On Bated Breath We Wait

Chapter 7 (part 2)

As we went outside to train I could tell Duran was getting psyched up, he was stretching every which way and twirling his staff as we walked. Once outside his mom gave me a quick lesson on fighting with a staff. She focused on teaching me how I should focus on my feet while using a staff as it is considered a close combat weapon. She then proceeded to trade a few blows with Duran, each of them was extremely nimble and fast both in their feet but also with their attacks. She stepped back and motioned for me to try, as I stepped up I saw her signing, “Duran, start slow.”

As we started Duran easily blocked my strikes as I tried to hit him both high and low. I could tell he was getting a feel for how fast I was attacking. Then in one quick strike he used his staff like a lance jabbing me right in the chest, I tripped backwards to the ground. As he walked over to me to help me up, I caught him off guard and returned a jab into his gut. Now coughing he commended me on my sneaky tactics, before saying that trick wouldn’t work twice. The speed of our training quickly increased and Duran started to get more blows in, but this time he focused on my arms. As we fought his mom watched without commenting, but I could tell it was getting to him. He was the type to always show off to his elders and this time wasn’t going to be an exception. Soon the speed and strength of his attacks increased and I couldn’t keep up and when he went in for another blow to my left arm; the tip of his staff bounced as it hit me causing it to also land a clean blow to my jaw. Anger filled me and I gripped my staff with two hands and swung at his legs hoping to knock him off balance and as my staff hit him I saw his mom running at us. Within a brief moment she was between us, her head on a swivel glaring at both of us. She let us both calm down before stepping back, but that apparently wasn’t enough time for Duran to calm down. He began attacking me with newly found vigor, something in me surged as I easily rallied his blows, which each blow he angered further. In a vain attempt to catch me off guard he stuck his staff into the ground and landed a kick into my chest. Somehow I was unfazed, and I swept out his leg from under him causing him to fall to the ground. Like a top he began to spin using his hands to control his movements. Like I did to him he returned the favor and soon I only saw the sky above me. As I fell, I saw my necklace for a brief moment before hitting the ground. Standing up, I quickly found Duran’s mom grabbing both of our wrists and pulling us back inside. Duran tried to ask why she was pulling, us but she did not answer and continued to pull us.

We soon found ourselves back at Duran’s home, once inside she quickly began to sign, “Son, get that book I had you read when I showed you the maps.”

Duran quickly retorted, “Mom, no. You said to keep that a secret.”

Only for her to respond, “Nikos is already way deeper than you are and he doesn’t even know it. I cannot in good conscience let the son of my best friend get hurt.” As Duran went off to get the book she continued to say, “Nikos, I am going to do something now. I’m going to point to you twice. First time say your name, and the second say you agree. After that I can tell you about what I wanted to show both of you in that book.” I did as she said and followed her instructions, by the time I had said my name Duran had already come back with the book. As she pointed to me again and I said I agreed I felt a splitting headache starting to form and then I heard her, “Can you hear me, Nikos?” I looked around trying to figure out who I was hearing only to look towards Duran’s mom to see her nodded.

Out loud I said, “Wait, I can hear you,” only to see both Duran and her placing a finger to their lips.

Another headache started as I began hearing Duran’s voice also in my head say, “You will get used to it fast and the headaches go away just as fast. She says it's how they train students outside of the Temple. It’s really helpful, trust me.”

I couldn’t help but ask, “Um, Duran’s mom. How is this possible?”

“First off sweetie, you can call me Roxie. Secondly, magic. It’s something both the elders and the envoy keep a secret here in the Temple. I’ll explain everything as it comes up, but first I need to teach both of you about that item you are carrying around on your neck.” As Duran handed her the book she quickly started flipping to the back pages, only to stop on a page with a large seven pointed star that was segmented. Each segment was a different color red, yellow, blue, green, pink, orange, and white. Roxie asked Duran if anything in the chapter he had read had mentioned sources of magical power. Only for him to start explaining that everything living produces something called mana and everything that had mana can use it. Roxie stopped him and chimed in, “Something here at the Temple is disrupting the follow of mana. Not only are people, plants and creatures here at the Temple not creating mana like they should be, they are also unaware of it. But that isn’t all, something is altering how mana flows out of the planet.” Roxie pointed to the star, “Magic itself is tied to emotions, certain emotions allow us to cast certain types of magic more easily than others. Duran for example tends to use anger or pain to help him cast, thus red magic will be easier for him.”

