Ha ha ha! Look, here comes the little princess. The princess who cant do magic.Eamp;nbsp; The small blonde boy named Benan pointed at the approaching Veyome and laughed.
Thats not nice,Ethe little girl next to him whispered, tugging on his sleeve. Its doesnt matter that much. Besides, you shouldnt say that. Shes the princess.Elt;/span>
Who cares? Shes not even a good princess. Look at her. Her whole family can do magic Eher mom, her dad, and her sister. And can she even do the easiest spells? No! Why? She doesnt have a magic teacher yet. And thats because shes so stupid no teacher can teach her anything, so her family doesnt bother finding one.Eamp;nbsp; The girls and other boys joined him in jeering laughter.
A girl with brown curls divided in two braids said cuttingly, Thats all true. And shes ugly, too. Youd never be able to tell she was a princess by looking at her.Elt;/span>
Veyome bit her lip as the taunts reached her ears. She couldnt stop tears from welling in her eyes. Why do they always have to make fun of me? I never did anything to them. Why do they do it?
Benan sauntered up to her. Aww, look, the little princess is crying. Whats the matter?Ehe queried condescendingly, with a smirk on his face. Do you need your mommy and daddy? Im sure theyd come if you cried for them. So go ahead and cry.Elt;/span>
Veyome was silent, looking down at the ground, so Benan continued. Come on, little girl. Cry for them. Whats wrong? Crying too much to talk?Elt;/span>
Uh, BenanE his sister said tentatively.
Be quiet, Beko,Eone of Benans friends ordered authoritatively. Come on, princess. Cry for your mommy. Whats wrong? Too stupid to talk?Elt;/span>
Suddenly flames exploded to life around Veyome, hugging her small frame, churning in crimson and orange and gold. With startling violence and abruptness, she shoved at Benan and screamed, Shut up! All of you shut up! Leave me alone!Eamp;nbsp;
A small tongue of flame leapt from her outstretched hand to Benans body as she pushed at him. It began crawling over his frame, and he yelled, Get it off! Get it off! Put it out!Elt;/span>
No way. Thats fire EIm not touching it.Elt;/span>
What are we supposed to do?Elt;/span>
Youre burning, we cant do anything about that!Elt;/span>
All of Benans friends just stared at him in panic. Only small Beko had the presence of mind to do anything sensible, which was run away in search of her mother. Hey! Beko! What are you doing?EBenan yelled.
Veyome only watched them, trembling with now pent-up anger. One by one, the young nobles tore their gazes from the writhing Benan to the small princess. She looked back steadily, chin held high, challenging them with fiery blue eyes, until they were forced to look away.
I guess we were wrong,Eone of the girls said very timidly. She has magic after all.Elt;/span>
Veyome walked over to Benan, who was thrashing on the ground. Take it back.Elt;/span>
In his fear, he said unthinkingly, What? What? Take what back?Elt;/span>
What you said about me,Eshe clarified carefully, as one would for an idiot.
Okay, okay! I take it back! All of it! Im sorry! Im really, really sorry!Ehe babbled.
As unexpectedly as they had appeared, the flames around Veyome died. I accept your apology,Eshe said formally, displaying an icy elegance surprising for a child her age. She turned and slowly walked away.
* * *
So where the hell is that river, genius?Elt;/span>
Look, theres gotta be one eventually.Elt;/span>
Eventually? I believe you used that word about an hour ago.Elt;/span>
Hey, this takes time. Its not like Ive ever been here before.Elt;/span>
Yeah, me neither, which means we were lost to begin with when we came here, but youre making it even worse! Whats that saying Eout of the frying pan and into the fireEElt;/span>
Its not that bad. Like you said, its only been an hour.Elt;/span>
But it will be really, really bad soon.Eamp;nbsp;
Oh, really? How?Elt;/span>
As in, if we dont find a river soon, we wont find a bridge soon, which means we wont get to a road, which means we wont get to any sort of civilization, and all of this means we could end up starving to death or something equally stupid.Elt;/span>
Look, it wont take that long, all right? Besides, you didnt have any ideas.Elt;/span>
Im sure given a chance I could think of one
Shhh!EYash hissed forcefully. I hear something.Elt;/span>
Rakesh held his breath for a moment, then whispered, What is it?Elt;/span>
The blonde boy walked slowly towards their right. I hear water.Elt;/span>
If you say so.Eamp;nbsp; Rakesh trained his flashlight on the ground in front of them. After a few moments, its beam illuminated a section of a very small stream. You heard water, huh?Ehe said sarcastically.
