A Slave to Magic (16 page)

“Wait,” Kwil said. “How long do you want me to
keep practicing?”

“That’s a silly question,” Seela replied. “You
keep practicing until you can’t do it anymore.” Closing the door behind her,
she left her apprentice to study on his own.

Though he’d never practiced magic until his stores
were depleted, Kwil was willing to try. It would be the first time he’d
experienced the sensation, having read about it numerous times. Each wizard’s
experience could vary slightly, but it mostly involved fatigue and, naturally,
the inability to cast any spells.

Approaching Nera, he kept his head low. “Sorry,”
he said. “I didn’t want her to use you for my lessons.”

“Let’s just get this over with,” Nera said with a
huff. The white magic had not harmed her. In fact, it gave her an energetic
feeling.

Laying his hands on Nera’s shoulders, Kwil closed
his eyes and focused his mind to his friend. Magic radiated all through her,
and he could hear the faint sounds of her lute, though she was not playing.
Pulling the magic from inside her, he transferred it into himself. He could
feel the magic add itself to his stores, but he did not experience any strange
sensation. Removing his hands from her shoulders, he realized it had taken a
good deal of his own magic to pull power away from her. He had used more than
he had gained. “Fascinating,” he said.

Nera only shook her head and picked up her lute.
“I’ll be over here if you need me, but don’t cast any spells my direction.”

Nodding, Kwil moved away to focus on the tree. Its
golden magic shone so brightly, it had a hypnotic effect on him. He had never
even read about gold magic. Placing his hands on the trunk, he attempted to
absorb its power, but each time he felt it enter his body, it flew out again.
Apparently, the spell was self-sustaining. No wonder Seela had told him to
practice until he ran out. Smiling to himself, he decided to drain the limbs
and leaves first, and then return to work on the tree. It was going to be a
long day.

K
wil awoke
feeling more alive than ever. A fire was lit in his belly, his magical stores
being completely replenished as he slept. He had feared the drained feeling
would stay with him much longer, or that he would require a potion to replace
the magic he had spent. To his surprise, that hadn’t been the case. He felt
magic within himself greater than it had ever been.

After readying
himself for the day, he made his way downstairs to find the cabin empty. The
sound of Nera’s lute let him know that she was around, likely sitting outside.
Opening the door, he stepped out into the chilly winter and took in a deep
breath. The air smelled of dried leaves and fresh soil.

“Good morning,”
Nera said upon seeing her friend.

“Good morning,” he
echoed.

Seela was perched
on a low limb, her paws crossed in front of her. “How are you feeling this
morning?” she asked, wondering how he had responded to the magical drain.

“I feel wonderful,”
he replied, still sounding surprised.

“Looks like we can
start our lesson then,” Seela replied, jumping down from the tree. “I thought
the three of us might take a little walk this morning. There is a suitable
place for the next spell I want to teach you.”

Kwil and Nera
gladly followed Seela as she led them deeper into the forest. It was silent all
around, no animals scurrying or shrieks in the distance. The Dark Forest’s
reputation as a place of evil was quickly being disproved.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Kwil
moved beside his mistress to ask some questions. “Mistress,” he began, “I was
wondering about yesterday’s lesson.”

“What about it?”

“Well, you had me draw magic from both the spider
and Nera. I’m curious why you didn’t have me try to absorb magic from you.”

“Simple,” she responded. “Because it wouldn’t have
worked, not yet anyway. You can perform the spell only on sorcerers who are not
as powerful as you. A test of wills, if you prefer to think of it that way.
Most will resist you, but as you progress, you’ll find you’re able to tackle
more-difficult opponents.”

“Do you see me fighting many?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied bluntly. “You will fight all
your life from now on.”

The young mage didn’t like the sound of that. He
wanted only to perform good things with his magic, not bring harm to others. “I
don’t wish to fight,” he said. “I want to help people with my magic.”

Seela replied, “You will help many, and you will
see that justice is done. To do that you will have to fight. There is no other
way.”

“Surely peace can resolve all things,” he said.
How could fighting bring about peace?

“Some things cannot be resolved peacefully,” she
replied. “For example, slavery. You won’t talk the Gatans into giving up their
slaves.”

Kwil paused in his walking.

Seela paused as well. “It’s sad but true,” she
said. “You will have to fight for this.”

“And you see me being the person to bring about
this change?” Kwil couldn’t believe this was his destiny. Of all people, why
would this fall to him? He was no one, and he had no position in society. No
one was going to listen to him.

