Mages of Rubia ✔️

Ch12

I'm extremely lucky that nobody found me while I was in there. I escape through a window, sighing in relief, and start walking back to the tower.

Elder Genova starts walking beside me far too casually.

"What game are you playing, Leif?"

I stay silent.

"I'm not going to say a word," she says.

"If you mean that, you can wait until we're back to my tower and I've bound you in an oath," I mutter.

She continues walking alongside me. I only really know how to create an oath from Ravana's example, but I figure I can handle it. The only concern is looking like I know what I'm doing when I barely have a clue.

The spell involves a ribbon wrapped around and gripped in our hands. Elder Genova is fine with this part. Then comes the flame. If they panic and jerk away, it means they're destined to break any vow.

"It won't burn you," I assure her as she stares.

The last bit is to say the terms of the oath.

"You won't repeat a word of what I tell you in confidence," I say simply.

I can tell by the glowing of my skin that it's working, so I add "Nor will you repeat to anyone anything unusual you see involving me or my apprentice."

My skin flashes and there's a new mark on my wrist shaped like an eye. I have one right by it from my oath with Ravana, and there's one on Elder Genova's wrist too.

I let go of her hand.

"What was your question?" I ask, much more at ease.

"What are you playing at, young man?"

"Survival, Gran. I'm just trying to get out of here before they kill me."

"Then leave now! Why do you linger?"

"I need to find out everything about myself. And this war. You're controlling Beastons through their companions? How is that possible?"

She stares at me. "As long as they're under our guard the beastons will protect us. And the High Elder speaks their language."

"What started all this?"

She rubs her head. "Greed, which starts very many wars. The High Elder wants all of the locale to be part of our society."

"By sending beastons to destroy their towns and taking back the survivors under the guise of merciful protectors?"

"I need to go, Leif."

"Where are you going?"

A truth spell.

"Back to the other elders. They'll be concerned."

"If you speak a word, you will die. That fire is waiting in your heart for magic kindling, and it will make your body boil from the inside. It's an excruciating way to go."

"And you did this to your own foster grandmother."

I pull her into a hug. "I'm so, so sorry. But I have to live. I'll free you of the oath when I leave and you can speak freely again."

She squeezes me back. "I'll miss you."

"Yeah, right, you'll be glad not to be scolding me constantly."

Elder Genova shakes her head with a smile, and then starts leaving. I can tell that she's worried about me.

I find Aza sitting up on the roof of the tower with the books he's been reading recently--language books on the demonic dialects.