Born of Magic (Channeler Series) (4 page)

Something told me that I shouldn't trust this man I had just met. Having grown up on the streets, I had learned to rarely trust someone this fast. However, the idea of having a purpose in life was too appealing to not take the risk. It felt as though not going would be a waste of my life, and I decided that it was better to risk my life for something, than waste it for nothing.

He could probably tell that I was torn. “Take some time to think it over. Meet me back here tomorrow night, alone, with your decision.” He then disappeared.

For the rest of the night I contemplated the offer. What would my friends do in my place? I knew Ralph would probably take it without a second guess. Tory would most likely consider it just for the food. Mary would just remain quiet and not even respond to the man, as usual. But what about Edgar? He was the only one amongst them all that I could truly call friend. What would he do? He was far too loyal and stubborn to ever leave me on my own like that, so why would I do that to him? Was I really that bad of a person for having even considered it?

Edgar looked at me from across the crowd. He had seen me talking to the man. I would have explained to Edgar what had happened right then and there, but my mind was still too clouded and confused.

“What was that about?” Edgar asked.

“Nothing, just a job offer. He might have some work for me tomorrow.”

We returned to our group’s home—the alleyway—which we had claimed as our own for the past two years. Edgar sat down next to me. The all-too-common sound of concern was in his voice. “What sort of job that that man offer you, Jas?”

I was unsure of how to even begin explaining all that had happened, and why I had kept it a secret from him in the first place.

“Do you remember asking me if I ever wished for something better?” I said.

Edgar nodded while his eyes looked at the ground in contemplation.

“Well, what if that better life involved you leaving something, someone, important? Would it still be better?”

“Only you can answer that question, Jas.” I could see the feeling of loss in his face. He was an open book to me. “You were meant for more than this though. It would be a waste for you to be a street rat the rest of your life.”

I nodded, happy to hear the answer that, deep down inside, I wanted to hear. It still made me sad to know that it would involve me leaving my friends behind. That night I did not sleep at all. My life was changing, but I was unsure if it was for the best. Edgar came into my mind more often than I would ever admit, and I would miss him more than anything.

The next day I used the last of the money that I had earned on a nice lunch for everyone. I left out more details than I had with Edgar when I explained to everyone that I was leaving. While Tory and Edgar both seemed saddened at the idea of me leaving, Ralph and Mary didn’t seem terribly heartbroken, just as I had expected.

I was filled with anticipation that festered inside of me, making the day fly by. I waited where the man had told me to and, like clockwork, he showed up at the exact same time as me. 

He appeared directly behind me, placed his hand on my shoulder, and whispered into my ear, “Let's begin.”

He then took me back to an inn where he had rented a room out for an entire month. I felt a little relieved to find that I would be here at least that much longer.

When we entered the room, I was surprised to find how little he had packed with him. I wondered if it was all that he owned, or if he just hadn't originally planned on staying here this long. The room was decent in size and was furnished with a bed, several chairs in the living room, and a small cooking area—far more than I was used to.

He setup a make-shift bed for me with one of the benches in the room. He set a few spare blankets and giant, fluffy feathered-pillow on the bench’s hard wood. He then blew out the lanterns and said with a soft, lulling voice, “Get some sleep now. Tomorrow I’ll teach you about the ways of magic.”

I curled up in the warm blankets, set my head down on a soft pillow for the first time in years, and went to sleep. That night there were no nightmares, only a dream of me becoming a powerful mage, returning to Saltren a hero, and taking care of my friends with the vast wealth I had collected in my adventures. I imagined us all living in a mansion at the center of Saltren, and each of us had our own extravagant room, and Edgar's was next to mine.

That morning I awoke to the sweet smell of syrup, butter, and hotcakes. The room was nice and warm, compared to an average morning back in the alleyway. I wished my gang could be here with me, enjoying this.

Realizing I didn't know his name, I was about to ask for it, but he interrupted, “I’m terribly sorry, in all of the excitement I failed to tell you my name. I am Aton.” Then, just as I was about to tell him my name he once more interrupted, “And you’re Jas, which I’m guessing is short for Jasminis. Not a common name, though not one that eludes me either.”

I figured he had overheard me while he was hidden from sight yesterday. He had probably been waiting to see if it was even worth waiting around for me. The idea of him spying on me lowered what trust I had gained in him. We finished the delicious breakfast that he had prepared. My stomach felt ready to erupt by the time I had finished eating. The idea that I should stop eating crossed my mind a couple of times, but then I continued shoveling glob after glob of buttery syrup into my mouth.

He flashed a warm smile as he finished eating and leaned back in his chair. “Magic is something that only few people are born with. Every person’s essence is attuned to a certain type of magic, and mages aren’t aware of their ability at first. It isn’t until they’ve had a significant experience in their life that they first enter Etherea. We call this 'ascending', and sometimes it is sparked by a wonderful moment, or sometimes by something far worse.”

A small shiver chilled my spine as he spoke. The images of the man being murdered in front of me terrorized my mind once more. My face revealed the tormenting that I was dealing with, and Aton knew my experience had been the less desirable option.

He continued on, probably trying to change the tone of the conversation, “Mages draw the raw magic from Etherea and convert it to their specifically tuned energy. Every mage converts the energy differently, giving them their own unique way of using that magic.”

I absorbed the information in as much as I could. There was one question that had been stuck on my mind for a while now, “What exactly is a channeler?”

