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Elias of Eradal Chapter 2
"So, what do we call you?" Kole broke the silence that had fallen over them after leaving the gates of Erania behind. Elias had been glad of the quiet as it gave him a chance to recite some of his longer spells in his mind. He supposed however, that his traveling companions should at least know his name.
"I am Elias Valern, son of Sylus, of Eradal." He was proud of his lineage and his tone made it evident.
Kole widened his eyes and put a hand to his mouth in mock awe. "Your eminence." He performed a little bow. "I am Kole, son of a bitch, of that bar you found me in. And this is Avi, son of nobody, of nowhere."
Avi giggled from atop the low stone wall that he was walking along. Even standing on the wall that traveled on with them to one side of the road, he was still not as tall as Kole.
"Does anyone find you as clever as you think you are?" Elias asked dryly.
Kole smirked. "Mostly the fairer sex, but... Avi, if you break your leg, I'm leaving you behind." He growled as Avi swiftly scampered up a tree with branches that hung low over the wall.
"I ain't gonna fall." Avi insisted before leaping like a squirrel to the next tree. His hands caught a sturdy branch and he swung a couple of times, finding his footing. Then, he slid nimbly down the trunk and back to the relatively sturdy perch of the old stone wall.
Kole grumbled something inaudible, but Elias caught the word `babysitter'. Elias hid a smug grin.
The road north of Erania was quite pleasant. To the left of the wall that Avi skipped along was a meadow of tall grasses with golden flowers that seemed to almost shine in the late-afternoon sun. To their right was a rolling field of green that eventually gave way to a thin young forest of oaks and maples. Even farther in the distance to the east they could see the hills that marked the border of Eradal and Calonia.
Elias had studied in Calonia in his younger years before his time spent in the kingdom of Falheim. High Wizard Lavelle had been one of Elias's few teachers that he had not felt was purposely holding him back. Lavelle had taught Elias a great deal about elemental magic and encouraged him to use his knowledge practically. His time in Calonia was a fond memory.
"Kole, can I `ave a sword?" Avi asked. It felt like the two of them were determined to not let the silence go unbroken for too long. "Like that." He pointed to the weapon across Kole's back.
"Of course." Kole answered enthusiastically, surprising Elias. "When you put together seventy crowns."
"Seventy bleedin'...!?" Avi screwed up his face in disgust. "Bollocks. I bet even El don't got seventy crowns."
"Who?" Kole gave his young companion a confused look. It took Elias several seconds to realize that Avi was of course referring to him. Kole came to the realization shortly after and began to laugh. "Aw look, he hates it." Kole teased, looking at Elias' decidedly unamused expression.
"Wewl, I ain't gonna say El-ay-yas every time am I now?" Avi protested.
Elias shot the boy a glaring look before picking up his pace to put himself slightly ahead of his traveling companions. Behind him he could hear Kole snickering.
Avi and Kole chatted off and on as they walked. The road they were on was the main thoroughfare between Eradal and Falheim and thus it was fairly populated. According to his projections, Elias knew they would break from the main road after a few days' travel and follow lesser-used paths to the edge of the swamps. From there, he would have to rely on Kole, as risky as that prospect seemed.
One thing Elias had not accounted for was exactly how straining walking for hours on end could be. Despite his new comfortable traveling boots, as the afternoon wore on his feet began to rub and blister. Had he thought about it before, he could have worked a spell to protect them. In order do that sort of specific magic though, he would need to bring the group to a stop, and he did not want to be the first one to call for a halt for the night.
Eventually however, his stubbornness was worn down by the pain. He was at the point where he was favoring the heels of his feet with each step.
"We should stop soon." He spoke his first words to the other two in several hours. Since then, the forest on their right had moved in closer to the road, and the golden meadows on the left had given way to pastures and farmland.
Kole frowned. "There's still a few good hours of daylight. Getting tired already?"
"Not at all." Elias denied. "I need time to practice some of my incantations before the sun sets."
Grunting a single low chuckle, Kole shrugged. "We'll be traveling until winter comes at this rate." He remarked but then looked at Avi walking next to him.
Though the small boy's face was still set with a look of awe and adventurous excitement it was plain to see that he was beginning to tire as well. He had to walk twice as fast to keep up with Kole's long strides, and the effort was starting to show.
