{"id":33156,"date":"2023-08-10T06:30:18","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T10:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=33156"},"modified":"2023-08-06T08:17:17","modified_gmt":"2023-08-06T12:17:17","slug":"wild-magic-chapter-one-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wild-magic-chapter-one-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild Magic – Chapter One Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wild Magic, a Tale by Michael DeAngelo
\nChapter One: Feel the Flame<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He remained vigilant in the sight of danger, still standing, though all his brothers had fallen to the sorceress.<\/p>\n

Had he been made from flesh and bone rather than straw, perhaps he would have been burned by the sun.\u00a0 As it stood\u2014as he<\/em> stood\u2014nothing would burn him that day.<\/p>\n

A bolt of lightning streaked across the courtyard, and the straw training target remained unflinching.\u00a0 Luck was on its side, for a powerful sage had come to its aid.\u00a0 The lightning struck a hidden shield, static electricity zapping across its surface, a scratching discharge reporting in the air.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, no,\u201d Gaston said from the overlook.\u00a0 \u201cWe talked about this, Miss Kreegan.\u00a0 No more last-second flourishes; no more twists on the plan.\u00a0 This is your training, and we\u2019re here to see that you can accomplish what we set out to.\u00a0 Now again, but with the correct spell.\u201d<\/p>\n

The wizard\u2019s tone was coarse.\u00a0 Those in attendance had seen it all before, and over weeks and months, they had heard his words of encouragement slip into ones of exasperation.\u00a0 Gaston Camlann, a great archsage, was still pleasant during any other interactions with Adelia or anyone else in Forsynthia, but when it came time to train in spellcraft, it was almost expected that there would be some ongoing frustrations.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least it\u2019s not me hiding behind a shield anymore,\u201d an onlooker said.\u00a0 Trevor ran his hand through his hair as though he expected some of it to be standing up.\u00a0 The electric hum in the air stuck with him, even after weeks of relinquishing his task to the scarecrows.\u00a0 He looked at his father, who remained preoccupied with the forge.\u00a0 A hiss of steam entered the air as he doused a fiery sword in the slack tub.\u00a0 It was a sure thing that Lydick didn\u2019t hear his son.\u00a0 Aggravated, Trevor took a step forward, a grin already lifting his lips as he planned a teasing remark.\u00a0 \u201cIf you don\u2019t need the straw, I\u2019m sure there are a few horses that might want a second breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cQuiet, you,\u201d Gaston called out from above.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d have Lucinda turn you into something a little more silent if I didn\u2019t think you would keep making noise some other way.\u201d\u00a0 The woman at his side snickered at the idea.<\/p>\n

Lucinda leaned forward, her purple dress sparkling in the sunlight as she withdrew from the shadows.\u00a0 \u201cGo on, dear,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cIf for no other reason than to have this be the last that we hear Mister Camlann prattle on about \u2018fire this\u2019 and \u2018flames that.\u2019\u00a0 We believe in you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The young sorceress blew out a fretful sigh, shaking out her hands as though she exerted power through her body, rather than calling upon the arcane arts through the aether.\u00a0 Adelia passed a glance at everyone in attendance, one at a time.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe if everyone acted like Lydick instead of staring at me, this wouldn\u2019t be so difficult,\u201d she muttered.\u00a0 Still, she knew there was nothing that would take her out of that moment.\u00a0 Adelia was as exhausted with the routine as everyone else.\u00a0 If she could bring flames into existence at her behest, she would have.\u00a0 They only seemed to come when she least expected them, and even then, their arrival was far and few between.<\/p>\n

She shook her head and steadied herself, trying to remember all the things Gaston had taught her.\u00a0 Some magic came naturally to casters, she knew.\u00a0 Other spells had to be coerced through the veil.\u00a0 Adelia positioned her body, extending her arm, hoping that a new stance might help to kindle the flame.\u00a0 She uncurled her fingers, letting her palm face the straw dummy, the target visible just above her thumb.<\/p>\n

As she visualized the fire roaring to life in front of her, the world around her grew darker.\u00a0 It was a play on her mind, she understood.\u00a0 The sorceress knew to fight past that trick, that it was nothing more than a shift in the aethereal plane she could see through.<\/p>\n

