Gifted Ones

Chapter 8 Haven

HIERARCHY AND THE GIFTED EMPIRE

In the thirteenth century the Gifted empire was divided up into three parts, or Nations. There was the Mage Nation, the Shift Nation, and the Flyer Nation. Each had their own chief executive, and was individually partitioned into a set of clans.

Most clans had around twenty members and were frequently all related. Clan families were common back then, and they would sometimes merge if two people in opposite clans got married. However, some clans refused to associate with each other. Clan wars were common as well, often caused by two young people of rival clans eloping and running away.

The book goes on to describe a long list of clan wars between lovers' families, and the dreadful consequences that resulted from it. I skim over this part. It doesn't seem too terribly important for what I need to know here.

It vaguely registers in my head that Chase has left to some remote corner of the library to do God knows what. I want him back here, though. He makes me feel. . . Real. Normal. Not safe, exactly, just like a regular human. Which is ironic, since he's the most inhuman person I've ever met. I return to my reading.

The Nation's chief executive always tried to end these disputes quickly, but sometimes that was impossible. That was when the Mage Dynasty would step in.

It is often said that Mages are the most powerful of all the Gifted Ones because of their abilities leaning towards the offensive. Back in the 1200s this was also the case. When the Mages fought their way to the top of the monarchy to put their own executive leader on the throne. . .

The next half page is dedicated to allusions and hints about previous chapters I haven't read. Most of it seems to be dates and battles anyway. Finally I get to the point where they actually start to explain the Mage Hierarchy.

The Mage Dynasty was a monarchy, the royal family of the Empire. The kings and queens of each time brought something different to each period, just like in human history.

I skip over the next part as it describes each Monarch, from the 700s until the 1200s with the rein of queen Matilda the III.

The royal family was surrounded by a group of 15 Mages called the Guard, whose job it was to protect the dynasty and do their general bidding. They were also the ones who provided the energy and power to the famed Blue Amulet.

I stop reading almost automatically. The Blue Amulet. Could it be what Katherine was talking about? Is this Amulet what got my mother killed. Greedily I go back to the book.

Because of the dynasty's wealth and power they devoted quite a lot of time to the study of magic and the parallel half-science that goes with it. They developed many different types of theories and methods that made them grow in power to the point where almost no one could oppose them. They wouldn't share any of their magic with the Mage Nation, and kept all of it in a forbidden library in their palace. One of these was the method of storing energy in an inanimate object. The object in question they used for this was the necklace that came to be called The Blue Amulet. It was a large sapphire set into a silver backing, the edge of which was covered in stars. The Guard would deposit large amounts of energy into the Amulet on a weekly basis, pushing their casting limits to the brink.

"Chase?" I call.

"Yes?" He says from amid the maze of bookshelves.

"What is a casting limit?"

He steps out from the rows to face me. "Well, a Mage's casting limit is the amount of energy contained in their body. You know how the more you exercise and use muscle the more muscle you build? It's the same way with casting. The more experienced the Mage is the more energy they are able to contain in their body. That's why older Mages have a tendency to eat a lot. They do it to reach the outer limits of their casting limit. You don't have to reach the outer edge, but it's safer to have more energy in the long run."