Hey, its gotta go to a river, right?Elt;/span>
Which has gotta lead to a bridge sometime, right, right.Eamp;nbsp; Rakesh clapped a hand to his forehead and groaned. Why did I have to be stuck with you?Elt;/span>
* * *
Ten-year-old Veyome was dressed in blue silk, trimmed and embroidered with patterns of thread in white and varying shades of blue. The sleeves were puffed at the shoulders and tight down her arms, and she tugged at them uneasily. She smoothed down the gowns bodice and long skirt. On her head was a thin silver tiara, which denoted her rank as princess of Falshad.
Dont be so nervous, little one,Eher mother whispered, smiling comfortingly. Be at ease. Were only receiving your teacher.Elt;/span>
But what if she thinks Im stupid?Elt;/span>
I dont think she will. I think youll like her. Shes actually much closer to your age than you may think.Elt;/span>
A liveried herald entered the chamber and announced, The visitors from Okalari have arrived.Elt;/span>
A group of people crossed the threshold. Though they were dressed formally, they carried themselves with the unmistakable manner of competent people. People who knew how to use a weapon and use it well, people who knew how to negotiate, knew how to be gracious and entertain Epeople who could do it all. Meneru and her husband, Nalen, were impressed. They had known before that Veyomes soon-to-be teacher was a mage-fighter, and if she had been taught by people so obviously capable, then she was very skilled indeed.
The cluster of ten or so people traveled across the long, stretch of crimson velvet carpet, masking their nervousness of meeting foreign royalty beneath a commendable dignity. They stopped before the thrones and bowed deeply and rigidly from the waist. Then the group parted in two, and a young woman stepped forward.
She was blonde and green-eyed and wore a purple tunic, matching leggings, and white boots. Over her shoulders and chest and back she wore white ceremonial armor embellished with simple designs in amethyst and gold. She wore a simple white circlet, and in its center, in the middle of her forehead, was a small, sparkling, purple gem. Emblazoned across the upper chest plate of her armor was the symbol of one of the oldest houses in the country of Okalari: the symbol of the house of Ketira.
The girl made a second formal bow. Then she straightened and spoke in a high, clear voice. Greetings, Prince Nalen. Greetings, Princess Meneru. I am the Lady Javiade Hansori Ketira, heir to the house of Ketira of Okalari. I am here to instruct your daughter in the study of magic, as you wished.Elt;/span>
Veyomes bright blue eyes were very, very round. She really isnt so much older than me! I wonder how old she is? She must be really, really good if shes going to be a teacher at that age. Wow.
Nalen stood and bowed to Lady Javiade. Thank you very much for coming, Lady. I trust you and your companions have found our humble country hospitable?Elt;/span>
Very much so, Prince. We thank both you and the Princess for it.Elt;/span>
Meneru smiled pleasantly. I think we can abandon all these formalities.Eamp;nbsp; She stepped down from the dais on which the thrones stood. If you will follow us, there is a feast which has been prepared in your honor.Elt;/span>
Everybody bowed again, and Lady Javiade said, Thank you.Eamp;nbsp; She fell into step beside the princess as Veyome began walking behind her parents. Hello, Princess Veyome.Elt;/span>
The little girl smiled shyly. You dont have to call me that. Nobody does. Just Veyomes fine.Elt;/span>
All right, Veyome. You can just call me Javari. Thats a nickname everybody I know calls me by. How do you do?Elt;/span>
Im fine, thank you. How are you?Elt;/span>
Im fine, too. Thank you.Eamp;nbsp; Javari paused, then laughed quietly. Like your mother said, we can drop the formalities. Theres no use in keeping them up, because Ill be your teacher for a while anyway.Elt;/span>
The young man who had been silently following Veyome now cleared his throat. Since thats the case, I might as well introduce myself. My name is Rokan Skasikori. You could say Im Veyomes big brother. I watch out for her.Elt;/span>
Her bodyguard, Javari thought. She smiled. Hello.Elt;/span>
How old are you, Javari?E Veyome asked curiously.
