Delminor's Trials

by Stephen J Wolf

  What drew Delminor in was the work related to the earth shard. He tuned his attention fully toward the explanations, shutting out the library around him.

  Regnard had obtained the earth shard as the other book had described and he spent a lot of time trying to unlock its power. He used magic on it, he sat and meditated with it, but it did no more than augment some of his spells and offer random inspirations, usually in times when he was in jeopardy of being hurt.

  There was a subtle comment and Delminor almost missed it.

  The master’s work with the earth jade continued endlessly. It didn’t matter if he was tired. He kept at it until he was too exhausted to continue, often bungling around in the final hours before he would rest.

  One day he procured the purest oak from the Great Forest, at terrible risk to himself. The forest people were none too happy about it. He worked with the wood and the jade as intently as he could, but he was so tired, he sliced his hand as he cut the oak into jade-sized pieces. He continued to work his spells with the jade, hoping to create a resonance within the oak.

  Because it was the purest oak in the land, it did resonate with his magic. He used this to draw power and meaning from the jade. And from that moment, he was able to commune freely with the shard and his powers grew immensely from that point on.

  Delminor returned the book and hurried down to his room, leaving Pyron behind. He knew what he had to do to commune with the jade.

  Donya was nowhere to be seen, most likely practicing down in the training rooms, which suited Delminor better anyway. He drew the air jade from his pocket and inspected it carefully. “Purest oak.” He laughed and blew on the air jade. Nothing happened, but he hadn’t expected it to.

  No, Delminor reached into his pack and withdrew a knife. He sliced his hand open and took the jade, covering it in his blood. The jade responded with a gust of air, drawing in the blood and cleansing its surface.

  A rush of understanding swelled within him, his mind reeling as the power of the jade swept through his body. It was too much to bear all at once and he dropped the shard, then panicked as it hit the stone with a crack.

  But the jade was unscathed. He inspected it carefully, trying to fight past the second rush of power through him. He then set the jade on the side table and sank onto his bed, staring at the strange artifact in awe.

  Chapter 18

  Donya’s News

  Delminor never told anyone of his discovery, even Donya. He wasn’t ready for everyone to bloodlet themselves on the shard. Instead, he used the next several months to commune with the jade, developing a deeper understanding of the nuances of the keywords that called to the wind.

  He had been on the right track. Only certain words were needed, and the order of the words was vital. He had thought the order always had to be the same, but that wasn’t true. There were variations that reversed the order to achieve other effects.

  Despite all he was learning of the air jade, he missed working with the earth. Utilizing air spells felt like a betrayal of the element that had first called to him.

  Because of this, he set the air jade aside for a time, turning his studies around again. As he explored earth magic, he kept wondering how different it was from air after all. More earth meant less air, and vice versa. Surely, they could affect each other in some way.

  Delminor spent a lot of time with Donya, their relationship growing closer with each day. He left her letters and flowers, and she melted with each gesture.

  One night he surprised her with a full dinner he had prepared for her. He bowed as she entered. “Welcome, my lady.” Candles flickered in the room, casting dancing shadows on the walls.

  “What’s all this?”

  “A special surprise for a special woman. Come sit.” He held her chair out for her and she sat, a curious look on her face. Delminor started by doling out salad and pouring on a modicum of dressing, knowing she wasn’t a fan of drowning her lettuce. They talked about their day, though Delminor kept fidgeting in his seat.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  He decided not to wait for the end of the meal. He reached under his chair and took out a box, bringing it over to her and kneeling as he proffered it. “I would like you to be mine.” He flipped open the box.

  She gasped at the necklace inside. A thin silver chain held a waterdrop-shaped aquamarine hanging from the center. The glittering gemstone sparkled in the candlelight.

  “It’s beautiful. Wherever did you find it?”

  “It took a bit of doing to get it all together.”

  “You made this?”

  He smiled and took the necklace out of the box. “Will you be mine?”

  “Yes, of course!”

  * * *

  “Oh, well, congratulations,” Pyron said when they told him. His tone was a bit sad and he kept looking furtively at Donya. Not knowing what else to say, he added awkwardly, “You two work great together.”

  “So do you and I,” Delminor said, wondering if Pyron’s hesitation was due to fear that they wouldn’t be working together any more. “I was hoping we’d be able to shift our studies again.”

  Pyron cheered up as Delminor refocused their research on earth-related conversations, and the two of them scoured the library for variations of the magic they knew. Working together, they deciphered the earth runes and found that they consistently translated between tomes.

  Delminor kept copious notes during all of it, often adding commentary. The more he learned, the less patient he became with those who did not listen to him.

  Donya, meanwhile, continued to work her water magic, sometimes sitting in sessions with the other two and trying to incorporate earth into her work. She wasn’t able to do so easily and after many failed attempts at working with the earth, she abandoned it altogether, much to Delminor’s chagrin.

  “Give it another try.” he said.

  “It’s too difficult, Del.”

  “It needs time, but you can get it. You’re capable.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not that.”

