But she is not like me at that age. She fixes on something and remains true to it – like healing. Perhaps she will be the same with people. With me. And I wasn’t completely incapable of sticking to one thing back then. Nothing ever took away my interest in magic, or my loyalty to Dakon.
He reached for the bowl of water she had brought him last night, after disappearing into the burned house for a while, and drank deeply. The water tasted of smoke. He closed his eyes and let time slide past.
After a while something roused him. In the distance the sound of hoofbeats echoed. Several horses, coming closer. Jayan felt his heart skip a beat. He and Tessia had meant to take it in turns to sleep, the other watching for passing Kyralians, but they had both succumbed to exhaustion. He suspected the healing had used a lot of Tessia’s power. She had probably needed the sleep as much as he had.
The hoofbeats were growing rapidly louder.
As he shifted, intending to disturb Tessia as little as possible, her eyes flew open. She blinked at him, then frowned.
“Is that horses?”
Instantly awake, she pushed herself to her feet. Jayan rose and they both moved to the broken wall. Peering out, they saw twenty or so Kyralian magicians riding towards them. Jayan looked around, checking for signs that anybody might be watching. The road and nearby houses appeared deserted. He stepped out and waved an arm at the riders.
The magicians slowed to a stop. Jayan smiled as he recognised Lord Bolvin at the front, Lord Tarrakin beside him.
“Any chance of a ride?” he asked.
Bolvin grinned. “Magician Jayan, Apprentice Tessia, it is good to see you both survived. Dakon will be relieved. He came back last night but couldn’t find you.” He looked over his shoulder. “We’re heading to the edge of the city first. You’ll have to ride double.”
Two magicians came forward and Jayan and Tessia climbed up behind them.
Jayan looked around. “Has anyone seen Mikken?”
“He’s back with the army.”
Bolvin urged his horse into motion and the rest of the riders followed suit.
The city was quiet, but now and then Jayan noticed someone scurrying away down a side road. They passed the place where Jayan and Tessia had been separated from the army. Soon after, when walls no longer lined the road, and fields surrounded buildings, the group halted. Five of them, including Bolvin, separated from the rest, each accompanied by a servant and an apprentice and leading a riderless horse laden with baggage. Jayan caught enough of the conversation to understand that they were returning to Imardin. At first he assumed it was to deliver news of the victory, but then he realised that the news would already have reached Kyralia via the blood gem rings.
The thought sent a shiver of excitement down his back. I wish we were going with them. He realised he was tired of war. I want to be home, wherever that is now, with Tessia. I want to start a magicians’ guild and help Tessia develop magical healing.
As Bolvin and his companions rode into the distance, Lord Tarrakin turned his horse around.
“They’re on their own now,” he said. “The king said we should return as quickly as possible.”
The remaining magicians turned and headed back into the city. Soon they were riding through parts of Arvice Jayan hadn’t seen yet. He admired the tree-lined avenue leading up to the Imperial Palace. The palace was, surprisingly, undamaged. Servants came out to take the horses. Jayan dismounted, relieved to no longer be riding on the uncomfortable edge of the saddle.
Moving to Tessia’s side, he followed the magicians into the palace. Just like the Sachakan-built houses in Imardin, a corridor led to a large room for meeting and entertaining guests. But the corridor was wide enough to ride ten horses through, and the room was an enormous column-lined hall. Voices echoed inside.
“We can’t abolish slavery entirely,” a voice declared. “We must do it in stages. Start with personal servants. Leave the slaves that produce food and do the least pleasant work to last, or else Sachaka will starve while drowning in its own refuse.”
Narvelan, Jayan thought, a familiar chill running down his spine. Why doesn’t it surprise me that he wants to keep slavery going? Yet he couldn’t help agreeing with the magician. Freeing all slaves at once would cause chaos.
As Jayan neared the end of the room he saw that several magicians were sitting in a circle. The king wasn’t using the enormous gilt throne in the middle of the room, Jayan noted, though the chair he was sitting on was large and had a back and arms, while the rest were backless stools. Beyond them, other magicians were standing around the room, some listening to the discussion, others talking.
One of the magicians began to rise from his seat, then glanced at the king and sat down again. Dakon. Jayan smiled at his former master’s relieved expression.
“We must also keep the populace here weak,” Narvelan continued. “But not so that we are weakened along with them. Freeing the personal slaves means that the remaining magicians will have to pay the people who serve them.”
Jayan saw the king nod, then look up at the newcomers. “Lord Tarrakin. Have Lord Bolvin and the others left?”
“Yes. We also found Magician Jayan and Apprentice Tessia.”
The king looked at Tessia, then Jayan. “I am glad to hear you both survived the night.” He frowned and looked from Tessia to Dakon. “Since you have agreed to stay and help rule Sachaka, will your apprentice be staying with you?”
Jayan drew in a quick breath. Dakon is staying? Surely not! He has a village to rebuild, and a ley to run.
But he found he could easily believe Dakon would choose to stay and help the Sachakans. Perhaps in order to redress the harm the army had done.
And Tessia will have to stay with him...
“I have been considering that,” Dakon said. “If Tessia does not want to stay here she is free to go.”
“I couldn’t leave you, Lord Dakon,” she said.
The king turned to regard her. “You have a gift, Apprentice Tessia. A gift of healing that you might teach others. If I asked you to return to Imardin with me, would you agree?”
She bit her lip. She glanced at him, then at Dakon.
“Who... who will take over my apprenticeship?”
Jayan felt his heart skip. Could he...?
“I will.”
All turned to see Lady Avaria stride towards the circle from the side of the room.
“Dakon mentioned that he was considering staying,” she explained. “I thought of Tessia, and how she might not want to remain here, and that perhaps it is time I took on an apprentice of my own.” She looked at Tessia and smiled. “I can’t hope to match Lord Dakon’s experience, but I promise to do my best.”
All eyes shifted to Tessia. She looked at Avaria, then at Dakon, then at Jayan, then turned to face the king.
“If Lord Dakon wishes it, I would be honoured to be Lady Avaria’s apprentice.”
Dakon smiled. “Though I would like to finish your training, Tessia, I think it is more important that your knowledge of assisting healing with magic be shared with others.”
The king smiled broadly and slapped his thighs. “Excellent!” He then turned to Jayan. “What are your plans now, Magician Jayan?”
“I will return to Imardin,” Jayan replied. “And, if you approve, begin work on forming a guild of magicians.”
The king smiled. “Ah. The magicians’ guild. Lord Hakkin is exploring this guild idea as well.” He nodded. “You may join him in the endeavour. Now.” He looked around the circle. “Who is going to stay and help Lord Narvelan and Lord Dakon rule Sachaka?”
A shock of cold rushed through Jayan. Lord Narvelan? Rule Sachaka? Is King Errik mad? He turned his attention to Narvelan. The young magician wore a smile, but it looked fixed and strange. It didn’t match the intensity of his gaze. As something distracted him – a slave tugging at his arm – a savage anger crossed his face, to be quickly smothered behind the smile again.
Jayan heard Tessia catch her breath.
“Hanara,” she breathed. “It’s Takado’s slave!”