She found her focus, pushing forward with her hand as though she were drawing out the power of fire from deep within herself.\u00a0 But there were distractions\u2014memories of times she wanted desperately to forget.\u00a0 She squashed them down, knowing she could never ignore them completely.<\/p>\n

Adelia concentrated while the heat climbed up her arm.\u00a0 She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the frightening feeling.\u00a0 At any moment, a flame would burst from her hand, and\u2026<\/p>\n

A smattering of sparks fizzled less than an inch away from her skin, and all went quiet as everyone pondered if she\u2019d even made a genuine attempt.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I tried,\u201d she said, hoping that adding a little levity would leave the situation less embarrassing.<\/p>\n

\u201cTry again,\u201d Gaston insisted.\u00a0 \u201cWe can be here as long as you need to be.\u00a0 But we are going to see that you summon up your flames.\u00a0 It will ensure that\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

An audible sigh left her lips, and Adelia bowed her head.\u00a0 \u201cI do not want to do this, Gaston.\u201d\u00a0 She looked up at him and placed her fists on her hips.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve done this for weeks\u2014months, even.\u00a0 We all know that I have a problem with it.\u00a0 I can\u2019t get past it.\u00a0 And you know that fire frightens me, but you still push me, day after day.\u00a0 I\u2019m tired of it all.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the overlook, Gaston paused, shaking his head.\u00a0 He knew it was a stressful subject, but he remained aware of the deeper lessons it would unlock if she could conquer that study.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s actually been over a year, young lady,\u201d Gaston explained.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I know the problems you have with it.\u00a0 Fire haunts your memories, and it reminds you of terrible times to even think about having to cast it.\u00a0 But consider this: I am not trying to teach you to cast it so you can be a force of destruction.\u00a0 I am trying to show you how to conquer your fears.\u00a0 Eventually, you will run across an enchanter who does not have the same aversity to fire you do.\u00a0 You\u2019ll find yourself face to face with a score of archers who want to burn down this town we\u2019ve built.\u00a0 You have a history with dragons, don\u2019t you?\u00a0 Who is to say that the next one you run across doesn\u2019t try to burn you to a crisp?\u00a0 What shall you do then?\u00a0 Cower behind rocks or a tree and hope to be forgotten?\u00a0 No, Adelia, you can be so much more than that\u2014you are<\/em> more than that.\u00a0 I need you to reach deep inside and tell yourself that there\u2019s nothing to fear.\u00a0 You control the flames.\u00a0 They do not control you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sage turned to Lucinda and muttered something quiet to her.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe this will work for you, Miss Kreegan,\u201d Gaston said.\u00a0 \u201cWe know you prefer your spells to have a dash of lightning or icy elements.\u00a0 But what would you do if your opponent was impervious to those characteristics?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lucinda, the salacious woman at Gaston\u2019s side\u2014purely platonic in their relationship, the sage liked to point out\u2014approached the railing of the overlook and set her own magic to work.\u00a0 Not quite the battle caster that Gaston was, or that he was training his pupil to be, Lucinda had excelled at, or perhaps perfected, the art of transformative magic.\u00a0 She reminded Adelia often of the true nature of her spells.\u00a0 After all, even magic couldn\u2019t permanently change the state of things without constant intervention.<\/p>\n

Still, Lucinda\u2019s power allowed her to change the very nature of an object\u2014or a creature, in some cases\u2014affecting multiple properties at once.\u00a0 When Gaston explained his premise for how the dummy should react, Lucinda adjusted the straw-filled opponent and added a flourish for good measure.<\/p>\n

A rogue wizard would make an effective foe for the sorceress adept, even if it wasn\u2019t real.<\/p>\n

\u201cUse your imagination,\u201d Gaston said as Lucinda\u2019s magic took shape.\u00a0 \u201cPicture this\u2026this fiend endangering you and all your friends.\u00a0 He\u2019s shielded himself with potions of insulation and warmth, but you can tell he\u2019s not immune to fire.\u00a0 One stray blast\u2014fire of any sort, really\u2014will put him out of commission, and we can celebrate your skills.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adelia rolled her eyes, though she bowed her head to hide the reaction.\u00a0 The sage always meant well, but his words of encouragement sounded more like chastisement in his exasperated voice.\u00a0 Begrudgingly, she also waited for the shift of Lucinda\u2019s polymorphic spell to conclude.\u00a0 Adelia already had her arm outstretched again, desperately hoping she could put all the talk of flames behind her.\u00a0 All she wanted was to be done with training for a time, but she knew Gaston wouldn\u2019t give up on her so easily.<\/p>\n

