They dismounted outside the garage, watching as the driver pulled the vehicle back inside.
“Why don’t you take Silvia and get yourselves fixed up. Get her prepared and then we’ll come by.” Leon said to Avarith. He leaned on Darren to take pressure off his leg.
“Prepared for what?” Silvia asked.
“Well, Leon and I were discussing it and decided this is a good time to go over healing magic.” Avarith rotated his shoulder slowly, testing its range of motion.
Her eyes lit up “Can I cast some?”
“Yes, Sil. You will.” Avarith smiled in spite of their earlier fight. She had this infectious excitement for the arcane that reminded him how great their gifts truly were. Something he could take for granted after eleven years of using them.
Avarith put his good arm around her and they began walking back towards the keep.
Once they were out of earshot Leon turned to Darren “You did well today, Dare. I saw bits of your fight with that great beast. You’re a terror with your hands free.” he smirked. “Snapped that dog’s arm like it was a twig.”
Darren felt the warm buzz of praise in his chest. The way he felt when his instructors at the gym had told him he was doing well. “Thanks, man.” He supported Leon as they moved slowly towards the castle.
“Silvia did well too. I’ve trained her with the blade for years, since she had no magic to focus on. She’s brave for her small stature, and tougher than you’d think.” Leon chuckled.
“She is brave, I’m glad I’m with her.” Darren felt the strange space in the back of his mind open up as he said it. He could feel her tune in as his thoughts floated to her, out of his control. He could tell where she was, rising in the lift with Avarith. She was feeling back, lightly prodding the borders of his mind. Just checking the bond out again, getting used to it. She felt his pride at how they both handled themselves today, and she agreed, sending back the same. Then more concern for Avarith as his head started bleeding again. The link fell apart and Darren was back in the dirt, walking up the gentle hill to the doors, helping Leon along.
“It would’ve been easier if Avarith hadn’t told me not to kill them. He can be soft hearted sometimes, a good quality in a leader. Not always the best in a warrior. Something he and Silvia may have in common. Just something to think about, since you and I may be alike in more than a few ways as well.” Leon said.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Darren replied as they stepped up to the door and pressed a button to call the next lift. They rode it up to the floor they all lived on.
“Let’s get a drink first, it will help with the healing. While they can make us better, it is not always comfortable.” Leon limped to the door of the family dining room and hobbled inside. He came out with four bottles and tucked two inside the chest piece of his armor. He uncorked one and handed it to Darren before opening his own. They both took a long drink before continuing down the hallway, following their intuition to their mages in Avarith’s room.
They pushed the door open and stepped inside. Silvia was watching as Avarith explained some finer detail of magic. He held his fist tight and slowly opened it, concentrating his energy before holding the hand over the cut on his head. Smoky purple tendrils flowed forth as the blood stopped dripping, layer by layer the skin began growing back until it was sealed. A small strip of new pink skin was all that remained from the gash.
“So it takes your energy, but the magic does the work itself?” Silvia asked.
“Precisely, however, those who study anatomy tend to take less energy to do it. As their understanding can help the magic find its way faster. The less time expending magic the less energy used.” Avarith replied.
Darren helped Leon over to a chair and lowered him into it with one arm. Leon slumped down and laid his head back dramatically, before pulling an ale out of his gear and holding it out to Avarith.
“Brilliant.” Avarith said, as he popped the top and savored the taste. “Alright, now I’ll fix Leon, then ‘tis up to you to fix our new friend Darren.”
Silvia looked over at him and the wounds high on his shoulder near his neck. She reached out and lightly prodded near them. She watched how the skin and muscle moved, hoping it would somehow prepare her to fix them.
“Ow.” He said flatly as he pulled back.
Leon ripped the hole in the leg of his pants wider, revealing a large laceration a few inches long underneath. Fresh blood slowly trickled down around the dirt and sand embedded in the wound.
“Guardians and mages heal faster naturally, due to the magic flowing through our bodies. Our wounds clot faster and our recovery time is shorter.” Leon said to Darren.
“That’s why my arms are already almost healed from the knife attack my first night here.” Darren said.
“Yes, but sometimes we don’t feel like waiting.” Leon said as he took another drink.
Avarith held his hands together, fingers interlocked, and squeezed them tightly. He slowly pulled them apart revealing an orb of hazy light. He held it over the cut on Leon’s leg and multiple tendrils leaked out of it, falling into the cut. The meat of his thigh began to rope itself back together, pulling closer and closer as the orb shrunk
Leon winced as he watched it reform, “Not always comfortable.” he repeated as he dug his fingers into the armrest of his chair.
