The Complete Series, page 18
part #1 of The Hidden Wizard Series
Alrion rode hot on its trail, making the most of the impact. As they rode through Falric fanned flames on either side, torching those that were still alive but confused by the attack.
One of them stumbled towards the horse, despite the burning flames. Alrion had no time to think. He summoned his power, channelling it into a forceful push knocking the Blighter far away. It didn't get up again.
“Good instincts. Leave the rest of the stragglers and let's go for the leader,” Falric said. Alrion's face lit up with the thrill of battle and his successful contribution and urged the horse on, towards the lone man standing at the back.
The man was just standing there, motionless.
“Something's not right,” Alrion said.
“Slow down and approach at a walk,” Falric said. Alrion dropped his speed and the horse trotted towards the man, who remained motionless. Alrion could sense that Falric was up to something. He kept his eyes on the man and saw a cage built of fire assemble itself around the enemy.
“That should hold him, let's go have a chat,” Falric said. Alrion looked back to see how the caravan was faring.
“Don't worry about them, they can finish up.”
“Why did he let us capture him without a fight?” Alrion said.
“I'm not completely sure. However, I suspect it has to do with their communication link. I can imagine it would be disruptive having large numbers of Blighters in pain and dying all at once.”
“Interesting.” Alrion tucked that thought away for later. He dismounted and helped Falric down. Up close, the Tainted One looked normal. He had short dark hair, green eyes, and was looking down at the ground.
“Who sent you?” Falric said. The man looked up, not really seeing them. It was as if he was gazing past them.
“Who sent you?”
“The reclaimer.”
“The reclaimer? Who is that?”
“He is the one that reclaims the world for us. For those touched by the Blight. He gives us a future.”
“Does he have a name?”
“He is the reclaimer.” The man had a fanatical look to his features.
“Is he a wizard?” Alrion said. The question seemed to jolt the man out of his trance-like state.
“What's it to you?”
“You attacked us. Why?” Alrion said.
“It's all part of his plan.”
“Tell me more of this plan,” Falric said.
“That's not part of the plan.” The man reached into his boot and retrieved a small vial of liquid, downing it in one gulp.
“You have triumphed here, but you will not win,” the man said, then collapsed to the ground. Falric released the fire cage and walked up to inspect him.
“He's dead. It must have been poison.”
“That's crazy,” Alrion said.
“Perhaps, perhaps not. However, there is a serious plot here that we cannot ignore. I am continually surprised by their ability to track us.”
“What about my father? The fight is done now.”
“Yes, the immediate danger is over, but I doubt he will return. He has good instincts, I think he will try and lure them away from us.” Falric seemed quite clear on that.
There's something too neat about all this.
“You planned this? All along?”
“No, but we considered it if we were attacked again. He convinced me that it was a good idea. Don't worry about him, he can take care of himself. You and I also have an important job to do.”
“I know.”
“Let us return, and talk to Farver. He will want an update.” Falric walked back to the horse. The two of them rode back to the caravan, Alrion trying not to look at the damage and devastation.
“Is that it?” Farver said as they approached.
“Yes, their leader is dead. Our friend is out looking for any others,” Falric said.
“What were they after? I have not heard of such attacks.”
“I'm not sure, but perhaps they were after us,” Falric said. Farver's attitude changed completely. He regarded Falric with caution.
“Really?”
“It's our best theory. I am a wizard after all. We appreciate your help and hospitality, but we cannot endanger you any further.”
I can see the relief on Farver's face.
“I appreciate your honesty and your gesture. Given what has happened, I think I would be forced to ask you to leave otherwise.”
“No problem here. We will gather a few things and be on our way.”
“Please take the horse as a token of friendship. It will speed you on your way.”
“And if trouble follows us, it will be further from you.”
“Indeed, it serves us both.” Farver smiled.
“Thank you, and good luck,” Falric said. Farver bowed.
“I'll fetch some supplies.” Alrion darted off to the rear wagon.
“That was quite a fight,” Donna said.
“It was quite intense. Is everyone alright?”
“I think so, apart from a few scares and some damage, I think we came out unscathed. Thanks to your help.”
“Thanks. If you don't mind, I will grab a few things before we leave.”
“You're leaving?” Donna gave him a sidelong glance.
“We are travelling with a wizard. We may be drawing their attention.” Alrion braced himself for the response, but Donna seemed unfazed.
“Oh, I see. Well, take what you need and good luck.”
“Thanks, Donna. Safe travels.” Alrion quickly grabbed some blankets and food and stuffed them into his bag and ran off.
The sooner we leave the better. This is way too awkward. And I don't feel comfortable that we've put these people in danger.
“All set?” Falric said.
“Yes.”
“Off we go.”
“Sure.” Alrion looked back and reflected on the situation.
The Bright Caravan is not as bright now, but it will endure. He nudged the horse forward and they galloped away.
