The weight of magic, p.19
The Weight of Magic, page 19
part #1 of Restriction Series
“I’m coming,” he said.
Torian followed, keeping pace with the wolf but not moving quickly. The wolf didn’t seem to mind, though. It had slowed its pace to keep up with Torian, and as Torian lagged behind, the wolf began to slow even more. Torian continued to look up at the sky, noting how the raven would loop out and to the east, occasionally circling toward the north, always returning. It left him wondering just what it was that the raven saw.
Could the raven know where the soldiers were located in the forest?
Was that how the wolf had guided him so safely? He hadn’t seen the raven during the journey overnight, so he didn’t know if they were just companions—or maybe something more.
The rocky ground changed, with small shrubs and occasional thorny bushes that cropped up but never on the remains of the paved road that led through here. Grasses would grow through the pavers, at least in the gaps that had formed in between the stones, but none of the thorny bushes managed to survive. Maybe the patterns that had been placed on the stones long ago prevented those bushes from growing. There were certain runic patterns that could prevent growth, especially those that focused on the earth aspect of power, but that would suggest an even higher level of power than he had thought.
Eventually, the grasses became sparser, the thornbushes much less common, and the ground quite a bit hillier. The road seemed to widen, though it remained difficult for Torian to determine if that were the case or not as the pavers were still buried beneath the grass, with so many of them having crumbled over time. They had rounded a small curve in the hillside when Torian noticed what looked like the remains of another temple.
It was not that dissimilar to the temple outside of Sarot. The ruins of his temple had crumbled, though there were drawings depicting what the temple once had looked like, especially in school, where historians would often pass through who had a personal interest in understanding the temples. He had studied those drawings often enough that he knew what the temple once had looked like, though he never expected to see anything similar.
What loomed up ahead was not a fully intact temple, though it was much more intact than the one outside of Sarot. A tall spire stretched a good twenty feet into the air, with what looked like the remainder of the spire having crumbled and fallen to the ground next to it, leaving a pile of debris. Long walls were mostly intact. There were a few turrets, though they had fallen, much like the spires had. Much of the structure seemed as if it had crumbled but had not fully collapsed.
Much of the crumbled stone was muted gray and brown, though there were other snippets of color that worked into it, primarily from green weeds that grew up in cracks or moss that clung to damp sections of stone, along with other parts that looked as if it had once been painted. The air had a damp, earthy smell to it, with a hint of wind that brushed against his cheeks and fluttered at his clothing.
The road led toward the temple, and Torian wasn’t sure if he should be concerned that the wolf guided him in that direction. Anything could hide among those rocks. He paused a moment, studying the temple, and the wolf waited for him. The raven circled but then came to land on one of the remains of a turret, perched and watching.
Torian debated. He had already decided to go with the wolf, so what was a little farther? Besides, if this temple were anything like what his temple had been like, there would be various different runic markers that he might be able to learn from. That was part of the reason that historians would take the time they did to study the ruins.
He kept moving. The wolf was moving quickly now, loping ahead, pausing a moment, and waiting. He didn’t dally as he had been and kept pace, moving toward the ruins, only to realize that the road didn’t pass by the ruins of the temple but seemed to lead directly toward it.
Through it.
He crouched for a moment and then traced his finger on one of the nearest cobblestones. These were much more intact than the first stones that he’d encountered, and as he traced his finger along the surface of it, he could feel some of the runic power within the stone flowing outward as if he were meant to detect it. The pattern wasn’t one he was familiar with, but it seemed to emanate some earthy connection.
He held his hand above one of the other nearby stones, doing the same with that one, and as before, he could feel some of that power within the stone. This time Torian realized that the stones seemed to be linked. From the way that he could feel the earth connection, there was some aspect of it that flowed from one stone to the next, almost as if they were a part of a larger pattern.
Could that be it?
Such a pattern would be incredibly complex. If successful, though, Torian could imagine how it would also be incredibly powerful. Maybe even powerful enough to keep a road from shattering over time.
He traced his hand above several of the stones but still didn’t have any good answer as to what was here, only that the stones each had an individual pattern but also seemed to have elements that were linked together as if they were part of something larger.
The wolf padded over to him and nudged him.
Torian froze.
There was nothing threatening in the way the wolf approached him. It was merely a nudge as if to remind him to get moving.
Torian’s mouth was dry. His stomach rumbled, betraying his hunger, as well. There had been more berries along the road, though he had needed to brave some of the thornbushes to get to them. After a while, he had decided to stop trying, as he did not want to scratch his hands and arms as much as was necessary just to get a few berries.
“I’m hungry. Thirsty.”
The wolf nudged him again.
He was all too aware of the massive size of the wolf. Somehow, in the darkness of night, Torian had not paid as much attention to it, though mostly that was because he had let himself believe this was little more than a weven wolf, but partly because he had been afraid of what chased him. He had wanted to move as quickly as he could away from the soldiers chopping down trees with their terrifying blades.
