The Road To Kalbakar, Wyrms of Pasandir #1

CHAPTER 3 - MAGE!

I lowered myself on the bed and fixed my eyes on Kellani's face.

Dash it, she is pretty, I thought, and my stomach jumped. Teodar gave a deprecating sniff, but he didn't say anything. Hastily I called my thoughts to order.

'Mountains, snow and hunger, that's how my life began,' I said. 'Especially hunger. Sleeping in caves, ruins, holes in the snow. Always running, never staying anywhere longer than a day or two.'

I could almost see the mountains again, the ragged peaks and icy dales, and in spite of the hot cabin, I shivered.

'There were seven of us. My parents, an uncle and his daughter; two women and me. We were fleeing from something or somebody. Whatever it was, my parents seemed to blame me for it. I still don't know why they took me along; it wasn't out of love.'

I studied the broomer's intent face. 'Parents do love their kids, don't they?'

'Usually, yes,' she said seriously.

I nodded, glad to have that confirmed. 'Mine didn't. As soon as I could walk, they told me to catch my own food. Beetles and worms; whatever I could find, I ate. Nobody spoke to me. They were all lost in their own misery, or whatever.'

Kellani made a strange noise in her throat, but her face remained impassive. I had her undivided attention. That warmed me. When you're breaking a life-long vow of silence, it's nice to know someone listens.

'When I was four years old, it all changed.' I closed my eyes to imagine my earlier self more clearly.

'I was a little beast; shorter than those fishbeasts and thin as a bone comb. The night before, we'd come to a broken tower near the edge of the mountains. It was a high place; cold and snowy. We huddled in what had been the central hall – a place of tumbled stones and broken furniture; nothing much else.

'Then I saw the rat. It was small and thin, scrounging for food just as I was. I wanted that rat, broomer. We'd been walking through the snow for two days, and I was so hungry.

'I watched it from the corner of my eye, hoping none of the others had seen the beast. I had to make sure they didn't, or they would've stolen it. I crept after the rat on all fours through the dark side-rooms until I managed to corner it.

'I had found this glass sliver. It was sharp as a dagger. Sharp enough to kill a rat. Yet Teodar objected; he wanted me to do it with fire.'

Here I waited a few heartbeats, but he didn't protest, so I went on. 'Teodar is a guy in my head who helped me discover my magic powers. He's a bit strange, but a great teacher.'

'True,' he whispered. 'Go on.'

'Shaddup,' I said aloud. 'Sorry, broomer; him, not you,' I said, seeing Kellani's eyebrows rise. 'Anyhow, he was showing me how to throw a ball of fire when I heard loud voices in the main hall. Strange voices, followed by screaming.

'"Wastrels," Teodar warned me. "Keep very still." I didn't need to be told; I've never been as scared as that moment. The fireball I had made escaped my clutch. It hit the wall and buried me under a load of rubbish. My fine sharp sliver pierced my hand as I fell. Then I imitated a dead rabbit.'

I let my eyes roll away in my head and my body go limp. My breathing turned shallow and with my mouth half open it must've been convincing enough, for after a minute or so Kellani poked me.

'Hey!'

I opened one eye. 'I don't know how long it took, but finally the screams died away and I heard people walking around. They were laughing mean laughs. I probably wetted myself then.'