“Why can I see a blue swirl when we teleport?” Julie inquired once they emerged.
“You can see that?” he blinked at her. “I’m surprised. Not all people can detect the effects of teleportation. To answer your question, I’m not trying to mask my abilities from you. If I did, you’d never see anything.” He gave her a tight-lipped smile.
Julie weighed his words, mulling them in silence.
“Come, Julie. A treacherous journey lies ahead.” He turned and climbed a steep incline. Julie paused a moment longer before following.
An ache burned in her legs before long. Glancing up, she noticed that Judas had already started the downward trek. He seemed keen to keep his distance, but he did say the way would be perilous, maybe even unpredictable, and decided to take a good lead.
Maybe he needs alone time?
Julie let her mind drift as she started a hustled descent. Meristal’s face floated before her mind’s eye. She wondered briefly how her life and training would’ve turned out under her tutelage. Several times, she almost lost her footing while she hastened, managing to gain ground on the warlock.
He prompted discussion once they were in earshot of each other. “What are you contemplating?”
“Nothing,” Julie lied.
“Would nothing include Madam Raviils?”
“You can read my thoughts, can’t you?”
“No, just the gist, more like getting an image with no captions. Comes in handy sometimes; other times, you might gain a quick death.”
“Yes, I was thinking about Madam Raviils.”
“And?”
Uncomfortable with facing the truth, she switched subjects. “I thought you said we were entering a swamp?” The moment she questioned, her boot sunk a finger’s length with a thick sloshing sound. “Terrific.” Her foot stuck in the muddied ground, making each step arduous. After a dozen encumbering strides, she called out, “How far until we reach solid ground?”
“Too far, but we’ll make it alright,” Judas said, unworried.
“Too far? What if we tire? Then, what?”
“Then, we drown,” Judas heckled, trying to hold back a laugh.
“Now’s not the time for jokes. I could use answers.”
Better answers would’ve helped me in the Corridor!
Knowing she wouldn’t receive any, she let the matter drop, simmering with discontent. With each step, she grew more perturbed; his latest half-answer and jest riled her. She didn’t mind jokes and cutting up, but now wasn’t the moment. Worry whittled her. She set her foot down, expecting thick mud but instead warm, stagnant water reeking of rot and decay splashed, drenching her cheek and nearly entering her mouth. She decided she disliked water of any type other than a bath. Dark, brown slosh churned in the wake of her foot, the mossy green froth riding the ripples before closing the sudden breach.
Judas stopped ahead, and by the time she reached him, sweat soaked her back, and her hair matted the sides of her face.
“Now, we swim.”
“Couldn’t we teleport to where we are going?” she queried, panting and disgruntled.
“Yes, we could, but it’s considered an insult.”
“What is?”
“Barging into someone’s home unannounced. Well, their yard.”
“Whose yard?”
“Saricrocians. That’s why I’m taking the lead.” His blue eyes swept over her. “You’re tired. Here.” He withdrew his wand, and a wave of warmth and energy cocooned her, leeching the ache and fatigue from her body. “Do you remember in Dlad City when you collapsed from magical exhaustion?” She nodded. “That’s what the rejuvenating spell is for.”
Relief suffused her. Judas accompanied her, and while this place was heinous in its way, it wasn’t the Corridor of Cruelty. He’d take care of her.
Maybe he’s turning over a new leaf? What could go wrong?
“And just when you think nothing can go wrong,” Judas cut into her silent musings, “something does, so keep a good lookout. There are dangerous creatures about.”
Great!
“I wish you would stop doing that!” she snapped. “That’s a real pain in the ass when you can’t openly think because someone is listening in.”
“What are you talking about?” Judas frowned, a puzzled look coming to his face.
