Fate’s Pawn

She’s like my father was, Dom. She’s got his power. He had to go meditate in the middle of nowhere for five years to learn how to use it. She doesn’t have that option, and we don’t have that much time.

Excerpt of a letter from Basil Tydan to Dominic Parish

Keira sat on the floor across from Miyo, a single candle between them. The candle flame was steady and straight in the stagnant air of Miyo’s attic. The night sky outside was slowly but steadily changing from black to deepest blue, but Keira did not see that. Her focus, her whole world, was the candle flame.

The sweat dripping from her forehead did not cause her concentration to waver. She did not allow herself to shiver against the cold, but accepted it into herself. There was nothing beyond the room. The candle flame stood at attention, waiting for her to give it an order. That narrow focus was the easy part.

Her task was to snuff the candle out by pulling the magic out of the flame. It was a beginner’s exercise, one usually given to children. It should be simple. It should be easy. But nothing was ever easy for her.

She’d long since stopped counting the number of times she had failed. Miyo’s persistent calm patience was both infuriating and a great comfort to Keira. They’d been at this for months. Not always the same exercise but always the same idea.

Control.

Snuffing out the candle wasn’t the difficult part. The difficult part was in drawing magic from only the candle flame.

The flame was all that existed to her normal senses. But to her inner magical senses, the world outside was a growing roar. As the sun began to rise and give its light to the world, the energy it brought pounded at her concentration as if she’d been outside at noon at the height of summer. People and animals all over the town were waking up like stars blazing to life all around her. This would have to be her last attempt.

First, she had to find the candle’s flame despite all the blinding lights springing up all around her. Luckily to Keira’s mind, Miyo shone with a light unlike anyone else’s, giving her an anchor to the room amidst the myriad distractions.

Miyo was an elf and to most in the town she seemed like an ordinary, if exceptionally beautiful, housewife. For the moment, even her natural beauty was dulled by the early hour, her long, dark hair tied in a messy pile behind her head, slight bags beneath her eyes showing that she hadn’t gotten enough sleep. But beneath that tired exterior was a piercing, calm evaluation that Keira felt even through her concentration. Age and years of magic use made her aura something to behold. Once she found it, Keira was able to hone in on the room through the din.

The candle wax had started to run a while ago and now was covered in bubbly warts. Exhaustion dragged its claws into Keira. It wasn’t just the physical sensations of her heavy eyes and aching, tense muscles, but draining mental weariness. She’d met Miyo in this room dozens of times and met failure each day with the rising sun. She could feel today’s failure drawing down upon her.

Still, here she sat, back unbent, focus unbroken, for one simple reason. She would not walk away from a challenge. She simply would not allow it. To give up on something worthwhile because it was difficult, even immensely so, would be to degrade herself. She wouldn’t, couldn’t, do that.

So for the thousandth time she began to reach for the flame with her mind. She found the subtle bloom of heat in the cacophonous storm of the waking world and gently pulled. A trickle, so small she could barely feel it, came to her.

Keira had heard of monks who did things like write religious texts on individual grains of rice and felt a sense of kinship with them. Trying to take the flame seemed to require just as much care and precision from her. She felt like a giant trying to pick up a robin’s egg without breaking it. She felt like an elephant trying to step on a single ant among a swarming colony. She felt like she was trying to suck up a single raindrop with a straw made to drink the ocean.

And then the candle went out.

A smile spread across her face, the triumph refreshing as a breeze on a hot day. Relief washed over her and for a moment she held her prize in her mind’s eye. It was like a burning snowflake, a single ember kicked up by new wood on a campfire. A star plucked from the night sky and held to her chest. It was small and brief and beautiful. It sparked suddenly, flaring in her mind’s eye, far more energy than she’d thought the tiny flame would hold.

As Keira let out the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding, the wick disintegrated in a plume of dusty smoke. The candle wax turned soft and fell to the ground with wet, slopping sounds. Keira’s smile melted with it, completely fading when the metal candle holder turned to flakey rust that fell like autumn leaves. Keira let out a short sigh of irritation and looked to Miyo.

Disappointment from her teacher would have been easier to bear than patience, but Miyo was too good a teacher to be an easy one. The elf’s smile was as serene and confident as always. She leaned forward, holding Keira’s eyes with her own. She said nothing. She waited, letting Keira come to terms with the failure before speaking.