"I'll find us a place." Kole informed them, motioning them to follow him off the road into the woods. It was not a dense forest and traversing it was no trouble. Soon, Kole found a clearing about a quarter mile from the road with a large mossy rock formation in the center.
"We can build a fire here." He pointed. "And the ground looks soft enough to maybe even get some sleep."
Elias seated himself on the edge of the rock formation, trying not to let his relief show on his face.
"Not quite the fancy living you're used to, eh El?" Kole joked as he gathered up some of the dead wood in the clearing.
Ignoring him, Elias set his satchel bag beside him and pulled out one of the books he had brought along. His excuse for stopping had of course been entirely fabricated, but that did not mean he couldn't take the time to do some studying anyway. Before they set out again, he would put an enchantment on his boots to protect from blisters and other annoyances.
Avi helped Kole gather firewood for a time, but soon got distracted sword fighting imaginary enemies with the sticks he collected. Elias paid them no mind as he mouthed the words of spells, trying to commit them to memory. He had to be careful not to actually speak the words aloud or else risk trigging the spell unintentionally. Few things were more dangerous than accidental magic.
Before long, Kole had built up a small stack of firewood in the center of the clearing. Elias noted with mild interest that Kole had placed the pile of wood in a position that would make any fire invisible from the road. Whether this was purposeful or not, he couldn't say.
Kole began to pull out his flint.
"I'll do it." Elias informed, closing his book. Avi had given up on his enthusiastic sword fight and come to sit with his back to the rock as well.
Looking up at him, Kole shrugged. "Be my guest." He rose to his feet to gather more firewood.
Setting his book aside, Elias stood up. With a swift flick of his wrist, he snapped his fingers and pointed at the pile of wood, which immediately sparked to cheery flame.
"Strike a light!" Avi giggled in surprise, flinching a little bit at the sudden appearance of the fire.
Smiling to himself, Elias found his seat on the edge of the rock once more.
"'Ow'd you do that?" Avi asked, pulling out a small pouch of berries he had collected along the road and dumping some into his hand. "'Ow's it work? Magic an that?"
Elias gave a scoffing laugh. "How does magic work?" He repeated the question. "It's a bit like asking why the sun rises and sets. I could explain it to you, but it would take hours and you wouldn't understand it anyway."
"Oh." Avi's eyes fell and he focused on the dark berries in his hand.
With a frustrated sigh, Elias shook his head. "It's too broad of a question." He continued, drawing Avi's eyes again. "Magic works very differently depending on its type."
Avi gave a half-smile, obviously just glad to be acknowledged. "I didn't know there was types."
Elias nodded. "There are five basic schools of magic, and each of them functions by different rules."
"I thought there were seven." Kole's voice surprised both of them. He had come up to lean on the rock formation with another bundle of dead wood under one arm.
Frowning, Elias looked up at the tall man. It was not something he had expected to hear from him. "Well..." He began a bit taken aback. "There are five that are recognized by the Order of Wizards." Elias explained. "Elemental magic, as you just saw, deals with the air, the earth, and all things natural. Rune magic uses the power of the ancient runes to create wards and enchantments, any form of magic that is largely stationary is more than likely the result of runic inscriptions. Alchemy is the use of ingredients, rituals, and specific conditions to create potions and tonics. Force magic channels energy from the movement of the body to manipulate things around you without touching them. And blood magic relies on the power inherent in the blood of all things living to accomplish the caster's intent."
Avi sat in rapt attention as Elias spoke. Even Kole seemed interested in what he had to say. It certainly stroked Elias's ego to feel like the teacher and not the pupil for once.
"Blood magic don't sound too good..." Avi pointed out. "You gotta take someone's blood fer it?"
Making an indecisive face, Elias nodded anyway. "In a sense. Blood magic has a mixed reputation surrounding it, but when used in the right ways by the right person it can be as harmless and useful a tool as any other form of magic. Blood magic often functions as a binding, allowing other types of magic to be deployed more easily."
"What about the others?" Kole asked. "The unrecognized ones."
Elias nodded again vigorously. "The unofficial sixth school' of magic is usually called natural magic'. It's practiced primarily by the druidic wizards on the western isles. It is not recognized as a proper school of magic because many of the High Wizards consider it a very specific subset of elemental magic."