  “Are you sure it’s just the earth magic you’re giving up on?”

  She stared at him, fingering her necklace. “What are you saying?”

  “You’ve been more and more withdrawn from everything. Spending less time with me and now you don’t want to use my magic either.”

  Her voice lit with anger. “This has nothing to do with you! You’re the only reason I’ve tried this long.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She forced her tone to calmness. “Yes, Del. You’re being an idiot.”

  * * *

  Two more months passed, and it was then that Delminor’s next trial surfaced.

  Donya sought him out in his room and made sure no one was around. “Do you have a minute?”

  “For you? Always.”

  She sat on the bed with him and took his hand. “I need to tell you something and I don’t know how you’ll feel about it.”

  “You’re not leaving, are you?” he gasped. “I know I’ve spent a lot of time with Pyron, but—”

  “No, no, Delminor.”

  “Are you unhappy that the earth magic didn’t go well? Is it me?”

  “Shh. Please just listen.” She bit her lip, then stood up to go.

  “Wait, Donya. What is it?”

  “I am with child.”

  At first the world crashed down around him. He wasn’t ready to be a father, to give up his studies to raise a baby. He wouldn’t neglect it like Pyron’s father had, who still hadn’t sought out his son despite all their time in the tower. But a baby would take him away from his studies, for certain. His entire routine would be interrupted.

  But then he pushed his worries away. A baby. His baby. With Donya. It was a chance for them to be the perfect family. Together, close, happy. He smiled broadly, his whole face lighting the room. He swept her off her feet and kissed her breathlessly.

  “We’re having a baby?”

  “We are.” She cried with
relief, then started to laugh.

  Delminor sobered as he considered how their lives were about to change. He tried to keep the mirth on his face, but she could read him.

  “It’s okay, Del. I know.” She smiled gently and took his hand again. “You need to continue your work. It’s important. This shouldn’t interfere with that. We’ll make some adjustments in our routines, that’s all.”

  “I don’t think minor adjustments will be enough.”

  “I’d been wondering why I couldn’t make any sense of the earth magic and it wasn’t anything I was doing wrong. I could feel the energy. But my body was channeling other energy, you know? It’s how I realized I was with child. I spoke with a healer here, Essalia. She was able to confirm my suspicions.”

  “Essalia,” he echoed. “I met her in the library a while ago. She led me to the books about Regnard. I wasn’t sure if she was still here.”

  “She works in the infirmary. It sounds like she may be able to help with your research. I don’t know how much help I’ll be right now.”

  “You’ll be plenty of help, as you always are. You’re right. Not much will change. We’ll see this through and love every minute of it.”

  She smiled. “Thank you, Del. I really needed to hear that.”

  Later that afternoon they gave Pyron the news. He pushed a smiled onto his face. “This is great. You’ll name him after me, won’t you? Pyronius?”

  Donya laughed. “It could just as easily be a girl, you know. Ladies are rather important to the world.”

  Delminor snickered. “Yes, then we’ll name her Pyrite.”

  The earth mage groaned. “Fools’ gold? Thanks, friend. We should celebrate before the move.”

  Delminor’s mood crashed. “The move?”

  “You’ll need to announce this to the Mage Council. There have never been babies raised here.”

  The floor fell out from under Donya. “No!” She looked at Delminor, fear in her eyes. “I can’t pull you away from here.”

  He swallowed hard. “We’ll figure it out.” He wrapped his arms around her. “It’ll be fine.”

  Pyron waited until Donya settled down before speaking. “I’ve been waiting for my father to seek me out, but he hasn’t yet. Under these circumstances, we should go see him.”

  “Very well.”

  Chapter 19

  The Mage Council

  The eighth floor of the tower opened to a grand hallway with doorways on either side and a main chamber that lay ahead of them. Inside the chamber, Delminor saw benches near the door, presumably for attendees, and in the center was a set of oversized, tall-backed chairs. Most of these were occupied.

  Pyron led the other two forward and bent to one knee. “I thank you for granting us this audience today, Master Tyrel.”

  Tyral stood up. He was covered in a deep black robe, hood hanging loosely behind him. His face was a mask of stone and he greeted the trio as strangers. “What business have you with the Council this day?”

  Donya stepped forward before the other two could speak. “I am with child, your eminence. I understand that children are not generally tolerated here, but I ask to remain anyway.”

  Tyral’s eyes shot open. “Indeed a bold request, and from one who has contributed nothing to the functioning of this tower. To what end would we grant this request? Of what benefit is there?”

  “I didn’t know we were here to contribute, but tell me what is needed and I’ll help.”

  “Not here to contribute?” asked another Council mage. “You think we provide food and shelter simply because you practice magic? Preposterous.”

  “Forgive me for being naïve. I practice water magic and I’ll do what I can. Just guide me to what I should do.”

  Tyral shook his head. “Helping is a requirement of all who remain here. We have only exempted you thus far because of Pyron. It would not be enough for us to consider your request. Good day to you all.” He turned to sit down.

  “Wait, please,” Delminor spoke. “I believe I can offer you acceptable services.”

