Chapter 4: Travel

Compared to the marsh-like land the group left behind in Hearth’s territory, the rain seemed to have stopped before it reached Alundrel. The ground beneath the group’s feet once again returned to a natural firmness as they made their way along the highway between the two nations.

Hearth was a land with more plains and mountainous regions that proved to help in scouting and give the caravan a feeling of safety in their surroundings. Light from the Richmond carriage spread far and wide, warding off creatures and bandits alike. Alundrel was much different in its topography. Instead of large, rolling hills, the land was flat which burdened travels to a smaller degree. Unfortunately, Alundrel was known for its heavy forests that took up close to the entire nation. Trees lined each side of the road, creating a natural barrier for travelers and the wilderness beyond, but it also provided many more opportunities for ambushing due to the breaks in any passerby's line of sight. Of course, Alundrel and Hearth patrolled their main roads as a method to fend off such sinister people and to encourage commerce and tourism, but it wasn’t uncommon to hear of raids where some lost their fortunes and others their lives.

Light spread far and wide thanks in consideration of the sun once the procession first entered the forest. The beautiful midday bloom highlighted the flowers and vegetation which created the beautiful scenery Alundrel was known for. Lancing spent half of the day looking at the various plants he had never seen with his own eyes as Elise would mention their relevant magical value and Fendrick would estimate their economic worth. Lancing, being an avid reader, was able to connect the various reagents to those he had read in alchemical textbooks, but having others who had direct experience with them helped him further instill the knowledge. To the other two youth’s, the surroundings of theirs had long lost their luster and at last Lancing’s interest faded along with them. By the time the sun reached the indiscernible horizon, the caravan made plans to rest on the road, valuing safety over speed as they had reached the more dangerous part of the journey.

Tents rose in various corners of the clearing to which many of the soldiers enjoyed a moment of respite. Others still toiled away as they walked back and forth around the camp to secure the perimeter, but they knew their time for rest would come. On a piece of stable road in the middle of the camp, the carriages stood, horseless. The nobles would have the privilege of sleeping in the envious cabins that would protect them against the seasons, whether it was the biting cold or the critters along the ground. Currently, Fendrick was sitting on the steps up to his wagon as he finished organizing the layout of the temporary encampment to ensure the tightest security and best living conditions. Elise manned the fire and the cooking station surrounding it as she assisted in making meals with the other soldiers while making conversation and telling the odd joke. Every night Elise would take the time to help with the daily chores of the soldiers, which earned their gratitude and respect while keeping morale high for the journey. Lancing watched on as he saw the difference these little actions had on the others when it was done by the leader of the group. At the beginning of the journey, Lancing stayed inside the carriage as he read one of the books he borrowed from Elise, but as the days went on he joined the others to do his fair share.

After the meat a group of soldiers gathered from the local population was finished cooking in a stew, it was portioned out to everyone in the camp with a side of various starches included. Soldiers were used to the meager servings they would eat while on the road and often satisfied themselves with at most a slice of bread. Compared to when the guards of various origins traveled with their respecting groups, the difference in treatment from this trio of nobles was much too noticeable. As they grew accustomed to what felt like a vacation more than a job, merriment enveloped the camp and boisterous conversations grew louder in every direction. Lancing was no exception as he joined Elise with the soldiers and began talking speaking in a relaxed manner that made them feel as if the one in front of them was no longer the Prince. Once the laughter surrounding the carriages reached a certain point, the door to Fendrick’s carriage slammed open. Before he opened his mouth to bark out orders for everyone to begin getting ready to sleep, the atmosphere and happiness of the soldiers’ faces smoothed the lines of anger on his face. With a sigh, he resigned himself to the fact he would miss out on a night of work and moved to join the other youths in conversation.

An hour and a half later, the fire began to die and that was the cue for the others to prepare for the guard duty. Some rotated with those who had already been patrolling for a while now and didn’t forget to clean up the mess of dinner while they were at it. Fendrick bade goodnight as he got up from his seat to retire for the night. Elise wasn’t quite as tired so she moved to join the cleaning, but the insistence of the men brought her back into her seat next to the Prince.

Lancing’s stomach had long been filled to his content and he currently had a smile on his face as his eyes grew droopy. Elise stared at him for a minute or two as she deliberated on asking him a question that had bugged her for a few days now. Throwing another log into the campfire’s flames, Elise said, “Lancing, can I ask you a question?”