“You have come farther today than on any before. Well done.” Miyo’s soft voice took the heat from Keira’s growing anger at herself but not the sting. Keira clenched her jaw against the frustration and looked away, but nodded.

“You know what you’re doing is never going to be easy for you. I cannot teach a student who does not need to learn, and you, above all, must learn patience. Give yourself time. Focus on your next step and stop fantasizing about the last.”

Keira took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and nodded again more honestly this time. She tried to take Miyo’s words to heart, but the irritation remained. It wasn’t complete inability with magic that held her back. That wouldn’t have been so frustrating. No, magic had come almost instinctively to her.

Most people weren’t able to do anything magical, much less intentional spells, until they were in their teens. Keira could not remember a time when she hadn’t been able to do magic. At first, everything had been simple. The magic flowed through her with ease and obeyed her commands. Her father had been helping, and every day her reach grew. She still treasured those memories.

But then he left. And everything went wrong. That was when the mark on her arm began to show up.

She hadn’t just lost her father. It felt like her talent had been taken from her as well. Her reach grew exponentially, faster than her control could. She couldn’t take just a little bit of magic. She’d try take a little magic from the things in her immediate vicinity, and instead she’d pull from a thousand sources for a mile all around. She’d try to take some from one thing and she’d rip it all out and turn it to dust. And whenever she took in too much the mark would appear, wrapping around her right forearm like manacles.

Keira didn’t know where the mark came from or what it was, though she suspected her brother, Basil, did. All she knew was that if she drew in too much magic, three black rings would appear on her arm and the magic she had would become all but impossible to direct. Moments after the mark began to show on her arm, any magic she had gathered would explode out of her like when she’d killed the goblins. She didn’t regret that, but it had been an accident.

Ever since the mark had started to show up she’d felt at once powerless and horribly strong. She would try to move a book and fling it through a wall, or try to light a candle and cause an explosion. She once tried to take a little energy from a field of flowers, and the next day they had all withered and died. She kept trying to practice, but every time she did, her mistakes were bigger. She’d been living with her brother Basil when it started, but her accidents had forced him to find her a tutor. That required a more stable home than he could give her. So he’d made arrangements for her to live with Dominic and study under Miyo’s tutelage.

At first she’d been angry with Basil for abandoning her the same way their father had, but as her problem continued to grow worse, she stopped seeing him that way. She understood that she was broken. Both Dominic and Miyo were determined to help her overcome her difficulties, and their relentless belief in her had eroded her animosity toward them. She still longed for the day when she would be allowed to live with her brother again. His work was important, and she wanted to help and be a part of it while she could.

“I guess we’re done then?” she said, trying not to sound petulant.

“I think we’ve come far enough for one day. And the kids will be waking up soon,” Miyo said, getting to her feet and stretching.

Miyo led the way to the door and together they walked downstairs. Keira didn’t realize how tired she was until she was stepping down and had to grab the banister and pause while a wave of dizziness passed through her. She would have hated to fall and wake Miyo’s children.

She hardly needed to bother being quiet though. As they neared the kitchen, they heard giggling that quickly turned to a high-pitched scream of laughter. Miyo’s husband Juro was probably a little over eight feet tall and that alone would have been enough to make him an imposing figure. When you added in that he had enough muscle for a carthorse, had large white tusks, and the generally fearsome reputation of orcs, it was enough to push Juro past imposing and into downright terrifying.

That is, when he wasn’t playing peekaboo with a joyfully squealing three-year-old human. Keira prided herself on not being the sort of girl to squeal because of something cute, but even she had to admit that what she saw in the kitchen was adorable. Juro didn’t notice the two of them come in until little Holly started reaching for Miyo to pick her up out of her high chair. As soon as he saw them, he looked surprised and a bit embarrassed.

“Oh. Good morning. Holly and I weren’t being too loud, were we?”

“Not at all. Keira and I were just finishing up.”

“Ah, I see. How’d things go?” he asked, daintily picking up a cup of coffee that looked far too small in his huge hands.

“Very well,” Miyo said.

“Alright,” Keira said at the same time.

