Abaddon's Call

Chapter Five

AN: Early update. Sorry about the late postings the last two weeks. It's like I forget it's Monday or something.

Theon walked into Basic Care.

His class was an assortment of first years, including the wilding war mage Trild had somehow masturbated his way into forging into a shield, Trild Kaulu's young wife, and the second year with the mismatched eyes who was too young to be the son of Theon's first kill.

He found the boy dying of a slow poison, locked in a cupboard. The magic worked quite well. Theon hadn't been able to so much as feel it out to destroy it, but he had gotten a good feel for that magic as he tried. The boy was suffering—every second agonizing pain drawn out by deeper magic. Theon had done what was necessary and killed the boy.

Who wore second year robes, had mismatched eyes and looked exactly like Selifer.

The shield families bred so close, Selifer might have been a bastard of any number of them, yet Theon could not name a single line that might match the features enough to make a good guess.

Upon seeing the similarities, Theon's mind immediately went to that fact. He recalled that no one ever mentioned the second year again, and he could only draw the conclusion that the boy he had killed had been a bastard. No one came looking for him.

Therefore Selifer was a bastard and had to be of the shield families.

Theon just couldn't place which one.

But he was a second year joining a first year Basic Care class instead of being returned to his second year class. That told Theon that Selifer wasn't yet whole. The university obviously trusted his knowledge in many ways, but they felt something was lacking from the boy.

And possibly that Luk wanted him alive.

"When I first attended Amos, it was as a bastard," Theon said to the class. "I was thirteen when I entered. We think. By the time I was fourteen, I was a shield to the Seven, to Lord Luk Pan, Lord of the Seven. By sixteen, I was an alcoholic. At twenty, this university attempted to permanently band me. I was a rogue, hunted by the Seven for nearly a decade before I returned on my terms. I have gone up against Lord Pan seven times and survived each. I am a war mage. So, let us spend this day just with you asking me your questions."

A hand rose from a terrified boy who couldn't have been thirteen.

"Yes, you."

"I'm not supposed to be here."

"Whyever not?"

"I'm not a mage."

"That hasn't stopped anyone in the past."

Theon felt the attention of the entire class shift. Suddenly every one of them was watching him. Selifer raised his hand slowly.

"Yes, Selifer."

"What's your favourite part about having magic?" he asked.

"Teleportation," Theon said. "Sounds mad, I know. But the ability to flash across the lands is amazing. I can flit there, see the sunset, flit again to the other side and watch it set again. I can visit hot springs whenever I please. But if you mean in general, I enjoy being a mage for the puzzle that each bit of magic is. When I see something new, it dazzles and pleases me to no end to ponder on it. There are several puzzles that I have been turning over for years, and that is wonderous to me. Each new thing I learn, I can go back to these puzzles and see if it helps explain things. And on I go."

The war mage raised his hand.

"Yes, uh..."

"Kal," the boy said. "What if I think I'm a war mage?"