Born of Magic (Channeler Series) Page 20

  "We have pushed the horses too far, I fear. We must find refuge for them," Tevon called back to us.

  Tevon took a fork in the path that led towards what looked like a small farming village in the distance. We slowed our pace as we approached, not wanting to raise any concern, as we had already been met with un-trusting gazes when we had first neared the village. Farmers stood next to their fields and houses. They stopped what they were doing to stare at us, as though they were unaccustomed to unknown travelers visiting their town. To them, we were nothing but potential trouble, and it seemed to set them unease.

  Tevon dismounted his horse, holding his hand out to Yurios and I, instructing us to stay where we were until told otherwise. He then approached one of the farmers that stood outside of his house and took the bag of pineapple from his horse and opened it for the farmer. They were just outside of hearing distance, but I could tell our arrival was more welcome with the offering he gave. He signaled for us to come over and we dismounted in unison, then walked over.

  “So, how are the crops doing this year?” Tevon asked with a merry smile, making new friends of the villagers.

  “We've seen better, but we'll make it. Flooding earlier this year took some of our crops,” the elderly looking farmer replied, his dry blistered hands wrapped around the end of a pitchfork. The other end of the pitchfork was firmly dug into the ground, acting as a support for him.

  “Really?” Tevon asked, enticed at the opportunity to begin making friends with the people of Ordana. “Mind if I take a look?”

  “A look? The crops are gone. I’m not sure what you could possibly do.”

  “I’m known to have a bit of a green thumb,” Tevon said with a grin.

  “Well, all right,” the farmer said. He still looked doubtful. “Follow me.”

  The farmer pulled his pitchfork from the ground with an exhausted grunt and began making his way out towards the fields. The village was surrounded by crops of various vegetables and grains, however the field he led us to was empty and barren. There were large puddles of water everywhere, drowning most of the plants that had survived.

  “This is one of many,” the farmer explained. “You can see the damage done by the flooding. It'll be a little bit until we can get anything to grow from this. We lost a quarter of our crops for the year.”

  Tevon walked out to the field a little ways, his eyes dancing as he looked around at the devastation that lay before us. “Jas, care to lend a hand?” He called out to me, the farmer looking at us with a dumbfounded look. I began to channel a burst of magic into him and it came crashing down like a wave breaking on the shore.

  Almost overwhelmed by it, Tevon placed his hands onto the ground and closed his eyes. The earth around us began to tremble. Small openings in the ground began to spread through the field like glass shattering, and the water was sucked down into the openings. From the gaps green sprouts began to appear, growing tall and slender. They spread throughout the field we stood in. Little leaves blossomed out from the stems as they grew. Tevon stopped when they were half a foot tall.

  “What the…” the farmer stuttered, awe-struck from the event. “You're mages, aren’t you?”

  Tevon walked back over to the man, stepping around the little newly formed plants. “We're here to help the people of Ordana.”

  The farmer did not respond as Tevon had anticipated, “And what price do you ask for such sorcery?” His voice was filled with anger and disgust now.

  “We ask for nothing more than to be allowed the chance to help,” Tevon answered.

  I remained quiet, uncertain if anything I could say would be of help.

  The farmer, still doubtful about us, walked out to the field and inspected the plants. “Potatoes,” he uttered under his breath. He continued to check them, pulling one from the ground and inspecting it, it was nearly ready to be harvested.

  By now the field was the center of focus for the entire village. They stood and watched us from a distance. I could tell most of them were nervous, all but one young boy. He ducked under the fence surrounding the village and rushed out to the field, an excited expression on his face.

  “You did this?” He asked Tevon.

  The farmer glared at the boy, “Go back to your family, Allen.”

  Bright-eyed, the boy ignored him as he stood before Tevon waiting for an answer. Tevon kneeled down to the boy’s level. “Yes, my friends and I did this. We can do this to all of the fields here.”

  While the farmer was unsure of us, he was also no fool. The people here needed food and we offered it. Still, he made it known he was not wild about the situation.

  “You say you can do this to all of the fields we lost?” The farmer asked, leaning against his pitchfork once again.

  Tevon had been hiding it until now, but he was drained from what he had done. A small amount of blood trickled from his nose. “Yes, I'll just need a little time to recover from that one.”

  The people of the village accepted the farmer’s decision as if it was their own. We were then greeted by the rest of them while Tevon stopped to recover. Yurios remained apprehensive towards them, coyly keeping his hand near his sword at all times while Tevon was bombarded with requests for various crops that they wanted. Some were unusual for the region, mostly foods they had heard of but never seen. Tevon denied many of the more exotic requests.

  "Those crops won't last here, the climate isn't right. If I were to plant them, they would only last one harvest." Tevon said.

  "At least one, if you please. We are fine with it," the elder farmer answered.

  "As you wish."

  When Tevon felt well enough, he and I went to grow another crop. This time it was a special request for a crop they had heard of only from various stories that floated around from long traveling traders. Tevon however had seen this one before and he liked it. Once again I channeled a large amount of power into him, and the crop rose from the ground, foot sized stalks popped up along the main stem as it reached for the sky.