“You read my mind. Just stop, okay?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, my dear. I haven’t read your mind. It’s an invasion tantamount to taking advantage of an inebriated woman. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
He moved forward, and Julie was grateful for the space between them, the matter seemingly dropped. Water kicked up in his wake as she watched him sink deeper and deeper. Before long, the water rose past his waist. She followed, sighing, reaffirming her hatred of water. By the time she reached where Judas had been, he swam in front of her, a side stroke variant. With her lips pressing into a thin line, she started after him. Judas reached the opposite shore and waited for her to progress through the murky waters. She exited, breathing hard, her boots sloshing on the soft bank. Her robes clung to her; sludge marred her hands and neck, and she shuddered at the thought that it permeated through her clothing.
Seeing her safely on land, Judas turned and plunged through thick foliage, missing holes of knee-deep water. Rolling her eyes, Julie traced his steps.
Without preamble, Judas spoke. “I can’t read your thoughts … not like before. Now and then, when you’re truly concentrating, I get a vague impression, but to read you like a book?” He shook his head.
Shocked at his revelation, she asked, “Why?”
“I don’t know, not for sure. Something happened to you in the Corridor.”
Yeah, no shit.
He continued, “Perhaps Mr. Pleasure’s company did more than we both originally thought.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not sure, not yet. Give me time.”
She ground her teeth, chafed by the lack of answers.
“When were you going to tell me you could discern my inner musings?”
“What do you want me to say?” he asked, looking back at her. “That your contemplations screamed at me? There’s no simple way to broach the topic. Usually, with time and training, a person will learn to control what they circulate. Even people with training still let a few slip through the cracks. Often it’s but a hum churning in their head, but you,” he shook his head, “nothing. Unless, if you focus, perhaps.”
“I had no idea.”
“Maybe you attained more control. Ordinarily, this shielding technique is taught, but you’re doing it instinctively. Your aura seems more powerful than before. It’s a way I can measure your progress. When you first woke at my house, I could detect you if I concentrated, a sliver of a new moon, but now, you’re near waxing.” He shrugged. “Enough of that, let’s change the subject.”
The stench of rot clung to the insides of her nostrils, and she missed a step, plunging her boot in knee-deep water. She cursed silently, but in her riled state, she shot the question. “Why?”
He stopped, his arm extended, holding half-rotted branches. Julie closed the gap between them. “Why what?”
“Why do you want to change the subject? Why?” A sharp silence settled between them. Julie, acutely aware of the beads of sweat rolling down the side of her face, held his gaze, challenging him.
“Because the line of conversation can be dangerous,” he finally said, his voice embracing an edge of his own.
“Dangerous?” she scoffed. “Like the swamp? The Corridor? Mr. Pleasure? That kind of dangerous? You’re overly cautious. Give me a straight answer!”
Judas let the branch go and faced her. His azure eyes penetrated her. “You’re angry, so I won’t hold your words against you. It’s dangerous because any continuance down that line of conversation would turn to praise. I’m exceedingly proud of the progress you’ve made, but as important as it is for you to know how well, you need to be mindful that it doesn’t go to your head. If it does, you’ll become sloppy and tempted to more enticing paths, like Xilor. You must earn my praise; I don’t give it freely nor lightly. Is your curiosity satisfied?”
She nodded, speechless at his tone and rebuke. Judas turned, continuing down an invisible path through treacherous growth.
“Here we go!” the warlock exclaimed a few moments later. “Solid ground.” Julie entered the clearing behind him, thankful for the hard earth. Their way was unhindered by muck, water, twisted roots, or branches for a few yards. Dismay settled over her as she peered through the fog, noting where their unhampered walk would end.
The marshy bank gurgled at each side of them; the churning water sloshed eerily in the swamp. For the first time, Julie observed the quiet, the stillness, expecting more. A chill raced down her spine. The only sounds she heard came from them, and her laborious breath thundered in her ears. With her wet clothes, aching muscles, and the humidity, her energy waned. She turned to spy the opposite shore from which they came; she could make out the faint line of the cliffs. It seemed much further. Judas’s receding footsteps faded, continuing without relent.