Juro’s gaze went from one to the other. He snorted and gave a noncommittal nod. He drained the rest of his coffee and got to his feet without saying anymore on the subject. “Well, it’s time for me to get to work,” he said moving to Miyo and Holly.

“No! No work!” Holly said petulantly. Juro smiled and leaned down to plant a careful kiss on the little girl’s forehead. He put an arm around Miyo and gave her a quick squeeze before heading toward the door.

“I’ll bring you lunch around noon,” Miyo said before turning to Keira. “Do you want to stay for breakfast?”

“Can’t. Making breakfast for people at school is one of my chores today. Say hi to the other two minions for me,” Keira said, referring to Juro and Miyo’s other two kids.

“Of course. Have a good day, both of you.” Keira and Juro both nodded and left the kitchen.

“I’ll walk you to Dominic’s. I’m going that direction anyway.”

Outside it was still a little dim, the sun only just peeking up over the horizon. Even at this hour, there were still a decent number of people moving about. A hub town like Peritura was never fully asleep.

Keira couldn’t help noticing how many people stared at Juro. Granted, it was unusual to see an orc this far south, but even so, it struck her as rude.

“Is it hard being so big?” Keira asked and mentally kicked herself. That was probably just as rude if not more so than everyone staring at him. If Juro was offended he didn’t show it.

“Yes and no. It has its advantages and disadvantages. Some people are afraid of me for being what I am. Others assume I’m a brutish idiot. But even those things can be advantages. Most disadvantages can be made to work for you if you know how to handle them, just as your strengths can be turned against you if you aren’t careful.”

“How do you learn to do that?”

“Experience. You make mistakes and learn from them. You get older, you get wiser. There are no shortcuts to it.”

“Miyo told me something similar.”

“Where do you think I learned it?” Juro said with a smile. When Keira didn’t return it, he continued more soberly. “You don’t have to like it. Just accept it.”

They left it at that. It wasn’t long before they neared the mansion. Roland stood at the front gate. Keira felt her spine stiffen as she was suddenly very aware of her still sweaty hair and messy clothes. Roland didn’t seem to take much notice of her though, and she wasn’t sure if she was happy or disappointed. He gave Keira a nod. She smiled at him and felt awkward doing it. His face remained stonily impassive as he looked from her to Juro and back questioningly. Keira froze for a moment. She hadn’t ever run into anyone getting back from her morning practice with Miyo. Everyone else was usually still asleep.

“Saw her on the way back from her morning jog,” Juro prompted helpfully.

“Yeah,” she added.

Maybe it was that he was sleepy or maybe it was that he didn’t care all that much, but Roland accepted this with a bland nod.

“Let’s get moving,” Juro said, earning another nod from Roland.

It was Keira’s turn to let her face ask her question.

“Roland’s going to be working with me for the next few weeks. We’re gonna teach him how to put that strength to good use, right kid?”

“Sir,” Roland said, his tone somewhere between noncommittal and agreement. He gave Keira a wave. He and Juro turned toward the docks. Keira resisted the urge to watch him go. First order of business was a shower, then she could get to making breakfast.

She got to her room about fifteen minutes later wrapped in her towel and threw her sweaty clothes into her hamper. There was a clear delineation between her side of the room and her roommate Liza’s. Keira habitually kept her living space organized and tidy. If her space was clear, she found it easier to keep her mind clear and focused as well. Liza had no such limitation. Her side of the room was a mess. A horde of discarded clothes, half-empty glasses of water, school books, and other detritus made up an army always threatening to invade Keira’s peaceful, clean, and clear kingdom of order.

Keira went to her dresser and pulled on some comfortable clothes before sitting down on the edge of her bed for a moment to gather her energy. Across the room Liza snorted softly and rolled over, further entangling herself in the web of wadded blankets. She looked so snug and happy.

The sun still hadn’t come far up, the light it provided more orange gold dawn light than the clear light of actual day. Keira looked at her pillow and soon found herself responding to its seductive call. I can nap for a few minutes before I start breakfast, she told herself.

Keira’s eyes snapped open and she felt panic even before she realized why. Liza was gone and in the half a moment she’d closed her eyes, the sun had leapt high into the sky. She stumbled out of the dorm room cursing, expecting to find the kitchen full of empty bellies and angry looks.