  Tyral laughed, but another mage spoke. Delminor recognized him as Kerlot, the mage who had administered their Trials. “This young man has a certain talent, Master Tyral. We should listen to his words.”

  “Very well. Speak.”

  Delminor cleared his throat. “I have been working on a means for deciphering spells to reduce their casting time and requirements. I have already condensed a number of larger spells, which we could demonstrate if you desire.”

  “There are no spells cast in this chamber,” Tyral warned. “Continue.”

  “The three of us have a solid process in place and our efforts are picking up speed as we go. Donya excels with locating patterns in the words. Pyron translates and recreates the gestures. And I have been working on deciphering the runes.”

  “Runes?” Tyral asked. “How could you interpret runes? They are unique to each spell.”

  “They are, but they’re not. I’ve seen patterns in their placement and combinations. I would write a compendium explaining these findings for all mages to use.”

  “We already have translation tomes.”

  Delminor nodded. “I have seen them, and they span hundreds of pages, broken into elements and further into spells. You nearly need to know what they mean prior to exploring them. I propose something different. If I may show you?”

  The masters agreed and Delminor pulled two parchments from his pocket. “Can you tell what these spells will do?”

  Tyral was affronted. “We will not be tested.”

  Kerlot sighed. “I will take a look. I am curious about what you suggest.” He took each parchment and eyed them carefully. “This looks like a fire spell. This other, I have no idea. Though as I look at it more closely, it also looks familiar.”

  Delminor couldn’t control his grin. “You have undoubtedly seen these runes before, Master Kerlot. The one you identified is a basic fire dart spell, used for lighting candles from across a room. The other is an air gust spell, often used to extinguish those same flames.”

  He pointed to a set of runes along the top. “Both sets have these three runes in the same order at the top of the page. Because they are at the top, they signify something flying. Even some earth spells have this denotation.”

  “Truly?”

  “Yes. I regret I didn’t bring one along. But look here. These two rows are in opposition to each other. Do you see how the runes are the same but in opposite order? This is because fire is a direct blast of energy, but air is a depletion of it.”

  Tyral was intrigued but tried not to show it. “You don’t know for certain that’s what it means. Where is your proof?”

  “I would need to show you all the records we’ve pored through in order to demonstrate that. I felt these two spells were the most illustrative. Now see this part? These runes are just filler. They don’t do anything and appear at random through many spellbooks. We have tried calling on them in different orders and leaving them out of our translations completely and the spells still function as desired.”

  “By the stars,” another mage muttered, her voice wavering. “If that is true, then what fool came up with this system? Why waste all the time crafting a language where half the words mean nothing?”

  Delminor was ready for the question. “They could be filler words, like we use to make sentences easier to understand. I could say, ‘I study magic because I desire protection.’ But if I’m the one thinking it, then I only need keywords, ‘study magic, desire protection.’ I believe some of the runes are intended as fillers for others to interpret, but they’re not part of the actual spell.”

  “Then don’t we need them in order to understand the spell’s intent?” Tyral asked, his curiosity winning out.

  “No. We already have a number of words translated from the runes, hence our incantations. But you know already that part of what makes a spell work is our intent. We envision what we want to happen, and the spell enacts it, as long as we give it t
he conduit needed. Otherwise, a fireball would explode wherever, or dissipate because it isn’t held together. It’s why we feel the energies within us and why we tire afterward.”

  “More than that,” Pyron added. “Even the gestures for spells have needless parts to them. Some repetitions and motions are either meant to connect other movements together or to extend the routine so it matches the length of the spell itself.”

  Tyral sat in his chair. “This is all very interesting. It would significantly change how we approach spells if this is all correct.”

  Kerlot turned to the rest of the Council. “If you saw what he did during his Trial, you would understand that he is employing the very process of which he speaks. I say we grant them a boon in exchange for his continued research and shared knowledge.”

  Piqued as he was, Tyral wasn’t yet ready to commit. “Knowing what you do, why not take your time and craft new spells? Surely you could do so anywhere now that you’ve seemingly cracked the verbal and physical cues?”

  “I did craft some new spells. It was how I drew the earth around me in a vortex during my Trial. But I wish to remain here for the resources you have and for the chance to work with the shards of the Red Jade that are here.”

  “The gall!” one of the Mage Council members shrieked, rising to her feet. “Likely you’re a charlatan looking to steal the very essence of magic and sell it to some higher bidder.”

  “Relax, Tianna,” Tyral commanded. “I doubt my son would face me in this room with such friends as these if that was their intent. Would you, son?”

  Pyron remained diplomatic. “Of course not, Master Tyral. What Delminor says is true. He only wishes to learn more of magic in all ways. Sharing the jades between you, he should be able to unlock more than you can imagine.”

  Tyral picked up on what his son had said. “Sharing, you say? Does this imply that you possess jades of your own?”

  Delminor’s stomach lurched. “I have the air jade, master, given to me by Xervius of the Magitorium.” He reached into his pocket and held it aloft.