Leaving his reverie, Lancing let out a, “Hm?” Elise had pulled him from one of his more relaxing daydreams. He worked in a small town far from Hearth’s capital, where he had a flourishing business selling books, texts, and tomes. Customers would enter in complete silence to browse his collection and find something new to read or study. When something finally caught their eye, a smile would appear on their face as they brought it to the counter where Lancing would talk to the other about the book he would somewhat remember and send them on their way. As the chimes on the door rang aloud, stillness would return to the building and he would float away once more into the book he held in his hands. Every day was filled with tranquility.

Unaware of Lancing’s thoughts, Elise continued, “Do you remember when you and your sister came over to the Richmond estate a little more than ten years ago? My father and yours planned to teach us magic together in an attempt to have us all reach the level of Lord. But despite being two years younger, Apolla was already close to casting the second set of spells while both of us were still stuck on the first! We couldn’t believe it but she would be the first to graduate from normality first.” As she continued speaking, the Prince stared into her green eyes that didn’t leave the fire of the camp. “Anyways, a special event happened on that day.”

Something clicked in Lancing’s mind as she described a memory he had long forgotten. Without realizing, he shrugged his left shoulder which bore a blotched patch of charred skin whose source he could never quite remember. Every time he stroked his fingers across the long since mended skin, no recollection appeared in his mind.

This little movement caught Elise’s eye, but her face turned into a pained frown as she looked back into the fire. “We were both messing around while our parents left us alone to go have an important meeting. Pushing, shoving, tripping; however, kids our age played when they were roughhousing. Apolla, ever so diligent, took the moment of rest to attempt to cast Firebolt. If successful would land her into the realm of a Lord, the first true step on the path of a mage. And she did it.”

Elise looked up from the raging flames and into the eyes of Lancing. Both of them knew what happened next, but Elise still found it hard to get the words out. They had never spoken of the event since it happened, as it seemed both of them buried it deep inside them in their own way.

With a swallow, she continued, “Neither of us was paying attention. I had told a joke about one of the new maids screw-ups and we both laughed hard enough you began to cackle. It was probably even worse than my uncontrollable snorting. Hands on your knees, your back was towards your sister and from the corner of my eye, a piercing beam of flames had already charged more than half of its distance towards me. But you reacted faster. Your expression changed as you looked in my eyes, a mix of panic and worry flooded over your face as you threw yourself at me, tackling me to the ground. Then, after a moment of intense heat… your face turned from one of panic to excruciating pain. Your deep red blood covered most of my favorite summer dress I got the week before for my birthday. When I lifted you off of me, your arm…”

It was then that Elise trailed off. The words were caught, never to escape her ever-constricting throat. She stopped herself in time, calming her breathing for a minute until she could once again speak.

“Firebolt, first of the second set of spells and the first real spell at the level of a Lord. Even if the bolt she conjured was weak, even if she tried to decrease the intensity herself as it left her hand, that spell has enough power to take the life of a normal soldier with a quick, seamless impact. But you, a nine-year-old child, survived.” Although she was on the verge of crying only a minute ago, her expression of sadness had long left, with another emotion surging itself up to the surface. “A powerless boy, who would never force a speck of dirt to move its own length in distance, saved the life of a little girl who had a limitless future to look forward to.”

Cracks emerged from Elise’s hands as she clenched them atop her thighs. Her teeth began to grind, released a shivering sound that rose goosebumps on Lancing’s skin. He was speechless, unable to say anything to the woman beside him about the story they both shared.

At last, the heart of the issue came out from Elise’s lips. “Why go to study under the High Mage when you have yet to even activate your scales?” Her eyes bore into the other’s as she tried to put an expression of curiosity on her face, but confusion and anger were slowly tearing away at the facade.

To be truthful, Lancing did not know what to expect from his trip to the High Mage. His father placed his full confidence in Kastrel’s ability to work out Lancing’s problem, but Lancing felt doubts deep in his heart. What if they never came to a solution? What if despite their efforts, Lancing did not have a future as a mage? What if Lancing’s fate was to grow old and wither before even a single hair on his father’s head turned grey? Questions like these assaulted his heart until he had long grew exhausted on deciphering the future, but the promise he held deep inside still shone with radiant clarity.

Lancing met Elise’s eyes as words of confidence left his mouth, “To grow stronger.”

