Chapter: 194 Bonus - Nalac and Leighis (Patreon)

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Nalac woke with a groan, immediately feeling a pain in his stomach.

“GOOD MORNING, BROTHER!”

He threw his pillow at his twin sister. “Go away, Illie.” He was starving, but he wanted to sleep more too.

She didn’t relent. “Today’s the day! We’ll find out the final set of drops in pre-Magic. If we survive the day, we’re IN!”

That reminder got his attention, and he sat up quickly.

“I thought that would wake you up.” She laughed. “Mom has breakfast ready, and I have some lunch options laid out.”

He groaned. “I don’t care what I eat. Can’t you just pick something for me?”

Illie took on the haughty air of a fairytale princess. “You must do it for yourself, little brother. I’ll not be your maid.” She winked. “Certainly not at the Academy. Besides, if you can’t even pick from the amazing options I prepared, then I’ll stop doing that for you, too. Should I stop?” She arched one eyebrow, as if daring him to say “Yes.”

“No, no. It’s fine. Thank you.” He grimaced slightly. “You know that you’re only like…5 minutes older than me, right?”

She gasped in mock surprise. “What? I hadn’t realized. I shall change my ways, oh young one.”

Nalac rolled his eyes, but his heart wasn’t in it, and he was quite used to her playing at pompous royalty. Instead, his thoughts were turning towards the Academy.

As usual, any thoughts of magic, and most especially about the Academy, were tinged with half-memories of her. Mages and magic in general had done so less since Master Leighis moved into the adjoining space and had been working with the family on a day to day basis. That was more than four years ago.

Still, he felt himself hunch just a little.

Illie noticed, her own smile faltering just a bit. “She’s gone, Nalac. The Academy is for us.”

If nothing else, that showed him that Illie was still thinking of her, too. They all did, really.

He nodded, but still felt a bit sad. We’ll see. Once I’m a Mage. I’ll find out what happened to her, and if they lied to us, and she’s dead? He felt a quiet anger at the thought. And if she isn’t… The anger that rose at that thought was stronger, but woven through with cracks of sadness and longing.

He shook all that off, quickly getting ready and running downstairs for breakfast.

As usual, mom had laid out a ridiculous spread, and it was being picked clean even as Nalac arrived.

His siblings were orderly in their ravaging, so he was able to interject himself and grab some food.

One of their neighbors had butchered a pig, and traded them some of the pork for a salve for his seasonal arthritis, so breakfast sausage was in abundance.

The cinnamon rolls were less sugary than Nalac’s friends would have been used to, but sugar was expensive, so it was better to save on that front. Besides, the treats were still fantastic. Who needs a sugar rush in the morning, anyways.

Lastly, a few winter apples, likely bought from the grow complex, rounded out the meal. It was a bit of an extravagance, but the family had agreed that the nutritional value was worth the expense of fresh fruit, at least for one meal a week. They had buckets of dried fruit for the other meals, the other days.

Some of his friends had begun drinking coffee or black tea in the mornings, but when Nalac had asked if he could have some, he’d had it explained to him that caffeine was addictive. It wasn’t necessarily harmful, but their family had a propensity towards addiction. So, he would have to wait until he was older and fully aware of the risks to make the choice for himself.

Caln drank coffee.

Nalac wasn’t bitter, precisely. He understood the reasoning, but it was just another way he felt like his family was different from others. At least we’ve already produced at least one Mage.

He ate his breakfast with a tall mug of warm milk, grateful for the cow they’d been able to get a couple years back. He was also grateful that it was no longer his job to milk her.

Breakfast done, he went to grab his school bag and his lunch.

Illie had indeed set aside a selection of food for him to choose from. He picked out a bag of nuts, a wedge of cheese, and some dried berries, adding them to his bag.

He finished up just about when Illie came back down stairs, her bag already ready.

The two of them were joined by several other of their siblings as they headed off to school.

They were just about a block from their house when Nalac turned to Illie. “Thanks for your help with lunch.”

She bumped him with her shoulder as they continued to walk. “Of course; I’m happy to help. What else are sisters for?”

* * *

Leighis waved goodbye as the last of the children left for school.

While they weren’t his in any sense, he felt a deep affection for them. This family had taken him in, and allowed him to practice his arts with a ridiculous amount of autonomy.

Plus, they do all the book-keeping. I get to just sit and read until someone is sent my way.

It was a peaceful life, just as his master had recommended.

