Days later, Collin’s hand grasped David’s, leaving the gemstone in his palm. “Focus on what you feel. What can you see? What can you do?”
David shook his head. Collin’s constant pressing and lessons were only leading to more frustration. He already knew magic was real, but being able to use it? That was a different story altogether.
“This is getting ridiculous,” David said.
“The light coming from the gemstone seems to think otherwise, David,” Collin said.
“The light?” The soft glow washed over David’s face. “No! It’s… this is a trick! You’re doing this!”
Collin closed David’s hand over the gemstone. The golden glow could not be contained in his hand. It reached through David’s fingers, shining on the table and the nearby shelf. A ray of glittering light grew stronger and stronger until the air in the room crackled with magic. A glass shattered on the shelf, falling to the floor in a thousand pieces of opaque green. Again, David dropped the gemstone.
Collin’s hands clapped together so loudly that people outside the room wondered if he was alright. Once they heard the ecstatic laughter and Collin’s encouraging shouts, they smiled. Even the Elves of Zloras Castle knew about the wonderful thing happening behind the heavy door. The traveler had found his magic.
“I broke it.” David blinked. “I’m so sorry! Was it valuable?”
Collin laughed. “It’s quite alright! You did well. Congratulations, David! Your magic has woken up!”
“Magic,” David repeated. “I used magic. No. I have magic. Collin, I have magic!”
There it was. The moment Collin had waited for. That beautiful moment when even a grown man becomes a child again. When David accepted his magic, his face lit up with all the brightness of Varelith’s eastern and western suns combined. The flutter of happiness in his stomach grew until it burst out into a laugh. Then it became a jig across the floor, where David took Collin’s arm and danced in a circle. He was so elated that he could not contain it!
“It is a wonderful feeling, isn’t it?” Collin embraced David.
David nodded. “I want to do more. I want to know more! I want to know everything you can teach me!”
“One thing at a time, David,” Collin said. “It takes time to hone your magic and learn to use it. I would be happy to give you some lessons. If you decide, you might stay for a while?”
“Of course.”
Collin smiled. “I am so glad to hear that. Rest now. You still need to heal. Once Kaelen clears you, we will begin in earnest.”
Kaelen allowed David to roam Zloras Castle while he recovered. The sheer size of it was overwhelming. Within the white stone walls was a city of its own, much larger than Zloras City itself. The castle walls were so wide that guards could walk the ramparts with ease. Guard towers stood at each road leading to the castle, and Knights of Ordrya kept watch from suns up to moons set.
The main entrance bustled with activity. People from all over Varelith lined up at the four silver gates. Guards, under awnings of woven reeds, checked papers and waved people in. Few were turned away, but the guards still recorded every entry—more out of tradition than necessity.
Nearly twenty buildings made up the main castle, each unique in size but pushing skyward with round roofs and glistening tops. Smaller structures handled daily operations, from food and supplies to crafting clothes and weapons. Other buildings focused on teaching magic or trades. The two largest towers stood at the heart of the city like symbols of Elven strength.
One building housed the Knights and Sentinels, along with their famous stables. Another was home to Varelith’s vast knowledge—the Scholars’ tomes and the Ruler’s Study.
The Ruler’s Study seemed endless, its shelves stacked with secrets of ancient Varelith. In the center, a half-circle of high-backed chairs faced the Ruler’s seat. When important matters arose, the Scholars and guests gathered here to discuss the fate of Varelith. David could only glance at it from the large oval doorway, unable to enter as only Scholars and magic users were permitted inside.
As David explored the open-air halls, he admired the architecture. The floors, seemingly made of marble with purple, gold, and silver gems, wound around each building. Tall columns supported awnings of reeds, sheltering visitors from rain or heat.
Ordrya had no dark season like other lands. The weather was mild year-round, making its markets and homes built similarly to Zloras Castle—small, open-air structures surrounded by walls.
But it wasn’t the architecture that kept David’s interest—it was the magic. Within days, he devoured the beginner tomes Collin had given him. The gardens became his training ground.
The gardens were a marvel to any traveler. Native trees and plants were carefully arranged along sandy paths, with patches of teal grass inviting visitors to rest. David could have spent days there, basking in the low-season suns and breathing the sweet air.
Trees of varying heights lined the walkways, some with purple and brown bark, others white and gray, flaking off like paper. Their tangled branches formed a shady canopy once the new green leaves bloomed. Large ferns spilled over the stone walls, and flower beds stretched on, filled with every imaginable shade of red, blue, and purple. Herbs edged the flower beds, their earthy green and gold hues mingling with the vibrant blooms.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Farther along, the sweet scent of Lempick fruit filled the air. Yards of trees, heavy with purple flowers, stood in neat rows. Soon, they would yield their eggplant-colored fruit. Beyond the orchard, a quiet grassy space awaited. It was in this peaceful space that Collin brought David for training.
David had been using the same gemstone for days now, channeling his magic through it. His excitement kept him eager to learn, though he still struggled with the finer points of magic in Varelith.
The gem had become David’s power cell. He could already focus his magic on the stone and project it towards a target. But the finer points still needed some work. Like so many others, David’s excitement over it kept him from understanding the fundamentals of magic in Varelith.
Magic is a very individual thing. Your talent decides the type of magic you can harness, but the magic itself depends on how much magic you are born with, and how well you can focus it.
