A Slave to Magic (7 page)

Nera hopped up from the ground and grabbed Kwil by
the arm. “Let’s go!” she shouted. The two flew toward the forest, disappearing
within the black.

S
tumbling
through the darkened forest, Kwil did his best to keep stride with his nimble
companion. The pair ran a few miles before stopping to catch their breath. Nera
leaned forward, her hands against her knees, while Kwil constantly turned his
head, searching the night for every sound that crept into his ears.

“It’s all right,” Nera reassured him. “I don’t
hear or see any sign of those men.” Coming to his side she patted him on the
back. “Good job back there.”

Shaking his head, Kwil still couldn’t believe what
he’d managed to do. “I took one of the spells I learned that was designed for
lighting candles,” he said. “It shouldn’t have produced enough heat to do
that.”

“Well, whatever you did, it worked like a charm,”
she said. “Those guys didn’t know what hit them.” She slapped his back once
more before plopping herself on the ground. “How about lighting us a fire?”

Kneeling next to her, he replied, “Are you sure
that’s a good idea? They might see it and come back.”

“True, but it’s getting really cold, and we don’t
want to freeze. If someone finds us huddled together, things could get ugly
fast.” Scanning the ground for rocks or twigs, she fashioned a neat pile for
her companion to light.

“Maybe I can camouflage the fire,” he said,
steadying himself and closing his eyes. Pulling magic through his body, he summoned
the same heat he had tapped into before. Placing his hands on one of the rocks,
he transferred the heat onto its cold surface. The rock began to heat, its
surface taking on an orange glow. Soon, a fire roared to life, spreading to the
other rocks and sticks. The magical flame did not consume the wood. Instead,
the objects held the flame, preventing it from spreading into the forest.

Sitting back on his heels, Kwil finally opened his
eyes. The glow was almost hypnotic, allowing him to enter a trancelike state.
Focusing his mind to create colors, he summoned dark blue, green, and brown to
cover the burning embers. Those passing by would see nothing of the fire—only
Kwil could detect it beneath the illusion he created.

“Good job,” Nera said, beaming with pride. “I
couldn’t have done that.”

“You could if you tried harder,” he replied,
taking his blanket from his bag. Wrapping it around his shoulders, he moved
closer to the fire’s warmth.

Nera placed her blanket on her lap and reached for
her lute case. Examining the instrument, she said, “At least this wasn’t
damaged when that jerk knocked me down.” Pulling the lute from its case, she
strummed softly to the night until her fingers were too fatigued to continue.

Lulled by a symphony of nocturnal creatures, the
two eventually drifted off to sleep. By the time dawn broke, they awoke
refreshed in their forest cradles. Nera leaned up on an arm and took in her
surroundings. The road was not in sight, and she wasn’t sure which direction
they had come.

Rising to her feet, she asked, “Which way is it to
the road?”

Kwil stood and observed the ground. “I don’t see
our footprints,” he said. A blanket of fallen leaves masked any sign of their
approach. Only an experienced tracker could have found them, and neither of the
two had any such skill.

“I’ll just have to climb one of these trees and
have a look,” Nera decided, looking up at the treetops. Finding one with
suitably placed branches, she pulled herself upward.

“Are you sure this is wise?” Kwil asked, his voice
shaking slightly. “You could fall.”

“Nonsense,” she replied. “I’ve been climbing trees
since I was a kit.”

Kwil wanted to remind her she was no longer a kit.
She was a grown, noble lady, and climbing trees was dangerous. But there was no
stopping Nera once her mind was made up. All he could do was watch as she moved
higher through the branches. Holding his breath, he awaited the sound of her
voice.

Placing each hand with care, Nera made sure to
keep three points of contact at all times. The bark was damp from the previous
day’s rain, and she regretted not removing her shoes before beginning her
climb. Her footpads would have provided more grip against the slick surface.
Carefully digging her claws into the bark, she moved methodically toward the
top.

Scanning the treetops, she easily spotted the
road. Calling down to Kwil, she said, “I see it! It’s southwest of here, maybe
three miles away.”

Swiveling his head toward the rising sun, Kwil
determined which direction they needed to walk. “All right,” he called back to her.
“You can come down now.”

