The Currents of Magic

Chapter Thirteen

When Meyer woke up, the late afternoon sun was dancing through the window. He pushed himself up, his memories from the morning washing over him. First Master Healer Vayse had visited him, then Lord Moon, and then the Master Healer again. Upon his second visit, Vayse had examined Meyer concerning his momentary spell of pain, but the Master Healer found nothing unusual, and dismissed the incident as a benign aftershock of the trance. "Whenever there is magic involved, there is unpredictability," he had said. "But there is no reason for concern. Rest now. You surely need it." And indeed the Master Healer had been correct. Vayse had hardly closed the door before Meyer was fast asleep.

And yet now Meyer was awake, and with a clear mind. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back, trying to sort out the implications of his new situation. He had always been so preoccupied with the present while traveling with Gibb and Sarn that he had never bothered to consider Galdin Moon and his future. Yet now the future had arrived. Everything seemed to have turned out well, but Meyer felt uneasy. It was as if every piece of new information was a surprise that required adjusting to, and the overall effect was crippling. He felt his heart searching for relief and he tried to steer his thoughts away from home—

The door creaked open.

Taking a deep breath, Meyer composed himself, forcing his feelings away. He couldn't let Moon or Vayse, or whatever new authority figure that entered the room see weakness in him. Meyer was very much surprised then, when he opened his eyes and saw a boy, probably no older than twelve, standing halfway between the bed and the door. He was short and skinny, with almond shaped eyes.

"Hi," he said. "I'm Damian."

Meyer managed a half smile.

"What's your name?"

"Meyer."

Damian nodded. "Nice, to meet you, Meyer." He walked over to the chair next to Meyer's bed and pulled it back a few feet back before sliding into it. His legs were so short that his feet swung freely above the floor.

"Where are you from?"

"Vanroc," said Meyer.

"Never heard of it," said Damian.

"It's in the Outlands."

"Oh, so Blood Hunters brought you here. How were they?"

"Alright."

There was a silence and Meyer stared at the boy. He looked so young, but he carried himself with poise.

"You're not very talkative," said Damian.

"Sorry," said Meyer, "I woke up a few hours ago after being asleep for a month."

"You slept for a month straight!"

"I think it was a trance..."

"Oh," said Damian, looking like there was much more he wanted to say.

Meyer hesitated. A large part of him wanted to curl up and forget about everything, least of all worry about meeting new people, but he resisted the impulse to ask Damian to leave. He couldn't send away the only appearingly unintentioned person he had met in two months, even if that person looked hardly older than a child.

"And sorry, but who are you?" said Meyer.

"A tempest in the Illith Curriculum of Sorcery for Magical Prodigy."

"What?"

"Someone with magical talent brought here to develop their ability." Damian raised his eyebrows as if expecting Meyer to nod knowingly, but he only stared.