Magics
"Mommy Mommy!" I yelled.
Running across the courtyard to the hall, I was calling for my mom because I found an injured bird lying in the tall grass. I would always do this when I found an injured creature; my mother was a healer you see. Not just any healer though, she was Isabel the court healer for King Algan, the ruler of the Spring Cliffs. My mother was the best in the land; she was married to Mortis who was also a mage. He was an advanced land mage, could talk with animals and bend the elements to his will. I, their son Tristan am a bit of a strange boy and a disappointment to my father.
Most children of Mage parents are mages themselves; I of course am no exception. However, I am a healing mage. There are little to no healers of the male sex. When my parents found I was a healer, my mother instantly jumped to nurture my growing powers, my father however was disappointed that I had not taken after him. He was embarrassed by me and tried to make it less painful to have me around by teaching me some simple elemental spells. However I could barely light a candle or pull more than a few drops of water from the ground, when I tried to make plants grow my healing powers came in a little and I lost control, gave the royal gardeners quite a fright when they saw that half the courtyard had been taken over by thick vines with large, strange smelling flowers.
That's how I started the black plague. Kidding, just kidding, that wasn't my doing. Anyways, so I ran across the courtyard and found my mother waving goodbye to her latest patient. She looked over at me and smiled. At this point in time I was about 6 years old. For a dragon I was growing at a normal rate. My mother was a blue dragoness with red tinted wings; my dad was a red dragon with gold tinted wings. The three of us all have jet black hair although my parents' hair was getting lighter with age. I was a scale-less gray fledgling; I hadn't even started to grow my horns yet, let alone my wings. Most people mistook me for a lizard.
"Hey there Tris, oh, what's that you have there?" She asked kneeling in front of me and taking a look at the small bird.
"I found him in the grass out by the far wall in the courtyard. Can you heal it?" I asked.
"Sure I can, but let's see what you can do." She smiled "Bring it over to the desk here and lay it down gently." She said pulling up two stools to her work desk.
I walked over quickly and gently placed the bird on the desk then climbed up into one of the stools. My mother sat down next to me and gently took hold of my hands. She placed them over the bird's broken wing and whispered in my ear.
"Remember our lessons, focus and picture the wing fixed and strong in your mind's eye."
I closed my eyes and pictured the wing, straight and strong. When I opened my eyes the bird was hopping around on the desk, preening its once broken limb.
"Good job! You did it!" My mother praised and hugged me tightly; I giggled and hugged her back.
The bird chirped and flew from the workspace and out the nearby open window, and off into the midday sunlight. At that point my dad entered and grunted hello. My mother asked him how he was doing and he replied with one word answers. I realized it was time for my lessons again and followed dad as he left the healing clinic. I played with the ends of his brown land mages robes as he led me to the courtyard again.
"Today we're going to try and get you have a conversation with an animal, we'll start easy and do something small... a bird sounds good." He said as he raised his hand in the air and the same bird I'd just healed roosted on his outstretched claws. "Look into the birds eyes; focus on what it is trying to say. Open your heart to the land and let its words flow in."
I looked up at the bird and it looked down at me. I tried doing what my dad said and sat there for what seemed like forever. Finally I stopped.
"I can't do it." I whined.
My dad got angry and shooed the bird away. He then looked at me with a disappointed look and shook his head.
"Well then I guess there's no point in continuing, that's it for today." He said and walked off.
I stood there and hung my head dejectedly. The bird flew down and landed on my shoulder. I looked at it and it stared back at me, head cocked to one side.
"What do you want?" I huffed and looked away.
"Thank you" It chirped "I'm very grateful for what you did with my wing."
I looked at it in amazement. The bird then seemed to nod and flew off. I just sat there with a silly grin on my face and ran back to our apartments in the castle. When I got to the door I stopped, Mom was packing some bags and Dad was gathering some things from a cupboard.
"Oh good, there you are honey. Pack some clothes and some play things, we're heading out to an outlying village for some work." My mother said as she pushed some robes into a pack and began to gather some of her healing supplies.