Flabbergasted, Elise almost laughed at the absurdity behind the words. “Lancing, you can’t just ‘grow stronger!’ You have to take your condition into consideration or you will be seen as a fool. You have to face it. You were born without talent, a cripple, as much of a vegetable as one of those damn tomatoes!”

A chill swept through the Prince as he heard the words told to him countless times before. On full display now was the core reason the two were always at odds. The underlying cause for why every conversation of theirs turned into an argument and why every argument turned into a fight. He tried to push away some of the awkwardness as he released a slight chuckle at the thought of correcting Elise yet again, but he couldn’t get out the words before she continued. “Seriously, think about this. It’s been 12 years since we began our studies, but you still haven’t been able to form a magical array, much less cast a single rudimentary spell. Aren’t you just wasting the High Mage’s time? It’s not only you, but it’s partly Crucius’ fault too. When will your father give up on you?”

Elise took a breath as she found she ran out of air. Her face at this point was serious beyond anything Lancing had seen from her before and held a tinge of redness that could have been from either a lack of oxygen or the anger felt in her words. The emerald eyes of hers shook as they glossed over, a slight puffiness forming on each of her lids. Water puddled on the lower of the two. Without a single hint of her usual playful bearing whenever they bantered or argued, she said the last sentence she wanted to get off of her chest.

“When will you?”

♢ ♢ ♢

Following the night of celebration, the soldiers who had either overindulged or stayed up later than they should have struggled to get up to prepare for the next day. Those up already at the crack of dawn worked in silence, hoping to not disturb the young nobles that currently slept in the middle of the camp. Sounds of dismantling rang out here and there and within the hour, the ground in the vicinity was cleared and the soldiers responsible were lined up, prepared for the new day.

Their formation was somewhat odd and their colors even more so, creating an assortment that was hard on the eyes. Standing guard in the front, men in brilliant armor stood tall and proud, striking in their purple cloth, silver plates, and gold trims. Behind them stood the section that looked to blend with nature. The armor they bore painted in blue and the leather that decorated it of a reptilian green. In the back, each of the men was a shiny mass of golden color that reflected off the sun that now adorned the clear, bright sky. But the flamboyancy did not represent strength. The highest quality soldiers were those of the royal guards, displayed by their armor down to their posture and demeanor. Not far behind, the Richmond house’s troops still displayed their might, but their strength was still a few grades below the royalty. Bought with money, the Quis guards were but mercenaries and were of the same quality, if not lower, than Elise’s soldiers and only wore the gold armor to intimidate and display the enormous wealth of the clan. Despite the disparity between the different types of soldiers, they all had performed in a harmonious manner on this trip. Nonetheless, when each of the three carriages opened at separate intervals, no soldier dared not to salute with respect to each of the youths.

Continuing like normal, the soldiers marched in such a fashion that focused on protecting the carriages in the center. After days of marching, the soldiers showed no signs of fatigue and pressed on as if it was the first day. Each of them knew their abundant energy was due to the remarkable treatment they were given, but the morning was difficult due to the tense atmosphere surrounding the carriages. The cause, of course, was the prince and the duke’s daughter. Few soldiers didn’t know about the outburst from the night before, but none of them discussed it as it wasn’t for them to speak of. Even Fendrick had heard bits and pieces while lying down in his carriage but not a word left his mouth regarding it. Elise’s face looked as stern as the first day of travel as she sat atop her seat, surveying the area around them. Lancing occupied the next carriage over, seated as he similarly looked around, but only periodically. Often would he turn back to the book in his hands. Botanical Guide to Alundrel by Richard Morisson. Books such as these were always brought along as a precautionary measure to deal with local flora. The prince had skimmed over it a couple of years ago but never paid it any heed as his interest didn’t extend to plants as it did to magic. He also never planned to leave Hearth’s borders so soon either, but as things had changed, so did Lancing’s motivation to study to the book.

The two seemed to pay each other no heed, very different compared to the constant flow of arguments and random bits of conversation in the past days. Discussions among the soldiers began to arise to lift the pressure, if only slightly. A few complained about the large delay caused by the rain while others anticipated the end of the trip only two days away. Some felt heartache that the trip akin to a picnic outing would be over so soon. Like this, the day slowly came to an end as the sky lost its glow and the moon arrived to take over. Inspiration to partake in festivities like the previous nights waned as all the nobles instead chose to stay in their carriages to rest for the next day. Although the soldiers felt some regret, they still focused on their duties and patrolled the surroundings to protect the camp.