Today was a bit stressful for them all, though no one would have admitted it. Young Nalac and Illie would pass through the final gauntlet, today, on the road towards the Academy. Leighis wasn’t really worried. He believed they would succeed, but there was still always the possibility that he was wrong.

And even if I’m right, that means those two will be leaving after their birthday in just less than two months.

Leighis shook his head. He sometimes missed the simple life he’d led before, the open country. There was a deep sense of accomplishment, working with units of guards to sweep the surrounding lands and keep the arcanous beast populations managed.

He did not miss the screams and death, nor the tide of blood that he couldn’t stem no matter how much power he gained.

It still amazed him how few people seemed to know of the sacrifices paid for their safety by Mage and mundane alike.

He took a deep breath, pulling himself back from the dark memories.

Master Yutqi was right. A decade or so of peaceful work is just what I need before I step on the path to become Fused. Leighis would be forever indebted to the man who had guided him as a mageling, setting him on the path to become Bound so much younger than average, if not truly notably so.

He’d barely been thirty-five when he’d faced his own will and chosen to serve humanity.

He knew that not every Mage saw the choice in that light, but he did. It’s why he’d dedicated nearly a quarter century to healing the guards and helping to manage the wild-lands.

In the end, however, he’d seen too many colleagues die to continue as he had been. He’d sought more power, sought to finally step on the road to Fused, but Master Yutqi had cautioned him to calm his spirit, settle his soul, and find peace first.

So, he’d become a local healer within the city he called home. This deal with the Alchemist family had simply been a way for him to avoid administrative work, if he was being honest.

Thus, it had been a pleasant surprise to find out how much he could learn by practicing his healing in tandem with alchemists.

The first time that the young Latna, who was only fourteen at the time, had injected a patient’s broken arm with a bone dissolving poison, Leighis had been horrified.

He had rushed to save the woman’s life, only to find that the toxin made it trivially easy for him to reshape the material, restructuring it and removing the poison. The result was a perfectly healed humerus after he expended a trivial amount of power. He’d been absolutely floored.

The girl’s father had been horrified, apparently she’d taken the initiative after finding out what Leighis could do. Bless the stars that she’d been close enough to a correct understanding that her idea had worked.

Even so, there had been a long talk with the teen about responsibility and discussing her ideas before enacting them.

The true fruit of her experiment, however, had come soon after. The Healer and Alchemists had started a much, much closer working relationship. They discussed almost every case, finding the optimum mix of magic and alchemy to cure the patient the most efficiently for the cost.

To Leighis’s delight, that meant that they could often offer serious cases a variety of treatments, explaining the pros and cons of each, before letting the patient decide for him or herself.

Gone were the days when Leighis would simply touch a person, pushing his power through them before healing what was wrong, if he could, and moving on like a worker in some assembly line.

Or a butcher in a charnel house.

This combined method was slower in unknown cases, but the results spoke for themselves. For his own sanity, he had been forced to stop counting the times that these methods might have saved ones whom he’d lost over the years.

No, don’t focus on that.

“Master Leighis?”

Leighis startled in his chair, almost dropping the book he wasn’t reading.

Latna had poked her head in, through the door connecting his work space with the front of the Alchemist’s shop.

“Oh, Latna, do we have a patient?”

“No, Master Leighis. I just wanted to check on you.” She came in, bearing a tray laden with tea. “I brought you some tea.”

He smiled at the young woman. “That is kind of you.”

She sat in the chair opposite, where his patients would sit when talking with him, and placed the tea on the low table between them.

Leighis gave her a knowing smile. “So, what questions do you have, today?”

Latna laughed good naturedly. “You know me too well, Master.” Still, she poured the tea for them both before asking. “I’ll start simple: How does the presence of a functionally infinite energy source within every person alter our metabolic functions?”

That was a new one. It had been almost a year since the woman had begun coming to him with questions. They’d started out incredibly elementary, but they’d been growing in sophistication, showing her growing understanding and boundless curiosity.

He took a long sip of his tea before nodding.

“As we discussed with regard to the nature of gates and the soul in general, the power which we use for magic is not a physical power. Do you remember that discussion?”

Latna had pulled out her notebook and a pencil. She smiled at him and nodded.

“Good, then let’s build on that foundation.”

* * *

Nalac felt his tension ease after his and his sister’s names were called. He blessed the stars that their last name was so near the front of the alphabet.

Even so, he felt a bit of guilt as he saw some of his fellow students pale, names after theirs being called without theirs.

It was near the end of his last class of the day, and the teacher was listing off the students who would continue in pre-magic.