“What does this have to do with me? You mentioned I’m already deeper into it than Duran, whatever that meant.” I asked.

“The answer you seek lies around your neck. That is called a Crux Crystal. Crux Crystals are condensed mana in physical form, much like a gemstone. Their cut, color, clarity, and carat are important. While your little crystal there is just that small, if you look at it you can so its edges have not a flaw. Looking into the crystal you can see nothing but the black color within. Lastly and most importantly its color, black,” Roxie stopped only to point at the image on the page. “Where is black in that image?”

“Nowhere.” I replied.

“Exactly,” Roxie exclaimed. “In the world of magic, black and white are polar opposites. White has no emotion tied to it and is considered the most basic of magic. Black is each and every emotion and is the most rare and difficult magic to use. Crux crystals are like their colors, white crystals are easy and common to find. Black are considered not to exist. In fact, scholars only theorize what one could do with one; and you have one around your neck. If you were outside the Temple you might be dead already because of someone seeing it,” I clasped my necklace tightly. Roxie continued on to explain magic and the basic in‘s and out’s of it. The hours seemed to fly by as she explained everything she could.

As night fell, she stopped and told me that if I wasn't prepared for the outside world, something might one day take everything from me—my life included. She offered two options: be taught by her or another envoy or teach myself. She stressed that teaching myself would be incredibly hard, but it would be safest for me as my black crux crystal might even tempt the other envoys into doing the unthinkable. When I told her I would teach myself I saw a look of worry on her face. She reassured me that it was the right choice, she reached over to the book on the table and closed it. I heard her say something but could not make out what she said, as she waved her hand over the book. It started to glow, and she moved her hand over to a different place on the table; only for a copy of the book to appear. She handed the book to me, saying that it would guide and teach me everything I needed to know. I started to get ready to leave, but as I did she stopped me and said, “Nikos, treat this book like that necklace. Know where it is at all times, and more importantly hide it when you are away from it. When you get a better understanding of what magic can do, look up hiding objects in the book. That will be your best way of keeping the book safe. As she talked me out the door, I felt one last touch of her mind on mine and I heard, “Take care and rush home with that.”

I quickly got home eager to start learning magic but my stomach interrupted me; I had skipped each and every meal today. I slapped together a small meal and ate as I opened the book. The first few chapters were things already Roxie and Duran had explained earlier, things like what leylines are, how magic is formed, and what magic is so I skimmed them and as I did I felt a headache like earlier today. I reached out with my mind, “Who was that?” Only for me to get no response. I continued on reading. The next chapter was how to understand the feeling when magic was being using around you. The chapter broke down how to sense magic into the basic five senses and gave an explanation on how to tell each. At the end of the chapter I was surprised to see the page said, “Nikos, the following pages will teach you the five senses.” Confused by how the book has my name in it. Warily I turned the page to see a diagram of an eye, with the following text underneath it, Focus on the image of the eye and your eyes shall adjust. WARNING this will strain your eyes and can be exhausting. Expecting the worst, I got up to make sure my window and front door was locked. From there I moved myself, the book, and the desk chair to the back room. Using the chair I blocked the door from being easily opened and sat down on my bed with the book. I thought to myself that my actions to keep myself and the book safe were necessary. My gaze soon fell back upon the book and as it instructed I focused on the diagram of the eye. My eyes soon began to hurt to keep open and began to water but something in me was telling me it wasn’t enough; and that I needed to endure longer, now twitching I struggled to hold my eyes open. I gave in and closed my eyes. A wave of exhaustion came over me, I knew that I would soon fall asleep. I moved the chair to no longer be in the way and hid the book under my pillow and immediately fell asleep only for me to hear, ”Nikos, lis….”