Beginning her descent, Nera neglected to properly
secure her feet before moving her arm. Her shoes slipped against the wet bark,
her hand desperately reaching for the branch above her. Despite stretching as
far as she could, her fingers proved too short. Her body came away from the
trunk, narrowly missing the branch below her. Realizing she was falling, she
cried out.

Hearing her scream, Kwil jerked his head in time
to see her plummet past a second branch. Summoning his magic, he blasted a beam
of white light toward her, stopping her in midair. Holding her securely in
place, he took a deep breath and focused his energy to holding the spell.

“Thanks for saving me from breaking my neck,” Nera
said, hovering several feet above the ground. Unsure why she was still hanging
in the air, she added, “You can lower me down now.”

“I don’t know how,” Kwil admitted, swallowing
hard. Having never manipulated an object weighing more than a few pounds, he
was unsure how to proceed with Nera. If he moved her too fast, he risked losing
control and dropping her.

This was not the time for her friend to have so
much self-doubt. “You can do this, Kwil,” Nera said. “I trust you.” She held
her breath, bracing herself just in case.

With his friend’s words of encouragement echoing
in his ears, the young mage attempted to calm his mind. Blocking out the rest
of the world, he carefully moved his fingers, creating the gentlest path of
descent he could manage. Nera drifted softly to the ground.

Lying flat on her back, Nera finally let out the
breath she had been holding. Sitting up, she said, “Nice job. Maybe we can
practice righting a person so they land on their feet.”

Kwil nodded and began to laugh. Soon, both friends
were laughing as they collected their blankets and extinguished the fire.
Within minutes they were on their way back to the road, the fallen leaves
crunching beneath their feet.

“I’m kind of hungry,” Nera said. “Let’s get
something to eat as soon as we reach the town.”

Kwil agreed. There wasn’t much left to forage in
these woods, thanks to the hand of winter. They pressed on, their stomachs
rumbling. Only one rider passed them on the road, and he took no notice of the
pair. Soon they could hear the sounds of a town nearby, and their hearts lifted
at the thought of a warm meal.

Entering the town, they found it bustling with
activity. Hundreds of people moved about the various shops, some of them
looking to buy, others looking to barter. They pulled carts behind them and
held bundles under their arms, all of them moving with purpose as if there were
no time to spare. One man led a herd of sheep through town, calling out to
potential customers as he went.

“I smell fresh bread,” Nera said, her nose held
high in the air. Stopping outside a small tavern, she said, “Let’s eat here.”

Kwil’s eyes darted nervously. “I don’t think
slaves are allowed to eat inside,” he said. “Usually, we would pick up our
master’s order at the back door.”

Frowning, Nera replied, “You’re my guest. If I
invite you inside, that’s my own business.”

“That isn’t how it works, Nera,” he replied. “I’m
still a slave to these people. Taking me inside will only lead to trouble.”

“Fine,” Nera said. “Find us someplace out here to
sit, and I’ll go inside and fetch the food.”

With a nod, Kwil moved around to the back of the
tavern, his eyes searching for a suitable place to eat. A large oak tree stood
out of the way of the hustle and bustle. Choosing the side facing away from the
road, he sat with his hands on his knees, awaiting Nera’s return.

It wasn’t long before she reappeared, two small
bundles held in her hands. Spotting Kwil beneath the tree, she made her way
over and handed him some food. “Pot roast,” she announced. “With carrots, and
apple pie for dessert.”

Gratefully taking the bundle, Kwil tried to
remember if he’d ever tasted apple pie. He had not. The scent of the meal was
intoxicating, and he closed his eyes for a moment to savor it. A massive hunk
of bread, covered with butter and honey, was included in his bundle. Holding it
up, he said, “This is big enough to be a meal itself.”

Nodding, Nera said, “It won’t keep on the road, so
eat as much as you can.”

Kwil obeyed. Surprising himself, he put away every
bite of his meal, including the extra-large helping of pie. It was the best
thing he’d ever tasted. “Why don’t they serve this at the College?” he
wondered.

“They like to keep us on a strict diet,” Nera
replied. “Healthy food only.” Wiping her hands on her pant legs, she said, “Ready
to find Master Rili? He shouldn’t be far from here.”