It is a feeling. It is something deep inside of you that must be let out. Instead of holding it back, you allow it to come out in full force. Once someone does that, they find out what their magic can really do.
Already, David was harnessing his magic in ways Collin did not expect. His ability to focus should have come after months of learning, not days. They stood on the grassy spot while David practiced on a crack in the stone wall. With the gemstone already glowing in his hand, David concentrated on it, visualizing his magic filling the small void. A bright beam of golden light shot from his hand.
The crack itself brightened, and the stone shook and shuddered under the pressure. David’s teeth gritted tight as he tried to hold on to the vision of the stone repairing itself. A soft crackle followed by a louder pop made David slump his shoulders in defeat. The stone had broken.
“We should focus more on aiming and focus if you are determined to make repairs,” Collin chuckled.
David gave him a sheepish smile. “I didn’t mean to do that. I still have some things to learn.”
“Why not try something smaller?” Collin held up a small blue rock. “I have a charged gemstone from a mine in Espachor.”
“Espachor.” David rubbed his chin. “I remember this lesson. That’s the land the Gnomes live in. East of Ordrya and Athary.”
Collin nodded. “Yes, it is. A kinder people you will never meet. I am sure they would love to have you visit.”
He thought back to his talks with Collin and Kaelen over the last few days, where they introduced him to the lands of Varelith. Espachor, home to the Gnomes, was a quiet land of farms, winding rivers, and the small trade harbor of Wolves’ Crossing, nestled in southeastern Espachor. Much of Varelith’s grain and produce came from this sleepy bay.
Espachor was the only land in Varelith with all four seasons, perfect for farming. Rivers and creeks watered its rich soil, and the Gnomes made full use of their weather. They celebrated festivals year-round, from the Harvest Festival to High Season Days, where the best crops were proudly displayed. During the dark season, they held a week-long festival, traveling farm to farm, sampling special drinks from each community.
The Gnomes were known for their kindness and compassion. In ancient times, they visited Varelith simply to explore, making allies and sharing gifts of fruits, vegetables, and grains. The Elves welcomed them, and after many visits, some Gnomes chose to stay. To the west of Zloras, they settled in Oshwait, a fertile land bordering the wetlands, which became their ancestral home. As Oshwait became crowded, the Gnomes looked east to the plains, and the Council granted them the land that became Espachor.
“I think I might like to visit Espachor,” David said.
“Soon.” Collin smiled. “Give this gemstone a try. Focus on it.”
David forgot about his history lesson, gripping the small blue rock in his hand. The stone a few yards from him had now split in two, and the weight of the wall above it threatened to break it to pieces. If that stone fell, the entire wall would need to be repaired, and it would be David’s fault. He frowned at the idea of causing such a fuss and tightened his fist around the gemstone. His magic broke it. His magic could fix it.
In his mind’s eye, David envisioned the stone repaired to its former glory. A perfectly hewn rectangle of bright white that sat in uniform with the others. The same golden glow from before shot forth from David’s hand. Tendrils of shadow snaked around the beam of magic, mixing with it until one could not be distinguished from the other. The illuminated shadow enveloped the broken stone and knit it together in a matter of seconds.
Collin’s hands and arms were stiff at his side when he turned to give David an encouraging smile. “I am impressed, David! Look what you have done in such a short time.”
“I did that.” David blinked, running a hand through his hair. “I fixed it!”
“You did. That was very good.” But Collin’s words didn’t quite reach his face.
“Is there something wrong, Collin?”
“No.” Collin shook his head. “I am only surprised at your abilities. I think it is time you meet some friends of mine from Athary. They know about you, and they are arriving today. This is a perfect time to introduce you.”
“Athary?” David tilted his head. “Don’t mostly Faeries live in Athary?”
Once again, he recalled a recent history lesson. Athary was one of the oldest lands in Varelith. It was the second discovered and formed in times so ancient that even the Scholars aren’t sure when it happened.
No one is certain when the Faeries arrived in Varelith. They came from a home world for exploration. Once they found how well they got along with the ancient Elves, many of the Faeries remained on the world. Eventually, the portals to and from their home world stopped opening. No one is certain what happened to the home world or if it still exists.
As the Faerie population grew, they moved away from ancient Zloras and settled near the Holly Forest in southern Ordrya. Even that was not enough space for them. As exploration improved, a land almost directly east of Ordrya was discovered. It was a place of thick forests, high ocean cliffs, and valley plains nestled in between the large, rounded hills. The ancient Council granted the land to the Faeries, and they called it “Athary.”
To this day, Faeries make up almost the entire population of Athary. Others live there for a short time, taking advantage of the Naturalist’s Tree or the School of Magic in the capital of Aura. Faerie culture is difficult to adapt to, and most return to their homeland or live somewhere else.
It is the Faeries who discovered Naturalism. Everyone agrees Naturalism already existed in Varelith, but it had yet to be discovered until the Faeries found The Everpond. Tucked away in northern Athary, Everpond Grove holds the font of Naturalism and portals. The Everpond is a heavily guarded and sacred place to not only the Faeries but any Naturalist. Even the Scholars agree if something happens to The Everpond, Naturalism itself could change.
The Everpond fascinated David. When Collin spoke about the great lake in the forest, he tried to see it in his mind. A source of magic? Something that fueled Varelith’s own portals? He wanted to see and experience this for himself. So, when Collin told David of some Faeries coming to visit, he jumped at the idea of meeting them.