“We should’ve teleported past the water.”
“Magic is to serve your needs, not your wants. Don’t make a crutch out of a gift.”
Julie hurried to catch up, not wanting to be left far behind.
“I’ve been wondering. You haven’t once spoken about your family or children.” It was a loaded statement, one she yearned to unearth, but since Mr. Pleasure, she cautioned such thinking. Curiosity slithered past prudence, hoping to delve deeper into the mystery of the warlock.
The question made Judas stop short; he turned, a hoary weariness in his eyes. “What makes you wonder about that?”
“You never spoke about it, and I wondered …” she stammered, shaken by the haunted look filling his eyes. “I never saw anyone at your manor besides Staell. The only other people I’ve met was the boy, Todd, and Madam Meristal.”
He nodded and swallowed before turning abruptly and walking away, but this time, the pace much slower, a pace suited for a man of his age. Julie, unsure whether to pursue the conversation or to let it die, settled on the latter when he spoke up. “Yes, I have family and a child. Both are tragic stories,” he said, voice sullen. Though Julie could not glimpse his face, she heard his pain and withheld tears. “Which would you like first?”
“Your child—will I ever get to meet this person?”
“No, I’m afraid not. After the birth of my daughter, they immediately placed her in protection. Her birth came in the wake of the healing process of the Wizard’s War. The last remaining minions of Xilor killed her and her guardians.”
“Why?” Julie asked, horrified.
“I killed their leader, and to them, it was only fair to kill what was precious to me. Revenge could only serve in killing me, but killing my child would crush me; so in a sense, their victory would be much sweeter.”
Silence suffocated the void between them. Julie wanted to speak but couldn’t. Where would she begin? Sorry didn’t quite measure up.
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What good would it do him, after all this time?
“It was a little over two ages ago,” he said. “I met my sweet little girl only once. After what happened, I wish … No parent should have to mourn their child.” He cast a glance back at her. “You’re slightly older, but she’d be about your age.”
“Who were the guardians?”
“Staell arranged the keeping of my child.”
“You’re still friends?” Julie interjected with disbelief.
“Of course, it took a while to get over my loss—I don’t think you ever get over it, but it gets easier to carry the burden—and I held him responsible for a time. In the end, I came to my senses and realized how could it have been his fault?”
Julie suppressed the urge to speak, letting him be. She mentally kicked herself and divined her special ability was opening old wounds. A respectful span stretched between them.
“I also had a sibling,” Judas spoke once again. “An older twin brother. Our father died before we grew late into our adulthood. During the middle of the war, Xilor took Josiah’s life. Our mother died after her sons set off on different paths, but neither parent lived to witness his death or my exile.”
Julie couldn’t help but speak. “I’m sorry, Master Judas. I had no idea. If I had known …”
“You would’ve held your tongue?” he finished for her. ”Yes, but you didn’t, and you would’ve found out sooner or later. Better to hear it from the best person who can tell you than through hearsay.
“My mother didn’t know she carried twins at first, but when she found out, she was ready to name a boy and a girl. When my brother came out, she named him Josiah; and when I came, well, let’s just say I would’ve had a real pretty name.”
Julie couldn’t help but smile, finding humor in the thought of Judas’s mother expecting a girl. Meristal’s face flickered in her mind’s eye. “Does Madam Raviils have any children?”
Judas paused. “She had a son. The child died shortly after birth. Tragic … a sad day for her.”
Julie, baffled by the response, once again wished she hadn’t spoken at all. Only death and destruction seemed to follow Judas and Meristal. Nothing good came out of their lives, losing family and loved ones but surviving the Wizard’s War.
Once, she sensed a connection between them, an unspoken romance or untold love interest. Now, she knew that chemistry came as a bond the two shared alone—the bond of knowing the other lost a child. It was heart-rending. With the painful revelation, Julie kept her distance, holding sympathies and words to herself.