“I do,” she said, “with Nera at your side.”
Glancing back at the girl, she said, “Keep your friend close. She is a part of
your destiny. Remember that should you ever become cross with her. You mustn’t
let anything come in the way of your friendship. Without her, all is lost.”

“I will remember,” he replied, his voice barely
louder than a whisper. The warning was prophetic, and he would keep it with him
always. It was a heavy burden to lay at his feet, but if he could someday make
a difference for other slaves, then he had to try. For now, he hoped the days
of fighting were far away. He couldn’t even fight off the imp, so an army of
Gatans was out of the question.

Nera overheard the conversation but said nothing.
Having her destiny intertwined with Kwil’s would explain her reasons for not
wanting to leave his side just yet. There was so much music she could learn if
only she had the courage to go out on her own. But something had made her
reluctant to go, and she was enjoying seeing Kwil learn. Not to mention, the
forest was a perfect place to study music, as Seela had suggested.

Nera had no idea how she could help Kwil end
slavery, but it was a subject dear to her heart. It was wrong to own other
people, no matter how the Gatans tried to justify it. If there was the tiniest
chance she could help put an end to it, she would postpone her musical dream to
make it happen.

Seela continued the march, seemingly unchanged by
the conversation. Despite knowing him only a few days, she could see many
things in Kwil’s future. She was proud to have him as her student.

“I have another question,” he said.

“Of course you do,” she replied. “An inquisitive
mind is the mark of a true scholar.”

He decided to take those words as a compliment.
There would be hundreds or thousands more questions to come throughout his
lessons. He was glad to find Seela receptive to them. “Have my magical stores
increased since yesterday?” he asked. “I feel different somehow.”

“Yes, they have,” she replied. “And that is the
perfect spell to practice if you want to increase them further. The more you
practice any magic, the larger those stores will grow. To a point, at least.”

“So there’s a limit?” he wondered.

“As far as I know, yes,” she stated.

“And sleeping will restore it all,” he continued.
“Whenever my stores are depleted, all I need do is sleep?”

Seela stopped in her tracks. “Humans require
potions to replenish their stores,” she informed him.

“Apparently not,” he replied with a smile. He had
taken no potion, and he felt in perfect shape.

Seela shook her head. “You are not fully human,” she
said. “You have elven ancestry. I can see it.”

Unable to believe his ears, Kwil stood in stunned
silence, gaping at his mistress.

“That’s why magic comes naturally to you,” Nera
said, moving to his side. “That actually explains a lot.” Elves learned magic
far more readily than humans or Gatans. She had never met an elf before, and
now she was standing next to one.

“I can’t be an elf,” he said.

“One of your parents, I suspect your mother, has
elven ancestry,” Seela replied. “You are more human than elf, but the elf is
there, without a doubt.” With a flash of gold in her eyes, she blasted energy
at a pile of leaves, sending them flying high into the air. “What did you
notice about that spell?” she asked.

After thinking for a moment, he said, “You did not
speak an incantation as I would have. Also, you required no finger movements.
How is that possible?”

“I am not like other Gatans,” she replied. “You
have learned from Gatan books and read tales of other lands that gave you
little to no information about true magic.” She lifted her paw for him to
observe. “I have no fingers to perform those delicate movements of Gatan magic,
yet I am unhindered. The same is true for you. You don’t need to learn those
movements, nor do you need to speak an incantation.”

“Because of my ancestry?”

“Exactly,” she said. “Let the magic be a part of
you, and it will manifest itself. All you need do is visualize it.”

This was a whole new way of performing spells, one
that he had never imagined. Far beyond the techniques he had read in Nera’s
schoolbooks, Seela’s method was a new challenge for him. This was the magic of
a true master.

“This isn’t magic that can be taught,” Seela
continued. “This is innate, and it is far beyond what most Gatans or humans
will experience. Your heritage has given you the key to something amazing.” Her
golden eyes gleamed as she looked upon her student. Rili had not had such
talent, and Seela was delighted to have one such as Kwil as her apprentice. She
could teach him things that other students could not learn.

Now more than ever, Kwil was eager to learn about
his heritage and the parents he never knew. What land had they come from? Were
all of its inhabitants wizards? He’d never read of such a place, but maybe it
existed. He doubted he would be special there. All of the inhabitants were
probably capable of magic, it just depended on how hard they studied. Still, he
was burning with the desire to know them. But he was far from ready to leave
Seela’s side. Now was the time to learn all he could and hone his skills. There
was so much yet to do.

They pressed on through the woods in silence,
their feet cutting a path among the fallen leaves. The winter air was still and
felt warmer as they went, proceeding into the darker corners of the forest.
After nearly half an hour, Seela paused and announced they had reached their
destination.

