Where do you think we are now? Starshadow asks me. I wake up with a groan and look around. It's certainly not Ionia. The hills are too green, and there are hills. Ionia is more flat. Not to mention the trees are a bit straighter. The biggest difference is that there is no feeling of magic around us. I stand up and cup Starshadow to my collar.
"It's not Ionia. I'd really like to stop teleporting in my sleep, by the way." I state. Starshadow snickers. "I'm serious! I don't enjoy teleporting in my sleep! What if I go to sleep in a bed and wake up in the middle of a war? I'm screwed!" I protest.
Aurora wouldn't throw you into an environment like that! Starshadow sounds offended.
"Yeah, but the other one? What's he like?" I remind him.
You're his vessel. He gets to sleep as long as you don't die. He won't kill you either. Besides, I'm very impressed with you right now. You're not completely exhausted. You're standing!
"Barely." I grumble, though he is right. A few weeks ago, I would have been unable to move. As it is, I still feel queasy.
Hey, take it as a victory! Starshadow smacks his tail into my back. You're getting stronger! Maybe one day you'll be as strong as me!
"Starshadow, you're barely strong enough to lift up a brick. I think I'm already stronger than you."
Psh. That's because you can't handle my true self. You need to give me more magic.
"You are the one that steals the magic into yourself! What do you mean by giving?"
Fine. You suck at sharing.
"Oh, so that's your big retort?"
It's accurate.
"Not really!" I snap.
"Excuse me, miss, could you get off the dormisroot?" An old lady asks. I look down at my feet. I realize that I woke up in a field of yellow flowers.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize!" I yelp. I carefully make my way over to the woman.
"It's alright dear. Just do try to be careful." She pats my shoulder. I notice that she has a basket of the flowers. I feel bad that I might have destroyed her livelihood. Farming, if you lose a little crop, you could lose a life.
"May I carry that for you?" I ask shyly.
"I wouldn't want to impose." The old lady waves away.
"It's not imposing if I'm asking, Ma'am." I gently take the basket from her and offer my arm. She blinks in surprise at me before accepting it.
"Thank you, dear. Your parents must be proud of you." She leads the way even if I'm supporting her. The hillside is a beautiful place. I pause for a moment and just enjoy the view. The old lady notices. "Have you ever been here before?"
"I don't know where I am, Ma'am." I reply while walking with her.
"Oh, we are just a small village. I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't know us." The elder pats my hand.
"I'm afraid I meant I don't even know which country I'm in." I clarify sheepishly. Her face drops.
"Do not mention how you got here when we return to my village." She orders. I jerk back slightly from her sudden mood change. "I know you used magic to get here." She whispers in my ear.
"Well, yeah. What's wrong with magic?" I state at a normal volume. She quickly hushes me.
"Demacia forbids magic. Anything of magical origin is strictly forbidden." She tells me. I feel Starshadow slip deeper into my scarf.
Good to know. No showing myself around Demacia and talking to the locals.
"Uh, thank you, but why did you help me?" I ask, wary now.
"My son, he's a mage. He's a wonderful boy. The law is silly. He's helped so many people in the village with his magic. He's a plant grower. It's why our flowers are still in bloom, even if this is not the season for them. It truly is a beautiful thing." She explains wistfully. I smile.
"Well, I can't exactly argue with that. I happen to love magic myself."
"Were you speaking to anyone when I first arrived?" She asks, bringing up my one sided conversation with Starshadow.
"Oh, uh, no. Part of my magic is that I have an imaginary friend to help me." I make up on the spot.
Hey!
"Does he help you?" She smiles, like she knows that he's a real being.
"More often than not he just insults me while helping. It's very confusing, but I wouldn't have it any other way." I fondly think of my bonded. He's wriggling around a bit before he stops, no longer protesting. We walk in silence for a moment. She stumbles briefly. I quickly do my best to support her. "Are you alright, Ma'am?"
