Born of Magic (Channeler Series) Read online

  The most difficult days were the two days in which I had to see Felinon in the morning so he could probe my mind with more of his vicious tests. Each time he tested me I passed, though not in the way he wanted it seemed. His tests left me tired and distraught, but it allowed me to gain their trust further, so I continued to endure him.

  The mission we were to partake on was a unique one. We were to travel to the heart of the kingdom and speak with their commander, an old military general that was put in charge of the kingdom after he had conquered it. He was well renowned for being a firm yet fair leader, as well as for his discontent with magic. Several mages on their high council had attempted to overthrow his government some time back, killing the old king. That was when he staged a military coup, rid the land of tyrants and mages, and took over.

  Once at the kingdom we were to appeal to them by any means possible, and gain their respect. If not, then at least warn them of the impending war and the threat it posed. When the time came, they would be the first to be attacked. Being the closest to the border as well as the strongest military presence in the land, we needed them on our side more than anyone else.

  Tevon believed that with his reputation and our combined ability to help feed their people with bountiful crops, we could gain their respect. The training was a precaution, as we would be so close to the border, as well as the risk of the General considering us a threat due to our presence there alone.

  ....

  The day before we were to leave came with much anticipation. A small ceremony in our honor was being held in the dining hall of the castle and all of the elder mages as well as the older students were invited, along with our close friends. The dining hall boomed with erupting cheers.

  Many of the older mages drank in the excitement. Tevon was satisfied to find that my appetite was where he wanted it to be as my plate was piled high with a mountain of food. We feasted the night away, at the end of which Helendra stood up to give a toast.

  “To Tevon, Jasminis and Yurios,” she said. I cringed when she said his name last, knowing I would receive some form of misery for it later. “You three seek to bring hope to the North and help save us all. Your journey will not be an easy one, but your high spirits and determination will surely prevail. May you go with the blessings of us all.” The second she finished, the dining hall once again exploded in thunderous applause.

  While I was filled with pride over the honor that we were receiving, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy, for an enormous amount of pressure had been placed on us as well. I believed we would succeed but feared the results were we to fail. Seeing all of them celebrate our impending victory made my heart ache with disbelief for some reason. I shook it off as best I could and enjoyed the remainder of the celebration, spending most of it with Denarah and Maaryn.

  Near the end of it all Denarah snuck off with Yurios, tears coating her cheeks. I couldn’t help but grow a little teary over missing Edgar, though I was not being freshly separated from him as Denarah would be from Yurios. If anything, I would be somewhat closer to him as the kingdom was a little West of here.

  "I think it best we get rested up for tomorrow," Tevon said with a soft voice to Helendra. The party had gone on late into the night, and we were beginning to grow weary over the journey that lay before us tomorrow.

  "We all wish you a good night's rest and a safe journey tomorrow," Helendra said, loud enough to be heard by everyone in the great hall. Her voice somehow carried above all of the cheering and laughter.

  We ended the night with Tevon, Yurios, and I leaving together with a cheerful goodbye. The three of us went out to our homes. Tevon had given me a bag that day to carry with me during our travels. The size of it concerned me as it was nearly twice that of the one I had carried with Aton, which grew cumbersome at times as it was. I packed all of my uniforms as they were designed for a lot of outdoor usage and would be suitable for this.

  With my bags packed and my goodbyes said, I went to sleep.

  ~11~

  That morning we left while everyone else was still asleep. We mounted our three horses, which I was nervous about as the only real experience I had with riding one was in the dream world. However, I felt that between my experience there and the time I had spent riding behind Tevon on our way to the academy would hopefully be enough.

  As we started to ride away, I found it to be far more difficult than I had anticipated. I didn’t know how I would keep up the entire way there—however far there actually was.

  I warmed up to my horse as we rode. She reminded me of the horse I had ridden in the dream world, as she was solid black with well-groomed, long, glossy hair. She didn't warm up to me in return though, making the first mile of the trip very challenging as I struggled to stay on her, digging my legs into her sides on occasion. She would bellow and kick me around, almost knocking me off. Tevon yelled back bits of advice at me while Yurios just spitefully watched me struggle. Though he had been returned to what he felt was his rightful place, it seemed he would always hold a grudge against me.

  After several times of being knocked off or her running about, tossing me around like a scared chicken, I managed to learn the basics of horse riding. Then I was able to have my horse, Tip Toe, stroll through the path with me atop of her, stable and gallant. I still could not figure out how Tevon and Yurios managed to not be bounced around like a toad with their horse’s trot.

  We spent the morning in silence as we made our way down the mountains. It wasn’t until we were traveling a more level trail that Tevon spoke. “We can go a little while longer here but then we should let the horses rest a bit. I’ll be hungry soon myself,” he said, a rumbling already forming in my stomach.

  “How far is it from here?” My voice was interrupted with each stride my horse made.

  Beneath his laughter, Tevon answered, “To the main city of Ordana, it's about four days at a decent pace. We'll be passing some of the kingdom's outlying cities within two days or so though.”

