“The real test?” Lorit asked. “What is the real test?”
Zhimosom raised his staff and mumbled words that Lorit could not hear. The dream of his confinement suddenly became real. He could feel the ropes tightening around him, squeezing the breath out of him as they coiled tighter and tighter.
Lorit panicked. This was his nightmare become real. He struggled to breathe and remain conscious.
“Calmly. Don’t fight it directly,” Zhimosom reminded Lorit.
Lorit felt for the spell that encased him. He grasped at the imaginary ropes that encircled him, drawing tighter. He panicked as they tightened and threatened to suffocate him.
“Don’t fight it. Remember your lessons.”
Lorit tried to relax. He stopped fighting. As soon as he relaxed, he could feel a slight loosening of the ropes that bound him. He recalled the words Zhimosom had taught him to help focus his will. “Vincula et libera me,” he said. He could feel the bonds slipping away. “Vincula et libera me,” he repeated.
The bonds fell away and Lorit was able to breathe freely once again. The old wizard sat passively on the chair, watching him struggle. He had watched with a diligent eye throughout Lorit’s ordeal, absently stroking his long white beard.
When Lorit was free, Zhimosom spoke. “That was respectable, my boy.” He leaned forward in the chair and once again jabbed his staff at Lorit. Lorit felt the tip of the staff hit his shield and stop short.
“Respectable,” Zhimosom repeated. “Are you starting to develop a little humility yet?”
“Yes, mighty one,” Lorit said.
“Don’t mighty one me. Your powers are great and growing rapidly. Soon, you’ll come into them at their fullest. If you’re not careful, you’ll be a target for every priest from here to Quineshua.”
The wizard stood up from the chair, once again leaning heavily on his staff. As he stepped backwards, the study from which he had emerged reappeared. He stepped behind his desk and seated himself in his usual place.
“Take care, my boy. You have a quest ahead of you that many would fear to undertake,” he looked down at the large book opened in front of him.
“And look after Chihon,” he admonished Lorit. “You will come to depend on her heavily if you remain steadfast in your quest.”
“I’ll look after her,” Lorit said.
The wizard’s image faded from view as the candle flickered and extinguished itself, plunging Lorit into darkness.
In the morning, Lorit woke to the sound of Chihon entering. She looked at the empty plate on the table. “Did you wake up and eat last night?” she asked.
“No, it was the wizard,” he said.
“The wizard? He was here?”
“Yes, he was here. He was right here, in this room.”
“What was he doing in your room?” she asked.
“Jabbing me with his staff,” Lorit answered. “He insisted that I learn a few advanced shield techniques. Then he put that binding spell on me, the one the priest used.”
“What happened?” she asked.
“At first I was caught up. It was the nightmare returning. I was suffocating and I couldn’t breathe, until I remembered what he’d taught me, then it was simple.”
“What happened then?” she asked.
“Then, he just walked back into his study, took his seat, and told me to be careful.”
“He was here, in this room?” she asked again.
Lorit pulled up his shirt to expose several round red marks on his chest. “Real enough for you?” he asked.
Chihon had just finished preparing breakfast when Lorit arrived. He seated himself and slid the chair under the table. Gareb joined them just as Lorit poured himself a mug of tea and began loading up his plate.
“I hear we had a visit from the mighty one last night. Imagine that,” Gareb chuckled. “One of them right here, in our own house.”
“What did he want?” Chihon asked. She dropped a thick cloth pad on the table and carefully placed the pan in the middle.
“He wanted me to learn a few more shield techniques,” Lorit said. “At times
,
it was quite a painful lesson.”
Gareb rubbed at his chest. “I think I recall one or two of those,” he said with a smile.
“He also thinks he knows who was responsible for my imprisonment and the death of my sister,” he added with a frown. Lorit picked at his food, slicing one of the sausages into thin slices and shoving them around his plate without actually eating them.
“Who was it?” Chihon asked. She was concerned for Lorit. He’d lost his cheerful demeanor in the crypt. She kept hoping that something he learned would bring it back.
“He thinks it was a priest by the name of Sulrad. He’s one of the high-ups in the temple at Quineshua.” He halfheartedly picked at one of the sausage bits. “I fear we have a long journey in front of us.”