"Oh, yes. Yes. I'm just a little old. These old bones tend to falter more often."
"That's what the elders in my village always said."
"Your elders have wisdom, child. It's best you listen to it." She points a finger at me before continuing to walk. We follow down winding dirt paths for a while before Starshadow nudges me.
What?
Can you ask her why we're here?
What do you mean?
Well, with our history, we show up when there's going to be trouble. Maybe it'll happen here? Starshadow points out. I want to smack my face.
"Is there any trouble you're expecting, Ma'am?" I ask her. She looks a bit confused.
"No, why?"
"Uh, I just thought that there might be some trouble coming." I nervously tell her. She glances at my hair and eyes before tapping her finger against her lip.
"I've never heard of a magic that warns someone of something bad to come." She looks at me oddly.
"Well, I've found that I tend to show up when there's trouble around." I confess.
"Is that really? I've never heard of someone like that." She comments lightly.
"Funny, isn't it?" I laugh awkwardly. She pats my arm.
"Don't worry dear. I won't tell anyone. And if you're kind and helpful to the village, they won't tell either." She comforts me. We walk the rest of the way back to her little home. The houses are a bit bigger than the brothers' home in Ionia, but it still has that feeling of safety. A young man walks up to us.
"Mom, who is this?" He asks.
"This is a sweet girl I found in the field of flowers, her name is… Oh dear, I don't think I ever heard your name." She looks at me expectantly.
"It's Leilah. My name is Leilah." I shake the man's hand.
"Pleasure to meet you, Leilah. Thank you for helping my mom get back home." He takes his mother away from me. I hand over the basket to him. The yellow flower almost seems to tickle my skin when it brushes past my forearm.
"If I may, what is this plant for?" I ask. I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head.
"Dormisroot, dear. It's a healing plant that also enhances magic." The older lady explains. My eyes widen a bit. It can enhance my magic? Maybe it'll help me make Starshadow get larger. She picks out a flower and places it in my ear.
"Thank you for your assistance, young lady. I have to say, you look beautiful with that flower in your hair. You could almost say you're glowing." She tells me, her voice sounding a little bit cryptic. I sneak a glance at my hand. I don't see a glow. I look at them confused. The man runs his hand through his hair, taking care to rub where the lady placed the flower on me. My eyes widen and look around carefully.
"How do I make it stop glowing?" I whisper urgently.
"Oh, don't worry, my dear. Remember, this village likes magic. It's very handy for our livelihood." She comforts me.
"That's not my biggest concern. Doesn't Demacia have a force to stop magic if they ruled it as outlawed?" I fret.
"They rarely come out to these parts of the woods anyway. We're a small village. No one important comes to us." The son snorts. I relax.
"So, not all of Demacia agrees with that law?"
"Demacia is an old country, founded in the Rune Wars. It was a place for ordinary people to be safe. Though there's no reason that I can see that we can't use magic today." The elderly scoffs. "If you ask me, Demacia is stabbing itself in the foot by not allowing magic to help. Without my son, our village might starve."
"What are the Rune Wars?" I can't help my curiosity. It sounds like a fascinating story.
"Runes are the most powerful form of magic to exist. People in power fought for the right to own them. I've heard that some runes have the ability to defeat gods. These Runes were sought out by many men, not caring who was going to be hurt. Each war lasted decades, sometimes centuries." She remains silent. I almost pout, feeling like there's more to the story.
"Why doesn't Demacia like magic then?" I probe.
"Demacia was founded for those that didn't want to fight. Magic has been forbidden since the beginning. The problem is, some people can't help being magical. My son, for example. He was born with his magic and has been nothing but a treasure." The old lady pats her son's cheek. He smiles before looking at me.
"Do you have a place to stay?" He asks.
"Uh, no. I just arrived in the area." I tell him.
"You can come live with us. We have some space, and you seem like a good person." The man offers. His mother nods excitedly.
