manipulating the elements. This was something far different, something troubling. There was a reason he was teaching her to fight. “Why am I learning this?” she asked, hoping for a real answer.
“Our path grows ever darker,” Taren said. “Evil has already invaded your dreams. Now it seeks you in this world. You must be ready for it.”
Chapter 16
It took nearly a week of practice before Taren was satisfied with her shield. She could now resist basic magic attacks, as well as common arrows. Embyr did not enjoy the test, but Taren had reassured her multiple times it was safe before she agreed to her part. He would not allow Leko’s runed knives to be tested against Pia’s shield. He feared the runes would be too much for her. As far as he knew, the creatures of the void did not employ such magic, so there was little need to test Pia against it.
“It’s time for you to learn how to attack,” Taren said.
“Will I use fire?” she asked.
“You could, if you wish,” he said. “Someday you might even master the element of fire. But for now, an energy blast will draw the least of your stamina.”
“Because I’ve practiced it so much,” she said.
He nodded. “Yes, and it will prove powerful enough for your needs. You don’t need to incinerate an enemy. You need only to knock him from your path.”
Pia felt a sense of relief. She hadn’t thought what it would be like to kill someone. Fire could easily take a life, as cold had nearly done when she was in Sentella. She’d learned a valuable lesson that day, though. Sometimes it was necessary to fight with whatever she might have at her disposal. She had found her courage and fought back, despite her youth and inexperience.
“Creatures from the void are quite strong,” Taren said. “Stronger than most people, but they can be repelled by magic. Conventional weapons will not harm them.”
“So only you and I can fight them? Not Leko or Embyr?”
“Leko has runed knives, and Embyr’s bow contains enchantments,” Taren explained. “Those enhanced features lend effectiveness against creatures of magic.” He hesitated before adding, “I’m not sure if a wraith can be killed.”
Pia nodded. She’d seen Taren send the first one away, but she didn’t know its ultimate fate. Did it still pursue them? Surely not. Taren would be able to sense it. Perhaps she could as well, but that wasn’t her lesson today.
“Project the energy toward that tree,” Taren said. “Not too much.”
Pia laughed softly. She didn’t intend to harm the tree. Summoning the energy around her, she drew it through her body. It tingled through her veins, finding its way to her fingertips. Striking out with her hand, she allowed the energy to fly. The leaves ahead of her rattled, the tree’s limbs shaking.
“Not bad for a first try,” he said. “Try again. This time send it farther into the forest.”
Pia relaxed her shoulders and tried again. The force of the blast traveled as far as she could see, disappearing somewhere in the darkness.
“Very good,” Taren said. “Now try it on me.”
Pia’s eyes shifted left and right. “Are you sure?”
He gave a single nod before lifting his hand. A shield appeared in front of him.
Relieved that she couldn’t harm him, Pia readied her spell. Thrusting the energy at her opponent, she watched in amazement as it bounced off his shield. His arm was forced back a few inches, and he nodded his approval.
“You’re doing well,” he said. “Practice.”
Pia did. She spent hours sending energy blasts at the ground, leaving pits where the soil had been disturbed. Making a game of it, she blasted loose dirt back into the pits. This allowed her to focus the blast on small targets as well as large ones. By the time she had filled in all the holes, she was exhausted but content. Her learning was going well.
“There is something else I would show you,” Taren said. “That is, if you aren’t too tired.”
She shook her head, not wanting to miss out on an extra lesson.
“Sit with me,” he said.
She took a seat on a fallen log next to her instructor. The fire had not been lit, leaving the campsite dark. The forest came alive with the sound of crickets and the soft wooing of a whippoorwill.
Taren leaned his head back and stared at the sky. “Look at the stars,” he told her.
Pia mimicked his actions and squinted her eyes at the sky above. “I can’t see them,” she said. The gray haze that covered the sky by day did not lift at night. She could hardly make out the moon behind it.
“Don’t look with your eyes,” he replied.
Pia focused her mind to the heavens, seeking the energy of the stars. There, glowing white against a sea of black, she found them. Their beauty brought tears to her eyes. She closed them, seeing only with her mind. “I see them,” she whispered.
