Tasting Power

[ldaniel13]

I decided to try my hand at writing again, this time in a fantasy setting. Enjoy.

Tasting Power, Chapter One

Power Found

Natal was sorting through the many remaining vials on the waist-high rough granite plinth. They were held in place by a failing preservative enchantment that occasionally shot sparks of reddish light upwards towards the ceiling. The cold, bluish mage-fire that he had called into his left hand was reflecting light off of the delicate, many-hued stoppered crystal containers and sending a shower of colors to dance upon the floor and ceiling in the heavy air of the musty smelling chamber. His black hair and eyes seemed to hungrily absorb the light cast back at them.

Natal was of average height, about 5?10?, and he was more fit than most mages, with long, lean muscles, good posture, and lightly tanned skin from years of travel. He wore tightly fitted black trousers and a soft cream colored tunic. Anyone could see that he wasn?t the type to be content to sit on his ass doing research all day. After attending the Avierna Academy of Magic, Natal had felt that there were more magics out there, lost magics, powerful magics. He didn?t want to waste his life at the slow plodding pace of his peers. He wanted real power now, while he was young. Therefore, he began his search. Although his inherent power and intellect allowed him to graduate at the top of his class, his brazen disregard for both tradition and his peers? abilities led him to be ostracized by magical society. Simpletons. Over the last seven years, he had already advanced far beyond them.

What? Do they think that the Arcanists took everything with them when they destroyed themselves? No, of course not, and just because they destroyed themselves with their magic, it doesn?t mean that I would if I had it. That was the weak opinion of his school?s professors. He examined a long slender green vial that contained a brackish liquid in it that resonated almost painfully with power at his touch. That feels promising... He wrapped it reverently in a cloth and put it in the large black leather satchel at his feet along with the other salvageable potions that he had found. Many of the potions had lost all coherent magical energies, but some remained stable, some had even appeared to gain power over the years.

The Arcanists were a magically gifted race that had existed millennia ago. Relatively little had been known of their history since humans were hunter-gatherers at that time. Thankfully, the Arcanists had left secret magical caches scattered across the continent during their many wars. Otherwise, there might be no record of them. Their cities were almost all blasted to ash in some enormous magical holocaust. I?ve probably discovered more about the Arcanists? history during the last seven years than the Aviernan Order has in the last seven hundred years. Magic today was like watered down ale compared to the fine wine of the past. If only they hadn?t destroyed themselves, what wonders they could have taught us. Maybe we could have held them back from their warlike nature.

Natal had spent the last seven years dowsing for areas of magical power, following rumors and ghost stories. He had encountered many dead ends but also uncovered several caches. This one in particular was several hundred feet underground. He had spent several weeks determining the location accurately enough to translocate down here without his atoms ending up dispersed throughout the bedrock. He had to gloat at his cleverness.

Natal traced his palm over the potions one more time. Yep, that was the last viable one. He closed his satchel, cinched it shut, and double-checked the dim recesses of the small, circular chamber--nothing of import. There was barely enough oxygen remaining in the chamber to breathe, and the musty odors of partially-evaporated potions were beginning to overwhelm him. It?s time to leave. The walls were cracked and buckled with the pressure of years and the weight of the earth above. Maybe this will be it. Maybe one of these potions will be the last ingredient that I need to activate my incant. He felt a warm glow of triumph at the thought. All his searching would be worth it. He would be vindicated among his peers, not that he would openly admit to caring about that.

Natal reached out with his senses and locked onto a point far above him. Goran was still guarding the site. He could sense Goran?s incant like a beacon. That?s good. He was acting as an anchor to make sure that the return translocation did not go askew. Natal focused his mind and drew upon his source. It felt like liquid fire bubbling up from within. He never got tired of the glorious feeling of his magic. It was like a drug. For the Arcanists, it must have been even better. It was better than sex although drawing on magic during sex was... Struggling to banish the distracting thought, he thrust the energy outward and penetrated the space between the two points.

Damn, I need to get laid...