"Please do. A young sweet girl like you needs a safe place to stay. Besides, you might enjoy being here." She almost suggests. I frown, trying to figure her out. She is glancing at her son as well. He turns a bit red, but remains quiet.
You and Yone. No one else. Starshadow helps. I blanch a bit and start to back away, holding my hands up.
"They're coming!" Someone else yells out of nowhere. Everyone's head snaps to attention and head in one direction. The man grabs my arm and pulls me with him.
"Who's coming?" I panic a bit.
"Mageseekers. Stay hidden in the back. Maybe you'll stay safe." The man states, placing me in the back of the group and behind some tall people. I look around. Some of the villagers carry pikes and axes. I shiver and try to hide. Starshadow plucks the glowing flower from my hair and tucks it into my scarf alongside himself.
Thanks.
What would you do without me?
Be at home. I peak around people to see what's happening.
"Steady, boy." The oldest man in the group demands. There's three people, an older man, young one, and a boy. All three wear royal blue and white robes while the people I'm surrounded by are in rags. All three carry torches. I quickly do my best to remain unnoticed, but it's hard. I stand out quite a bit with my sparkling hair and light blue dress and starry scarf. The boy looks straight at me and the woman's son before turning his head. He tugs on the younger man's arm and nods. The man nods back and the boy backs up. The elder woman I helped marches up to the three.
"Do mageseekers burn villages now?" She asks angrily.
"There's nothing here, move on!" Her son stands next to her. Many others join, hurling verbal abuse to the trio.
"Hush!" The lady scolds her son with an elbow. When he quiets, so does everyone else. It's very clear to see that this lady is well respected. There's still a heaviness in the air though.
"A bushel of dormisroot arrived in Wrenwall six days ago." The younger man states. He gestures to the flowers with his torch.
"People sell things. People buy things. Is it different in the city?" The woman mocks them. The villagers all laugh. I pull back slightly, afraid of what would happen. It's very tense and angry. A fight might break out any time. The boy and younger man join in for a moment themselves, although their laugh is uncomfortable.
"Of course not." The young man tries to keep the peace. "But the flower is rare this time of year."
"We're good farmers. Good hunters, too." There's an edge in her voice now. She's uneasy.
What do we do, Starshadow? I ask him.
Just watch. It's not our place to interfere yet. Starshadow states. I nod and keep myself hidden as best I can. I notice the boy keeps looking and glancing away from me.
"Aye, but the ground is frozen and there isn't one among you who's ever worked a plough." The eldest cuts in.
"So what? Those flowers can be grown indoors!" The son protests.
He pulls out a carved stone disk and raises it above the flower. The petals wilted. "But they don't die at the sight of Petricite." He smirks. "Unless you use magecraft to grow them." The villagers all tense again, caught out. I tense as well, ready to run if need be.
"The use of magic is forbidden. We are all Demacian. Bound by birth to honor her laws-" The young man starts.
"You can't eat honor up here." The elder lady spat.
"Even if you could, your belly'd be empty." The eldest mageseeker sneers. The villagers all creep forward, angered by the insult. The young man clears his throat.
"The hillfolk have always honored the ways of Demacia. Keeping with law and tradition. We only ask you do so again today. Will the afflicted step forward?" I freeze and look around me, trying to figure out if they would out me. For a moment, no one does anything. "If honor does not compel you, then know we have a boy here that will root out the guilty." He states. I bristle. A boy his age shouldn't be doing work like this. He looks younger than I do! Hunting people, that's no child's job. The crowd all turn to the boy still behind the two men.
"So the runt can invoke magic without censure, but not us?" The son asks. I push my way to the front, changing my hair and eyes to what I used to look like. I doubt they would be appreciative of a girl with different multicolored eyes and sparkly hair.
Leilah, what are you doing? Starshadow sounds panicked.
"You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" I yell. Everyone turns to look at me surprised. Only the boy can't keep his eyes on me.
