At the edge of Evermine, down by the marsh, Laz returned to the worn-down shack he called home. He stood in the entrance room, which doubled as his lab. The lack of space had been a challenge when he shared the house with his mentor who owned it originally, but by himself it was the perfect size. His mentor’s old room slowly filled up with books and clothes he bought at the market, the bed no longer visible without some serious digging.

Laz closed the front door and fastened the loose, metal lock. This wouldn’t stop a child, why do I even bother? But as long as that bastard keeps his mouth shut, it should be fine.

The sun had nearly set and the usual croaking of the frogs started up. Almost pleasant for the time being, but Laz knew they would only get louder through the night. Not that it bothered him. They kept the bugs from bothering him and meant the sun was gone and he didn’t have to worry about the heat.

He glanced down at his feet to see his leather boots muddied and damp. Thank god I changed into these.

Any trip into town meant mud, though it could normally be avoided with some well placed steps and a small leap here and there. Laz didn’t mind making a fool of himself if it meant he could wear fancier shoes as he shopped around. Unfortunately the muddy season had been growing in their part of the kingdom. Evermine once had beautiful lakes and a gorgeous cerulean river winding through it – or so Laz was told. That hadn’t been the case as long as Laz was alive, nor anyone he spoke to. His mentor always blamed it on the earthspring – the natural resources produced by the earth herself – drying up, weakening the land and leaking water everywhere else.

His mentor blamed many problems on the weakened earthspring. Minerals, gems, nutrients for plants. All necessary for life even if they weren’t alive themselves. What had started as the gem mines becoming empty was still playing out hundreds of years later as the farmers struggled to get a good harvest and the lakes shrank, forming new ponds and swamps. New wells had to be dug constantly to keep up with the always-shifting aquifers underground. A solid piece of land could end up a marshy mess in only a few years, leaving the homes and businesses of Evermine in small, easy to relocate shacks.

It wasn’t ideal but they had grown used to it. Every few years the mayor had to shut down talks of moving into the mountains. Too many sick and elderly would be injured, or worse, during the migration. Not to mention that without King Garen’s approval it would mean they were abandoning the kingdom. The knights stationed there would be obligated to stop it.

Laz wondered if the king even knew Evermine existed as he set his basket of produce in the small corner of his lab that was the kitchen. His trip to the farm was a success. Their crops would be safe from any sudden frosts for over a week, and all it cost him was dirtying an old pair of boots. Bek, true to his word, presented Laz half a bushel of the freshest, plumpest tomatoes and leafy greens he had seen in months. Though it pained him to take their food, he knew he had to eat as well. At least they had their coins returned to them.

He plucked his focus out of the basket and took it to his desk. Even if everyone knew he had it, traveling with a gem that large uncovered would be asking for trouble. The wicker basket that currently held his food doubled as a carrier for the massive indigo gem, typically wrapped in whatever blanket or rag he grabbed on his way out the door.

At his desk, he opened the focus’ drawer and gently set it on a small pillow. Risking a crack on it wouldn’t just disappoint his mentor, it would significantly slow down any magic he did in the future. His only gem left would be the sapphire in his bracelet or – god forbid – glass beads.

I finally figured out the spell, I can’t have you going anywhere on me now. He closed the drawer and locked it with a key that he then slipped into his pocket. The other gems, the ones he summoned while Calder was there, were tucked away in his mineral cabinet. Sadly, he had no lock for it, but tucked the stones behind some copper nuggets and talc bottles.

He watched out of the window as the last few beams of sunlight disappeared. Some torchlights from the tavern and the barracks were still burning, as usual. A child’s playful yell could be heard in the distance now and again. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

Laz tried to shake off his paranoia and get ready for bed. He kicked off his dirty boots and once in his bedroom, tugged off his robes and threw them in the barrel he kept in the corner. Down to his underwear, he inspected himself in the mirror on his dresser and gasped.

No, no, no, is that what I think it is?

He stepped closer and honed in on his face. On the corner of his chin was a small pimple. Despite washing and drying his face as often as he could, it had still found its way to his face. What was worse, it was in the same limited area where he could grow facial hair, though he kept his face clean shaven. Of course, that would be hard if a blemish was in the way.

After the panic wore off, Laz groaned and trudged back to his lab with the key from his disrobed pocket. He refused to let his flawless chestnut complexion be, well, flawed. Back at his desk, he unlocked it and pulled out his mentor’s focus. It was still warmer than usual, as it had been since pulling off the successful Exchange Elixir earlier that day.

Master did say the focus would let him know when the spell was complete, Laz recalled. But I don’t see how that makes any sense. As useful as a focus is, at the end of the day it’s a gem. A big rock you can see through.

Laz hoped the warmth wasn’t something wrong with the focus. It had been around since he could remember. His mentor said it was one of the only foci that wouldn’t be damaged through magic. The heat must mean something else.

