great green steps. Samuel had long ago tired of looking at them and so instead he filled the time by launching another volley of questions towards his new friend. ‘Where does it come from and how does it work?’
‘Well, no one can say for sure,’ Tulan began, ‘but they tell me that magic is the underlying energy that comprises all things. If you know how, you can channel and make use of this energy, but it’s like everything; some of us have a natural talent and are better than others. My father sent me to be examined for talent when I was eight, not being able to support me himself. He was hoping I would prove useful with magic, and he was right. I manage to support him now he’s old and a little feeble.’
‘Can magicians marry then?’
Tulan looked sideways to Samuel with a questioning glance. ‘Magicians don’t marry, Samuel. Perhaps it’s the lifestyle or the study or something inherent in the magic itself, but magic dulls the greater emotions. Magicians can’t hate and can’t love-not to the full extent of common folk anyway. Something happens to the mind and body so that magicians stop thinking about the fairer sex in that particular way. And even if a magician wanted to have children, he couldn’t. Magicians simply cannot.’
‘That sounds awful.’
‘I suppose it’s a fair trade for the skills it grants us. Don’t worry, lad. Once it happens to you, you won’t notice any difference. It comes on slowly, but if you’re naturally talented with magic as it seems, you probably aren’t capable of having children already-that’s just the way of it. It does simplify the business a great deal and without the bother of families to deal with, we can do our work and studies without such hindrances. Admittedly, it does result in a lot of fairly boring old men not getting particularly fired-up or interested in much of anything. I sometimes suppose a woman or two in the Order would help to spice things up and make it more amusing-but that’s just not possible.’
Samuel mulled over the matter for a while until the solemn feeling left him. ‘Enough of that, then. Tell me more about magic!’ he asked.
Tulan looked thoughtful a moment, then began. ‘You like asking the simple ones, don’t you?’ Tulan stated with a sarcastic smile that peeped out from beneath his curling moustache. ‘Magic is both a skill that we practise and an energy that we can harvest from within our deepest selves. Magicians simply hone that ability as well as can be. Magic has garnered such a mystic tone simply because commoners cannot comprehend the link between cause and effect. It is invisible to them. They see us twiddle our fingers and then something happens, but they don’t understand the mental and physical effort that is required for such feats.
‘People once thought that the space between objects was filled with a void, but we now know that air fills those gaps, or how else would we breathe? We can use that knowledge to better ourselves-constructing windmills and sails and all manner of things that can help us. So it is with magic. One day, I believe everyone will use magic in their homes as everyone now brandishes fire. It is only the difficult step from fear and ignorance to understanding that is required.
‘Everyone could probably do
‘I’m sorry,’ Samuel said.
Tulan’s melancholy air fell away as he realised Samuel had been hanging on his every word. ‘Oh, no! I am sorry for you, my dear Samuel. It is unjust to burden you with my own bitter concerns. The old should not throw such worries upon the young. Please, forget what I have said. The world is a playground of opportunity for the young such as you. If you become a strong and wise magician, perhaps you can help to change these things of which I have spoken.’
‘So can you tell who is a powerful magician and who is not? Master Kelvin said I didn’t look like a magician at all.’
‘The magic in things is tangible, Samuel. It gives off vibrations. Not ordinary vibrations like this wagon is currently supplying to us in generous proportions; more like creases in the fabric of space and time. The more magic something contains, the more it resonates and can be detected. It’s just like listening carefully for a soft noise. Although, you can even see and hear and taste and feel magic once you know how, it’s not with your ears or your eyes or your body, but more with your mind-or spirit. In your case, it’s a mystery. I’ve tried several times since we left and I can’t even feel a hint of power within you. You don’t feel like a magician. You don’t feel like
‘And what can I do with magic once I learn how?’
‘Ah, now that depends. It depends on your ability and your strength and where your talents lie. Some magicians are stronger in some areas. I’m good with divination. I can find minerals and detect the weather, and tell what kind of magic is where. I mostly help the Empire find its precious metals to mine-to keep its coffers filled. I can also tell you that if we don’t make the next village in the next hour we’ll get wet.’
Samuel looked up. The clouds were heavy and looming in from the west. ‘Even I can tell that!’ he declared with a laugh and Tulan looked at him seriously.
‘But do you
Samuel was in awe. It did rain as Tulan had foretold, hard and heavy, just as they made it to the next inn, and it set in for two days straight. It was still raining when Tulan, with a knowing wink, told Samuel to pack his things. Samuel stuffed his belongings into his bag, and, by the time they were downstairs, the sun was breaking through the clouds and the last glistening drops were dripping from the eaves. Scant moments later, they were once again bound for Cintar.
CHAPTER FOUR
They found fewer villages as they plunged deeper into the heart of Turia, and came across more and more cities and towns. Some of these had long-ago burst from their walls and ancient defensive structures, and now sprawled amongst the plains and valleys wherever they could. Broken fortifications and ruined walls scarred the landscape and Tulan explained that Turia had been witness to more than its fair share of warring. Times had been peaceful since the last great expansion of the Empire, but the brightly-uniformed Turian militia, ever-present, were a reminder of wilder days before the Emperor had united the lands of Amandia; warring days when the borders of nations changed almost daily-before the Empire had conquered them all.
On occasion, mighty cities loomed in the distance, but they didn’t enter even one. Tulan warned that it was much quicker to go around them and he gave each one a wide berth. The roads near cities became like rivers of overloaded wagons and animals and travellers. As it was, smaller roads joined with the Great Southern Highway as it coursed ever northwards, filling it with crowds of people and herded livestock. Great lines of soldiers would march past, clanking and stomping by. Sometimes the soldiers would be atop great beasts of horses, which would snort and whinny and throw up thick clouds of dust as they thundered by.
‘Not far now,’ Tulan said with a smile. ‘You’ve missed a few good months of schooling already, but I’m sure, with some hard work, you can catch up. If not, you’ll soon be back to Stable Canthem.’ Samuel nodded and smiled as he once more imagined what sorts of fantastic spells he would be learning.
Finally, they crested a hilltop and the smell of salt was strong on the wind. Suddenly a great city filled the landscape, laid out before an endless blue expanse of water that sparkled like rippling silver.
‘There she is,’ Tulan stated.