Night fell not an hour after Judas’s sad tale, coming early to the dense swamps. They made camp just shy of their destination. Judas said he wanted a good night’s sleep before melding minds with the saricrocians. They struck out early the next morning after having a light vegetable soup for breakfast. A few hours later, they came to the outskirts of their lair.
“We’re about to enter the nest,” Judas proclaimed.
“Nest?”
“Think of it as our council back at Ralloc, but only three overseers instead of seven.”
Mosquitoes and flies buzzed around them as sweat poured from their bodies. By now, Julie could detect her body odor through the dried, fetid water on her clothes. What she wouldn’t give for a bath. They sloshed through stagnant water and mud puddles of various depths, tripping over thick tangles of roots and vines.
Julie acquired a bone-weary fatigue from their trek while their silence relented intermittently. Judas kept up his lack of engagement since the day before, but Julie couldn’t discern the cause: her anger? Or the wounded past she bled anew? Whichever, it made matters worse.
Guilt riddled her for asking about his child, and she hoped he didn’t think unkindly of her for doing so. Their relationship shifted once again. In some ways, she imagined herself secure and safe. Other times, she suspected him holding back, afraid to get too close. After the Corridor of Cruelty, everything changed.
The nagging feeling that her destiny fell along a different path wasn’t far from her mind. With each day slipping by, it seemed more evident, but achieving such ends daunted her. The choice to accept Judas as her master wasn’t a choice at all, but a decision thrust upon her.
“We’re in the nest now, and soon, we’ll be at the center,” Judas broke into her musings.
Sweat poured from her brow and down her neck, soaking her loose-fitting robes with the salty, stagnant water. How long had they been traveling? She kept plunging one foot in front of the other, the sludge clumping now.
“These saricrocians are old. Their time to die will come soon.”
“How do you know they’ll die soon?” Julie scratched her forehead at the stinging bite of a mosquito.
“They’re old, wise, and enormous.” Judas paused long enough to look back at her.
“Just what I wanted to hear,” she whispered sarcastically.
“There’s nothing to fear, but be mindful, they can sense it. Fear drives them into a frenzy; that’s how they hunt, by the conscious and subconscious fears of others. Try not to talk or scream; our vocals hurt their ears.” He took a few more steps and then decided to expound on his instructions. “Try not to think about anything. These Ancients have powerful abilities to read minds. Focus on your robes, or the ground, anything but what you want to think about. Above all, don’t stare. They are black and red, a distinctive marking of age, very different to the usual earth tones of the younger populace. It’d be taken as an insult to gawk at them.” He hesitated and gave her a small smile. “I think I covered everything. Don’t talk, don’t think, don’t stare, don’t be afraid. Don’t do anything at all.”
“Ha, ha, you’re funny,” she muttered.
“If they speak to you, answer them.”
“Got it, don’t talk unless spoken to.”
All too soon, the clumping mire gave way to soil crowned in golden-brown pine needles that crunched softly underfoot. The trees grew denser with roots twisting and arching above the soft soil, a far more treacherous footing for her and the aging warlock than before. A deep rustling sound of breathing echoed ominously through the faint mist, but she didn’t glimpse the promised red-and-black beasts.
Judas led with a steadfast pace, passing over a hill and descending back down into a large bowl-shaped depression. Inside the depression lay three saricrocians bigger than Julie imagined. She quickly tried to clamp down on her alarm, a near-impossible feat. They were like houses—long, wide, and tall, all lying together in a semicircle.
Their various hued eyes glowed and focused on the pair of them as they drew near. Julie hastily sized up the glowing orbs. One eye rivaled her size if she curled into a fetal position. She sensed the weight of their gazes. Curling up didn’t seem like such a bad idea.
No fear, she thought, clamping down on her reeling mind.