Hopping up, Kwil asked, “You don’t know exactly
where he lives?”

“No, but I could ask around,” she replied. “I’m
sure it isn’t far from here.”

“We should probably try finding him on our own
first,” he suggested. “We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves. Someone
might be looking for us.”

“Good point,” Nera replied.

Together they walked back to the road, pausing
momentarily beside the tavern. “Are you sure you don’t want more of that pie
for the trip?” Kwil asked, grinning.

Laughing, Nera replied, “I think I’ve had enough.
Let’s see if we can’t find Rili. Maybe he can teach you how to conjure more
desserts.”

They headed through the town, intending to scour
the countryside for paths that might lead to Rili’s house. As they passed a
well-dressed man, he cried out unexpectedly.

“Your slave bumped into me!” he shouted, pointing
at Kwil.

Nera stopped dead in her tracks. “No he didn’t,”
she argued.

“How dare you, woman?” the man replied, his face reddening.

“Listen—” she started to say. A sharp look from
Kwil convinced her to hold her tongue. When others were around, she had to be
his master, not his friend. With a sigh, she asked, “Slave, did you bump into
this man?”

Kwil shook his head but did not speak.

“You would call me a liar?” the man replied,
stepping forward. By this time, a crowd had gathered behind him, eager to see
what had caused the disturbance. Many of them voiced their displeasure at
Kwil’s response.

“He said he didn’t do it,” Nera said, grabbing
Kwil by the arm. She could tell the crowd was turning ugly, and they needed to
get out of town quickly. “We’ll be on our way,” she said, turning around.

The man stepped forward, grabbing Kwil’s other arm
and violently dragging him to the ground. The mage did not resist. Harming a
noble, especially with witnesses, would put his life in danger.

“Not until this one has been punished for his
insolence!” the man shouted. The crowd shouted their approval as a small child ran
up to kick Kwil in the ribs as he lay on the ground. Nera started forward, but
another man grabbed her.

“You stay out of this, Miss,” he said, his
expression severe.

Nera struggled momentarily, but stopped when she
saw the city guards approaching.

“What’s the problem here?” one guard asked.

“This slave ran into me,” the nobleman explained.
“Then he called me a liar.”

“He didn’t!” Nera shouted.

“Is this your slave?” the guard asked.

“He is,” she replied. The man who was holding her
finally loosened his grip, allowing her to speak freely to the guards. “He is
innocent of this crime,” she declared. “I was with him the entire time. Let us
leave, and we won’t return.”

The guard grinned. “You can do just that—after we
teach him some manners.”

Nera stood frozen in place. As she watched in
horror, the second guard knelt and tied Kwil’s hands behind his back. Kicking
him twice, he shouted at the slave to stand. As soon as the young man obeyed,
the guard reached for the leather whip attached to his belt. With a smooth
stroke, he struck Kwil’s back with the lash, a bright line of blood appearing
on his white shirt.

Nera tried to shove her way through the crowd, but
the onlookers had formed a tight circle around her friend. She could not push
her way through. All she could do was shout, her cries going unheard over the
cacophony of voices. Turning her face away, she did not see the second or third
lash her friend received, but the crack of the whip echoed in her ears, and she
cringed with each blow.

“That’s enough,” the first guard said. “Show’s
over! Everyone back to your business!”

The crowd gave no argument. Satisfied with the
human’s blood, they moved away, leaving him on his knees. Nera rushed forward,
taking his head in her arms.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

He nodded, his eyes still wide with fear. Taking
her arm, he pulled himself to his feet.

“We need to clean your wounds,” Nera said.

Shaking his head, Kwil whispered, “Wait until
we’re out of town.”

Though his skin tightened and stung with every
step, Kwil made it out of town quickly, never letting go of Nera’s arm. They
made their way to the trees to avoid any citizens who might be watching. Nera
helped Kwil to sit and removed the shredded shirt from his back.

Pulling a handkerchief from her pack, she applied
pressure to the deepest slash. The mage winced slightly at her touch, but
settled down after a few seconds.

“You should have used your magic,” Nera scolded.
“You could have blasted that lying bastard into pieces.”