I went to my room and grabbed a couple light tunics and some small toys. This was normal, my parents being called out for help in some villages that didn't have any healers or other mages to help with things. When I was done my mother came and took me to a waiting carriage and we were off.
We arrived in a few days, encountering no trouble along the roads from bandits. When we got to the village gate an old man, presumably the village elder greeted my parents and showed us to the inn we would be staying at. Once we unpacked my parents went with the elder to get to work. I went and took a nap on the small cot.
I awoke sometime after dusk and looked out the window to find the sky was still bright. I heard screams and saw the village was alight and soldiers wearing the symbol of the Winter Highlands were terrorizing the villagers. I ran from the Inn and searched the screaming masses for my parents.
"Tris!" I heard my mother scream.
I turned and looked to see my dad holding off some soldiers with some of the fire that was spreading from roof to roof. My mother was lying there on the ground behind him with an arrow stuck in her side. I ran to her and she hugged me close.
"I love you" she whispered in my ear before muttering something I couldn't make out.
There was a green flash and she went limp. My father cried out as he saw my mother die. He finished off the soldiers and ran to her side. I backed away and looked down at myself, I felt strange, energetic. I started crying and my dad just hugged my mom, muttering incoherently as he rocked back in forth. Some soldiers rounded the corner and yelled out in their guttural highland language, pointing at me and my father.
My dad jumped up and took out two of the soldiers with a well placed fireball but fell to his knees as an arrow sprouted from his chest. He looked at me sadly and fell limp. I ran away, crying, blinded from tears and smoke, I didn't go far before the smoke knocked me out. The last thing I remembered was water hitting my face as it started to rain, and the burning buildings hissed as the moisture met fire.
***
I awoke in a cart that was rolling steadily along a narrow road through rolling hills dotted white with sheep. I could hear the clink of chainmail from the soldiers leading the group. I sat up and found myself crowded in with some of the villagers, mostly young women but also a few of the boys who could be later used as slaves. We were all bound in huddled together and bound in chains. My only guess was that we were being taken to the Winter Highlands. I started crying again, remembering what had happened, and found no sympathy from the bound villagers.
Days went by and the climate grew colder as we headed farther north into the highlands. I wanted to get away from the soldiers but never had a chance. We stopped every night and made camp, the soldiers would gather around a fire while we were chained up to the cart. The soldiers would drink and laugh and throw some of their scraps our way and laugh more as we scrambled to try and get some.
After a week my chance finally came. One of the wagon wheels broke while we were moving through overgrown paths in a dark, dense forest. The soldiers unloaded us and got to work on repairing the cart. Suddenly the air chilled and I could see my breath when I exhaled. A couple of the soldiers stood up and withdrew their weapons uneasily. I heard a rustling in the bushes and suddenly and large creature bounded towards the cart, teeth bared and claws out. It took out one soldier and was slain by a second, when more of the creatures ran out from the trees.
The creatures tore through those who were guarding us and found easy prey among the bound villagers. One of the creatures swiped and I moved so it would cut through my bindings. As soon as I was loose I ran into the thick woods, two of the creatures tearing after me. I wound my way through the trees, my tattered tunic catching on bushes and low branches. The creatures were catching up, I panicked.
I turned to see how close they were and tripped over a root growing out of the ground. The creatures pounced and I screamed. There was a tearing sound and whimpers. I opened my eyes and saw a tall Wolf standing over me. In front of him were the corpses of the beasts that had followed me. He looked down at me and reached out a paw. I took it and he led me through the woods. Finally once the sun was near the edge of the sky and the woods were dark, we came upon a little hut in a small clearing in the woods. He ushered me towards the door then left. Inside was a small fox woman huddled near a brightly burning fire.
Hearing me by the door the woman turned around smiled at me.
"Come in." She said sweetly.
"Y-you speak my language?" I asked as I entered the warm hut.
"I speak many languages, and your tunic, what's left of it, seems to be of the Spring Cliffs." She said calmly and motioned for me to sit by the fire.
I thanked her and sat down next to her, shivering from the cold woods. She watched me intently as I warmed myself by her fire. I looked over and got a better look at my hostess. She was gray with some white fur sprinkled in. She was old, maybe 60 and had a kind, grandmotherly look to her. I felt safe here with her.