When he performed Climate Control on the farmland, he noticed the spell came together easier and felt more – for lack of a better word – complete. The warmth zone he made to keep the crops safe warmed his feet more than he was used to. He convinced himself it was the stress of what happened with Calder earlier in the day making him imagine things, though part of him knew that was wishful thinking.

Whatever the case, I need to sleep. He brought the focus to his mirror and held it in his left palm, using his right to cast the spell into it, directed at himself.

Rapid Refresh.

The third spell he knew – not counting the one he mastered that very day – was thought by many to be a quick first aid option when real medicine wasn’t available, or a catch all for small medical problems those in town had. What Laz had discovered in his teenage years, however, was that it had a very handy bonus effect of clearing up his skin. As he weaved his emotions together in the focus, he could feel the warmth helping to guide them. It somehow knew what his intentions were and made the whole process much more efficient. Laz unleashed it and sighed in relief at the familiar feeling that washed over him.

The blemish dissolved back into his skin, leaving it looking warm and soft. The sprain in his neck from leaning over notes and books all morning vanished as well. Those were the normal effects of the spell. What happened next was new to him. The bags under his eyes lightened, though didn’t fully disappear, and his muscles that had gotten sore carrying the produce back to his house, relaxed and felt light again.

He gazed down at the warm gem in his hands. What happened? Is Exchange Elixir so powerful that it strengthened the focus? Or did finally completing that damn spell make my magic stronger than before?

The one thing Rapid Refresh didn’t do was give him energy. Though it could ease pain, an after effect was drowsiness, leaving the curious wizard no time to ponder what was going on. With a big yawn, he put the focus back in its drawer and flopped into his bed.

I’ll have to try some new spells tomorrow. Maybe this is it! Maybe all of my practice is paying off and my era of progress is finally about to begin! All thanks to that stupid, annoying knight.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

As he drifted to sleep, Laz recalled the jarring events earlier in the day. The miscalculation that had been discovered, the appearance of the gemstones, Calder swearing he wouldn’t tell anyone at all, even his captain.

The two had discussed how meaningful the spell was. A renewable source of gems, finally completed in Evermine, a town once famous for their mines? It meant wealth could return to them, and maybe the entire kingdom! How could one not be excited? Calder congratulated Laz which felt more sincere than he was used to from the wise cracking knight. It didn’t make Laz trust him any more, though.

Master, I finally did it. But now what? Why aren’t you back yet, did something happen? I can make gems but what do I do with them? What was your plan? Why did you leave this for me?

Despite finally reaching his goal, he still fell asleep filled with worry.

***

Laz was standing in his lab, surrounded by summoned gems when his mentor barged through the door. Edre the master wizard, the man who made a thousand spells, guardian of Evermine and adoptive single father of Laz.

He stood in the doorway, wiping his large spectacles on his pant leg. His gray hair was still cut short and his hairline was strong for a man his age, which his peers would always prod him about.

Before Laz could welcome him back, the old man walked to his notebook and began to flip through the pages. He was shaking – from fright or chill Laz couldn’t discern – and refused to acknowledge any words thrown his way.

“Master! The spell, I did it!” Laz tried to walk toward him, but the deluge of precious stones multiplied and rocked like waves, pushing him out into an endless sea of glittery treasure.

The infinite wealth around him did nothing to pique his interest. He scooped them up and tossed them aside, desperate for a path back to his mentor. Why isn’t he turning around? I completed his goal!

His mentor was now little more than a speck on the horizon, rifling through his old notes without paying any mind to his lost apprentice. Laz yelled out, not words but feelings, anything that might get him to turn and face him. The further away he got, the less he could remember any of his features apart from hair and glasses.

He had a fat nose, or was it small and smooth? His eyes, they were brown…ish? Turn around, damnit! I finished the spell! Tell me what’s next!

Suddenly, the gems began to float, rising into the air leaving Laz in a void. No, they’re not floating. I’m falling. Everything is falling.

A blur flashed before Laz and he found himself back in Evermine, in town square with a bucket of gems next to him. His mentor was nowhere to be seen but it was preferable to a dark abyss.

The people of Evermine were in front of him in a line, holding out their hands. Without thinking, he grabbed a few gems from his bucket and gave them out, each person getting an equal share and thanking him before letting the next person in line have their turn. He began to tear up. All of the people he grew up with, buying food and medicine and clothes. No more struggling to afford taxes.

I can’t believe how simple it all was. The hard part is over, all that’s left is to–

A cry from one of the villagers pierced through the square, spreading and resulting in dozens of painful screams. The clouds in the sky fled, leaving a harsh sun to beat down on Laz. He scanned every direction, swiveling his head until he saw the problem.

Knights.

