The Mindscape
Silver sat beside Anaiah as he slept through the afternoon into evening. He congratulated himself on the purple tunic he now wore as it resembled his ancient house. Reconstructed from memory after all these years, I didn’t do half bad. Silver’s orange eyes observed his captive with curious interest; Anaiah’s magic and presence unlike all other mages that’d entered Silver’s realm. It confounded him at first, the idea he’d face a new breed of battle mage. All natural magic had a flow to it, a circulatory system with order even in the chaos of its use. All outgoing magic flowed back into its master even if collected from enchanted objects. Silver made a hmph sound as he recalled assessing the acquisition of magical artifacts as “a magical pissing contest.” In a time both long ago and recent for him, Silver never forgot how mages scrambled to attain even the barest objects of power to add to their magic flow. Unlike most others, Silver possessed the unique ability to see the magic itself as it surrounded its bearer. The older and more wizened mages became, more rings would form in their magical circulatory systems. Systems so personal they were a fingerprint; each one unique unto itself even if it shared similarities with others.
In most cases mages possessed a limited magic pool to draw from. Even if they used artifacts to supplant a lack of skill, the limited space in their personal magic field didn’t allow the addition of too much power. Otherwise we’d have mages bending hurricanes from the oceans or exploding altogether. He chuckled. In his time he’d been unique and feared above all others. He didn’t lie to himself; he thrived on every second. He reveled in the terror of his enemies and allies alike. Unlike the mages that’d come before him, his magic field could grow and become larger. The limits befalling all others were not a barrier to Silver. He’d acquired such power in his life he’d even stilled the march of time. And yet, look at where you are. He thought with a bitter taste in his mouth.
This young mage defied that order, Anaiah’s own magic more a root system with ever growing ends; it branched out away from its wielder in all directions with no circulatory flow back to its source. Instead these branches drew on the forces around its host and channeled it back to him rather than drawing from him. Involuntarily it seems. He’d rooted through the lads head, a life time of uncontrolled instances punctuated by destruction at every turn. It’s amazing you haven’t burned down a country side with this lack of control. Silver thought, still enamored of the branching yellow light weaving and curling its way out from Anaiah’s magic field. Even as he slept the usual dips in the field did not occur, in some fashion his magic remained conscious. Silver couldn’t hold back the smile that peeled over his grey face. He smoothed his hand over Anaiah’s thick braids and his heart leapt. I inhabit you now; this ability to leech from the world around you can be put to such use! With my focus in place I could damn near be untouchable. You’re all mine, Anaiah.
Decades passed since a battle mage dared enter his realm; Silver assumed his bracer buried with some dithering idiot noble, a death trinket on a bloated wrist. Yet here I am. First mage in years and they give me such fertile ground to work with. Either I’ve been very good or someone out there is unaware of me. He shrugged a tinge of pleasure in his chest at the thought. It helps that he’s a handsome young man, quill pusher or not. Silver thought as he continued to appraise the lad. I can fix his lack of muscle tone in no time. Silver assessed like one would a steed, noting Anaiah’s slender mien and the light dusting of freckles over the bridge of his nose. I suppose those could stay. Silver joked. He’d spent so much time in his own mind alone and with nothing but his memories and boundless space to fill with shadows. Now he had a chance to escape and he wasn’t going to let it slip through his fingers. We’d have to join in the primordial rite anyway; it’s not as though he bested me and can set the terms.
Silver, giddy at his best prospect in generations, tried to still his ever quickening heart. Anaiah stirred sensing Silver’s covetous gaze. He blinked his eyes open, locking them with his newfound devil. Anaiah went rigid, a cat spooked at its own shadow.
“Welcome back to the land of the living, or rather, an approximation of it.” Silver said through his sharp toothed grin. Anaiah scooted away but the weakness in his body hampered him. A stabbing hunger pang rumbled through him and faintness descended on his head. “Your real body is wasting under the duress of this little encounter. There isn’t much strength in you at the moment.” Silver said in a pleasant tone.
“P-please let me out. I have no quarrel with you, I-I’m not even supposed to be here and I don’t understand what’s happening.”
“It seems to me you’ve come in without first being harrowed. You are aware of what that is, yes?” Anaiah nodded.
“B-but I’m not a battle mage. I’ve never wanted to attempt a harrowing!” he protested, eyes tearing. Silver moved closer to Anaiah who tumbled off the bed to the stone floor to create distance between them.
“Don’t be that way, I did apologize.” Silver mocked. “You must understand I am in here for one purpose, to take on any battle mage sent me and determine their worthiness of my power. I’ve learnt over the years to take the upper hand the instant a new face arrives.” He said.
