Born of Magic (Channeler Series) Page 5

  “How long have you been aware of your ability?”

  Aton's gaze never met mine while he walked in front of me. “I’ve known about my ability for years now.”

  “How’d you figure it out?”

  “I was always a thief, just like you and your friends. One day I was almost caught stealing when the shopkeeper suddenly couldn't find me. I was scared out of my mind. It just came naturally to me at that moment.”

  It was a relief to know that we had something in common. He had started out just like me, but look at him now. He traveled wherever he wanted. Stayed in nice inns for weeks at a time. Had amazing lunches every day. If he was able to change his life like that, then so could I—one day. Until then, I could learn from him and hopefully follow in his footsteps when I was ready.

  “Stay close,” Aton ordered.

  It was a struggle to keep up with him. He walked fast with his long legs, and I was busy focusing. I had managed to learn how to stop my ability to control magic. It passed through me as it did Aton now, just as he had wanted. No one bothered to take notice of us. I saw a couple mages look over at me in Etherea. Their gazes met mine and then passed over me, as though I was not worthy of their attention, which was good right now. Aton and I had reached the center of the town when he slowed his pace and started looking around the various stands and shops for what he needed.

  As Aton shopped around, he would periodically look back to check on me, making sure I hadn't left his side. It did not take more than a second for the two men that grabbed me to wrap their arms around mine, gag me with their meaty hands, and carry me out of Aton's sight. The hustle of the market drowned out any chance of my abduction being noticed.

  My eyes darted around, searching for someone, hoping that they could somehow signal for help. I kicked my legs through the air. My heel met with one of the men’s shins a few times, but it didn’t slow him down.

  He tightened his grip. I couldn’t breath.

  They carried me away.

  The room that they dragged me into was void of any personal items. Anything that would indicate that one of these two men had a soul. Nothing but a chair, a dusty dresser, a tatter and unmade bed.

  They tied my hands and legs together. I watched in horror as one of them produced a chain of glowing red magic in Etherea, which he used to tie my limbs together just as they had to my real body. I was trapped in both worlds. The men stood up and walked to the other side of the room.

  Attacked by a flurry of dreadful thoughts, I found myself struggling to keep from going hysterical. I envisioned every possible horrible way this nightmare could end. I saw myself thrown into a shallow grave with a few shovels worth of dirt tossed atop of me. Abandoned in an alleyway. Fed to a pack of wild dogs. Who knew what these terrible men had planned for me. They would probably have no difficulty terrorizing me. The two stood tall and looked as strong as they did brutal. Both were dressed in tracker gear, hunters, men who lived on stalking prey in the forests, only this time I had fallen victim to them in place of a rabbit or fox.

  They whispered as they spoke and I couldn’t hear what they were saying. It looked like they were debating about something, probably how to dispose of me. They went on for some time, and talked just loud enough for me to make out a few words several times.

  "She's with him"

  "How do you know she's—“

  "I'm telling you, this is different".

  Their conversation went on, but I couldn’t make sense of it. When they had finally finished, I wished they hadn't.

  The taller of the two looked over at me. His face was emotionless, a stone carving of a stoic man. "I'm sorry, but we cannot—“

  He stopped mid-sentence with a look of cringing pain struck on his face. A few grunts of pain and the man fell to the floor, his body a limp ragdoll. Aton stood behind where the man once had, a bloody knife in his hand. The other kidnapper stared in horror as his friend fell to the ground. Aton was hidden from his mind.

  The other man looked at me, "You did this? That can't be, you're—“ He stopped as Aton pushed his blade into the man’s chest.

  I could not bear to see Aton do this, but at the same time I was relieved that my life had been saved. As the second man's last breath left his lungs, the chains that held me in Etherea disappeared with his life. Aton walked over and untied me, his eyes large and filled with worry.

  “You okay?”

  Having dealt with yet another traumatizing experience in a short period of time, all I could do was nod in response.

  With that we left the building where the two men had taken me. Not a word was spoken as Aton grabbed the additional bag of supplies he had purchased. He then gave a smaller one with camping supplies to me to carry, and we made our way out of the town.

  Once we were clear of the town and back on our way to his home he finally spoke. "I am sorry for how much trouble you have gone through. I can imagine this is quite the change for you." I remained silent, unsure how to word my response. He continued, "This is something you’ll unfortunately have to expect with the life of a channeler. You’re in Etherea now.”

  "How would I leave Etherea?"

  "If your spirit in Etherea is killed, your connection to that world is lost forever." He paused for a moment. "However, once your body enters Etherea, it gains a dependence to the magic there. Losing that connection shortens your life considerably."

  And like that, any hope I had to return to a normal life was gone. Had I really changed my mind this quickly? A couple bad encounters and everything that I had hoped so desperately for and risked so much for was now considered a curse to me? I had spent my entire life wanting more, and now that I had a chance for it, I couldn’t give up. I must become stronger. If my new life of adventure places me into danger, then I will learn to defend myself, just as I had learned to survive on the streets as a child.