"Wot's the last one?" Avi chimed in curiously.
"Sorcery." Elias spoke the word quietly. "Rending the veil between our world and the next to contract directly with the spirits and demons to carry out your will."
Avi frowned at the thought of this and pulled his limbs in close as if to ward off a chill.
"Its practice is outlawed in all of the Five Kingdoms besides Savajo to the south. Even there however, I hear that it is shunned as evil. Few wizards with good intentions ever attempt it. The cost of these bargains is too high."
"Wot's the cost...?" Avi asked quietly, almost afraid to voice his question.
"Life, usually." Elias confirmed. "Anything from insects and animals to people." He gave Avi a wicked grin. "Especially young boys and girls that live on the streets."
Avi's mouth formed a small `O' and his eyes widened. He looked over his shoulder as if he expected a dark wizard to come tearing out of the forest at him.
"Thanks very much for that." Kole grumbled, dropping the bundle of firewood loudly, breaking the silence and causing Avi to jump violently. "Who do you think he's going to wake up when he has nightmares tonight?"
Avi gave Kole an indignant look but the fear was still evident on his face. "I ain't scared." He lied.
"How is it that someone like you has knowledge of magic?" Elias asked Kole who had plopped himself down heavily across the modest fire from them.
"Someone like me?" Kole laughed. "You really have got quite the opinion of yourself, haven't you? Which of those schools do you practice?"
"All of them." Elias replied proudly. "All of the five recognized schools that is. I have extensive training in all but blood magic but have a working knowledge of that as well."
"Ooo." Kole made a sound of fake awe but didn't look back at Elias.
Elias didn't know why he bothered. Kole was beginning to get under his skin though. Surprisingly he found him even more difficult to tolerate than Avi. Opening his book again, he continued his studies.
As with their day's travel, Elias did not participate much in the conversation after that. Avi seemed to always have something to say, and, to Kole's credit, he seemed to have the patience of a saint with the energetic boy's ceaseless questions.
Night fell gradually on the little clearing and they ate a simple meal. Avi's questions grew more and more frivolous as it became obvious that he was trying to stave off the silence of the woods. Eventually, Kole announced that he was going to sleep and Avi looked worriedly at Elias who nodded his agreement and began setting out his bedroll.
Inching closer to the fire even though it was not a particularly cool night, Avi unrolled his as well.
As Elias looked at the small boy huddled with his back to the fire staring out at the woods around them, searching for signs of evil wizards or hungry beasts, he sighed and stood up.
"Avi, follow me." He instructed.
Kole gave him a questioning look but said nothing as their young companion eagerly jumped up to follow Elias to the edge of the clearing.
Taking up a stick that lay nearby, Elias knelt to the ground and began carving several runes into the dirt. It was a short and simple inscription, and when he was done, he stood up and moved to another spot. Avi followed curiously. Elias repeated the carving in three more spots on the ground around the clearing. When he had completed the fourth, a brief glimmer of blue light ran in a rough circle around the tree line.
Avi giggled quietly when he saw it and took a step back. "Wot was zat?"
"A warding." Elias told him. "It will keep us completely safe."
Avi's face split into his wide grin as he looked around. The woods looked no different but most of the fear had left the boy's eyes. "Fanks El..." His gaze dropped to the ground in embarrassment. "I never been outside `a the cit'y before."
Inclining his head slightly, Elias said nothing, returning to the fire and earning a raised eyebrow from Kole. Avi followed and settled in on his bedroll, though he did inch it slightly closer to Kole. Elias felt some amount of pity for the young boy. Spending his whole life in the near constant bustle of Erania then suddenly having to spend the night under the open sky with nothing but the sounds of nature around had to be quite shocking. Elias had spent time in cities across most of the Five Kingdoms but had also had his fair share of nights spent under the stars.
The ward he had placed was more for show than anything. The tiny inscription at the four edges of the clearing would simply alert Elias if anyone crossed it. Carving runes in the dirt was crude and made for very weak spell-work, but Avi wouldn't know that. He could have put a much more powerful inscription into the rock face, or into the trees, but he had not felt like taking the time or possibly dulling his athame, the little knife he carried at the back of his belt for inscriptions and rituals, on the bark of the trees.