Holding her focus, she surrendered herself to the stars, joining them in their eternity. The force of magic was strong here. She felt it pulsating through her body. She longed to reach out, to touch the stars themselves. They c
alled to her, beckoning the young woman to merge with them. She wanted that more than anything.
“They’re calling to me,” she said. “I feel their power.” More than that, she craved it. She longed to feel the stars’ caress, to become one with them.
“That is the power of the void,” Taren said.
Fear shot through her, breaking her connection with the stars. “That’s the evil power?” She had yearned for it. How could evil be so inviting?
“Not all the void is evil,” Taren said. “There is good there, but the evil overwhelms it. Only the evil forces itself into our world. The rest remains in its proper place within the void.”
Relief washed over her. She hadn’t been attracted to the darkness. She had found the beauty of the void, the pure and virtuous part that no evil could touch. It was breathtaking. She wanted to feel it again, and focused her mind to do so.
This time she felt the energy behind the stars’ illumination. It was powered by a force she didn’t fully comprehend, but she yearned to know more about it. “Could I draw the heat from the stars?” she asked. What would it feel like in her hands?
“Perhaps,” Taren answered. “Though most of the heat would be lost as it makes its way toward you. The stars are farther away than you realize.” Even as a dragon, he had never touched a star.
Continuing to examine the stars, she began to notice their colors. Most appeared white to her eyes, but others were violet, yellow, or red. One large star caught her eye, its aura blazing orange. She felt something there, a consciousness. “Is there life on the stars?” she wondered.
“There is life throughout the universe,” Taren replied. “Countless worlds are home to a variety of life-forms. Some you would hardly recognize as living beings.”
Pia allowed her mind to wander, sailing among the stars. “I’d like to see those worlds,” she said.
“Once you master the void,” he replied, “you can travel anywhere you please.” He paused, then added, “Even places a dragon couldn’t reach.”
“It sounds like a lonely way to travel,” she said. No other would have the power to travel with her. She would have to go alone.
“You might find others to equal your powers once you reach those other worlds,” he pointed out. “You might witness wonders that even magic couldn’t prepare you for. It will be a marvelous journey, Pia.”
Her heart yearned to begin that journey. If only she could leave behind this darkening world now and travel among those stars. Breathing in the charged air, she felt herself alive and awake. All things were now possible.
“You should rest now,” Taren said. “I will teach you a spell to help you sleep.”
“I don’t think I’ll have trouble sleeping tonight.” She was anxious to see what her mind would conjure in the night.
“You are still in danger of the void,” he reminded her. “I need you to stay here with us.”
He was right. She was still being drawn to the void, whether she willed it or not. Remembering the dark images she had witnessed, she shuddered. They would return with the help of magic. “Teach me,” she said.
“You’ll enjoy this spell,” he said. “I want you to reach into those stars, and instead of admiring them, borrow some of the emptiness from inside them.”
“You mean reach into the void?”
He gave a single nod. “Not into the evil depths, only the surface,” he said. “It will allow your mind to enter a state of pure emptiness, and you can rest undisturbed.”
“Is this what you’ve been doing all along?”
“No,” he replied. “I use another method. I could teach you that as well, but I believe this way is better for you. Your talents are well-suited to this type of magic.”
“All right,” she replied. Pia focused her mind to the stars, seeking out one individual among the billions. Its light shone through her, filling her with hope. She allowed her heart to swell, basking in its glow. In its depth, she found stillness, a constant, eternal silence. Behind it, she felt the void. It was cold, empty, and a little frightening. Sucking in a deep breath, she let it out as slowly as she could, allowing the sense of emptiness to flow through her.
She could feel the vastness, but she did not reach deeper. It was too overwhelming, and she feared she would lose herself. Instead she drew back, focusing again on the light. Slowly she watched as it dimmed, descending into a darkness that still held the promise of light. Calm washed over her, and she separated herself from the star.
Her eyelids grew heavy as she looked upon her instructor. Taren’s expression softened, and he helped her to her pallet.
“Sleep well,” he said.
