CHAPTER FIVE- QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Standing on the balcony to the suite of rooms he had been given for his use, Mahado contemplated the changes that had touched the sprawling city spreading out before him, flowing from the castle down to the farmlands far in the distance. Mahado had to admit feeling a small amount of amazement as a light afternoon breeze brought the smell of the sea up to his vantage point. The section of the city that had grown out from the final ring wall since his last visit was possibly larger than what was held within the original city borders. It was an impressive sight.
Where long ago there had been visible gaps between each of the four ring walls that echoed the shape of the castle's own, there now nothing but solid habitation. Buildings filled the spaces that had once been left to give the city defenders open ground to attack and destroy any army that managed to break through. In the eight hundred years that the city of Alcalsar had held the residence of the Royal family, only the first three walls had ever fallen- and the loss of the two outer ones had been through treachery, not strength of arms. The final wall, closest to the castle, had never given way and after almost two hundred years of peace it was likely never to be threatened again by a traditional attack.
Reluctantly turning away from the view, pulling his mind from the past, he stepped into the main suite to await the arrival of the Royal magicians. He had taken the time to don his armor; though he would rather speak on equal footing, the discussion with Ciorstag and the rod's reaction to Tai'ree had taken that choice away from him. He was not afraid of the two magicians that would be interviewing him and no fear in facing the potential wrath of one of the most powerful individual on the continent: considering the elemental forces of light and dark he had confronted over the last three millennia, a mortal King was hardly a threat. However, he wished to avoid forcing Tai'ree to choose between the feelings that drove her and the wishes of her father.
Mahado sighed and acknowledged what he had refused to accept during the trip the royal city. Shay, the god of destiny, had made the path he desired Mahado to follow as clear as possible but being human, although one who has lived long enough to know better, Mahado had resisted that path. He had used the excuse of his oath to Pharaoh as a reason to hold back from committing himself to another student but now accepted that this was how it would be.
He would train Tai'ree to be a magician.
Whether her father agreed to it or not.
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Tai'ree kept a nervous but respectable distance behind the Royal magic users. They walked side by side before her dressed in their ceremonial armor- Tayr, her father's Sorcerer, dressed in his teal colored tunic with his black, light weight body armor covering his shoulders and chest, and the curved, conical helm covering his blond hair; and Mayen, her mother's Valkyria, dressed in her short teal uniform, her red hair barely controlled by her own helm.
She wondered briefly if two magicians in full armor for an interview was a good sign or not.
She knew part of her nervousness was in discovering the truth about Mahado. Tayr's talent of reading a person would quickly uncover anything Mahado may be hiding, though Tai'ree seriously doubted he was hiding anything. But if he really was the Dark Magician of legend why would he want to train someone like her?
On the ship, each time she attempted a spell under his watchful eye something had gone wrong, just as it always had before. Either she was a little too energetic or her intent was off, causing the spell to misfire. Why would someone like Mahado want to deal with a student her age that had problems like that?
Deep in her own thoughts, it took Tai'ree a moment to realize they had reached the guest quarters. She found Mayen gazing back at her with an intense look in her blue eyes, silently waiting for Tai'ree's acknowledgement that she would stay quiet unless asked a question directly. Tai'ree was admittedly surprised they were even allowing her to accompany them but Tayr had pointed out that it was her future they would be discussing. She had a right to be there when they decided whether they would allow Mahado any further or not.
Biting her lip she silently agreed to Mayen's glance.
As they approached the doors of Mahado's suite of room Tai'ree noticed one door was slightly ajar. As Tayr opened his mouth to speak, Mahado's voice said clearly and evenly, "You are welcome to enter."
Tayr pushed the door fully open and strode confidently through the entrance, only to stop a few strides within, Mayen halting beside him.
Trying not to look too obvious, Tai'ree attempted to catch a glimpse of Mahado…
And found herself staring at the Dark Magician.