You are a fool. Starshadow grumbles in my head. I ignore him.
"You would point all the people's anger onto a boy? Where's the honor in that?" I spit. The two men in finery look surprised at my outburst.
"Stand down, miss. We don't want any trouble" The younger one says.
"How dare you question our-" The elder starts.
"It's fine, Vannis. She's young. Let her be." The younger man states. He turns to the rest of the village. "He works in service to Demacia." He calls clearly before turning to the boy. "It's fine. Go ahead." he coaxes.
The boy looked around everyone, careful not to look right at me. I could feel the hatred from the villagers pour into the boy. I smile at the boy, trying to comfort him. Vannis glares at him.
"It's alright." The younger man comforts the boy. "We keep the order. We uphold the law. That's what matters." That seems to be enough to make the boy move. The woman takes a step forward.
"Don't say it, boy." the woman shakes her head at him. "I'll accept it. Do you hear me?"
"Enough of this." Vannis snaps, moving to attack her. I move in front of him.
"I'm a mage! Alright? I'm a mage." I volunteer myself before him, allowing my magic to fade.. The man holds his Graymark against my throat.
You… Are an idiot.
No one should die for this!
And you shouldn't be captured for it.
"I'll be happy to take you into prison where you belong." Vannis snaps before moving forward."
"Wait!" I hear a boy's voice call out.
"Quiet, boy. You had your chance." Vannis grabs me and throws me to his partner. I land on the ground harshly. Vannis makes a move towards the old lady.
"There's two! And it's not her! It's the other one!" The boy cries out. The son runs forward.
"Mamma!" He cries out. He lunges at Vannis, his fingers covered in green thorns. Vannis whacks the man's head. Distorted, the son stumbles into the young man. The young mageseeker gasps and drops his torch. The son's clothes catch fire.
"My son!" She screams. The villagers don't let her run to him as he is burnt alive. They make to move towards the trio, but Vannis stands his ground. I stare at the burning body.
Did I fail him? I ask Starshadow.
No. This is not your fault. You did nothing wrong except reveal yourself. Starshadow squeezes my collar in comfort.
"Did he touch you?" Vannis demands. The man doesn't respond for a moment. "Marsino!"
"I'm fine!" He replies.
"Are there anymore?" Vannis yells. The boy looks so horror-stricken by the dying man. The fire spreads to the fields nearby. "Boy!"
"No. Just her." the boy responds, pointing to me. Vannis tackles me and ties my wrists together. I pull at them. I feel a bit tired from wearing them. I try to use a little shield magic, only nothing comes out. I start to panic, feeling my magic not respond to me.
"Let me go! I didn't do anything!" I scream. Starshadow, stay hidden!
I hate this, by the way. Starshadow obeys.
Something's wrong with Marsino. Can you sense it?
I'm impressed that you can feel that. Yeah, I'll be quiet. Just don't expect me to remain so if they hurt you. Starshadow threatens.
Wouldn't expect anything less of you. I think affectionately. Vannis ties the ropes tightly around my wrists and ties them to his horse. Marsino and Vannis take off, forcing me to run at the fast pace or get dragged. I can only spare a quick glance to see the boy look back and see the village lose everything they had. They eventually slow down to make it easier for me to walk and to let the horses relax. We don't stop until the sun sets. I do my best to catch a breather. Vannis walks over to me and checks my bindings. I wince when he tightens them.
"There's really no need to make them so tight." I protest.
"You are Demacia's enemy, mage."
"Hey, I arrived here literally today. I don't know the laws of this place!" I snap. Vannis slaps me.
"I don't care where you are from, you are the enemy, got it?" Vannis ties me to a tree. The trio relaxes and refuels, content with how the day has progressed. Well, the men are. The boy is quiet and introspective. None of them offer me anything. Starshadow takes a moment to sneak out of my sleeve and steal some of their food. He sneaks back in while giving me something to eat. I wait until the men relax and head to sleep in their bedrolls before taking a small bite of bread.