“Going to Quineshua, to the Temple?” Gareb asked. “Those Temple priests are a bad lot. Quineshua is the center of their religion, their stronghold. It can’t be a wise decision to take them on directly, like that.”
“I didn’t start this quarrel,” Lorit said. He waved his hand in an easterly direction, jabbing at the air with his fork. “They started it.”
“Ever since that day in the high pasture, when I first materialized that apple, they’ve chased me down, tortured me imprisoned me. They killed my sister and my mother. They killed Ardser. They seek out young wizards and interfere in their lives before they get a chance to decide anything for themselves.”
“It sounds dangerous,” Chihon said, looking worried. “Are you sure you are up to the task?” She feared that he would take off on a dangerous quest before he was ready. He had narrowly escaped their clutches, and she didn’t want to lose him. She felt the bond growing stronger between them. It scared her and excited her in a way that nothing ever had before. She could draw on his power when she needed to, and cast spells that she would otherwise never have imagined possible.
“I don’t know if I’m up to the task yet, but I have to do something. I can’t simply stand by and let it keep happening.”
“They’ve already had you in their powers twice before. What makes you sure that you’re not walking into a trap?” Chihon asked. “Why did they leave you alive when they killed Onolt?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it was to torture me even more by letting me live with the guilt.
“Zhimosom says my powers are growing. They’ll soon be at full strength. If I’m not ready to take them on now, I never will be.”
“Your powers may be maturing, but there is learning that you’ve not yet had time to acquire,” Gareb said. “It's winter and travel to Quineshua will be difficult. You’re welcome to stay with us as long as you need. By spring, you’ll be properly prepared for this quest.”
“I don’t want to impose on your hospitality,” Lorit said.
Chihon held her breath. She wanted Lorit to stay and learn. She was growing to love Yerlow and Gareb. They were courteous folk and treated her like a sister. She didn’t want to press Lorit. She felt the bond growing stronger, but she could feel him trying to keep his distance from her, as if he were afraid to let her in.
“Don’t worry about imposing,” Yerlow said. “We’ve enjoyed having Chihon with us these past weeks. We’ve had such a short time to get to know you. You’ve only just awakened. It would be an honor to have you as our guest for a while longer.”
Chihon reached over and grasped Lorit’s hand. “Please, let’s spend a little time getting prepared for the journey. Gareb has some very good books that I’ve been studying. I’ve learned a lot from him already. We can be well prepared before we head off to Quineshua.”
“I’m not asking you to come with me,” Lorit said. “I know it’s dangerous. You would be safer if you stayed here, while I undertake this quest alone.”
“That,” she said, “is not going to happen. I go where you go. No argument!”
Lorit agreed to pass the worst of winter with Gareb and Yerlow. Chihon worked with Yerlow at her seamstress duties, helping cut and sew to the best of her abilities. Lorit spent his days as a butcher in the market, using the skills he'd acquired on the farm to earn his living. Lorit filled out from the regular exercise and Yerlow’s cooking. Chihon was happy to see him lose some of the anger and sorrow that was so prevalent when he first awoke from the web.
Evenings, after dinner, they worked through the lessons that Gareb planned out for them.
Lorit rapidly mastered the shields. He was almost as good as Gareb before he started training. By spring, he’d mastered every type of shield in the book. He’d surpassed most of the skills Gareb possessed within the first moon of their stay. He passed his teacher, demanding ever more difficult challenges.
Chihon grew into her power more slowly than Lorit, but was able to draw on his strength when needed. She quickly mastered the spells in all of the books that Gareb had stored around his dusty workshop.
She spent the evenings poring over her lessons with Gareb, and occasionally in discussions with Rotiaqua, learning the secret ways of the Sorceress.
In one of her evening sessions, Chihon was more concerned than ever. “Rotiaqua, why is he so distant?” she asked.
“You mean other than that he’s a man?” the Sorceress chuckled.
“I feel the bond growing between us. We’re practicing spells together that are far beyond anything I thought I’d ever be able to perform. He’s advancing so quickly. It scares me.”
