Mortal Magic: Broken (Book 1)

26. Workings Of Magic

"So I've been wondering. I know that every master arte is unique to its magus, but how exactly does yours work"? We have been in the ship for hours and it was night by the time Yuto started inquiring me about the nature of my latest magic feat. He said the he refrained from asking in respect of my father's passing but he was more curious than he thought before. I wasn't against enlightening him about it and his interest was more than genuine and influencing.

"You said yourself once that the master arte is the manifestation of the true nature of the magus. In my case it's barely more than a field that alters the world. Inside that different realm the limitations of my body disappear and the blood moon reigns supreme no matter the time of the day or the cycle of the moon. So while the realm exists on top of the real world I produce mana without end but I can do so without getting sick. In that realm I can be invincible". From the one time I used that realm that was all I got from its power. It felt like another world to most I was sure, but to me it felt like the true world that I lived in. It was a world filled with darkness and pain that sit heavily like stones upon my shoulders.

He was listening carefully to my words as I was talking, never once interrupting me. Maia was sitting close doing the same thing too. "But most of that world is most likely the true state of my mind forcing itself to the real world". No one said anything to my last comment but after a while of thought Yuto spoke up again. "Fascinating. I never heard of magic powerful enough to change the reality of the world and yet here is the magus that can make it happen right in front of me". He was talking to himself not minding that I was right next to him while he was talking about me like I was something grand. In truth I didn't like the things he was saying like my skill was something extraordinary. I did tell him about the way my magic worked but it was time he did the same too. I had guessed that he was much more powerful than he let on.

"Don't you think it's time you told us about your master arte too? You are a master magus too after all if I'm not mistaken". He froze as he was speaking and looked at me at first surprised and then at Maia who was waiting expectantly just like me. It was evident that it caught him by surprise that both of us had caught wind of what he was hiding. I mean it wasn't that hard to figure it out. From the moment I fought him in Redgard I knew that he was powerful but even now I didn't know how much, and I wanted to know if only for that. He hang his head defeated knowing that there was no hiding the truth once you have been confronted by it and he sat down at his chair again. "Since when did you know"?

"I knew from the start that you were stronger than you let people think. I realized you are a master after we reached Starkhaven". He nodded slightly and took a deep breath closing his eyes. This was either a big deal for him or it was something too sensitive to talk about. I surmised it was most likely the latter. He opened them again and looked to the wooden floor when he started speaking. "You already know the nature of my powers. I don't simply control heat and fire on everything around me; I generate it out of thin air. Just like you produce mana I can procure flames from nothing. When my powers first manifested I was thrilled, but like all kids I was playing with fire and everyone knows what happens to those who play with fire".

He made a somewhat long pause probably to gather his thoughts or to calm himself from the memories and continued. "I was a fool back then and I caused a fire that destroyed most of my hometown and they exiled me for that. A few days later as I was passing through another town I came across a young man that was being ambushed by bandits and I helped him. That man was your father, before he was crowned king". The moment those words came out of his mouth I was sure that they were closer than most friends. I didn't know how to describe it or how I knew it, but I was certain that they were very close.

"Of course I had no idea who he was back then; I only learnt that when the magi guard came looking for him and tried to arrest me for kidnaping. As if I could kidnap him even at that age. He could always make quick work of my flames". He chuckled at the memory and his eyes never left the floor as if he saw the memories themselves playing out there. "He pleaded that I was the one who saved him from the bandits and that I was under his protection from now on, and they took me with them to the palace. There I met his father that wanted to thank me and asked me what I wanted, but of course I wanted nothing in return. From my getup he figured out that I was most likely homeless and he took me in as a guest to the palace. They gave me a home and when they saw me lose control over my flames because I hadn't used them in days they trained me".