She waited, watching as the colors shifted before her.\u00a0 The straw dummy had been cinched together with a long-sleeved shirt and a torn pair of britches, a mishmash of grey and brown that wouldn\u2019t have looked appealing on a handsome fellow, let alone the dowdy scarecrow.\u00a0 But before the shape completed changing, Lucinda had picked out a color.\u00a0 Of course, it was purple, a shade not so different from what the older arcanist wore that day (and most days).\u00a0 Adelia had once thought of it as a plum color, though a bit more regal and vivid.\u00a0 The scarecrow, on the other hand, donned an outfit that looked like a dull violet or a darker lavender.\u00a0 Adelia arched her eyebrow, trying to think of where she had last seen vestments that looked like mulled wine.<\/p>\n

Lucinda finished crafting the faux man\u2019s look, and a fuzzy, almost draining feeling washed over Adelia.\u00a0 She had <\/em>seen someone who looked like that before, but she couldn\u2019t put her finger on it.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t quite the same\u2014the structure of his face was far different, but the combination of the fellow\u2019s slicked-back black hair and his horseshoe-shaped mustache, together with the purple color, had memories flooding back to the young sorceress.<\/p>\n

Though the color somehow had reminded her of the man, her recollection was muddled with shades of grey.\u00a0 Everything was awash in light, as though she were seeing the memory skewed by sunlight hitting water while she was beneath the surface.\u00a0 The man walked across a field, a hulking figure behind him, covered in a cloak.\u00a0 He approached the house, but somehow hadn\u2019t seen her.\u00a0 The man in the plum-colored robes turned his head in her direction, and Adelia gasped.<\/p>\n

She hadn\u2019t summoned a flame or any other magic from the aether.\u00a0 The aspirant sorceress stumbled back, haunted by memories she couldn\u2019t quite comprehend.<\/p>\n

Gaston realized at once that something was wrong.\u00a0 He gripped the railing, watching the way his pupil reacted.\u00a0 A moment later, he muttered something to Lucinda and then called on her to act immediately.\u00a0 Lucinda fumbled for a moment, surprised by the order, but she undid her enchantment.\u00a0 The color drained from the straw target, as though it were bleeding into the ground.\u00a0 Faux flesh gave way to the fibrous innards of the dummy, and in seconds, the target was back to looking like it had before she had affected it with her magic.<\/p>\n

It was too late, it appeared.\u00a0 Gaston watched as emotion came over his apprentice, and she shied away and eventually spun about completely.\u00a0 Adelia walked away at first, but as she considered the embarrassment of the situation, she began jogging away as well.<\/p>\n

Even Lydick sensed that something was wrong at that point, and the rhythmic hammering that rang out in the courtyard stopped, leaving an unusual silence in the place.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did I miss?\u201d the stringy blacksmith asked his son.<\/p>\n

Gaston, not afraid to let himself look foolish, hurried from his spot on the overlook, running along the keep\u2019s corridors with his robes hiked up just enough to allow for safer travel.\u00a0 He rushed down the steps, his cloth shoes barely reporting at all, and when Trevor looked his way, he almost seemed to float down the stone stairs. Gaston reached the courtyard a moment later, already a little out of breath, and turned to the keep\u2019s exit, watching as Adelia made her way to the wildflower fields outside Forsynthia\u2019s keep.\u00a0 The sage only slowed his pace when he saw the little, black-furred creature following behind her.<\/p>\n

Merlin, ever the girl\u2019s shadow, must have watched that day\u2019s training in secrecy, but he was ready to let her know he would look after her.<\/p>\n

Adelia, breathing unsteadily, hurried on, her gaze set on the path away from the keep.\u00a0 Merlin could tell by her pace that something was wrong, and he skittered into place to follow her.\u00a0 She grew accustomed to the feeling of being stalked by him and would feign surprise when he emerged from behind a topiary guardian or a dense cluster of flowers.\u00a0 But that afternoon, it was as though she were far away from the place which she had called home for a year of her life.<\/p>\n