“That’s the way of it,” the Sorceress said. “I recall when Zhimosom and I first started to form the bond. I knew immediately that we were going to spend a long time together. I was eager to learn and grow at his side. He spent ages pushing me away, afraid of the bond.”
“What did you do?” Chihon asked.
“I kept at it. I worked with him and stood by him until he finally came to his senses.”
“And now it’s better?”
“He’s still a man,” the Sorceress snorted. “But now we’re close. He confides in me. He depends on me. We work together to further our common goals. I’m the only person who really knows the man behind the name,” she added.
“How long did it take for you?” Chihon asked. She hoped it would not take too long.
The Sorceress laughed. “Let’s hope that it doesn’t take you as long as it took me.”
Chihon took Rotiaqua’s advice to heart. She spent time with Lorit as he practiced his spells and grew into his power. They worked together until either one of them could handle the more complex spells on their own. She felt the power he drew from her to drive these spells, as a tangible physical demand. She also felt the euphoria and power she experienced when she borrowed from him to tackle something more difficult.
She worked hard at earning his confidence, but she never felt like he truly let her in. The specter of his sister was a constant barrier between them. Lorit needed to get that out of his system, or they would never be as close as Rotiaqua said they could be.
Chihon feared the only cure for Lorit was to defeat the Temple and repay them for what they'd done to his family. Maybe then, he could open up to her and let her in.
Chihon was preparing to serve dinner one evening, when Lorit announced, “I heard that the harbor is starting to clear. Spring is almost here, and soon the ships will resume their trade.”
“That’s good,” Chihon said. “Yerlow needs more of that lace that comes from Veldwaite. You just can’t get anything like that anywhere else, and she’s almost to the last of the stock she purchased last summer.”
“It also means we can be on our way soon,” Lorit said. “As soon as the ships resume their trade, I want to get started.”
“You’re set in this, then?” Gareb asked.
“As much as ever. I’m prepared, and it’s time we got going.”
“We’ve enjoyed your hospitality,” Chihon said. “But if Lorit is ready, then we have to be going. This is what we’ve been working towards all winter, after all,” she added. She was supportive of his efforts now. They had to complete this task or Lorit would never get over the loss of his family.
“You feel you are sufficiently prepared?” Gareb asked.
Lorit cleared a space on the table in front of him. He passed his hand over it, and then tapped the center of the freshly cleared space. The cover of a book appeared, situated squarely in front of him. He tapped the cover of the book and placed his palm against it. Chihon had seen him do this several times in practice. She'd even mastered it herself, but he made it look effortless.
Lorit slowly raised his hand. The cover of the book followed his hand upwards expanding into a large tome. Lorit grasped the edge of the book and flipped it open to reveal a page which contained a drawing of a dragon surrounded with mystical symbols. Beneath the illustration were inscribed the words of a spell in the runes of the wizards.
“I think I’ve mastered much of what’s in the books,” Lorit explained. He snapped the book shut, pressed on it until it became only a flat cover, then tapped the cover. It vanished leaving the table bare in front of him.
Lorit slid his plate back and began eating his dinner.
“My powers are not so great,” Gareb said, “Are you sure that you are ready? Those priests are a pretty nasty lot, you know?”
“I’m ready,” Lorit said.
Chihon quietly sat and ate. She would miss Yerlow and Gareb. They were like family to her. Especially Yerlow. The woman was teaching her the sophisticated ways of the city, as she called them. Chihon would also miss the luxurious bath as they once again set out on the road.
Gareb settled into his customary place at the head of the table. “I saw him again today,” he announced without prelude.
“Where was he?” Lorit asked.
“He was poking around the chandlery earlier. He walked back and forth a few times, tried to look casual, but he had that violet glow you showed me,” Gareb said chuckling.
“Don’t they know that we can see through their shields, or are they trying to provoke some reaction, just to see if I’m here?” Lorit asked. He would not put it past the Temple to send an inept priest just to see if he would react and expose himself.
“What did you do?” Lorit asked.
“I clouded his memory,” Gareb said. “Just like we agreed. He’ll remember being here today, but he will also remember that he caught the scent of a young wizard passing through. He’ll be chasing that down for a few days.”