“I’m terrified but I’m not stupid. Let me out of here and I’ll never trouble you again.” Silver shook his head and slid off the bed to join Anaiah on the ground. Anaiah in his weakened state tried to haul himself up and scurry away but his efforts proved fruitless. “Why am I so-”
“Weak?” Silver finished. Anaiah cast his eyes down and focused on his left hand, the black shadow from before approximated his limb. Anaiah clenched and unclenched his fist, able to feel sensation in his hand as if it were still his own.
“It’s this, isn’t it? My real body has been affected by this harrowing. It’s more than being hungry or needing water.” Silver nodded. Anaiah clenched his jaw, the muscles in his face tensed.
“We can fix this to some extent.” Silver said.
“And how would we do that?” Anaiah’s eyes welled up with tears. “It’s all over for me, I know it.” His voice broke “I was a dead man the moment I entered this space.” Silver’s face lit up and he slid his way over to Anaiah with the grace of a black mamba.
“You are, but there is a bit of a consolation.” Anaiah scoffed.
“What, I can die proud I am to be killed by a trinket demon?” he snarled at Silver who met him with his same sharp toothed grin and a voracious look in his eye, not unlike the blue fire.
“Consider the rules of engagement for this space; if you win you set the terms and die after a fashion, if you lose I set the terms and you die after a fashion or I kill you, if you lose you die or-” Silver’s grin widened and his freckled orange eyes sparkled. “-Or, poor Anaiah, you let me go. You’re going to die no matter the outcome here, so I ask the empathetic part of you, to set me free and I’ll help you survive your harrowing.” Anaiah’s eyes narrowed.
“Not to sound callous but, I had the impression you’re here for a reason.” Quicker than lightning Silver seized Anaiah by his arms and hauled him up from the floor. Anaiah’s leaden body recoiled at his touch, Silver’s vicelike grip over his biceps.
“I’m here because I wasn’t some sad sack magic fodder!” Anaiah crossed his forearms in front of his face and clasped his eyes shut. Silver’s slitted nostrils flared and the gnarls in his face relaxed. He released Anaiah who wobbled on his feet. “Forgive me, that wasn’t called for.” Silver sighed. Anaiah uncoiled from his defensive state.
“Someone you trusted put you here.” Anaiah said without a second thought. Silver’s mouth twitched.
“You’ve retained more from your snooping than I thought.” Anaiah shook his head.
“It’s just a feeling.” Silver nodded.
“An accurate one which brings me to a point, it’s not one you’re going to like but, it is inevitable.”
“I’m going to die.” Anaiah droned. Silver took him by the arms, this time with more delicacy.
“Yes. However the difference is whether you die here, now, or have a chance to be in your world a little bit longer.” The tears welled in Anaiah’s eyes and dotted down his face.
“How long will I have?” Silver shook his head.
“Days, months, years, I have no idea but your life will be short. If I am to be honest with you, you’ll not make twenty-five.” his knees buckled. Silver caught Anaiah and held him to his feet.
“I don’t understand why.” Anaiah squeaked under his breath.
“It’s the compact of my bracer. All battle mages understand they are bound to me for the rest of their lives. They are fuel to my soul and I burn through them. Since they’re off to war anyway most are happy to make the exchange for power. If they survive war they live on or they don’t. No mage can survive me, however. The host I had the longest held me for ten years before I finally exhausted him.”
“And I wasn’t trained for this, not harrowed. It makes all the difference, doesn’t it?” Anaiah said fighting the knot in his throat. Silver pulled Anaiah close and wrapped his arms around him. Anaiah’s body chilled at his heavy embrace.
“It does.” He said. “However, the only way for us to continue is for you to die in your harrowing, or acquiesce to the binding ritual.”
“I-it’s a-”
“Carnal ritual, yes.” Anaiah recoiled and pulled himself away from Silver.
“Oh gods no…there must be another way!” Anaiah cried. Silver caressed the side of Anaiah’s face, his own gentle and sympathetic.
“I wish there were, truly I do. The mages who battle with me all know at some point if they succeed, we have to couple to complete the bond.” Silver cracked a somber smile. “Think of this entire affair as one great argument as to who gets on top.” Anaiah sniffed, unable to find humor.
“I don’t want this…” Anaiah squeaked, burying his head in his hands. Silver sighed and settled Anaiah on the edge of the bed.
“I know. To be honest, I’m not thrilled about performing the ritual in the context we find ourselves. I will give you the out, if you decide not to go through with it you will die under the duress of what’s to come. There’s nothing I can do about that but, it may be preferable to an unwanted liaison.” Anaiah sobbed.
“These are my only options? Isn’t there some other magic to be done?” he broke, giving to subsequent sobs. Silver took Anaiah by his face, minding his claws. He smoothed away a tear with his thumb.
Comments (14)
See all