Magic Within Official

Chapter 5

Ajani POV

Latasha led us into the forest outside the village. We walked for about ten minutes before we arrived just outside a clearing. We couldn't see much, but I could just make out a log cabin sitting off to the side. Ironic.

Latasha leant against a tree. "This is where I leave you. You have to gain his trust by your own merits."

"That's fair." Shira murmured, scanning the log house and the surrounding area.

"Do we just... Walk over?" I asked, also eyeing the cabin.

She shrugged, "If you want" and then left. Helpful. Real helpful.

Shira nudged my shoulder, bringing me back to the task at hand. She lead the way into the clearing as I trailed behind. We stopped about six meters away from the cabin and waited.

About a minute later, nothing had moved. The place was giving off weird vibes. I had no doubt a magician was in residence, his, well, 'scent', I guess you could call it, was all over the clearing.

No, scent is the wrong word. More, presence? Spirit? I don't know. Magicians, we, well, we're not sorcerers, who take magic. Magicians, or Magni (Magnum, singular), for the correct terminology, already have magic. We gather it from around us. When it's gathered, it leaves almost an aftertaste, if you will. Other Magni can sense this, and extremely sensitive ones can track individuals from the slight differences between individuals.

I was ranting, wasn't I? (Sorry). Back to the story.

After waiting another few minutes, I decided Jazal, if he was even here, was waiting for us to make the first move.

"Hello the cabin!" I called out. No response. Turning to Shira, I said, "Maybe he's not here?"

Shira shook her head. "He's here. See the shutters on the left?"

I nodded. The windows to the house were all shuttered, but the one on the left, "It's not fastened properly at the bottom." I replied. I'd seen it on my second scan of the cabin. As Artemis always liked to say, it's the small details that keep you alive. As I watched the left window, a shadow shifted in the small gap left under the window.

With no other warning, the nearest branch on the tree right next to us set ablaze.

I scrambled away from it. It seemed to be doing no damage to the tree, but the heat was very real. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd fireproofed the trees. The fire didn't spread, but continued to burn brightly.

A deep and rather unfriendly voice emerged from the cabin. "State your business, or the next thing one fire will be you."

Shira raised her hands above her head in a non-threatening gesture. "We're friends."

"That's what the 'missionary' from Emiscer said, before I burnt his fancy feathered bonnet off his fancy featherbrained head."

I snorted in spite of myself. "You did what?" I laughed. Shira elbowed me in the ribs.

"We're Magicians too." Shira said. "We're on the same side."

"Well, if you're really Magicians, One of you should be able to get that bucket off the-"

Before he could finish, I stretched my arm out. Air pooled around my fingers, and slammed into the bucket in a concentrated gust, knocking the bucket off its perch and sending it rolling. I raised my eyebrow at the window in challenge.

"I was going to say, 'off the railing'. You seem to have beaten me to it." the mildly amused voice said.

"No sense in shooting slowly." I replied, a small smile on my face.