Is he with them?

A group of them were gathering the townsfolk that had received gems into a circle, poking at them with swords and glaives to maintain order. They took the gems back and threw them into a pile, decreeing them as property of the king. As they did, more villagers approached Laz, begging not just for gems, but stronger medicine. Healthy farmland. Help finding their missing children. The line for those people grew longer as the knights moved closer.

No, the gems were supposed to help people! We can afford food and medicine now! The king can still get his tax, but these gifts are for the poor!

Laz took deeper breaths as the sun continued to bake him. He searched for an escape, from the knights and the townsfolk who he couldn’t bear to see in pain. They chased him through the market square, Laz making use of his light stature to hop over wooden booths and crates.

Soon he found himself in front of the town’s church, a worn down stone building that only saw use during festivals, weddings, and funerals. He crouched behind the entrance stairs hoping to lose his pursuers.

This isn’t right. This should be where everything works out! I spent two years, all for this?

While the mob could no longer be heard, the clouds returned. They covered the sun save for a single beam that stayed centered on Laz. The unrelenting heat was winning out, leaving him panting. As he stayed still in hopes the crowd wouldn’t notice the spotlight on him, he heard another cry. This one not from pain, but from an infant.

He poked his head over the stairs and saw a small basket in front of the church, wailing like only a newborn could.

“Would you shut up, kid?” Laz whispered through his teeth. “They’re going to see me if you–”

A familiar glimmer from the basket caught his eye. The same blue glimmer he saw every morning on his bedside table. Laz stood up, no longer concerned with being chased. With each step he was more sure of what he was seeing. Inside the basket was a baby, with smooth brown skin and a bracelet sat on his chest. A pale gold band that twisted into a sapphire set in the middle.

Laz knew the story. All the older folk in town had witnessed it already. It was how Laz himself arrived in Evermine.

I’m delirious from the heat. That’s the only explanation. Laz tried to wipe the sweat off his face with his robe when he discovered the entire garment was already soaked through.

The heat, the crying, the sweat, the angry mob. They all pressed against Laz’s mind, until everything burst. The road melted into water, the baby – who Laz refused to think of as himself – and its basket sank to the depths. Laz was left treading in dark water, nothing in sight except him and the sun which illuminated nothing.

Once more, waves pushed against him, this time with the intention of dragging him down. The water gave him no relief from the heat, either. It felt hotter than the air above him; he was amazed it hadn’t burned his skin yet. As he struggled to keep his head up, the voices of the townsfolk returned. He couldn’t make out where they were, whether they had already sunk and were begging him to join them, or if they were up above, cheering for him to keep swimming.

He could feel the last bits of stamina leaving him. The water was heated to the point of bubbling. Each one that popped near him stung and sapped away at his resolve.

I’m sorry, master. I took too long to figure out the spell, I don’t know what to do next. Why didn’t you return? As Laz begged for some sort of answer, a hand appeared in front of him.

The same hand that tried to fix his hair earlier in the day. A hand attached to a nuisance.

Laz looked up to see Calder standing over him – on what he wasn’t sure – offering to pull him out of the water.

“As if!” Laz shouted. “Where were you this whole time? Were you in that mob… rounding up the villagers? Or did you just turn me in… and let them do your dirty work?” He had to spit out boiling water in between words.

Calder said nothing.

“You’re just… going to throw me back in… after getting my hopes up.” It took everything he had to stay afloat. All he could do was glare at the cocky knight granting him a way out. He did already help me once, with the recipe. Maybe… His own hand twitched. He hated himself and reached up.

But it was too late. The waves crashed down on him, separating him from Calder and sealing his fate in the boiling sea.

***

Laz woke up panting hard, drenched in sweat.

Climate Control must have worn off. I knew I should have reapplied it before going to bed. Outside the ribbits of frogs remained strong, though soft blue morning light was trickling in through his bedroom window.

In the middle of catching his breath and coming to terms that he experienced a nightmare, a crash came from his lab. The tension returned to Laz in an instant. He snatched a light nightgown off its hanger and ran out of his bedroom, prepared for the worst.

And that was what he got. He didn’t see anyone in the lab, but his desk drawer was wide open, along with his mineral cabinet. The only thing left was a large chunk of silver ore, discarded on the floor. A likely culprit for the noise he just heard.

No. No, this isn’t happening. He recalled locking the drawer with the focus last night, but then remembered he pulled it back out to clear up his face.

Did I forget to lock it the second time? Oh my god, no. The gems, the focus, everything! The notebook was still in its place on his desk, however without the focus its knowledge would be worthless. His train of thought jumped to the one other person in town who knew about the gems. That knight, that damn knight! I knew this was a mistake!

Laz, his mind swirling with rage and betrayal, threw on his spare house slippers before dashing outside toward the town’s barracks.