Mages of Rubia ✔️

Ch9

Lief is up to something, and I haven't figured out if I should tell someone. He's been refusing to tell me much of anything, lately, because he's suspicious of me.

I don't think he's doing anything directly opposing my survival, so I figure I'll just make sure by learning what he's doing.

I've noticed recently that he keeps a journal. It seems old, but he only looks to update it sporadically, so he could have had it for years. While he's out today I pick it up. It has a puzzle lock on it, like the one on his bed but smaller. I start undoing the puzzle--after seeing him do the one on his bed enough times, I know what the end looks like.

I open it to the first page and worry that I'm mistaken on who's book this is. The first page says "Property of Trenton Smith." Then I notice, underneath in much smaller script, "+Lief Smith."

It looks like quite a few of these pages were written by this Trenton guy, who I assume is family. Luckily, I can tell by how much smaller Lief's writing is when his entries start. I start reading.

The first couple are about becoming a mage, and then it gets to this year and I see him mention Ravana. It says he's a demon. Which, I definitely suspected something along those lines, but it's really concerning. As I continue reading about his interactions with Ravana, I get more and more concerned.

A demon who has practically bitten chunks out of him and erases his memory can't be good news. As I keep reading I realize he's the one causing Lief to be suspicious of me, and I decide thats enough. I redo the lock after finishing and decide I want to try to summon this guy for a little chat.

-

I wait until Lief is asleep. I figured out the ritual through his book, and know everything is in the spirit wood room. I'm not sure if I'll even survive touching it, as I'm getting a lot of conflicting accounts on how strong my magic is.

So I take a deep breath, and reach out to open the door.

And I'm fine. I step inside the room, closing and locking the door and lighting the candles with my fingers. The setup is already basically there, I guess Lief's been summoning him so much that he just leaves it.

The hardest part of magic for me is just the focusing part, and eventually I just give up, saying the words I memorized and drawing some blood. It takes a few moments, but then it appears.

A humanoid creature with intricately carved horns and an annoyed grimace on it's face.

"What do you want, quiet one? I was trying to get in Lief's dream."

"You're Ravana?"

It rolls his eyes. "Obviously. Why have you summoned me?"

"I want you to leave Lief alone."

He dips its finger in the blood on the copper mirror and licks it off. I supress a shudder.

"He doesn't feel that way about you, Azarius. You're just his little friend. It's none of your problem. He and I have... business. Which you don't understand."

"You're in love with him," I accuse.

"An unimportant detail, you are too. Difference is, I would do anything to help him. But you... you only look out for yourself, right? If it comes down to it, you'll follow whichever set of orders keep you alive, even if the order is to kill," it says, stalking around the salt circle.

I try not to follow, because I know he's just trying to intimidate me.

"And it's working," he mutters from behind me.

I can't help but flinch. "How--"

"I guess Lief didn't mention my capabilities in his journal, then. Which is a very private book, I wonder how he would feel if he knew you read it..."