by Dave Skinner
Andoo was talking with Flitter. He seemed captivated by her. Flitter, who liked attention, was telling him about her people and their magic.
“Wizards do not know a lot about sylphs,” Andoo said. “Are there not many of your kind around?”
“We do not have the population of some other fey, that is true, but we are not that rare as a race. We like to stay away from others. There is a lot of envy towards us because of our wings and our beauty. Your kind tends to see us as possessions instead of people.”
“Do you have communities or cities where you all live?”
“No.” Flitter shook her head. “We prefer to live alone, or with a mate.”
“So there are male sylphs?”
“Yes, but not many. The woman who finds a male sylph to love is blessed by the Mother. She can have a family while keeping her wings.”
“What do you mean, ‘while keeping her wings’?”
“Sometimes,” Flitter glanced over at Brayson, “we find a lovlan who is not a sylph. When that happens, we have the option to grow larger to allow us to mate with that person. With the rarity of male sylphs, it happens more than you would think.”
“It cannot happen that often. I have never seen any evidence of winged hobs, leprechauns, Crosses, or any other faerie. I would think people would notice.”
“That is what I meant by ‘keeping her wings’. We must sacrifice them to make the change. It is a difficult choice to give up flying.”
Nails looked across the room wondering if Brayson was aware of this, but Brayson was looking at a picture hanging on one wall. He motioned Nails over to where he was standing. As Nails came closer, he realized it was a map of the country around the lakes.
“Watch this,” Brayson said in a low voice.
He pressed his thumb against an outlined square on the map that had a fingerprint drawn on it. After several moments, a line started to appear on the map. Nails looked closer. The line started at Delta and went through the marsh to Riverrun South. It crossed the Trade River and followed the far shore north. Brayson pulled his hand away, and the line faded and disappeared.
“I think it shows how we travelled here,” Brayson told him. “You try it.”
“I don’t know if I should,” Nails said. “What if I break it?”
“Pull your thumb away if something starts to happen,” Brayson advised.
Nails grounded himself through his feet before he reached out and touched the map with the back of his hand. He felt nothing disturbing, so he moved his hand away and then pressed his thumb into the square space. The line started again. It followed the same route Brayson’s had taken. Quite a way up the Trade River, it followed a tributary into a lake, crossed it and headed across land to another lake. From there, it went to Esterfolk before taking to the trees again, towards the shore of South Lake. Then it headed across country towards North Lake but faded out before it reached the mountain.
“I broke it,” Nails said, as he pulled his hand away.
“You did not break it, Nails,” Andoo said. He had come up behind them. Flitter landed on Brayson’s shoulder. The line had almost completely disappeared, but Andoo made a hand motion that sustained it. “I have not been able to extend it for a period longer than four or five moons. That is an interesting path you took. Do you not like boats?”
“Boats are fine,” Brayson said. “We came cross country to visit my mother. She lives in this area.” Brayson pointed at the map.
“I was in that area once at an inn named—
“The Great Deer Inn,” Brayson said. “My mother told me.”
“Was your mother—” Andoo started to say. He stopped and looked at Brayson. “Bray...son. Is your mother Amadella?”
“Yes,” Brayson admitted, “and she named me after my father. If that line went farther, it would lead to Upper Thesia where I met him for the first time.”
“Nails! Brayson!” someone called from behind them.
Nails recognized Feenatay when he turned around. She was standing in the doorway with Andoo’s man Jerger.
“A meal is ready, Master,” Jerger announced.
“Thank you, Jerger,” Andoo said. “We will come now. So you already know Feenatay, Princess of New KaAn?” Andoo asked as he ushered them out of the room.
“We met at New KaAn some time ago,” Nails explained. “How is Wizard Neventay?” he asked, turning to Feenatay.
“Physically he is fine,” Feenatay reported, “but his magic never came back. That is why I am here; Andoo has agreed to take over my training.”
Chapter 30
“I didn’t mean for it to happen,” Nails explained. “Neventay was trying to help me control my magic, and then he collapsed.”
“Neventay was getting old,” Feenatay added. “My father had suggested he rely more on the other wizards, but he ignored the suggestion. My father had asked my grandfather to talk with him also. Now it is no longer necessary.”
They were sitting at the table where the meal had been served. Jerger had cleared the plates but left a decanter of wine which Andoo had almost emptied. The wine appeared to have no effect on him even though it was a good Nadian wine that Nails had felt after one goblet. He reasoned that Andoo must use magic to minimize the effect, although the only magic he had witnessed so far was in the map in the other room. Between them, they had told Andoo about all the magical problems that had occurred, and all the people who had tried to help. Andoo sat back in his chair with a goblet of wine held to his lower lip while he listened to the stories.
“What I find interesting is that Drafter’s strengthening of my original dampening spell worked for such a short time. I had not realized that Crosstown sat on such a strong source of magic. Perhaps Drafter can visit there and report back to the Council on it. I wonder if it is something they put in place to control the seizures Adel has. Brayson, was your magic stronger when you were there?”