Had he paid attention to the wolf, would he have followed?
Torian didn’t know the answer to that. Probably not.
They reached the outskirts of the temple ruins.
Up close, the air seemed heavier somehow. Torian wasn’t sure if that was imagined or not, only that it seemed to him that some aspect of it made it so that his breaths took more work. He saw no sign of markings on any of the fallen stone unlike what was found outside of Sarot. Those markers on the stone there had been endlessly studied by instructors at the school, along with people passing through, trying to make sense of what power the ancient temple once had. The design of the temple was like the one outside of Sarot, though not the same. Still, the similarities were enough that it surprised him that they would not have the same use of power, especially given the fact that it seemed to him that whoever built the road toward this temple obviously had some understanding of real power.
The wolf waited near an opening in the rock, and Torian took a moment before following him. The air seemed even thicker as he walked, strangely reminding him of the weight that he had to push upon in order for him to free the power that was within himself. As he pushed forward, he continued to press against that weight and then was through.
He found the wolf waiting. Watching.
“I’m here,” Torian said.
His voice sounded muted and hollow.
The wolf bounded away, darting through an opening, and disappearing.
Torian took a moment to look around at the ruins, noting the smooth walls without any runic markers on them, though the path beneath his feet still carried some of those markers. Why the road and not the temple itself?
He figured he could stay here and study for a long time and not have any answers. What he needed was to see what the wolf wanted of him and where it was leading him. As he followed the wolf through the opening in the stone, Torian slowed, realizing that this had once been a doorway into the temple. Even in its broken state, it was massive, towering overhead at least twenty feet.
Was this what our temple would’ve looked like?
He tore his gaze away.
The wolf waited for him just up ahead.
Torian weaved through the remains of the temple, past some broken stone that must have piled up from the ceiling caving in. Runic markers on the ground persisted even now that he’d entered what had been the temple. They were there rather than on the walls. Torian wondered if they carried the same pattern throughout the grounds of the temple as they had along the road.
Everything inside the temple was a maze of debris. The air smelled strange, almost floral, though he’d seen no signs of flowers in his walk. There was no wind. A stillness settled around him. In that stillness was a peacefulness that allowed Torian to finally relax.
He hadn’t realized that he’d been on edge, the tension in him lingering from the escape the night before, but picking his way through here gave him a chance to feel the worry and fear that he’d had finally loosen.
There had been no sign of the soldiers.
Though he now traveled with a shadow wolf, he’d been safe.
When he found water and food, he’d have everything that he needed.
Torian took a deep breath as he hurried after the wolf, which waited for him at another part of the maze of debris. The wolf slipped away from him, and he followed carefully, tracing his hands along some of the stone. He didn’t see the raven, which may not have followed him inside. He reached the end of what had turned into a maze of stone guiding him through the temple remains and then stopped.
His breath caught.
The temple simply ended, opening up into a wide valley. That wasn’t what took his breath away. It was the small stone buildings inside the valley. They looked to be of the same design as the temple, but somehow they’d been spared the same destruction. Most of them were small, reminding him of the hut in the middle of the forest outside of town, though one building looked to have been two stories tall at one time, though part of it had crumbled. Everything about this place had a feeling of age.
Situated in the middle of the other buildings were the broken remains of what looked to be another temple, though it had been long ago destroyed, leaving only shattered stone remaining.
Where was he?
Before he could contemplate the answer, the wolf bounded away and toward the buildings, where Torian realized, he was no longer alone. Other wolves had slipped into view.
Chapter 22
QUIET AND SAFETY
Torian stood motionless for a moment.
The other wolves were all shadow wolves—and some of them were massive. There had to be at least ten more, each with darkly dappled fur that made it clear just what they were. Torian didn’t notice any other ravens, though, so if there was a conspiracy here, he didn’t see it.
“What are you waiting for?”
Torian jumped.
He turned to see an older man leaning against a pile of debris not far from him. The man flicked his gray-eyed gaze toward the wolves before turning his attention back to Torian. “You’ve been slow getting here.”
Torian started to focus on the primary patterns, thinking that if he could draw up enough of the power that he had within him, he wouldn’t have to be concerned about this man.
“Can’t speak? Or maybe I’ve got it wrong. D’ran jsat il brack?”
Torian licked his lips and swallowed. “I can speak.”
“Tokian. That’s what I thought, but you were just standing there like I’m a mad man.” He laughed and scrubbed a hand on his scruff of a beard. “Maybe I am a bit mad. Gets easier and easier to do these days.”
Torian took a moment to look the man over. He was dressed in a tattered brown cloak, with dirty but otherwise intact pants and a shirt beneath it. He wore a satchel over his shoulder, and every so often, he would pat it, as if to make sure that he still had it with him. He seemed unconcerned about Torian’s appearance or about the fact that Torian had begun to work on some of the primary patterns.
“Who are you?”