Finally, Mistress Lehrer Rin closed her notebook. “If your name was not called, this will be a free class for you, starting next week. After winter break, you will have the option of joining one of the other options offered in this time slot. If you have any questions, please come see me.” Her eyes found Nalac, and he felt his stomach clench. “Nalac Karweil? Please stay after class. I need to speak with you.”

Illie turned to him from across the room, a questioning look obvious on her features.

He shrugged nervously. Why do I have to stay after?

“Class dismissed.”

The sound of chair scraping across the hard floor followed by the clomp of many footfalls filled the room as most of the students left.

Groups formed as kids chatted happily at having passed.

Others departed, dejectedly, any hope of becoming a Mage through the normal paths gone.

Several did go to the teacher, seemingly trying tactics from begging to demanding that the results be changed.

She seemed to be calmly addressing each in turn.

I suppose she does this every year. He then remembered earlier cullings. Well, multiple times a year, I suppose. This is just the last one for Illie and I.

As if his thoughts summoned her, his sister walked up beside him. “Should I wait with you?”

He shook his head despite his nervousness. “No. I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

She hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. “Alright, then. I’m going to go to a friend’s house on the way home. See you at the shop?”

He arched one eyebrow at her. “A boy friend’s house?”

Illie colored, guilt clearly painted across her features. “What? No!”

He grinned.

“Shut up.” She punched him in the arm.

He started laughing, even while he rubbed his shoulder. Wow…that hurt.

“You’re a jerk, Nalac. I’ll see you at home.”

He waved goodbye, his smile falling away as his mind returned to the matter at hand. What is going on?

The final other student stalked away, wiping at tears building in his eyes.

Nalac came forward. “Yes, Mistress Rin?”

His teacher gave him a long look. “Do you want to be a Mage, Nalac?”

What? He simply stared at her, utterly confused.

“Nalac? It should be a fairly simple question.”

“I think I don’t understand, Mistress Rin. Why would I be in this class if I didn’t want to be a Mage?”

The teacher clucked her tongue, clearly thinking. “We all have many reasons as to why we do what we do. I just want to make sure that you aren’t being forced to become a Mage.” Her eyes moved to the still open doorway, and she lowered her tone. “Your sister is obviously enthusiastic, and you seem to follow her lead. If I recall correctly, your birthday is coming up, and so you will be eligible to depart for the Academy. It is important to be sure.”

He felt his cheeks heat. “I make my own decisions.”

She gave him a skeptical look.

“When I care…”

She didn’t say anything.

“There just aren’t that many things that I feel strongly about…”

She nodded at that. “And do you feel strongly about becoming a Mage?”

He nodded. “I do.”

“Why?”

Because she has to be out there, and I can’t find her as an Alchemist, even at the best little shop in Marliweather. “I want to see the world.”

She lifted one eyebrow once again. “That simple?”

He shrugged. “See the world, good pay, live longer, phenomenal cosmic powers? What’s not to love?” He’d pulled some of that from a book he’d been reading recently. Who wouldn’t want phenomenal cosmic powers?

Mistress Rin smiled at that. “If you’re moving around a lot, you won’t have much of a home.”

“Itty-bitty living-space? I think I could live with that.”

His teacher let out a long sigh. “I’m not trying to change your mind, or get you to drop the class. But it is important that you have the right mindset, that you aren’t coerced.”

Nalac had a moment of fear and uncertainty. Was he absolutely sure?  “Can something like that really mean you can’t be a Mage?”

She hesitated. “Well, no, but it can make it more difficult, more dangerous, and can lead to…oddities in a Mage’s magic or their foundation.”

“Their foundation?” Nalac frowned.

She waved off the question. “Something you will learn about in your first week at the Academy. I’ll not spoil it for you.”

“Oh.” He was becoming used to Mages telling him things like that, instead of answering his questions. In fact, adults in general liked to tell him that he would “learn when he was ready” and the like.

“Well, that’s all I had for you. Thank you for staying after.”

Nalac nodded, going back to gather his things. When he left, he saw a group of students all talking together. Those that were his age seemed to be among those dropped from the class. His mind was already on the walk home through the park, however, so he didn’t pay them any attention.

Even so, an older boy, brother of one of his ex classmates, called out to him. “She dropped you too, eh? Not so special, now, are you?”

As his mind was elsewhere, he answered before he thought through what he was saying.

* * *

Leighis lazily turned a page in his book. It was dark outside, and this particular tale was rather riveting.