  The kingdom of Ordana was named after its capital. It was uncustomary to do so, but the general who had executed the takeover and formed the kingdom named it that to carry on the legacy of the king that had been assassinated. Tevon described the man as an unwavering loyalist to a king now long gone. The king he protected was a mage himself, but feared any of his own kind, as a twist of irony he was assassinated by a group of mages days before he was about to renounce his law against the use of magic in his city.

  Abruptly, Tevon stopped and jumped off of his horse. Yurios followed, and then so did I.

  “I hope you don’t mind, Jas, but I think we should shake things up a little for lunch,” Tevon said with a twinkle in his eye. “Mind lending me a little magic?” I began channeling a cautious amount of power and he placed his hands on the forest floor just to the side of the trail. From the ground small mounds began to form and a small stubby plant sprouted out. It had a series of sharp pointed leaves from the top and a rough rigid base. We watched as several more of these unusual looking plants sprouted from the ground.

  Tevon took a moment to catch his breath and then dug the plant up, revealing a large oblong shaped root. It was yellow in color and covered in diamond shaped bumps with little points at the center of each one.

  He picked the first one up and smelled it, “What do you know, perfectly ripe.”

  “What is it?” I walked up and ran my fingers along the firm surface of the plant, and I was dumbfounded by its uninviting appearance.

  Tevon pulled out his sword and cut the big hunk of plant into several slices. Streams of yellow juice poured out of the plant and down the edge of his place. He handed a slice to me. “It’s a pineapple,” he said with a proud smile.

  I took the juicy yellow slice of pineapple from him and broke it in half, taking a bite out of the center. It tasted sweet as my mouth was overcome with juices that dripped down the sides of my lips and fell to the ground. It was sweet, but difficult to chew.

  Yurios laughed at me. “Eat a
round the center, that’s the hard part.”

  I spit out the chunk in my mouth and shrugged. Then I took a bite from the edge, avoiding the skin as it seemed thick and unpleasant. This time there was even more juice, and it was far easier to chew. My hands were covered in the sticky sweet liquid as I continued to eat the slice Tevon had given me. As soon as I finished it, I helped myself to two more.

  We sat down and ate away at the pineapple while our horses rested. Tevon gave them some oats that were held in several pouches on the horses’ saddles. It was very relaxing as this food required little preparation aside from its actual creation.

  “This makes traveling easier,” Tevon commented, “being able to grow whichever plant we choose within a matter of moments. I don’t think we’ll have trouble appealing to the General.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  “The best way to any soldier’s heart is through his stomach,” Tevon answered.

  After we had finished eating, Tevon took the remaining pineapples and placed them in a bag he had on his saddle. We mounted up and continued on our way, and I had to familiarize myself with the horse all over again. This time it only took me a few minutes to do so, but I hoped the next time I would not need to do so at all.

  We traveled at a steady pace, and the horse’s gallop still caused me to be tossed around with every trot. Before long, the combination of my full belly and the constant bouncing from the horse made my stomach feel unsettled. Part of me wanted to ask to stop and recover, but I didn’t want to appear weak. I could feel my lunch making its way back up my throat and struggled to keep it down.

  The expression I made as I did so gave Yurios another reason to hassle me when he looked back at me, “Going to make it Jasminis?” His words were meant to sound sincere, yet his eyes were filled with ridicule.

  I didn’t want to risk opening my mouth and speaking, so I just nodded my head back at him with my mouth clenched shut. Not long after, Tevon took notice and pulled on his reigns, slowing his pace so I could catch up next to him.

  “Feeling nauseous?” He asked.

  Once again I nodded.

  He sat up on his horse. “Here, you need to ride like this.”

  He demonstrated the proper way to sit on the horse, instructing me to first relax my legs, and bring myself forward a bit to align what he called my center of gravity with that of the horse. I tried doing so, but it was not as simplistic as he made it look. I continued to squirm around a little bit at a time, trying to find the best position for riding so that I was not tossed around with every step.

  “Sorry we didn’t spend more time working on this with you. We had very little time to prepare you and I wanted to cover the more critical skills first,” Tevon said with an apologetic look.

  With some patience on both Tevon and Tip Toe’s part, I mastered some of the basics of horse riding, and soon I was able to not only control the horse but ride it with comfort as well. When we felt I was entirely ready, we increased our pace to a swift gait. Trees passed by me in a blurred haze that removed all detail from them. I no longer noticed the well engraved bark or coating patches of green moss.

  “Better,” Yurious said, as he watched me ride.

  We continued onward until it was almost night, and the sun was already disappearing behind the thick canopy of branches. We stopped at a small clearing just off of the trail and made a small camp. Tevon did not create another dome for us as the weather was far more pleasant in this region. The air was warm, and a steady soft breeze wove its way through the trees as it found its way to my back, tossing my hair up against my shoulders. The ends of my hair danced along my back, jumping up to my neck then floating back down. Here the nights were more comfortable than the days, unlike Saltren, where the nights were dreaded and cold.