Silvia watched, entranced by the process, no matter how many times she saw it. Blood usually made her queasy, but she could never look away from magic. Trying to learn everything she could about how it reformed the body. How the muscles worked, and what order the body seemed to be healed in. From the deepest part of the wound upwards towards the surface, until the skin was closing layer by layer.
Leon rubbed the new skin on his leg roughly, as if trying to break it in.
“Alright Darren, let me take a look.” Avarith said, as he rose from the seat near Leon and walked over to him. He examined the small graze from the axe along Darren’s shoulder and the claw marks that went partially under the armor.
“Take this off.” Avarith said as he loosened the shoulder strap that held the chest piece securely in place.
Darren loosened the other one and stiffly removed it from his torso.
“The shirt as well.” Avarith said.
“Drinks and a show.” Leon winked at Darren.
Darren chuckled and shook his head as he removed his shirt and winced as he stretched lightly. He looked down at the wounds and watched the movements reopen them a little.
“This isn’t too bad, should be within your abilities, Silvia. Important to note though, while any mage can heal any person to some degree, a mage can only revive their own guardian from death. No one else can do that for him, and you can't do it for them.” Avarith explained as he prodded Darren’s cuts.
“Whoa, revive? Like if I die she can bring me back?” Darren asked incredulously.
“I’ve died half a dozen times at this point.” Leon chimed in, “Our bodies don’t even rot, they just sit there useless, unless our mage dies. If the mage dies, you both die. But as long as they can get back to you, they can fix you. The more destroyed your body is though, the more work and energy it will take. Even days of sleeping and casting on you if the damage is bad enough.”
“Holy shit. What did you see when you died?” Darren asked?
“Same thing I see in a dreamless sleep. Pure blackness, and then I woke up, wherever he brought me.” Leon nodded towards Avarith.
“Alright Silvia, select it from your Index.” Avarith pulled his own out to show her the symbol.
She knew it already and scrolled to it in no time. She gripped the symbol and held it in both hands, palms flat, pressed together. The symbol appeared on the backs of her hands. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the pool of energy within her bringing it down into her arms. She squeezed her hands and felt a small amount of force growing between them. She slowly pulled her hands apart, trying not to smother it, but letting it grow into the space without stretching or pulling at it either. She opened her eyes to behold the small orb in her hands. She carefully brought her hands to Darren’s chest and opened them towards him, letting the magic flow slowly onto him. Some tendrils connected while others started to bleed off missing their target. Smoky puffs of unconnected mana rolled down his body before wisping away.
Darren felt a burning sensation as his muscles began reconnecting and the split pieces began pulling themselves together. Leon was right, it wasn't comfortable, but it surely beat days and days of recovery. He clenched his fists and let out a small gasp as the sharpness of the pain surprised him.
“Another note to keep in mind.” Avarith started “While it heals the tissue it tends to mostly scar over at first. The new tissue is stiff and sore and will be for a few days before it gets better as the body replaces the scarred organs and skin. But you should be back to normal after some time.”
Silvia glowered as the wound wasn’t fully healed when her orb was all gone.
“That’s alright, Sil. Try again.” Avarith said.
She repeated the process and connected a few more on her second try. Her eyes wide as she watched the magic flow from her hands and into his body, until all that was left was fresh pale skin. She felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her. Not only from the magic, but the fight as well. Her ribs were sore from the kick, even through the armor. She sat on the short coffee table in the middle of the three of them as Darren put his shirt back on.
Leon tapped her on the shoulder with the bottle of ale he’d been saving for her, “I was waiting until you finished working.”
She smiled and took the bottle, she popped the top and almost took a drink, stopping herself just short. “To us.” she held the bottle in the air as she looked at Darren.
“To you.” Leon said, pushing on her back with his boot.
“To all of us, fool.” Silvia replied dryly, rolling her eyes.
They all lifted their drinks and knocked them back in unison. At this point the sun had gone down and they were all feeling tired beyond measure. The adrenaline had fueled them, then burnt them out completely
“Why don’t you two head to bed, we have to get back to training tomorrow.” Avarith said as he placed a hand on Silvia’s shoulder. “I’m at least accustomed to early mornings.” he teased her.
She made a sour face and swatted his hand away as she rose to her feet and walked towards the door. “Thanks for bringing us along today, good night you two.”