It was nearing closing time for the Alchemy shop, and he was ready for supper. Just as soon as young Nalac returns.

Illie had come home only a few minutes earlier, all smiles and joy, so at least she was still enrolled in pre-magic. The girl had gone straight to her room, however, so Leighis hadn’t been able to ask about her brother’s status.

The front door opened, then, and it sounded like at least two people came in.

The pleasant cadence of Latna’s voice sounded in greeting to the newcomers, and a woman replied.

Then, of all things, Nalac’s voice rang out. “I’m home, and I have a guest with me.”

What? Nalac doesn’t usually bring people home. And the woman’s voice Leighis had heard sounded too old to be a fellow student.

Leighis closed his book and called out, “Did I hear Nalac?” Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me. I was just thinking of the young one.

“You did, Master Leighis.” The reply was immediate and filled with nervous energy.

What has the boy riled, so? Leighis pushed himself to his feet, walking towards the door, connecting his front room to the shop. “That’s wonderful! How did today go? You said they were going to be dropping some kids from pre-magic, today. You weren’t one of them, I hope? Did you bring home one of the other students?”

He pulled the door open, revealing Nalac along with the newcomer.

Nalac was holding her hand in a strangely intimate, almost clingy way. The woman herself looked to be barely into her maturity and seemed oddly familiar.

Not dressed for winter? Alarm bells began blaring in Leighis’s head. No inscriptions… She can’t be an arcane, can she? Don’t jump to conclusions. She isn’t acting hostile. Learn what you can, then act.

He gave her a nod of acknowledgement. “Oh! Pardon me, miss.”

The woman’s eyes were predatory as she looked his way, seeming to take him in at a glance. Her skin was…odd. The color was too uniform, too flawless. It was something that only his long years as a Healer caused him to notice. A person’s skin was often an excellent indicator of their health in certain regards.

Her lack of spell-lines all but ruled out her being a Mage.

She gave a shallow nod, as if to one of inferior rank. “Good Master.”

I’m missing something. He felt himself frown, though he tried to stop it. Give no indication that anything is amiss. He flicked his gate open with practiced ease and pulled a thread of power through, guiding up to his mage-sight with a thought.

His eyes widened in shock, before he frowned in truth.

The woman was cloaked in an aura of power that was distinctly human, and just as clearly that of an Archon well on the way to Fused. There was still no evidence of spell-lines, but there were distinct indications of active power. The magical dimensions around her were practically boiling, though he couldn’t understand why.

He had long ago expanded his mage-sight to be able to see a pale distortion of the magical dimensions. There were just too many arcanous and magical creatures that could attack through that avenue to have been able to function in the wilds for extended periods without that sense. He’d saved many companions lives through timely warning, which were only possible due to that aspect of his sight.

Her clothing, as he’d noted before, wasn’t winter gear, and she even seemed to be barefoot, but what she wore shone with a subtle power. Magical clothes then.

There was also a knife at her belt that gave off the feel of power. A knife, not a sword or other weapon? What purpose would that serve? It might simply be a means of delivering hostile magics. If it came to a fight, he would be wary of the small weapon.

Her stance shifted slightly, towards one of a more casual nature, seemingly trying to put him at ease.  “I am Tala.” The woman, Tala, didn’t whisper, but her voice seemed purposely shifted to prevent it from carrying beyond the front room.

Why does that name sound familiar? He forced himself to relax, I’m still jumpy it seems. He double-checked with his mage-sight, and whatever else this woman was, she was decidedly human. I’m being rude. He bowed from the waist this time, but just slightly. It was the acknowledgement of a marginal superior, which she apparently was. “Mistress Tala. To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?”

Why is she here, and what is between her and Nalac? He looked to Latna, who’d been oddly quiet.

The woman seemed frozen in evident shock, her mouth halfway open. If he hadn’t known better, Leighis would have thought she was under the effects of a spell-form. Even as he spoke, his eyes immediately returned to the woman who still might be a threat, even if she was human. “Are you alright, Latna? Is young Nalac in some sort of trouble?”

Nalac turned fully to him and waved the question off. “No, no, Master Leighis. This is my eldest sister.”

Leighis felt like he’d been punched in the gut. No wonder she’d looked familiar. Now, it was obvious. She looked so similar to Latna that he felt the fool for having missed it. Tala. That was her name. No wonder it sounded familiar. He’d heard of the woman, but she was supposed to still be at the Academy, or newly graduated. He’d even used his connections to check on her progress for the Karweils, though it had been nearly a year since he’d done so last. But…she’s an Archon…and she’s Fusing?