“I believe my ability was stronger while we were there,” Brayson said, “but it comes and goes all the time, so I am not sure. It has seemed to be more consistent since then.”
“The strength of the magic I detect in Brayson has remained the same,” Flitter said. She was sitting on the high back of the chair next to Brayson. “It is like a candle flame beside the fires I detect in Andoo and Feenatay. Nails’ magic also appears weak to me, although I have seen it flare when he is anxious or upset.”
Andoo drained the wine from his goblet and then casually flicked his hand. A chime sounded in the other room. Nails suspected he was going to order Jerger to bring more wine, instead Andoo stood and stretched.
“Tomorrow I will take a close look at your magic, Nails. We will do that with the aid of the Seeing Pool. Feenatay, you will want to be there also, and of course Brayson and Flitter are invited. In the meantime, Feenatay, will you show the boys and Flitter to rooms in the journeyman wing? Get settled and have a look around the grounds, we will decide after the seeing tomorrow what more should be done. I will see you all in the morning. Let us break our fasts here before we begin. Jerger, we will have guests for the meal tomorrow morning.” Nails had not noticed the old man standing by the door to Andoo’s office.
“Yes, Master,” Jerger responded.
“Come, friends,” Feenatay said. “Your rooms are this way.”
She led them out a second door and along a hallway before leaving the building. Nails was impressed by the gardens they made their way through. Flitter, who was riding on Brayson’s shoulder, took to the air as soon as they exited the large, rectangular, stone building that was Andoo Toran’s home and the headquarters of the Wizard’s Council. She swooped and soared around the gardens, touching down on the back of a bench or on tree branches at times before returning to Brayson.
“There are plants here I have never seen or heard tell of,” she said.
“In addition to the flowers,” Feenatay told her, “this garden contains plants that can be used in every type of magic.
” She pointed in the direction they were going. “Over by the building that houses the journeymen and the master wizards, we grow vegetables and fruit.” She turned back to the path. “Oh no,” she whispered.
Nails saw three young men walking along the path towards them. One saw them and nudged a companion who stared as they approached. Stopping a number of steps ahead, the men spread themselves across the path. The man who had been staring took the centre position and leaned on his staff.
“Well, look at this. The turtle has visitors, and one is another turtle,” he said. His friends laughed. Nails saw the man’s eyes jump from Feenatay to him, and then to Brayson where they lost their look of distaste and opened wide with interest. “Is that a sylph I see?” The man made a motion with his staff and Flitter yelped as she was pulled from Brayson’s shoulder. She sailed through the air and into the man’s hand which closed around her.
“Let her go, Gorder,” Feenatay said.
“Or what,” Gorder said. “I have the staff here, Turtle. What can a mere apprentice do to a master?”
“Let her go,” Brayson said, as he stepped towards the man.
The staff moved again, and Brayson flew backwards and landed on the ground. Nails felt the magic as it happened; a yearning exploded in his core. Without another thought, he stepped forward. Gorder flicked his staff and Nails felt the magic hit him, but he sucked it in hungrily. The man’s eyes widened. Nails reached out a hand and closed it over the hand that held the staff. Its energy flowed into him as he crushed the man’s fingers.
“Let her go,” Nails said.
“My hand!” Gorder screamed.
“Let her go, I said.”
“I have. I have,” the man whined as his legs gave way and he fell to his knees.
Nails saw Flitter flying free. He reached out with his other hand and grabbed Gorder’s wrist, then loosened the wizard’s grip on the staff and pulled his hand away from it. As he continued to draw the magic from the staff into his core, sparks began to jump between his fingers. Brayson walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“That is enough, my friend,” Brayson said. “Flitter is fine.”
Nails concentrated on relaxing and stopped drawing on the magic. Stepping back from the wizard, he brought the staff up, grabbed it with both hands and slammed it down across his knee. He dropped the two parts to the ground and squatted down, holding his hand close to the Gorder’s head.
“I have your magic, Wizard,” Nails said. “Would you like it back?” A spark jumped from Nails’ hand to the man’s face. Gorder screamed.
“No, no,” he cried.
“Are you sure, Wizard? All I have to do is place my hand on your head and let it flow. If you ground yourself properly, it probably won’t kill you.” Nails lifted his hand above the man’s head. “Last chance.”
Gorder covered his head with his arm. “No,” he whispered.
Nails stood. “Shall we continue?” he asked.
They stepped around the whimpering wizard and headed down the pathway. Flitter landed on Nails’ shoulder.
“So, calling you a turtle is not a good idea,” she said.
***
Andoo found Nails sitting alone in the garden. He had chosen a stone bench beside one of the many waterways that snaked through the grounds. When Andoo stepped into view, Nails looked up and watched as he approached.
“Hello, Nails. Do you mind if I sit beside you?”
“It’s your garden, Uncle.”