She instantly recognized the armor he wore over the purple robes she had seen him in earlier from history lessons memorized when she was younger. The shoulder guards, breastplate, cowl, and the forward curving, conical helm that matched his robe seemed outdated and simple compared to Tayr's more modern armor. The plain robe he worn beneath, she now realized, was split down the side below the waist for ease of movement and revealed a bodysuit of a lighter shade from the robe. Armguards and knee high boots now protected his forearms and legs, a spiral design around the knees just visible beneath the ankle length robe.
His wand, held casually across his body atop crossed arms, its length two- thirds his height, suddenly fit her view of a magician's wand in combination with his armor. The flared head and green shade had appeared to Tai'ree too plain to be the wand of a powerful magic user when she had compared it in her head to Tayr's teal one, but now the bladed end jumped out as a weapon as dangerous as a sword even without the magic Tai'ree could now sense flowing through it.
Any doubt that had grown within her about who Mahado claimed to be was now banished as she stared at the magician before her.
Before any of them could recover from their surprise, Mahado bowed and said formally, "I am Mahado. Forgive me; I was uncertain as to where you would feel more comfortable meeting with me." He nodded to the door to his left. "There are several chairs in the next room if that is more to your liking."
"No, this will do fine. We have no desire to inconvenient you for very long." Mayen answered. As the Valkyria spoke Tai'ree noticed Tayr take a single step back, giving Mayen control of the conversation. It was a familiar routine between the two. While Mayen asked questions Tayr would use his special ability to read the truth of an answer without distractions.
Bowing slightly Mayen said, "I am Mayen, the Queen's Valkyria." Gesturing to her left with her staff she added, "This is my partner Tayr, the King's Sorcerer. We have a few questions we wish answered before we will allow you to meet with the King."
A spark of humor lit Mahado's unique blue eyes as he answered seriously, "I imagine you have more than a few questions but feel free to ask those you deem the most important. I will answer them honestly."
With a sharp nod of acknowledgement, Mayen asked, "Where were you born, magician?"
Tai'ree was not the only one to notice Mayen did not use Mahado's title but he did not seem offended as he answered, "Kemet. The Dunne- sith referred to it as An Èipheit." Tai'ree could just make out Mayen's frown as she glanced at Tayr before moving on to her next question.
"Was it within the borders of Kemet that you learned to wield magic?"
"Yes."
"Is this the reason you were not registered at the Royal Library? You had not been within the Kingdom of Alcalsar before now?"
"No. That is not a requirement to use magic within the Kingdom. I have never had a reason to place my name within the registry during any of my visits to the Library."
Mayen appeared to be a little flustered, as if her line of reasoning had snapped in some way at his answers. The Valkyria shook her head a moment before continuing.
"What is it that qualifies you to teach the ky to wield magic?"
"I am familiar with the type of magic the ky can access and in the ways of training one to wield it."
The answer did not appear to sit well with her parent's magicians. And this time it was Tayr who frowned. The look did not go unnoticed by Mahado and he asked curiously, "You are not happy with this answer, Sorcerer. May I ask why?"
Mayen moved aside, allowing Tayr to speak. He answered slowly, as if afraid of where his line of thought might take him and Tai'ree wondered a moment what a magician would have been taught about Mahado.
"The magic the ky is able to tap into is unknown to us." Tayr stated carefully. "According to the message the Door Warden of the Royal Library sent to us, it is also unfamiliar to the masters at the Library. How is it you know what they do not?"
"I admit such power has not been seen since the time of the Crossing and the sealing of the ancient magics. Still, it is a power I am familiar with. It is similar to my own."
As Tayr considered the answer he had been given, Tai'ree thought back to her few months at the Library. She had found it odd that the masters quizzing her would always stop her before she could finish casting a spell but had accepted that as the way things were done. In light of what Mahado had just said though, they may have stopped her because they did not know what it was she was doing.
A creak of Tayr's black leather glove where he gripped his wand startled Tai'ree. She could not remember the Sorcerer ever letting any tension he might be experiencing show like that. He suddenly looked back at her, his warm blue grey eyes betraying nothing of his emotions as he asked clearly, "Before we ask our last questions, the petitioner has the right to ask one of their own. Do you have a question, ky Tai'ree?"
Not expecting an opportunity like this she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Who is Mana?"
