Chapter 2

Slowly I return to my senses, well most of them, I’m still very blind. I must say in all honesty way worse than I thought it would be. It is so much more difficult to know what's going on, not to mention everything I think I can make out is based on a guess. And even though my hearing and maybe even my smell got better, I can’t hear a tree branch before I slam my head into it. But I hear there is magic afoot and where there is magic there is a solution, or at least I hope.

Taking in a survey of my surroundings it has become very apparent I am tied up, but wait there's more I’m not just tied up, I’m tied ‘up’ as my feet can touch the ground. I don’t think I’m upside down, but at this point who could say. I hear a lot of people around me like a lot they seem to come and go, never really coming toward but just passing by. Occasionally I hear some smaller and lighter footsteps so I think they might be children. Knowing that really puts me at ease I must say, they can’t be too crazy if they got kids here.

Suddenly I’m greeted by some heavier footsteps, this time they come towards me, slow and powerful, rather intimidating. They stop right in front of me, a gruff voice calmly rings out kinda dwarfy in a way.

“ Elder wants ya, I’m bout to untie ya, and funny movements and I’ll have ya gutted like last nights catch”

Silence rings out as nothing is said.

Suddenly he yells at me

“You got that boy!”

Slowly and firmly I nod my head yes. He begins cutting the rope and hoisting me roughly onto his shoulders. Taking heavier steps he begins taking us wherever we’re going. I must admit this place is either very big or he walks super slow, either way, this guy is very strong. After what feels like either an hour or 4 minutes he drops me on the floor, a wooden floor so we are at least in a building. surprisingly I was dragged onto a nice soft pillow I think.

The older voice from the forest rings out

“So magician, tell me how you were able to press so deeply into our forest?”

I’m quiet for a moment as I consider telling them the in’s and out’s of the precarious situation that I found myself in. Quickly I realize that I should just give them a much more abbreviated story. Gathering my breath I clear my throat.

“If I’m to be honest, I’m not entirely sure how I ended up where I was. I simply awoke within the forest without my sight or memories. How I managed to get so deep is your guess as good as mine.”

My voice rings out heavy and smooth, odd for not talking for so long or making a sound, I must say a great sound. The old man sits quietly, an uncomfortable sound of shuffling fills the room. I seem to have stumped them.

“How can we simply believe that it is preposterous!” A young enraged voice rings out.

“There is simply no way that he isn’t ly-”

“Silence Boy, you know so little yet always claim knowledge.” The elder voice cuts off the young man

“If you were paying more attention while we were ‘grabbing’ our friend here you would have noticed the wind rushing around him. I would go as far as to say Mr. Memory loss is some kind of wind elemental type magician.”

“Your right Elder! When I was getting ready to knock him out wind rushed almost pushing his head out the way, clearly, he didn’t use any magic either” Another young but much more reserved voice comments

“My friend” The elder continues “I’m rather inclined to believe you thanks to that wind that works with you, I’ll see to fixing your sight if your willing to assist us using that wind.”

“Of course I am” I almost yelled out “However the wind seems to have much more will over itself than I have influence on it, It may take me a while to understand it’s gifts”

That is if I can even control the wind at all. Who knows what I can do with it if anything at all. I only hope that it wasn’t a one-time occurrence. And if it is, who knows what this group will do.

“Talion.” The elder calls out “ guide our friend to Keshat, if anyone can fix his eyes, our resident healer can.”

“Yes sir, right away.” rings out the gruff man known as Talion.

Picking me up again this time much gentler, he begins to carry me towards the healer.

“Listen, boy, Just because the elder has decided to show mercy doesn’t mean the rest of us will. While I will never break the elder's command, the power dynamic in the village is shifting to watch your back, everyone thinks they know what's best without living through the worst.”

“Thank you Talion, I really appreciate the heads up.”

Much quicker than before, talion arrives at our destination. Knocking on the door, it is opened and I am surprised by the small steps I hear.

“Oh, Talion, great to see you I hope Tass didn’t accidentally knock your teeth out this time.”

Suddenly shaking Talion responds “No not this time, Elder had me bring the trespasser to have his sight healed”

“Ohhh, yes, of course, I knew that old goofball had a use for such an oddity as our friend here. Quickly bring him to my clinic and let me have a look at him.”

Talion turns around and walks me into some new building, by the sound of the wooden floors, suddenly I’m gently lowered onto a bed. The Talion Express is getting 5 stars from me this time.

The small man walks up to me suddenly hopping up next to me and grabbing my head and turning it to face him. I hear his breath as he closely exams what I assume is my eyes. Suddenly a warm feeling presses into my temples. As it works deeper and deeper some of the throbbings I had been feeling disappears, for a moment I feel myself finally begin to relax since I’ve been here.

…

“AGGGHHH” I scream out as my eyes begin to ache and burn like being stabbed!

“Uh-Oh,” The small man says “Seems like he’s not blind his vision is sealed, or more like a magic array”

As the burning begins to fade and I stop shaking and trembling I say “A Magic Array, The fuck is a magic array, and who put it in my damn eyes”

“Calm down kid, we didn’t do anything, except knock you out I guess but certainly not this. Try putting some magic through it”

“How do I do that, I don’t know my name, you expect me to know magic?”

“You don’t know magic, boy, toddlers can do magic, why can’t you! Talion get over here do the magic trick on this guy”

Talions heavy steps close in on me as he grabs my arm placing his finger on my heart and a cold feeling suddenly present, he moves his finger from my heart to my palm slowly the cold feeling never leaving my heart but extending to my palm. Then he places a palm on my back and a sudden painful pulse a green light pushes out my palm.

“Feel that boy, that green shit coming out your palm it's magic, and you seem to got a thing for wind albeit kinda weak. Take that feeling, from your heart, that energy, and pump it to ya eyes!”

Talion gruffly yells at me.

Eager to follow his instructions I focus on that feeling of energy in my heart. A whimsical hard to grasp energy, I attempt to grab it but it simply moves out of my mental grip. ‘Duh’ l think to myself it's wind, I begin to mentally fan it towards my eyes. Suddenly a breeze is felt on my face. I blink my eyes and see the world in grey.

Oh my god, I can see again. The information overload hits me and my head hurts but I don’t dare close my eyes. I feel like I’ll never close them again in fear of the black returning when I do.

“Fuck I can see! Damn Talion your huge, and where the hell did those horns come from.”

“Ha Ha, Interesting, your eyes seem magic-powered, I wonder what that means”

Keshat laughs out. Turning my head to him I see his short frame, blond hair, and a boyish face, with old eyes. His short horns stick from his hands a series of white lines. His green shirt is the only color I can see, clearly something to do with my magic.

“Alright boy let's take you back to the elder”

My vision begins to flicker and suddenly cut out and I’m filled with a sudden exhaustion, my lungs can’t get enough air and my muscles seem to strain.

“Hey… Guys it's black again, and I think I might throw up, what's happening”

Keshat laughs out “Ha that mana exhaustion fool, god you're a gift that keeps giving”

The laughing of Keshat rings out as I lose consciousness again, man I gotta stop doing this.