Kwil and Nera exchanged glances. Ahead of them
stood the strangest trees either of them had ever seen. They were excessively
wide with smooth bark the color of charcoal. Thin strips of various colors
dripped vertically down the trunks, as if someone had spilled paint down them
from on high.

Nera approached one of the trees and ran her hand
over its bark. Her mouth gaping open, she stood entranced by its beauty. As her
hand remained on the trunk, a song came into her mind. Its notes changed
swiftly, the song of the tree playing over and over in her head. Her heart
swelled with emotions: happiness, sadness, love, and despair. All of these
sights the tree had seen in its expansive lifetime. For millennia it had stood
here, witnessing the passage of time and those who came before. Overwhelmed,
Nera dropped to her knees, her hand releasing from the bark. The music stopped,
allowing her time to collect herself.

“It’s most intense the first time you encounter
them,” Seela said, coming to the girl’s side. Placing a gentle paw on her back,
she said, “Listen to them. Hear the stories they have to tell, and learn from
them. They will show you music you never imagined.”

Nera nodded slowly, turning her attention back to
the tree. Studying the colors running down the bark, she felt the music without
touching the tree. There was great power here, and though she was not a
creature of magic, she could feel it throughout her body. Gathering her
courage, she placed her hand against the bark once more, determined to listen
as long as she could.

Visions of elves and ancients passed through her
mind, the songs of their people playing softly in her ears. Tears filled her
eyes as she witnessed their leaving, never to be seen in this land again. The
trees mourned their passing, many of them desiring to join the elves in their
eternity. But here they stayed, a part of the world that could never be undone.
Here they would stay until all came to an end.

Sitting back on her heels, Nera took a moment to
rest. She felt weary and desired sleep, but Seela would not allow it. Laying a
paw on the girl’s hand, her eyes flashed with gold. The magic spread over Nera,
renewing her strength and removing all trace of fatigue.

Nera smiled at the Feles as she studied her golden
eyes. Before her stood a creature who truly cared for her. Here in the
wilderness, with Kwil and Seela, she was home.

Kwil touched the bark of the tree as well,
witnessing the passage of time as the trees had seen it. The magic of the elves
pierced his soul, increasing his desire to know more about his ancestors. Were
these his people? The trees could not tell. But the magic they possessed and
their indomitable spirit had left a mark on this place.

“If you’ve finished for now, I have a lesson for
you,” Seela announced.

“Of course,” Kwil replied, straightening his
shirt.

“Sometimes you will not be able to fight your way
through a situation, no matter how powerful you are,” she began. “If you are to
survive, you must learn how to pass through these situations unscathed. One way
is to alter your state.”

“You mean change what I am? My physical form?” he
asked.

“Indeed,” she replied. “You have touched the trees
and formed a bond, at least for a time. Now I want you to mimic them. Alter
yourself to match their bark. If you do this correctly, you will be
undetectable.”

“What is the incantation?” Kwil asked, eager to
try it.

“There is none,” she said. “You must visualize
this to make it happen. Use your magic and your mind. Leave your fingers still
and your voice silent.”

Drawing in a deep breath, Kwil prepared himself
for his first attempt. His fingers twitched slightly out of habit, but he
steadied them and focused his mind to the trees. Staring at the colors before
him, he could feel them entering his body. With his full concentration, he
allowed the colors inside him and projected them throughout his form.

“You’re doing well,” Seela encouraged him. “Hold
onto it.”

Kwil’s mind swam with colors, the magic moving
over his body. A faint glint of gold flashed in his eyes, but he did not waver.
Holding onto the spell, he forced the colors to obey him, his clothing taking
on the hue of the trees.

Nera clasped a hand to her mouth to cut off a
laugh. As she watched, Kwil’s clothing seemed to disappear, blending in with
the tree behind him. The disappearance of sections of his body was more amusing
than she had anticipated, but she remained quiet, hoping not to interrupt his
practice.

“Good, good, keep going,” Seela urged him.

Kwil finally allowed his eyes to close, the image
of the tree burned into his memory. His thoughts transferred to his skin, and
he visualized it changing to his will. As he stood in place, he became part of
the tree, his own physical appearance melding with the bark.

Nera watched in awe as her friend disappeared
before her eyes. Her jaw dropped slightly, her eyes not budging from the spot
where Kwil had stood. Only knowing that Seela was nearby stopped her from
panicking. Would he be able to break the spell on his own? Had he truly
disappeared? As she continued to stare, she noticed the lines on the trees
moving slightly. It was Kwil’s chest rising and falling as he breathed deeply,
attempting to hold the spell.