“For sure, I would’ve hated to miss that.” Darren said as he went with her.
“I’m sure we’ll all have another fun trip together soon.” Leon gave an exaggerated wave.
Darren and Silvia stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind them. They walked back toward their own rooms together.
“Thanks for having my back out there.” Darren nudged her with his elbow.
“Thanks for keeping that thing from cleaving me in twain.” she nudged him back.
“What a crazy fuckin’ day. I didn’t know those things existed in the morning, then straight into fighting one in the afternoon.” he blew out a weary sigh.
“I had seen them sometimes in town, but I’ve never been so close to one.” her eyes were wide, remembering the great lumbering beast walking towards her.
Darren could see the memory faintly in his mind. The creature seemed even larger from her point of view in the dirt. He watched himself run into view and slam into it, knocking it face first into the sand. Before he realized it they were at her door.
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“Well goodnight.” she said as she opened her door. She looked up at him again, “See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, sleep tight.” he replied. They looked at each other a moment longer before she disappeared behind the closing door.
Darren let out another sigh and walked past their training room toward his own quarters. Y’know, I haven’t even looked in there yet, he thought as he turned back. He opened it and walked into a dark room that smelled of hay and dust. Probably from sitting vacant for over five years with no mage and guardian to use it, he thought. Darren slid his hand along the wall and found the wall plate, he dragged his fingers up slowly lighting the room. It was a large single square. The wall to his right had blunt training versions of almost every martial weapon one could imagine, ranged and melee, under them a large table and two chairs. To his left targets set up across the wall for projectiles, the back wall had two large windows and two man shaped dummies attached to stands just in front of it. The center of the floor had a large ring covered in some kind of soft matting. Even and flat, smooth to the touch, like the ones in his jiu jitsu gym. Standing on the mat felt familiar and made him nostalgic for time with his training partners. All in all it was a great training space, better if it was aired out more. He walked over to one of the two windows opposite the door, he slid it open and felt a rush of cold evening air blast in. It was windy and he could hear the trees in the courtyard rustling. He could see guards patrolling within as well as along the top of the walls, apparently more than usual after Silvia’s incident.
Darren looked up, his mouth agape as he saw the night sky of this world for the first time. Brilliant bright stars dotted the sky, some kind of nebula or cloud of orange and blue off to one side. And two moons, one close and large, one far and slight. The far one had a distinctly blue shade to it.
Just one more thing to blow my mind here, he thought to himself.
It is truly wondrous isn’t it? The reply came almost instantly. Silvia’s voice rang through his mind like a bell, clear and harmonious. It startled him, but only for a moment. It felt right, her voice coming in as he looked at the dazzling sky, a soft breeze rolling through the window.
He heard the door that led to her suite unlock and looked up to see her step through. She had changed to tight black silk pants and a thick knitted sweater. Darren realized he still had on the same shirt from the fight, a splash of dried blood around his shoulder.
“You look comfy.” he said as she walked over to the window and leaned against the sill next to him.
“Oh I am. Better in this than you in that bloody rag.” she rubbed her face against the soft sleeve of her sweater as she looked out into the night.
They just sat there for a time, shoulders pressed together as they looked over the courtyard walls and out into the sea. The reflection of the moons and stars danced on its surface
I’ve never been in the ocean, any ocean. Darren thought, trying to push the words to her.
His voice swam into her head, slow and deliberate. A smooth hum that reverberated through everything.
We can go sometime soon, it’s wonderful. Silvia replied. She focused on images of memories at the beach at the base of the cliffs and of different trips there with groups of her many family members.
Darren closed his eyes and saw the memories through her. He felt the safety and joy of her family nearby, the heat of the sand beneath her feet. The spray as the waves crashed against the docks and blasted mist across them all. The hint of the taste of salt on her lips.
They both started to feel a sluggish daze from the effort of their connection washing over them, like sleep was creeping up and pulling them under. Their heads began to loll as they nodded off. Darren’s head dropped, and shocked him out of the stupor, he blinked widely and looked down to see Silvia. She was practically asleep on her feet, her head resting on her crossed arms.
We should go to bed. He squinted as he concentrated, trying to send the thought to her.
“Okay.” she said sleepily, before letting out a blissful yawn. She dragged her head up as if it almost weighed too much to lift. She rubbed her eyes and patted his arm as she walked back towards her door.
“Night, Silvia.” Darren said softly, watching her go.