"I see you met Walt." She said after a while of silence.
"The big wolf?" I asked, looking up at her.
"Yes, the Wolf, he's a local and helps me out at times, you're lucky he managed to get to you before the creatures did." She said.
"How do you know about the creatures?" I asked. "I never mentioned them..."
"I'm an oracle, I know all about you my dear." She said inspecting me closely. "It is very tragic what happened and I am sorry for your loss, but in her death, it seems, your mother passed her abilities on to you. You already had healing powers though correct?" she asked.
"Y-yea... I was born a healer." I said quietly, tears returning to my eyes.
"There's nothing wrong with that my deary. If you like, I could train you to use your powers. " She sat there quietly for a few moments. "You could also stay here and live with m-"
"Really?! Oh thank you thank you thank you!" I jumped up and hugged her tightly.
"Ahahaha. Now now, it's on one condition." She said.
"What is it?" I asked eagerly, happy to be somewhere safe to stay.
"I would like some help around the house if you don't mind, you could help me tend the garden and find herbs." She said.
"Sure! I used to help my mom with herb gathering back at the castle..." Tears started to well up again.
"Shh shh, none of that now. Why don't you get some rest?" she patted my head gently.
I obliged and went to sleep on a small chair near the fire.
And so began my life as a hedgewitch's apprentice. She taught me many things, advancing my abilities in magic to at least the level of my mother in just a few years. She also taught me the language of the Winter Highlands and of a few other nations as well. After a few years she told me why my parents were killed and the village attacked. It turned out that the ruling counsel of the Winter Highlands was trying to kill off mages. They were even going so far as to cross the borders of their neighboring kingdoms and attack villages that harbored anyone with magical talent. She warned me that I must be careful when using my powers anywhere but at her hut. I swore I would and she thanked me.
When I turned fifteen though my training halted for a while, while my wings started to grow in and I lost all focus. Finally the day arrived when my wings would come.
The two large, nearly translucent bulges on my back itched terribly. I stood from where I was sitting at the workbench, potting a few herbs to keep inside. Granny, as I called her, looked up from her place beside the hearth and smiled.
"It seems you're about to gain your wings my young fledgling." She said and nodded towards the door. "If you don't mind doing it outside, I hear there is a lot of blood involved and I would like to keep the carpets clean." She said with a smile.
I smiled back and ran from the bench, heading out past the small garden outside the hut to a large tree. I couldn't take it any longer; I reached behind myself and scratched as best as I could. I couldn't quite reach though. Thunder boomed overhead as I arched my back and scratched it roughly against the tree. There was a sharp pain in my back and a small tearing sound. I felt warm liquid running down my back, my blood... I stopped but the itching started again and I continued tearing away at the wing casings.
Rain started falling and it washed away the blood and eased the pain as the water washed over my body. Soon the casings were gone. I stepped away from the tree and stretched out my wings. I stared in wonder at the leathery appendages sprouted from my back, the rain washing away the last of the blood. I smiled and walked back to the hut. Proud to no longer be a fledgling. When I entered Granny looked up at me in wonder.
"Now then my young Drake." She said, using the now correct term for my age. "Are you ready to learn some more."
I smiled brightly, liking being called a drake, and nodded.
"Yea, yea I'm ready." I said, laughing a little.
Within weeks my back had healed from where the casing had been and my wings grew stronger. I started flying when I had time, and I must say, I was FAST! While scales may protect you from harm, they can also weigh you down. Being without scales I could zoom through the air at speeds that would make adult dragons jealous.
When I turned 17 Granny sent me to the nearby village for a year to learn a profession to use in my future. At this time I was about 6' 5'' and had a slim build that was almost feminine from all the time I'd spent inside reading magic books while most boys my age would be working in the fields, getting finely muscled. My horns were now large and rose a few inches before sweeping backwards a little bit. I wore my hair long in a black ponytail and didn't have any facial hair whatsoever.