She couldn\u2019t wrench the thought of the strange man from her mind.\u00a0 Adelia stopped, looking down at the long path leading from Forsynthia to the hewn stone gate that led farther into Daltain, but she imagined a different field.\u00a0 A flatter wilderness was before her, with some crops growing to her side, rather than the exquisite flowers and hedge creatures.\u00a0 Adelia watched the stranger\u2019s confident approach upon the grass.\u00a0 There was no path, and, she recalled, there were never any visitors.\u00a0 His approach portended terrible things.\u00a0 As she stared, her vision withdrew, and she saw the door that framed his arrival.\u00a0 She looked away, trying to offer a warning to those with her, but she couldn\u2019t see anyone in the house.\u00a0 When she looked back, the man was in the doorway, the shadows resting upon his face, leaving him looking monstrous as it hid his eyes.<\/p>\n

Adelia gasped at the sight of him, but she watched as the imagined sight faded away, the memory\u2014if in fact that was what it was, for it still felt out of place\u2014ripping and tearing, allowing pieces of the real world to pierce through.\u00a0 A stabbing pain pulled her from her thoughts, and when the sorceress looked to her side, she understood why.\u00a0 Merlin looked up at her with his large, curious, golden eyes, his claws burrowed into the skin above her knee.<\/p>\n

She blew out another sigh, but a smile was already forming as she considered her own little guardian.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Merlin,\u201d Adelia said as she bent down to scoop him up.\u00a0 \u201cI was someplace else.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cat didn\u2019t seem to mind, and as she brought her arms closer to her chest, he nuzzled against her.\u00a0 His purrs already filled her with a sense of calm, and she let her chin fall just above his head.\u00a0 Merlin moved about, rubbing his brow and his neck against her jawline.<\/p>\n

Rooted once again in reality, Adelia considered her surroundings.\u00a0 She saw the gatehouse far in the distance, framed by the trees that acted as a natural border surrounding Forsynthia.\u00a0 She knew she was farther down in the wildflower fields than she usually traveled.\u00a0 When she looked at the ground, she realized she was standing atop some of those flowers\u2014not admiring them from the side as she usually did.<\/p>\n

Her arms lowered as regret filled her thoughts.\u00a0 Gaston would never berate her for such a thing, especially once she was given time to explain herself.\u00a0 But she knew how much the wildflowers soothed his soul, and she sighed at the thought of his disappointment.<\/p>\n

Merlin understood her lowered arms as a suggestion to move along.\u00a0 He leaped from his perch and sprang from where he landed, avoiding any of the flowers in the manicured cluster just off the path.<\/p>\n

Adelia chuckled to herself and shook her head, knowing she had no such agility to perform those same impressive acrobatics.\u00a0 \u201cHere I am, stranded on an island all alone, and you just left me,\u201d she teased the cat.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not alone,\u201d she heard from a compassionate voice behind her.<\/p>\n

Keeping her feet in place as they were, Adelia twisted and looked over her shoulder.\u00a0 Gaston was there, his wide-brimmed, buckled wizard hat hiding his eyes somewhat as he bowed his head.\u00a0 It was a polite gesture, meant to assure his pupil that he didn\u2019t mean to intrude, but the abrupt and awkward preceding minutes left Adelia unsure of how he felt.\u00a0 Gaston was a great caster, and an even greater study of people, but he wasn\u2019t always successful at hiding his emotions from those around him.\u00a0 Adelia could often discern his true feelings just by looking into his eyes.<\/p>\n

Though she often tried to keep her own emotions in check, she allowed a steadying sigh to pass through her when she saw that her teacher wore a sympathetic gaze instead of a judgmental one.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry about the flowers,\u201d she said, looking down at the crushed flora at her feet.\u00a0 She was surrounded by asters and poppies and cornflowers, and as she took care to turn about to face the sage, she realized that she\u2019d trampled a path right over many of them.\u00a0 She hung her head, even more ashamed than she had been.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no need to apologize,\u201d Gaston said, reaching out to her though he didn\u2019t dare to step from the path into the cluster of flowers.\u00a0 \u201cIt should be me that is asking for your forgiveness.\u00a0 I often see you as your potential, and I sometimes forget that you\u2019ve gone through much these past few years.\u201d<\/p>\n