The night passed uneventfully and when morning came, Elias gently scratched some runes into the soles of his boots. It would keep a cushion of air around his feet and prevent any blistering and alleviate most of the pain of walking for long periods. He wondered briefly if he should offer to do the same for his companions, but neither of them seemed put out by the previous day's trek.
"It's another two day's travel to Brilling." Kole informed them, though Elias would have guessed as much. Brilling was the last major city on the way to the marshes. There would be other settlements beyond, but they would grow fewer and smaller until they reached the uninhabited lands.
"We should have supplies to last." Elias said confidently. He knew for a fact that he had enough for himself and judging by the size of the pack that Kole hoisted over his shoulders, he suspected that the big man had plenty for him and Avi as well.
Avi was a little bit less playful than he had been on the day before. Obviously, the thrill of adventure was beginning to wear off and the monotony of putting one foot in front of the other over and over was setting in.
The sun rose high and then began its descent. They met other travelers on the road but did not speak with them aside from sharing brief greetings. Elias did not wish to share their errand with anyone and fortunately most people were too wrapped up in their own business to bother with theirs.
Elias's carving on his boots worked well. Even as the day began to die, he felt no pains in his feet or legs aside from the expected weariness. That was something he could brew a potion for when they made camp.
Avi was the first one to ask for a halt this time. He had grown quieter as the road stretched on in front of them with no end in sight. At first Elias felt a little bit bad for him, but then he remembered that Kole and Avi had both been insistent on Avi coming along. It was his own fault.
Nonetheless, the sun was setting quickly, and day was turning to dusk. Kole agreed that they should find a place to camp soon. So, once again they took to the woods to find level ground. Kole was apparently quite good at scouting for locations because it was not long before he called Avi and Elias to join him in a clearing like the one the night before. This one was a bit smaller but seemed secluded enough. As Elias entered the clearing though, he frowned.
On the ground near the center was a small pile of ash and several half-burnt logs. Someone else had used this clearing.
Nodding when Elias pointed out the old fire pit, Kole shrugged his big shoulders. "It's at least a week old. Probably other travelers. Nothing to worry about."
Avi did not seem concerned. He plopped himself down in the grass quickly, obviously not interested in searching for a different spot. Elias decided however that he might put up some proper wards before they turned in that night.
Soon, Kole had a small fire going that caused the shadows to dance on the trees. Elias had just set out his bedroll and stood up again to set up a perimeter ward when Kole held up a hand and frowned in concentration.
"Someone's out there." Kole said after a moment. Avi sat bolt upright and looked around at the trees, scooting closer to Kole.
Elias strained his ears but heard nothing at first. Then the sound of a twig snapping drew his attention to the far side of the clearing. A shape was slowly approaching out of the darkness. He could hear low voices now too. The shape was joined by two more, and then even more. Six men emerged from the tree line into the light of the fire, all rough-looking types and, Elias noted, all armed.
"Looks like you lads found our camp." One of the men stated in a suspiciously friendly voice. "Nice spot isn't it?"
None of the three around the fire responded, but Kole rose slowly to his feet. Avi moved to follow but Kole motioned for him to stay where he was.
"Didn't look to be anyone's camp when we showed up." Kole observed, matching the man's tone. "I wasn't aware anyone owned these woods."
The other man's smile didn't falter. "We do." He stated flatly. "Just one of the camps we use when we're on our travels."
"It's a big wood." Kole replied. "I'm sure you could find someplace else to pass the night"
"Aye, we could." The other nodded. "But we would have to collect some rent for the use of our camp, and the inconvenience of course."
Kole gave a dry chuckle and Elias scowled, seeing now that his suspicions about these characters were correct. Lowlifes and brigands no doubt. "I don't think we'll be doing that." Kole answered calmly as the tension in the clearing elevated.
The man laughed and shook his head. "You're using our territory. You'll pay the toll one way or another."
Kole's lopsided smile widened. "You're mistaken, friend. This patch of dirt hardly seems worth trying to collect on."
Finally, the intruder's facade of friendliness faded, and he scowled. "You like your odds here, mate? Six of us, and three of you. Two of them children. Six crowns and you can stay here or be on your way unharmed."