When I arrived at the village I looked around in wonder. It had been many years since I had been around anyone besides Granny and occasionally Walt. I passed vendors and shops, looking at the work and not finding anything appealing. The first night I went to the Inn and had a small meal with some of the coin that Granny had given me, and listened intently to the bard. Eventually I just lost all concentration on my meal and watched the orange Cat playing the lute and putting on a show. He was maybe only a few years my senior and was very energetic. His movements were fluid, his tongue spinning an enchanting tale while his fingers glided across his lute.
When the song finally ended the few patrons at the Inn clapped and went to give him some coin. I walked up slowly, mouth slightly ajar. He looked up at me and smiled. He had a youthful look about him and standing straight couldn't have been more than six feet tall.
"Like the show?" He asked politely as he tuned his lute.
"Y-yea.... You were.... Brilliant." I said in awe.
"haha, thank you very much." He said in his singsong voice.
"I-I was wondering...." I stuttered.
"Yes?" He asked, giving me a smile.
"I was wondering, c-could you, take me on as an apprentice?" I asked.
He seemed a little shocked.
"Really? Well apprenticeship doesn't come cheap." He said.
"Well this is all I have..." I said pulling out the two silvers and a gold I had.
"hmmm." He said in thought.
He reached out and took the gold, smiling up at me.
"You have a deal." He announced as he stood up and stretched. "Come with me to my room and we'll get started first thing tomorrow. Oh and my name is Chial."
"Okay. My name's Tristan, but you can just call me Tris." I said with a large grin.
And so I had an apprenticeship. The next morning I awoke to find the bard was no longer there. I waited a few bells until at the first bell after lunch he returned with a bundle which he tossed to me. I looked at him questioningly and he motioned for me to open it. I did and found a pair of tight looking pants, a gray tunic, a white cloak, a lute, Some herbs, and a few throwing knives.
"These are your tools of the trade." He explained. "The clothes are the normal bard apparel. The herbs are for our tricks. Such as smoke capsules and flash bombs. The Lute is your best friend from here on out and the knives are for protection."
I went ahead and changed into the clothes, leaving the herbs on my bed, slipping the knives into the small pockets in the sleeves of my tunic, and strapping the Instrument to my back.
"How do I look?" I asked, holding up the cape and smiling brightly.
"Pretty good." He said.
He looked me over and paused at my groin.
"Well if your talent isn't good enough, you'll definitely bring in a crowd with that." He smiled.
I looked down and saw what he meant. I was generously endowed, or so I thought, and the tight pants left nothing for one to imagine. I blushed and wrapped the cloak around me a little. Chial laughed and sighed.
"I must say you are quite lucky, or maybe cursed. That thing is... unnaturally big." He said gesturing to the bulge in my pants.
"R-really?... I had no idea..." I blushed. "So w-what's on for today's plans?" I asked trying to change the subject.
Chial raised an eyebrow at the change in the discussion but decided to stop teasing me.
"Well I figure we should start with the basics. Let's start on how to play your instrument." He said, pulling his own Lute from his back.
And so I spent my days with Chial, playing the lute, learning songs and dances. Chial was impressed at how fast I learned and decided to move on to the ext lesson after a few months. He had me grab the dried herbs that he had gotten for me and we sat at a small workbench in the Inn for many days and nights, creating small explosives and distracting flash and smoke capsules. He taught me how to use them during a story to enhance to tale and to pull in the audience even more. Soon I had the timing and aim down and he sent me downstairs some nights to be the inn's bard for the evening.
I finally started making money on my own. At this time I'd been Chial's apprentice for almost nine months and he said it was time to teach me my last lesson. Defense. A lot of drunk guards and such will find fun to mess with the bards every once in a while. A few bards even get killed. So In the trade it was important to know how to protect yourself. We would go out back every evening and he would have me practice throwing the knives at targets he would set up. After two more months Chial was happy with what he had taught me and moved on to giving me a larger, thicker knife. With this he taught me how to defend against attackers with swords and daggers of their own.
The last month went by all too quickly and it came time for me to say goodbye to Chial. I went up to our room the night before I would be leaving. I came in to find Chial lounging on his bed, looking up out the window. He sat up when I came in and smiled at me.