Their progress on the horse was much faster than the caravan was travelling. Despite some initial discomfort they settled into the ride. Alrion was running through their last encounter with the Blighters over and over in his mind. He spoke at last.
“Falric, I have a question about magic.”
“Go ahead.”
“How come you seem to use a lot of fire magic? Is that on purpose, or is that just a coincidence?” Alrion ducked to avoid a low hanging tree branch and steered the horse towards the middle of the path.
“Good question. The simple answer is that everyone has different affinities with the various elements. A talent if you will. It just so happens that I have a talent with fire. It comes more naturally, so I end up using it more. That reinforces my comfort and ability with fire. It is generally a self-supporting cycle.”
“Everyone has their own specialty?”
“More or less. Everyone will have an element that they lean towards, that is easier and generally more powerful for them.” Falric leaned to the side, and a thin column of fire burst from his hand. It incinerated another branch that was looming from the other side of the path. The branch crumbled into ash, and started to fill the air. That reminded Alrion of something.
“Do you think the wizard that attacked us is fire-based as well?” he said.
“You really have been thinking about this. I'm not sure; I don't know enough to say. Maybe, but maybe not.”
“I guess we will find out. I just thought it might be a way to narrow down who it is. Is there a way to test for an affinity?”
“We generally don't, it just comes out as part of the training. It is worth recognising and remembering. Knowledge about yourself is just as important as knowledge about magic and others.”
“Makes sense to me.” Alrion nodded along.
I wonder what I have? Maybe it is fire because I created such a big flame in that initial test.
“If you're wondering about your own affinity, then we shall have to wait and find out. Although if you're anything like your grandfather, it won't be so readily apparent.”
“What do you mean?”
“He used all elements interchangeably without any sign of preference. Either he had no preference, or he masked it well.”
“Interesting.” The more he found out about his grandfather, the more amazing he seemed to be.
No pressure there.
“Yes, it made him a more rounded wizard. A very talented and dangerous man when he wanted to be.”
“I guess I'll see how I go. Is all magic associated with an element?”
“Most, but there's no hard and fast rule on it.” Falric leaned out again, unleashing a wave of force to push away some rubble that Alrion hadn't spotted. The horse startled a bit, but recovered quickly.
He's more aware than me and I'm steering us. Not a good look.
“How about healing magic?” Alrion said.
“Water.”
“I can see how that would work.”
“Yes, we will get to that tonight. Once we reach the campsite that the caravan was aiming for,” Falric said. Alrion was satisfied with that response and kept riding.
After all that's happening, a healing spell would be nice. A chance to repair and not just destroy.
23
A New Skill
The terrain was sparse now, with grass, shrubs, and only the occasional tree. They were slowly ascending as they went, climbing what seemed like a small hill.
“We must be close now,” Alrion said.
“Yes, not far to go. At the top of this hill should be a nice flat site. It's the most popular campsite in this area. Well, it used to be, a long time ago,” Falric said. Alrion kept his eyes on the horizon, trying to spot their destination.
The countryside rolled on, and he lapsed back into just enjoying the ride and keeping his eyes on the dirt road. Finally, they crested a particularly steep section and emerged onto what had to be the campsite. To the side of the road was a large dirt area, with a big pit dug in the middle.
“That's where they light their fire,” Falric said. Alrion rode on past it, observing the ground.
“Just stop somewhere at the end over there.” Falric pointed. Alrion looked where Falric had suggested and picked a grass covered spot. He jumped down and held the horse steady while Falric dismounted. Then he led the horse to a nearby tree and tied it up.
“This will do nicely. It will be dark soon, and this is a good place to rest.” Falric eased himself down onto the ground, sitting on his robe.
“What about the caravan?” Alrion said.
“They will have to make do I'm afraid, they won't make it here in time. It's for the best, though, if anything comes for us they won't be involved.”
“True. I hope my father is alright.”
I wonder where he is now. Maybe he's close we weren't delayed that long.
“He is, don't you worry. After we complete our task, we will go to Brangtur and meet up with him. The journey will do you good.”
“Is it far?”
“Yes, quite a distance, and he's got a good head start on us. But that just means we have some time to advance your training.”
“Speaking of which?”
“Yes, after dinner we shall go over a healing spell.”
“Great.” Alrion laid out their food and they ate in silence. Alrion was thinking about the battle they had just survived, and his small victory.
I'm not quite pulling my weight yet, but I'm contributing. It feels good. It feels different to being a blacksmith. It's less forced and the potential is huge.
Falric had done an amazing job with the Blighters and he wasn't even considered a battle-hardened wizard. There was a lot of room for Alrion to improve there. He could already tell there would be many battles in his future. It was hard for him to stop going over how he had screwed up in the tunnel beneath the Thundering Mountain.
Just get over it and focus on the path ahead. You can't go back and do better.
“We were going to discuss the healing spell,” Falric said. “A very useful spell, with near infinite uses. It is water-based, which will help in your understanding of it. However, there is one thing that I must state at the beginning.”
“Yes?” Alrion was fully alert.
