Daine looked up in shock. "You mean that I can undo magic?"
"Not only that, you can take away someone's Gift, but that takes an extraordinary amount of power. It is the most rare of all types of magic, 100 times as rare as powerful wild magic."
"Oh. That makes me feel very special. I have both now." Numair chuckled, but he was worried, and she must have sensed it.
"What's wrong," she asked, pressing herself against him in anxiety and reassurance. For a moment, he thought of lying, but then sighed and told the truth-she would figure it out anyway.
"I'm worried about you, magelet," he said, tightening his embrace to keep her close. "Anti-magic is dangerous-it takes a lot of power to make it work, and when it's in untrained hands, anything can happen. There has to be something very powerful going on for the Hag to resort to this. And if you have to come in contact with whatever it is." Murmuring into her ear, voice slightly choked, he added, "I don't want to lose you." Now Daine pulled back and looked up at him, eyes wide with fear. Seeing that, the mage regretted making it sound as dangerous as it was. "Don't worry," he said. "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." He smiled and she did too, the sweetness of it making his heart throb and senses tingle, and replace the fear in her eyes with comfort and love. Numair pulled her up slightly and bent his head, the pure glory of their lips meeting swamping him in euphoria. He was wonderfully aware of everywhere they touched, and he deepened the kiss, loving her with all his might. She put her arms around his neck and he reached up to finger her hair as their mouths expressed, as best they could, what was going on in their souls. And so, in the dim light of Voltair's living room, they kissed, oblivious to all that went on around them.
^^^^^^^^^^^
Damae woke in her own cottage, lying on her bed fully dressed and staring up at the ceiling. It took her a minute to remember what had happened, and when she did, she sat bolt upright, making her head hurt. She saw Medaio across the room, looking at her with a worried expression on his face. One fact stood out clearly in her mind, now, and this was a good time to ask about it.
"Medaio," she said, a little croakily, "when is the next council meeting?" He was surprised at her question, but answered anyway, getting up to get her some water while he did so.
"This evening. Why?"
"Never mind. Could you go get Numair, please? I need to ask him something, him and Daine." She took a sip of the cup that he had offered her. He looked at her oddly because of her strange behavior, but agreed nonetheless, going out of the room soon after, and Damae watched him go with conflicting emotions. She wanted him to stay, wanted so badly to be with him, but she also needed to ask the questions that were consuming her thoughts. The questions had won. She lay back, staring into space, remembering the scene while they had been searching for herbs. Suddenly, a little furry ball came into her line of vision, hanging onto the rafters in the roof. She smiled and patted the bed next to her, and Zek scurried down to curl up against her side. Trust Daine to give her a comfort at a time like this.
^^^^^^^^^^^
Medaio walked towards Voltair's old cottage, puzzling over his love's strange behavior. She probably had her reasons-undoubtedly it had to do with the reason she had fainted. He remembered with tender detail the way she had lain on the ground, looking as if she was asleep, her graceful body stretched out. For the first time, he had been able to kneel down next to her and brush the hair out of her face. He had gently traced the outline of her chin and cheek, marveling at the hand that had sculpted such beauty, his body aflame with love, as it had remained the whole time he had carried her back to the village, laying in his arms like a child. But once back, he had remonstrated himself severely. It was the last time he would ever have the boundless pleasure of touching her lovingly, he told himself, so he had better combat the feeling, and he had been reasonably calm when she woke up, though still worried. Lost in thought, he was about to step through the bead curtain that hung across the door to Voltair's cottage when he bumped into someone doing the same thing. Focusing clearly, he saw Daine in front of him, laughing, and a grinning Numair behind her. She sobered quickly, however.
"How's Damae?"
"She woke up," he answered, "and wants to see you two." Daine and Numair exchanged glances that held fear and worry, and Medaio only grew more puzzled. "Come," he said.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"She gave you magical sight?" Numair sounded unbelieving.
Damae nodded, painfully aware of a very confused Medaio. She and Daine were sitting on her bed, and Numair and the healer were standing.
"Numair, is that what I think it is?" Daine asked.