"How are you doing?" he asked as I sat down on the bed I had across the small room.
"Okay. I just wanted you to know... I.... I have to leave tomorrow." I said sadly. "I'm living with my Granny out in the forest and I could only take a year off to learn a trade."
I looked over at Chial and he looked sad.
"Well that's upsetting. Tomorrow is your birthday right?" He asked.
"Yea. When did I tell you that?" I asked.
"Oh a few nights ago when you had had a little bit too much to drink downstairs." He smiled. "You really talk when you're drunk."
"Oh... heh well it's nice that you remembered." I said, blushing a little.
"I had gotten you a present you know." He said. "You're turning eighteen right?"
I looked up at him.
"Yea I'll be eighteen. You didn't have to get me anything...." I said, looking down at the floor in embarrassment.
"Oh damn it! You're just too cute when you act like this!" He exclaimed.
"Wha-?!" I looked up and his lips met mine.
I was shocked but fell into it as he pushed me back onto the small hay mattress. I had always known I liked men, but I had no idea Chial was the same. His tongue invaded my mouth and couldn't help but moan out a little as his paw groped my crotch. My arms wrapped around him as we continued to make out passionately. Rain started to fall outside and the room grew cooler with the fine mist that was coming in.
He reached up and started working my shirt off as I did the same. We then lay there just taking in the sight of each other's bodies. Chial then began sucking on one of my nipples as I moaned. That's when the door opened and in stumbled two drunken guards. They stopped when the saw us and the one scowled. They must have accidently opened the wrong door.
"whoo, you get some bard!" The larger one yelled, only noticing the feminine body beneath Chial. "Wait a-"
"Tha's no girl!" The second said drawing his sword.
"Thas jus naw' natural. I say we teach em a lil lessun." The first said, drawing his blade as well.
Chial looked panicked and quickly reached towards my belt and withdrew a couple smoke capsules and threw them at their feet.
"C'mon!" Chial yelled as he ran and grabbed his things and jumped from the second floor window.
I looked around and quickly grabbed my stuff and ducked as one of the blinded guards swung wildly through the smoke. I launched myself through the window and saw Chial pulling himself out of the waste pile that was under our window. I spread my wings and dove for him, grabbing him under the arms and flapping my wings hard. I managed to get us out of town before a crash landing into a field surrounded by woods, about a mile south. By this time the rain had stopped and everything was covered in a fine layer of water droplets.
"Shit." Chial said as he hit the ground and rolled after I had to let go. "You okay Tris?"
"Y-yea I think so..." I looked around and checked to make sure I had all my stuff.
"I'm really sorry that happened." Chial said, tears welling up in his eyes. "I had no idea they would come in on us I-"
"It's alright." I stopped him. "It's not your fault." I smiled at him.
He took a step toward me and stumbled. Chial let out a curse as he looked down at his leg. The fur around his knee was bloody and he couldn't put any pressure on it. I hurried over.
"What's wrong?" I asked looking him over.
"My knee. I think I hurt it when I fell into the waste pile at the inn." He said, gingerly touching it and trying to wipe away some of the grime.
I frowned and ripped off a bit of cloth from my cloak and focused on the ground in front of me, after a few seconds I managed to pull enough water to soak the strip of cloth and then started to carefully clean Chial's injury. Once it was cleaned out I placed both of my clawed hands over his knee and focused on an image of it as it should be. Chial let out a small gasp as his knee healed instantly. I opened my eyes and smiled sadly at him.
"Y-You're a healer." Chial stammered.
"yea..." I said and looked away. "I-I couldn't really tell you, with all that's been going on with the mages being killed and all... are... are you afraid?..."
He put a paw under my chin and made me look into his eyes. All I saw was kindness as he pulled me in for another kiss. I felt tears rolling down my cheeks as he pulled me close to him. His soft fur warm against my grey skin.
"I couldn't possibly be afraid of you. You're too cute for that." Chial whispered in my ear as I sobbed into his shoulder.
He held me for what seemed like an eternity and when he finally let go, he got up and grabbed his cloak, laying it on the ground and motioned for me to come over.