He sighed and led her gaze back to the gatehouse farther down the road.\u00a0 \u201cYou know why I enjoy these wildflowers more than some perfectly planted flower beds with roses and daffodils?\u00a0 There\u2019s some ruggedness to them.\u00a0 There\u2019s some chaos.\u00a0 But they still come together beautifully.\u00a0 They\u2019re like people, really.\u00a0 If you leave some of them be, they can grow into something breathtaking.\u00a0 Certainly, I can refine the edges, but the flowers grow on their own.\u00a0 Adelia, you\u2019re not always going to grow just the way I expect you to, and that\u2019s not fair of me to require it.\u00a0 No two flowers ever grow the same, so it\u2019s unreasonable of me to think that you should blossom in what way I intend.\u00a0 I know you\u2019ll better yourself under your own power and your own time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Gaston,\u201d Adelia said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd for what it\u2019s worth, I know that you\u2019re looking out for me.\u00a0 It\u2019s just that\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want you to freeze,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIt frightens me to think that even after all we\u2019ve accomplished together, there are still some things that surprise you.\u00a0 What exactly did you see when Lucinda conjured the image over the training dummy?\u201d\u00a0 He waved the question away, knowing that he walked a very dangerous road in reminding her of the fellow.<\/p>\n

Adelia was already answering, though.\u00a0 \u201cIt was like I had seen him in a memory, only\u2026it wasn\u2019t my memory.\u00a0 It was all beginning to come back, and I think\u2026 Gaston, I think whoever that man was, he was who killed my family.\u00a0 I think I failed to protect them.\u00a0 I think if perhaps I had known I had magic before, I might have been able to save them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNonsense,\u201d he said, considering what she said, but thinking more to the man she described.\u00a0 \u201cYour family didn\u2019t\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He bowed his head and cleared his throat, patting her on the back.\u00a0 \u201cYour family didn\u2019t perish because of anything that you did.\u201d<\/p>\n

That did little to placate Adelia.\u00a0 \u201cAll I remember is the fire that scorched through the house.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t get them out, Gaston.\u00a0 And even though I can\u2019t quite make out what happened, the image of the blaze stays with me always.\u00a0 How am I supposed to conjure flames when they stole everything from me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will continue trying to help you understand that,\u201d Gaston said.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps we can show you some of the good that can come from flames.\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing quite like huddling next to a fire with a fine book, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGaston,\u201d she said, trying to inspire some quiet.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you spent some time in Viscosa.\u00a0 Don\u2019t tell me you had none of their freshly baked bread.\u00a0 You can\u2019t make that without a stove.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I understand,\u201d she grumbled, rolling her eyes again at the thought of how many other ideas he would come up with.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeday, perhaps we can charter an airship for a voyage unlike anything you\u2019ve ever seen.\u00a0 There are some captains who churn their enormous balloons full of flames to keep it aloft.\u00a0 It\u2019s truly a sight to behold.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adelia looped her arm around his and spun him about.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s about enough of that,\u201d she said, turning back toward the keep.<\/p>\n

The old sage chuckled and gently tapped his pupil\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cIn all seriousness, my dear, you never have to doubt yourself.\u00a0 Look,\u201d he said, pointing toward the south of the keep.\u00a0 Several buildings had taken shape there over the last few months, and while many more of their recent refugees had taken solace in temporary housing within sturdy tents, a plan was in place for the city of Forsynthia to continue growing.\u00a0 \u201cYou made that happen\u2014one girl with compassion, clever thinking, and unrivaled courage.\u00a0 I know that if calling on fire magic is meant to be, it will happen in due time.\u201d<\/p>\n

He waved his hand, dismissing the topic.\u00a0 \u201cBut enough of that,\u201d he conceded.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve talked about it for far too long.\u00a0 I think the next time we address the issue, it shall be on your terms.\u00a0 Only\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He paused, slowing his steps as he considered his next words.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly what?\u201d Adelia wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cMiss Kreegan,\u201d Gaston said, having chosen his words, \u201cI believe you are growing beyond the limits of these basic teachings.\u00a0 What shall I do with you when it will be you who could teach me the magic that you\u2019re capable of?\u201d<\/p>\n