Judas laid an affectionate hand on her shoulder before he spoke with his mind. Julie didn’t comprehend the exact reason. Support or to make her privy her to the exchange?
Greetings, majestic beings, Judas thought. I’m Warlock Lakayre, and this is my apprentice, Julie.
We’re aware of you, warlock. You hold no interest for us and have been among our kind before, the Ancient in the center thought-spoke. You’re always, of course, welcome; but you bring someone new to the meld.
She’s too young. She hasn’t been training long; it might cause more harm than good.
She’s of your height; she must be nearing the age of adulthood. She should be able to handle the meld, the Ancient to the left thought.
Judas tried to brush aside their obsession. She’s different—special, from the Other Side.
Three gigantic mouths opened, hissing, revealing massive teeth longer than Julie’s leg. Their eyes flickered between the wizardkind.
The Other Side? How’s that possible? All who cross die. It must’ve taken you time to get here.
Curious that she hasn’t expired.
She’s a Wcic, and it’s by a miracle that she has survived, Judas thought back to them. Surely, you don’t want to be responsible for killing such a splendid, beautiful, and rare being. Like I said before, she’s special.
Julie looked at Judas and couldn’t restrain her shock at his words. Did he really think that about her, or did he fib to protect her? What was the meld, and what would it do to her?
She thinks a lot, the Ancient in the center thought. I like her perception. She’s calculating, and shocked by your evaluation of her; this is evident in her face. Do you see it, too?
To this, Judas said nothing. The old reptile continued, She has many feelings for you. We can hear them, even as she tries to clamp down and bury them from us, from you. But there are other feelings lurking beneath. Anger. Fear. Hatred?
Yes, the left one concurred. She’s strong with passion and desire. There’s something odd about her. Can you feel it? It’s in her mind, in the scent of her blood. She’s different.
Yes, Judas interjected. She’s different, special like I said.
No, she’s something … more, the reptile in the middle spoke. Something I haven’t appraised in a long time, not since—
A nephiliam? the Ancient to the right spoke up for the first time.
Yes, the nephiliam, the one on the left concurred.
Majestic beings, Judas began, with respect, it’s impossible for her to be a nephiliam. They’ve been extinct for a long time, almost since the beginning of magic. There’s no way you could—
What? the center one challenged. His head shifted closer to Judas. You think we’ve made a mistake? We are never mistaken! Our lives are long, yet our memories are longer, passed down through the generations.
The meld allowed the saricrocians to pass memories to one another, a race with few secrets from each other. The fairies were the only other race with this ability.
Even if we weren’t alive when the nephiliam’s light extinguished, we’d distinguish by the meld. Any saricrocian would recollect by a mere whiff. The odd thing is how a nephiliam survived. And to be so young…
Hello? Julie interjected, unable to bear it any longer. I’m still here, and I’d like it if you wouldn’t talk like I wasn’t!
The Ancients mouths opened again, the hiss sharp and much louder than before. All shifted, the ground vibrated beneath her feet. She took an involuntary step back, but Judas’s hand kept her rooted.
Her master gave her a hard glance before scolding her. You don’t speak unless you are spoken to, apprentice. He turned back to the Ancients. Please, forgive her transgression. She’s unfamiliar with your ways and customs.
Exclude her, the creature from the right commanded.
Judas let go of her shoulder and stepped forward, leaving Julie blocked from the rest of the communication. Julie glared at the back of Judas’s head, fuming. She stared intently, failing to realize the Ancients scrutinized her in return. She smiled weakly, embarrassed that they caught her. They turned back to their silent conversation.
Left to the whims of her mind, Julie thought over the proceedings. Whatever business he conducted, she didn’t have any inkling. Judas didn’t share secrets. For a time, she wondered what they spoke about, but the futility of such speculation bored her. Though they’d yet to broach the subject overmuch, she tried to bury the emotional turmoil in the wake of Mr. Pleasure. She hadn’t forgotten, probably never would, but the more she focused on it, the angrier she became.
