Mages of Rubia ✔️

Ch5

Ravana often visits in my dreams, which turn into wisps I can barely remember. In this dream, I sit across from him under a tree growing red leaves and red vines.

"How is your apprentice?" he asks, eyes following a bug lazily.

"Assistant," I correct.

"Involuntary apprentice. It's obvious he's meant to be your replacement. Why would they keep someone like you in a position of power? They only let you live out of desperation, and you know it. It's why you have the nerve to act like you own the place."

"I hardly act like that."

"What do you think they're going to do when they figure out you're doing unauthorized magic? What do you think they'll do when they realized you've gone rogue?"

"They won't find out."

"They'll kill you, Lief. And you know witches go to hell when they die. I wouldn't be surprised if you double-die. You wouldn't survive here."

"What are you trying to say, Ravana?"

He shrugs. "Just warning you. You live in a dangerous world, little mage. You'd do well to get out of there while you can. Before your replacement knows enough to replace you. Or... No, you wouldn't like that suggestion."

"What?"

"Oh, no, it's too dark for you, you'd hate to even hear it."

"Tell me!"

"Well... You could always just kill the little bastard. I mean, you're infinitely more powerful than him, aren't you? Just... get rid of the problem."

I shake my head. "Azarius is my friend, I can't. And besides, it would be hard to get rid of the blame."

"I can give a few suggestions for poisons that would simply make it seem like he's sick. One dose, and he'd be dead of whatever plague your kind are currently fighting in a month."

"He's still my friend."

"Who needs friends?"

I shake my head. I'm absolutely not going to poison my only friend, no matter what the elders intend to do to us. I'd rather die of their hands than know I had killed.

Ravana sets one of his arms around my shoulders, tracing shapes on my upper arm with one of his burning fingers. His pointed claw only barely skims my skin.

"Listen, either way you're going to die one day. And you'd do well to make sure it's later, rather than sooner. If you won't kill him, then you should run."

"Where could I possibly go?"

He shrugs. "You're smart, I'm sure you could survive just about anywhere in the human realm. Maybe you could go back to the original continent. It's much less strict in magic over there, I hear. Sometimes I visit, you know, and they even let demons walk freely there."

"Why would I do that?"

"You'd be hailed as a master magician there. You'd make history. Why wouldn't you?"

I push his arm away. "Because I have a life here. And it's dangerous."

Ravana chuckles. "Well, when it becomes apparent you need to flee... Don't be afraid to call on me."

-

I wake up to see Azarius playing with a flame on his fingertips. As I unchain myself, he shows it to me enthusiastically.

"That's lovely, Aza," I mutter, starting to head downstairs.

"Something's wrong," he says.

"Just a dream."