She playfully scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cSurely there\u2019s some grand spells you have been hiding away from me.\u00a0 You like to show off your elemental magic tricks, but I\u2019m sure you have some other incredible enchantments, like pulling a meteor from the sky or causing an arcane explosion that consumes everything around for miles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, now,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat kind of man do you take me for, thinking I would exercise such wonton destruction?\u00a0 Besides, I have nothing to hide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Almost as soon as he spoke the words, a songbird tweeted out a tune that let him know he should stop walking to provide a suitable perch.\u00a0 At once, a little bluebird fluttered up beside him and took a rest on his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, hello there, Homer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The tiny bird continued to sing, and Gaston nodded and hummed in reply.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing to hide, eh?\u201d Adelia asked.\u00a0 \u201cSpeak plainly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking at his pupil, the sage saw her arched eyebrow and knew that she understood far more than he expected.\u00a0 \u201cHmm,\u201d he said and nodded as he turned back to the songbird.\u00a0 \u201cVery well.\u00a0 It seems my pupil cannot be so easily fooled.\u00a0 Go on, Homer.\u00a0 What have you to say?\u201d<\/p>\n

The bird looked back and forth between the two arcanists, as though it realized the relationship had undergone a subtle change.\u00a0 It fluttered its wings, as close to an avian shrug as it could muster.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou told me several days ago about the carriage from Atalatha that you were expecting,\u201d the bird said, its voice a mite deeper than Adelia expected.\u00a0 \u201cWell, a vehicle bearing the phoenix sigil is on its way toward the gates as we speak.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be here by sundown, certainly, unless they pause to eat or rest on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, that is good to know,\u201d the sage said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be sure to reward you for your superb scouting when I return to the keep.\u201d\u00a0 That was enough to satisfy the bluebird, who ducked low, springing from Gaston\u2019s shoulder and diving toward the ground to pick up momentum.\u00a0 As Homer flew into the sky, back toward the keep, the sage turned to his pupil.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I suppose in the interest of not harboring secrets, it might be important for you to know who is on the way and why I\u2019ve summoned them to Forsynthia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adelia waved her free hand and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t have to include me in every one of your secret plans,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be happy just knowing you\u2019ll have your thumb on someone else for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though he knew it was a tease, he still harrumphed at the implication.\u00a0 \u201cIf you must know, this is an extension of your <\/em>plan, Miss Kreegan.\u00a0 You\u2019ll recall that our prisoner, who you thwarted many months ago, still hasn\u2019t told us anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThoro?\u201d she asked, though she knew there was no one else who Gaston could be speaking of.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt what point do we start looking at ourselves less as a prison and more like one of the country\u2019s worst inns?\u201d\u00a0 He sighed and bowed his head.\u00a0 \u201cAnd yet, I\u2019m finding it more exhausting than he is, I think.\u00a0 You and I are not cut out for interrogation.\u00a0 Especially not against him.\u00a0 Somehow, he finds the strength to avoid questioning no matter what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

She hummed to herself, half trying to pull her mind from the thoughts of torture and half in contemplation of their inability to do just that.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t really do much to inspire him to speak.\u00a0 And it seems like by the time he\u2019s ready for it, he\u2019s back to being unable to do so.\u00a0 Lucinda and I can\u2019t keep transforming him into someone who has a\u2026a\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d Gaston said.\u00a0 \u201cWhich is why I\u2019ve summoned help from a talented healer from Atalatha.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA healer?\u201d Adelia repeated, a little intrigued by the prospect.\u00a0 \u201cSo, when you and I both admit that we\u2019re a bit understated at interrogation\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTorture,\u201d Gaston came out and clarified.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2014your plan is to make our would-be assassin feel better?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we\u2019ll start with our ongoing problem,\u201d the sage replied, an uncomfortable chuckle leaving his lips.\u00a0 \u201cIf we\u2019re able to ensure he can\u2019t simply wait out our questions before his tongue shrivels back up, perhaps we can finally outlast him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it might be time to give up on Thoro,\u201d Adelia said.\u00a0 \u201cWe know he came here on a terrible mission, and by luck he was stopped.\u00a0 That should be enough of a victory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gaston muttered to himself before looking at his pupil again.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not satisfied with what we\u2019ve learned so far.\u00a0 Ippius never had a strained relationship with the rest of Draconis.\u00a0 I must know why we were targeted\u2014and here, in Forsynthia, no less.\u00a0 He came here for Lydick, you understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adelia nodded, recalling the fear that welled up inside her when they opened the door to Gaston\u2019s chamber and saw Thoro within, holding his dagger to the throat of one of their friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be honest, this is my last-ditch effort,\u201d he confessed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been fighting off Edric and the Knights of Gardone for weeks\u2014perhaps months\u2014at this point.\u00a0 Thoro\u2019s target may have indeed been our blacksmith, but it was Edric who he nearly killed.\u00a0 They want him so they can perform their own interrogation.\u00a0 And my friendship with Edric has been taxed by our inability to produce any answers.\u201d<\/p>\n