The man glanced toward him again. “My name is Aldrich.” He watched Torian as he said it, and then a hint of a smile curled his lips. “Oh. Good. I was afraid you might’ve heard of me.” He pushed off of the rock and then ambled after the wolves.
Torian remained transfixed, feeling as if he were imagining that some strange man had suddenly appeared. But then, he had been following a shadow wolf, so finding some stranger in the middle of a forgotten valley shouldn’t be all that surprising to him either.
He had wanted to escape the soldiers and had come looking for…
What, exactly?
Safety. That was about the only thing Torian had come for, but it felt as if he exchanged one dangerous situation for another. How could he have safety when surrounded by nearly a dozen shadow wolves?
Aldrich stopped in front of one of the wolves, crouching down and leaning close to the wolf. Torian couldn’t tell what the older man was doing, but he had the distinct sense that Aldrich spoke to the wolf, which wasn’t altogether that different than what Torian had been doing with the wolves. As strange as it might appear.
Finally, Aldrich turned, glancing to Torian. “Are you hungry?”
His stomach rumbled, and though he wasn’t sure if he could trust this man, he wasn’t in any position to refuse charity. He nodded, and Aldrich waved a hand for him to follow.
Torian started off, making his way down the slight slope from the temple and toward Aldrich and the wolves. He started off slowly and paused when he had gone only a few steps, looking back toward the temple that he had come through. From this vantage, the temple didn’t look nearly as destroyed as it had from the other side. The stone still had crumbled, and aspects of it had fallen, but he could almost imagine what it had once looked like. And as he stood there, Torian realized it hadn’t been a temple at all. At least, not entirely a temple. It seemed to him that it was some sort of a gateway into the valley itself. Obviously, not one that whoever had built it had intended to keep others from finding, as the road was covered by powerful stones, but a barricade nonetheless.
The wolf he had been traveling with waited for him, and only once Torian reached the wolf did it start off, joining the others. Three wolves flanked Aldrich, and he noticed the man pausing and touching one wolf on the head before turning to another, but each time that he did, it seemed as if he were doing something more than just scratching their ears. Torian found himself drawn by the man, curious as to what it was he was doing and trying to make sense of it. He studied the way that he was tracing his fingers and realized that it seemed as if he were placing some sort of pattern on the wolf.
Not just any sort of pattern, though. A runic pattern.
Aldrich understood runic patterns.
Torian hurried forward. He had been holding his hands in one of the primary patterns, ready for the possibility that he might need to use some of that power in order for him to escape, though not knowing if he had the necessary power or skill to do so. Seeing Aldrich using runic patterns on the wolves as he petted them left Torian knowing that it would be unlikely he’d be able to do anything when confronting somebody like that.
“Who are you?”
Aldrich slowed and turned to him, an amused twinkle in his eyes. “Didn’t you already ask that?”
“I can see what you’re doing with the wolves.”
“And what is that?”
He hesitated, not knowing if he wanted to reveal the depth of his knowledge but also knowing that it probably made little difference with what he revealed. “I saw you placing a runic pattern on the wolf.”
“Runic pattern?” He sounded genuinely confused.
It was enough to make Torian hesitate. What if he had it wrong? Aldrich offered him food, and he suspected the man had something to drink as well. Shouldn’t he accept that rather than refusing the hospitality? And though this wasn’t anybody that he knew, he also shouldn’t treat him with rudeness.
“The pattern you are making on his back. It’s like what they had in the road leading to that temple.”
Aldrich chortled. “If that’s what you call it, that’s fine.”
“It’s not a runic pattern?”
“I didn’t say that.” He arched his brow. “I didn’t say it was, either.” He strode away, the wolves following him.
The shadow wolf that had guided Torian to this valley nudged his hand, and Torian found himself scratching the wolf’s ears without thinking about it. When he realized what he was doing, he hesitated, but the wolf nudged his hand again.
He let out a heavy sigh and started off. Aldrich paused at a few of the structures but didn’t do anything. Torian had the distinct sense that Aldrich was testing them, though he didn’t see the man’s hands moving, nor did he feel anything. It was just from the way that he looked at them.
“This place used to be prosperous,” Aldrich said. “It was abandoned a long time ago.”
“I imagine around the same time as the temple was destroyed.”
“You would think so, but no. The entrance shattered and fell during an attack quite some time ago, but the people inside were protected. They stayed, as others couldn’t quite get inside. This valley offered them a measure of protection. They were here for many years until their numbers began to dwindle, and they decided to set off.”
They had reached the end of the buildings. A narrow path led away from them, off toward the trees in the distance. Torian glanced down at the stones forming the path and wasn’t surprised to see that many of the stones had markings much like the ones leading up to the temple in the first place. Whatever else this place was, it was a place of power.
“You said you had something to eat?” Torian asked.
“That’s right. You’re hungry. Probably thirsty. How long did you walk?”
“All night.”
Aldrich regarded him with a frown. “Just one night? You look as if you’ve been working harder than that. Look at your feet. Barely have any covering. And your clothes are tattered and dirty. A boy like you—”
