The mage from nowhere, p.37
The Mage From Nowhere, page 37
“You will not convince me to allow you to change mana. It is not an issue of trust. Mana should not be tampered with.”
Basael slapped the table. “You may perish in combat against the gods! Are you so ready to accept death?”
“I am if it is for the freedom of unrestricted mana.”
“Your foolishness will cause not only your death but the death of everyone you hold dear. Tarak for example!”
“Tarak was not born to be coddled. His name means protector! If he must fight, he will do so proudly and for the right reasons.”
“I have to go…” Tarak said as he turned.
“He can protect no one if he is dead!”
Somehow, they didn’t seem to notice him heading off.
Thank God…the real god. Tarak had been inundated with religious propaganda for much of his life. Most of it was about his family, the so-called gods we could see. He’d rolled his eyes at most of that. There was always some talk, however, about an even higher force, a God we were never to meet except in the afterlife. Tarak imagined even this God rolling eyes at much of this.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Tarak headed out of the castle with every sorcerer he had met there. The size of the group was past the point of trying to keep everyone’s voices down. There were five boys: Tarak, Michael, Charlie, Reuben, and Arthur. It was Charlie that Tarak would stick close to tonight. He did plan on discovering something with his spells of light, and there was another reason he did not want to become distracted by the girls. He had a date later with Illia.
After he had gathered the boys, Tarak had tried to ask her if she wanted to come. Eventually she had understood his question, and then it was even more difficult for her to give an answer. It seemed to Tarak that she would be busy with experiments, or perhaps she was trying to tell him she would be training in her own way.
It was probably best that she did not come. Her difficulty to communicate would be problematic. Tarak was certain they would find a way to have fun, but he had been truthful to the king. He really did want to focus on training tonight.
The group of girls consisted of Callie, Aliana, and Eden. Tarak was not very much inclined to get to know Eden. She had a beautiful face, but she had hurt Michael. The only other thing Tarak really knew about her was that she was an enchanter, like Reuben, though she used to have more power over other forms of sorcery before the reversion of mana. Frankly, she seemed a little far out of reach for Michael based on appearance alone, but after getting to know the kind wind mage and the crude enchanter, it made more sense.
As the large group headed east, there seemed to be a growing debate about which tavern would be best for this rare night of opportunity. The debate went on so long that they actually walked past five taverns and checked on the scene inside as they deliberated. Nothing seemed to catch anyone’s fancy, so they plodded on.
The girls eventually came to the consensus of wanting to go to one place near the docks, a large tavern with plenty of room to dance, while the boys wanted to go somewhere quieter with a good kitchen. Tarak had to be something he hated, and that was adamant, when he reminded everyone that the whole reason he had convinced the king to let him out tonight was to train. He could not go somewhere to dance.
“However,” he continued. “I am not offended if some of you wish to split off.”
Callie touched Aliana’s arm. “I also told my father I would help in the discussions of mana.”
Eden grabbed Aliana’s other arm. “Then the two of us can dance. Come on.”
“Eh.” Aliana gently took her arm out of Eden’s hold. “I don’t feel like dancing very much, after all. I’d rather just wallow. Besides, I really should stick with the group with Wolf possibly around.”
So they all agreed on a place, made a turn, and headed toward their destination. Tarak followed the group. They passed by a few taverns and went inside to look, just in case they liked the scene. Tarak didn’t know what they were looking for exactly, but no one seemed thrilled about anything they saw even though all these lovely places seemed just fine to him. Most were quiet and inviting, with plenty of seating space. He did not wish for a crowd, but he might have been alone in that thought.
Michael somehow became the leader. He eventually went ahead of everyone into a small tavern, another place on the way to their destination. Tarak didn’t know why Michael even bothered. He didn’t seem to like any of them. It had even become a concern to Tarak that he might disapprove of the tavern they had agreed upon earlier and they would waste this entire night walking from tavern to tavern without actually sitting down for a drink.
Michael came out quickly this time, his eyes wide. “Leon is in there, and he’s with a girl who is much too young for him.”
“What?” Aliana almost shouted. “He claims to love my mother, and this is how he shows it?” She stormed into the tavern. “What the hell is this?” she yelled from within.
“Aliana, what are you doing out of the castle?” Leon retorted with the same level of anger. “You could get yourself killed!”
Tarak filed into the tavern after the others. It was a tidy little place. There were only six tables, each with an ornamental cloth draped over. Benches resided on either side, well-crafted and hardly worn. Hung on the low ceiling, four candelabras each held five lit candles.
“This is a fine place,” Tarak commented to Reuben. “A fine place indeed. Why was this not our destination?”
“This?” Reuben glanced around briefly as if unable to see what Tarak saw. “It’s tiny. Now be quiet; I want to hear.” He edged closer to Aliana and Leon.
Besides Leon and the “girl who was much too young for him,” there was just one young couple sitting next to each other at another table. A server attended to them, but even she turned to see what the commotion was about.