She waved over her shoulder without looking back before shutting her door.
Darren took one last look outside before shutting and locking the window. He felt a deep relaxing wave as Silvia collapsed on her bed. He felt her sink into sleep as he went back to his own room. Dragging his feet, he walked to his bed and fell on top of it.
Together the four of them found an effective routine. Training separately in the morning for a few hours, weapons for Darren, and spells for Silvia. Training together for a few hours after that, weapons for both and Silvia learning how to use spells through Darren. She could make him faster, stronger, harder to see. Create stone blocks in the air that he could run and leap to and from. Then they would take a meal together in the sun during the beautiful summer days.
After that they would teach Darren of the world. They told him about Trelboro, the country to the south they always had diplomatic troubles with. The Barbarians to the east, where Erol came from. The free states and island nations off the western coast. The hynell packs spread out through all the countries living their nomadic and often lawless lifestyles. Of the slave trade that plagued many countries on the continent, and of its legality and legitimacy in Trelboro and many of the island nations.
They told him of the Grey mages. Mages unaffiliated with any of the nine Arcane houses. Usually born out of wedlock from an Arcane family member, born of already grey mages, or turned grey for betraying their house or country in some form. Over generations they had continued multiplying, they were weaker than mages from the families and weren’t permitted to live in the province of the family they were related to. They lived many kinds of lives, from criminals and warriors, to doctors and priests.
They explained the Ovrenell, the ancient extinct race that existed before man. Told him of the ruins of their cities and holy sites, and the secrets and dangers that lay within. Creatures that defied naming, and artifacts so powerful that touching them could force magic so soundly through one's blood it could even manifest in a mage’s relatives over short distances. Useful in turning the tide of a battle. As well as the detritis, the disease that would take root in non-magical folk that stayed in the ruins too long. First affecting their minds, and eventually mutating and damaging their body.
They taught him the basics of the Signs, so he could communicate with most people that didn’t speak the common tongue. Darren couldn’t get enough of the world and always had more questions.
Occasionally when he got free time he would go to the garage and have the servants and mechanics explain how the mana powered machines worked. How to drive them and fix them, he took to this quickly, helping them make repairs when he could. He had never cared much for cars in his own world, but anything magical became a compulsive preoccupation.
As a group they would take their dinner in the private dining room, over conversations and jokes of their two different worlds. Joined by Archard and Erol occasionally, as well as other family members. Archard’s other two sons and several others who came to visit, cousins and uncles and aunts, mages from all over the province in their family tree. Darren met all manner of Chevaliers, including Archard’s wife, Ristae, who finally returned home from a trip to a nearby Arcane family. At first she hadn’t even believed he was Silvia’s guardian, thinking it was some rude joke at her niece's expense.
Day after day they held this schedule and learned more and more, Darren and Silvia grew stronger and better each week. Darren noticed the once vague and pale runes on his arms standing out, becoming more defined and turning more vibrantly purple as he and Silvia continued to bond. Leon told him soon he’d be able to control the glow from them and emit a spotlight from the family crest that began to appear on his palms. Darren loved every second of it, at least the moments between the pangs of longing to see his family again.
But the best part of the day was their nightly ritual. After everyone had gone to bed, Darren and Silvia would meet in their training room. They would pull the chairs out into the center of the room, sitting some distance apart so they wouldn’t overwhelm themselves with their connection. They would drill constantly, sending messages without talking. Sending images and memories, learning how to open their connection more, and how to close it off. They would play games like seeing how many fingers the other was holding up, through the other’s eyes. Guessing numbers they were thinking of, or calling out the punchline of a joke before it was said. Darren and Silvia gained more and more control over their bond. But they had to be careful, on more than one occasion they used it too much and would overload their minds causing one of them to get sick, to throw up, or even pass out. It was a powerful feeling and effective tool, not a toy, though they played with it more often than not.
They would show each other images of things they had seen before knowing each other. And on more than one occasion would accidentally share how they existed in that pre-bond world. That’s when they practiced closing the bond off, not ready to share how pathetic and weak they had felt on their own. One had to grant the other a certain amount of privacy, or in some cases feigned privacy as if they hadn’t seen or felt what they had. As much as they got stronger they were still so new to it. They constantly made mistakes but learned from them as best they could. Still accidentally sending random segments of their day, or messages and thoughts they hadn’t intended, even when they were apart.