Im fifteen.Elt;/span>
Wow, thats the same age as Rokan! And youre my teacher? I thought teachers were older than that. My other teachers are.Elt;/span>
Javari laughed. Well, Im a little different from most people. Like you and Rokan are.Elt;/span>
* * *
Hiri untied the string, opening the small bag attached to the belt around his waist, and dug into it, searching for the right amount of change. Two rooms, just for tonight, please,Ehe requested, placing several golden shads in the innkeepers hand.
The innkeeper, a rotund and genial man, smiled and nodded. Thats no problem at all, young sir. Please, follow me this way.Elt;/span>
After taking two keys from his desk, he walked up a rather long flight of stairs and turned right into a large hallway. Walking through, he stopped about midway and turned. These two rooms right here are yours. Have a good night.Elt;/span>
Thank you,EHiri said courteously.
He held out one of the keys to Kiren, who took it and nodded his thanks. He and Danica disappeared into their designated room.
Hiri unlocked the door to the other room. Father,Ehe asked, do you know those two, or did you some time ago? They wear strange clothing and speak a language Ive never heard, yet you seem to recognize them.Elt;/span>
Naruta looked at him. Well, I knew people who looked like them,Ehe answered slowly.
Who?Elt;/span>
I once had a student who looked like the girl.Eamp;nbsp; A distant look on his face, Naruta smiled a little in reminiscence. She was the best student Id ever had.Elt;/span>
Tell me about her,EHiri requested, his curiosity piqued.
Her name was Javari. I began teaching her was she was very young, perhaps around five or six, and finished when she was fourteen. She was almost a prodigy, in a way. During the time I was teaching her, she was receiving lessons in swordsmanship, and as she grew she became a very competent mage-fighter. Possibly the best that I have ever seen, and I have seen many of them in my long years.Elt;/span>
What happened to her, Father?Elt;/span>
Naruta hesitated, then answered quietly. Sixteen years ago or so, I heard that she had died in a very mysterious way. It was mysterious in that nobody seemed to know any details. Her body was simply found.Elt;/span>
What about the boy?Elt;/span>
He looks like the young man Javari introduced to me as her fiancE Laki was his name. He was quite a talented mage-archer. They were very much in love, as maudlin as that may sound.Elt;/span>
What happened to him?Elt;/span>
He also died a mysterious death.Eamp;nbsp; Naruta closed his eyes, distressed, as the cruel image came to his mind unbidden ELaki and Javari lying on the ground together, countless wounds scarring their bodies, each with their arms tightly embracing the other.
Hiri saw that the old man was troubled by memories, and fell silent.
* * *
Seeing how exhausted the family was from traveling, Raven insisted on cooking dinner for them. They protested at first, then agreed when they realized they couldnt come up with a decent argument.
Tenen, the sensible one, had summed it up. Were exhausted, and shes not. And her cooking is delicious.Eamp;nbsp; When she had offered these facts, the other members of her family were quick to give in.
Ill help you,EEnmed said quietly to Raven.
Oh, no, its all right.Elt;/span>
Enmed glanced back at the Caso family, sitting in a rough circle in the other side of the spacious tent, laughing and making merry conversation. So Im just gonna sit with them and listen to them talk about god knows what in whatever the language is?Elt;/span>
Well, duh, Raven mentally chided herself. Of course he cant. I just told them a few minutes ago he doesnt know the language. Yeah, I get what youre saying. Get your arse here, then. Its nice to cook with another person, anyway.Elt;/span>
Enmed was grateful for the heat from the small stove. In addition to providing warmth that obliterated the minor chill managing to pervade the tents thick fabric walls, it easily overcome the heat rising in his face. What should I do?Ehe asked, satisfied that hed kept his voice as cool and indifferent as ever.
