Mekin’s eyes dropped to the floor between his feet and he stopped talking. RavenWing walked around the desk and sat behind it. “Continue,” he prompted. “It is important that we know what happened to him.”
“There is nothing more I can tell you about him,” sniffed Mekin. “They issued a bulletin for my arrest and I knew that I had to flee. I had traveled extensively with my father and I knew most of the roads and trails out of the city so I set about escaping Okata. I managed to elude the patrols looking for me and made it to the Sakova, but I had no idea of what to do once I entered. I fear I might have died out there if your people had not found me.”
“Are you saying that you had no inkling that your father was a Sakovan spy?” RavenWing inquired.
“None,” Mekin shook his head. “I still find it hard to believe, but here I am so I guess it is true.”
RavenWing breathed a slight sigh of relief that GoldenEar had been so closemouthed. “What skills do you have?” he queried. “Can you cast magic? Handle a sword?”
“I am a merchant’s son,” replied Mekin. “I know how to trade and measure and negotiate a good deal. I have never known magic and my skill with a sword is minimal. I would never have been able to resist the Imperial Guard if they had found me. Only my knowledge of their patrols allowed me to get this far.”
RavenWing nodded noting the relatively unused condition of the young man’s short sword. He did not feel comfortable with unexpected visitors to the Sakova, but he had an obligation to care for all Sakovans and Mekin was alone after the death of his father. The young man certainly did not appear to be a threat to their security as long as he remained in StarCity, and remain he would until RavenWing was convinced that he was genuine.
“Very well,” RavenWing stated. “We share your loss of GoldenEar. You are alone no longer. We will take care of you. First we must get you situated in quarters and then we must see that you learn some skills to defend yourself. Please wait in the corridor while I speak with MoonFlow.”
The young man smiled and nodded as he left the room. “These are indeed strange times,” RavenWing sighed after Mekin’s departure. “Put him near the other outlanders,” he ordered. “Perhaps the comfort of people who share his culture will aid the healing process. Have him start sword practice with the two Omungan boys. They will be closer to his skill level.”
“It shall be done,” MoonFlow replied. “Perhaps when StarWind returns she can review his case. She has a much better knack at seeing the truth behind words.”
“Yes,” frowned RavenWing. “I am not sure why, but I am still uncomfortable about this visit, although he does not appear to be able to fight his way out of a closet. His hands are weak and have never seen a hard day’s work. Learning to use a sword will raise blisters on those tender hands. Perhaps I am just too skeptical these days.”
“It never hurts to be safe,” smiled MoonFlow. “I will see that he gets settled in.”
MoonFlow left the office and took Mekin to his room. He deposited his meager belongings and she took him down to the practice yard and introduced him to Syman, Antello, and the rest of the students assembled there. Mekin smiled and waved as MoonFlow left the yard.
***
Lyra felt the energy flare along her arm as her fingers sparkled with lightning. She remembered to adjust the spell for her magic ring and watched in amazement as the fireball grew in her hand. When it had reached the energy level she wanted, she tossed the flaming orb towards the lake. The fireball screamed through the air, trailing sparks and wisps of smoke before plunging into the calm water.
“Excellent,” pronounced LifeTender. “You have such power for one so young. You should remove the ring and see what real power you have.”
“No,” smiled Lyra. “I must learn to cast with it on. My concentration still wavers slightly when I remember what the ring did to my first attempt at casting fireballs. I must rid myself of those thoughts and wearing the ring will help.”
“As you wish,” conceded LifeTender. “We should concentrate on healing spells now. They are my specialty and you do not seem to be having any problems with the fireball. Your father taught you well on the fundamentals of the gentler magics and I think it will not be long before you surpass me in the healing arts.”
“You are too generous with your praise,” laughed Lyra. “My father taught me the basics of control and concentration. Most of the spells he taught me have no practical use.”
“Not true,” protested LifeTender. “I think he taught the spells but left the student to discover the application for them. Do you remember telling me about the calming spell you used on your friends during the attack?”
“Sure,” Lyra replied. “I was disturbed to find that they passed out from it.”
“That is because he taught you to use it for calming a patient,” instructed LifeTender. “The same spell can immobilize a sentry or guard and you do not need to have skin contact for it to work. The reason that Syman and Antello passed out is because you used more energy than you should have for the effect you wanted. You were distracted by the attack and did not concentrate on the spell. If you remember how your father taught that spell, I am sure you will recall that he said to cast it soothingly. Perhaps he told you to transfer the calmness of yourself into the patient?”
“Something similar to that,” Lyra agreed. “He stressed the smoothness of the touch and the need for concentration on the gentle flow of energy.”
“Exactly,” shined LifeTender. “Imagine utilizing the same spell in a confrontational setting.
LifeTender tossed her brown hair to one side and pointed to a clova not far off. “See that clova?” she asked. “Imagine that it is possessed with an evil spirit and that it intends to charge us and eat us.”
“A clova is going to eat us?” laughed Lyra. “Not unless we turn into grass.”
“Okay,” chuckled the small Sakovan healer. “Pretend that it is a rabid wolf then. I want you to calm the animal, but do not approach it. Visualize that your touch can reach it from where you stand and instead of trying to calm it, try to paralyze it.”
Lyra shook her head but followed the healer’s instructions. She easily visualized the extension of her arm and smiled when she could almost feel herself touching the clova. She cast the spell and nothing happened. Frowning she tried again and the clova bleated.
“Are you touching it?” asked LifeTender.
“Yes, yes,” answered Lyra. “I can almost feel it. Amazing. The spell, however, appears to have no effect on the animal.”
“You are casting the spell at a distance,” LifeTender stated. “You must supply more energy into the spell for it to work at such a distance. Try harder.”
Lyra nodded as she forced more energy into the spell. She could almost feel the wool rise to meet her hand as she cast the spell again. The clova bleated and rolled its head slightly.
“Harder,” prompted LifeTender. “You are being too gently with it.”
Lyra frowned as she concentrated on increasing the flow towards the animal. “I can’t get anymore into it,” she complained. “I guess I do not have the power.”
“Its teeth are sharp and pointed,” suggested LifeTender. “It is drooling foam.”
Lyra continued to struggle with the spell, her brow knitted in concentration and her teeth gritted.
“It’s attacking!” screamed LifeTender. “It is going to kill us.”
Lyra’s eyes opened wide as the energy flow shot through her arm. The clova bleated once and fell over and lay still in the grass.”
“Congratulations,” chuckled LifeTender.
Lyra shook her head in wonderment. “How?” she mumbled. “What happened?”
“You were clinging to your father’s teachings,” LifeTender declared. “You still believed that the spell could only calm. That knowledge was acting as a block to your energy. I waited until you were deep in concentration on increasing the energy flow and then tricked you. As long as you saw only a clova, you could not think of harming it, but when your distracted mind registered a threat, the block broke and your power flowed forth.”