Her essence always came to her in moments of heightened emotions. Judas told her not to rely on feelings alone. Waiting in the humidity and silence, she sat down a dozen paces behind Judas and tried to meditate, search for the elusive magic. She folded her legs under her. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed her posture, the tension melting out of her taut shoulders. Julie visualized the strain fading away, leaving her body in a wispy vapor, seeping from her spine, through her legs and into the earth below.
She felt it.
A small, almost tingling sensation thrummed through her body, rhythmic like a cat’s purr. It tickled like a whispered breath on the nape of her neck, envisioning the heat rather than feeling it. She followed the fragile wisps inward, visualizing the journey. When she drew in as far as she could, then, slowly let herself drift out into the earth below her, the trees around her, and into the air. An outer body sensation pervaded her consciousness.
As she let her presence drift, a small but calmly persistent tugging drew her focus, carrying her away from her body.
A fire flickered before her, a radiant flame. Warmth caressed her face. Darkness swaddled the boundary of her vision. A book with strange glyphs ensconced in her lap; the edges faintly abraded with the passage of time. She’d seen this book before. It belonged to Judas. The symmetry of each stroke gave off an elegant beauty. With the trace of her finger, she marveled at its refinement.
Serpentine whispers of an alien language tickled Julie’s ears, resonating all around her, but soft, like a delicate breeze. The hushed tone, neither threatening nor frightening, conveyed warmth, inviting, seductive. The unfamiliar words grew acute, steadfast. Her eyes turned down to the book, realizing the words came from within.
“Your wand, your words can release us … We will tell you everything. You are the Bearer of the Secrets of past, present, and future …Give your name to us. Become one…”
Her wand manifested in her hand, the sensation swelled. The calling was captivating, growing stronger, melting her resolve. She spoke her name to the book.
“Julie.”
The book burst open with a burning, pure light, pouring out and carrying her into oblivion.
“The Bearer of Secrets has been found,” the book sighed, content.
“Julie!” Judas shouted at her, snapping her out of her trance. The Ancients hissed in pain. His hands clenched her shoulders tightly and the booming voice a saricrocian filled her mind.
What were you thinking, child?
Julie stood and bowed her head apologetically. Noting the warlock’s hand still on her shoulder, she spoke. Forgive me for my carelessness. I didn’t mean to interject into your minds.
The Ancient on the right spoke up again, We couldn’t hear your thoughts, your mind became opaque, quiet to us.
What were you thinking? the one in the center roared.
About a book. A book Warlock Lakayre gave me.
I haven’t given you a book, Judas interjected.
It was like a memory, yet I know it hasn’t happened, she exclaimed. It seemed so real…
An audible buzz filled her mind, the saricrocians speaking to each other, too fast and complex for her to make anything out. An ache festered in her head.
Exclude her, they commanded again.
A few moments later, Judas bowed unexpectedly and grabbed her by the arm. His tight grip twinged with bearable pain, but she kept silent. Something bothered him. Would he tell her?
They left, their pace alacritous, and were far from the nest before he released her or spoke. Julie, too timid to violate the silence, perceived her master’s agitation and knew it was for her outburst. She waited for her scolding.
When he did speak, the words were unexpected. “I can’t believe the Ancients!” Judas fumed. “How can they just sit by and do nothing?”
“Why did you meet with them?”
Judas stopped and gawked as if he had forgotten she was there. It took him a second to shake it off and get his bearings back. “They refused to aid us in the coming war. They said it’s not theirs, just like the last one.”
“They said that?”
He huffed. “We’ll travel a bit further and camp. Tomorrow, we’ll reach Wizard’s Pass.”
“How much further until we get out of the swamp?”
“Not much, but enough.” He smiled. “I have a friend who would be very interested in meeting you. Come on.”
Unsure of how to take the comment, she traced his steps, putting distance between them and the Ancients.