He took in a deep breath and exhaled, “Raw magic flows through Etherea and mages use it as it flows through them naturally. All that comes to them is all they have access to. A channeler however can control the flow of magic around them, concentrating it into others or themselves. Usually most channelers have no power other than this, but they are very sought after because of this talent. I personally have never met one, so I'm not all that familiar with how they work exactly. I saw the way that the magic flows around you though. It moves around you differently, like it has a will that you are bound to.”

My heart jumped for joy as he talked about how important channelers were. “What do you need me for?”

He looked at me for a moment. “Let's first confirm that you’re a channeler.”

“How do we do that?”

He closed his eyes and drew in a long breath. “I'm really not sure. Honestly, I’m hoping it will come to you somewhat naturally, as it does to most mages. I want you to focus on feeling the flow of magic in Etherea. Become accustomed to it, and learn how it moves and what control you have over it. After you have practiced this for a while, we’ll go down town and I’ll use all the magic that I have. Then I want you to attempt to channel more into me.”

I was nervous, but forced a nod and hoped that I was a channeler and that my disappointing life would finally have meaning. No matter how much I hoped, however, I couldn’t shake the lingering fear of failure. I concentrated as much as I could in Etherea, trying to feel the magic pass through me. I then tried to control it, make it come to me, or move in some other way. The mist just continued on its carefree way.

With each failure I grew more and more frustrated. I took in a deep breath and sat down, then crossed my legs and focused on nothing other than my breathing. I felt the air pass between my lips, cooling my tongue as it slipped down my throat and filled my lungs. Now more relaxed, I opened my eyes.

Etherea was clearer. I could see the hair-like designs that the woven fibers of the wood in the floor made and the mist that floated with a cool grace in the wind. The more aware I became of my surroundings, the more I seemed to be able to push around the mist. I had noticed it once before, when I had first entered Etherea.

Every time I tried pushing it, my control seemed more significant. I could feel the energy of it as it flowed through me, raw and willing. I watched it move around my hand as I waved it in front of my face.

Once I was confident that I had learned enough to try it in practice, Aton took me outside and to a group of five farmers that were unloading a cart of produce. I remembered that he had said four people were his limit.

“Stay around this corner,” he said to me. “But keep me in sight.”

He walked up to the farmers and signaled for me to start channeling magic into him. They noticed him approaching them and turned to face him. Four of the five farmers’ jaws dropped and they stared at him in disbelief. He must have hidden himself from their view.

“I’m telling you, he’s right there,” one of them said.

“No, he just disappeared. Look, he’s gone!”

“Open your eyes, he’s right there.”

I could see the magic flowing through Aton as he used his power. I tried as hard as I could to channel more into him, but couldn’t seem to get more of the mist to flow through him. A deep feeling of regret sank in as I continued to try and fail. Aton looked back at me in frustration. He grinned.

“I might have to up the stakes, it seems,” he called back to me.

The four farmers that couldn’t seem him apparently could again. The four pointed at him in awe. To my horror, Aton then picked up a rock and threw it at the largest of the five farmers. He then turned to me and shouted, “No or never, Jas.”

I had no idea how far these rough looking farmers would take this. My heart raced. I tried to channel magic into him but still could not.

“Focus. Stop rushing and relax,” I yelled at myself.

The men approached Aton. The one who had been hit by the rock wielded a pitchfork in his big, burly, callused hands. As my heart raced, I felt a burst of energy run through my body. I had inadvertently channeled magic into myself. I used every ounce of strength that I had and focused the energy on Aton. It flowed into him and he smiled as he disappeared from all five farmers' views. Safe now, he ran around the corner as the five farmers stood there baffled.

Just as abruptly as it had come, I lost my focus and stopped channeling magic into him. It was safe now and he no longer needed it since clear he was of the farmers' sight. Just to be safe, however, we walked to the other side of town with a hasty gait in our step.

Aton pointed at a bench. “Wait there,” he said, and then ran off.

A few minutes later, we returned and handed me a roll of bread and some stew, then sat down next to me.

“Well, we’re in luck. You’re a channeler and a quick learner as well.”

I thought back to what he had done in order to force me to channel magic. “You could’ve warned me you were gonna do that.”

He chuckled, as if my concerns were trivial. “I’m sorry about that, but I figured it was the best way to prove to you what you’re capable of.”

My joy overpowered my frustration and I forgave him without saying anything and I nodded in agreement. “So, what now?”

“Once we finish eating, let's return to the inn and work on your ability to channel some more.”

We finished our lunches in silence and returned to the inn. The next few days were filled with nothing but practicing my power to channel. I worked on it every second that I possibly could. Eventually I was able to use some of the energy that I channeled to charge my body, keeping me from getting too exhausted, only to push myself further and tire myself out again.

Each day went the same way; Aton would bring us food while I would spend almost every waking hour learning to further control the flow of magic. It behaved like the wind. The only thing that affected it was me. Occasionally we would exchange stories with each other about ourselves. After getting to know him better, I was more willing to answer one of the questions that he had asked me some time ago.

“You asked me once about how I ended up on the streets. Well, to be honest—” I stammered. It was a struggle to tell the story that I had not told anyone else before, other than Edgar. Before, it always seemed too weird to tell, but in light of everything that I now knew, it wasn’t so unusual. “All I remember is waking up next to a dying woman. She said Jasminis, and then disappeared before my eyes. The only thing that I could think of doing was running away. I found a place to get out of the rain and then curled into a ball and cried. Later that night, Ralph found me, and I've been with them for the past nine years.”

His expression remained emotionless while he shook his head. His eyes revealed he was taking every word in. When I had finished telling the story, I felt relieved and confident with revealing my past to him. He remained silent for a while, and then stood up. “I'm sorry you've had such a difficult life, but things are about to change for you.”