“It is largely ineffective on yourself.”
“I can't heal myself?” Alrion's heart sank.
But I was going to keep myself alive with this!
“Not effectively, no.”
“Why not?”
“How should I explain this? The Spark is a special energy created by your body. You cannot use it to rebuild your own body. Does that make sense?” Falric was giving Alrion that same ‘I'm sorry we just don't know but you'll learn to accept it’ look that he had done a few times now.
“Sort of but what's the reason?”
“Your grandfather would have a good philosophical response to that, but I can't give you the technical explanation, I just understand it as fact. It's one of the basic laws of magic.”
“That seems like quite a flaw,” Alrion said, the disappointment clear in his voice.
“You could look at it that way or you could think about it this way. It works more effectively on other people. So, it is best used to support companions who are assisting you.” Falric pointed to himself and smiled.
“I'll be able to heal you?”
“Not just me, anybody. But think of two wizards healing each other, sounds more useful now, doesn't it?”
“Yes, I suppose.”
“Remember to think about what utility it can provide, and what that means for you. I think it's clear that you should not travel alone. And the healing spell is a good incentive for others to travel with you.”
“That's a good way to think about it.”
I did want another way of contributing, so it still does that.
“Of course. So, should we continue?” Falric said.
“Yes.”
“Good. Another thing to mention, which you may have already guessed from the restrictions I explained, is that this spell absolutely requires the Spark to function. It cannot work otherwise.”
“That makes sense, from what you said.”
“It does, and will make more sense once you have tried it. The best explanation for the spell is like this. You know how with the push spell, you visualised the force it took to move an object?” Falric mimicked a push motion.
“Yes.”
“This spell also includes a visualisation, but an entirely different one. Hand me that spoon.” Falric pointed at a spoon that Alrion had used to eat some soup with. Falric wiped the spoon on his cloak and showed it to Alrion.
“Now it's not exactly polished, but what can you see?”
“I can see myself in the reflection. It's a bit warped though.”
“No surprises there. Now I add a bit of water, what can you see now?” Falric said. Alrion stared intently at the water.
“Move the spoon around, and see what happens to the water,” Falric said. Alrion did as instructed, slowly moving the spoon, and observing the water.
“Well depending on the position of the water, I can see myself.”
“Great. I would have preferred to discuss this in another location, like say the Great Mirror Lake but I think you can understand it. But the key to this visualisation is your reflection in the water.”
“Sure.” Alrion wasn't quite sure where Falric was going with this. But his explanation of the push spell had been quite effective.
“You have some scepticism, which is good. Allow me to explain further. What I need you to do here is picture yourself reflected in the water. The way you are now, without injury. And what the spell does, is use the water as a medium in which to return your body to the state it is in now,” Falric said. Alrion took a minute to absorb the information.
“That's crazy.”
“Maybe a little, but your body is more water than anything else. Does it still sound so crazy?”
“Yes,” Alrion said emphatically. Falric laughed.
“I can't argue the point; it's a little out there but you'll come around to my line of thinking. Anyway, the water component of this spell is both a medium and a visualisation aid, but the Spark is what makes the spell work. So, take any thoughts of crazy and get rid of them.”
“I'm sorry, I'll try and focus more.”
“Good. Don't worry, everyone goes through this. However, this is not an easy spell, and you wanted to learn. It's a vital lesson, for my health as well as yours.”
“Yeah, I can see why it might be useful being able to heal you,” Alrion said.
“Yes, like I said its uses are infinite. Now, let's try something.” Falric sidled closer to Alrion.
“Take a good look at my hand,” Falric said. After he had Alrion's attention, he continued.
“Make a mental picture of how my hand looks. All the lines, the spots, the roughness in parts. Is it firm in your mind? Good. Because now I'm going to do this.” Falric took a knife and cut across his palm. A red line instantly appeared, and blood began to ooze out immediately.
“What!” Alrion called out.
“That really stings. Please heal my hand if you don't mind.”
“How do I do it?” Alrion started to panic.
This is too intense.
“Find your Spark. Instead of letting the fire of it take over, think about the cool clarity of the water. Imagine a sheet of water hovering over my hand, and its reflection showing my healed hand and guiding my hand back to that state.” Falric was quite calm in his explanation, even though the blood continued to flow. Alrion closed his eyes and listened to Falric's words.
He had trouble reaching his Spark, but his frustration quickly jumped up and helped him locate it. He wrestled with it, trying not to channel it the same way as he had before. He knew instinctively that an explosive burst could be quite catastrophic.
“Careful, my hand is starting to heat up.”
“Sorry.” Alrion continued his concentration. He used Falric's words to construct a visualisation, to see a circular sheet of water reflecting a healed hand, and a stream of mist flowing down to repair the hand, guiding it into the new state. In his mind, the hand was slowly repairing itself. He could see the cut closing, the skin knitting together to repair the slice. Once he was finished, he could see in his mind a perfectly formed hand, untouched.
