Tejina Akai

Tejina Akai

He turned around slowly; fearing that someone might be following him. His robes billowed slightly in the breeze as he snapped his fingers, causing a light to appear in his palm and, on signal, it drifted slightly upward. Not that it would help the darkness. 'Ah, well,' he thought, 'I've grown accustomed to it anyway.'

He climbed the spiral staircase with practiced ease, reaching his chamber. Although furniture was sparse, it still provided an aura of comfort. He sunk involuntarily into the chair, picking up an especially large volume of something. He opened the page and began to read. 'Interesting…' he commented vaguely as he turned the page, 'Unexpectedly serene…'

There was a sharp rap on the door. "Yes…?" he called as it opened a crack.

"You have visitors, Master."

"Tell them I shall be down as soon as possible. I am busy."

The servant didn't bother wondering what he was up to- it was best in this case to keep her nose out of his business. She climbed down the stairway towards the front entrance, noting that the candle she'd lit earlier to shatter the darkness was dying. It was always dark, he didn't know.

She reached the doorway and opened it, letting a small family in from the storm. 'He will be with you as soon as he is done his work. For now, I will light a candle and you can make yourself at home.' She bent over to get a match, and the mother stepped in.

There were two children with her, a young male and a teenage female. The girl looked around in awe at the size of the place- to think that this was just one of his many households! There was a large mural on the far wall of two dragons engaged in a war. "Come on, Rezo, let's go see the painting!"

The little boy stuck close to his mother. He jumped when his sister called. "What picture, Kieris? There is a picture?'"

"Yes! You would like it! Come here!"

Rezo stepped carefully in his sister's direction, using a small walking stick to make sure he didn't bump into anything. "Where is the picture?"

"Right here." Kieris took Rezo's hand and ran it over the surface of the wood so he could feel the grooves.

"I still don't know what it is."

Kieris laughed. "It's Ciepheed and Shabranigdo in the war. They're fighting."

"Why would I like fighting?"

Kieris was cut short by the appearance of a figure in the doorway. The servant glanced up. "It seems Master Talinis has finished with his work."

The mother gazed at the Talinis as if in a dream. "Come right this way," he said, and smiled.

They walked quite a ways before he stopped in front of a doorway. "Now, what is it you need to see me about?"

Rezo stepped up before his mother could even speak. "It's me, Mister Talinis. I can't see and Mommy thought you might be able to help me."

Talinis smiled. "I hate the darkness, too. Come in here and I'll see what I can do."

"No! I have to go in with him!" the mother called, "He is too young!"

"You would see the way. This is why I take only the boy. He will see only the way back- if at all. Now, little boy, say goodbye to your mother and your sister."

"Forever?"

Talinis laughed. "No! Only for a little while."

"Oh…! 'Bye, Mommy. 'Bye, Kieris!"

Talinis took his hand and opened the door. Inside was a maze, a riddle of corridors. "Now then little boy, what is your name?"

"My name is Rezo, Mister Talinis."

"A fine name, too. You said you were blind."

"I can't see, Mister Talinis. Mommy gets worried. She says I can't magic things if I can't see."

"I do sense a great deal of magical power in you, Rezo. But your mother does not know that eyes cannot seal in the talent. I would be happy to have someone such as you to study with me."

"And there's something else."

Talinis was taken aback by the seriousness of the boy's tone. "Yes?"

"Sometimes I remember things I never went through. It's raining and there's a big dragon who's sending white stuff at me. I think that its magics, but I'm not sure. And I fall and he comes up and then it stops."

Talinis had finished navigating the maze. He opened a large brass door. "You say there is a dragon."

"Yes. There's a big white dragon. I don't know what white is, but I can tell its white. And he sends magics at me, but I don't scream. I'd scream now. And I guess I send weird stuff at him. Maybe its magics too. I don't know. And his magics hits me and I fall. And he comes up and his aura says he's happy. And then it stops. Can we not talk about it?"

Talinis sunk into a chair and sighed. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists. "That says you have a lot of magical power in you. Can you read an astral plane?"

"What's that?"

"Never mind. Let's try to make you see. Come here."

Rezo stepped closer. "Do you want me to put down my stick?"

"Yes. Now be still. This shouldn't hurt at all."

He knelt before the tiny child and muttered something under his breath. A spark of white appeared between his fingers, and he touched it to Rezo's forehead. "Now… open… your… eyes, Rezo."

Rezo tried. "I… I can't! I never will be able to!" He pulled away from Talinis as if he was a demon.

"I'm sorry, Rezo. However, I can try to make it so you are able to use your magic. It may take years, and you will have to stay here."

"I'd love to be able to magic like Kieris. But Mommy says if I can't see I am not her son or a magic-user. She says that if you can't make me see she will leave me forever. It's not fair! I hate my eyes! Why can everyone else be seeing but me?"

Rezo began to cry tears of frustration. "Now, Rezo, little boy, you aren't any less of a person because of your eyes. You have been given a gift. Although all that you might see right now is the bad about you, there is a lot of good you can do. Now, try this and then tell me that you can't use magic if you're blind."

Rezo wiped his tears. "I'll try, Mister Talinis, I'll try."

"Raise your hand in front of you, like this."

He raised his hand up to the level of his face.

"Now, repeat after me. Source of life that burns so bright…"

"Source of life that burns so bright"

"Gather in my hand your light."

"Gather in my hand your light."

A flicker of light appeared in Rezo's palm. "There's light there! I can tell cause it's warm now!"

"Yes. Now pretend to toss it into the air. You should light the room up."

Rezo 'tossed' the sphere of light in the air. It hung there, suspended.

"You just used magic. That was a light spell."

They arrived back in the common room, an anxious mother and Kieris waiting for Rezo's return. "Can you see, darling?" the mother said.

"No, Mommy. But I can magic. Mister Talinis taught me how."

"Let's go home. Come Kieris. Thank you, Sir, for trying."

Talinis looked at the three figures leaving into the storm, and thought about what Rezo had said. What would happen to the little boy? Would his mother exile him?

He turned and went up the staircase, only now noticing that Rezo had forgotten his walking stick.