  The horses rested near one another, bustling up together. They were probably happy that they were able to relax now. They formed their own pack, carrying on their own conversations. They were most likely talking about me and how difficult I had been. Their thick coating of hair did not give way to the wind, fighting it like a tree refusing to be uprooted by a storm.

  Tevon was optimistic as usual, while Yurios remained reserved, speaking in short, un-revealing phrases that only served to express his torment. Our conversations were very awkward as a result. Had Denarah been here he would have been more likely to let go of his frustrations and discontent, his feeling of betrayal. While I did not agree with his behavior, I saw the reasoning behind it. This was his life, his ambition, he was in a position he had worked hard to be in. Then out of nowhere comes a young, undeserving gifted individual that causes him to be disregarded like a used napkin. It would have curdled my blood as well.

  I felt as though my story was not understood by others. I never asked for my ability or strived for it. I never wanted to have a war to fight, to be a grand champion for the people. Or did I? While it wasn’t intentional, there was always a part of me that wanted to be where I am, that wanted to be significant. Who doesn’t want to be special and live a life of adventure?

  This life was one I had chosen. No one had forced me to leave with Aton, misguided though that may have been. Just as no one had forced me to stay at the academy or offer to help. These decisions were of my own doing. This is the life I have chosen and I must accept that as well as the person I may become because of it.

  “I see you are doing well,” Helendra said, her timing was too perfect, she was mocking me.

  “It's been easy so far, outside of learning how to ride a horse.”

  “We can only hope that it continues to be that way for the remainder of your journey.”

  I could tell there was something else on her mind. She was battling with herself to mention it, but I could tell she would give soon.

  “Tevon will ensure everything goes smoothly,” I reassured her.

  “Yes… I am sure he will. However…” She continued to sound conflicted inside, uncertain whether or not she should reveal something to me, I could tell. “The dream messenger came to me, he delivered a message.”

  I was growing tired of this mage; if I were to see him again, I would silence him somehow, stop him from poisoning the minds of those around me anymore.

  “He did not reveal much, but we know that Ordana is their first target. The situation seems to be more pressing than we thought. We need Ordana to survive this. They are the biggest military forces in these lands.” She sounded as though she was coming to me for help rather than warning me of impending danger. “I hate to put any more pressure on you, but it is critical that we help protect them, regardless of their acceptance of it.”

  “I understand.” I knew now that if I were to live up to the title I had chosen to accept, this would be the first victory required of me.

  Tevon looked over at me, it was apparent I was not the only one involved in that conversation. His eyes met mine and we both knew. We would now not only have to gain their respect, but with the enemy coming for them, we might be required to stay there and fight along side them. This mission of diplomacy had now become a mission of war. There was no denying it had been declared, we just didn't know in what way it would be raged.

  We went to sleep without a word among us. There was too much on my mind to force out any conversation. I assumed it was the same for Tevon. Yurios was never talkative when I was around it seemed.

  The following morning we awoke in a hurry, now that time was a factor. We were quick to mount our horses and hasten their pace. We pushed the mounts to their limits, and I struggled to hold on. Our frantic pace caused me to expel almost everything Tevon had taught me from my mind.

  "I think the horses have had all they can take for now,” Tevon said after a half day’s ride. “Let's take a break to let them recover." Tevon guided his horse off the path.

  There was a small creek just off the trail a little ways. We followed Tevon with the horses over there to drink and rest while we talked about the situation.

  “Jas, how comfo
rtable are you with your ability to cut off magic?” Tevon asked.

  “I’m not sure. I can handle the two of you, but that’s pushing it for me,” I answered, trying to hide the true overwhelming depths of my uncertainty.

  “We'll have to do what we can if they attack, and cutting off their supply may be more valuable than anything else we could offer,” Tevon explained. Yurios was sitting next to him, sharpening his sword with a dark, hand-sized stone. You could hear the rough texture of the stone rub against the steel, shaving off small particles that shot out in short, glorious sparks.

  Yurious, in his arrogance, added, “They'll be no match for us. Take away their magic and they’re mine.”

  Tevon didn’t say anything; instead he shot Yurios a scornful glare. While his egotism was irritating, he did admit that I would be useful, which was a step forward for him.

  We did not rest for long, only until Tevon felt the horses had recovered enough. I felt sorry for the poor creatures, as our hurried agenda would force them to be pushed well beyond their normal limits. I could also relate to them, as the current mission was probably well beyond my standard capacity as well, yet I had no choice. Ordana needed our help, and those who intended to destroy us would not wait for me to feel ready.

  Tevon announced that it was time and we once again mounted up, taking off at a frightening pace. Our horses maintained a swift gait, a trail of dust bellowing behind them from the dry ground. My legs and arms were sore from the effort it took to stay on, and my stomach grew ill. With each hurried stride of our horses we were closer to Ordana, and some of the smaller outlying villages began to come into view.

  There was a well developed trail that went through the kingdom, branching off with a different path for every village and city. The trail was coated in small, smooth pebbles. The small gray rocks were sprayed outward from Tip Toe’s hooves. Yurios rode closely in front of me so that some the rocks his horse kicked up struck my horse’s nose and spooked her every few steps.