  "How far is it to your home?"

  He looked to the north for a moment, staring at the mountain range that spans in both directions as far as the eye can see. "Not too much farther, only another day's hike or so." He then pointed into a mountain in the distance, "It's nestled on the other side of that mountain."

  "There’s a town there?"

  "No, I live alone to avoid any complications from other mages. I’ve made some enemies along my quest to save my brother."

  "Does your brother live there with you?"

  Aton continued on ahead without turning back to look at me as he said, "He’s being cared for in a city far from here. It’s the only way he can stay alive for the time being. It takes a great deal of effort just to keep him going as it is." A soft hint of sorrow laced his words.

  As the night grew near, we made camp once more. The following morning we continued on our way. We didn’t talk during this time; instead we exchanged knowing glances back on forth. The trip was easy going until we reached the base of the mountain.

  I found myself short of breath as I struggled up the steep path. The way was tattered with small stones and wayward branches that strived to knock me off of my shaky legs. Aton marched in front of me without breaking a sweat. With each step I took, a small cloud of dust was spewed up, clogging my already dry and desperate lungs further.

  I was relieved when we arrived at Aton's home. It was larger than I had expected, given its location. Before me stood a three-story tall marble tower that was probably close to fifty feet wide. The outside walls were dark green with silvery white streaks running along it like streams down the side of a snow covered mountain.

  Inside, a large spiral staircase wrapped all around the outer wall. The first room was entirely open and contained a kitchen and study area. There were books scattered all over the room. He didn’t seem to clean his home very often. A thick layer of dust coated everything in the study. The kitchen seemed to be the only room on this floor that was cared for. He guided me up the stairway to the second floor. The stairway continued up to the next level, with an opening in the railway to exit onto the floor. At
the stairway exit was a hallway with several closed doors.

  He opened the first door on the left side and set one of the bags down. He then emptied the contents of it and spread out an assortment of female clothes that were close to my size on the bed.

  "This will be your room. I hope these clothes will work for you, I grabbed what I could."

  I nodded with excitement, almost jumping up and down like a spoiled child. My own room, my own clothes; all the risks I had taken seemed to have paid off now. My new room was somewhat bare. I could tell that no one had ever really lived in it. Thick layers of dust coated every inch of the floor like a blanket. The bed was small but very comfortable, relative to what I usually slept on. There was also an empty bookshelf, dresser and dust-painted desk in the room. I had no idea what to do with them.

  “I’ll let you get comfortable. You’ve earned some rest.”

  Aton walked out of the room, leaving me to become acquainted with my new life. I flopped down onto my new bed, coughing from the cloud of unsettled dust that arose from the blankets. I stared at the ceiling and reflected on all of the changes that I have gone through. Aton left me to my room the remainder of the night, dropping off a tray of food for dinner as night fell over the tower. With the silence of the room, I found it hard to fall asleep and dragged my bed closer to the window on the other side, allowing some of the subtle night sounds of the forest to reach my ears and lull me to sleep.

  That morning Aton knocked on the door to my room. I wasn’t sure why he did this, so I knocked back. It was probably a custom I was unfamiliar with. Hearing Aton's laughter outside the door I opened it and shot him a glare.

  With a smile on his face he said, “Fun game.”

  There he stood, tall and slender with a tray of hotcakes, fruit, and some juice as he greeted me with a smile. "Eat up. Today we start your training." With that he left me and made his way downstairs.

  I finished breakfast with glee in my bite and a warm feeling in my stomach. Then I went downstairs and found Aton sitting in a chair, reading a thick unlabeled black book. He heard me enter the room and peered up over the top of his book, our eyes meeting for a moment. "Let's begin."

  ~4~

  Aton spent the next few weeks teaching me how to survive in the forest, starting with the basics, like learning how to figure out my location and direction based on the location of the stars at night. After he felt as though I had learned enough of the basics, he went on to show me how to set up a shelter for the night, gather food, start a fire, and cook some of the foods that can be easily found in the forest.

  One day, after I had finished learning how to make a bed in a tree, Aton clapped his hands together. "I think we’re ready for our first big trip, Jas."

  More confident with my abilities now, having learned how to survive in the outdoors as well as more about my magic abilities, I was a little excited at the idea of putting my new skills to the test. "Where are we going?"

  As we sat around a campfire that I had set up a few miles from Aton's home, he scooped up some more of the steaming vegetable stew that cooked in a pot above the fire. "It’s a long journey to the North. In the harsh snowy mountains lies a hidden town on the other side, where few travelers ever venture. The people there aren’t quite like you’ve seen before; they’re fishing people that live off the frozen sea. Their culture is primitive, but they manage to live comfortably in the harsh environment."

  Aton could probably see the fear in my eyes. I had never been somewhere that cold before, "Your training will help you with the journey, but once we reach the town, I’m afraid I’ll be your only true defense. As long as we keep our heads low and don't draw any attention to ourselves, we’ll be fine."