He nodded. "Probably. Magical sight means that you can see someone's magical aura. All mages have it, but it's a type of meditation and takes deep concentration to see. I've never seen something like this before, so I don't know how it is with you, so lets try it. Close your eyes and think hard of wanting to see our aura's, and then open them."
Obediently, Damae closed her eyes. she thought, concentrating hard on revealing what was around her. When she opened them, she looked around at Daine, Numair, and Medaio, and very nearly fainted again. Daine's veins were laced with copper fire, and at her center, her white core was surrounded by it. Medaio and Numair had white fiery centers-Numair's was almost blindingly bright, while Medaio's looked comforting. However, their colors were different. Numair's veins were black, while Medaio's were a cool blue-green. Damae closed her eyes quickly and yanked herself out of her concentration, then leaned back against the wall, severely shaken. She was aware, through her closed lids, of the mage and the healer leaving, to speak in lowered voices outside the door, probably explaining what had happened.
Then Daine's cool fingers enveloped her own. "Quite a shock, huh?" she said, and her calm tone had a soothing effect.
"Yes."
"You'll get used to it. And you don't have to always live with it, either. Tell me, what color was Medaio?"
"Like a mix of blue and green, calm looking." She opened her eyes and peered at her friend. "So what's this anti-magic stuff?" Daine sighed.
"I can undo magic and take away someone's Gift-but that would probably kill me if I tried." Eyes wide, Damae stared at her friend. "I'll have to train it and learn all about it too. Another burden." Surprisingly, she laughed.
Damae suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Daine, I asked Medaio, and the next council meeting is this evening." Daine looked impressed, then looked outside.
"Good. We still have a few hours to collect our thoughts."
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A/N: Please review!
Spice: Yup. Sure does!
FantasyIsMyLife: Hey! I'm not revealing all my secrets yet!
Numair's Daine: Interesting.just how I like it!!
Cassa-Andra: You are now crowned the queen of hypocrites! The rebellion will march on in time, don't worry.
Tilly-Willy: Thanks! I love it when new people read my story! Yes and double Yay!
"Not only that, you can take away someone's Gift, but that takes an extraordinary amount of power. It is the most rare of all types of magic, 100 times as rare as powerful wild magic."
"Oh. That makes me feel very special. I have both now." Numair chuckled, but he was worried, and she must have sensed it.
"What's wrong," she asked, pressing herself against him in anxiety and reassurance. For a moment, he thought of lying, but then sighed and told the truth-she would figure it out anyway.
"I'm worried about you, magelet," he said, tightening his embrace to keep her close. "Anti-magic is dangerous-it takes a lot of power to make it work, and when it's in untrained hands, anything can happen. There has to be something very powerful going on for the Hag to resort to this. And if you have to come in contact with whatever it is." Murmuring into her ear, voice slightly choked, he added, "I don't want to lose you." Now Daine pulled back and looked up at him, eyes wide with fear. Seeing that, the mage regretted making it sound as dangerous as it was. "Don't worry," he said. "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." He smiled and she did too, the sweetness of it making his heart throb and senses tingle, and replace the fear in her eyes with comfort and love. Numair pulled her up slightly and bent his head, the pure glory of their lips meeting swamping him in euphoria. He was wonderfully aware of everywhere they touched, and he deepened the kiss, loving her with all his might. She put her arms around his neck and he reached up to finger her hair as their mouths expressed, as best they could, what was going on in their souls. And so, in the dim light of Voltair's living room, they kissed, oblivious to all that went on around them.
^^^^^^^^^^^
Damae woke in her own cottage, lying on her bed fully dressed and staring up at the ceiling. It took her a minute to remember what had happened, and when she did, she sat bolt upright, making her head hurt. She saw Medaio across the room, looking at her with a worried expression on his face. One fact stood out clearly in her mind, now, and this was a good time to ask about it.
"Medaio," she said, a little croakily, "when is the next council meeting?" He was surprised at her question, but answered anyway, getting up to get her some water while he did so.
"This evening. Why?"
