A Good Man Awakens

Chapter 33: Untapped Power

"Well, lad, you're sure handy with a sword. I'll give you that. Better than most," Trendil said, appraising me with sharp eyes. "As you grow, I dare say you could become the best sword wielder there is. That is, if that's what you want to do with your life. I know people—good people—that you could train with. I'm sure they'd welcome you, as long as certain... abilities remain secret."

He kept his gaze locked on me, searching for signs of what I wanted. But I wasn't sure myself. Did I really want to live the same life over again? The life of a soldier, a sword for hire? No. There was something different about me now. I could feel it in everything I did. Villias had said I was needed—by him, by something greater than me—and if that was still true, then there was more to this than just wielding steel.

Trendil noticed the shift in my expression and nodded slightly, as though sensing my thoughts. "No, I suppose you don't," he said. "I had planned on spending the next few months training you up while you researched the known Elithrias. You know, break the boredom of study up with a bit of swordplay. But now... well, I think you might be the one teaching me." He chuckled lightly. "Still, we can train if you like—keep those skills sharp—but as for anything else I can teach?"

He trailed off, gesturing with a wave toward the library. "The library we passed earlier has six volumes laid out on the desk for you: Bloodburning, Waterworking, Windstering, Bonebreaking, Elithria Damage, and The Laws of the Ministry Arcana. Read them all, front to back, and then read them again. They contain a lot of knowledge. See if any of it resonates with you, lad. The Laws of the Ministry Arcana will give you a sense of what not to do when you're out in the world."

I nodded but couldn't help my curiosity. "The Ministry Arcana... they're the reason I was in the situation you found me in. What is it with those guys? Why hunt down people like us? Mu's, as they call us?"

"Mu's," he spat, his face darkening. "We don't use that word. It's a name coined by the first Lord Arcana, a label to belittle those with abilities. They say it's to protect the world, to protect reality itself. They claim magic nearly destroyed the world during the Celestial Wars, back when gods walked among men. I'll agree, magic had its part in those times, as did many of us. But it was also what ended the wars and saved the world."

He paused, his voice lowering, as if somehow he was responsible, like it  dragged his very soul down. "No, what the Arcana do—what the Ministry doesn't want you to know—is that they use us. They abuse people like us in ways no man or woman should endure. I've seen children, barely five years old, taken by them. Carted off like livestock. The Ministry traps them, enslaves them, forces them to use their power to fortify the Ministry's grip on this world."

I could see the pain and anger etched deep into Trendil's face. He had lost people too—people he cared about, people he loved. That much was clear. His voice had carried the weight of grief and bitterness, emotions I understood all too well. I'd thought I was alone in my suffering, but looking at him now, I knew that wasn't true. Not by a long shot.

"I see," I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. "I thought we were just hunted and killed, like animals. That's what they did to everyone at the farm. The tax collectors... working for the Arcana. They burned the whole place to cinders just because they suspected magic was used. Suspected. They didn't even know for sure."

Trendil shook his head slowly, his eyes dimmed with sorrow. "We've all lost, lad," he said softly. "And I'm sure a lot more will be lost before any real change is made in this world."

His words hung in the air, heavy and grim. I had nothing to say to that. What could I say? He was right. And the truth of it settled in my bones like the cold had up on that mountain.