The girl in question with Leon did not appear any younger than Tarak, but Michael was right. Anyone around his age would be too young for Leon. Her straight brown hair came down all around her face, thick and wavy toward the bottom. It almost hid more of her face than it left uncovered. She had a bit of a protruding chin and somewhat harsh eyes. She appeared more tough than gentle, more experienced than her years showed. The most interesting thing about her to Tarak, however, was her expression. She pushed the hair away from her face and seemed to practically salivate at the sight of Aliana entering the tavern. Or was it Callie in plain clothing that seemed to catch her fancy? Whatever it was, this was not the type of reaction typical with being caught in something inappropriate. It made Tarak question the entire reason of her encounter with Leon. It seemed more like he was harassing her rather than romancing her.
Aliana seemed to be just finishing explaining that both Caarda and Basael saw nothing happening to her tonight and that the king gave permission for everyone to be out.
“Now it is your turn to explain.” She jabbed her finger at Leon. “What the hell are you doing here with a girl who looks younger than me when you claim to love my mother?”
Leon seemed genuinely shocked by her accusation. “Her?” He pointed at the girl standing confidently beside him. “Come on, Aliana. You cannot honestly believe I would cheat…and with a girl this age?”
“Then what is going on?”
But as he and the girl looked at each other, there seemed to be something unspoken between them. Leon appeared flustered as he seemed incapable of forming words. The girl, however, remained cool as she extended her hand to Aliana.
“I’m Tienna,” she said. “And I assure you Leon is much too old for me, even if he was more tolerable. There is nothing like that between us.” She glanced over at Callie one time as she spoke, and even though it appeared as if her eyes wanted to keep drifting that way, they managed to hold Aliana’s gaze a little too forcefully. Finally, Tienna let her gaze drift again, first to Callie, and then at every other sorcerer encircling her. “I know of most of you,” she said. “Princess, I recognize you. Even in plain clothing, you are beautiful.”
“Oh!” Callie said. “Thank you.” She curtsied.
“And Eden and Aliana, enchanter and ranger,” Tienna continued. “And Charlie, Michael, and Reuben. I know about all of you.” She faced Arthur, then Tarak. “I apologize. I do not know the two of you.”
Arthur bowed his head and gave his name.
A bow did not feel right for Tarak, but the thought of not bowing seemed even more uncomfortable. He lowered his head for a moment. “Tarak.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you all.”
“Tienna has places to be,” Leon said as he pushed her through the group.
“No I don’t!” She tried to stop her feet from stumbling but couldn’t.
“Sure you do. Remember those things we talked about? Those very important things? There is no time to delay.”
“There is!” She spun around and raised her voice. “Stop pushing me!”
Leon put his hands up. “Tienna,” he warned her.
“Leon,” Aliana said as she put herself between them. “What is going on, really?”
“Leon was just conducting his interview,” Tienna explained. “I will soon join the rest of you at the castle because I am the newest sorcerer in training.”
Leon’s mouth fell open. “You…”
“What?” Tienna questioned. “Is there something you would like to add?”
Leon whispered something.
“Oy,” Aliana interrupted. “Any secrets you’d like to share with me as well, Leon?”
Leon curled his lips inward for a moment. “I was going to tell her that the path she is taking is idiotic and dangerous. I was going to give her one last chance to back out, which she should.” He slowly gazed over at Tienna. “You are not prepared for what may come. I cannot protect you.”
“I am prepared to take my chances.”
“Yeah, I had a feeling. All right. I am on my way to report this to the king right now. There is still time, if you change your mind.”
“I will not.”
Leon shook his head as he left. He spun around. “Why this tavern, Aliana? I want to know. What made you choose this place?”
She shrugged. “We happened to walk by. We checked on nearly a dozen taverns before this one.”
“And the king really knows all of you are out checking in on every tavern?”
“He just knows we all went out for a drink,” Aliana said. “Why?”
Leon shook his head again, then left.
“Thank you,” Tienna told Aliana. “He can be somewhat scary.”
“He really never tried anything with you?” Aliana asked.
“No, not at all.” Tienna spoke with a laugh.
Tienna fixed her bangs and let out her breath. She took off her cloak and set it on the back of a nearby chair. She wore a revealing tunic underneath, and Tarak noticed even Aliana’s gaze shift down for a quick look. By the time Tienna turned around again, Michael was right in front of her.
“Hello!” he said, then cleared his throat and sounded a little less enthusiastic. “Hello, madam.”
She grinned. “Hello again, Michael.”
“May I buy you an ale?” he asked.
“Sure.”
Tarak found Charlie and convinced him to sit at a table. He also convinced Charlie to buy him an ale, as he had no money. Charlie didn’t seem to mind. He held a little smile as if happy to be out.
Michael and Tienna sat at their own table, as Reuben and Arthur joined Tarak and Charlie. The other girls sat at their own table, and all was calm as the serving girl ran about for a while. Eventually everyone had a tall mug in front of them and the hum of voices picked up.
Reuben questioned Arthur, “May I ask something? I don’t want to offend.”
Arthur leaned slightly away. “What is it?”
“How can you possibly believe Basael is a god? Do you have no faith in the Creator?”
“I do have faith in the one and true God, but I believe there are lesser gods as well. Basael appears to be one of them, and he more than appears to have come here to guide us.”