Instead of becoming angry at the threat, Kole only seemed to grow more amiable. He laughed aloud. "Odds? Tell you what, go and bring four more. Then it might be an even match." He put a hand over his shoulder to the hilt of his sword.
The men at the other end of the clearing put hands to their weapons as well. Elias tensed, mentally running through the list of spells he might need for what seemed like an unavoidable confrontation. He had never had the need to use his magic in a real fight before.
"Although..." Kole continued thoughtfully. "I'd rather not kill you all in front of the children." Elias glared back at him. "So, if you let us take our leave, then you can have your bit of dirt and none of you have to die."
"I count six blades to your one." The man was growing angry. "You'll pay up or we'll start taking fingers."
Elias decided it was time to break the standoff. Summoning all his confidence, he thrust his hand out toward the fire and made a grasping motion. Some of the fire shot from the burning wood like a bolt, summoned to the palm of his hand. It grew there and turned blue as it curled around his fingers. The six men and Avi gasped in shock.
"You have picked your targets poorly." Elias tried to sound threatening. "You should pray that my companion's sword finds you before I do. Burning alive is an unpleasant way to go."
Avi jumped to his feet in excitement seeing the looks of confidence fade from the would-be bandits' faces. "Get `em, El!" He cheered.
"It's a damn wizard..." One of the other men mumbled quietly in a mix of frustration and fear. "You said easy pickings."
"How should I have known?" The man that seemed to be their leader snapped back. After a moment he turned his attention back to Elias and Kole. His fake smile returned. "Seems like there's been a misunderstanding."
"Seems like." Kole agreed.
"We're happy to share our territory for the night. You lads get yourself some rest." The man inclined his head, taking a couple of steps backwards.
"If I hear one leaf crunch or one twig snap," Elias warned, still holding the dancing blue flame. "then burning alive will seem like a mercy." With a flick of his wrist, he spit the flame back into the rest of the fire, which flared blue for a moment then died back to its normal red and orange.
Inclining his head once more, the man and his crew retreated slowly back into the darkness, many of them grumbling to themselves. Elias's heart raced in his chest as he kept his muscles tensed, still ready for things to take a turn.
Kole took his hand away from the hilt of his sword and the spell of tension was broken. Elias let out a sigh and Avi started laughing gleefully.
"That was bloody brilliant!" The boy exclaimed, nearly jumping up and down with excitement. "I reckon they won't be comin' back after that!"
Elias gave a scoffing laugh. "If they should then they will find a nasty surprise waiting. Kole, do you have a whetstone?"
"Aye." The big man dug into his pack.
Drawing out his athame, Elias marched to the edge of the clearing and used it to carefully gouge some runes into the trees. He was certain not to go too deep and risk damaging the tree. Avi followed him the whole way, but kept his distance from the tree line, eyeing the darkness suspiciously.
When he had finished, Elias took the tip of the little knife and pricked his finger with it. Whispering some of the secret words, he wiped the blood from his fingertip on the runes in the bark. The carvings glowed red for a moment, drawing the few drops of blood in as though they were drinking it.
Avi's eyes bulged as he looked on, sensing that this was a much more serious ritual than the one he had witnessed the night before.
"Rune magic, sealed with blood magic." Elias informed him as they returned to the fire. "Forces older than these trees will keep us safe tonight."
Avi shuddered but nodded. He had witnessed the practical magic that Elias had used to start the fire and protect his coin purse, but now he had also seen the ancient and powerful side of magic that demanded respect and even fear.
"Don't leave the clearing until I have neutralized the ward." Elias warned. "The runes don't distinguish between friend and foe."
Kole nodded soberly as he tossed the whetstone to Elias. Avi came to sit next to him by the fire and Kole put a comforting arm around the boy's shoulders.
"You handled yourself well." Kole commented to Elias. "I had a fear that you might take things too far."
Elias snorted disdainfully. "It would have been no less than they deserved." He began to buff out the tiny nicks on his athame.
"Killing a man's a dirty job." Kole replied enigmatically. "Deserved or not."
Opting not to respond to this, Elias continued his work. He certainly got the impression however that Kole was speaking from no small amount of experience.