  The field formed a maze. When he was finished, the plants towed over me and I lost sight of Tevon. I was surrounded by a thick forest of what Tevon informed me was called "miaze", I found it ironic as the plants had formed a maze and figured that is where the name came from.

  Tevon appeared from the field and pulled an stalk of maize from one of the plants, peeling back the thick green husk that wrapped around it, revealing a weird looking vegetable that was covered in little yellow squares. He handed it to the farmer.

  Tevon began to instruct him, “First you need to cook it in….” but the farmer took a bite. “Water,” Tevon finished.

  The farmer still found it delicious and gave it to the little boy who had approached us earlier, he had been following us around like a mouse that had been given a piece of cheese and was waiting for more. The boy took the maize and ran off to the crowd of villagers who continued to watch from a distance. They gathered around him in wonder as he held it above his head.

  This process continued for some time as we replaced all of the crops they had lost, putting new rich foods they had dreamed of in their stead. With each new field that we grew, the village grew equally friendlier towards us. By the time the day was done, we had won them over, with a great effort on Tevon’s part.

  Our horses had been cared for by the people while we were busy, so they were well rested and fed, and the villagers had even bothered to groom them. Tip Toe’s fur glistened with brilliance as she stood under a tree with the others.

  “That would have normally taken me a month,” Tevon thanked me, his breathing heavy. There was dried blood around the outer rings of his nostrils, I tried to avoid noticing but, couldn’t help it. “If we can win over the General as we have these people, this mission will go much easier. How are you holding up Jas?”

  I was surprised with how little effort it had taken me this time. Today I had channeled more magic than ever before and it felt almost easy. “Fine, actually,” I answered, a little astonished with m
yself. Yurios seemed to share my surprise, probably further fueling his frustration with me.

  The farmer must have noticed how fatigued Tevon was. “You folks are welcome to stay anywhere you want tonight. Our homes are at your service.”

  “The barn will do,” Tevon answered.

  “You sure? You could have my place if you like. It’s very comfortable,” the old farmer said, looking at us with a cocked eyebrow.

  “I’m sure. We don’t mean to intrude on anyone’s home.”

  With that the old farmer took us into the barn, which was well kept and had almost nothing in it. He brought us whatever spare blankets they had, and we made some beds from piles of hay.

  Once the farmer left, Tevon turned to me, “Sorry, but I want to make sure they think of us as humble. We don’t want to give them the impression that we want something in return for our good deeds.”

  In reality, we didn’t, I thought to myself. We only wanted to help them defend themselves for their sake, as well as that of everyone in the North. Our mission was a very selfless one, and I found pride in myself when I realized this. It was worth being proud of.

  The following morning we were quick as usual to rise, from Tevon’s own doing. The sun had barely begun to shine over the lands by the time we mounted and continued on our way. It was an amazing sight, watching the sunrise over the endless flat lands of Ordana, crops stretching in every direction. I was saddened when we passed the area and returned to forest. I had found the view most enjoyable, food being on my mind far more often than I cared to admit these days.

  We were making excellent time, according to Tevon, as our horses dashed across the countryside. They rode with much more vigor than before. The villagers had fed them well and it showed in their stamina. It was almost nightfall when the capital came into view. The city of Ordana, with walls that towered over any tree that dared stand near it.

  The city was greater than anything I had ever seen before, nestled atop a large, wide spreading hill. Crops and farms surrounded it, with farmers tending to the fields. Every farm had a small trail that wrapped around and met with the main road which led to the only entrance to the city. Outside the city gate stood ten guards armed in full chain mail. Red and black tunics covered their chests and legs. Each guard held a long spear, as well as a shield strung over their back, and a sword at their side.

  The entrance was a large archway with a tower on either side. Atop the towers I could see several men armed with bows watching the outer landscape. They spotted us the moment we were in view and aimed their bows at us. The towers spanned every few hundred feet all along the outer wall of the city.

  We approached the entrance with caution, not wanting to appear as if we had ill intent. Spook one of those archers and they might accidently release their grip and send an arrow straight down at me. My heart beat like a rapidly played drum, and the closer we got the faster it played.

  When we reached the row of well-armed guards, we were told to halt. One of them broke formation and walked over to us. He was a tall man, who stood well over my horse. He addressed Tevon, ignoring Yurios and I.

  “State your business.” His voice was deep and stern.

  Tevon composed himself and answered, “We're on a mission of diplomacy with the Great Kingdom of Ordana, on behalf of the Mages Academy.”

  The guard looked at us, apprehensive, then returned to one of the other guards for council. They spoke to one another in secrecy; neither seemed to be sure how to handle this sort of situation. He returned with a brief answer, “Wait here.”

  He disappeared into the city. The nine remaining guards stared at us with blank expressions while we waited. Several of them seemed on edge as they grasped their spears with a tight grip. I could now see the fine details of their tunics. They all bore the same design, a crown floating above a sunrise. At least I assumed it was a sunrise. To me it appeared to be symbolic of their king's name living on. Tevon spoke of this king as paranoid but wise. He was a king that was loved by the people and always did what was best for them, even though his actions sounded harsh at times.