“True, but if you do not want me here, I will leave. I do not wish to intrude on your thoughts.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Good, because I would like to know you better.” Nails just looked at him. “Tell me about your life. Where have you been living? You disappeared in your sixth summer. Magga told me you had drowned. What happened?”
“Magga and her sailor friend left me on a small island. I was found by two men who gave me to the Bentmen to settle a debt. Then I worked in a pleasure house for some years before I was sold as a rower on a smuggler’s ship. Brayson and I got free and became pirates. Actually, I’m supposed to call us sailors. I forget sometimes. I’m getting better at remembering things because Brayson teaches me about the world and how it works. He made me realize we were slaves on the ship, and he helped us escape.
“Anyway, after being...sailors for a long time, we had to save Brayson’s sister—well his half-sister—from pir...from other sailors on our ship. Then we met Reese, she has a great little ship, and we escaped on it.
“That was the first time my magic came. We were being run down by the pirates we were escaping from, and I blew the front of their ship off. All of our old friends died.”
Nails sat quietly for a few moments with his head down before he looked up at Andoo.
“I hope you can help me. This magic is terrifying. Every time I think I can control it, I fail.”
Nails leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.
“I assure you, Nails, I can teach you to control it. We will start right now. In order to control your magic, you must control your thinking.”
Nails raised his head, looked at Andoo and then looked away. Doubt was written all over his face.
“I have some experience with this task,” Andoo said. “I taught Adel to control her magic.”
Nails’ head jerked up. “I don’t want to be like Adel.” Andoo could see that fear had replaced the doubt. “She loses control and has fits.”
“Adel’s situation is different,” Andoo said. “The Mother channeled her power through Adel. Without my teachings and Sinty’s help, she would be dead. No one can channel that much magic and not be changed.”
“I know,” Nails said. “I tasted her terror when I held her during one of her fits. I don’t want to be like that.”
“The Pool will tell us more tomorrow,” Andoo explained. “But returning to Adel, you said you tasted her terror. What do you mean?”
“She has all this terror and grief buried inside of her. I know because I drew it from her. It was how I stopped her fit.”
“You were able to absorb Adel’s pain? That is good.”
“Yes,” Nails admitted, “but you see, I did it for myself, not for her. My magic is cruel. You heard what I did to that young wizard today. I hurt him.”
“You hurt his hand and you absorbed all his magic. I have never heard of that happening. When you can control it, you will be unstoppable.”
“If I can control it,” Nails replied.
Chapter 31
After breaking their fast the next morning, Andoo led Feenatay, Nails, Brayson and Flitter through the Masters’ private entrance to the pool.
“This is the Seeing Pool,” he said with a flourish of one arm.
Feenatay looked moved, the other three did not. He understood. The black water was not impressive when still; it looked like any other pool.
“Nails, you will stand beside me. The rest of you can take seats in the gallery. Those around the pool are reserved for Masters, but you are fine in the second row.” He beckoned Nails as the others chose seats, and Nails followed him to a platform. This was where wizards stood when making presentations to the Council. Andoo positioned Nails beside him.
“My wizard’s sight has been less than clear recently, so this vision may be hazy. I will do my best. I am going to create a link between us now.”
“Is that necessary?” Nails asked. “I don’t want to drain you too.”
“It is a one-way link. It allows me to see your destiny and add it to the pool through my staff. Relax, Nails. Nothing untoward will happen here today.”
Andoo cast his link spell, and a yellow mist appeared around him and Nails. The mist swirled and solidified into a tendril that stretched between them, chest to chest. Andoo lifted his staff and placed the heel into the pool. Strands of colour stretched out from it. He laid his will upon the strands and they formed into a
loose ball of movement. With a careful, gentle touch, he concentrated on the connection between them. A pathway opened, and Nails’ destiny stretched out before him. He created a magical link along the yellow tendril and into his staff, and the colours in the pool spun faster. They rose above the flat, black surface of the pool to create an image. A river, wide and slow, stretched ahead, but there was nothing slow about the vision. It moved quickly along, past a large city of peculiar design until ahead he saw a glowing, pale light. The vision sped towards the light until another city formed that contained wonderous structures. Eventually, the vision slowed and stopped. Andoo saw a large building ahead, he was sure it was the same one he had seen the day before, but now the image was clear. The first level was open on all sides, and massive columns held up the roof and the second floor. But clarity failed him as he tried to see within, and all he could make out was an undulating mass. Andoo tried to move closer but failed. Feeling for the reason, he realized Nails was pulling away from him. He detected fear. Andoo let the vision fall back into the water and drew the lights back into his staff before he turned to Nails. He could taste the fear now, Nails was pale with it.
“What is it, Nails? Is something wrong?”
“I can’t go there,” Nails said. “Amadella showed me that building.”
“I have seen it in my own visions,” Andoo admitted, “although I only detect power and opulence. What is frightening you?”
“In Amadella’s vision, I destroy it. People die,” Nails said. Andoo noticed Nails glance towards the others. “I can’t go there.”
“Your destiny says you will go, Nails. With proper control of your magic, you will not cause any destruction.”