“I believe it. The man’s reputation precedes him. I can scarcely believe the Butcher would take in two teens, though. Did he get bored, or what? And a prana scorned Ashborn, of all things.”
“Indeed. Curious, though not our place to question. I believe we’ve accomplished all we can here. Lingering would only put us in jeopardy. Her Highness will surely find this development entertaining.”
13PRANA SCORNED
The ride home after Riyan’s combat demonstration was wreathed in silence. Maiya likely brooded over magic, while Vir couldn’t keep his mind off of the Talents Riyan had shown him. Was this his path to power? Or would he find he lacked aptitude for Talents as well? He wasn’t overly optimistic, given his prior luck.
“We will begin by testing your potential,” Riyan said as he maneuvered the Ash’va into its hidden stable, tucked into a cave carved into the hill beside the abode. “In magic, as well as the physical arts. Ashborn are supposed to be superior in both. Today, we see whether the rumors are true.”
Superior? That didn’t describe him at all, and he was sure Riyan could tell, with that piercing stare of his. It was as if the man saw every dark secret he kept.
“What exactly are Ashborn?” Vir asked.
“Other than their strength, their sickly pale skin, and red eyes, no one truly knows,” Riyan replied, to his disappointment. He was hoping the man would know more.
Vir braced himself for what was to come.
“You can’t ask Vir to fight before he’s healed!” Maiya said.
“Indeed, with his sorry state, a test of physical ability would be ill advised. Instead, we shall test both of your magical aptitudes today. Combat can come later. Follow me.”
The two friends exchanged a glance. Vir knew how this would go. That he’d fail the magic test. What would Riyan do once he found out? Would he abandon Vir for being defective?
Vir followed the big man into the house with heavy steps, his mind spinning through scenarios. His burn wounds were still tightly bandaged. The pain had lessened significantly, but he was in no position to survive alone, let alone out on a desert. If Riyan decided he was worthless and kicked him out, Maiya would undoubtedly leave too. But Riyan could simply threaten her with Vir’s life to force her to stay.
This is bad. Extremely bad.
He swore under his breath. He should have taken more precautions. Maybe he could’ve stolen Riyan’s Ash’va with Maiya… What was he thinking, believing he could convince Riyan that he’d be useful even without magic? Now it was too late. There was nothing he could do. His steps turned heavy as their instructor led them to his magic testing apparatus.
His friend squeezed his arm. “Relax,” she whispered. “We talked about this, remember? Whatever it is, I’m sure he has a plan, even if you can’t do magic.”
Neel came running up to them the moment they entered the house, tail wagging excitedly.
Maiya looked happy as she bent down and ruffled the bandy’s fur. Happier than usual. Of course she was. Why wouldn’t she be giddy with excitement? Her father had an affinity, as did her grandfather. She had reasons to hope for an affinity, even if it was a bit late to manifest. Looking at her made Vir feel better. Maybe something good would come out of this.
Apramor had never once allowed his daughter to test her magic after she’d reached a certain age. The priest once told Vir that the kingdom scooped up all high affinity children, and no one ever saw them again. He feared that.
No doubt Apramor would be thrilled if Maiya never manifested an affinity. And with the priest’s family history of magic proficiency, he had good reason to be scared.
After what felt like an eternity to them both, they finally arrived at the door of a dusty storeroom.
“I can hardly remember the last time I used this. I only hope it still works,” Riyan muttered as he rummaged around the room.
After retrieving the orb, Riyan led them to the dining room, where he set the device on the table.
Like Apramor’s testing apparatus, this one also resembled a transparent crystal the size of Vir’s head.
The man insisted that Neel remain outside. With the looks the bandy was giving the orb, it was probably the right call. Vir couldn’t imagine what would happen if Neel pounced on the priceless thing and broke it. Vir led his four-legged friend into the bedroom and latched the door shut before hurrying back, cursing how heavily his heart pounded in his chest, even from this slight exertion.
Riyan dusted off the orb and grasped it with both hands. Within seconds, it emitted a moderately bright light, the color of the sun. It was very much not the same color that was inside Riyan.
“I possess a Greater Affinity for Life magic. Useless for combat, of course. Many consider Life to be less desirable than the other five, but I have lost count of the number of times this magic has saved my life. What use is combat power if you’re dead? Somehow, the Kin’jals do not understand this.”
Vir gazed at the device with intense concentration. He could see… motes. Colorful motes that flowed out of Riyan’s body, into the device. And the same-colored something was sucked out of the air into the device as well. The prana was white.
“C-can I go first?” Maiya asked.
Riyan gestured to the crystal. “As you wish.”
Maiya’s expression resembled Vir’s when he’d first tested years ago. Her eyes danced with all-consuming wonder. Her anticipation was palpable, and that made Vir feel bad for her. What if she didn’t manifest an affinity after all?
He was always amazed that Maiya had never disobeyed her father and sneaked in to test herself. She’d firmly refused his repeated invitations to go behind Apramor’s back, despite her curiosity. Vir wished he had that kind of self discipline.
Maiya touched the crystal. There was no pause or delay. The instant her fingers came into contact with the crystal, it glowed brightly. In fact, it glowed even more brilliantly than when Riyan had touched it.
Maiya shrieked and pumped her fist in joy. “Is that—does this mean I have an Apex Affinity?” she asked Riyan, who stroked his beard thoughtfully.
“A surprising result. Truthfully, I thought you would merely be the boy’s accessory, supporting him as he trains. But with your talent, it would be a shame to leave your skills undeveloped. You will learn the ways of magic.”
Vir had never seen a more beautiful smile on Maiya’s face. She looked downright saintly. It was almost enough to erase his jealousy. Almost.
“To answer your question, no. I do not believe you possess an Apex Affinity. I have seen those that do. The testing device glows so brightly that one can hardly stand to gaze at it. Yours… I wonder if you have two affinities. You certainly possess a Greater Affinity for one of the six, but it is likely that you also possess a second lesser affinity. Greater Affinities are rare, girl. You will definitely be a Mejai Sorcar, but with adequate training, you may very well become a Mejai of Ash someday.”
“A mejai what?” Maiya said.
Riyan did his best not to scowl. “It is a rank bestowed by the Order of the Mejai Sorcar. The rank of Mejai Sorcar carries the name of the Order itself and represents the second rank on their scale. They start at Pranik—at the beginning of magical proficiency—to Mejai Sorcar, Mejai of Ash, Mejai of Realms, and finally, Prime Mejai, but only the leader of the Order carries that rank. To be Mejai Sorcar is to be respected and feared. Incidentally, I am a mere Pranik myself… despite my affinity, I’ve only scratched the mysteries of prana. I’ve always focused more on my combat skills.”