  The setting sun beat against my face as we waited. My skin turned red and sore, and beads of sweat formed at my brow. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when the guard eventually returned, out of breath, ten more guards following behind him now. He once again walked up to Tevon and regained his composure.

  “These men will escort you,” he said.

  He placed his hand on Tevon’s reigns, signaling for us to dismount. We did, and several other guards cam and took our horses inside.

  “They will be returned to you on your departure,” the guard explained.

  It was relieving to hear him say we would be departing. This would not be a one way mission, at least it didn’t seem that way yet.

  ~12~

  We followed as we were led through the crowded city with guards on either side of us. People moved out of the way of our formation and stared at us as we passed, curious of our presence. We could hear them whispering in speculation as to who we were. The streets were well organized and much wider than I was accustomed to, and the formation of guards moved with ease down the street that led straight from the main entrance to the castle.

  The castle was surrounded by a second, shorter wall. This one had archers lined all along it in ten foot intervals. I shivered when I noticed several of them had their bows drawn at us. If one of them even sneezed I would be dead before I ever had a chance to fulfill what I had declared was my destiny.

  Once more this wall had only one passageway. It was smaller but just as well guarded. The formation stopped outside the two large wooden doors that sealed the entrance. A moment later the doors began to open, a loud creak echoing through the streets as they did. This part of the city seemed sparsely populated.

  The opening doors revealed a giant courtyard filled with the clanging of swords as countless soldiers trained. The walls and doors had somehow managed to drown out the sound on the other side, allowing the residents of the city peace. Around the gate was an open courtyard where they trained, with what looked like long spanning barracks on either side.

  It was a powerful display of order and precision as each soldier trained with another. They were vicious and swift with one another in their training. Off in the distance, a small army of blacksmiths worked away at sharpening weapons, forging new swords, and joining chain mail links.

  None of the soldiers took their eyes away from their task as we were escorted down the center of the entrance to the castle. This way was yet again well-guarded by soldiers. Two more heavy wooden doors were opened for us. On the other side of the doors was an enormous throne room, down the center of which was a dark red carpet that formed a narrow walkway across the marble tiles. The floor was polished so flawlessly that I could see a perfect duplicate of myself staring back up at me.

  The red carpet stretched all the way down the room to the other side where, beneath a giant stained glass window that formed the same design as that on the tunics, was a single large elegant chair. The chair was made of what appeared to be solid gold, aside from the two red cushions made from the same material as the carpet.

  In the chair sat a burly old man dressed in sparkling clean armor. There was no crown atop his head, only a giant sword resting against the arm of the chair. He wasn't tall, but his build reminded me of a horse’s; muscles bulged from every inch of him, and veins shot out of his neck. He stared at us from across the hall in contempt, his eyes never breaking contact from Tevon’s as we approached him. Marble pillars, taller than most trees, lined each side of the room and cast shadows that rhythmically glided over my face. Each time the light shone down on me through the windows that were spread evenly across the tops of the walls, it blinded me.

  Our steps echoed through the thin carpet as we approached him. Yurios and I followed Tevon’s lead as he kneeled and bowed his head, twenty feet from the man setting in the chair. The man had a thick but short white beard that lined his sto
ne-structured jaw. His nostrils flared at the sight of us.

  “My men tell me you seek diplomacy with the Kingdom of Ordana. Why should I bother to listen to your deceitful kind?” His abrasive voice boomed through the throne room, and the ground almost trembled as he spoke.

  Tevon stood up. “Our kind have never been welcome here before, this we know, General, but we're here under no ordinary circumstances. A war is coming to these lands. A war to be raged by an enemy neither of us has ever laid eyes upon. We…”

  The general interrupted him, his eyes darkened, “You dare come to my kingdom and speak of war, with the audacity to threaten us with an enemy you cannot even name?” He stood up in frustration, a vein bulging from his now red forehead.

  While maintaining his composure, Tevon continued, “We mean not to threaten you. The enemy we speak of come from the South. They're mages, an entire army of them.”

  “Your kind you mean." The general was probably trying to provoke Tevon. It wouldn’t work.

  “They're as much our enemy as they are yours. We ask for nothing more than to assist you,” Tevon said.

  “Assist us? An old woodsman and two children? You would serve us better as food for our dogs than alive.”

  “The girl,” Tevon interrupted, and then looked back at me with sincerity in his eyes. “She is the greatest weapon against any mage. She can take away their magic.”

  The General calmed himself, now curious about our claims, perhaps. His dark brown eyes scanned me several times over, as though he were sizing me up. “Why should we believe you?”

  “Because your kingdom is closest to the border as well as the biggest military threat in the land, and they seek to strike you first.”

  The General's gaze turned back to Tevon and raised an eyebrow at him. “How is it you know so much of this enemy’s plans, yet neither you nor I have ever laid eyes upon them? No one has ever even crossed the canyon to the South.”

  “The academy houses many mages of many wondrous powers. We have had many signs of their approach as well as their intentions.”