The Song of Loss

Chapter Three: A Magical Turn of Events

Magic across the Elelan continent was a highly valued skill no matter the kingdom, not counting the northern nomads. In Grnatal, their high mages typically became renowned advisors to royalty and the nobles. The northern end of the continent were prone to using their magic to interfere with the realms of the gods which had landed them in a war with Granatal. Schools were even found in Norodon and Zuzunab in the south where they focused on anything to keep the desert between them confined.

Darcy's training had been far less formal given her location. Her mother had overseen it with her limited knowledge. After all, she'd discovered her pregnancy before completing her training at the academy in Granatal. With no one willing to foot the bill, she'd been dismissed and left to fend for herself. That was neither here nor there at that moment.

The hopeful look on Kasi's face was exaggerated by his wide brown eyes. When he grew he'd be able to stop a woman in her tracks with a glance. Right now, he looked more pathetic than a lost puppy. He'd have to learn how things worked one way or another.

"You don't even know if you can do magic, Kasi," Darcy said softly.

"Everyone can do magic. I saw a baby light a candle because they cried," Kasi argued. The boy crossed his arms over his puffed out chest.

Darcy sighed, running her fingers through her hair. As a child, she had only been able to dream of lighting a candle with that little effort. Every spell, every ounce of control had been fought for tooth and nail. There was such a large divide between those who were born with the raw uncontrollable talent and those who displayed the ability in fleeting spurts.

"Not everyone can do magic." She knelt down to bring herself to eye level. "Everyone can learn magic, everyone has magic, and yes, maybe everyone can learn to perform a written ritual with steps and ingredients. However, magic is a living force that touches each person differently. A desert dweller might feel the magic pulling them towards an oasis but that doesn't mean they could step into the forest and sing the trees into a frenzy."

He looked down at her knee and pressed a hand to his chin. The fingers curled around to drum against his cheek. "But if I can feel magic all the time, shouldn't I be able to use it?"

"Can you feel it right now?" Darcy cocked her head to the side. Most magic users, even untrained, had an aura about them. With some practice it would be easily visible to other mages, sorcerers, wizards, and the like. It wasn't something Darcy had ever been educated in. The Famris were one of the few places that believed magic to be something for the gods to teach through divine prophecies. She was lucky her mother had been the exception because she was an outsider.

The spell to see wasn't hard and her mother had always stressed it was more instinctual than most other magic. Aside from interacting with the core elements, this was the most basic. Magic wielders had been using it from the start to size each other up and detect threats. The only magic aura she'd ever encountered with any reliability was her mothers, and she'd been surrounded by that one day in and day out.

Looking into Kasi's wouldn't be the same as looking at her mother's. He was drawn in on himself so much and clearly distrustful of strangers. Darcy didn't have to know how to see his aura to know he would be closed off to her without force.

"I always feel it, like mist on my skin." Kasi rubbed his arms as if to emphasize the feeling.

"Alright, so you can feel the magic. Can you stop feeling it?" Darcy rose back to her feet and readjusted her pack.

"Sometimes, but I can't make it just stop," Kasi sputtered, looking at her as if she'd asked him to stop feeling his own hand.

"Alright, then work on that and when you can turn it off at will we'll work on the next step," she told him. "Weapons shop, now please." She stepped back to let him run ahead of her. Watching the boy slip through the crowd like a ghost, she had a good idea of where his magical talents would be. It was too early though and she wasn't a proper teacher.