Instead she found only Liza. She was pleasantly humming to herself the way that only well-rested people could in the morning, standing over the stove. She looked up when Keira rushed in and gave her a sunny smile.

“Morning, sleepy head. Sit down. You looked like you needed the rest, so I took care of breakfast. I was gonna bring your plate to you, but this works.”

“Liza, you’re wonderful,” Keira said as she slumped into a chair.

“I know,” Liza answered cheerfully. “So, how’d it go this morning?”

“Ugh,” Keira said, letting her head slump until her chin hit the table.

Liza was the only person who wasn’t an adult she trusted enough to tell about her tutoring sessions. And even Liza thought that Keira was just bad at performing spells. She couldn’t tell her the details of what was going on with her magic.

“That bad, huh?”

“No….” Keira grumbled. “Honestly, I think I’m just being overdramatic. I actually did better today than I’ve ever done. But I’m still not there. It feels like I’m pouring hours and hours into this for nothing.”

“You’ll get there. Here. Bacon makes it better.”

Liza brought an egg sandwich that shared the plate with a generous number of strips of bacon. Keira grabbed one of the strips and bit it in half, savoring the salty greasy deliciousness.

“Good?” Liza asked.

“Mmmph. So good.”

“Awesome. So, since I made breakfast, you get to take care of my chore for the day.”

“Sure. What is it?”

“Dishes,” Liza said, gesturing to a sink that was overflowing with plates and utensils. Keira groaned, and Liza just flashed her sunny smile again. A thoughtful look popped onto her face a moment after.

“Have you heard anything about Raz and Hoeru?”

“Are people still talking about that? It’s been two days.” Keira said, trying to keep her voice neutral.

“All through breakfast. I expect it will be the topic of conversation for weeks, especially with Duriel storming about. Assuming they aren’t let go, that is.” Liza’s last words came out in low, unhappy tone.

“Look, I told you what I know. They didn’t tell me much. Miles, Roland, and I were all cleared to leave. Raz wasn’t. And Hoeru… well, he didn’t take it well.”

“Not surprising. They’re close.”

“Yeah,” Keira said, the memory of Hoeru’s face that day still fresh. She’d been downplaying what had happened when they’d been given the news. Raziel hadn’t just been kept longer. They’d said he was corrupted. No room for interpretation. Hoeru had demanded to see Raziel. When the guards wouldn’t take him, he’d attacked them. Keira didn’t think he’d been trying to hurt anyone, just to get past them. He’d made it into the hall but not a lot farther. A part of her had wanted to go after him, though whether to try to talk the changeling down or to help him find Raziel, she wasn’t sure.

“I think Miles knows something,” Liza said.

Keira was sure that Miles knew something. “What makes you say that?”

“He’s been quiet. Stays in the library for hours, not talking to anyone.”

“We are talking about the same Miles, right?”

“It’s different. He’s usually there, but you now how he likes to help people find what they’re looking for. Now he’s just sitting in a corner, holding a book like a shield.”

They were quiet for a few moments, alone with their thoughts. Keira finished her last bite food and started in on the dishes. Liza chatted amiably at her but Keira could only pay about half attention to her. She wanted to know what Miles knew. But that didn’t make it her business.

What confused her was that Miles hadn’t said anything about the spirit Raziel had met. If he thought Raziel was corrupted, wouldn’t it be best to tell Alban or someone? So just what had happened? What had he seen?

Hobb, one of the smallest children living at Dominic’s, came in as Keira was drying her last dish. He looked a bit flushed, like he’d run here.

“Hobb? What’s going on?”

“Dominic told me to come get you. There’s a guy here that wants to see you. I think he’s a sky captain,” Hobb said this last with awe and wonder in his voice.

Keira instantly knew who it was, and she was at once thrilled and apprehensive. Her brother Basil was almost never able to come visit. He wouldn’t just be dropping in to say hi and have lunch. He always had a purpose. And given what had been going on the last few days, it probably wasn’t going to be a purpose that she’d like.

“Okay,” she said, trying to keep her thoughts off her face. “At his office?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I need to visit the library and pick up a book for one of my classes. I’ll see you later,” Liza said. Keira nodded and set the last plate in its cupboard.

Keira made her way over to the main building of the mansion. She came to Dominic’s door and found it open and the room beyond empty.