The Currents of Magic

Chapter Twelve

Light shone through Meyer's eyelids, and he saw blotchy orange colors. He was still asleep, but consciousness advanced rapidly. Already his dream had flitted away. It had been a pleasant dream, but that was all he could remember. Realizing he was awake, Meyer opened his eyes.

Bright sunlight streamed through the window to his right, and before him was a dark blue tapestry, the outline of a two headed lion woven into its gilded fabric. Next to him was a wooden nightstand, and looking down, Meyer saw he was on a high bed, covered with a large white blanket. He knew something was strange, but besides the unfamiliar room, he couldn't identify what was amiss.

He tried remembering where he had fallen asleep, but couldn't. His last memory was sitting next to Ian and Dobson, listening to Lorant read the names of Martial Recruits who had advanced, but the memory felt stale, as though it had happened long ago. The most vivid part of the memory was Dobson fidgeting nervously next to him, but Meyer couldn't even remember if Dobson had advanced. When he focused, he would catch wisps of foggy memories—more recent memories he was sure—but no sooner had those memories started to form in his mind, than his thoughts clouded over again.

Still, he felt at ease, and soon his thoughts drifted entirely, and he paid no attention to his unexplained circumstance. Sometimes he stared out the window, looking at a tall oak tree with thick branches; other times he listened to the chirping birds. Mostly he sat in bed thinking about nothing, unaware of the passing time.

At length, Meyer heard a door open to his left. He turned his head to see a man enter the room carrying a large glass jar filled with a gold substance that might have been honey did it not slosh back and forth within its container. On top of the jar was a small wooden spoon. The man approached the bed, and then stopped suddenly, a few feet away.

"Young sir," said the man in a hesitant tone.

Meyer continued staring, unsure who the man was addressing.

"Young sir," repeated the man. "You are awake, aren't you?"

"Yes," said Meyer.

"I will fetch the Master Healer," said the man. He bowed his head slightly, and left the room.

Meyer tried to make sense of the encounter, but he felt as though his mind was moving slowly. He stared door for a short while, but no one entered, he drifted back into a mindless state. He had already forgotten about his first visitor when a bald man entered. He was wearing a loose fitting shirt pulled together at the collar by brown laces, and was carrying a small vial of liquid, clear but for a refractive sparkle.

"Good morning," said the man. "I'm glad to see you awake."

Meyer said nothing, instead watching as the man picked up a chair from the corner of the room and brought it next to the bed. He sat down, placing the vial on the nightstand.

"You must feel quite groggy, do you not?"

"Groggy?" said Meyer.

"Yes," said the man. "Dazed? Confused?"

"I feel... I suppose I feel strange."

"You are experiencing the after effects of a trance. They will wear off on their own, but I intend to expedite the process."

Meyer's ability to process continued to lag, but he nodded all the same.

The bald man closed his eyes, and Meyer heard him mumbling under his breath. Occasionally Meyer sensed something like a dull poke, but the feeling always passed quickly.

After a few minutes, the man opened his eyes. He picked up the vial of sparkling liquid, and removed its seal. "Best sit up to drink this," he said.