"It's getting late. We should just get some sleep before tomorrow. We've got an appointment after all." Chial said, pulling me onto the cloak with him, taking off my cloak and using it to cover us.
"What do you mean?" I asked
"We're heading to your granny's house right?" He smiled at me.
I smiled and hugged him. He giggled and snuggled up close to me, keeping me warm in the cool night air. I wouldn't have to say goodbye after all.
The next morning we made sure everything was secure as I spread my wings and got ready to carry Chial off to the oracle's hut. Chial came up to me and wrapped his arms around me; I did the same to him and then took off, holding on tightly to my companion. We got to the hut a little before midday and granny stepped outside carrying a large wooden plate with two cups and some lunch.
"Hi Granny!" I beamed as I landed softly on the ground a few yards from the hut. "I'm back."
"So I see! And who might this be?" she asked as if she didn't already know.
"My name is Chial madam." He smiled and bowed slightly. "I'm sorry if I'm intruding I know you weren't prepared for two people to be here today."
"Hmmm? Oh no not at all, the drinks and sandwiches are for the two of you. I already ate." She smiled.
"But... how... "Chial asked.
"She's a seer. She already knew about you. Isn't that right Granny?" I said with a grin.
"Not just any old seer. I'm an oracle Tris, or did you forget my title?" she laughed. "Oh well here you two go. Eat up!"
She handed me the platter and I set it down on a new looking table placed outside the hut. Chial and I ate and enjoyed the serene atmosphere. I loved it. I was back with the Woman whom I had come to think of as my mother, and with the man I had spent the last year with.
"Oh! Before I forget!" Chial announced and rummaged through his bag. "Today's your birthday."
Chial pulled out a beautifully crafted Lute from his bag and handed it over to me. I looked at it in awe, it was beautiful. I saw on the back my name was engraved. I looked up at Chial at a loss for words.
"I knew you'd like it." He said smiling happily. "I got it made for you by a renowned craftsman in town."
I gently placed the instrument on the table and put a clawed hand over Chial's paw.
"This is amazing. Thank you." I smiled at him.
And so for the next few years Chial, Granny and I lived together. Granny continued my training until when I was twenty-three and Chial was twenty-five; she died of a heart attack. Chial and I had a funeral for her and buried her in her garden. Walt attended and it was the first time I had seen any emotion from the old wolf. Once again it rained and washed away the sadness of Granny's departure. Afterwards we went off to make our way towards my home, the Spring Cliffs.
Now, in the present, it's been two weeks since we buried Granny and Chial and I are staying in an inn just a day's ride from the border to the Spring Cliffs. It's about midnight. I turn over in bed and look at Chial, now huddled against my chest, the sweat from our earlier fun still glistening on his fur in the dim light. I kissed him on the forehead and smiled. I then carefully rolled out of bed and walked down to the main room of the inn and out the door. It was raining outside and I just stood there, the water running down my body, chilling me slightly.
"What are you doing out here?" came Chial's voice from the doorway.
I turned and smiled at him.
"I have always loved the rain." I said sadly.
"Are... are you crying?" He asked and hurried over to me.
I paused, I hadn't realized it but my eyes did sting a little. My eyes must have been a little bloodshot. Chial wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned his head against my chest. I smiled as the warmth of his body banished the chill night air.
"You know. I feel like the rain has always been there for me. It was there when my parents were killed, when I got my wings, when you kissed me for the first time, and when Granny died. It's strange but I always feel safe in the rain." I said quietly.
"Maybe you're being watched over." Chial smiled. "Like in one of our pub tales."
I laughed a little and gave him a kiss.
"So, tomorrow we should cross the border to the Spring Cliffs. You've done well in learning the language these past few weeks." I said remembering the hours we'd spent on the road, me quizzing Chial and occasionally only talking to him in my native tongue.
"Well it comes with the job I guess." Chial said, "let's get to bed."
With that Chial led me by the hand back into the inn where we slept soundly together after drying off by the fire.
***
So then how's that for an introduction? ;P I really hope to go far with this story. Help me get ready for larger writings. I hope it wasn't too boring. ^w^