Sitting cross-legged on a mat spread over the tents thin floor, Raven set down two cutting boards. On the surface of the board in front of Enmed, she placed numerous assorted vegetables, none of which Enmed could identify. Then she laid down a wooden-handled knife beside them. There you go,Eshe said. I assume that you can dice them.Elt;/span>
Sure.Elt;/span>
Out of the corner of his eye, Desem glanced at Raven and Enmed from time to time. She introduced Ewhats his name? EEnmed as a friend. Is he really just that? It seems like it. But like they say, appearances can be deceiving. For all I know, theyre lovers and theyre keeping it a secret from everyone! He considered that for a moment, then shuddered slightly and shook his head. No, I doubt it. Theyre acting so naturally, or at least Raven is; I dont know about Enmed.
Lelem, stop staring. Its rude,ERakev gently scolded.
Lelem giggled. I know, but I cant help it! His coats so funny-looking. And his hair is blue! Blue! And hes wearing a blue coat. He should have blue eyes to match.Elt;/span>
Ensan laughed with her. His hair is blue, and his coat is blue Ehes the blue man! Blue man!Elt;/span>
Thats not nice!ERakev protested, though she had trouble hiding her amusement.
Raven chuckled softly to herself. She looked up, caught Enmeds eye, and shrugged. Kids. They say some pretty silly things.Elt;/span>
What did they say?Elt;/span>
Well, Ensan Ethe little boy there Ecalled you the blue man, because Lelem was saying how you have blue hair and a blue coat. She also thinks you should have blue eyes to match.Elt;/span>
Enmed smirked. Ive considered getting contacts.Elt;/span>
Well, why the hell dont you get them?Elt;/span>
I dont like the shades of blue they have.Elt;/span>
Raven laughed. The two of them fell silent for a while, listening to the gentle, rhythmic patter of rain on canvas, the chattering of the Caso clan, and the soft crackling and hissing of the fire that burned in the stove.
I hope the others are all right,ERaven said softly.
Im sure they are.Elt;/span>
I have a bad feeling about Skye.Elt;/span>
A feeling?Elt;/span>
Nothing big, just a little something that nags at me.Elt;/span>
Enmed looked at her questioningly. What do you mean?Elt;/span>
Raven hesitated. Well, I feel this minor pain. A pain in my head Ewell, its not always just in my head. Anyway, sometimes it feels like fire just tickling at me, and sometimes it feels like the edges of razor-blade winds just scratching at me. I think it means that shes in pain.Elt;/span>
How do you know its her?Elt;/span>
Ive had a feeling like it before.Elt;/span>
Enmed tilted his head in confusion, asking again, What do you mean?Elt;/span>
I never told you, Yash, Rakesh, Skye, or Jon. When I first met you guys, I got some pretty damn strange feelings. When I met Skye, I felt like fire was rushing through me, and at the same time like winds whipping through me and carrying me out of myself. If that makes sense. Then, about a month ago Eor something like that, Im not sure EI started feeling it again when I saw her; I dont know why the hell I did. So I know its her.Elt;/span>
Enmed raised an eyebrow and said eloquently, Weird.Elt;/span>
I know. Its me feeling funny here, damn it.Elt;/span>
It doesnt hurt you very much, though, right?Elt;/span>
Relatively speaking, this pains very small. Like just a little twinge.Elt;/span>
Enmed frowned down at the vegetable he was cutting. What do you mean by relativelyEEamp;nbsp; He raised his head to look at her.
Raven, staring intently at the work she was doing to avoid his gaze, chose to say nothing in answer to his question. She simply shrugged.
Raven.Elt;/span>
Yes?Elt;/span>
An answer, please. To my question.Elt;/span>
She shrugged again with an air of indifference to indicate that it was nothing. Just these pains and headaches I have. They come and go. No big deal.Elt;/span>
Enmed hesitated. Should I ask? Ive already talked to her a lot more than I usually talk to anybody. Quietly, he asked, What kinds of headaches and pains?Elt;/span>
For the third time since they had begun talking, Raven shrugged. What do you mean by what kind of headachesE Theyre just random headaches. Aches in my head. What else is there?Elt;/span>
Well, what about the pains?Elt;/span>
Enmed sure is talkative today, Raven thought. I wonder why. Theyre just random pains,Eshe answered.
