Damia

That was the name, I was attending the Sons of Serena weekly meeting. The name, Damia, yes that was he name. Mortal, nothing special but he sees something in her. My brother maybe not by blood but definitely by bond my older brother the one I look up to. Ganner, he and I have so much in common and yet are so different. Both of us tend to want to be left alone, both of us wild powerful magic, both are cursed from birth. Yet now Damia has Ganner and Ganner Damia, and I am still alone. Alone, I remember the first friend I ever had.

Ludwig

I was reading the book my new 'father' gave me. I hardly believed him when he told me it was mine. I remember that well.

***

I was eyeing the book waiting for the man with kind eyes to look away so I could take it and run. He was smiling at me then he spoke.

"You like magic?" His voice was calm and his eyes where watching me with way too much amusement.

"Non of yer business!" I glared at him he just smiled.

"A young mage should talk proper you know." He said as he picked me up from where I was standing. I pouted at being held I pretended to hate it but deep down I loved every second of it. "The book is yours I got it for you yesterday why you was in classes." I looked at him in disbelief. I was having this meeting with my 'father' because I was caught stealing my teachers spell book why he had his back turned to the class. They had promptly locked me in a small room with a bed and pigeoned my 'father'.

I fully expected to be in that closet or room as the called it for months. After all I had been caught stealing before and the results have always been bad. To my surprise my 'father' was the one who woke me in the morning. I was terrified he had that 'look' in his eyes the Dean (Headmaster, Principle... take your pick) looked equally terrified, but that could be because Pnut had his blade to his neck just waiting for a reason to relieve him of his head.

I never did find out why my father was so angry, but now that I have known him for longer. I know it was the Dean he was mad at the Dean had crossed a line, he mistreated a Fast. You just don't do that and live.

From the look on my face Calidan chuckled then told me "I could turn my back and you could steal it..." I slowly reached out to pick up the leather bound book. My wide eyes looking up into my father's kind eyes and then back down at the book.

***

I never did thank him for the spell book; I took it with my every day to 'my tree' deep in the Yew forest close to Empathy Abbey where I was sent to receive my lower end schooling. I liked the forest I liked the animals I made friends with many of them, the where better friends then a lot of boys in my year. They did not make fun of my blond hair compared to my father's black. Nor did they make fun of my green eyes to my father's blue. The animals did not make fun of the fact I spent more time reading then I did playing.

I had befriended a raven that I name Raven. It might have been silly but it seamed wrong to call it anything but Raven. That bird to this day visits me from time to time, my first pet. So you could see my anger when I was interrupted why reading to my pet by a boy yelled "Hello!" and scared Raven out of the tree where he could hear me. I know he would be back after it had quieted down but I was still upset that we where interrupted and my secret tree was discovered. I decided to give him my father's 'look' and see if it would scare him off and I could be alone again with my pets.

It didn't work... You see this was no ordinary lower year schoolboy.

"Hello!" he called out to me again. "I'm Ludwig, what are you doing?" I wondered if he was kin to Aaron, a cat I tamed three weeks ago.

"I'm reading, now go away!" I sulked upset that my father's 'look' did not work for me; I would have to prefect it. He just stood there and I prayed to every power I could think of that if I just ignored him and just read my new spell book that he would go away.

Again, It didn't work; I was beginning to think he was immune to me.

"What's your name?" I could feel the curiosity in his voice.

"Jessy," I snapped out trying to scare him away.

"What are you reading?" he pressed.

"Nothing, now go away!" as I pretended to read my book I pondered pulling out my hair this boy was entirely frustrating!

He got braver and waltzed right up behind me and peered over my shoulder at the book, my book invading my personal space, next to my tree. I slammed the book shut in outrage and snapped my spell book shut and bit out "It's magic! And if you don't get back I'll cast a spell on YOU!" quickly going over the spells that would scare him off but not 'hurt' him, I did not want my father taking my new spell book away from me! Easy come easy go they say.

His eyes grew wide and he backed away, it took all I had not to smirk. I turned back to my book using it to hide the small smile.

"Show me how to cast spells!" my smile was quickly turning into a frown, I was hopping he would LEAVE!

I searched my mind for any reason to send him off. "You're too young," of cores it was a lie I started casting even younger then he is now.

"Am not!" he pouted I could almost see the pout without looking up from my book.

"You are!" said, "you're not even in the upper classes yet" It was my last hope.

"In Mani Ylem" he called from my side, I looked up to see him offer me a muffin, he could use some practice but with a little work... WHAT AM I THINKING!

"That's easy magic," I said why shaking my head trying to decide what spell to use to show him real magic. I looked up to find Deven, a goat, he picked a fight with Aaron three days ago and killed him the first one of my pets to fall, I cried for a hours till the Dean found me out here. My eyes went cold and I spite out the words "Cor Por!" and watched with sickening satisfaction at the smoking corps of the goat. I let out an evil laugh as some of the birds few away, probably the ones that have been bothering Raven I thought.

"Show me how to do that!" he said with unrestrained excitement.

"Your TOO YOUNG!" I shouted in shock, did he not just see me kill another living being?

"Come on!" he pleaded, "Show me and… and I'll be your best friend for life!"

Where have I heard that before? "I don't need any friends! Go AWAY!" I shouted in frustration.

"Fine!" I could hear the defeat in his voice but for me it was a somewhat hollow victory. He stomped off to return to the abbey.

Maybe, just maybe it is okay to have one friend. He did not call me one name the whole time he was here. I can ask him to be nice to the animals. I watched where he had walked off to and felt more alone then I ever had.

"Bloody hell" I muttered as I pulled out my rune for the abbey, father said "In case you get lost in these woods." With the words "Kal Ort Por" I was standing at the edge of the forest I could see Ludwig not to far off.

"Hey Ludwig!" I called and when he turned to face me I said "Meet me at the big Yew tree tomorrow after classes!" after I said it I went back into the forest to father some reagents.

***You see a mark where Jessy has set down his quill, that must mark the end for tonight. ***

Review!

©Copyright 2002 HFS ~ Forloyn Winter the Viper