"Thank you, Starshadow." I mumble into the bread. I feel his tail slide against my back, letting me know he heard me. The boy comes to sit across from me, careful not to get in too close. He doesn't notice me hastily hide my stolen meal. He squirms a bit, looking uncomfortable before he stands up. He stares in the distance. A howl sounds nearby. I jump.
"What was that?" I ask.
"Just a wolf. Or maybe a braget hound." He replies dully, like he's not hearing anything. I shiver as a fog rolls in. The fire is just far enough away that I don't feel the warmth. Starhsadow dips into my magic and provides a little bit of perceived heat. I would have sighed in relief if I didn't think that the boy would hear me.
"Are you ok?" I ask him. He looks at me confused.
"What do you mean?"
"That was very scary to see. I didn't like it." I say comfortingly. "I doubt you're older than I am, at any rate." I shrug.
"I'm thirteen." He says. I smirk.
"I'm nineteen. See?" I tease lightly. He gives a small smile before looking at me confused.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you so bright and dark and starry at the same time?" He clarifies. My eyes widen. He must be able to see Aurora's aura and the other one.
"Um, well, that's a bit of a story." I move to play with my hair before the rope reminds me that I can't. "I was born without magic." I start.
"No you weren't." The boy protests. I nod.
"I was born in a little village in Targon. No magic. I was a farmer, like the villagers back there." The boy flinches. I carry on. "Then one day, I was summoned to climb a mountain. I did as I was asked. I climbed the tallest mountain in the world and met with beings so beautiful not even the skies could match." I start to embellish. The boy is still a boy, and if he's anything like when Lye and Geras were his age, he'd enjoy a good story. "Oh, the journey was hard. I nearly died a couple of times climbing, but I made it. Once at the top, they gifted me with magic. That same day, I went home, ready to share with my parents what I got at the top of the mountain. Before I could, I found a ring under a tree. The tree was massive, you see. It was much older than the other trees around it, so magic definitely had a play in it. I touched the ring and that's how the dark part of my magic appeared." I finish. The boy blinks at me.
"That's not much of a story." He protests. I laugh a bit.
"It's a little bit of a story. So, what's yours?" I ask. He hunches inward a bit.
"I don't want to talk about it much." The boy quiets.
"At least give me your name."
"Sylas."
"It's nice to meet you Sylas. What are you doing with the mageseekers?" I ask.
"Don't answer that, boy." Vannis walks in. I notice Sylas shy away from him. I bring myself to a standing position, even if my bonds wouldn't let me stand up completely.
"He has a name, Vannis." I spit. He back hands me across the face again. I turn back and glare at him anyway. "Leave him alone."
"Come with me, boy." He sneers at me. I sit back down and notice that the fire has dimmed a little bit. Marsino starts to mumble in his sleep. The two off in the distance keep talking. Marsino starts to moan. He sounds like he's in pain. Sylas and Vannis abandon their discussion to help Marsino.
"Marsino, wake up." Sylas pleads. The man pulls himself away. He starts to wail in pain.
"What's wrong?" vannis asks.
"I don't know. He's not waking." Sylas starts to panic. Vannis takes over. Marsino's eyes open. I catch a glimpse of his eyes turning white. Vannis curses and pulls away his blankets. His arm is twisted with vines curling around his arm.
Well, that's unfortunate. Starshadow comments.
What am I supposed to do now?
I find myself unable to give a good comment here. I will say that it's nice to see Leilah's magic mature to something more substancial, where she doesn't get sick or collapse like she used to. It also is an indication that she will be much harder to kill. As her magic grows, so does Starshadow, and like hell Starshadow will allow his bonded to be in any more trouble than he already is.
Thank you guys so much for continuing to read these stories! I hope your ordinary day is an extraordinary one with you in it!