Where?EEnmed persisted.
Raven glanced up at him from beneath lowered lashes, an eyebrow raised. Just pains, damn it.Elt;/span>
Random pains arent good.Elt;/span>
I know,ERaven agreed coolly.
Falling silent, Enmed picked up a roughly triangular vegetable that was a dull orange in color. Raven did not notice until his knife was just coming in contact with the vegetables skin. Hey,Eshe said, you might want to watch out for
The blade sliced through cleanly, slicing the vegetable in half. A sharp, strong odor flew up from its inside to Enmeds nose, and he swore. Elt;i>Fuck! What is this?Elt;/span>
Raven couldnt help but chuckle. I was going to say, you might want to watch out for the smell. Pretty fucking strong, isnt it? That vegetable is a yarev. I guess you could say that its like an onion.Elt;/span>
Thats a pretty fucking strong onion.Elt;/span>
Isnt it? Youll get used it if you eat it enough. Chop it up fine, then throw it in soup or on steak or whatever. Its good seasoning. Better than salt and pepper, actually.Elt;/span>
Im sure Ill like it when I eat it. God, it stinks.Elt;/span>
Doesnt it? I guess Ive gotten used to it, though.Eamp;nbsp; Raven laughed at the expression on Enmeds face.
* * *
It would never have occurred to the prince and princess to allow it, but Javari had gently insisted that Veyome be given swordfighting lessons. Javari herself was a mage-fighter who used a sword. She could also be quite persuasive when she chose to be, and she was able to quickly make Veyomes parents see the usefulness of having a physical weapon in addition to magic spells.
Now Veyome frowned as she tried to adjust her grip on the wooden handle. I cant seem to get it right.Elt;/span>
Here, look at my hands.Eamp;nbsp; Rokan held out his hands in front of Veyome.
Veyome bit her lip, fiddling with the position of her fingers. Is this right?Elt;/span>
Yes. Now watch me.Eamp;nbsp; Rokan stepped back and swung his sword in a horizontal curve.
Veyome imitated the motion, and Rokan nodded approvingly. Pretty good. Now do it ten times. Ten times right. Mess up once and youll have to do it all ten times again.Elt;/span>
Veyome nodded earnestly and then proceeded to carry out his instructions.
Try this.Eamp;nbsp; Rokan swept his sword out in a vertical arc. Ten times.Eamp;nbsp; Javari watched as the princess attempted to mimic Rokans action ten times, nodding thoughtfully.
Rokan taught Veyome several different sword swings early in that afternoon. When he could see that she was obviously tired, he ended the lesson. Veyome, you did very well.Elt;/span>
Did I?Elt;/span>
Javari agreed with Rokan. Yes, you did. Youre very good for a beginner.Elt;/span>
Veyome smiled. Thank you both.Elt;/span>
Go relax or something,ERokan suggested. He turned to Javari and asked, Care to practice with me?Elt;/span>
Sure. Let me get my sword.Elt;/span>
I want to watch you two.Eamp;nbsp; Veyome meandered over to the wall and plopped down on the grass, her back to the stone, and crossed her legs. She laid her sword beside her.
Javari soon strode into the courtyard again. Around her hips was the brown leathery belt from which her sheath and sword hung. She had donned plain russet-colored armor over her green tunic and black leggings, covering her shoulders, back, and chest.
She pulled her sword from its scabbard and declared, I understand that youre already one of the kings best knights. You better live up to that expectation and make this a good fight.Eamp;nbsp;
Rokan gave her a smirk and shrugged his shoulders self-deprecatingly. So they say. I understand youre very good yourself.Elt;/span>
She tossed her wavy hair back her shoulder and grinned. Maybe I am, and maybe Im not. Ready to go?Elt;/span>
When you are.Elt;/span>
Javari and Rokan assumed defensive positions and stared at each other for a moment, as if each were judging the other. Then, as if inspired by some invisible cue, Rokan charged at Javari.