He couldn’t fathom what could have allowed that, but he felt that he needed to give some sort of reply. “Oh.”

Well, that was articulate, Leighis. His mind was a tangled mess. This child had surpassed him in less than a year? She must have graduated soon after I last inquired, and tutored under some insane master. Why would anyone put so much effort into this girl, in particular? All the oldest of humanity had descendants beyond easy count, and the Karweils were not in any of those lines that he’d been able to find.

There had been the odd thesis out of Alefast-Waning a couple months back. What was his name…? Grediv? Yes, Master Grediv. Such odd notions need a test-subject. Maybe, he grabbed onto her?

Voices were coming from the back of the Alchemy shop, where the residence was, but Leighis wasn’t paying attention. He was wracking his brain to try to figure out what he was missing. I must have missed something. And long experience assured him that it was the thing he missed that was most likely to kill him.

Nalac replied to the calls, and a short exchange ensued, followed quickly by the family coming out to see Mistress Tala.

Even with only a fraction of his attention still directed outward, Leighis could see the emotional conflict playing across the young woman’s face.

Then, Alan, her father spoke from the workshop across from Leighis’s own space.

Mistress Tala stiffened and all that turmoil seemed to be swept away from her.

Leighis’s full attention was jerked back to the present, to the woman, as he watched her aura begin to slide further from red towards orange.

She is actively Fusing, while simply standing here?

It made a sort of sense. Just like Leighis was taking time to recover from his own traumatic experiences, Mistress Tala was facing her family.

Huh, I would have thought rage would be in conflict with the inner peace and unity needed for Fusing. It seems like Master Yutqi didn’t tell me everything. He almost snorted in derision at his own arrogance. Or, more likely, I made assumptions that weren’t quite right.

Still, Leighis was riveted to the spot, watching her aura continue to slide up the range even as she turned towards her father as the man came out.

Leighis immediately felt incredibly awkward, even as he found himself unable to tear his eyes, his mage-sight, away from Mistress Tala.

So, he did his best to ignore the words said, even as he did his utmost to absorb everything he could take in about her Fusing.

It wasn’t much, sadly.

Heated words were exchanged, and the Alchemist seemed genuinely chastened. The watching family burst into a din of noise at that, but Leighis paid them no mind.

Instead, he grunted in grudging sympathy. What little he knew of Mistress Tala’s departure for the Academy had almost caused him to break off his partnership with the family. It was only the remorse that was evident in the telling that had caused him to stay long enough to learn more.

Mistress Tala turned to go, clearly distraught, but Alan asked her to wait and rushed past her, to grab something.

A moment later, Alan offered Mistress Tala a coin pouch.

The man’s words were clear as he spoke. “We haven’t been starving by any means.” He chuckled with obvious self-deprecation. “But we have done our best to be wise with our money, and we’ve worked together to put this aside.” His words had a planned, even rehearsed quality to them.

Of course they do. I’ve heard him practicing them, late at night, when he’d likely thought everyone else was asleep. The family was nodding along, behind their patriarch.

A pleading tone entered Alan’s voice as he continued, “Please, if you must go now, please take this with you.”

The woman hesitantly took it and opened it, looking inside.

In what seemed to be a fit of uncontrolled emotion, Mistress Tala ripped something off her belt and threw it at the wall.

Leighis flinched, his magics coming to the ready, though he didn’t activate anything. Alchemist fire? There would be some poetry in that retribution, though he would still do his best to prevent it.

But, no. The item struck the wall and blossomed into a doorway.

A morphic, extra-dimensional space? He, himself, had an expanded storage at his belt, it was practically a requirement for extended journeys beyond a city’s walls, but this one held vastly more power, while being incredibly well-masked. He hadn’t even noticed it on her belt, until she’d ripped it free.

Mistress Tala rushed through the door, slamming it behind herself.

Leighis felt himself stagger, just slightly. Too much. Too many things aren’t as…expected.

Alan looked over to him, clearly distraught, but he calmed himself as he noticed his friend. “Master Leighis? Are you alright?”

Leighis waved him off. “It’s nothing. Tend to your family. I’ll be fine.”

Alan hesitantly nodded, and Leighis didn’t wait for further response. Instead, he retreated into his section of the shop, closing the door and locking it before he sank into his chair.

I need to seek out Master Yutqi, tomorrow. I have a lot of questions that need answering.

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