An Arcanepunk Fantasy Book Series
Evalyce - Worldshaper by J. Aislynn d'Merricksson
Series Excerpt
On the eleventh day, they reached the Forest itself. Aleister's trepidation grew as they approached the massive forest with its monolithic trees. All week, as the forestlands grew thick about them, the magister had grown more and more uneasy. Though he had lost a fear of the sky, the Arkaddian still had a healthy fear of being hemmed in by trees.
Mage and magister stopped the vykr at the Forest entrance. Kalla took a deep breath, inhaling the rich smells of green, growing things. Scents of jasmine and thistlehart drifted on the air. She drew in another breath and let it out in a long, ululating sound that rang through the trees. Aleister jumped, cursed his reaction.
“What in blazes was that for?”
“To let the guardians know we are here.” Before she could say more, a call echoed back at them, first from one point, then another, then another.
“There. Now we have permission to enter. Stay to the path. This is important. You must keep to the path or you will become hopelessly lost. There are beings in the Forest that would take great delight in luring a human to their deaths in the trees. No matter what you think you see or hear, do not leave the path,” Kalla said.
Aleister gave her a shaky nod.
“If it's so dangerous, should we be going in?” the magister asked.
“The Forest can be dangerous, kas, but only if you do not show it proper respect. However, this is where Gasta lives and if any can give us a good starting place, it will be the Keeper of the Forest.” Kalla nudged her mount to a walk and started down the path, the Forest swallowing her like some great hungry beast. With some hesitation, Aleister followed.
The farther in they went, the darker it became, until the light vanished altogether. Kalla conjured magelight to light the way, the orbs glowing like tiny suns in the darkness. She could feel her magister getting more and more antsy, so she decided to halt for the night.
“Here's a good place to stop. We'll make camp and get some rest,” she said.
“How can you tell it's night-time?” Aleister's voice sounded grateful.
“It is. Trust me.” As he would figure out soon enough, day and night counted for nothing in the Forest. From here on out they would have to use magelight to show the way. Kalla fixed the orbs in place.
Aleister took the vykr over to a tree and tethered them, leaving the leads long. Kalla walked the area, pacing out a circle, letting Aleister's soft voice relax her even as it soothed the beasts. He unsaddled them, brushed their long, shaggy fur, checked their hooves and fed them, while Kalla walked the circle twice more, each time weaving a stronger shield.
By the time she was finished, her warding was strong enough to keep out all but Gasta himself, but it served another purpose as well. It kept them inside. Though Kalla knew she was strong enough to withstand the temptations beyond the path, she was not so sure about Aleister, especially in his current fretful state. Despite her reassurances, the gloomy forest still unsettled the Arkaddian.
Their tasks complete, they made camp- building a fire, collecting wood, putting dinner together, cleaning up- all in relative silence. Kalla wondered how long it would be before Aleister would go crazy in the quiet. Quiet didn't bother her. She enjoyed the Forest, having spent quite a bit of time in it when she was younger. Her father had brought her here as often as he could to teach her respect for the unknown, and to instill in her a certain degree of fearlessness. The pair were drowsing around the fire after dinner, when Aleister finally lost the battle. Kalla chuckled to herself, as his voice broke the silence.
“Milady, can I ask a question?”
“You can ask. I might not answer,” she said.
“Fair enough. Lady, why did you choose me? Out of all the others? Surely there were better choices, yes?” Aleister asked.
“I've already told you, I wasn't looking for brute strength. Nor was I looking for someone who had truly been worthy of a death sentence.” She shrugged. “Choosing you felt right. I knew you weren't a killer, by your own admission and by the truth-read. Help any?”
Aleister nodded slowly and Kalla again caught the strange undercurrent to his thoughts, tinged, oddly enough, with a bit of shame and fear. This time she felt him actively suppress it before she could focus on it. He was silent for a moment more.
“Another thing I've been meaning to ask- the coins you've given the stableboys and innkeepers, you made them from nothing. How?”
Kalla laughed softly.
“No, that was merely illusion, not magick. I am skilled enough to weave something from 'nothing', but the coins came from my own purse.”
“But how is it possible to make something from nothing?” Aleister asked.
“I'm not sure I can explain it to one not a mage, but I'll try. There are tiny particles all around us. Everything, even the air itself, is made from these unseen particles. I'm not really pulling something from nothing, but reweaving the pattern of the particles. Not all magi are skilled in Alchemy, but it happens to be something I excel at,” Kalla said.
Aleister shook his head. “I'm not sure I understand. If it can't be seen, how can you manipulate it?”
Praesent id libero id metus varius consectetur ac eget diam. Nulla felis nunc, consequat laoreet lacus id.