This time the humor in Mahado's eyes matched his smile as he answered, "She was my first student. She tended to be just as energetic in casting her spells as you are." Giving her a shrewd look he added, as if aware of her earlier unspoken question, "And Gaighdon was present when I was given the task of training her to be a magician."
As Mahado finished speaking Tayr took a step closer to Mayer, drawing Mahado's attention to him. "You are known to the High Guardian?" he asked quickly.
Mahado nodded. "Yes. I have known Gaighdon longer than either of us has been in this land."
Tayr stared at Mahado a few moments before asking unexpectedly, his voice dropping to a whisper. "If the King refuses to allow you to train Tai'ree, what will you do, Dark Magician?"
"I will train her with or without the King's permission." Mahado answered him calmly.
Mayen opened her mouth to protest, swinging her rod up to a defensive position, the green power stones set into the curled tip of her staff flashing against their gold binding straps. But before she could utter a word, Tayr grabbed the arm holding the rod and pulled, dragging Mayen closer to him and slightly behind where he stood. Without letting go of the Valkyria, and ignoring Mayen's surprised look, Tayr bowed and said firmly, "Thank you for allowing us this time with you, Dark Magician Mahado. A page will guide you to the throne room after the third bell."
"Until we meet again, may you fare well."
Tayr turned, still holding Mayen's arm as he kept the tip of his own wand firmly pointed at the ground, when Mahado moved forward, stopping the pair with a word. "Wait." he said as he turned to retrieve an object sitting on a chair behind him, the package given to him by Mathod, Tai'ree realized. "Before you leave Valkyria please take this. It is a magician rod crafted by the Duine-sith." As she reached out for it with her free hand he continued, saying, "It was crafted according to a design within the message they received from their kin in Mag Mell."
When Mayen glanced curiously at the package in her grip he added, "It belongs to Tai'ree."
Before that comment even registered, Tai'ree was being gestured out of the room by Tayr as he said hastily to Mahado, "Thank you." Tai'ree quickly stepped into the hall and waited for the two magic users to follow her out.
Without stopping to explain why he had just cut the interview short, Tayr gave a backhand wave of his wand, the blue crystal- held in place at the tip of his wand by three gold prongs- flashing briefly as his magic shut the door behind them. Tayr moved past her, heading swiftly back to the Palace, the Valkyria still in his grasp.
As they hurried along, it became obvious Mayen was not happy with her situation and Tai'ree could feel the Valkyria's tension growing fast. Tai'ree had learned to watch out for the scowl that was now crossing Mayen's face and knew from experience that the Valkyria was going to snap at her partner any moment.
And from the look on Tayr's face, he had forgotten he had a hold of Mayen.
Deciding to take matters into her own hands before Mayen's fiery temper blew, Tai'ree blocked Tayr's path and demanded, "Sorcerer, let the Valkyria go."
Stopping suddenly before her, he stated clearly, "I cannot ky." Mayen pulled back sharply, trying to break his hold but stopped as Tayr turned to gaze evenly at her.
"What did you sense in there, partner?" she asked in a hushed voice as she went still, reading something in Tayr's expression that eluded Tai'ree's gaze.
"I will not say. This is beyond us and it is for King to decide what needs to be done." he answered quietly, though he seemed to be speaking more to himself than to her.
Curious, Tai'ree asked, "Tayr, why did you fail to react as Mayen did when Mahado answered your last question?"
"It would not have made a difference. I would not have won against him. Together we would not have won against him." The Sorcerer watched Mayen closely as he said softly, "Surely you sensed that."
Mayen was silent a moment, her gaze turning inward. "I did but…" She paused as if afraid to voice anything more.
Without looking away from Mayen, Tayr asked, "Ky, will you follow him?"
She felt a hollow feeling suddenly open in the pit of her stomach, the certain knowledge that everything she knew and everything she was familiar with was about to slip from her grasp as she answered in a voice so steady it frightened her. "Yes Sorcerer. I will follow him,"
He nodded once and led Mayen- a stricken look slowly dawning on her features- back to the Palace, leaving Tai'ree standing alone as she suddenly realized what she had just done.