Finally after this nightly meeting they would go their separate ways to try to get what sleep they could before the next exciting day. Silvia cursed the last five years Darren had spent in his world, rather than here becoming what they were meant to be. This was the day they should have been living over and over.
The same as the last countless nights, they sat in their training room. Darren at the table tinkering with his speaker and phone, brought from his world and long out of power. He had mana crystals and several leftover parts from the garage, trying to find a way to use the mana to power something akin to an alternator, and hook that alternator to his devices to charge them again without blowing them out.
Silvia sat at the far window staring out at the night sky.
The days had turned to weeks and as great as their time was Silvia began to want for more. She wondered when she would be sent on her first assignment.
Our first assignment, princess. Darren corrected her, having taken to making fun of her ‘noble upbringing’ and all the lavish benefits she had growing up. Rubbing elbows with the royal families, and living in luxury, even as he enjoyed all the same benefits now.
Yes, our. Silvia rolled her eyes, a smile sneaking in. We’re getting better every day. They have to send us out soon. She sighed.
“I can’t work on this and think at you at the same time.” he said, still fiddling with his machines. “But yeah, we are gettin’ pretty good. Just a matter of time. You’re only fifteen, no rush.”
“I’m almost sixteen. My birthday’s in less than one month.” She sounded excited.
Darren put his tools down and turned to face her, mana dust from the crystals and grease from the components on his face and hands. “Why’d you wait ‘til now to tell me? Damn, I don’t know what to get you.”
Silvia laughed quietly “Going on a mission would be all I need. When is your birthday?” she asked.
Darren thought about it “Well it was like three months before I came here, but your whole calendar is different so… I don’t know. Let’s just use the day I showed up.” he said, turning back to his project “I like that better anyways. Like being born all over again.”
Silvia felt a little burning feeling in his mind as he tried to close off memories of his parents spending his birthday with him.
“I like that better too.” She let him bury the memories as she turned back to the silent night outside the window.
Darren snapped up out of his chair so quickly it tipped backwards, his fists raised in triumph.
“What?!” Silvia called out as she jumped in her seat, surprised by the chair crashing to the ground.
“I am gonna show you so much music.” he said as he turned his phone on for the first time since coming here.
“How’s that now?” she asked, walking over to his table and peaking over his shoulder.
“This is like a super tiny version of those cylindrograph things you have that play music from the etchings on the metal tube things.” he held up the phone, then the speaker. “And this is an amplifier that will play it louder.” His smile was infectious. “I have a playlist called ‘Good-Ass Girl Songs’ saved on my phone. All my favorite songs with female singers, and you’re gonna hear them all. And another called ‘Good ol biz’ that’s all music from the 90s going back to, like, the 50’s.”
She watched as he tapped all over the brightly lit surface, only understanding roughly every other word he said. Suddenly music began softly, it sounded sad, but beautiful. Silvia heard instruments she couldn’t name, and an ethereal feminine voice rang out over it all. She closed her eyes and focused entirely on the music. She began to feel Darren’s feelings creep in, memories of good times listening to it, driving down the roads of his world with the sound turned up louder. Sad times, his heart sunken in his chest, but hearing the same feeling in song helped ease the pain. And he didn’t block it off, just let her see it all as it was.
“It’s beautiful.” she said as it ended, she felt him agree.
Another song started just before the phone shut down suddenly.
“Dammit. It’ll take time for them to stay on any longer than that.” he said, setting it all down on the table. “We should get some sleep and let them charge.”
“Good job, Dare.” she said as she walked away. “I’m not sure too many people could find a way to link your world and this one.”
You sure did. His joke slid into her mind as she shut her door behind her.
Darren grinned at the devices, basking in triumph before heading toward his own room, shutting the lights off as he left. He took off his grease covered shirt and washed his face off. He looked down at his body, taking stock of the lightly glowing symbols on his arms and shoulders. Of the muscles, more defined than they had been at any point in his life.
“It’s all paying off.” he said to himself looking in the mirror, flexing slightly.
He felt her stop in her tracks and go red in the face.
Shit, sorry! He threw up a mental wall as quickly as he could, blocking her out. But the image had already been sent. He realized he should be more careful when taking showers. Darren splashed his face with cold water. Oh you fuckin’ idiot, he made sure the thought was only to himself.
Silvia felt the wall go up immediately, but she’d already seen him standing there, in the mirror. Idiot. She could feel the barrier he built blocking everything out and keeping everything in. Though the image still sat there, clearly in her mind. She shook her head to clear it and crawled into bed turning off the lights.