"Never mind. Could you go get Numair, please? I need to ask him something, him and Daine." She took a sip of the cup that he had offered her. He looked at her oddly because of her strange behavior, but agreed nonetheless, going out of the room soon after, and Damae watched him go with conflicting emotions. She wanted him to stay, wanted so badly to be with him, but she also needed to ask the questions that were consuming her thoughts. The questions had won. She lay back, staring into space, remembering the scene while they had been searching for herbs. Suddenly, a little furry ball came into her line of vision, hanging onto the rafters in the roof. She smiled and patted the bed next to her, and Zek scurried down to curl up against her side. Trust Daine to give her a comfort at a time like this.
^^^^^^^^^^^
Medaio walked towards Voltair's old cottage, puzzling over his love's strange behavior. She probably had her reasons-undoubtedly it had to do with the reason she had fainted. He remembered with tender detail the way she had lain on the ground, looking as if she was asleep, her graceful body stretched out. For the first time, he had been able to kneel down next to her and brush the hair out of her face. He had gently traced the outline of her chin and cheek, marveling at the hand that had sculpted such beauty, his body aflame with love, as it had remained the whole time he had carried her back to the village, laying in his arms like a child. But once back, he had remonstrated himself severely. It was the last time he would ever have the boundless pleasure of touching her lovingly, he told himself, so he had better combat the feeling, and he had been reasonably calm when she woke up, though still worried. Lost in thought, he was about to step through the bead curtain that hung across the door to Voltair's cottage when he bumped into someone doing the same thing. Focusing clearly, he saw Daine in front of him, laughing, and a grinning Numair behind her. She sobered quickly, however.
"How's Damae?"
"She woke up," he answered, "and wants to see you two." Daine and Numair exchanged glances that held fear and worry, and Medaio only grew more puzzled. "Come," he said.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"She gave you magical sight?" Numair sounded unbelieving.
Damae nodded, painfully aware of a very confused Medaio. She and Daine were sitting on her bed, and Numair and the healer were standing.
"Numair, is that what I think it is?" Daine asked.
He nodded. "Probably. Magical sight means that you can see someone's magical aura. All mages have it, but it's a type of meditation and takes deep concentration to see. I've never seen something like this before, so I don't know how it is with you, so lets try it. Close your eyes and think hard of wanting to see our aura's, and then open them."
Obediently, Damae closed her eyes. she thought, concentrating hard on revealing what was around her. When she opened them, she looked around at Daine, Numair, and Medaio, and very nearly fainted again. Daine's veins were laced with copper fire, and at her center, her white core was surrounded by it. Medaio and Numair had white fiery centers-Numair's was almost blindingly bright, while Medaio's looked comforting. However, their colors were different. Numair's veins were black, while Medaio's were a cool blue-green. Damae closed her eyes quickly and yanked herself out of her concentration, then leaned back against the wall, severely shaken. She was aware, through her closed lids, of the mage and the healer leaving, to speak in lowered voices outside the door, probably explaining what had happened.
Then Daine's cool fingers enveloped her own. "Quite a shock, huh?" she said, and her calm tone had a soothing effect.
"Yes."
"You'll get used to it. And you don't have to always live with it, either. Tell me, what color was Medaio?"
"Like a mix of blue and green, calm looking." She opened her eyes and peered at her friend. "So what's this anti-magic stuff?" Daine sighed.
"I can undo magic and take away someone's Gift-but that would probably kill me if I tried." Eyes wide, Damae stared at her friend. "I'll have to train it and learn all about it too. Another burden." Surprisingly, she laughed.
Damae suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Daine, I asked Medaio, and the next council meeting is this evening." Daine looked impressed, then looked outside.
"Good. We still have a few hours to collect our thoughts."
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A/N: Please review!
Spice: Yup. Sure does!
FantasyIsMyLife: Hey! I'm not revealing all my secrets yet!
Numair's Daine: Interesting.just how I like it!!
Cassa-Andra: You are now crowned the queen of hypocrites! The rebellion will march on in time, don't worry.
Tilly-Willy: Thanks! I love it when new people read my story! Yes and double Yay!