“Guide us to hell,” Reuben replied.
Tarak focused on his mana. The voices around him faded to the background of his mind. Listening to his mana was a lot like listening to an inner voice, except this inner voice knew things Tarak did not. His mana could feel the light in the tavern. It told him that this light came from the candles, radiating and permeating.
Tarak had to bend his mana to the three octaves of C to find out what he might be able to do with this light. It was like preparing his voice to sing without uttering a sound. As he did finally cast, the strain was like hitting the highest note he could and the lowest, and even singing at his normal speaking tone, all at the same time.
He did not tell his mana to do anything. He let his mana speak to him, to feel the light and tell him what to do.
Tarak still had not become accustomed to this feeling of something foreign within his mind, though he had learned to enjoy it. There had been rumors of sorcerers spending weeks in solitude to connect with their sorcery. It had sounded like a myth until now. There was so much mana could tell him, and he wanted to absorb it all.
At the same time, it seemed as if his mana was still learning. It could feel the light, the source, the color, and even aspects Tarak didn’t understand. There was still more, however, much more, and Tarak wondered if he could learn what it was or if only his mana would ever find out.
He conversed with his mana for the better part of an hour. His eyes burned as he stared at the candles. He heard his name mentioned a few times, but the other sorcerers mostly seemed to want to know if he was all right.
“Yes, I am fine. Leave me be for now,” he replied.
His mana told him this light could be altered, but it was up to him to figure out how. How indeed? The answer was not just casting a spell and demanding something out of his mana. That was how other spells worked. Yes, he could make a simple illusion that way, but he wanted to do something more complicated.
He craved control over the light.
He needed not just to cast but to instruct his mana what to do with the spell. There were too many sources of light and numerous ways to change every source. There were not just colors but something beyond, something that felt like mana itself, like a vibration, a buzzing sense of energy.
Over time, Tarak was finally able to pinpoint the single candle he focused on. He identified the light it created. After that it was easy.
He aimed his hand and cast the spell, and the candle went out. He might’ve celebrated if the spell wasn’t so uncomfortable. It wasn’t all that strenuous compared to his gravity spell, but it was difficult to hold onto. Most of his effort went into keeping his mana contained around the light, because only in this case could it snuff it out enough for the candle to appear to be unlit.
He let his hold slip off, and the candle slowly came back to life, but not in the way one might expect. It was not as if it had been relit. It appeared from one side to the other, as if covered in a tiny invisible curtain that was slowly peeled away.
He smiled as he looked back at the table. “Look at—” He stopped as he realized it was empty.
Tarak figured they had become tired of sitting next to a living, breathing being who was nothing more than ornamental. He did not blame them.
The tavern had filled up a bit with more patrons. The young couple had left. Most others were older but still at an age Tarak would consider young enough to drink without much consequence. They didn’t seem to realize they were in a tavern full of the king’s sorcerers, most likely because of the ordinary clothing worn by all.
Everyone clearly was avoiding Tarak, giving a wide berth around his table. The rest of the tables had been filled. The three girls still sat with each other, while the boys had gotten up and seemed to choose standing over sitting. Charlie had gravitated over to join Michael and Tienna. Reuben and Arthur seemed to be in the middle of a discussion that displeased them both. Tarak thought he might be able to brighten their mood. He approached.
“I apologize about earlier, lads.”
They seemed pleased to be interrupted as they turned to him. Reuben said, “You didn’t seem to hear anything we asked you.”
“I was caught up with my mana. And look!” Tarak formed the spell again and cast as he pointed at the candle. It appeared to go out once more.
“God,” Arthur muttered. “I have never seen anything like that.”
Tarak waved his hand as he let the spell come to an end, and the flame reappeared.
“How are you doing that?” Reuben asked. “It’s not an enchantment, or I would feel it.”
“I am manipulating light. That is what I have been working on.”
“What does this mean?” Arthur asked. He seemed to notice Tarak’s confusion. “What can you do with that?”
“I can create illusions.” Tarak was about to create a weightless wall around them.
Reuben pulled down Tarak’s hand that he was using to form the spell. “Stop that!”
Tarak let his spell come to an end before it was cast. “Why?”
“Many reasons! We cannot know who is in this tavern with us. It is better to be safe than to reveal your capabilities with sorcery.”
“He’s right,” Arthur said. “There have been many enemies to the king in the past. I’m amazed by what you can do, but it is best to be subtle for now. The candle trick seems a fine way to practice.”
Tarak chuckled. “You are both worried for nothing. The king has allowed me to work on my illusions in public. I would even say it would behoove him for others to speak about us with awe and maybe even fear. The people should know what kind of sorcerers are at his disposal.”
This seemed to give both of them pause.
Tarak continued, “Do you not believe his majesty would have warned us before we left if he wanted us not to cast?”
Arthur glanced at Reuben. “Perhaps those times really are behind us now.”
“Don’t you speak like you were part of it,” Reuben shot back. “You only came about after the war was over.”
“That does not mean I went unmolested by dark mages during that time. My family was almost destroyed by one among us. I did my part to help even if I was not officially part of the army.”