*****

Shortly thereafter, Natal was vomiting into the tall grass alongside a ratty canvas tarp that he had laid out as a transport site. They were in the field of an abandoned farm. The breeze stirred and the grass rippled around him in waves. He felt weak and was shivering, hunched over with his hands on his knees. A gentle hand touched his back.

?Are you okay??

?Don?t touch me! I don?t need your help, weakling.? Natal slapped at Goran?s hand, wiping spit and throw-up from his mouth with his handkerchief. His voice was hoarse and strained with embarrassment. Goran flinched back.

Natal took several deep, steadying breaths and tried to compose himself. ?I?m sorry. I didn?t mean that. Translocation can take a lot out of you. It just made me snappy...? He looked guiltily up at Goran.

Goran was looking down at his sandaled feet, pale blond hair partially hiding his blue-green eyes. ?I know. Ninety percent of mages don?t have the source to transport once in a day, let alone twice in under an hour.? Where Natal was all darkness and strong, sharp angles, Goran was a couple inches shorter and light-haired with softer, more innocent features. He was dressed in a simple tan robe. At least it wasn?t fancy and impractical like most mage robes. ?I know that I can?t do that...? The admiration in his voice was palpable. Oh, Gods, I have upset him.

Natal was ashamed of himself. He wasn?t used to depending on anyone else. He didn?t like it. Over the last seven years, he hadn?t been around people that often. He was a loner by choice and temperament, but this trip had been too important. He had needed a presence above to anchor him and someone to tend to him if he was injured by a trap or hurt on his return trip. There weren?t any traps in this cache, but that often wasn?t always the case, especially with a cache this large. Goran really had helped, and it wasn?t his fault that he was weaker magically, just about everyone was.

Natal knew Goran from school. Goran had tried to befriend him at the Academy. He had been a year behind Natal and had obviously looked up to him, but Natal had rebuffed all attempts at friendship in those days. Surprisingly, after making inquires with the local mages? guild, Goran had been the only one to express any interest in helping. He?d almost forgotten that Goran had moved to the area ?...and I keep being an ass. He?s really not such bad company, and I have been kind of lonely recently.?

?Well, thank you for the compliment. You were very steady as an anchor. It would have been very difficult if you weren?t there.? Nigh impossible, but he couldn?t bring himself to admit that out-loud.

Goran met Natal?s gaze, smiled and... blushed. As his cheeks flamed, he quickly looked away again but this time towards the road. ?We should get going. You could rest awhile longer, but you?ll want to get back to your estate soon. Besides, the veil between worlds is weak here. Whatever you retrieved will do you no good if daemons attack you while you?re weakened and leave you as a mouldering corpse.? Daemons often broke through the veil around areas where major Arcanist battles had been fought.

Natal raised his eyebrows and stood up straight. Who does he think I am? I?m not weakened enough that a measly daemon would be a problem. Only the minor ones can make it through the veil without a summoning incant, anyway. Still... Goran?s concern was a little cute, if misplaced. ?Giving orders, now? What happened to the quiet little lamb that tried to follow me around at school. Or do you plan to protect me?? Natal batted his eyelashes at Goran.

Goran stammered, ?Didn?t mean to offend... I?m no lamb, no... I didn?t really follow... that much... so long ago... I mean... I just kind of wanted to... I mean you were... brilliant and all.. so I...? He kept stammering as he absently helped Natal fold up the tarp and followed him towards the horses.

?Maybe you want to stay at my place tonight so that you won?t have to face any big, scary daemons on the way home?? They made eye lingering eye contact.

There was a long pause. ?Sure.?

?Haha. That?s my little lamb...? Wow, this trip keeps getting better and better, running his hand gently over the leather of his satchel.



Continued...

[dartagnan]

Nice start! Hope there would be growth in the next chapter!

[Shadonyx]

Fantastic start to the story! I really enjoy your writing style, and you've made the story interesting with the back-story. Your characters are believable and above all, very engaging.

I look forward to reading more!

[fillups44]

Nice work. i like the deep feeling of a world and a magic system thought out. I'm anxious to know what happens next!!

[arpeejay]

Great start, LDaniel. I'm looking forward to the next installment!

xoxo

Richard

[sexiscriptor]

agreed with all above
~Ille