Soul of Magic (Soul of Magic Book 1)

NINE

Kyra and Lucian had only been travelling for a couple of days but she’d seen them cover a lot more ground than should be possible in that space of time even with the fastest horses in the realm. Magic, she knew; that was the only way that that feat could have been achieved. She was starting to understand that there was lot more to the art that people knew, or made themselves to know. Magic was expansive, all-round, and able to influence a lot more things that she had thought before.

"So Lucian, how did you come to work with a wizard?" Kyra asked as they rode along a meadow, resulting in Lucian giving her a confused look. "Even if I'm as inactive as a witch gets, I can still recognise a wizard and you aren't one."

He seemed to ruminate over the question for a while; it clearly wasn’t something he discussed often. "Well, both my parents were wizards," he eventually replied and it was Kyra's turn to look confused. "I didn't inherit my parent's magic because I'm a Null, a very rare almost-mythical kind of descendant that can't access their magic even though it runs in the family. There was nothing that could be done so I ended up being the anomaly in a prestigious wizard family."

"Wow! I'm so sorry, Lucian." Kyra began to feel guilty of broaching the subject. "If I had known that it was something like that, I wouldn't have asked."

"It's okay, Kyra," he replied, managing a small smile. "It did prove to be my saving grace when this crazy war began. I was barely two years old at the time. My parents got me to escape when everyone in our town turned on them and without any powers to show, it was easy for me to survive and let go of my wizard heritage. It wasn’t until I met Ghalador that someone recognized me for who I was. He took me in, trained me and made me who I am today." A smile came onto his face at the memory and Kyra couldn’t help but smile along. He wasn’t saying it but she knew that Lucian was quite fond of the seer who had saved him; she suspected that there was even something more than teacher-student relationship between the two of them.

"So, what about you?" asked Lucian and she blinked; she was still trying to digest his story. "What's your life story?"

"Wait, Ghalador didn't tell you my life story already?" she returned, putting on an exaggerated surprised expression which only made Lucian laugh. "I thought the great seer told his favourite student everything."

"First, I never claimed to be his favourite student," he said, still laughing. "And second, no. He wouldn't tell me even if I asked. Ghalador's this kind of 'leave it to the storyteller to tell his own story' kind of person."

"Really," Kyra drew out softly in response; she was definitely starting to see why Lucian was so taken by Ghalador, and she felt herself respecting him too.

"In truth, my life is nowhere as exciting as yours," she replied after a while. "I lost my parents when I was so young I can't even remember how they look. My uncle and aunt-in-law took care of me until I ran away from home a few days ago that is, and I can’t even go back to apologise because I know it’s only a matter before we disagreed again and they run the risk of me hurting with my magic that I just can’t seem to control no matter how I tried. If Ghalador can truly help me, I'll really appreciate it."

"Well, we're about to find out."

Lucian pointed forward and Kyra gasped as she turned to see the sight in front of her. On a hill not so far from where they were stood a castle, as magnificent as the ones Kyra had read of in books. The castle was constructed of huge smooth stone blocks, each one laid so intricately against above the other that it was difficult to count them individually; almost as if the builder had chiseled out a mountain into the structure. It boasted of about six floors from what Kyra could deduce from where she was, each one stretching a few metres out of a centre tower which rose three floors higher than the top floor of the castle; a watch house. The stones had been scrapped grey but it reflected silver in the sunlight, the fog surrounding it deflecting the light in such a way that the colour looked alive like a giant sentry on patrol. The castle was impressive, Kyra had to admit. It was welcoming and foreboding almost at the same time, an abode that was definitely worthy of a wizard’s hideout.

“How does no one know about this?" she asked, very mesmerized by the sight in front of her.

"The same way wizards do every other thing," Lucian replied, his face lit up in a smile as he watched her in understanding. "Magic. Now come on, let's go say hello." He rode forward but it took Kyra a while before she could tear her eyes away from the sight in front of her long enough to actually move towards it.

As they reached the castle, Kyra realised that it was lot more beautiful up close than any far away could have suggested. At the base of the tower was a gate made entirely out of the smooth stones used to the build the castle. It was swung in and out by two men who controlled the hinges with their magic; a measure to ensure that only those of the right kind could pass through. Waved through, Kyra and Lucian rode into a compound filled with not up to the castle’s height but equally tall and well-maintained buildings. All around, wizards of all ages went about their business, filling the atmosphere with life and certain of joy that Kyra couldn’t help but resonate with deep within herself. More than a hideout or a fortress, the castle was a home.

"It was originally built as a training ground for aspiring wizards and over the centuries, it has produced many who have gone on to do great things." Lucian explained as they went. "Unfortunately, it fell when Nicolas began his mad campaign against magic. Ghalador used to work here as a teacher so it was the first place he thought to bring everyone to safety in the face of all the danger. It's like our own refuge."

Any doubt that Kyra had about the kind of person Ghalador was before disappeared as she looked around her; anyone who could stand for his people like that could never be a villain. If he could have helped the so many wizards that she was seeing around her, he definitely would be able to help her too.

Just then, a gust of wind suddenly hit Lucian, sending him tumbling off his horse. But just as he was few inches from the ground, his fall stopped and he began to float. A small fat boy with short black hair came out of the main castle building and began to laugh at him. "The prodigal son finally returns, doesn’t he?" he said, still laughing as he spun Lucian around with a flick of his fingers.

"Put me down this instant, Keith!" Lucian shouted in response, futilely trying to fight the magic.

"Or what, Lucian?" returned the boy, Keith, unfazed by the threat. "You'll huff and puff like the big bad wolf you are?"

"I said put me down!" he shouted again, removing his sword and readying it for a throw this time.

"Okay, as you wish," Keith replied and waved his hand and Lucian landed face-first in the dirt.

Kyra finally shook herself out of her petrification enough to get off her horse and run to check on Lucian. "He'll be fine," Keith called behind her but she didn't listen.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied before shouting at Keith. "You're a dead man, you hear me! Dead!"

Keith didn't seem bothered about the threat at all as he grinned at Lucian. Surprisingly, Lucian was sharing the grin too as he stood up, making Kyra wonder what exactly was going on between the two. He walked over to the boy who still stood at the entrance of the building which he had come of and they hugged fiercely, almost as if they were still fighting even as they were sharing a smile.

"Where's Master Ghalador?" Lucian asked after the hug.

"In the big room, meditating," replied Keith.

Just then, the boy seemed to notice Kyra fully for the first time and he stopped short, an expression full of shocked disbelief on his face. “Is this her?” he asked, very awed.

“Yes, it’s her,” replied Lucian and led Kyra away before any other thing could transpire.

"Okay, what was that all about, Lucian?" she asked as they walked into the main castle building from where Keith had come out and began to make their way down its huge corridor past many doors towards the end.

"It’s nothing to concern yourself with,” he replied her with a dismissive shrug. “Keith’s just happy to see another witch arrive, that’s all.”

"Seeing another witch arrive doesn’t warrant a look like you’d just seen the Creator in person, Lucian," she returned at him intensely. Kyra recognized a lie when she saw one from a mile away and Lucian’s could have lit up the sky. “Tell me what’s really going on here?”

"But I already told you, Kyra. You're very special to the world of magic," he replied as he looked her deep in the eyes with a look that Kyra’s heart doubled in pace. "More special than you can ever imagine.”