It was the best sleep she’d had since leaving her home. A soothing rest for a weary soul, it filled her mind with images of light. Soaring through the cosmos, she visited other worlds, her mind conjuring images of strange and wonderful landscapes. When she woke, she wondered if it had been a dream, or if she had truly seen such places. It didn’t matter. She was well and whole, her body prepared for another day of learning.
Pia stayed at Taren’s side as they continued through the forest. The land was dark here, the gray fog growing denser by the day. She wondered if there would be any sunlight at all by the time they reached the wastelands. That was one place her dreams had not taken her. She wasn’t prepared to imagine such a place. It would be all too real soon enough.
“How long does it take to become a master sorcerer?” she asked.
“That depends on the student,” he replied.
A typical Taren answer. “How long did it take you?” she asked.
“Many years,” he said.
She frowned. She hadn’t been studying for even one year. “Must I be a master sorceress before I receive the symbol?”
“No,” he said. “But you must prove you have the strength to wield it.”
“How do I do that?” she asked.
“Your progress has been remarkable so far,” he replied. “I doubt it will be long before you’re ready.”
“After I’ve bonded with the symbol, will that mean I’m a master sorceress?”
“You are dwelling too much on titles, I think.” He smiled at her. “The title means something only to your employer. You could call yourself whatever you like. It’s your abilities that count, not your title.”
He made a valid point. She hadn’t been trained by conventional methods. There would be no grand ceremony for her graduation, nor would she be presented with papers. That was for students who paid for an education at some institution backed by a government. She had learned amid the wild, one on one with the only half-man, half-dragon in existence. That might not earn her a title, but it was certainly a story to tell. She smiled inwardly, keeping the thought to herself.
Taren paused his march and held up a hand for his companions to stop as well. “The city of Tegea is not far from here. It’s a small city, but we should be able to find some supplies there. It’s the last place we can stop before heading into the wastelands.”
“Then we’d better make the most of it,” Leko said.
“Maybe we’ll find a bakery,” Embyr said, winking at Pia.
Pia was glad to hear there was a town nearby. It would be a welcome change from the endless forest. The idea of fresh food was most appealing. They’d been eating trail rations for so many days, her stomach was begging for something different. Leko did his best to curb her cravings for sweets through the use of his teas, but there was no substitute for real honey cakes. Even a slice of warm bread would be a welcome change.
It was midday before they made it to the edge of the forest. The sun was mostly hidden, but its rays managed to make themselves known through the darkening veil. It seemed a bit lighter to Pia’s eyes, thanks to the lack of forest canopy.
A road stretched before them, the outline of wooden buildings just visible in the distance. No other travelers were present, and a strange silence gave the town’s outskirts an eerie feeling. “Are there no birds here?” she as
ked.
“Perhaps they’ve migrated toward brighter lands,” Leko suggested.
It sounded reasonable. A land of darkness was worse than the winter that most birds preferred to avoid. As they drew near the town, the silence remained. Pia found that odd. Even a small town should be noisy. Children should be playing, smith hammers ringing, and merchants hawking their wares. But there was none of that. Only silence greeted them as they approached the gate.
“Something isn’t right,” Taren said. Cautiously stepping through the gate, he signaled his companions to wait.
Leko and Pia obeyed, but Embyr walked in beside him, her bow at the ready.
“Where is everyone?” she asked.
Taren didn’t reply. He moved farther down the street, disappearing around a bend.
“I don’t like this,” Pia said.
Leko shrugged. “Maybe the residents moved away. It’s dark and foreboding. Would you want to live here?”
Pia shook her head.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s see if they left anything good behind.”
“Shouldn’t we wait for Taren and Embyr?”
“It’s an empty town,” he said, moving along the road.
Pia hurried after him, staying close by his side. There was no sign of Taren or Embyr. They must have turned down another street while she wasn’t looking.
The buildings were crumbling, not a single roof remaining intact. The town must have been abandoned long ago. With every step, the young woman grew more anxious. A heaviness settled into her chest, her heart thumping in her ears. A shadow moved at the corner of her eye, and she gasped.
“You all right?” Leko asked.
She shook her head. “I think we should go back and wait for Taren.” It wasn’t safe here. Something was watching them.
“Taren?” he called. No reply. “Embyr?” Still no answer.