Veyomes eyes widened as Javari blocked Rokans sword with her own, whirled, and sliced. The pair went back and forth, trading blow and counterblow. Each parried and thrust, blocked and struck, using their swords swiftly and easily in dynamic motion. Veyome watched with undisguised awe, as did many of the knights also practicing in the courtyard at that moment. I didnt know Javari could fight like that, the young princess thought. I heard usually mage-fighters are either better with magic than their weapon or vice-versa, but it looks like shes really good at both. I hope Ill be that good.
After several minutes, Rokan finally spoke. So what they say is true. Youre very skilled.Elt;/span>
Javari smiled at him and answered, Why, thank you. Youre pretty talented yourself.Elt;/span>
Thank you very much.Elt;/span>
For about another minute there was only the sound of steel colliding with steel. Then, as he narrowly dodged Javaris weapon, Rokan remarked in almost a reflective voice, You know, youre very pretty.Elt;/span>
Thank you.Elt;/span>
Looking at your face, if you were in court dress, nobody would think that you fight. I wouldnt, anyway.Elt;/span>
Is that so?Elt;/span>
Honestly, yes.Elt;/span>
I suppose that could be an advantage in some ways.Elt;/span>
It could be.Elt;/span>
Javari smiled. Well, thank you for the kind compliment. Youre very attractive yourself.Elt;/span>
Really.Elt;/span>
Javari didnt even flinch as she blocked Rokans incoming blade with her own inches from her face. Yes, really. Very attractive. Im sure all the daughters of the court nobles are swooning over you.Elt;/span>
Unfortunately, thats quite true. I can barely sneeze without them all thinking Im going to die of cold.Elt;/span>
Its the price you pay for looking good.Elt;/span>
I guess so.Elt;/span>
Veyome marveled at the fact that Javari and Rokan were so calm, for all that they were wielding steel against each other. Theyre really, really, really good! Will I ever be that good? I really, really hope so.
* * *
Skye tossed and turned feverishly in her bed. Sometimes she felt that she was burning up and pushed away the blankets, and sometimes she felt that she would freeze to death, though she cocooned herself tightly in the same covers. At times she slept fitfully. In other moments, she would either be in a dream-like state that was half-sleep and half-consciousness, or she would be deliriously mouthing random phrases, none of which made sense.
Saylas brow furrowed in concern as she looked in on her daughter, and she let a small sigh of relief when she saw that Skye was currently sleeping. Poor, poor little Skye. I should probably take her to the hospital, but strangely enough, her fever is not all that high. Why is she raving? I need to ask for a few days off and just take care of her. She closed the door softly as she withdrew.
Skye rolled over on to her side, clutching at her pillow, whispering. Elt;/span>Javari, are you goingEo teach meEew spells today?Elt;/span>
* * *
Veyome tilted her head. Javari, are you going to teach me new spells today?Elt;/span>
Yes.Elt;/span>
Veyome clapped her hands together. All right, what do I do?Elt;/span>
Position your hands like this,EJavari instructed her pupil. The blonde girl bent her arms and held her hands just in front of her chest. The palms were facing up and her fingers were spread, forming a cradle-shape.
Awkwardly, Veyome imitated the action. Hows this?Elt;/span>
Javari eyed her posture with a critical look. Thats good. Now say this: kashet koto.Eamp;nbsp; Fire arrow.
Veyome closed her eyes and firmly repeated the phrase. Elt;i>Kashet koto.Elt;/span>
A sphere of flame flared to life in front of her almost instantly. Javaris eyes nearly popped out of her head as the flame swiftly shaped itself into an arrow, larger than any of the other arrow spells she had already taught Veyome. The arrow was raging within the princesss mental grasp with chaotic energy, the varied and marbled shades of scarlet and yellow in its frame moving restlessly.
Slowly, Veyome opened her eyes, and she nearly lost her grip on the arrow as she saw it. What should I do with this?Eshe whispered.
Javari eyed it nervously. Dont you dare lose control of that.Eamp;nbsp; She stretched her arm, index finger extended. Hit that log there.Elt;/span>
Veyome squinted one eye, sighting along the arrow. After a moment she released it.
Eager in its sudden freedom, the arrow tore through the air, trailing sparks and smoke. It hit the post with enough force to burn a hole through, and it quivered there. Without warning, the target went up in flames and became a pile of grey, smoldering ashes, and the arrow hung in the air as Veyome seized it with her mind.