He sighed as they reached the archway leading back into the keep.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t you go along then?\u00a0 Perhaps Lucinda has some lessons she can impart on you while I prepare a proper welcome for our new arrivals.\u201d<\/p>\n

An embarrassed chuckle shook Adelia.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe there\u2019s another nightmare from a past that I can\u2019t quite remember that she can chance upon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the spirit,\u201d Gaston teased.\u00a0 He nudged Adelia further and turned about when she passed beyond the portcullis housed within the archway.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you need a break from me or from her?\u201d Adelia ribbed back.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave a pleasant afternoon, Miss Kreegan,\u201d Gaston called out as he walked down the path.<\/p>\n

Adelia took a steadying breath as she watched the sage withdraw from the keep.\u00a0 The courtyard wasn\u2019t as crowded as it could have been, she realized.\u00a0 The refugees from Sungarden sometimes filled it with livelier entertainment or even goods as they attempted to adjust to life away from one of Daltain\u2019s capital cities.\u00a0 It had been a difficult road for some of them, but going down the other direction would have led to persecution.\u00a0 The choice was made clear, even if they hadn\u2019t been the ones to make it.<\/p>\n

It was just a handful of residents of the keep who basked in the sun.\u00a0 Still, they were the people who Adelia spent her time with every day, and she almost couldn\u2019t bear to show her face to them after her embarrassing reaction earlier.<\/p>\n

While she stared through the portcullis, her little black shadow reappeared.\u00a0 Merlin meowed at her from outside the gate, but he wasn\u2019t trapped in the slightest.\u00a0 He pushed forward, squeezing between a gap in the lattice pattern.<\/p>\n

Adelia smiled, always charmed by the quirky feline.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t spend any more time trying to earn her affections, the cat skittering past her as he entered the courtyard.\u00a0 Adelia spun about to follow him with her gaze, when she noticed she wasn\u2019t the only one that was close to the exit.\u00a0 She jumped at the sight of Lucinda, who popped back a bit at the reaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd now it seems I have two scares to apologize for,\u201d Lucinda said with a snicker.\u00a0 \u201cI must say, young lady, I wasn\u2019t expecting you to react in such a way to Bartleby.\u201d\u00a0 When Adelia responded merely with an arched eyebrow, Lucinda stepped back and swept out her hand toward the straw dummy.\u00a0 \u201cYour target for the afternoon?\u00a0 I figured he needed a name.\u00a0 Although with such a frightened reaction, perhaps he should have had a more apt name, like Skull-cracker or\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right, Lucinda,\u201d Adelia said.\u00a0 \u201cYou couldn\u2019t have known I would be scared.\u00a0 He just\u2026 He looked like someone I think I\u2019ve seen before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, child,\u201d the haughty woman said.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I am sorry.\u00a0 Here I took a perfectly fine day and soured it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not true,\u201d Adelia replied.\u00a0 \u201cIt was bound to be a struggle as soon as we knew I would be fighting against myself trying to work my way through any fiery spells.\u00a0 I just can\u2019t seem to tap into the arcane for that kind of magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you shouldn\u2019t be forced to,\u201d Lucinda said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s as I say, dear: you can try to change the form of something, but eventually it always returns to the shape it needs to be.\u00a0 And in your case, that\u2019s someone who doesn\u2019t want to bother with flames.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Lucinda,\u201d Adelia said with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, now,\u201d the plump sorceress replied.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think that Gaston\u2019s reasoning is without merit.\u00a0 There\u2019s something beneath the veil that worries me about your reaction to fire as well.\u00a0 We just want to be certain that in the face of it, you don\u2019t find yourself in more trouble than you ought to.\u00a0 You can\u2019t always pull the stunt you did with the magistrate at the signing\u2014summoning ice and casting a new look upon it to have it look like flickering flames.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adelia stared at the other arcanist for a while before gently touching her shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cGaston was just telling me he would be busy attending to some visitors to the keep.\u00a0 He wanted to know if you perhaps had any new lessons for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though a thin smile was upon Lucinda\u2019s lips, she narrowed her eyes while she folded her arms under her chest.\u00a0 \u201cMy, you\u2019ve learned a few little tricks of your own, haven\u2019t you?\u00a0 Like how to avoid parts of a conversation you don\u2019t want to deal with.\u00a0 I wonder who you picked that up from.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about,\u201d Adelia pushed back on her, but a moment later, she opened her eyes wider, uncovering another revelation.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re doing it right now, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her smile parted, for Lucinda was at once shocked that she had been found out and proud of her prot\u00e9g\u00e9.\u00a0 \u201cYou are too smart for your own good, you know?\u201d\u00a0 She spun about, sweeping a strand of her grey hair out from in front of her face as she drew deeper into the keep.\u00a0 \u201cTruth be told, I believe we\u2019re at a place where I might take lessons from you, dear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat can\u2019t possibly be true,\u201d Adelia insisted.<\/p>\n