Lancing laid on the cotton bedding he placed on the floor as his mind drifted away into slumber. After spending the entire day and the last couple hours reading, he was now almost done with the few books Elise brought along for the trip. The prince was glad the books got some use at least, as their owner didn’t plan to touch them until they were the last resort to relieve her boredom. Shuffling underneath the covers, Lancing could not get into a position that made him feel comfortable. As he was almost asleep, his awareness was almost nonexistent. He was unable to pin down the source of this extreme discomfort. His mind in a stupor believed it to be the hard flooring irritating his body, but nothing he did could cure his ailments. Only after he opened his eyes and sat up to investigate further did Lancing feel the growing numbness of his scalp and tingling on his skin. Sweat appeared on his forehead as his eyes shot open, hastily scrambling to his feet.

A moment later, the spreading discomfort disappeared in but an instant. At this point, the sweat began to drip down his forehead and into his eyebrows where its movement stopped its descent. Lancing linked the feeling he was currently experiencing with the times when his father would demonstrate the immense potential of magic. Far from any civilization, Crusius would bring his son to the countryside and cast spells of various applications and degrees of power. Magic was beyond his imagination. So much in fact, that he would experience reactions to each casting. The smallest of spells wouldn’t require a great disturbance in nature to take effect so Lancing would feel little to nothing depending on his distance to the spell’s origin. But, some of the more competent spells would cause Lancing to experience a variety of symptoms: tingling, crawling in his skin, numbness, headaches, and even nausea. The greater the power, the stronger the reaction; Crusius would have to pay special attention to his positioning and output to not cause his son any pain.

What he experienced just now was only a mild reaction but looking out the window, no signs of magical activity presented themselves. No great changes in the surroundings, no dynamic colorization, and nothing flying at the camp from afar. This could only mean that whatever mage was using the power of magic was quite far away. No other sounds came from the camp as if nothing had happened. Shuffling of armor still resounded as the guards paced along their designated patrol routes and the rest of them bellowed snores from their tents, indicating they were asleep. No stirring from the other carriages either as both of the other nobles lay unawakened. Lancing’s eyes bore into the dark surroundings, attempting to see past the trees blocking his vision but failing all the same.

Giving up, he instead chose to spread out the minute amount of will into his surroundings to increase the sensitivity of his perceptions. Nature remained unaffected as his invisible force moved like tendrils into the area, sinking into the ground and waving through the air. The protrusions did not move far as he was very limited to the amount of will he harbored, but he could now vaguely feel the earth stepped on by the guards up to ten meters away and slight displacement of the wind as the walked back and forth. However, it wasn’t long until Lancing felt exhausted at the effort and his force began to recede into his mind once more. Realizing this strategy of his would not work, he cursed himself for being so defenseless. He also understood that with his power he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the step of a patrol from an enemy anyways, so he once more began to observe with his eyes and ears.

Five minutes went by without any observable movement from the surroundings and Lancing began to suspect his own senses. Maybe those tells of sorcery were only an illusion and he had imagined the event in his languid state. Another five minutes of doubt went by and he was half-convinced that the event had never happened. Even if it did, it most likely had nothing to do with his procession. The prince continued along this mental track of naivety as he moved to lay back down on the floor to fall into a slumber. ‘Tomorrow will be yet another long day of travel,’ he thought.

Just as he turned his eyes back to the interior of the carriage, the tingling arose once more, but powerful enough to excite every nerve in his body. Eyes darting back to the treeline, Lancing observed the magic of incredible power form in the shape of a blue barrier that rose into the sky. It was not the only barricade forming, as two similar blue shields arose from other points outside of the camp, intent on completing in the sky to form as one. As the glistening barrier developed further into a dome shape, the camp began to stir to life as guards exclaimed in panic. Magic was currently encircling them. Shuffling rang out in the carriage next to Lancing before its door burst open and steps following. Elise stood with her head to the sky, staring with confusion and dismay at the barrier overhead.

Whistles, horns, and calls for formation resounded throughout the camp as the was barrier completed. Regardless of everyone’s strength, each of them could feel the effect of the barrier: isolation. The outside world instantly felt distant until it was unable to be felt at all and the air turned into a stifling stillness. Inside the barrier was an entirely separate realm from the one beyond. Nothing could cross between the two, whether creature, air, or magic. Without any perceptible warning, the ambush was a success.