  "If few people ever travel there, how will we go unnoticed?" I asked. All of the different challenges of this trip ran through my mind.

  As he thought, it became more apparent that Aton had not entirely worked out a plan for us yet. "We're going to come in at night. Since there are no guards we will go unnoticed as long as the town is asleep. Then we will have to lay low until the time is right."

  The more important question I should have asked finally came to mind, "What are we going there for?"

  "Another gem. This one should be easier to obtain than the last. Our biggest obstacle will be the journey there. The mountains we must pass are dangerous and unforgiving. Before we go, we will need to get some warm clothing to keep ourselves from freezing to death. The days are cold and the nights are lethal."

  Having enjoyed the past few playful weeks of learning, camping, and spending a few nights in my comfortable new bed, I once again realized the cost of it all. I wondered if others had to work this hard and risk this much for a roof over their head and a full stomach every night.

  The remainder of the day was spent packing supplies for our trip. I could sense the discomfort in Aton as he struggled to compose a scheme to get us through this quest of his. Having no possessions other than the clothes Aton had given me, I was packed with plenty of time left over to lie in bed and enjoy it while I could. After a half hour had passed, I threw my pack over my shoulder and waited for Aton downstairs in the study.

  A few minutes later, he appeared from the stairway with two large backpacks, one of which he was wearing over his shoulder, the other he tossed in my direction.

  "I will need you to carry that for the trip."

  I shrugged at the weight of the bag, it seemed to be heavier than me and I could tell carrying it along this journey would be a daunting task. At least Aton’s bag looked like it was twice as big as mine. Without protest, I donned the backpack and we left the tower, Aton locking the door behind him. I wondered if he ever had to worry about anyone breaking into his home, and if a simple locked door would be enough to stop those who would bother to come out here in the first place. His home was surrounded by miles of forest and is not a destination I imagined someone would reach, at least not without looking for it.

  Aton took a moment to calculate the exact direction to go, looking up at the sky and then along the mountain range. He nodded and we made our way North. The sun was almost overhead. Aton believed we could cover a good distance before night fell once again. The start of the trip was easy. The land was flat and easy to traverse. The further North we went, however, the less inviting the forest became; it grew thicker and giant trees sometimes required us to detour from our trail.

  "I chose a path that would require us to pass through as few cities as possible. The last thing we need is another unexpected incident on this trip." As Aton spoke, his breath was steady and calm while mine was short and challenged. My legs lost their feeling as the day drew on. The peaceful serenity nature once gave me now seemed tormenting when compared to the comfort of a bed.

  "We do have to make one stop though, before we go much further. We're going to need some warm clothing for you, as well as some thick blankets. There’s a town not too far from here where we may find what we need."

  Staying true to his word, we reached a small town the next day. This one was much quieter than the other one we had stopped by. The horrific memory of my kidnapping and the two men being stabbed to death by Aton had been blocked from my mind until now. I shuddered at the thought of being helpless like that once more and wished that I did not have to rely solely on Aton for safety. I would have to take it upon myself to learn self-defense, if he would not teach me.

  Aton took us to what appeared to be the main market street of the town. His eyes scanned the various shops until they came upon a tailor. This time he kept his arm wrapped around mine with a tight squeeze, not wanting to lose me once more. I felt somewhat relieved to know he had grown more cautious after his failure to keep me safe the last time.

  This visit was calm and uneventful, much to my relief. Aton had purchased the supplies needed for our trip and we were off. My backpack was now heavier than before as it also held the thick clothing Aton had thrown in there. Was I his companion, student, or his faithful pack mule and ene
rgy source? I laughed inside at the image of me dressed like a mule, carrying packs of grain and food with me as Aton guided me into a market to sell off the goods that I carried.

  "Turn back," a voice came into my mind. It was so brief in its appearance that I almost missed it. It was faint. If things hadn’t have been so quiet, I may not have noticed it at all. It came back once more briefly, the words too faint to make entirely, "you shouldn't be—“ The voice faded. I paused for a moment, waiting to see if it said anything else.

  Aton looked back at me, his eyebrow arched out of curiosity, "What is it, Jas?"

  "I thought I heard something, a voice. It said 'turn back'."

  Aton grabbed my hand, "We must hurry." He pulled me along, much faster than we had been going before. My legs struggled to keep up.

  "Why? What is it?"

  He didn’t look back as he spoke. His breath was short and desperate, "They may be after us. As long as they don't know where we’re going, we can lose them. Did the voice sound faint?"

  "Yes, I could barely hear her. What is—“ My legs felt like rubber as he continued to drag me along.

  Aton interrupted, "Mages that are after the gems as well. I've managed to stay ahead of them. They're still looking for clues as to where the gems are. Since we've beaten them to the first two, they probably now realize we're after them as well."

  "What does that mean?" I almost tripped as I struggled to speak and keep up at the same time.

  "It means we need to speed this up. If we can lose them, it's unlikely they'll find us again. I doubt they know the locations of all the gems."

  "Do you?"