Javari sprinted to the spot where the log had once stood and kneeled to peer down at the ashes that remained. She carefully touched the ashes with a finger and instantly drew back. Thats hot!Eshe hissed, then stared as the ashes slowly disappeared, vanishing particle by particle. What theE
Um, Javari?Elt;/span>
Javari sat up and looked at her pupil. What is it?Elt;/span>
Veyome looked very nervous. Um, what should I do with this?Elt;/span>
Her instructor slowly raised her eyes. The kashet koto was hovering two feet or so above her skull.
First of all, get the thing away from my head.Elt;/span>
Veyome carefully pulled the flaming arrow back several feet toward herself. Now what?Elt;/span>
Ive seen quite well what you can do with this spell,EJavari answered, so release the energy. Now.Elt;/span>
The princess obediently dismantled the components of the spell. Javari walked toward her as she spoke solemnly. You have the strongest fire magic that I have ever seen in a beginning mage,Ethe young woman told Veyome. You have a simply amazing aptitude for it. Remember that. Fire can easily be the strongest attack magic in the hands of the right mage. But its easy to lose control of it because of that, so never, ever, get full of yourself.Elt;/span>
Veyome nodded seriously. I wont.Elt;/span>
Good. Now, do you care to try that spell again? You dont have to right now, but Id like to make sure of your control over it.Elt;/span>
Ill do it now,EVeyome answered, and proceeded to so.
Well, actually, Id like to experiment with it a bit. Dont lose your grip.Eamp;nbsp; Javari held her hands just in front of her chest, with her right hand above her left, palms facing each other and fingers curved. She murmured, Elt;i>Mersha Koto.Eamp;nbsp; Water arrow.
The orb of splashing, pale blue energy that appeared fashioned itself into an arrow. Javari looked at Veyome. Hold your arrow away from you. Far away.Elt;/span>
Veyome pushed the arrow out several yards. Hows that?Elt;/span>
Good.Eamp;nbsp; Javari shot her water arrow at its hovering fire counterpart. The two collided in a fireworks display of blue splashes and glowing red-gold sparks, and the water arrow dissipated in a cloud of steam.
After the silence that settled over the two briefly, Javari spoke. Well. To say you have strong fire magic is a major understatement.Elt;/span>
Am I done with this now?E Veyome asked, eyeing her arrow rather apprehensively
Yes. Let it go now.Elt;/span>
* * *
Skye blinked sleepily. I wonder why I had that dream again. Ive learned the spell already.
Maybe Im watching her life in dreams? I think thats it. I saw her when she was a little kid, like five or six. Then that time she practically set the little boy on fire. And the time that she met Javari. So I guess it would make sense thats she learning magic now. Shes learning to use a sword too.
She pushed her heavy covers off of herself and stretched indolently, extending arms and legs. Its hot in here. I think Ill get a drink of water.
Slowly, Skye sat up, then swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. She clutched at the dresser as she briefly lost her balance, fighting dizziness. I must be sicker than I thought. Either that or Ive just been lying down too long. She shuffled slowly out of her room and through the hallway, hands grazing the walls as she held her arms out to steady herself.
Sayla looked up, then stood in surprise as Skye entered the living room. Skye! Are you all right? No, you still look sick. What are you doing out of bed?Elt;/span>
Skye smiled at her mother. I just want a drink of water. Im okay, really. Just kinda woozy.Elt;/span>
Ill get you a cup,ESayla said quickly. She hurried to the kitchen and pulled a mug out of a cabinet. After she poured water into it, she hastened back to the living room. Here, Skye. Get back to bed.Elt;/span>
All right, Mom.Eamp;nbsp; Skye ambled back to her room, drinking her water in small sips. She sat on her mattress and set the mug down on the small bedside table. I wonder what Ill dream of next. More magic lessons, probably, but what else? I wonder. Maybe those dreams Raven has about the city being destroyed? She shuddered a little at that thought. They didnt sound very pleasant.
Skye gulped down the rest of her water and fell back onto the bed, asleep before her head hit the pillow.
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