Lucinda chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cIt may be a point that you\u2019ll never quite have control over transformative magic as I do, but while I excel at that, I\u2019ve never really put as much effort into some of the other spells or even schools of magic that you\u2019ve dabbled in.\u00a0 True, I could pull something out of the aether in a pinch, but you\u2019ve come so far in so short a time.\u201d\u00a0 She hummed to herself, stopping just before she passed beneath an archway that led toward the steps to the second story of the keep.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever been this proud of someone before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adelia bowed her head at the flattery, but she sensed something else in what Lucinda was telling her.\u00a0 \u201cYou almost sound sad to say it,\u201d she thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, truth be told, I feel as though I\u2019m not needed here as much as I used to be.\u00a0 Miss Kreegan, I trust you\u2019ll keep this between us, but I\u2019m considering leaving.\u00a0 As I said before, there\u2019s not much more by the way of arcane knowledge that I can bestow upon you, and\u2026\u201d\u00a0 She blew out a frustrated sigh and spun back around toward the girl.\u00a0 \u201cMaster Camlann was a fun diversion for a while, but he\u2019s proven to be a bit more resilient than I expected.\u00a0 And while I\u2019ll always enjoy a game of cat and mouse\u2014as you did, if I\u2019m not mistaken\u2014eventually, the cat has to eat.\u201d\u00a0 Even Lucinda seemed to almost blush at that scandalous remark.\u00a0 She waved her hand as though to shoo away any embarrassing thoughts.\u00a0 \u201cWhat I mean to say is that I\u2019m not ready to pursue him to the ends of the world when it\u2019s clear he\u2019s more enthralled with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

She threw up her hands as the words she spoke resonated in the courtyard and she heard them again.\u00a0 Clasping them together, it was almost as if she were trying to pray.\u00a0 \u201cThat was explained poorly, and I\u2019d like to try again,\u201d she said, almost eliciting a giggle from the aspiring sorceress.\u00a0 \u201cAdelia, you are like a puzzle Gaston is trying to understand.\u00a0 There\u2019s a riddle about you, and it goes beyond just your hesitation to work with fire.\u00a0 There\u2019s a deep, resonant question about just why you\u2019re as powerful as you are and how you accomplished such magical prowess without study.\u00a0 Your teacher, bless his heart, will go to the ends of the world to figure you out, because he sees in you\u2014as I do\u2014the beginning of something incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those kind words were perhaps the most solemn that Lucinda had ever sent her way, and Adelia felt bare having heard them.\u00a0 Tears fought their way to the rims of her eyes, and Lucinda moved forward to give her a shoulder to lean on.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, were you only a handsome old wizard who wanted me to stay nearby,\u201d she teased.\u00a0 \u201cChin up, dear.\u00a0 I won\u2019t be going anywhere for some time.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wild Magic, a Tale by Michael DeAngelo Chapter One: Feel the Flame   He remained vigilant in the sight of danger, still standing, though all his brothers had fallen to the sorceress. Had he been made from flesh and bone rather than straw, perhaps he would have been burned by the sun.\u00a0 As it stood\u2014as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":33158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[57,145],"tags":[234,2635,288,2639,2648],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Featured-Ancestral-Magic.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-8CM","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33156"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33156"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33156\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33157,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33156\/revisions\/33157"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}